This is Viewpoints for Monday, December 11, 2017

Sandy Beach project

The Telegraph coverage by Stanley Dunlap of the Sandy Beach water park “up for sale” was well done exposing many red flags impairing business survival. Bridging politics and the free enterprise system is a delicate area to establish a win-win balance. There should always be a division between the two. “Two chefs in one kitchen spells disaster.”

This backroom deal doomed Jeff Franklin from the start by placing a cover charge at the entrance driving its cost beyond the public’s per-capita income. Coupled with no deferment language on ad valorem tax like multi-million dollar companies receive, placing small business at a disadvantage. Spirit of America Theme Park and Development has a valid unfair business case pending if they so chooses to pursue. If so the taxpayer of Bibb-Macon County will be liable of damages.

Misuse of authority

Why does it seems a lot of employed people, paid by the taxpayers, have a hard time keeping their oaths of office. We have members of Congress, an ex-president and secretary of state taking control and power over their employers. Now it is a local state trooper who took care of his girlfriend who broke the law and was using his state-supplied phone to send inappropriate pictures and messages. This is a good example how money, position and authority have pull over taxpayers. He kept his $82,289 a year job, for over nine months, after he was caught neglecting and misusing his position of authority.

He was the Milledgeville post commander at the time of his violations. Maybe if The Telegraph had gotten involved earlier, they could have saved time and money for the taxpayers by exposing him earlier.

Thinking independently

How sad that Darrell R. Smith of Jackson is too uniformed to understand my sarcastic dig at the silliness and absurdity of the Democrats pathetic attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 presidential election by trying to find evidence that doesn’t exist that somehow the Trump campaign “colluded” with the Russians to steal the election from Hillary.

I don’t know where he went to school, but it’s too bad he didn’t get an education there. When I went to school, we were taught to think independently and that it was not always a good thing to believe everything your political leaders were telling you. And my attempt at humor was not sad because I enjoyed every minute of it. Still trying to figure out exactly how my rhetoric is “fanning the flames of hate.”

Garbage fee

Our commissioners knowingly allows hundreds to not pay for garbage services, while forcing us to pay for the service even if the house is vacant. There are possibly 45 peercent of those with service who will be hard pressed to pay $300 at one time. So they’ll go to a loan shark and pay 40 percent interest and then lose their $300 car. There should be exceptions. That 45 percent earns far less than their public servants.

What exactly do we get for all of those taxes? We provide subsidized bus service to some of the very ones who refuse to pay for garbage service.

There needs to be major cuts to salaried personnel that earn far more than they are worth to the taxpayers. Far too many earn four or five times more than minimum wage. Our garbage service must be turned over to those who service the part that is independent. We are carrying the rest on our nickle to insure and retire! Foolish.

‘I, Tonya’

Really, Macon? A much anticipated movie, “I, Tonya,” filmed here in Macon, with many of us being extras and excited it was coming out today, only to call Amstar to find out it’s not being shown in Macon this week, and possibly not the next week. Is this Macon’s doing or the film industry? I would surely like to know if I’m going to have to drive to Atlanta to see the film.

The swamp is healthy

Is there no bottom to this bog? Instead of clearing the swamp, the swamp has grown deeper with one scandal after another. In the last few days alone we have the predator-in-chief who bragged about groping women and has been accused of abuse by other women, loudly speaking in support of a candidate for the Senate, a predator who, as a 32-year-old assistant district attorney, was barred from a mall for pursuing teenage girls. Of course, this candidate pretends to be a moral Christian and a true Republican as does the president. It is disturbing to witness this vile disregard for basic values.

We’re not done. Thursday, the president, on behalf of our government, presented a plan for Israel’s capitol which he claims is aimed at moving peace forward but which has already generated renewed hostility there.

The continuing quagmire includes unsettling revelations on a daily basis, for example, the threatening talk of war by the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea. Be clear, we cannot protect the 100,000 Americans or the millions in Seoul who will die in the first hour of a war. Threats of annihilation are not working.

Simultaneously, we hear the proud mention by our secretary of state, who has no experience at his job, that he has saved our nation tax money based on a greatly reduced State Department staff. As we speak, the U.S. has no ambassador in South Korea, or China, for that matter. The president tweets about petty, personal matters while thousands of important positions remain unfilled.

The deepening sludge also includes a rush to pass a tax bill in Congress which is a reworking of the long-disproved “trickle down” approach. It never has worked to give tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy in order to create jobs.

Currently, businesses are thriving, and millionaires have stated on television that it doesn’t make sense to add more than a trillion dollars to the national debt to increase their income.

Then, there is the gradual tearing down of the health-care funding system without any real plan for its replacement. Again, the people who voted for the president are suffering. As the swamp deepens, we may need hip boots or even chest waders.

This story was originally published December 10, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Monday, December 11, 2017."