Dear Editor,
I want to thank Duane Willoughby for his letter “I want my Republican Party back (March 3).”
For me, he hit the nail on the head. I come from a long line of Republicans from North Georgia and western North Carolina ... Republicans who supported Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower.
These great presidents were responsible for saving the Union, the transcontinental railroad, the state land grant university systems, building the Panama Canal, the National Park System, the Interstate Highway System, NASA and much more.
I believe in my reading of history that the transformation of the GOP into an extremist party began with the “conversion” of the Dixie Democrats, who were against the 1964 Civil Rights Act into “conservative Republicans,” the first being Strom Thurmond, of South Carolina.
These former segregationist Democrats have transformed the Party of Lincoln into a political organization that has betrayed the original ideals of the GOP.
So one must ask themselves, who really are the RINOs (Republicans in name only)?
The GOP needs to be the party of the “big tent,” dedicated to honesty, smart, fiscally sound government and welcoming to all who have different approaches but want to contribute in a statesmanlike manner to the betterment of America.
Country before party .... I want my GOP back.
Jim Lance, Canton
Judicial system isn't a party circuit
Dear Editor,
I read about the Woodstock judge and the underage drinking at her house during a party. What I find most disturbing about this entire incident is about the variety of party guests.
There were assistant prosecutors partying with judges, defense attorneys, and even a state senator and attorney.
If these people, prosecutors, judges, congressmen and defense attorneys, all socialize together, what hope does a person have in the court system of getting a fair trial? That judge has probably fined or sentenced people to jail for doing the exact same thing she was doing during her off hours and in her own home.
The prosecutors and solicitors have probably tried and succeeded at putting people in jail for doing the same thing they were doing while partying with the judge who gives out the sentence.
Is that what the court and judicial system has come to, a big after-hours social event? These people are supposed to be adversaries. How can they contest a legal point, or someone's future, either in or out of jail, when the prosecutor, judge, and defense attorney are planning to have a party after the court session?
To fairly decide a defendant's fate, these people are supposed to be on the opposite side of the fence, and not members of the same social club.
Police officers do not go to the city and county jails and party with the inmates after duty hours, so why should prosecutors and judges and defense attorneys socialize together when they might oppose each other during a trial.
It is just my opinion, but fairness and a fair trial in court under these conditions just seems to be highly unlikely.
Robert Rogers, Canton
Saving our schools is up to us
Dear Editor,
One of the most important things we have here in Cherokee County is the public school system.
Both of my children have had excellent experiences in our public schools. They have learned from many committed teachers, coaches and administrators. And it’s not just a benefit for my kids. Your kids and your neighbors’ kids also benefit. And, if they benefit, the community is better off.
But, unfortunately, the state government has been chipping away at the public education funding for years. Now that the state tax revenues are in free fall, there is an all- out assault on public education funding. We have all heard of the cuts coming to the university system, and now many young adults will be struggling to access higher education at UGA and the other state universities and colleges.
We can expect much of the same cuts for Cherokee public schools when the state budget comes out.
Can we look for help from our state officials here in Cherokee? I wish we could and would like to hear from them on how they are helping.
Our own Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, is the powerful, state Senate majority leader. But he does not have any interest in public education funding. He is committed to funding alternatives to the public schools by promoting legislation for charter and religious schools instead.
Perhaps it’s time for us in Cherokee to dig into our own pockets to keep the funding from falling too low for our public schools.
I would like to see the school board propose an increase in the millage rate if they feel it is warranted. We have some very committed school board members, and I trust their judgment on this issue.
The fact is, we don’t really pay a lot in school and real estate taxes compared to other counties and states. I also think that we should consider modifying the school tax exemption we have here in Cherokee for homeowners who are 62 or older. Everyone should pay their fair share for the public school system. Since we can’t count on the politicians at the golden dome for help, it’s time we count on ourselves.
Scott McNeill, Woodstock
Trim the state government
Dear Editor,
Job cuts, furloughs and decreased benefits, when will the madness end?
Cut the budget, cut the budget – no matter the cost to the citizens. Georgia is currently operating at the most inefficient level in its history. The state Legislature, along with the governor, both past and present, have run the government straight into the ground. Georgia no longer meets the people’s needs.
Georgia elects 56 senators, 180 representatives, one governor and a lieutenant governor ... a total of 238 elected officials. Why does the state of Georgia need so many elected officials? If there are only 159 counties in Georgia, why does the state have 180 representatives?
According to the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts Web site, it exists to provide decision-makers with credible management information to promote improvements in accountability and stewardship. The department has 350 employees under the leadership of State Auditor Russell Hinton. The budget for this department was $30,654,383. Russell Hinton earned a 2009 salary of $159,214.08. The governor only earned $139,339.44 in 2009. How does this make sense? I will pay you more than I earn to tell me how to do my job. What?
This is just one department, where does it end? Where is the accountability?
The state keeps attacking state programs, but the state is not purging itself. One example, the Senate Minority Leader was paid $19,741.68, whereas his assistant was paid $38,072 by the state in 2009. This example holds true throughout the electorate. Budget cuts in education with this kind of gross misconduct with taxpayer money is ridiculous.
I ask the government to look at itself, before making any more cuts in the educational system. The Board of Regents is proposing to eliminate all Georgia 4-H programs. This results in 116 immediate layoffs and closing five 4-H facilities, including Rock Eagle.
How can the government entertain the idea of cutting a program that reaches 156,000 youths, while the Governor has an executive chef on duty? Cutting funding for education and youth programs is destroying the future.
I ask elected officials to start answering their own phones, or, at least, the governor should cook his own dinner that taxpayers pay for.
Lance Hansard, Canton
School voucher plan gets a bad rap
Dear Editor,
I recently received a mailer from the Georgia Association of Educators telling me to contact my senator and tell him to vote against the SB 361 “voucher plan.”
The flyer goes on to say that if this bill goes through, it will take money away from public schools and give it to unproven private schools in the form of vouchers.
The problem with that reasoning is that it is incorrect. Vouchers don’t take money away from public schools, they leave them with more money per student.
Voucher payments never match the amount spent on a public school student. Therefore, if a school has 500 students and is collecting $10,000 per student and one student takes a $5,000 voucher and leaves, the school will have 499 students and an extra $5,000 to spend on them.
It sure would be nice if folks didn’t slant information to suit their agenda. What has happened to telling the truth without bias?
Pat Hardy, Woodstock
