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- Tuesday, May 21, 2013 DAWSONVILLE, GA
Archive By Section - Opinion: Letters/Columns
Now is the time to buy a home
It's late May, schools out, and it's time to think about buying or selling your home.
Raising high school standards to meet needs
Children are our most important resource. Educating them is the best use of our tax dollars. Over 56 percent of our state budget goes toward education. As a member of the House Higher Education Committee and the Appropriations Subcommittee for Education (K-12), I am expected to keep up with what is happening educationally in other states, as well as in Georgia.
New laws could soon take effect
This week marked the governor's deadline for signing and vetoing bills. With his signature, these measures will become law either immediately or upon the new Fiscal Year, beginning July 1.
‘Think small’ can make Georgia as big as California
Nanotechnology could do for Georgia what Silicon Valley did for California. It can be our ticket to jobs of the future. The essence of nanotechnology is to "think small" - not in inches, not in millimeters, not in pin heads, not even in hairs, but in atoms.
Park, recreation continues to grow
The residents of Dawson County have many things for which to be thankful. We all have been blessed to either have been born or to have moved to a wonderful community. I believe that we all can agree that one of our community's greatest assets is our youth.
State parks are an important economic tool
Summer is quickly approaching, and this year the idea of planning a "staycation" at home is becoming a popular alternative to investing in pricey travel arrangements. At a time when money is tight and the luxuries in life seem few and far between, we need to consider what diversions our local communities have to offer. <font face="Arial" ...
Celebration of life
You and the community are invited to attend a Celebration of Life for Traci Lamar Scates. The event will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at Bethel United Methodist Church, 100 Lumpkin Campground Road, South, Dawsonville, GA.
Final wrap up of session: Tax relief
Although we are facing the toughest economic times in recent memory, the 2009 Session of the General Assembly proved to be a successful one for Georgians.
Taxes, tea parties and constitutional principles
Thousands of discontented Georgians lined the streets around our state Capitol this week to protest excessive Washington spending and an increasingly burdensome tax code.
Keep the motorsports tradition alive
The recent discussion about Atlanta Motorsports Park has been littered with misinformation by people that live far away from the proposed site and do not have a dog in this hunt -but oppose anything and everything.
Session update on budget, transportation
The 2009 Legislative Session ended at midnight last Friday with the governor thanking us for a productive session.
Park a positive economic move
Many thanks to all of you who are proponents of the Atlanta Motorsports Park. With your support and the vision of the developer our community will thrive with new opportunities and growth.
Legislative priorities fulfilled
Now that the gavel has fallen on the 2009 legislative session, Georgians will soon begin to see the product of the past 40 legislative days.
Tax assessments could be frozen
As a first step towards permanently eliminating "back door" ad valorem property tax increases statewide, the House and Senate passed House Bill 233 and sent it to the Governor for his signature.
General Assembly offers real stimulus to Georgians
The General Assembly took heed this week to provide Georgia residents with solutions that will stimulate the state's economy. Two important sectors of the economy are targeted under measures on their way to final passage: Housing and jobs.
Articles by Section - Opinion: Letters/Columns
Knocking down the silos
I stood on an oil rig miles off the coast of Africa as the final pipe joints were pulled from a just completed well. The mood was somber because we had not found oil. The following week I sat in an uncomfortable meeting where our corporate vice president declared my efforts had resulted in the driest well in years. Back in my office overlooking the beautiful San Francisco hills I pondered what to do next with the project.
Skeeter not impressed with reform
When the phone rang, I knew who was on the other end: Skeeter Skates, owner of Skeeter's Tree Stump Removal and Plow Repair in Greater Metropolitan Pooler. I can't tell you exactly why but the phone always sounds more urgent when Skeeter calls. One thing about Skeeter Skates. He gets right to the point. Niceties aren't his style.
The final countdown
In January, the Georgia State Senate started the first term of the 152nd legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly with a challenging task list. We were asked to find a way to fill a large anticipated Medicaid shortfall, evaluate the ethical behavior of elected officials, do more with less in the state budget, revamp the state's juvenile justice system, clarify points from 2012's tax code overhaul and find ways to expand access to higher ...
Some more learnings to share
In my last column, I shared some observations about current happenings and promised some more. So here they are. As Christians observed Holy Week leading to Easter, one of the emphases has been on service and sacrifice.
Honoring District 51
One of the best parts about serving in the Georgia State Senate is the ability to honor groups and individuals in the Senate chamber. I am proud to represent District 51 at the State Capitol, and I am even more proud of the efforts that keep our district one of the best places to work and raise a family in Georgia. While the work we do in the Senate is great, it pales in comparison to the way each of you represents the pride and labors of our communities.
Some things I have been learning
It is IRS time and I've been putting together information to take to the CPS who has figured Taylor taxes for decades (one thing I have not completely learned). Surprisingly, I admit my gratitude that, even with a limited income, I usually must pay some extra dollars. That means that I have had money to live well enough and have something left. Fortunately, I don't have huge medical bills or credit interest payments and I ...
From the mountains to the ocean
It is a theological fact that God really likes Georgia. That is why He put mountains in north Georgia and the Golden Isles smack up against the Atlantic Ocean and added a bunch of lakes and parks and historical sites in between. Otherwise, we could have been Iran. Or Detroit. I stopped by last week to visit the man who is entrusted with these assets, Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources Mark Williams, to ...
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