This is Viewpoints for Thursday, June 29, 2017

No violation here

Regarding Daniel Lee’s June 25 letter, in which he asserted that “the latest tax increase is in direct violation of 2014 Consolidation agreement:” I’m not a lawyer, but I don’t see any indication in either the Macon-Bibb County Charter or anywhere in the code of ordinances that the commission does not have the authority to set the millage rate. In fact, according to the code of ordinances of Macon-Bibb County, Section 2-58 (Local constitutional amendment regarding public service districts; tax; assessments), the Macon-Bibb County Commission “shall have authority...and without further authority than the exercise of such discretion...to levy taxes in varying amounts from that applicable to the county as a whole or to any other district.”

It’s not my intention to contradict Lee. Indeed, if he knows something I don’t, I’d be happy to hear it. But as it is, it does not appear that the commission is in violation of anything.

Disconnect

The guest editorial by Kyle Wingfield of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution contained a stunning revelation about the special election just held for the 6th District Congressional seat of Georgia. Last November, a virtually unknown Democratic candidate ran for the same seat against Republican Tom Price and lost, getting 124,917 votes after no money was spent for his campaign. Then Price was selected for Trump’s Cabinet and the need arose for a special election to fill the seat.

This time, the Democrats were confident they could flip the seat because they had spent almost eight months carrying out a withering assault against the presidency of Donald Trump, assisted by the left-leaning media, most of Hollywood, all the late-night comedians, and many members of Washington’s “deep state” swamp. Democrats put $30 million into the Georgia race, hoping that a win of a normally GOP seat would serve as a high-profile repudiation of President Trump and the GOP. Instead, the exact opposite happened and the results were staggering. Their candidate netted, 124, 893 votes — 24 votes less than in the November’s race — the one in which no money was raised for the Democratic candidate.

It’s obvious that all the piling on to trash and obstruct President Trump has backfired big time. Somehow plenty of people in America have figured out that when their nation’s capital votes 97 percent for Hillary Clinton and the vaunted Washington Post, has never endorsed a Republican for president, there just might be a big disconnect between the opinions of Washington, D.C. and those of a good percentage of the country.

More road woes

Forest Hill Road construction project started March 2015. This construction, which was to include three lanes and sidewalks from Northside Drive to Wimbish Road, was to have been finished in July 2016. It is now nearly a year late and nowhere near completion. What is the new completion date or is there one?

From March 2015 until present, I would estimate at least 60 percent of the time there was little or no work going on. I suggest the Georgia Department of Transportation fire the present contractor and get a company that has the capability to finish this road ASAP. During this time Log Cabin has been completed. Also Bibb County has paved Bowman Road, Wimbish Road and Forsyth Road.

This company has made a mess. From Lokchapee to Wood Forest Place the sections widened have not even been paved. And some of the two lanes paved are already cracking. There are drainage ditches, but they are above the paved road level so water accumulates and goes onto the road causing hazardous road conditions. Streets like Laura Ann Place, Lokchapee and others and numerous driveways have been left torn up. The jungles and debris prohibit the sidewalks from being used.

Wood Forest Place to Wimbish Road has had no work done on that stretch and it is nothing but one big pothole. Why didn’t construction go to Wimbish Road as planned? Can’t Bibb County at least pave from Wimbish Road to Vineville/Forsyth Road? It is in such bad shape it can’t be left until GDOT finishes this stretch five years in the future.

Another hazard is the new intersection at Lokchapee and Old Lundy. The lights have been up for several months but have not been turned on. Can’t the lights at least be turned on Since we were told this road, for safety reasons, had to be widened with turn lanes and sidewalks, why hasn’t GDOT made sure this work was completed on time?

Honor America

The colonies who fought the British earning America’s independence did so not for just themselves but for their all their descendants. Same as their descendants who have fought and will continue to fight, protecting America from air, land and sea day by day and by night. All Americans should honor the stars and stripes for which they fought, for the price of freedom is never free nor can it be sold or bought. Old Glory is more than a piece of cloth to be waived by American hands, so on this July 4th so honor her for the all the things for which America stands.

Nefarious scheme

The new Republican Senate health bill is basically a nefarious scheme that cuts taxes on our wealthy and destroys health care for millions of citizens on Medicaid. It transfers most of the financial burden of Medicaid to the states with block grants. States would get much less financial aid than under Obamacare.

What is really sad is that the Senate bill shrinks Medicaid and badly hurts our older citizens. After all, Medicaid pays for two thirds of the seniors in nursing homes. As well as the disabled and parents of children with learning disabilities. It covers one half of all births. Plus it helps provide funds to deal with the opioid epidemic that continues to grow at a rapid rate.

Contact our two U.S. senators and tell them not to vote for the new Senate Republican health care bill. You will be glad that you did. They need to know how we feel about this evil bill before its too late!

The Senate bill would drastically hurt millions of non-Medicaid beneficiaries of Obamacare. It will make health insurance more expensive and less useful to our poor, elderly and sick. Our state Republican government that refused to enroll in Obamacare and did everything it could to destroy/obstruct Obamacare cannot be trusted to use the block grants in ways that actually help our uninsured and those on Medicaid.

This story was originally published June 28, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Thursday, June 29, 2017."