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Houston Times-Journal
P.O. Drawer M • 807 Carroll Street • Perry, Ga. 31069
Phone: (912) 987-1823
Th* Houston Tlimo-Journal (USPS 000471) lo published Mml-weekly lor $14.00 por yoar by
Houston Publications, Inc., 007 Carroll Street, Parry, Cs. 310e».Second Class Postage paid at
Parry, Qa.,POSTMASTER: Sand address changes to the Houston Timas-Journal, P.O. Drawer
M.PerryGa. ItOW. ISSN:IO7S-IS7«
Bob Tribble Daniel F. Evans Julie B. Evans Mitch Tribble
President Vice-President Treasurer Secretary
Jim Kerce
Editor and General Manager
Eddie Byrd
Advertising Manager
News: Jimmy Simpson, Pauline Lewis Sports: Veto Roley Composition:
Melanie Bullington Classified Advertising: Melanie Bullington Bookkeeping:
Judy Morrow
Your Opinion
Glad to have writer back
Dear Editor:
Thank you for asking Bobby Tuggle to return as a writer for the
newspaper. I have missed his column, and look forward to learning more
about the natural history of this area. His information and insight is
invaluable.
Thanks,
Loretta Gilbert
Dog fighting needs study
Dear Editor:
I have recently heard from several sources that dog fighting is taking
place in Fort Valley, in the area of Indian Oaks complex, off of 96 East.
According to these sources, the Fort Valley Police Department is aware of
this situation and does not consider it important enough to take action.
People’s pets are being stolen from their own yards and found later in a
field behind this apartment complex mauled to death. This just makes me
sick!
The police department even has a few names linked with this disgraceful
and inhumane sport. And they still refuse to lode into this matter.
I am thoroughly disgusted with the police department for ignoring this
situation. I urge all concerned citizens, and animal lovers, to contact the
Chief of Police, Frank Strickland at 825-3382. Please, voice your views
on this matter and maybe they will see that it is an important issue.
These animals cannot help themselves and the police will not help, so it is
up to you and me!
Sincerely,
Christina Davenport
Fort Valley, Ga.
Reader recalls memories
, Dear Editor:
; I was very interested in the stories in this week’s paper about Byron
J Maxwell and especially the photograph of the former Home Journal
l owners and employees and their families shown on the front page. I am in
■ the left part of the picture, holding my youngest daughter, Marcell, and
l next to my wife, Margaret, and my oldest daughter, Laurene.
» My best recollection is the photo was made either the later part of 1968
I or early 1969. It was on a Sunday and we were in our “Go to meeting”
» clothes.
• I can agree with everything said about Byron Maxwell in the paper. In
• addition, I can state that he was a very fair and just employer and worked
• well with us. One other thing that stands out in my mind is that he was a
l true professional in the newspaper and printing business. He knew the
5 trade “backward and forward,” from beginning to end.
• Since I left the Home Journal in 1970 to enter the real estate business, I
l realize that the newspaper and printing businesses have undergone almost
I revolutionary changes. Had Byron Maxwell been active, he would have
I kept up with and thrived on all of them.
• One added note: Of the three former owners shown in the picture,
• Copper Etheridge, Bobby Branch and now Byron Maxwell have passed on.
I You could say it is the end of an era.
Sincerely,
; William J. (Bill) Clark
jLung recipient gives ‘thanks’
; Dear Editor:
J A very special thank you to a very special community. Words can
; never express the sincere gratitude I feel for those of you who supported
• the efforts of Camp #16388 Modem Woodmen of America Insurance
J Company’s “Benefit Yard and Bake Sale” recntly at Stanley Furniture’s
! parking lot for Wanda E. Williamson, who is awaiting a lung transplant at
J Chapel Hill, N. C.
Even though I was not physically present that Saturday, my thoughts
’ were with all of you who worked so hard to make it such a success. The
• money is sincerely appreciated and will be put toward my expenses at
• Chapel Hill.
