ON THE PORCH by Will Davis
Goolsby goes rogue
have considered city councilman Greg Goolsby a friend
and. enjoyed our friendly banter concerning our respective
schools, Georgia Tech and Georgia In fairness, what UGA
fan hasn’t enjoyed that banter lately? But moreover, I have
admired Goolsby’s entrepreneurial efforts to revive restaurants
like the former Ann’s Deli, now The Pickled Okra, and Minori’s,
all while building his own home construction company since
his retirement from The Flats.
I interviewed him for a story about his living quarters when
he owned the beautiful Italian renaissance home on Indian
Springs Drive. We interviewed him when he decided to run
for council after reading in the Reporter about the corruption
and bribery scandal that rocked city hall. That episode sent two
councilmen to prison. I cheered him on his promise in that
first campaign not to participate in various city council junkets,
trips to places like Savannah and
Amelia Island. Goolsby said they
merely cost taxpayers’ money. It’s
a promise he kept —— for his first
term anyway.
Given my respect for the council-
man, it was a little surprising to
learn his used his perch at council
on Monday night to launch a tele-
vised tirade against his hometOWn
newspaper. As you’ll read on page
7A, Goolsby called for the city to
retaliate against the newspaper,
asking attorney Bobby Melton
to find ways to circumvent state
law and halt advertising in the legal
organ.
So what crime did our little news—
paper commit that has given the
councilman the vapors?
Goolsby said he was upset about a photograph of the back
of a small boy who was beaten by his step—dad The photo
was published in the Dec. 25 Reporter with a story about the
step-father’s trial, which led a Monroe County jury to give the
step-father a 10—year prison sentence.
Goolsby said the photo was “filth” and printing it was a
“disgrace”.
“I’m p—ed,” said Goolsby on about three occasions during his
rant. Goolsby also said the Reporter included the boy’s name,
which is not true.
I can see how the photo would be upsetting. It SHOULD be
upsetting. What the little boy suffered, welts and bruises and
splinters from head to toe, was awful. The question is: why does
Goolsby blame the messenger? Our job is to tell stories, and the
photo tells that story.
“Crime scene photos are tough,” said district attorney
Jonathan Adams, who provided the photo to Reporter. “Some
people have a hard time seeing them.”
But Adams said the photo, which was a key part of his oflice’s
case, was probably the best way to explain to taxpayers that the
step-father didn’t get 10 years in prison for merely “whipping”
his boy.
“It’s important for people to understand, if they didn’t attend
the trial, what the trial was about,” said Adams.
Adams said if people hear that a local man got 10 years for
“whipping his boy”, they may think it was just a spanking and
think the district attomey’s oflice has gone off the rails. The
photo removed any doubt about that.
“It looks like something I saw in the history books about
slaves in the 19th century,” said Adams. “I know it’s shocking.
But it’s hard to communicate what we mean by child abuse if
you didn’t see those photos. Words are limited there.”
“I don’t think there was anything inappropriate meant by the
photograph,” added Adams. “That was a significant case. We
have horrible things going on in our own community in every
community. It’s sad to think about. But thank goodness we have
the CARE Cottage and the sheriff ’3 office and DA’s office that
are able to do something about it.”
So Mr. Goolsby can continue his tirade if he wishes. But this
newspaper will not stop reporting the important news that our
readers have come to trust us to deliver. Our first commitment
is to you, our readers, not to the powers that be. Ifcity voters
want their council members flexing their power, aiming to
punish and verbally abuse local businesses, well then that’s what
they’ve got. Ifthey don’t, tlrey’ve got four more years before they
can make a change. Maybe that’ll give Goolsby enough time
to cool off, and maybe actually support hometown businesses
again, rather than tearing one down.
“Rocks,
the Monroe County
porter
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is published every week by The Monroe County Reporter Inc.
