This is Viewpoints for Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016
Let Georgians win for a change
In reading about our governor's proposed budget. Along with the massive tax increases last year and all the extraordinary large pay-outs for cronyism-based grants. It is easy to ascertain that our state leaders are putting Georgia citizens in a serious financial fix.
They would have citizens forget that many of them were "dyed-in-the-wool" liberal Democrats before they were part of the GOP. The Honorable Sen. Saxby Chambliss said it better than I can in his farewell interview. "The citizens of Georgia are a whole lot smarter than the politicians think they are. They know when you're lying to them."
If our current state leaders had Pinocchio noses you could easily use them for pole fishing on the opposite bank. According to substantial rumor, we currently have more lawyers either employed by the state or under contract than we do National Guard. If they're not getting the governor in trouble, they're trying to get him out of it. The U.S. Constitution, federal Laws, due process, Open Records Act (Sunshine Laws) have substantially been thrown out. The prosecutorial and judicial appointments have been flying daily. Fellow attorneys essentially run the state at Deal's direction. It is hoped that in this session our representatives stop rubber stamping corruption in our state.
Currently under study in our capitol is casino gambling. We have got to fix the gambling laws completely to get the fraud, extortion, money laundering and other aspects of organized crime by corrupt public officials (CPO) out. In the most recent revisions of the Lottery In Education Act Coin Operated Amusement Machines were transferred from the Georgia Department of Revenue direction to the Lottery. That is a good thing. That puts all the games directly into the Lottery Central IT System. The lottery then monitors all play.
The proceeds of 100 percent are deposited into a Lottery Trust account. They deduct their percentage and forward the remaining to the master license holder. It's actually a good system. In the law revision, there were limited paragraphs regarding the transition to the lottery. The major portion enhanced corruption using the lottery as a front. The revision allows unfettered access to all personal and business related accounts of every lottery retailer. The chief procurement officer can seize all licensed retailers assets both personal and business. A virtual "license to steal."
A referendum should be inserted into the ballot should read "Should the state of Georgia allow all forms of gaming, betting, wagers, etc., to be controlled by the Georgia Lottery. This includes all Internet, state lottery, COAM, casino gambling, etc. All players shall be able to receive a win pay-out in the form of cash or check in the amount of their win. All wins exceeding $600 shall require documentation.
— Al Jennings
Cochran
The breakdown of the family
I agree with C. Jack Ellis that the death of Ta"Shuntis was a senseless and cowardly act. But government will not be the one to stop these kind of murders from happening. It must start in the black community and the white community. Most of the murders in Macon and nation wide are black people killing black people. One of the biggest problems is the breakdown of family. Many young black men look to gangs to fill the void in their lives due to the absence of a father.
Ellis and I are about the same age and when he was in school most kids lived in a two parent home. Now 75 percent to 80 percent of black children live in a single family home and 35 percent of white children live in single parent home. We have taken God out of school and are teaching evolution as fact which it is not. Many people feel a women has a right to an abortion for any reason. All of this changes our values and view of life.
It sounds as if Ellis is blaming the gun for the violence. When there is a bombing we blame the bomber, not the bomb. When a drunk driver kills someone in a car accident we blame the driver not the car. But when someone uses a gun in a act of violence we blame the gun. We must have a change of heart to stop the acts of violence. Guns don't kill, people do.
I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment. I have yet to hear anything from our politicians of how they plan to take guns from criminals only how they will make it harder for law-abiding citizens to buy a gun. We are letting criminal out of jail early and failing to jail them when they use guns while committing crimes.
George Washington said, a free people ought not only be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.
— Don Hensley
Macon
This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 7:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 ."