This is Viewpoints for Friday, Feb. 23, 2018

Bibb budget out of control

Nine percent sales tax? Are you kidding me? Then maybe, possibly, hopefully a property tax decrease that could easily be not done or done and then rescinded. I’ve seen that movie before.

Here is an idea. Every commissioner and our mayor should resign immediately since they have let down every single tax payer in Bibb County. They haven’t balanced a budget in years. That is just pathetic. They are an embarrassment to any sound business person.

Or, we could keep up this building spree of government offices and recreation facilities with SPLOST and bond money, those places that then need to have staffing and upkeep financed by the general budget.

Our mayor tries to scare us with “Draconian” spending cuts. Oh please, they should have already been implemented years ago.

We want less government, not more!

FISA abuses

Well, the FISA memo is out. Many, including most Democrats and the mainstream media tried to stop it because it would “harm national security.” These same people are now saying, “Move along there is nothing to see here.”

I am convinced that partisan individuals within the FBI should not go to a secret court proceeding (FISA) using a dossier that was prepared by someone who is an avid Hillary supporter and that was paid for by the DNC and the Clinton campaign in order to open an investigation to get warrants to spy on someone in the opposing political party. By the way, the court that issued the warrant to spy on certain members of the RNC was not fully informed that the information that the court was relying on had been prepared by and paid for by Democrats and the Clinton campaign.

We now have government agencies under one administration using government powers to go after members of the other political party during the run up to a presidential election. That is scary and should alarm us all.

I am not sure which represents the greatest danger to our Republic; the blatant abuse of power, the ongoing attempt to minimize and keep it quiet or the politicians and certain people in the media whose brains have been so hijacked by their ideology that they don’t even see a problem.

Heroes

As long as there is evil in the world, there will be heroes, regular, ordinary people that give up their lives so that others may live. The teachers and staff members of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who became heroes will never be forgotten.

“Greater love has no man that he that gives up his life for his friends.” We are not paying our teachers and school employees to become heroes, the type of person that enters a servant career like teaching are heroes every day.

Bias news

In a letter by Richard Jones of Warner Robins in the Telegraph Opinion section on Feb. 21, he pointed out the biased newspapers available; AP, Washington Post, NY Times and LA Times. We lived in Southern California for 45 years and can attest to the LA Times biased reporting, which I seldom read; the Orange County Register was my preferred paper. I would like to understand what the biased reporting is supposed to accomplish. I would like to add when we moved to Perry, I was concerned I could not find a paper comparable to the Register, I was wrong, The Telegraph, although smaller, is a better paper.

I’m the dissenter

I read with dismay some of the ideas on how to control the issues we have concerning gun violence in school: ban assault type weapons, limit high capacity magazines, etc. One gentleman even spoke to the effect that his hunting buddies would laugh you out of the woods if you took an AR-15 to hunt with. Quite obviously, he has never been wild pig or coyote hunting, as you need to get off as many rounds as possible in a short period of time with those critters.

As as famous radio host said on TV, the gun has already been purchased for the next shooting and closing the barn door after the horses are gone isn’t going to help. This is a complete failure of the federal and state governments on so many levels it is nauseating. The primary function of the government is to make sure the populace is safe. You can outlaw all guns and you will have another Timothy McVeigh on your hands. There are mass killings going on in the EU with trucks and cars. Wherever there is evil, it will find a face and a place to create harm.

Get off of the gun issues and use a get involved with viable dialogues to protect the children. The equivalency of what took place in Florida happens just about every weekend in Chicago and they have some of the most strict gun laws in the nation. Until you arm the proper people to protect your children, nothing will change. The world is inhabited by three types of people — sheep, wolves and sheepdogs. Decide what you are going to be and thank the sheepdogs who protect you from the wolves.

A group we don’t need

I cannot think of a single reason why I would like or support the National Rifle Association and its leadership — especially Wayne LaPierre, who is extremist of the worst sorts. The NRA basically actually controls our U.S. Congress and our federal government and especially our president.

The NRA donated $32 million or so to the Trump presidential campaign. It prevents Congress from passing any meaningful and effective gun-safety legislation. Now they are trying to get Congress to pass a law that would allow open carrying in all 50 states.

Children are exposed to deadly gun violence daily and too often end up in hospital emergency rooms.

After every school massacre or mass shooting the NRA prevents any meaningful gun-safety laws. They are no real friends to law enforcement who often bear the brunt of criminal acts. Georgia’s Republican Congressional delegation all support the NRA and are against any new gun-safety laws and also Obamacare and universal healthcare.

This story was originally published February 23, 2018 at 9:00 AM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Friday, Feb. 23, 2018."