This is Viewpoints for Monday, Oct. 5, 2015

Middle Georgia united?

As noted by Bill Shanks in a recent column, minor league baseball should not return to Macon. Nor should a team locate in Warner Robins. However, a minor league baseball team located in Middle Georgia, and so named, south of Macon would have a great chance of success, particularly with the Atlanta Braves moving further north into Cobb County. The ideal location would be south of Macon, near Warner Robins, Perry, Byron and Fort Valley, with easy access to Interstate 75.

Recent efforts by Macon-Bibb leaders to initiate a return of minor league baseball to Macon are commendable but not feasible. Macon has a history of not supporting professional minor league franchises. Prior arena football, ice hockey, and minor league baseball teams evidence such. For baseball to return to Macon would require major upgrade work at Luther Williams Park, or building a discussed new baseball facility. The cost of either is prohibitive, given other pressing financial needs of Macon-Bibb. Addressing the ever-growing blight problems would be a much better use of taxpayer funds than building and maintaining a baseball facility. Even if Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds qualified for construction of a baseball facility, there are better uses of the funds that exist such as storm drainage and roadwork.

Shanks made a major point in his column that a successful local baseball franchise needs the support of residents of Bibb, Houston and adjacent counties. For decades local government leaders have discussed the concept of regionalism in our area. A cooperative initiative of government leaders of Bibb, Houston and Peach counties, in a joint venture with the private sector to build a new baseball facility, adjacent to these counties, that is well lighted and has easy access to I-75 and safe and ample parking would likely attract the interest of a major league team, given the combined area population. The team name must not be Macon, or Warner Robins, but Middle Georgia. Using Middle Georgia as the team name would unite baseball fans of Middle Georgia counties. It would provide the positive entertainment activity and venue that local area leaders have mentioned. It would require government leaders of adjacent counties to work together to land a franchise, and then to equitably distribute revenues and costs through intergovernmental agreements.

— John Daniel Thompson

Macon

Great free music

I just heard that Grand Funk Railroad will be performing on the free stage at the Georgia National Fair on Oct. 8, taking the place of Three Dog Night. Last year, The Spinners put on a very good show at the free stage and, in my opinion, had to be better than anything available inside the half-filled Reaves Arena.

The free stage area was packed and nobody left until after the encores. I suspect the same thing will happen this year because most folks would probably pay to see Grand Funk Railroad before shelling out to see Alabama or Rascal Flatts.

— John Ricketson

Macon

Take action

It is time for our representatives in the House and Senate to address gun control measures that could prevent the mass slaughter of innocent school students. What does it take for them to take some action? If it was one of their children, maybe we would see some action.

They spend countless hours on issues such as Benghazi without doing anything that benefits the citizens of this nation. They are being bribed by the National Rifle Association to kill any legislation related to gun control. It’s time we vote them out of office. What is Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., doing to prevent tragedies such as occurred in Oregon on Oct. 1?

— Ashley P. Hurt

Macon

Forgot about Vietnam

After reading “Unnecessary loss of life,” I felt compelled to address Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney’s (USAF retired) when he stated: “We handcuffed our troops in combat needlessly. This was very harmful to our men and has never been done in U.S. combat operations that I know of.”

I guess the general forgot about a place called Vietnam. We left Vietnam 40 years ago and while most of Vietnam vets also sacrificed greatly, we learn that we weren’t involved in combat. We were “handcuffed” by the “rules of engagement” established by our civilian leaders. They didn’t have a clue what those rules of engagement did for morale and our ability to fight and win.

Quite frankly I don’t believe they cared then nor do they care now about our men and women who do the fighting. Our leaders didn’t learn a thing in over 50 years. Welcome home, fellow Vietnam veterans, and thank you for your service to the United States of America, the country you served honorably.

— Wayne Lettice

Byron

No regrets?

Jon Nichols is running for re-election to the Centerville City Council, Post 4. He should instead be ousted from the City Council. He has stated on his website that he doesn’t regret any decision he’s made, and that his conscience is clear.

Does that include the vote to have wives’ meals illegally paid by taxpayers while they are traveling to Georgia Municipal Association conferences with their husbands? What of the vote to increase the travel budget by 20 percent in one year; the vote to purchase property and expensive vehicles for the Police Department; the vote to eliminate a position in the Police Department and inventing a new position just to nominate his friend, Ed Tucker, as director of police services?

Whatever happened to Tucker? Why was he given the privilege of being the head of the department without any qualifications, without a badge, without police training, without working up the ranks to earn that top slot? This good old boys’ network needs to be dismantled.

Nichols gave his hand when he said July 7 that he had been making those plans for a couple of months. Funny how none of the residents of Centerville were warned about the the department reorganization and the high position he was to give his friend. Ethical standards mean nothing to Nichols; neither do the sunshine laws. Elect Ed Armijo to City Council, Post 4, on Nov. 3, a man who will bring integrity back to city government.

— Geraldine Parker

Centerville

This story was originally published October 4, 2015 at 7:14 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 ."