Will Davis, President - Robert M. Williams Jr., Vice President
Cheryl S. Williams, Secretary-Treasurer
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OHS 11A
EDITORIALS
PEACH STATE POllTlCS by Kyle Wingfielcl
Ga. tax cuts wiser than
he story of the a surge in revenue from as a result. Consider the
2020 legisla- the federal Tax Cuts and tax structures before and
tive session will Jobs Act of 2017, because after each state’s rate cuts.
be the budget. it eliminated a number of Georgia has six tax brack-
Gov. Brian Kemp ordered deductions Georgia had ets, the highest of which
some agencies to cut their adopted but didn’t change kicks in at just
$7,000 of
budgets the state’s tax taxable income for an
while oth- rates. Legisla— individual or $10,000 for a
ers expect tors’ response married couple.
increases, was to expand In Kansas, the lowest
the normal the standard rate before its tax reform
rejiggering deduction in applied to the first $15,000
of priori- 2018, lower the of taxable income for an
ties under top income-tax individual or $30,000 for
a new rate of 6% to a married couple, with
governor. 5.75% in 2019, two more brackets on top
Along and schedule a of that. All of this means
with those further cut to Georgians begin paying
swings of 5.5% in 2020. the top tax rate at much
hundreds Kansas, on lower levels of incom .
of millions 4vfifla/éw/M the other hand, change in the top maregiéral
of dol— sought to boost tax rate here thus affects
lars, state its economy by a far larger proportion of
revenues have been cutting taxes. The idea was taxpayers — although the
roughly flat during the not to offset an expected top rate in Kansas still
hits
first several months of the spike in revenues, but to people who are
squarely in
current fiscal year. Now generate economic growth the middle class.
we are hearing tales of woe that would, some pre— But perhaps the big-
about the cuts legislators dicted at the time, lead to gest difference is
how the
made in 2018 to the state’s higher revenues. rates were cut. Georgia’s
top income-tax rate. The So while Georgia was top rate fell by less than
“cautionary tale” of Kansas trying to keep revenues one-twentieth (from
6% to
even is being thrown mostly flat with a small 5.75%) between 2018 and
around. projected increase in 2018 2019, with a similar cut
Don’t believe the hype. and 2019, and a modest to come. Together, they
For the uninitiated, Kan- dip starting in 2020 that would represent a
decrease
sas in 2012 also launched was projected to level off of about one-twelfth.
a series of income-tax rate after a few years — Kansas In Kansas,
however,
cuts. There end the simi- wanted to cut revenues the top rate fell by
almost
larities with what Georgia with the expectation that one-fourth in just one
did in 2018. subsequent growth would year: from 6.45% to 4.9%.
Start with the differences make up for it. Then it kept falling by a
in why each state chose to Those are very different much smaller amount
year
cut its tax rate. Georgia of— aims, and the policy de- over year, until
the reforms
ficials in 2018 anticipated signs were quite different were scrapped and
tax
BACK 'N’ FORTH by Bill Weaver
Trucks need parking and lanes
1019, 2015, 1017, 1016 winner: Ediloriol Page excellence
2019, 1013 winner: Best Headline Writing
2019 winner: Best Communin Service
2019 winner: Best LoyouI and Design
1019 winter: Besl Serious Column Don Daniel
publish, and conceal not." Jeremiah 50:2
Kansas'
rates raised. The bottom
rate also fell, by about one-
seventh, and the middle
bracket was eliminated
altogether.
In other words, the cuts
in Kansas were much,
much deeper than the
ones here.
It’s worth asking why
Georgia’s revenues haven’t
moved as was predicted
two years ago. Perhaps
the federal changes didn’t
have as large an impact
as expected; perhaps the
state changes had a larger
impact. Our state has also
suffered two substantial
blows economically in the
meantrme: to agricultural
production, following
Hurricane Michael’s dev-
astation in South Georgia,
and to trade, due to the
gyrations of US. policy
toward China and other
countries. Both challenges
have also slowed the trans-
portation and logistics
industries that are more
important to our economy
than to some other states’.
So let’s have that discus-
sion, but without invoking
another state’s missteps
that don’t reflect the poli-
cies enacted here.
