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♦ TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2005
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OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President,
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans Rex Gambill
Vice President Managing Editor
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
Crackdown On Speeders
Warner Robins police seem to have been
demonstrating more diligence in efforts to crack
down on speeding motorists recently.
They should be applauded.
We have heard complaints from some people
that on some streets “it is hard to see the police
car before you are right on it.”
What’s wrong with that? Enforcement of the
speed limit is not a game. It is a matter of public
safety.
We never have understood why law enforce
ment agencies tell radio and television announc
ers each morning the names of streets where
“there will be speed enforcement.”
Why send out a signal that speed enforcement
is being practiced on certain streets? If it is to
encourage motorists to be careful on those
streets on a particular day what does it serve? Is
it a signal that it is safe tb speed on streets
where there is not “speed enforcement”?
School zones have been getting extra attention
recently. Motorists who believe a speed limit in
school zones doesn’t apply to them are getting
an opportunity to learn by paying a fine that
starts at S2OO.
Motorists who claim when they are ticketed for
speeding that they are victims of entrapment
overlook the fact that if they had not been speed
ing it would have been impossible to entrap
them.
As we said, enforcement of speed limits is not
a game. It becomes more important every day in
the kind of traffic that exists in Houston County
for drivers to take extra precautions while driv
ing, especially staying within the posted speed
limits.
Intersection Most Dangerous
While we are on the topic of safe driving it
seems appropriate to point out that the intersec
tion of Russell Parkway and Houston Lake Road
is turning out to be - by far - the most dangerous
in Houston County.
Recent accident statistics indicate that there
are approximately three times as many traffic
accidents at this intersection as at any other
intersection in Warner Robins.
It is still too early to pass judgment on the ulti
mate safety of this intersection. It still is under
construction, though the extension of Russell
Parkway now is open and being used by thou
sands of motorists each day.
While safe, cautious driving always is a good
idea, it is especially important for motorists going
through this intersection to be very cautious and
apprehensive.
However, accidents are not caused by the inter
section. They are caused by careless and reckless
drivers. The intersection just creates a greater
opportunity for accidents.
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and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Getting ready for another busy legislative session
ATLANTA - It was like a
homecoming this week, only
without the warm weather
and th ( e watermelon when
we gathered at the State
Capitol to renew old friend
ships and make new ones.
As I looked around at the
new faces in the state
Senate I felt like an old
timer. Then I realized, I am!
With 21 new members in the
Upper Chamber, we have
one of the largest freshman
classes in Senate history. As
I was sworn in to the Senate
for my second term, I
reflected on my first two
years under the Gold Dome
- all that we accomplished in
the past two years, and what
we still must do to make
Georgia the best place in the
nation to live, work and
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Ross Tolleson
State Senator
R-Perry
raise a family.
For the first time in more
than a century, the Grand
Old Party finds itself leading
the state. These are histori
cal times for my party, but I
think it is important to
Bush bashers still are on the prowl
Bush bashers are com
plaining because about S4O
million will be spent on the
presidential inauguration
this year.
They’re acting as if the
money will come from the
government. It isn’t. Private
donations are financing the
inauguration and other
activities surrounding the
event, the same way other
inaugurations have been
financed.
Critics contend it is a
waste of money.
Actually it is an investment.
Consider how many jobs it
will create. Consider how
many hotel rooms it will fill.
Consider how many meals
restaurants will serve.
Consider the overtime pay
policemen, firemen, and
other emergency agencies
will receive. Consider all the
money workers will be paid
for cleaning up the mess
after it is over.
The S4O million being
spent on the inauguration
will create several hundred
Television, and the vomit it provokes
According to a wire story
written by the Associated
Press, an Ohio man is suing
NBC for $2.5 million, claim
ing an episode of “Fear
Factor” went “too far” and
caused him to vomit.
The episode, where con
testants ate rats mixed in a
blender, caused Austin
Aitken, 49, to throw up, he
said in the story. He con
tends the rat-eating scene
made his blood pressure
rise, resulting in dizziness,
lightheadedness, and vomit
ing. He also claims he
became disoriented and ran
into a doorway, “causing suf
fering, injury and great
pain.”
The story makes no men
tion if Aitken was drinking
Jagermeister at the time.
For those of you who
haven’t seen the program,
“Fear Factor” is a reality
show where contestants do
gross things in pursuit of a
$50,000 prize - sort of like
“Family Feud” when
Richard Dawson was the
host.
According to the AP story,
Aitken, a part-time parale
gal (translation: full-time
moocher), watches “Fear
Factor” frequently, and past
installments where contest
ants ate worms, dined on
cow manure, devoured
insects, or made out with
Bea Arthur, didn’t sicken
him. But the episode where
participants drank a vermin
cocktail “went too far,” he
said, hurling him into the
litigious litter box.
NBC responded to
Aitken’s lawsuit with a suc
cinct statement: “We believe
that the claim is completely
without merit” (translation:
“Ha!”).
If this lawsuit does indeed
find an audience in a court
room somewhere, I think we
all have a number of illegiti
mate claims involving televi
remember all that the
Democrats who came before
us did and build on that.
Gov. Perdue gave his State
of the State Address on
Wednesday, and for the first
time since I’ve been an elect
ed official, we seem to be in
really great shape. Our
economy has improved, and
hence, so have our revenues.