“In Jesus’ Name”,
Wanda
j Editor’s Note: According to Polly Williamson, Wanda’s mother,
J Wanda Williamson has been at Chapel Hill since January of this year and
t is enrolled in an exercise program to help maintain her strength. She gets
t homesick and would love to hear from her friends. Her address is: Wanda
5 Williamson, 34A North Circle Drive, Chapel Hill, N. C. 27514.
» The yard sale brought in $2598.43. The Woodmen matched up to
' $2500.00, making a total of $5098.43 to go toward Wanda’s expenses.
Our Policies -Signed Letters to the editor welcomed. Please limit to 300
words and include address and phone number.
•Liability for an error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error.
•We cannot be responsible for return of pictures or material unless stamped
return addressed envelope is included.
Our Goal The Houston Times-Journalis published proudly for the citizens
of Houston and adjoining counties by Houston Publications Inc., Perry Ga. Our
goal is to produce quality, profitable, community-oriented newspapers that you,
our readers, are proud of. We will reach that goal through hard work, teamwork,
loyalty, and a strong dedication towards printing the truth.
Member Georgia Press Association-National Newspaper Association
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of
the people peaceably Unassemble, and to petition the Government for a redree of
grievances.” Your right to raid this newspaper i* protected by the Firet Amendment olthe United
Statee Conetitution.
"The FEM)T 6ft um / AMERICA, I LOU.
just mviflv
Government health care kills freedom
As I was saying last week, the
federal government seems to be tak
ing away more and more of the ter
ritory that once was reserved to the
individual.
The latest assault on individual
liberty is most disturbing, since it
takes the form of "helping” the in
dividuals. Of course, I'm talking
about what Washington is doing in
the name of health care.
It is true that we have some
problems with health care. We have
some 35 million people in America
without health insurance. I know
people who go without health in
surance. I've, personally, went sev
eral months in a row without health
insurance.
I know personally the problems,
I know personally the worries; but,
I am very afraid of what
Washington is about to do with our
health system.
We can throw around the big
numbers all we want. All they do is
confuse and obfuscate the real issue,
and that is medical care hits the in
dividual, just as shopping for food,
shopping gas, etc. Health care does
account for 12 percent, or so, of the
American economic pie; but, it is
something that affects me, individu
ally, and you, individually.
Yes, this is a national issue.
But, it is also an individual issue. It
is something that will make an
immediate and direct impact on the
our lives. We have to be concerned
about this.
STREET TALK:
With Tropical Storm Beryl bearing down on the area, we asked residents if they
thought Beryl would be worse than Tropical Storm Alberto, which hit the area on
July 4.
MM
David Wilson
“I don’t think anything can
be that bad."
WW
Joanne Skeilie
"I certainly hope not for the
well being of all our peo
ple who were hurt by
Alberto.”
Health care stands to make the
federal government the most impor
tant level of government to individ
ual citizens, far removed from city
hall, the courthouse and the state
house, which used to occupy that
distinction. And, that is one of the
things that worries me.
Another big worry I have is that
America still has the best health
care system in the nation.
Washington seems to want a com
mand economy for health care in
place of our current free market sys
tem. Command economies have
never worked. Remember the old
saying that nothing is so bad that
government can’t make it worse.
Sen. Phil Graham of Texas, a
former economics professor, said
last Wednesday, that there were 18
new taxes, 44 new regulatory agen
cies and 177 new mandates on state
and local governments. This is a fi
nancial and regulatory nightmare
waiting to happen.
In order to make sure a maxi
mum number of people sign up for
the government plan, those enrolled
in the top 40 percent of private
health plans will have a surcharge
tax of 25 percent on their plans. If
you have good insurance, the gov
ernment is going to punish you for
it.
Thirdly, the plan does not offer
any choice. Choice in the govern
ment plan is defined as how much a
participant will pay in as premiums
for the plan. Participants in the
\ . - -y-irf' €
" v r
Mrs. W.C. Harrison
“I don’t know. That is
something that is in the
hands of the Lord.”
' Ik
J.T. Smith
"It’s hard for me to say. It’s
hard to say what the de
struction will be before it
happens.”
Houston Times-Journal
■ Wednesday, August 17,1994, "Houston Times-Joumal
Page 4A
Veto I
jytfjjji Roley I
.m| Staff Writer I
government plan are given a pre-de
termined slate of options. There are
no other choices. "Why should gov
ernment make these decisions for
the individual," asks Oklahoma
Sen. Don Nickles.
