This is Viewpoints for Thursday, August 11, 2016

No debt/budget plan

The Middle Georgia Regional Airport is seeking a $4.6 million subsidy. I wonder how many more regional airports in Georgia are seeking a similar subsidy? I wonder how many regional airports in the country are seeking similar subsidies? A million here and a million there adds up to billions of dollars in airport subsidies. These subsidies are a form of corporate welfare.

By March 2017 the debt will be over $21 trillion. About 8 percent of collected tax revenues will be used to pay the interest on the debt. That leaves 92 percent to fund the government. In March 2017, Congress will have to re-establish the debt limit. If Congress determines to start to pay down the debt beginning in October 2017, the beginning of fiscal year 2018, by half a trillion dollars a year, it will take 50 years to pay off the debt. This means that a half trillion dollars of tax revenues will not be available to pay for government programs. The longer Congress delays the greater the adverse impact on our economy.

Neither presidential candidate has proposed a plan for how they will reduce the debt. Neither presidential candidate has proposed a plan for how they will balance the budget. We cannot wait five or 10 years. Each year of delay will add to the debt. And this will drive the interest on the debt to over 10 percent. Neither presidential candidate has proposed a realistic plan with details to revise our convoluted tax code and or the date when the new tax code will be implemented.

Twenty-four years ago a very wise man said, “Its the economy stupid.” It was true then and it is truer today. If Congress does not stop its wasteful spending we will become a debtor nation. Some will say this will never happen. How long do they think we can keep borrowing money to finance corporate and social welfare programs?

Trump a Christian?

Ralph Reed, formerly of the Christian Coalition, is doing mail outs in Georgia to Christians, asking them to vote for Donald Trump. I am a Christian, but I don’t believe Donald Trump is because of what he has been saying and doing. Ralph, I wish you would show us why you think Trump is a Christian.

Prolific complainers

On Tuesday, Aug. 9, readers of “Letters to Editors” were exposed to two letters of dubious content from two of Middle Georgia’s most prolific complainers, Carl Pirkle and Frank Gadbois. Pirkle tries to convince low information folks that President Obama “had” to pay Iran $400 million because an international court had ruled we owed the money to a bunch of terrorists acting like a legitimate government. Carl assures all that the $400 million was not a ransom (a story refuted by the released prisoners), and nothing was “nefarious” about an unmarked cargo plane full of Euros and Swiss francs stacked on wooden pallets and delivered to Iranian mullahs. Talk about “willing suspension of disbelief.”

Next, Gadbois tries to rewrite history by proclaiming it was “actually George W. Bush” who signed an agreement forcing us out of Iraq that Obama had to honor. Notice that Obama was “forced” into these egregious acts and that means Obama was not at fault in any way. Then, Frank tries to assure us that giving the world’s largest terrorist organization hundreds of millions in untraceable cash that will surely be used against us and our allies is he only fair thing to do. What a load of horse hockey.

We owe Iran nothing but contempt and eventually full payback for the brutal murders of thousands of Americans since 1979. If international courts have any validity at all, they will rule that Iran owes the USA more dollars than they can ever repay.

Sewage rate woes

Robin Hood robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. The Warner Robins City Council is doing quite the opposite, or so it seems. Recently, in a closed meeting, the council voted unanimously to increase sewage rates for residents outside the city limits that are tied on to city sewage. A reasonable increase would not have been too bad, but the council voting to increase the monthly user fee from $19.95 to $59.19 is a big leap.

That is just part of the problem, though. This came as a complete surprise to the residents in our neighborhood. How did we first hear about the proposal? The news was published in at least two newspapers. You would think the council would have been considerate enough to let us know before bringing it to a vote. There must be someone on the Warner Robins City Council who thinks some of us “outsiders” were born with a silver spoon in our mouths, but that is far from being factual. Most of the residents in our neighborhood are retired, out of a job, have kids in school or college, or both, have health problems putting them in a medical bind, and other financial obligations that already make it tough to make both ends meet.

According to the article, The increase “will help grow the city and recoup some of the cost of the $28 million upgrade of the waste water treatment plant expansion.” The city needs the county to help with growth? Give me a break. The increase is also “making it easier for those who live outside city limits and wish to tap into our system by not having to get approval by council.”

A meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15, at Warner Robins City Hall, 700 Watson Blvd,Warner Robins. The purpose of this meeting is to give county residents an opportunity to express our grievances concerning this issue.

In the meantime, a petition, along with signature sheet, is being made available to county residents on the city sewer system. To sign the petition, please call 923-9731 and the petition will be delivered by a member of the survey team. Every county resident now receiving city sewage service is encouraged to attend this meeting. We need all the support we can get.

This story was originally published August 10, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Thursday, August 11, 2016."