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ON THE PORCH by Will Davis
ne of my favorite episodes of TV's best show
ever, "The Andy Griflith Show", is when a
comes to Mayberry for the first time
and already knows
everyone. Why? Because he
somehow was a subscriber to
The Mayberry Gazette news-
paper.
Good newspapers have
long been a vital way to build
community. Of course many
people these days try to find
community through social
media. How's that working?
One day I posted to the
Reporter Facebook page a cute
photo of two dogs in the back
of a pickup truck on the court-
house square in downtown
Forsyth. It was the picture of
small-town America. Surely no one could find anything
divisive about that. Wrong!
"That's illegal!" one commenter posted (it's not).
"Those poor dogs could get hurt!" another chimed in.
Social media sometimes causes more division than
harmony, more alienation than connection. There are
not just a few Facebook divorces.
And it causes sadness too. We were talking in church
the other day about how Facebook can leave you feel-
ing like you're the only one who has problems. A friend
confessed, and he's not alone, that he posted beautiful
vacation pictures with his family, but never posts the
ones of his children having a meltdown.
Social media isolates because you're not getting the
truth there.
In fact, that's why, to go against the current here,
newspapers are more critical than social media. Any
newspaper worth the paper it's printed on, OK mostly
just the Reporter, should be dedicated to printing the
truth.
We cover government because people are NOT angels
and do not volunteer the truth. And it's the rare person,
indeed the rare government, that will post its failings
and shenanigans on social media for all the world to
see.
"Were it left to me to decide whether we should have
a government without newspapers, or newspapers
without a government," wrote Thomas Jefferson, "I
should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
Jefferson was rightfully skeptical of people in power.
In fact our country is unique in that it was founded on
skepticism of people in power. That is part of what's
made us so successful.
Self government is almost impossible without a media
watchdog, and, breaking news here, social media ain't
gonna do it.
And newspapers aren't just valuable for uncovering
corruption and crime. There's also the good stuff, which
means a heck of a lot more when a third party, a news-
paper, is telling it than if YOU tell it.
"Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth--
a stranger, not your own lips," says Proverbs 27:2.
An independent newspaper aims to verify things,
the good and bad, about our community, so people
know the truth. Technology changes. Communication
changes. But human nature doesn't change. We still
need someone to tell the truth. And it probably won't
happen a whole lot on Facebook.
the Monroe Gmuty
www. MyMCR.net
is published every week by The Monroe County Reporter Inc.
Will Davis, President. Robert M. Williams Jr.Vice President
Cheryl S. Williams, Secretary-Treasurer
STAFF
Will Davis
Publisher/Editor
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Richard Dumas
News Editor
forsyth@mymcr.net
Trellis Grant
Business Manager
business@mymcr.net
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Community Editor
news@mymcr.net
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Advertising Manager
ads@mymcr.net
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Creative Director
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Publication No. USPS 997-840
PEACH STATE POLITICS by Kyle Wingfield
e
Ifit's novel to see any
level of government
cut spending dur-
ing good times - the
subject of my column last
week - this week we return
to a more familiar tune:
If gov-
emment
anywhere
is cutting
taxes, it
must be to
benefit "the
rich:'
That's an
old stan-
dard for
those who
think more
spending is
always the
answer, but
this partic-
ular occasion concerns the
tax cuts state legislators set
in motion in 2018. Those
cuts were the right answer
to a unique circumstance.
It's worth remembering
just what happened then,
and why.
Recall that in the final
days of 2017, Congress
passed and President Don-
aid Trump signed the Tax
Cuts and Jobs Act. Along
with lowering the indus-
trialized world's highest
corporate income tax rate,
the law also eliminated or
capped a number of de-
ductions and lowered rates
for the individual income
tax.
The law stood to have
a ripple effect on Geor-
gia, and not a good one.
Because our state adopts
most federal deductions,
a number of
Georgia taxpay-
ers stood to see
their taxable
income increase
substantially.
But because our
state sets its own
income tax rates,
there would be
no correspond-
ing rate cut un-
less the General
Assembly acted.
"ff'V f" According
to a February
2018 analysis
by economists at Georgia
State University, the upshot
was a $5.2 billion surge in
state tax revenues between
2018 and 2023.
Now, higher-income
earners are more likely
than lower-income earners
to itemize their deduc-
tions- not to mention
that they pay the largest
tax bills. So, naturally, they
stood to bear a larger share
of this surge. While about
three-quarters of Georgia
taxpayers would have seen
a tax hike of $200 or less,
those at the very top of the
income scale were pro-
jected to pay over $3,800
more.
The Legislature's remedy
was House Bill 918, which
had three steps. Step one,
which took effect for 2018,
was to double the standard
deduction for all tilers who
don't itemize. Step two,
which took effect this year,
was to lower the state's top
income-tax rate for the
very first time - from 6%
to 5.75%.
