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- Thursday, June 20, 2013 DAWSONVILLE, GA
Archive By Section - Opinion: Letters/Columns
Property tax relief for seniors is a good old American principle
Getting meaningful ad valorem property tax relief for our senior citizens was a major promise I made to voters when I first ran for the Georgia House of Representatives in 2000. Eventually, I came to understand that ad valorem property taxes were the most hated taxes by Georgians. And, after 12 years of writing weekly columns in the local newspapers, I have written on this subject more than any other.
If you don’t secede, why try again?
In case you have been busy doing mundane stuff like eking out a living, you may have missed the news that there is a petition going around that would allow Georgia to secede from the union. As of this writing, there have been 24,579 signatures to the petition. The impetus for the secession drive is a White House Web site that encourages We the Unwashed to petition the Obama Administration to hear our concerns. (Insert joke here.)
Leave and let die
My father had some medical issues in the '60s that sent us to Corpus Christi, Texas. While he received his treatments at the Naval Hospital, I joined other young kids playing in a turquoise swimming pool at a nearby motel. We got to play for endless hours in the summer sun, swimming, splashing and just enjoying ourselves without a care in the world. It was an idyllic moment.
We are all to blame for decline
A recent study from the Pew Forum on Religion and Life reveals that for the first time in our history, fewer than half of American adults say they are Protestant (48 percent). This marks the first time in Pew Research Center surveys that the Protestant share of the population has dipped significantly below 50 percent. There are now more than 13 million self-described atheists and agnostics (nearly 6 percent of the U.S. public), as well ...
Yes, indeed, we should be
Thankful. Although we specifically focus on being grateful for our many blessings at Thanksgiving, neither the blessings nor our awareness of them are limited to this time. Veterans Day gave us opportunity to say "thank you" to our military protectors and to people like Pam Hamalainen whose planning brings such opportunities to the forefront.
Thankful for many things
During this season of thanksgiving, Ben and I reflect on many blessings we have had. Certainly one of the greatest of these is having shared the life of a devoted and loving husband and father, Charles Finley.
Thank you to the community
Thank you Dawsonville for displaying your patriotism during our Veterans Day Parade last Saturday. Your "Welcome Home" signs and "Thank you" signs meant more to our veterans and active military than you will ever know.
Ordinary routine can be a blessing
In case anyone missed this column for several weeks, it was because I spent a delightful two weeks at our family's beach house, and then it honestly took almost a week to sort out mail, e-mails, etc., and to catch up with bills and other responsibilities. If I were a 21st century business person instead of a "plugger," some of that could have been done online.
Junior talks election results
I have just received Junior E. Lee's analysis of the recent elections. Junior, as you know, is general manager of the Yarbrough Worldwide Media and Pest Control Company, located in Greater Garfield, Georgia, and a certified pest control professional. When not trying to get rid of termites in Arveen Ridley's barn, Junior manages one of the most highly respected polling organizations in the country, Round or Square Polls Inc. His motto is, "We will cook ...
You can accomplish much with no credit
It's time to look back on some of the more important pieces of legislation I've had an impact on over the last 12 years before my retirement as your House District 9 State Representative takes effect in January. This will be the first in a series of columns analyzing some of those pieces of legislation that I feel have had a positive impact on the lives of my constituents.
The truth and nothing but
The Russian Tu-154 bumped hard on the runway in a jolting announcement to all onboard that we had arrived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I worked my way through the customs and immigration lines wishing that the late-night processing would go quickly. A warm hotel bed awaited.
A salute to war heroes
Because of the timing of my column deadline, I will have to defer comment on the elections until next week. I can say this much, however. We cast our votes freely and with no tanks in the street. As imperfect as we may think ourselves to be, this is still the greatest country on earth. The only thing that can change that is our own apathy and lack of appreciation for the freedoms we have. ...
What’s Amendment 2 on the ballot all about?
Now that early voting has begun, many voters are learning for the first time that there are two different constitutional amendments to the Georgia Constitution at the end of the ballot. The first amendment, concerning public charter schools, has received a lot of attention.
It’s more about how than what
Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Atlanta, majority whip in the Georgia House of Representatives says he finds himself bordering between "amused and disturbed" by opponents of the charter school amendment, which is set for a vote on Nov. 6. Specifically, he doesn't like the assertion that the state school board retains the power to overrule on appeal a local school board's decision to deny a charter school after the Supreme Court's ruling on the subject in May 2011.
Do research before making a decision
Amendment 1 on the Nov. 6 ballot asks each voter: "Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?" As life-long educators, we have sought insight and answers to the reason for this question.
Articles by Section - Opinion: Letters/Columns
Nothing to do but dress as Big Bird
RING! RING!
Ensuring returns on state’s transportation investment
When I was named chair of the Senate Transportation Committee in January, it was becoming clear that there could be some struggles with producing a balanced FY 2014 budget for Georgia.
Brings back memories of Atlanta attack
When the terrorist attacks occurred in Boston during the running of the Boston Marathon, memories came flooding back of our own dark days in Atlanta. It was 17 years ago, July 27, 1996, when those of us who were a part of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games had our worst fears realized. A pipe bomb detonated in the Centennial Olympic Park during the middle weekend of that worldwide celebration, killing two people and ...
You never really get back home
A friend and I met up in the massive Frankfurt airport's central lobby just by coincidence.
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