This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Just do the job

You know it seems our elected members of Congress are acting like hurt children at the expense of taxpayers and failing to lead our country in an honorable professional manner — passing, enforcing and overseeing our laws that seems as simple as 1, 2, and 3. So pray tell, why are they having such complications? Folks, we are in debt. Why in the hell can’t they do their jobs? Are they so wrapped up in themselves that they completely ignore their oath to our country and to all Americans?

For heaven’s sake why can’t they work with President Trump, with their fellow members of Congress and put America first before themselves.

Furthermore, we the people need to grow up and stop putting politics first in our lives and vote for honorable servants who want a better future and country for our children rather than drowning them in debt.

As an important footnote; in my opinion discrimination, inequality, abuse and racial conflicts starts with our government. If they would passed laws equal to all and enforce them equally to all, I truly believe we the people would work out our problems where ever they exist without presidents, political parties and racial hate-baiters stirring up chaos.

Veteran benefits

If you are a recent high school graduate without a scholarship or adequate funds to pursue a college education, you should consider joining the military reserve program and spend 90 days on active duty to be eligible for many VA benefits.

In 2008, the Veteran GI Bill was updated once again. The new law gives veterans with active duty service on, or after, Sept. 11, 2001, enhanced educational benefits that cover more educational expenses, provide a living allowance, money for books and the ability to transfer unused educational benefits to spouses or children. Other benefits veterans are eligible for after only 90 days of service are: (1) Guaranteed home loan; (2) medical benefits and (3) job preference with the federal government.

Missed stories?

A important story broke Monday, April 3, and The Telegraph has made no mention of the recent revelations that former President Obama’s top aide Susan Rice was involved in the surveillance of now President Trump and/or members of his campaign by various intelligence agencies .

I recall her involvement in the false story she was instrumental in spreading over many various media channels regarding Benghazi and stating that the killing of the American ambassador and burning of the temporary quarters was due to a video insulting the Islamic faith. Based on that episode, I don’t have much faith in her credibility when she was recently interviewed by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell and repeatedly said she was authorized to and only requested that certain Americans mentioned in the IC reports be “unmasked,” i.e. have their names revealed. All that protesting bypasses the primary point of was she the person who leaked the names to the various media. That is where the lines were crossed and criminal acts occurred

If this habit The Telegraph has of not printing news that they don’t agree with, or have a political bias against continues, I would suggest a new masthead for the paper that somewhat modifies that of the N.Y. Times.. yours should be “We Print Only Political News We Agree With!”

This newspaper ran two stories about Susan Rice on April 4 and one on April 5. Sorry you missed them.

Takes issue with editorial

The Telegraph’s editorial on Friday, April 6, was long on intuition, or worse, faith in the interpretation of the state’s data on pedestrian deaths by Harris Blackwood, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. Georgia’s Department of Transportation long time paradigm of road building has been “design and defend” and this report is no exception. Our state’s bureaucracy, local elected officials, and The Telegraph continue to “victimize” people walking. I am surprised that the Bibb Pedestrian Review Board has not taken offense with this editorial. Georgia has been 10^th in the nation with pedestrian deaths for some years and Macon-Bibb has had the highest pedestrian death rate in the state for four out of the last five years.

Here is what a March 31 report by Smart Growth America has to say on the subject. Headline: “Cell phones are not what’s causing America’s epidemic of pedestrian fatalities.”

More people drove in 2016 than in 2015, according to new data released this week by the Governors Highway Safety Association. Alongside that increase was a disproportionately high rise in pedestrian fatalities — a trend that the authors attribute to increases in distracted driving and distracted walking.”

The report continues: “This analysis is wrongheaded, and blames individuals for what is a systemic problem. The way we design and build streets is a fundamental part of whether people can walk safely along a road or whether they are at risk for being struck and killed. Street design does not seem to be a priority for GHSA — but it should be. We know street design is part of this problem because there are patterns to where fatal collisions occur. And if street design is part of the problem it needs to be part of the solution. Instead of blaming pedestrians, GHSA would do better to explore how state highway departments — the groups they represent — can make streets safer for everyone from the ground up.”

By failing to understand and accept these researched and peer reviewed statistical studies by national experts as to the causes of walking fatalities, GDOT, the Governor’s Office on Highway Safety, and The Telegraph, continue to delay any meaningful solution to this very real problem. It doesn’t have to be this way as the causes continue to be politicized and defended. The Florida Department of Transportation has admitted their past mistakes of unsafe road design and are taking steps to correct their highest in the nation deaths of people walking — why won’t GDOT?

Here is the link to the Smart Growth article: https://medium.com/@SmartGrowthAmerica/cell-phones-are-not-whats-causing-america-s-epidemic-of-pedestrian-fatalities-8ab944201249

This story was originally published April 10, 2017 at 9:03 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, April 11, 2017."