This is Viewpoints for Thursday, July 7, 2016

Official answer

Students, today we are taking our semifinal American History test. Before we start are there any questions in need of answers. Johnny raised his hand, and his teacher asked him what was his question? Johnny said that he was concerned about questions about American Independence Day. He said his pals and he are seeing Independence Day celebrations and fireworks on July 1 in Warner Robins, July 2 in Perry and July 3 somewhere else and finally July 4 in Macon. This is confusing. So we would like you to clear up this problem so we won’t get this important question wrong. The teacher said I think it’s on July 4 but I will have to check with The Telegraph and get back to you.

Who’s counting?

While he was bragging about his many sexual conquests, Donald Trump stated, “I cheated on wife No. 1 with wife No. 2 and with wife No. 2 with wife No. 3.” How long will wife No. 3 satisfy him? Is wife No. 4 already in his plans?

Job skills needed more

It’s a nice thing local professional do every summer, holding football and basketball camps, but just think if you took the money from those camps and pooled it and created one month of summer jobs for many of the young black males where they could learn valuable skills. Most need jobs. Only 3 percent will ever become professional athletes.

Young Americans from low-income families have been especially hard hit by the decline in summer employment. According to data from the Current Population Survey, teenagers whose families make less than $20,000 per year are now less than half as likely to work as those from families who earn at least $100,000, and, unlike their wealthier peers, low-income teens have seen hardly any rebound in employment since the recession ended. Black and Hispanic teens have far lower employment rates than whites. Unfortunately, low-income teens are also the ones who most need summer jobs. They need the money — a job that might provide pocket money to middle-class teens could be a key source of income for someone from a poorer family. But they also need the experience.

Young people from low-income backgrounds can’t count on family connections, expensive extracurricular activities or, in most cases, degrees from private colleges to help them land jobs as adults, so they are particularly dependent on work experience to get ahead. Past research has found that at-risk teens who work perform better academically, are less likely to get into trouble with the law and earn more as adults than those who don’t.

Important meetings

I would like to encourage everyone to attend the 2040 Long Range Transportation Planning meetings by the Macon Area Transit Study group of the Macon Metropolitan MPO under the umbrella of Macon-Bibb Planning and Zoning. On display are the proposed transportation/road projects that will be incorporated into the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan. This document delineates and prioritized the funding for the projects — i.e., help determine how our tax dollars are used to meet or not meet our needs for getting around Macon.

For me, the Interstate-16/Interstate-75 interchange proposal is of the utmost importance to discuss. Not only because of the safety improvements that are needed but also because of the adverse effects that the current design will have on the River walk, Rose Hill Cemetery and the Shirley Hills neighborhood. The adverse effects can be mitigated while still meeting the safety needs by downsizing the interchange footprint. For instance, by allowing two adjacent exits each to be one way, rather than allowing on and off ramp access for both exits, the highway would not need to be 16 lanes for this part of the project (as in the plan outlined by CAUTION Macon’s consultant). I encourage citizens to consider this option and voice their opinion.

Comments are being accepted until 8/1/16. Information can be obtained at www.mats2040.org. There will be an open house display on 7/12/16, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at P&Z (682 Cherry Street, Suite 1000). Comments may be submitted there or to gbrown@mbpz.org.

Agrees with Sowell

Once again Thomas Sowell in his “Affirmative action fraud goes on” column calls a spade a spade. I have never heard or read anyone calling him a racist. Why? For one thing he can get by with telling the truth. For affirmative action is not only a fraud, it is discrimination, racial profiling and a breach of one’s civil rights that the government and special interest groups use on behalf of making exceptions for minorities in filing complaints and even lawsuits.

You know every person has civil rights by law as indicated in The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Pub.L. 88–352, 78 Stat. 241, enacted July 2, 1964), a landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the United States that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Plus under TITLE 34 – EDUCATION – 100.3, it prohibited discrimination or to treat an individual differently from others in determining whether he satisfies any admission, enrollment, quota, eligibility, membership or other requirement or condition which individuals must meet in order to be provided any service, financial aid, or other benefit provided.

Therefore, as Sowell pointed out, even our Supreme Court justices exceeded their own authority by voting racial preferences for students’ college admissions who do not meet requirements as required by others were legal.

Time for action

Bullying. Yep! It’s here, right here in “River City.” It starts with “B” which stands for “Bad” and needs to be nipped in the bud. A renter of ours has decided to abandon buying here in Peach County in favor of moving to another county where their young are “more accepted” by their peers and teaching staff. Do we have a problem and would “we” recognize one if it existed? Maybe the solution cannot be “handled appropriately” at this level and needs to be up channeled. The time for action is now!

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Thursday, July 7, 2016."