About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2011)
r«5R i ■HJgJP’a ANNIVERSARY'PARTY! \ good i*Ur,, imi M ( -p r rhc 11 ice 1.01 XCE 'rrictuifu Ntiafifwrfmfi&?/• 2455 Jefferson Road in Homewood Hills 706.546.0840 Open at 2pm M-F • 12pm Sat Wednesday KARAOKE & DRINK SPECIALS 9pm Thursday BLUES NIGHT with THE SHADOW EXECHTIVES 8:30pm Friday. August 19 THE COMMON PEOPLE BAND 9:30pm Saturday. August 20 CITY DOCS 9:30pm Poof’ 7-rce 'Popcorn • Jukebox- facebook.com/OfficeAthens IflK© &0p8§@J ©aao© "Small Government" in Action: Now that Republican legislators have unveiled their plans for ensuring that Athens-Clarke County's representation on the state level is reduced to practically nothing, their boy Doug McKillip can get down to the important business of his office as ACC's representative: screwing around with our commission district map. So, how do other local Republicans feel about Doug's foray into local control—you know, from above? Regina Quick, the GOP rep on the local redistricting committee that would be made irrelevant by Doug's exercise of big-govern ment power, says she would have to support a plan for ACC that resulted from the commit tee's work over one that was imposed on the community by the state—unless the commit tee ended up recommending the map proposed by professional redistricting consultant Linda Meggers, which would alter the existing dis tricts as little as possible. Quick says she has a "philosophical problem" with the current map's splitting of Five Points into two dis tricts, and won't support a plan that doesn't combine it into one. State Senator Frank Ginn, who made a very big deal out of his firm commitment to local control while chatting with the M&C along with other members of the legislative delega tion back in May, says he would "lean more towards the maps that are requested" by local governments in redistricting. "Somebody's going to have to demonstrate to me why you'd want to change it," he says. Rest assured, McKillip will. He's already convinced former Athens-Clarke GOP Chair Bill Griffith, who weighed in with his support for Doug's intervention in an Aug. 13 letter to the Athens Banner-Herald. So, it's like this: Republicans—especially Doug McKillip, who's a big one—are against big-government intrusion on local decision making... unless it's needed. And when is it needed? When it suits them. Small Surprise: In an item for this Thursday's mayor and commission agenda session, ACC staff recommends the M&C put off funding for a trail-connecting bridge in Sandy Creek Park. At a work session last month, staff had stated a preference for a bridge over Lake Chapman as opposed to a less-expensive option traversing nearby wetlands that would have been partially paid for by an anonymous donor. It seemed clear at the time that, in recommending the much more costly option, staff members were hint ing that their real preference was for no bridge at all, so why the run-around? It's a perfectly reasonable position that now is not the time to spend upwards of $150,000 on a trail bridge, though it would certainly be a shame to decline the donor's offer to share the costs of a recreational amenity that's been planned for years. Why go through the song and dance of advocating an expenditure of more than $350,000 on an alternative plan, when that was obviously never going to happen? Seriously—wasn't the restructuring of the Leisure Services depart ment supposed to increase efficiency? Think at the Sink: In case it hadn't already occurred to you, water-wise friend to Flagpole Ben Emanuel sends word that it's time to start thinking very seriously about daily water con servation. The ongoing drought has our rivers low, and even beyond mandated restrictions on outdoor use (look up "water conservation" at www.athensclarkecounty.com or call [706] 613-3729), it's a good idea to limit your con sumption. Quick showers, not leaving the fau cet running while you brush your teeth, fixing leaks—that type of thing. Keep it in mind. Dine Out for Kids: This Thursday, Aug. 18, local restaurants will help raise funds for Family Connection/ Communities in Schools, which supports Whatever It Takes, among other important local education initiatives, by donating a portion of their receipts to the nonprofit. “So, if you're thinking of stepping out for a bite this week, that's the night—go to www.witathens.org for a complete list of participating businesses. Dave Marr news@flagpole.com b’s Krazy Korner Congressman Paul Broun, Jr. got some flack during the debt ceiling debate for a perfectly clueless “let-them-eat-cake” statement he made on MSNBC. Speaking on our nation’s economic and fiscal woes, Broun made this analogy: "When someone is overextended and broke, they don’t continue paying for expensive automobiles; they sell the expensive automobiles and buy a cheaper one. They . don’t continue paying for country club dues; they drop out of the country club." Observers and commentators found Broun’s references to country clubs and luxury cars out of place and tone deaf when so many Americans struggle to provide their families with the most basic needs. Medicare and Social Security are not analogous to country club memberships; tax cuts for the super- wealthy are. But maybe Broun’s analogy wasn't so krazy. Broun is, after all, a member of the posh Athens Country Club. We taxpayers pay Congressman Broun a generous $174,000 salary which, since he’s no longer a licensed and practicing doctor, appar ently constitutes his entire income. Broun uses this salary to pay his quite hefty dues at the club, an elite establishment which demands $20,000 just to initiate one’s mem bership. According to Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner’s calculations, 42 cents of every federal dollar spent is borrowed, so $73,080 of Broun’s salary is paid for with deficit spending, often borrowed from the Chinese. So, Broun is absolutely spot-on when he advocates that he should quit using money borrowed from China to pay for his expensive country club membership. Bravo, Congressman. I expect to hear a public dissolution of his association with the club shortly. [Matthew Pulver] HAPPY HOUR M-F 3-9 S 1 PBR & HIGH LIFE s 2 DOMESTIC BOTTLES s 3 CALL SHOTS ' ' — FRlOPT^tGtSri 9 *7-1 Opni FREE ADMISSION J LIVE MUSIC WITH KYSHONA ARMSTRONG KENOSHA KID 1560 Oglethorpe Ave. • 706.353.3050 j * Southwest Cafe ™ . * ■ _i _ * Lata, S' Night Delivery Every Night Until Midnight Full Menu Available ORDER ONLINE AT: bulldawgiood.com OR CALL: 706 850-7999 196 Alps Rd • Beechwood Shopping Center (706) 354-6655 ATHENS NEWS AND VIEWS 4 FLAGPOLE.COM-AUGUST 17, 2011
