Newspaper Page Text
4A
♦ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2003
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OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President,
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Perdue Gets Serious On Education
Gov. Sonny Perdue is getting serious about
improving public school education in the state
of Georgia.
His announcement that he is creating a new
statewide SAT competition, to be called the
Governor’s Cup, among high school students
and schools throughout the state certainly
should bring results.
The governor says he is not satisfied that
Georgia ranks 50th in the nation on SAT
scores. He is determined to see Georgia’s
ranking improve.
Based on high school athletic regions and
classifications, there will be a regional cham
pion trophy. Forty high school students who
have the largest numerical improvement in
SAT scores will receive a SI,OOO grant.
There will be incentives for schools, as well
as students. There will be prizes for winners.
There will be statewide winners who will be
presented the Governor’s Cup.
We are pleased that competition is being cre
ated for educational achievement. Emphasis
always has been placed on athletic competi
tions. Athletic stars are given hero status. We
like to believe that this new competition being
created by Perdue will result in academic
champions who can become 4 heroes among
their peers.
Athletics are fine. But a good education is
essential to get ahead in the world today. We
should honor those who excel in academics.
We applaud Gov. Perdue for taking this
innovative step that certainly should help
bring Georgia’s average SAT scores up and
lift the state out of the cellar.
New legislation seeks to protect American workers
Keeping America at work
is one of my top priorities in
the Senate. This is why I
support economic policies
which encourage businesses
to expand and create jobs.
Most Americans naturally
assume these economic poli
cies cover topics such as
taxes, labor rules and envi
ronmental regulations. But
other laws, such as immigra
tion and visa regulations,
also have an economic
impact.
Because of this, Congress
has worked on visa policies
with an eye to their impact
on both companies and
America’s working men and
women. Each category of
visa applies to specific types
of jobs with different
requirements for issuance
as well as varying levels of
protection for American
workers.
One of these visa cate
gories is the L-l, or intra
company transfer visa. The
L-l visa was developed to
govern transfers within a
Progress versus growth
Editor:
Progress, according to Webster, is to devel
op to a higher, better, or more advanced
stage. He goes on to say that growth is the
process of getting bigger size. So, the ques
tion arises as to whether one can have
progress along with growth. Houston
County is a perfect example of a growth
community.
Not too long ago, a productive pecan
orchard near my house was developed into a
subdivision. Now the place is littered with
houses. A little further along the same
street a peaceful pasture where cows grazed
now has a massive church complex. Is this
progress or growth?
“Wally World” in Warner Robins had to
expand, leaving in its wake major empty
buildings. Then there is the Galleria Mall
that left the old Houston Mall behind. Is
this progress or growth?
Perry, the only town is the county that
ever had a central business district, has now
Rex Gambill
Managing Editor
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
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Saxby Chambliss
U.S. Senator
R-Georgia
company of key personne
with specific knowledge of
that particular company.
This has a big impact on
large multi-national firms,
which sometimes need to
transfer foreign employees
to the U.S. where they will
use their company-specific
knowledge. For instance, an
accountant for a multi
national company based in
Asia, might have the knowl
edge and expertise needed to
understand the company’s
A 'Do Not Call' list of your own
Amazing, simply amazing.
Just when you think the
nation’s lawmakers are
actually going to get it all
together and represent the
people’s interest on an issue,
there lands a mammoth gad
fly in the ointment. In this
case, it happens to be the
ruling by federal judges (not
once, but twice!) that the
National No Call List is
unconstitutional. Never
mind that 99 percent of peo
ple polled are in the favor of
the measure, which also
enjoys the support of both
Democrats and Republicans
- a rare thing indeed. And
how’s this for just how out
of-step the courts actually
are with reality - the leading
telemarketing companies
themselves plan to observe
the List regardless of the
dispute’s outcome. Perhaps
they’ve learned the value of
good public relations, after
all.
There is one happy
byproduct of all the hoopla.
The recent chatter about
“Do Not Call” lists make me
wonder why I haven’t
thought to do one myself.