It like there will be no
more across-the-board budg
et cuts, and the governor
has pledged to put more
money into the Department
of Education for our public
schools. We haven’t
returned to the free-spend
ing days of the mid-’9os
when there was “too much
money” in our state coffers,
but we are back to a com
fortable place, where we will
V r -., jJmH
Foy Evans
Columnist
foyevans 19@cox.net
million dollars of residual
spending ... and will bring a
big chunk of money into the
federal treasury in income
taxes.
Too bad we don’t have
them more often with the
excessive spending that goes
with them.
• • •
Macy’s in New York has
gone to the equivalent of a
quota system for shoplifting.
The New York attorney
l l
X
Len Robbins
Columnist
airpub@planttel.net
sion.
For instance, I should sue
ABC, the writers, producers
and hairstylists of “The
Brady Bunch.”
Back in the early ‘7os, I
watched “The Brady
Bunch,” and because of
that, ended up with a hair
cut just like that Oliver kid
does it t *
j cost us more
/ when politicians talk \
be able to meet the needs of
our citizens and still pay our
bills.
I was thrilled this week
when the governor
announced that he is pro
posing enough money in the
FY 2006 budget to hire 500
new caseworkers for the
Division of Family and
Children’s Services. These
new caseworkers will be
instrumental in helping our
children who are abused,
neglected, and abandoned.
They also will help parents
and guardians do their jobs
better, which again, will be
good for Georgia’s future.
We need to focus on our
young people, and I am
pleased to see that the gov
ernor is doing just that.
Another of the governor’s
general accused Macy’s of
“profiling” because more
than twice as many blacks
than whites have been
arrested for shoplifting.
Macy’s has agreed to
straighten out their security
guards and hire a full-time
monitor of security person
nel to make sure that they
spread arrests for shoplift
ing around equitably
between the races.
Now that’s progress, New
York style.
• • •
Americans are leading the
world in donations and
logistical support for the
countries that were devas
tated by the recent tsunami.
Indonesia was worst hit.
U.S. servicemen by the thou
sands are there with heavy
equipment, airplanes and
helicopters, on the ground,
at sea and in the air, provid
ing help of every kind.
But look what has hap
pened. Indonesia is a pre
dominately Muslim country.
They don’t like us over
on the program. That hair
style caused, as in Mr.
Aitken’s case, “suffering,
injury and great pain,” as I
was beat up, tortured and
mocked often during ele
mentary school, and also
later in college when photos
of my blonde “bowl” coif
(thought to be burned and
buried) resurfaced.
I should also sue NBC, the
writers, producers, and pup
peteers of the television pro
gram, “Alf.”
“Alf” - a fuzzy, smart
alecky alien from outer
space - was so authentic, so
lifelike, that I went around
believing he was real for
years. One day (I think it
was during the 2000 presi
dential campaign) I finally
came to the realization that
“Alf” wasn’t an alien at all,
but rather just Sen. Joe
Lieberman of Connecticut.
Again, this belief in a liv
initiatives that I whole
heartedly support is the vir
tual high school that will
enable all high school stu
dents across the state to
take Advanced Placement
(AP), summer school and
other advanced science and
math courses. That, along
with the new “master
teacher” program, which
will recognize educators for
gains in student achieve
ment, will be a big step for
ward in our goal toward pro
ducing the best public
schools in the nation.
I am excited about what
this legislative session will
bring. We have many chal
lenges ahead of us - provid
ing Medicaid to those who
need it, enacting a quality
tort reform law, and making
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
there. Despite all the help
they are getting, officials
have told the United States
to get out of the country by
March 1.
Such ungratefulness
deserves immediate
response to their demands.
Our troops and all their
equipment should have been
out of there by sunset the
day the Indonesian govern
ment expressed its displeas
ure and lack of appreciation
of the help the U.S. military
is giving them.
Help from this country -
governmental and from the
hearts of the American peo
ple - has been given compas
sionately without any
strings. I have heard
Indonesians on television
say they are afraid that we
will somehow contaminate
their religion. I personally
don’t give a hoot what their
religious beliefs are, but I
care very much how little
they appreciate the help
they are getting.
ing “Alf” led to at least a
decade of “suffering, injury
and great pain” and many
awkward, humiliating
attempts at conversation
with stuffed animals.
Any of you who were
devoted fans of “Roseanne,”
“Grace Under Fire,” or
“Veronica’s Closet” also
surely have a claim, as you
now have no sense of taste
or humor. I urge you to file
your lawsuit immediately.
And please don’t throw up
while reading this column.
As you’ve just read, I’ve had
enough “suffering, injury
and great pain.”
Len Robbins is editor and
publisher of The Clinch
County News in Homerville,
whose award-winning week
ly column appears in over a
dozen newspapers. A proud
University of Georgia gradu
ate, Robbins and his wife
have three young children.
necessary changes in our
state’s ethics laws - but I
believe we are up to the
challenge. Over the next few
months we will tackle the
issues. We may fuss and
fight with each other from
time to time, but you can bet
your bottom dollar that we
will be eating barbecue
together at the end of the
day. That’s the way the
political process works.
Call or come visit when
you need me ...
Sen. Ross Tolleson repre
sents the 20th Senate
District. He may be reached
at (404) 463.8056 or rtolle
so@legis.state.ga. us.
Tolleson represents Bleckley,
Dodge, Houston, Johnson,
Laurens, Pulaski, Telfair
and Wilcox counties.