Page 6A August 15, 2018
lN LOVlNG
r a.
v
Lucille Cunningham Copeland
February l9, lQAQ - August l3, 20l8
Importer
UNFAIR AND UNBALANCED
’hy Marilyn Langiard
Trump’s troubling
alliance with the
fixer, Roger Stone
the chagrin of most Democrats, myself includ-
ed, it appears the Mueller investigation will not
be finished in time for the mid-term elections.
The thinking is that while there is no law, histori-
cally the Justice Department has not released information
Cook and Mary Frances Keeling Cook, was born Feb. 19,
1949, in Taylorsville, Ky. Her daughter, Connie Sue Spires,
preceded her in death. She was a homemaker and was
previously employed with The Medical Center of Central
Georgia in housekeeping.
Survivors include her husband, Michael Keith Copeland
of Jacksonville, Fla; children, Tammy Childress (Stephen)
of Gray and Charles Hardin (Kristi) of Hampton; brother,
Charles Cook (Peggy) of Depaul, Indiana; sisters, Ana
Mae White of Taylorsville, Ky., Helen Horn (Bill) of Hen-
ryville, Indiana, Minnie Crutsinger (Bobby) of Chaplin,
Ky, Louise Hardin (Bobby) of Chaplin, Ky. and Mickey
Pendleton of Louisville, Ky., eight grandchildren; several
great grandchildren and her beloved bird Lisa.
Flowers will be accepted or the family suggests dona-
tions to donors favorite charity.
Please visit www.monroecountymemorialchapel.corn to
express tributes.
Juliette - Lucille Cunningham Copeland passed away
Monday, Aug. 13, 2018. Graveside services will be held at
11 am, Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, at Monroe Hills Memo-
rial Gardens. The Rev. Bryant Raines will ofliciate. The
family will greet friends from 3 pm. until 5 pm, Sunday,
Aug. 19 at Monroe County Memorial Chapel.
Mrs. Cunningham, the daughter of the late Thomas
Monroe County Memorial Chapel has charge of ar-
rangements.
BOE lowers taxes slightly
that may sway an election one way or the other. However,
it’s not unprecedented that
they do so. You will recall
James Comey did a number
on Hillary Clinton just prior
the 2016 election. Comey
feared that if he did not make
it known there were more
emails, he would be accused
of favoring Hillary. He made a
political decision to ignore the
By Diane Glidewoll the board that 2.5 percent breaks that timber owners to
the Banks Stephens unwritten rule Mueller will
news©mymcmet is a standard fee among get under the program. campus,
traffic to Monroe not do that because he will not
counties in Georgia and is Under the new bill the County Middle School be
swayed by politics. Trump
Monroe County school probably less than it would state, instead of county
was bumper to bumper on has at least until February or \
board approved a millage cost the schools to bill and assessors, will
determine Thornton Road on Monday March after the new Congress fly,
rate of 15.716, basically the collect taxes from Monroe new valuation of
the land, but was better by Thursday. is sworn in to be exposed as
same as last year’s tax. The County property owners. which is now based
on the He said the Sheriff ’5 Office an illegitimate President. Oh
board approved the “roll Daniel said he met with 2008 value, and will not
made some changes at well. While it would be nice
back” rate that will collect county officials about the reimburse
counties. nearby T.G. Scott Elemen— for the news to come before the
mid—terms, that means
almost the same taxes for tax digest on Aug. 6 and In 2018 the state will
tary that have helped traffic there Will only be a blue wave instead of a
tsunami.
the system as the previ- shared information on the reimburse Monroe County
flow and that buses have .
ous year. After approving digest with board mem- $42 million for forest
land been separated from cars. THAT BEING said, there may be time for one
more
this rate, the board will set bers. The county’s digest incentives.
Daniel said He said the transition of Friday afternoon 0f indictments
befOre the mid-terms;
its final millage rate at its grew 2.15 percent over last Monroe County
Schools the 6th grade is going well, maybe 3 0f 4 new indiCtmentS
(WitCheS), adding t0
meeting on Tuesday, Aug.
28.
year, from $1.36 billion
to $1.39 billion, reflect—
may have to levy a .4 mill
tax increase to make up the
including using the other
sideof the lunchroom. The
County keeps property arts the same
By Richard Dumas
forsylh©mymcmet
Monroe County Commissioners
won’t raisetaxes in 2018.
