Newspaper Page Text
THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. OCTOBER 29. 2009 — PAGE 5A
OPINION
New excuse: I’m the victim of a conspiracy
I don't know who’s behind it,
but Americans are increasingly
prone to believe in conspira
cies.
This is not the-man-on-the-
grassy-knoll quality, but a
persistent belief that folks are
constantly plotting to do us
in, whether it's in local poli
tics, the referees who flagged
A.J. Greene for excessive cel
ebrating, or the police depart
ment. It might be the “city hall
gang," the judicial system or
a vast Republican conspiracy.
Frankly, I like the last one.
Actually, I like them all, but
the GOP conspiracy the most. It
explains why Monica Lewinski
corrupted an honorable presi
dent, how George W. Bush was
awarded Florida’s electoral col
lege votes and why the polar ice
Guest
column
By Mark Beardsley
caps are melting but rising sea
levels threaten only red states.
Your property tax bill is a con
spiracy by local politicians out
to enrich themselves, and the
cheap illegal labor that supports
America is (a) a conspiracy of
Democrats to enlarge their base
or (b) a plot by Republicans to
enrich corporations by provid
ing cheap labor. Your ticket for
doing 95 in a 70-mph zone is
a result of a police conspiracy
involving ticket quotas.
A conspiracy can be a
handy means of explaining the
unknown or a clever way to
avoid responsibility. That's why
when a man's wife divorces
him after catching him in the
act with the 17-year old baby
sitter, he complains, “Women,”
as if they’re all out to get him
(as well they should be).
Conspiracies allow under
achievers to justify their own
lack of success by painting
successful people as complicit
in nefarious activities. They
can explain one's failures or a
rival’s successes.
Nothing does more to pro
mote conspiracy theory than
the Internet, where a post of a
police confiscation of suspect
ed chug money on 1-85 might
draw the following: “I heard
there was a lot more money
but it never got to the police
station” - by someone unwill
ing to use a real name or a real
e-mail address, and who has no
sources other than his drinking
buddies.
Imagining a conspiracy is
easier than sorting through the
shades of gray in a world where
people increasingly want things
in black and white. When the
truth doesn't suit, a conspiracy
allows you to believe you had
no control and are a victim.
Mark Beardsley is edi
tor of The Commerce News,
a publication of MainStreet
Newspapers Inc.
Madison Co. IDA issues report to commissioners
Madison County Industrial
Development and Building
Authority executive director
Marvin White issued the fol
lowing report to county com
missioners Monday:
“The Harrison area water
project is moving along well
considering rains we have
had since starting this proj
ect. We have installed lines on
Shirley Road, Aaron Brown
Road and Hwy. 281 from
the Madison County line to
Cheek Pulliam Road and
from Cheek Pulliam Road
almost to Hannah Creek
Church Road.
“We plan to start this week
on Spratlin Mill Road from
Foote McClellan Road to
Spratlin Pond Drive.
“Brewer Phillips Road
from Hwy. 98 to the Madison
County recreation new park
area should begin laying
water line in mid-November.
We have several homes along
this road that want water.
The Hull-Sanford wastewater
project has been held up due
to rains and a wet work area.
Clearing and some piping
have been installed. They are
now working on the holding
pond. The treatment plant is
to be delivered Nov. 17. The
present schedule is for the
final inspection is on Feb.
15, 2010.
“We have entered into an
agreement to purchase water
from the city of Royston
and Franklin County for the
Harrison area.
“The Columbia Farms
Feed Mill is up and produc
ing feed. This is the first
poultry related industry in
Madison County. We want to
thank the board of commis
sioners for all you have done
to help bring this industry to
Madison County.
“Our water sales contin
ue to decrease; September
usage was 4,069,752 gal
lons, approximately 1.2 mil
lion gallons less than August
usage.”
Waggoner recognized at BOC meeting
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Colbert Mayor John
Waggoner was applaud
ed Monday at the county
commissioners’ meeting
for his 40 years of service
to the city.
He is not seeking re-
election to the post this
year. Instead, Chris Peck
is running unopposed for
Colbert mayor.
BOC chairman Anthony
Dove said Waggoner is a
“public servant” who has
been instrumental in mak-
1
m
Waggoner
ing Colbert "a city we can
be proud of.”
"You’ve meant a lot to
this county and I appre
ciate what you do,” said
Dove, before the audience
applauded the mayor.
Waggoner thanked Dove.
“Thank you. I’ve had a
lot of good help,” he said.
Waggoner was on hand
Monday as the BOC
renewed a two-year con
tract with the county for
sheriff’s department ser
vices in Colbert. Instead of
maintaining a city police
force, Colbert contracts
for assistance from the
county.
“We’re satisfied with the
services we’re getting,”
said Colbert Mayor John
Waggoner. “And we com
pensate the county for it.”
In other matters Monday,
the board considered Gabe
Martin for another term on
the county planning com
mission. His appointment
will be considered Monday.
The board approved two
tax refunds, one for $904
and the other for $217, for
mistakes in property tax
assessments, including a
charge for a trailer that was
no longer on a property
and separate case where a
person was taxed for own
ing a boat, when they actu
ally own two Jet skis.
Publish your child’s photo for free
in Journal Christmas section
The Madison County Journal will once again print a
Children’s Christmas section in our Dec. 23 issue.
The deadline for accepting photos for the Madison County
Journal’s annual children’s Christmas section is Wednesday,
Dec. 2.
The newspaper will accept photographs of children age 10
years and younger. The child must live in Madison County.
