This is Viewpoints for Thursday, July 20, 2017

Con job

Once again, Bob Norcott emerges from his dark place to call Democrats “fools” and “dimwits” and to share with us the vast conspiracy that involves The Washington Post, Yahoo, CNN, MSMBC, and Google to put out “fake news” and hide the “truth” from us. (“Letters to the Editor,” July 13) According to Norcott, they are doing this not because they oppose “The Donald,” but just to keep Democrats “seething with hate.” He asks, “one has to wonder if the dimwits will ever recognize how they’re being used.” The same question could be asked about those who fell for “The Donald’s Big Con.”

The basic argument is so absurd that I would have ignored the letter except for Proverbs 26:5.

‘First, do no harm’

So Macon-Bibb P&Z gave the go ahead to developers who will build another strip retail center backed by apartment complexes and offices that will intrude on those home owning residents in Stone Edge and absolutely decimate the values of those quite nice homes across from it on Zebulon Road. All this “progress” at a time when Macon is, by all accounts, not growing and bricks and mortar establishments across the country are being emptied by the competition from on-line retailing.

As one who moved to northwest Macon when there was no development on Zebulon, only forests of trees, I’ve observed what local government has allowed to happen to its taxpaying, home owning citizens. I also attended those road planning citizen input meetings where some very knowledgeable residents pleaded against the five lane roads with no median. The development on Zebulon flowed from that initial road widening decision that didn’t include a grassy, tree lined, traffic slowing median that could have run from Forsyth Road to Sonny Carter Elementary School. The predictable result has been the devaluation of home values closest to the existing development.

This planned new development will not only further devalue the remaining residential properties, it will most likely do little else except create empty store fronts in the shopping center strips to its west.

Also on “the development is not always progress” front, the Georgia Department of Transportation has said that its road widening, home devaluing, yard destroying project on Forest Hill Road will be done by the end of October. What a lovely Halloween present for those folks. Apparently there is more horror in store for the other end of Forest Hill.

Look around Macon at the road widening projects of the last couple of decades. How many of them were harbingers of progress or were even needed? If only the over arching principle of elected and appointed officials was: “First, do no harm.”

About voter fraud

Some claim that there is no voter fraud in the U.S.A. In opposition is the age-old expression, “the dead vote early and often in Chicago.” It is true that the press seldom reports voter fraud or convictions in cases where a judge has ordered a new election because of irregularities. Judicial Watch reports the existence of a new database that lists 462 cases across the country with 742 criminal convictions.

It is voter fraud for an ineligible person to register to vote. Ineligibles include non-citizens, criminals who have served one year sentences in many states, any one who signs an absentee ballot not their own, and anyone who votes in more that one precinct, county or state. There are more registered voters in some jurisdictions than there are adult citizens. Failure to update the voter rolls allows the dead to vote long after burial.

The voter rolls need to be cross-checked against other government lists such a death certificates, Post Office mailing address lists, Social Security payment records, and jury panel records.

Happy Trump won

While the two-faced, obsessed national news media continue to investigate Russia-Trump connections, the Clinton Foundation connections to Russia have mainly been ignored. The deal in which Russia has approximately one-fifth of North America’s uranium stockpile was covered a while back but not revisited during the 2016 presidential election. The Clinton Foundation accepted millions of dollars in donations from several middle eastern countries. Many of these nations have a disgraceful track record on human rights.

Before President Trump took office, an Air Force leader expressed concern over the Air Force being 30,000 airmen short. The U.S. Navy is at it’s lowest level since the beginning of World War II, and the U.S Army has been downsized significantly as well.

President Trump’s administration recently launched a test missile from the California coast that successfully traveled over 4,000 miles and could reach North Korea if more drastic action is needed. A relative of mine lives in San Diego, California, and worked for the U.S. Border Patrol. He recently said to me that his co-workers are grateful that they can now perform their jobs without so many restrictions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also glad to see Trump win.

Community assets

I see on TV other small cities have cashed in on what they have. One example: a small town started up a fishing derby on a nearby lake and now makes millions of dollars. I have always wondered why Warner Robins people think it’s no big deal that over many years the city has beat out places like New York City and Chicago when it comes to beauty contests and Little League sports. I am very proud of our young people out doing millions of others all over the USA. Can Seattle, Los Angeles, or any other city large or small say that in one year its Little League baseball team, boys and girls, beat out the whole nation?

I think we should start this century by appointing a panel of citizens to come up with some ideas to promote Warner Robins and take advantage of what we have and no other city can match. Maybe a new sports or beauty pageant complex? We have Miss America but take little advantage of the fact.

I would like to see the city appoint a committee to look into our future; People like Miss America, the Bob Eaks and Stephen Davison of Odoban would be some I would ask to serve.

This story was originally published July 19, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Thursday, July 20, 2017."