Commissioners approved by a
unanimous 5—0 vote on Tuesday,
Aug. 7 tentatively to set the same .
millage rate of 13.331 mills as voted
upon in 2017. Last year’s figure was
a 1.5—milL ‘or 16 percent, raise from
the 2016 millage rate of 11.831 mills
in large part, due to voters’ support
,"hike to save Monroe
County It represented the
county’s largest single-year increase
for a one
since 2005.
.
However, bemuse therounty’s tax
digest by about $30‘million,
commissionerswillhavetohold three
publichearings because
the same is technically a slight
tax increase. The county’s rollback
rate of 13.315 mills is .016 mills less
than the approved number. Corn-
missioners have not yet set the dates
for the three public hearings but have
until the end of September to set the
final millage. Commissioners cannot
increase the final millage after setting
the tentative millage at 13.331 but can
still reduce the final rate.
District'3 commissioner John Am-
brose initially pushed for a tentative
increase of up to 14 mills.
»“We can always come down, but
we can’t go up,” Ambrose said. “I’m
‘ hoping we don’t need to raise it at all,
but let’s give us a little leeway until
we figure out where we can save this
Serving Middle Georgia for Over 100 Years
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_.said‘they5didn’t' Want to raise taxes
for artliirdgstraight 'yeariDistrict 4
‘ commissioner George Emami said
the county can instead create addi-
tional funds by altering the county’s
lenient compensatory time policy
while District 2 commissioner Eddie
Rowland said identifying revenues
not previously being collected in the
county’s water department could add
funds as well.
District 1 commissioner Larry
Evans said he vowed last year not to
increase taxes again in 2018 and said
commissioners will have to send out a
“belt tightening letter” to department
heads mandating that they cut spend-
ing. Evans also cautioned against
raising property taxes this year when
citizens are still scheduled to vote in
November whether to approve an-
Monroe County representative
‘ 'fSCQttHarrell
rigor toll‘freer800-551-1102
732150 vméviue Ave. Macon GA 31208
other six-year penny Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) to
go into effect in 2020.
already over 30 indictments. My money is on Roger
Stone and his associates as the next ones to make the
'lhe final rate can’t be ing $30 million in growth. lost income next
year if the Monroe County Boys & Per? walk- IE’S {romc that Fhe
documentary 31,130“
higher than the pre- Although there was 45 , referendum passes. Girls Club
was able to start Roger Stones life entitled, Get Me Roger Stone.
liminary rate it advertises. percent growth in indus- According to the
time— its after school program After 50 Years Of 1115 Sleale dlrtY
POlltlcal “191‘s, “Slabom
When the school board sets trial property and only 2.19 line provided by
Daniel, at the Hubbard campus, Flam We somePOdY 80" Roger Stone!
Stones SPeC1a1tY
its tax rate at the roll back percent growth in resi— the county plans to
mail where it operated last year, “Pomlcal Pheeftmg any means necessary-
He was
or less, it is not required by dential property, the value Monroe County
tax bills on on the first day of school, RICth NP‘onS POhucal tanSter
and bag 1? fact
state law to have multiple of residential property in Sept. 20 and set Nov.
20 as Aug. 6. he 1°.Ved leon so muCh’ he g0t a tattoo Olexons face
public hearings. the county is $548 million the date payment is due. On the
second day of on hls baCk
Milla e for the school more than industrial prop— In other business,
school, enrollment in Men , ,
board list year was 15.734, erty, at $571 million to $23 Superintendent Dr.
Mike roe County Schools was , AFTER STONE S hem’ Nixon’ b’t the
duSt’ he went
but the current Monroe million. The value of public Hickman told the board
4,090 with 3,983 students Into the IObbymg busmess w’th none 9ther
,than‘Paul
County tax digest shows utilities grew .89 percent to that things have gone
well present. On Day 3, enroll- Manafort and Charles Black Whose clients
mdUded
that a rate of 15.716 will $609 million, and agri— during the first four
days ment was 4,083 with 3,969 S’Ei fine.tlm(.i—World dlCtatorS as
Ferdlnla‘ndfi/Iiarcos
generate only $24,457 less cultural land in Monroe of classes. He and
Assis- present, and on Day 4' O e “tiles infd omeri'vfifl
efimnp e 0d tbs (23:31— d
than the rate last year be- County grew 6.46 percent tant Superintendent
Alicia enrollment was 4,070 with gmgn] 1W0? Pe’ d De Plug: aG ah; :1
cause of increased value of to $82.7 million. Elder have visited every
3,976 present. .mFl s .dresgt en 1 '. fig B e kit; 1,315
property in the county. Daniel noted that revenue building in the school
sys— The board approved recoil? 1:112 onbl?’ one offaéunze .6 t :30 m
t if
Eachmill is worth $1.4 . from motor vehicle taxes tem andfihave visited
every, numerous fundraisers for iiigfgeespgovzgnggtra: 54:23:;
asclrscgggténe
million; theschool tax continues to decline and new féac’her’s
classfppmf' ‘ Mary Persons, T.G. Scott of for in thepdocun’lem sh
03;“ that Geor e W Bush
genermrooér $21,211,111}. " will eventually disappear I They have a
15—item . = ’ Elementary and Monroe had nit Eflfiued his service 0in
idem whicgh 1e to CBS
' " ' " ' ' because the change in, safety
checklist for the "i County Middle School. re (min this and D an
Rather’sie utazion bem Head fl.