Finally, the plan does nothing to
control costs while providing qual
ity care. The problem with con
trolled economies is that they elim
inate the incentives that force good
quality or sufficient goods and ser
vices.
One of the reasons health care is
so expensive is that individual users
are no longer responsible for meet
ing the costs. They are spending
other people's money (OPM) —in-
surance companies', employers' or
governments'. People tend to spend
more OPM than they do their own,
making it a highly addictive habit.
In order to control health care
costs, and keep the same quality of
care, we must give back individual
spending power. Currently, when a
person seeks medical care the
provider bills the patient's insurance
company, which pays the bill.
It really is no wonder that health
care costs have went up as medical
See Veto, page 12A
ft
Nicole Haynes
”1 don’t think so.”
r" 11
I# 4 1
’!H
Bernice Rainey
”1 don't think so. But, right
now it sort of looks that
way. I couldn't get much
worse than what we had
before.”
nflr
▼
Bob
TYibble
Dams are
in demand
Since my recent column on the
three dams that were approved for
the Flint River and later nixed by
then Gov. Jimmy Carter over
twenty years ago, people from as
far south on the river as Camilla
have responded. Copies of the
column have been sent to present
Congressmen and Senators, I am
told, as well as to former Governor
and President Jimmy Carter
himself. Much interest has surfaced
once again for this project, and
without a doubt unquestionably
rightly so.
When towns such as
Montezuma, Albany, Americus and
Newton suffer from the effects of a
river overflooding its banks and
submerging the towns under water
for days, I doubt you would find
any of these good folks questioning
flood control as being one of the
major reasons for constructing the
dams.
After the article, former
Congressman Jack Flynt of Griffin
wrote me a letter concerning the
project and enclosed additional
material. Jack said in his letter,
“flood control is a major factor in
nearly all projects of this kind and
certainly was in this case. If the
three dams had been in place in
1994 (this year) it is very likely
that Montezuma, Albany, Americus
and Newton would have been spared
catastrophe damage. Without doubt
the dam at Lake Blackshear (near
Cordele) would not have broken and
washed away causing additional
flood damage, particularly in
Albany and Newton.”
Former Congressman Flynt
continued by saying that the
estimated cost of the three dam
complex was $159 million in 1962
dollars. “The co& might
more, but even if it ran twice that it
would have been a small cost to
pay compared to 1994 estimates of
flood damage to towns and cities;
streets, roads and bridges; homes,
schools, churches and public
buildings; and over 500,000 acres
of farm and other crop lands.”
“The three dams in all likelihood
would have contained or regulated
the flow of water which caused
most of the damage,” the former
Congressman said.
“We had already achieved full
authorization, all appropriations for
advance planning and engineering,
and the first increment of
construction funds (You may recall
that the first construction funds
built roads to the Sprewell Bluff
site). We had accomplished every
step required except the written
acceptance (approval) by the
Governor of the state affected,”
Flynt concluded.
If any one person was
responsible for bringing the three
dams to a point of reality 20 years
ago it was former Congressman
Flynt.
During the 1960’s when the
projects first went before Congress,
the Gov. Ernest Vandiver said in a
letter to Lt. Gen. W.K. Wilson,
“Let me emphasize that the State of
Georgia is most anxious to proceed
with the development of the Flint
River Project as an entirety.” He
further said, “In addition to the
benefits (hydro-electric power, water
resources, flood control, wildlife
and recreation) pointed out in your
report to Congress, I should like to
add my belief that the development
of this project will greatly enhance
the industrial progress throughout
this area.”
Former Governors Sanders and
Maddox, who followed Gov.
Vandiver in office, were also big
supporters of the river projects, but
then came Gov. Carter who with
one sweep of the pen destroyed all
the hard work done by many over
the prior 15 years to make the
projects a reality.
So, what is the point of all this?
The point is that mother nature and
history have shown those of us
who live anywhere near the Flint
River that there is more need today
for the dams and other river projects
below Albany then even 20 years
ago. History does not need to
present itself the fourth time before
those in power and authority act.
Let’s get this river project restored
and let’s do it now! All that past
research is waiting for someone to
pick it up, revise it to fit today’s
needs, and put it to its rightful use.