Please submit the following information along with the
child's photo: The first and last name and age of each child
shown, as well as the parents’ names, their city of residence
and phone number. Photos submitted without all of the
information may not be published.
Black and white or color photos can be used, but no
Polaroids or photographs printed out from a computer onto
laser paper will be accepted, as they do not reprint well.
Photos can be mailed to The Madison County Journal,
PO. Box 658 Danielsville GA 30633. They can be dropped
off at the office in Danielsville across from the county gov
ernment complex. (There is a drop box beneath the front
porch window if the office is closed.)
Digital photos can be e-mailed to madisonchristmas@
mainstreetnews.com. The e-mail should contain the subject
line “Christmas picture” as the title. Also, the child’s photo
and information requested above must be submitted in the
same e-mail. Please do not submit multiple e-mails for
the same child. Please do not submit group photos, unless
children are in the same immediate family and all are 10
and under.
We Buy All
Gold & Silver
Complete Count
Census Committee
More than a dozen members of Madison County’s
Census Complete Count committee met recently to
discuss the upcoming 2010 Census. Committee mem
bers include representatives of various organiza
tions around the county including government, civic,
church and the school system. Plans are being made to
reach out to different areas of the community to make
all citizens aware of the importance of participating in
the upcoming Census. Margie Richards/staff
''I'M
Including:
Class Rings • Wedding Bands
• Coins • Broken Jewelry
• Dental Gold
Mainesoilte
off
Dr. Jeff Gilliland
Veterinarian/Owner
(formerly of Commerce Veterinary Hospital
and Jefferson Animal Hospital)
706-614-5266
fetch-a-vet@att.net
• House Calls For Pets
• Small Animal Practice
• By Appointment Only
For online prescriptions, visit
www.fetch-a-vet.com
Serving Clarke, Oconee, Madison, Jackson and Oglethorpe Comities
School system seeks
relief in property
tax collection fees
Supt. will investigate matter
further following tax season
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
The Madison County school board seeks a break on the
county’s collection fee for property taxes.
Collections cost the school system about $300,000 last
year, a matter that the board of education (BOE) brought up
over two weeks ago at the school board’s Oct. 13 meeting.
Madison County Schools Superintendent Mitch McGhee
said he’d mailed a letter to commission chairman Anthony
Dove regarding the issue.
“I don’t expect that we’ll be able to see any relief in that
this year, but we have started some dialogue there,” McGhee
said at the Oct. 13 meeting. “Again, we’re not after neces
sarily doing away with that totally, but we would like to see
a reduction.”
When contacted this week by The Journal, McGhee said
he’d continue that conversation after the tax season con
cludes.
“They still got to collect taxes and get the bills out and all
that, and then I'll try to strike that conversation back up ...
We’re not headlong into those conversations or anything,”
McGhee said.
Property tax collections cost the school system $285,000
for the general budget and around $15,000 to collect for the
bond millage levied for the annual payment on Danielsville
Elementary School. The county charges a 2.5 percent com
mission to collect both.
McGhee said the state passed a law about 10 years ago
allowing local tax collecting entities to charge up to 2.5 per
cent of funds collected for other tax levying organizations to
help cover those collections costs.
McGhee is currently looking into what similar-sized
school systems are paying counties in collection fees, but
doesn’t think that they’re quite that high.
“That's part of the information that I’m in the process of
gathering,’ McGhee said. “Very few of them of our size pay
the full 2.5 percent. Most of the time, it's a lesser percent
age.”
Colbert residents can count
on small tax relief now
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
While county homeowners will see a $240 hike on their tax
bills due to the state’s discontinuation of the Homeowners’
Tax Relief Grant, Colbert residents won’t see an increase in
their city taxes.
The Colbert City Council lowered its millage rate from
3.95 to 3.5 during a very brief meeting last Monday.
That rollback will spare Colbert taxpayers an average of
$35 per household that would have been imposed with the
state grant being cut.
All told, Colbert will cover about $4,500 worth of lost
state money this fiscal year.
Though voted on last week, the idea to absorb that cost
for homeowners was originally posed at the council's
September meeting.
Colbert leaders then agreed at their Oct. 5 meeting to
approve their 2009-2010 budget with the tax rate reduction
in mind.
The Colbert City Council meets again on Nov. 2, on the
eve of the city’s municipal election. The council has three
candidates vying for one council seat.
Danielsville council
to meet Nov. 2
The Danielsville City Council will meet Monday, Nov.
2, at 7 p.m. at city hall.
Agenda items include the following:
Under old business - Madison Street Lift Station, water
rates, board of education meeting on wastewater pond,
stoplight solicitation ordinance.
Under new business - police chief monthly report for
October, police officer reinstatement; city clerk monthly
report (budget and finance); schedule public hearings for
millage rate; annual budget amendments; water billing
credits and amend ordinance for poll workers.
City of Comer
ELECTION
The Comer General Election will be held on
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 from 7AM to 7PM at the
Comer Fire Hall. The candidates are:
For Mayor (at large):
William (Billy) Burroughs
David McMickle
Council Person District 1: Jimmy D. Yarbrough
Council Person District 4: Laquita Bridges
Early voting will begin October 12, 2009 at the Comer
City Hall during normal business hours, 8AM - 12 PM
and 1PM - 5PM Monday through Friday.
770-532-2592
1020 Jesse Jewell Pkwy. • Gainesville, GA
Mon. - Thurs. 10-6:30 • Fri. - Sat. 10-7
The Madison County Journal is your source for local
news. Call 706-795-2567 to subscribe. Visit us online at
MadisonJ ournalTOD AY. com