Now, I don’t mean anything
as controversial as keeping
telemarketers off the line,
oh no. My “Do Not Call” list
would cover certain every
day household situations -
the ones which I find as
annoying as the most per
sistent dinnertime caller. I’ll
post my list in prominent
places - the refrigerator, or
perhaps the bathroom mir
ror - so that it’s not missed.
Ignorance of the List is no
excuse, after all! So, here is:
Dad’s Household Do
Not Call List
Do Not Call: if you notice
a light bulb that needs
changing. You know where
the good bulbs are, and the
ladder, and the dim socket in
question. By the time you
find me and explain the
problem, you could have
already fixed the situation
yourself. If you’re too
bookkeeping procedures
that an outsider is unlikely
to know.
This is why the L-l visa is
different from the H-1B or
high-tech visa. The H-1B
visa is more general in
terms of knowledge and
skills, but is far more
restrictive and difficult to
obtain. It requires a compa
ny not only to start the visa
application for a particular
job, but to also make the
case that an American could
not be found with the right
skills for that particular job.
It is designed to help compa
nies which need skilled
workers who are in short
supply while ensuring that
Americans get the first shot
at those jobs.
Unfortunately, we discov
ered some companies were
using L-l visas to circum
vent Congress’ original
intent of the H-1B proce
dures. In July, as chair of the
Senate Judiciary
Subcommittee on
Immigration and Border
gotten into the game. The new courthouse
was built well away from the established
business area. Downtown businesses have
suffered from this move. Is this progress or
growth?
Drive down Russell Parkway or Watson
Boulevard and count the number of fast
food joints and car lots. Is this progress or
growth?
While it not too late, the clock is ticking
for Houston County to get its act together.
Perhaps a good starting point would be the
major development located at the junction
of Highway 96 and South Houston Lake
Road.
No doubt about it, Houston County is
growing. I believe it’s about time we taxpay
ers sent the people who’s making the plan
ning decisions to examine the structure of
cities like Salt Lake City, Utah, or Phoenix,
Ariz., so they can better establish a baseline
development code for our county.
I believe progress and growth can work
hand in hand with the right people in
charge. We don’t need real estate tycoons or
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Joe Bishop
Columnist
joe@wnng.mgacoxmail.com
tired/busy/lazy to do it your
self, remember: a burned
out light bulb is saves
money on the electric bill.
Do Not Call: if you are my
child, under 18, and wanting
something your mother has
already refused to give you. I
fell for that once, but never
again. Dad doesn’t need that
kind of stress in his life. If
you’re the oldest child, you
should feel guilty about not
setting a better example. If
you’re the younger sibling,
blame your older brother for
using up all the good tricks
'Tvto&jL
Security, we held a hearing
to learn more about this. We
heard from a displaced
worker, a labor union offi
cial, business immigration
experts, and representatives
from both small and large
U.S. companies. We found
some firms calling them
selves “consultants” were
functioning as “job shops”
by using L-l visas to avoid
the tougher restrictions of
the H-1B visas. They
imported workers from
other countries and then
farmed them out to various
unrelated firms.
Consequently, I have
introduced legislation to cor
rect this problem. The L-l
Visa Reform Act closes this
loophole in several ways. It
prevents companies from
using the L-l visa when an
H-1B visa is appropriate.
The legislation requires that
any specialized knowledge
employee who is located off
site must, first, be controlled
and supervised by the peti
people with a vested financial interest in
developments calling the shots at planning
and zoning meetings, on city councils or the
mayors of our cities.
Allen Cross
Centerville
Former C'ville mayor endorses Brand
Editor:
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “It is not
the critic who counts; not the man who
points out where the door of deeds could
have done them better. The credit belongs to
the man who is actually in the arena and
spends himself in a worthy cause.”
