Houston times-journal. (Perry, Ga.) 1994-1999, May 29, 1996, Image 4

Houston times-journal., May 29, 1996, Page Page 4A, Image 4

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Newspaper Page TextViewpoints Good luck As the time of spring graduation cere monies rapidly approaches, we join the long list of people who are offering congratula tions to our 1996 graduates at every level. We hope that those who have completed their studies at whatever level, from nursery school to post-graduate, have availed them selves of the opportunities they had to learn more about the world about them, and to increase their knowledge in preparation for new jobs and new challenges. As these young people, especially those emerging from high school, enter the “adult” world, we wish them the best of luck in whatever they pursue, be it further educa tion, military service or entry into the job market. They enter a world in transition. Many companies have had to downsize their oper ations. Others have had to redefine their entry-level jobs because of increased tech nology. More and more jobs require at least some training, making additional schooling, whether at college or technical school, an excellent choice. Whatever their choices, we wish them luck. We hope they choose to become func tioning members of society, not those who just hang on and wait for others to support. We hope they choose to be law-abiding citi zens, not those who require incarceration to function. We hope they choose to become productive members of a society which needs a fresh infusion of ideas and sugges tions. To seniors graduating from high schools in Houston County, we extend our wishes of good luck. To graduates of other institutions, especially those of higher learning, we offer our congratulations on this success. We look forward to recording your contin ued success in the years to come. An excellent idea An announcement by the Houston County Hospital Authority and members of the lead ership at Robins Air Force Base to make more efficient use of Houston Medical Center for Robins residents is good news. The base hospital is not as large as the public hospital, nor does it offer the wide ranging services which are available at Houston Medical Center. By allowing military personnel and their doctors to be served at HMC, Air Force lead ers and hospital authority members are increasing the use of HMC while providing additional services to Robins residents. The better the utilization of the larger of the two hospitals in Houston County, the bet ter it is for taxpayers, for their investment in these facilities and in support of military families. • We think working together to serve the needs of the civilian and the military popula tion makes sense. Move benefits community Within a few weeks, the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce will occupy offices at the Perry Welcome Center. They are mov ing to that six-year-old facility at the invita tion of the Perry Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The move is good for both organizations. They have different missions and different sources of major funding, but they have many “in common” services which are offered to the public. The two bodies have shown they can work together to promote Perry and bring new dollars and faces to this area. We applaud the move. The Chamber ben efits from a much more attractive surround ing while the C&VB gets some financial help in paying for and operating their attrac tive building. The bottom line is good news for taxpay ers and chamber supporters. Go for it. Houston Ames-Journal P.O. Drawer M • 807 Carroll St. • Perry, Ga. 31069 (912) 987-1823 • (912) 988-1181 (fax) e mail jjedit@hom.net Bob Tribble President Jj Johnson Editor and General Manager Sherri Wengler Advertising Manager News: Emily Johnstone. Pauline Lewis, Rick Johnstone; Sports: Phil Clark; Classified and Composition: John Adams; Circulation and Photography; Eric Zellars; Bookkeeping: Jeannette Fullington Which has changed the law or the enforcement? Have I missed something? Has the law been changed about slower traffic keeping to the right? As I was growing up, I learned from the South Carolina (and later Tennessee and Georgia) drivers’ license handbooks that slower traffic was to keep right when travelling along multiple-lane roads. This law applied equally to city streets, suburban parkways and multi lane interstates. The right lane was reserved for the slowest traffic, while the center lane was for those who were traveling faster. Now, we have many three or more lane highways in each direction.’ Apparently the slower traffic keep right signs have been taken down to allow more speed limit signs (we wouldn’t want to miss a revenue- If PM/kir _ fHOWbO YOU PLEAD TO /]) a T\ g\ [ CHARGES OF HOLDING- TZWMEK] ////\\ \\ \HOSTAU TV CONTROL /// V 1 <\j ♦ V -Xll - • * 1 1 .Ala mu n I Mayor explains spraying schedule Editor: In order to help our citizens plan their early evening outdoor activities, such as walking, I will appreciate your printing the following mosquito spray ing schedule: Mondays Starting in the Tucker area at approximately 6:30 p.m., all areas east of Ball Street and East of Macon Road will be sprayed until 9:00 p.m. Tuesdays Starting at Perimeter Road at approximately 6:30 p.m , all areas west of Ball Street and west of Macon Road will be sprayed as will the area out the Marshallville Road and into Holly Hills. The scheduled spray ing will end around 8:30 p.m. each Tuesday. On days when there is a late after noon rain, the schedule for that day will be moved to the next day. If the mosquito problem increases, some additional spraying will be done in trouble spots on Wednesdays. It is dif ficult to determine in advance where the trouble spots will be and the city is unable to give citizens a schedule in advance for whatever spraying will be done on Wednesdays. The product that the city uses to spray mosquitoes is carefully con trolled and is safe for use around peo ple. Mayor Jim Worrall City of Perry End of American Dream Editor: In the land of the free, what could: kill the American dream, destroy the “Pursuit of Happiness” for you and your children, unleash “Big Brother” government control, end freedom to live and work without government intrusion? The legislation H.R. 1617 Our Policies Unsigned editorials appearing in larger type on this page under the label of Our Views reflect the position of the Houston Times-Joumal. Signed columns and let ters on this page (and elsewhere in this newspaper) reflect the opinions of the writ ers and not necessarily those of this newspaper. Signed letters to the editor are welcomed. Please limit letters to 300 words and include addresses and a telephone number for verification purposes. Letters are not published without verification. Letters should be sent to P.O. Drawer M., Perry, Ga. 31069, or brought to the newspaper office at 807 Carroll St., Perry. Our liability for an error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. We cannot be responsible for the return of pictures or submitted materials unless a stamped, return address envelope is included. Our Goal The Houston Tunts-Jouma / is published proudly for the citizens of Houston Page 4A Wed., May 29,1996 Jj Johnson Editor enhancing opportunity) and no one in Georgia is enforcing that old keep right law any longer. During a recent trip to Atlanta with a friend, we listened on his Citizens Band radio to several truck drivers comment about the problem of slower drivers taking over the center lane. The drivers agreed this was a problem which was worse in Georgia than other states. My friend and I agreed. Several times he had to slow down to wait for Letters to the Editor P.O. Drawer M Perry, Ga. 31069 (the Consolidated and Reformed Education, Employment and Rehabilitation Systems Act) known as CAREERS and its companion bill 5143 could end life in America as we know it. Close examination of both docu ments reveals that this American forced labor bill mandates: •Government data collection on all individuals. •Government evaluation and treat ment centers. •Government residential work/train ing centers. •Government hiring quotas and con trols. Mark Tucker, president of the National Center on Education and the Economy, wrote a letter to Hillary Clinton which confirms plans have existed for years to turn our schools into “human resource development” facilities to prepare children for employment suitable to and monitored by the government. The plan is uncon stitutional. The plan is National Socialism. Human capital or resource is a new label for all children who are being shaped to match the supposed needs of the global economy; the trained work force product of global/national schooling. The U.S. Department of Labor, in the SCANS report, tells schools in America to reinvent education (K-12) Houston Times-Journal an opportunity to pass slowly moving traffic in the center lane. Now, it seems, passing on the right must be the approved method. That, when I was growing up, was frowned upon by the authorities. Guess I’d better drive out to the Georgia State Patrol post (in the right lane, understand, since I was trained slower traffic to the right) and get a new drivers’ manual. Perhaps the law has changed. Or has the way it is enforced changed? ••• Graduation issues always bring to my mind the various graduations I par ticipated in back during the dark ages of American civilization. Seems like it has been 31 years since my high school graduating class walked across the around one universal recognized stan dards Certificate of Mastery. If you don’t have a Certificate of Initial Mastery, you can’t work. My children are not commodities, they are precious gifts from God. My children are not servants of the state. If this legislation becomes law, our chil dren will not be educated to pursue their dreams and develop their talents, they will be trained for the workforce. The concepts in H.R. 1617/S 143 are already in place in Floyd County schools. According to an experimental program adopted by Floyd County in 1944 called the Next Generation