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4A ♦ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2003 (Hitt' smxxxmi 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 -»<*■ sf: W 'yj m*** * *■ ■%■***■ ■ J 0 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.