January 10, 2018 Page 5A
eR porter
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
by Don Daniel
O
heart bypass surgery
ave missed being read, commented about, cussed
d ignored. So, here I
after some rather
aumatic personal
eriences, specifically
triple-by-pass heart surgery,
which came as a surprise.
Thanks a whole of lot for the
many get well cards, wishes
and prayers.
Honestly, I have missed
attending Forsyth City
Counc'fl and county commis-
sion meetings and comment-~ ~
ing on the many things I
often see and hear being on
the outside looking in. So, I'm
gonna get started.
First, there has been a lot of
the '%" word used about the gas prices in Forsyth. Well,
it is time to either put up or shut up! Yep, there has
been a lot of'9" ing on The Reporter Facebook, Waffle
House coffee klatch, Vent. But obviously, no one wants
to do anything about the gas prices.
Of course Forsyth's mayor, city manager and mem-
bers of City Council are going to keep their opinions to
themselves about how exorbitant the local gas prices
are because they don't want to expose their opinions
since the gas stations do draw a lot of"filler-uppers" to
the WhopperDiddlyDoodleyMacQueenie places which
increases the city's tax coffers so they can spend tax-
payer money to build a skate park, splash pad, new
roof on the American Legion, give the historical society
money to replace depot windows, purchase nine-holes
at the local golf course enough! You get the idea why
they keep their opinions to themselves.
And of course the Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber
of Commerce, along with the Forsyth Convention and
rmiters Bureau, Downtown Development Authority,
Monroe County Development Authority, don't want the
word to leak out that we have the highest gas prices in
the area and along 1-75 north and south bound. That
kind of notoriety would not be a good "selling' attrac-
tor for someone perusing our county for a new business
location.
Some credit is due to one county commissioner, John
Ambrose for publicly stating his opinion about local gas
prices: 'Whey are robbing us!" None of the other com-
missioners have publicly voiced their opinion. Obviously
they either don't have an opinion, pay the local gas pric-
es or gas up on their soirees to Macon for which they
are taxpayer refunded if they are on "count f' business.
Can anything be done? Well, first of all, the interstate
gas stations do not depend on us local citizens for busi-
ness. One station owner told me "over 95 percent of our
business comes from the interstate. We don't need local
business to do business" he replied in broken English.
"Our beer and lottery sales to locals are primarily the
only sales to locals", another station worker told me.
Will it make a difference if we become unified and
voice our opinion to the government entities that
should give a damn about the gas prices? One of our
state representatives, Susan Holmes, confirmed my
suggestion that an effort be made to make the Georgia
Department of Consumer Affairs continuously aware
of the obvious "caballing" and unified local price fixing
that is very obvious here in Forsyth.
I doubt it, but it might get rid of some frustration.
It helped me just to write this although nothing will
change until we care, voice our opinion and be heard
which sometimes takes loud and multiple voices. I will
continue to voice my opinion. Join me.
NOW THAT our county commission is up to 'Tall
strength", with the five members occupying their
respective thrones, the first meeting of 2018 held last
week had some drama with the vote allowing Dollar
General to proceed with building another "shopping
destination" at the intersection of Highways 18 and 87.
Of course, there were more not in favor of the build-
ing than for the store. But the case for allowing the
company to build a store was more overwhelming
than the personal attempts at convincing the com-
missioner to deny the re-zoning. The vote was 4 to 1
with Commissioner John Ambrose voting with the
opponents. The store is in his district and I am sure he
hopes they "remembeF' him when the next county com-
mission election comes around.
BELIEVE THIS or not, from the County Manager's
report: "Several months ago, the Board reviewed a first
reader of the ordinance to require business licenses in
Monroe County. If the Board is still agreeable, staff will
use 2018 to identify all of the businesses in the county,
build a database, and notify the businesses of the new
requirement to begin January 201ff'.
SEEMS like the newest county throne occupier,
George Emami, is being tasked with a one-person
committee assignment to find out what it will take to
improve internet service in Monroe County. It is not
a "re-invent the wheer' assignment and the District 4
commissioner is well suited for the job having met with
Rep. Susan Holmes, who is a leader in the Georgia
Legislature to bring internet service to rural areas like
you can find in Monroe County.
IF YOU haven't fine-dined at Forsyth's newest down-
town restaurant and your appetite needs to be whetted
with some octopus, Minori's Italian Restaurante has
calamari as an appetizer. If you want your pasta fix,
you need to make reservations for dinner or you might
find yourself across the street at the Grits Caf6 or
Pickled Okra.
HERE'S the First Question of 2018: A replica of
what Monroe County building was on display at the
Georgia Governor's Mansion during the mansion
Christmas tour. First correct answer after twelve noon
on Thursday receives a certificate for a Jonah's cookie,
Dairy Queen Blizzard, Whistle Stop fried green tomato
appetizer, dozen Dunkin Donuts, Forsyth Main Street
t-shirt, two Lucky Caf6 egg rolls, sandwich drink and
chips at The Pickled Okra
Don Daniel founded the Reporter in 1972. Email him
at tullaybear@bellsouth.net.
UNFAIR AND UNBALANCED by Marilyn Langford
or those of us who
our country
was headed down
a black hole, those
thoughts were con-
firmed this past week. The ques-
tion is, how low can we go? We
saw a President, surrounded by
all his administration, defend his
mental stability and tell us how
smart he is, even telling us he is
a genius. We heard a President
bragging about the size of his
nuclear button. More disturb-
ing, it became clear as glass last
week that we have a serf-serving
Congress who has chosen to put
party and their personal career
above the good of the country.
In other words, we
have a President who
has demonstrated
repeatedly he is unfit
to serve, but the
"powers that be" are
unwilling to stand up
for this truth.
