This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Addressing county spending

I don’t like paying taxes as much as the next person and I know that what I’m about to say will be very unpopular, but the last time I went to a retail store or restaurant I was required to pay for their products and services. If I want police/fire protection or drivable roads or excellent education (not just decent) I have to pay for it. The only way to do that is through taxes.

I also believe that there could be revisions to the county budget to cut back on wasteful spending just as in any budget. But I want to be sure the people who respond to my need or my elderly neighbor’s aid are well trained with up-to-date equipment and that our schools are preparing our children for the future. I also understand that we need cosmetic upgrades to our community to promote growth and safety.

Many events are held at Central City Park which bring in lots of out of town revenue helping local businesses, but very little has been done, until recently, to upgrade those facilities. That being said, we have to pay for these things with our taxes. Any politician who says they will cut your taxes will also have to cut spending and it might not be where you want it cut. We may have to “bite the bullet” and vote to increase revenue.

No honesty

The statements of “Our Sen. David Perdue over the past few days may be the result of an questionable character, stupidity or amnesia. This past week he attended the meeting at the White House with the president and members of a senatorial delegation for the expressed purpose of discussing pending legislation on immigration. Reportedly during the discussion on the subject, “Our” president went into a tirade calling certain countries included in legislation an insulting name. This included Haiti and the entire continent of Africa along with South American countries.

Sen. Tom Cotton and Sen. Perdue issued a statement later which said “they did not recall any such remarks.” Sen. Dick Durbin, also in the meeting emphatically stated that the president did utter vile racist remarks and called the countries that same bad name. Sen. Lindsay Graham respectfully stated, without referring to these vile remarks, that he rebuked the president during the meeting and cautioned him about making such remarks. Sen. Graham has stood by his statement.

Sunday we learn that Sen. Perdue now says the president did not make such remarks. Now we only have to believe that “our” senator had amnesia when his earlier remarks were first made, or he is not telling the truth. We need someone representing us to be honest with us. His actions reflect how political one can bow to support this president, who is known to lie on a daily basis.

Biased reporting?

As I scanned the front page of Sunday’s Telegraph, my suspicion of a biased Telegraph reporting only negative coverage of our 45th president was confirmed in a way that sickened me. The Telegraph editors are so maniacal in their unadulterated hatred of President Donald J. Trump that they chose to print “shithole” smack dab in the middle of the front page. No editing, redaction or anything.

Never mind that they reported an unconfirmed story; their overzealous mindset overcame their professional judgment in a most reprehensible manner. They chose to believe Trump hater Sen. Dick Durbin’s version and ignore Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue’s recollection that they were in as close proximity to Trump as Durbin and Trump never said the word in question. Durbin has a well known history of ambush politics. This is just the latest episode.

Unfortunate hero

Oops, thank you for that! I cannot help but thank the dedicated civil servant who has single-handedly, raised the specter that our (maybe as the state of Hawaii) emergency management system and attendant mass notification system has endemic and critical shortfalls. To the civil servant, who triggered a dire state (mass panic) in Hawaii — I have to say their triggering action will likely (and should) inspire:

▪  Reviews of all EMS/Mass notification processes, procedures, tools.

▪  Preventive measures to ensure that only the right authorities invoke emergency procedures to the populace.

▪  Public planning and home-remedy emergency procedures; crafted or “dusted off and updated.”

▪  An end-to-end review of National Emergency Notification procedures.

So I do not write to condemn or castigate this poor unfortunate civil servant, I say thank you for alerting us to the faults in our alerting systems. Come forth and be seen as the hero you are.

Lanier legacy

Few remember the tragic demise of one of the greatest schools Bibb County ever had. It was 1967 and the fire was a total disaster. I have one of the bricks. If you are not quite mature, then possibly you’ve heard about Lanier High School from your grandparents. Little did I realize the enormous contributions Lanier would bring to the world.

Through its ROTC program thousands served in our military. In every war boys became men and many died serving America. My class was one of many that had dozens of officers in Vietnam. We had generals, too. To my knowledge, we all came home. Academically, Lanier provided some of the best of the best in all fields. In our class there were so many doctors, teachers, lawyers and professionals that we were were acknowledged worldwide. Great poets and painters, too. I never understood the changing of the name to Central. They still have ROTC. I guess every change has some rationale, but the boys from Lanier will always be Poets.

Did he mention?

In Sunday's opinion page, David Mann stated that he told us so. Did he fail to mention that our economy would be increasing, jobs would be added, unemployment would be down and people would be getting a tax break and take home more of their paycheck? At least we have a leader that stands up for this country.

Congress needs to set their emotions aside and do the job they were elected to do and do what is best for this country and not their career.

This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 12:21 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, January 17, 2018."