School Project, career guidance and awareness would be incorporated in grades K-12. This plan moves away from “academically intensive curricu lum” to one that is integrated with vocational training, producing students for the labor market. The “School to Work program limits the knowledge of a student to what can be used for a spe cific job or career path. Georgia has plunged into the “School to Work” program before the federal bill passes. Linda Schrenko signed the State Youth Workforce Development Plan on March 18, 1996. Mrs Schrenko visited Germany to observe its education apprenticeships for Georgia. This cheap labor govern ment imposed apprenticeship program is not to be confused with our tradi tional concept of apprenticeship. The latter benefits the whole community, the former benefits the government. As responsible citizens, we must urge our congressmen to repeal every law that implements Goals 2000 and vote NO on the final version of H.R. 1617/5143. We must express our con cerns to our educators. Bonnie Copeland Ir ,1 and adjoining counties by Houston Publications Inc., Perry, Ga. Our goal is to pro duce quality, profitable, community-oriented newspapers that you, our readers, are proud of. We will reach this goal through hard work, teamwork, loyalty and a strong dedication toward printing the truth. Member of Georgia Press Association and National Newspaper Association. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or pro hibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or.of the press, or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Your right to read this newspaper is pro tected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Houston Times-Journal (USPS 000471) is published weekly for $21.00 per year by Houston Publications Inc., 807 Carroll Street, Perry, Ga., 31069. Second Class Postage paid at Perry, Ga. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Houston Times-Joumal, P.O. Drawer M, Perry, Ga. 31069. ISSN: 1075-1874. stage. It’s almost impossible to believe time has passed that quickly. Seems like just the other day, my wife’s class was discussing plans for their 25th reunion. At the rate those plans got completed (I don t remember a reunion, but I’m getting forgetful in my old age) they’d better start plan ning for the 50th year. ••• As we do from time to time, last week we accidentally promoted one city employee and fired another. For years I’ve lived in dread fear of doing this one their names are just too similar. Bill Hafley is not the head of the D.A.R.E. program for the city. Bill Hathcock is. Unfortunately, last week we promoted the city clean-up batter to the top job at D.A.R.E. Our apologies. From Where I Sit Bob Tribble President Not many people vote themselves out of a job For several years Congress has talked of term limits. Most polls conducted recently show that 70 percent or more of American voters support them. Yet, the Congress always comes up short in votes to put the issue to further test. The most recent measure regard ing term limits would have limited senators to two six-year terms and House members to six two-year terms. In addition, three fourths of the state legislatures would have to approve them. Term limit proposals was part of the Republicans Contract With America, yet the G.0.P.-controlled House rejected it last year by a 227-204 vote, well shy of the two thirds majority needed. ; ~- j.** Those who push for term limits say that by shortening the time of politicians in office, we will lengthen their perspective. They say that those who serve briefly will give greater weight to the long-term needs of the nation. Those who oppose term limits say we would be disqualifying many seasoned, knowledgeable and experienced public servants by lim iting their time in office. They go on to say that the voters should be the ones to hand out the pink slips. Frankly, I have mixed feelings on this one. It is easy to see where experience, knowledge and so forth is a definite plus for one serving on Capitol Hill. Sometimes it takes more than a term to learn the ropes around Washington and position yourself to get anything accom plished. On the other hand it is hard sometimes to defeat an incumbent on any level; national, state, or local. He has his machine behind him. And yes, sometimes politi cians can stay too long in any office. Just like sometimes a preacher can stay too long at a church. But, in all probability the people who should decide just how long a politician should stay in office are those voters back home. Works that way in a church. The people who decide when a preacher’s effective ness is over are members of his congregation. We can argue and discuss term limits for the next 10 years, just as has been done in the past, and that’s all right, no harm will be done. Bottom line though is if it ever passes Congress by that two-thirds majority, those presently in office will have to be excluded from the new law. Not many people will ever vote themselves out of a job. (Bob Tribble is president of Houston Publications Inc.)