ALL MY life, I have
placed all my trust
in the Constitution
and those elected to
preserve it. Those
people are called the
"powers that be." I
had faith that these "powers that
be" would protect our Democracy
and my role as a citizen was only
to vote. After voting, whether my
party won or not, I could go about
my daily life, never entertaining
the thought that our Democracy,
with so many checks and balances
would be threatened. As I watch
every institution being destroyed
and a President with little to no
fear of war, I realize that we have
been betrayed by the "powers that
be."
BY NOW there is no doubt that
our election process was interfered
with by Russia. There is little
doubt that collusion by the Trump
campaign existed. The only way
we will know for certain if Trump
played a direct role in this collu-
sion is to allow an unobstructed
investigation. The fact that Trump
has tried so hard to circumvent
Robert Mueller's investigation
gives any reasonably minded
person cause to doubt. All that is
true, but now the "powers that be"
have decided it is more beneficial
to them to have an unfit President
than to do the responsible thing
for our country.
MANY THINGS happened last
week that leads to that conclu-
sion. An all-out assault has been
launched by the "powers that be"
that jeopardize our Democracy.
Trump's Justice Department
turned over investigative notes,
e-mails, and witness lists pertain-
ing to the Russia investigation, to
Representative Devin Nunes, the
Chair of the House Intelligence
Committee. You will recall last
year Nunes side-stepped an ethics
investigation by recusing him-
self from the Russia
Investigation when he
colluded with Trump
and was caught. Now
Speaker Ryan has
allowed him back in
and he is large and in
charge. Don't think for
one moment that this
information garnered
by Nunes will not be
couriered to Trump by
Nunes immediately.
THE CALL to
investigate Hillary
Clinton for the ump-
teenth time is back. If Hillary
were not a female, I would deem
her the Republican %chipping
boy." She shares that distinction
with Obama. Whatever the allega-
tion against this Administration,
Hillary Clinton is said to be
worse. If we had all the money
that has been spent on investigat-
ing the Clintons over the years,
we could substantially pay down
the national debt. Investigating
Hillary is more important to the
"powers that be" than our elec-
tions being controlled by a foreign
power. Just another distraction
from Trump and Russia collusion.
FURTHER DISTRACTION
was provided by Senators Lindsey
Graham and Chuck Grassley, the
epitome of the "powers that be".
They referred Christopher Steele,
the author of the Dossier, to the
Justice Department for criminal
investigation in a very vague
memo. If there was any hope of
Christopher Steele coming to this
country to testify or explain his
method, that will never happen
now or he faces possible arrest
for yet undetermined reasons.
Further, the Group that hired
Christopher Steele, Fusion GPS,
has lost a fight to protect their
banking information which will
reveal any and all of their clients.
For a private investigation com-
pany, this will be the death knell
for them.
SINCE AN out and out firing
of Special Counsel James Muetler
would be difficult for the "pow-
ers that be" to ignore since they
were very gung ho on his hiring,
they have decided there are more
ways to "skin a cat." They have
launched a war to undermine the
investigation from many direc-
tions and will provide Trump with
defensive strategy to counter any-
thing Mueller's investigation may
determine.
AND WE wonder how Hitler
flourished. It started with pro-
paganda and lies. The first thing
he did was achieve full control
over the legislative and executive
branches of government. Then
there was systematic suppression
of the political opposition. Put'm
used these same tactics. He jailed
and exiled the media. The only
media left is his state-run televi-
sion where everything is based
on lies and half-truths. Pretty
much like Trump's controlled FOX
News.
YES, WE are in a dark time. If
Trump is left unchecked, we are
well on our way to being an auto-
cratic society, or the unthinkable,
destroyed by nuclear war. We can
no longer think the "powers that
be" won't let that happen. We
must not go quietly. We must pro-
tect Mueller's investigation and
in November, 2018, the American
people will be the "powers that
be."
Marilyn Langford of High
Falls writes about current events
from the liberal perspective.
Email her at marilynlang-
ford85@gmail.com.
R VIEW
e
Monroe County's congressman Austin Scott (R-Ashburn) held
his last Town Hall with his constituents in Forsyth (at right)
on Aug. 20, 2014, which was 1,239 days ago. Scott defeated
incumbent Congressman Jim Marshall in 2010 after Marshall
went several years without hosting a Town Hall meeting with
his constituents in Forsyth. If you want an opportunity to
let Scott know what you want him to do in Congress, call his
Washington office at (202) 225-6531 and let him know.
O
When Brian Kemp became secretary of state on Jan. 8, 2010, Terry Scarbor-
ough's survey of the Monroe-Bibb county line was on his desk. The law says
it's his job to do something with it. But Kemp, an ambitious politician who
announced on March 13, 2017 his intention to run for govemor, punted. He
announced on Aug. 23, 2011 that he was rejecting the Scarborough survey
because he can't be sure it's the original line. Unfortunately, the law gives
him no such option. So on March 1 O, 2014, the Supreme Court ordered
him to set the line and resolve the dispute.That was three years ago.The
Reporter is devoting this space each week to counting the number of days
Kemp has been on the job, and yet not done his job. If you want Kemp to
do the job which he's sought three times before he gets a promotion to
governor, call his office at (404) 656-2817 and let them know.
SERVING YOU
FORSYTH
CITY
COUNClL
Dexter King
Post 1
478-320-3160
Chris Hewett Melvin Lawrence Greg Goolsby Julius Stroud Mike Dodd
P0st 2 Post 3 Post 4 Post 5 Post 6
478-960-I Ol 7 478-993-7841404-402-I 134 706-819-0797 478094-6203
BALLOT LOCATED ON PAGE 4D
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