Ronnie Brand has been involved in many
of the events of recent years that have
moved Centerville into a place of promi
nence in Houston County. Somebody was
operating Centerville when we got a new
library. Centerville officials were closely
involved with the Galleria Mall - the open
ing of which caused the terrific explosion of
development all around it. When Eagle
before you could try them.
We’re wise to you by now!
Do Not Call: if the condi
tions for number 2 apply,
but you’re someone else’s
child. Sorry. I’m out of your
chain of command.
Do Not Call: with any
business short of the house
collapsing if I’m taking a
nap. The person I sleep with
snores, which means I often
need to make up for lost
time.
Do Not Call: if you’re con
fronted with a large insect. I
promise you - it probably
isn’t carnivorous, or even
overtly hostile. If you close
your eyes and count to 10, it
will be gone when you get
done, kind of like hide and
seek. Just don’t seek. If you
feel a more direct response
is necessary, consider your
shoe. Better yet, negotiate.
Do Not Call: if you expect
me to stop what I’m doing at
the very moment you ask
me to take out the trash. I
will carry the garbage to the
can outside, I promise;
there’s no need to panic.
And if for some reason it
doesn’t go, remember -
tioning company and, sec
ond, be provided in connec
tion with an exchange of
products or services
between the petitioning
company and the third
party company. This will
stop “consulting” companies
from bringing in foreign
workers to send over to a
manufacturer when the con
sulting company does noth
ing more than cut the for
eign worker’s paycheck once
a month. Instead, the bill
requires the third-party
company to have a pre-exist
ing business relationship
with the petitioning compa
ny that involves more than
simply supplying workers.
My legislation also
requires companies to
employ a worker for at least
one year before sending that
employee over on an L-l
intra-company transfer. One
year is a reasonable amount
of time to require an
employee to have attained
the specialized knowledge of
Springs became more than an idea,
Centerville officials were closely involved.
Recently the city dedicated a new modern
City Hall and is in the process of building a
new city fire station. I wonder how the crit
ics can explain all this progress if the city
was mismanaged.
Ronnie Brand has played a key role in
Centerville’s vibrant, progressive success -
and success it is without doubt. He has been
a dedicated councilman and he will be an
even more dedicated mayor. We don’t need a
critic - we need an experienced proven
leader who can keep Centerville on the suc
cessful course it has been on.
Finally, we all need to get to the polls on
the 7th of October. My one vote, though one
of many, is my own, my personal mark on
history. I shall hold it tightly, my vote, and
cast it carefully - I dare not do less. I’m
going to vote for the tall man who has
already proven he works for Centerville.
Matt Keene
Former mayor of Centerville (1988-1997)
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
archaeologists use ancient
trash heaps for all sorts of
major breakthroughs. Think
how important our garbage
will be a thousand years
from now. I won’t be a party
to breaking the chain of
Knowledge. Let .the trash
stay! Taking the trash out
does science a disservice.
What? OW!
All right, all right, I’m
going. Geez!
I hope you feel as relieved,
even liberated, reading this
list as I did in writing it.
Maybe it will inspire you to
create your own “Do Not
Call” list, especially since
the national telemarketer
version has been so rudely
hijacked. I’ll be putting
mine up tonight. Oh, one
favor: If you do make your
own list, please don’t put me
on it -1 may have to call you
for help after Teresa reads
this column.
Courage.
Joe Bishop is the news
director for WNNG 1350
AM, Houston County’s only
locally-owned radio station.
the company’s products,
services or processes to qual
ify for the visa.
Finally, the-bill requires
the Department of
Homeland Security to main
tain statistics differentiat
ing between L-l transferees
who are managers and exec
utives and those employees
who have specialized knowl
edge. This will provide bet
ter accountability and fraud
prevention when L-l visa
petitions are reviewed and
approved.
Jobs for our workers are
too important to allow
unscrupulous companies to
twist the rules. This legisla
tion still allows internation
al firms to transfer key
employees, but slams the
door shut on those who
want to twist our visa rules
to the detriment of
America’s working men and
women.
For more information,
contact Chambliss’ office at
(202) 224-3423.