The president and CEO
of the Georgia Public
Policy Foundation, Kyle
Wingfield’s column runs in
papers around the state of
Georgia.
e’ve seen stories in at Iohnstonville Road,
the paper and on and the shoulders of
TV about the Geor- the entrance ramps in
gia Department of McDonough often are
Transportation’s idea of building filled with parked big
special lanes for commercial vehicle/ rigs.
truck traffic on Interstate 75. Only
one other state, New Jersey, has built THE TRUCKERS
such lanes, and the idea of Geor- said the problem is get-
gia doing it is still a long way off. ting worse as the num—
Nonetheless, truckers would like it, her of trucks on the
as they worry about weaving in and
out of automobile traffic, and they
don’t want to contribute to traffic
congestion.
FURTHERMORE, THEY have
another concern, which I heard a
lot about the other day during a
conversation with three over—the—
road truckers at the rest stop in
south Monroe County. They were
parked in the area reserved for truck
parking. The lot was nearly full, even
though it was only 5 in the evening
road increases. One guy said he was
recently nearing his destination —
and his allowable driving time limit
-- so he pulled up to the gated entry
to a business, which had closed for
the day. He needed to shut down his
rig for the night so he found a place
on the street. It wasn’t long before a
police officer arrived and gave him a
parking ticket.
“BUT WHAT am I supposed to
do?” the trucker asked the oflicer.
and there were plenty “IT’S NOT my
of hours left in the day problem. It’s yours. Find
to drive. But they had somewhere else to par ”
claimed their spot and
they weren’t going any— BUT THERE aren’t
where. many places to park,
so the truckers look for
TRUCKERS DO a lot “free parking” on the
of that these days. There shoulders of roads, in
are so many trucks on rest stops or in weigh
the road that they must stations after hours, or
devote the last portion v- they may resort to pay-
of their daily allotment ing the $15 to park at a
of allowable drive time truck stop like the one
— 11 hours a day to just north of us at High-
finding a spot where way 36 to Jackson — if
they can park for the there’s a spot available.
night. If they don’t, they risk exceed~
ing their driving time limit, which WHAT DO you get for parking
could have dire consequences on
their driving license or their status
with their employer, or both.
TRUCK LANES are going to
mean more trucks, and there just
aren’t enough parking spaces to ac-
there? I asked. A shower, perhaps?
“A BOTTLE of water if we’re
lucky,” he said ‘
SOME TRUCKING companies
forbid their employees from parking
commodate them. on interstate exit/entrance ramps -
especially the exit ramps, where ve-
THE- SHORTAGE of big rig hicles are traveling fast and are more
parking can be seen at the entrance
and exit ramps of the interstate. I’ve
seen at least eight trucks parked
on the shoulder of the southbound
entrance ramp from the Bolingbroke
rest stop. Trucks can be seen parked
on both the entrance and exit ramps
at risk of hitting parked vehicles. A
trucking company person told me
this is their “sitting duck” policy, and
getting caught violating it meant
immediate termination. Of course,
independent truckers can set their
own policies, so most of the rigs we
see parked on the ramps are most
likely the independent truckers.
DEPENDING ON what the
trucker is hauling, it may not be
possible for him or her to leave
the truck If the trucker is hauling
hazardous materials, or high-value
goods, these vehicles probably can’t
be left unattended, which might
prohibit the use of a motel as a place
to stop for the night. But motels are a
problem anyway, not only due to the
cost but because most do not have
parking lots that can accommodate
semi-trucks.
MOST OF these big rigs do have
comfortable sleeper compartments,
however. Many truckers would
prefer to sleep in their truck, which
probably has a TV, heating or air
conditioning, and plenty of room.
The only problem, though, is where
to park that rig.
SO, THE discussion about creat-
ing commercial vehicle/ truck lanes
on Interstate 75 through Monroe
County, and elsewhere in Middle
Georgia, is a discussion that needs
to include a provision for additional
truck parking, whether it’s somehow
provided by the public sector, or
whether there’s a profit opportunity
that provides incentive for it to be
provided by the private sector. There
just aren’t enough parking spaces.
THE MEN and women who drive
these trucks must have room to park
and rest. We don’t want them park-
ing on the road shoulders or along
residential streets, but that’s where
they will be if we don’t provide an
alternative.
Bill Weaver lives in northern Mon—
roe County. He can be reached via
email at billweaver81 1 @gmail.com.