state law about how vehicle buildings. Each building, It also approved a
Cen— deitro ea p g y i
taxes are Collected. Looking except the Achievement tral Office fundraiser
to '
V to the future, he said that Center, now has a lobby raise money from
dona- STONES CLIENTS read like a Whoas who in Repubu_
House Bill 85, a referen— that shuts off access to the tions to match the
state can‘pohfics The number Ofdifiy tricks attributed to him
grant funds as well as local dum that will be on the No— rest of the
building until REACH scholarship that is too long {0 list and most are not
appropriate to pnm in
taxes, at $42 million. vember ballot, could cost visitors are cleared to
enter. promises college funds this newspaper. Stone always manages to deny
and he his
oss revenue from Monroe County Schools All classrooms are now to selected
middle school way out ofresponsibfljty for these acts_ Trump/Stone, two
prope ‘ taxes is $21.9 $547,000 if passed. locked, and parents at the
students if they continue peas in a pod. ' , ‘
mflliomahd the school House Bill 85 changes elementary schools have to
meet criteria through ~
board will pay the county the way timberland under been informed that they
graduation. Hickman said STONE AND Donald Trump have been longtime
$548,000 (2.5 percent) for the state’s 2008 Forest Land may no longer
walk chil— Monroe County Schools friends. In the 1990’s Stone worked
for Donald Trump as
billing and collecting the Protection Act is valued. dren to class after
Aug. 20. raised $4,000 of the $7,000 a lobbyist for his gaming casinos. In
2000, Stone served
taxes. Assistant Superinten- Currently the state reim- Hickman said that
with in matching funds it needs as campaign manager for Trump in his
failed-run for
dent Jackson Daniel told burses counties for the tax the addition of 6th
grade over the summer. president on the Reform party’s ticket, It has
been said
that‘was another Stone dirty trick. It was to sfdeline Pat
Buchanan to help George W. Bush win the nomination.
, Thereafter, Stone encouraged Trump to run for President
again in 2016. Stone was Trump’s earliest campaign advi-
sor in 2015 but left by August, 2015, claiming he quit and
Trump claiming he was fired. Regardless, he continued to
campaign for Trump. During the campaign, Ted Cruz ac-
cused Stone of planting a story that he had five extramari-
tal affairs. Cruz said, Stone is “pulling Trump’s strings.
He planned Trump’s campaign and he is his henchman
and dirty trickster.” During the campaign, both CNN
and MSNBC refused to allow Stone on their network
due to seriously nasty and bigoted tweets about television
personalities.
STONE, IN his zeal to elect Trump, threatened Repub-
lican delegates to the National Convention that if they op—
posed Trump, he would publicly release their hotel room
number. When the gold star father, Khizr Khan, spoke
at the Democratic Convention, Stone accused Khan of -
sympathizing with the enemy.
ROGER STONE’S tweets before the release of Hill-
ary and Podesta’s emails indicated he knew it was going
to happen. Stone has denied this. However, he has since
admitted that he had personal contact with WikiLeaks’
Julian Assange and with a person claiming to be Gucifer
2.0, whom the intelligence services say was the persona
used by the Russian military hackers.
IN MY opinion, I think Stone, with Trump’s blessing,
left the campaign in order for Stone to get “down and
dirty” to do whatever necessary to help Trump, includ—
ing colluding with Russian operatives. By pretending
not to be a part of the campaign, Trump had deniability.
Remember, Stone and Manafort were former busi—
ness partners, Manafort had close ties to the Kremlin,
and Manafort showed up out of nowhere and became
Trump’s campaign manager. Coincidence? I don’t know
' why it would be.
I DON’T SEE how Stone is going to his way out of
this one. Finally, Roger Rabbit is out of tricks!
( Marilyn angford of High Falls gives the left-sidedper—
. spective on the news for the Reporter '