The third step, slated for
next year, is what's causing
the commotion now.
HB 918 called for the top
income-tax rate to fall to
5.5% in 2020. Now, some
observers are decrying the
movo ho~,oo ~o c:.
benefits would go to "the
rich:'
But remember what
I said about the highest
earners paying the larg-
est tax increases if state
lawmakers hadn't done
anything? It is also true
that taking steps one and
two alone would leave the
highest earners - and only
the highest earners - still
paying more than before.
Step three ensures all
Georgia taxpayers get a cut,
not a tax increase.
The tax cut will be larger
for some than others for
the same reason their tax
increase would have been
larger: They make more
mone) so any change in
rates will have a larger ef-
fect for them.
That is not, however, the
reason to ensure the rate
falls to 5.5%. The better
reason is that our neigh-
bors have been out-ma-
neuvering us on this front,
and we need to adapt to
remain competitive.
Florida has long had zero
income tax. Tennessee
is phasing out its tax on
income from interest and
dividends and in 2021 will
have no individual income
tax. North Carolina has
been lowering its rate in
recent years, from a high of
7.75% to this year's 5.25%.
v,each
of these states
has other taxes. But income
tax is arguably the most
important one when busi-
nesses look at where they
want to expand or relocate.
With even some modest
spending restraint, and es-
pecially if paired with some
further closing of tax ex-
emptions and deductions,
Georgia can afford to take
this next step and lower its
top tax rate. In fact, it can't
afford not to do that.
The president and CEO
of the Georgia Public Policy
Foundation, Kyle Wing-
field's column runs in papers
around the state of Georgia.
TAKING A LIKENS TO YOU by Dale Likens
The other day my wife and I
received a letter from Alli-
ance for Defending Free-
dom asking us to support
them in their fight against bigotry
against women, or more specifically
young girls. The problem, so they
explain, is that young men who are
certainly faster and
stronger than young
females are now free
to claim they have
suddenly become
women because they
wish to be women and
by law may compete
in young women's
sports competition.
Connecticut, so
they claim, is one of
18 states that autho-
rizes schools to allow
boys who believe
themselves to be girls
to compete in girls'
sports, such as, track
and field, softball, basketball, etc.
One boy who could not compete
well as a boy in track and field is now
claiming to be a girl and is the state
champion in Division I1400-meter
hurdles in the girls' division. His
victories and other male victories in
girls' sports have suddenly lowered
young girls' chances of gaining
scholarships in colleges.
Even famous women who once
gained fame and fortune in their
particular sport, such as Martina
Navratilova, the great tennis cham-
pion of many years ago, are now
fighting this cause for young women.
What is Martina's reward for taking
such a stand? The LGBT has now
exiled her from their organization.
* Just my opinion, but this could be
the best news she has heard in many
years!
If it weren't for the fact that this
complaint is vastly true I might
find myself laughing. It seems our
judicial system may very well have
opened a Pandora's Box that they
can't quite put a lid on, even if they
wanted to. I must admit there have
been so many new laws passed
pertaining to women's rights that
I'm getting confused and can't keep
up with them. The other day I saw a
video where some young
lady was being married
to her dogt Some women
wish to be men so they
marry other women and
take the role of a man.
I'm suddenly reminded
of a situation where a
young lady married an-
other young lady and be-
came the husband of the
other. Since she wanted
her genes and DNA to be
passed on to their child
she decided to ask her
brothers and father to
offer their family seed to
her new wife. When the
child was born he truly came from
her blood line.
Trust me, I'm certainly not taking
the role that men are right in their
decisions of becoming transgenders
and wanting to compete in girls'
sports. I'm from the old school! I still
believe the Bible. One man for one
woman; not one man for one man or
one woman for one woman!
I sometimes wake up in the morn-
ing and wonder if I'm still dreaming
when I hear that a young boy may
become a young girl if he feels like
a girl. If I'm correct his parents have
no control over this child's decision.
After all what do parents know
about their own children? My
question may be, "What in the
world were they teaching this child
that he suddenly decides he wants
to be a girl?"
Let me get this straight now. If a
young man feels like a girl today he
may use the girls' restroom today. If
tomorrow he feels like a boy he may
return to the boys' restroom. Ifa
young man feels like a girl today he
many join the girls' track or bas-
ketball team, or softball team, etc.
When he becomes satisfied with all
his trophies he just might feel more
like a boy and return to his true
identity.
Is there anyone out there who
might care about my thoughts?
Probably not. Anyhow, let me tell
you what they are. God is right! He
always is! If God made you a male be
proud of that fact. Do what you can
to become the best male you can be.
Girls listen up! God made you
as a girl! Be proud to be a girl God
knows what He's doing! I believe
He has great plans for you as a girl!
Besides that, daddies and mommies
sure enjoy hugging their little daugh-
ters and kissing them goodnight
after a good prayer. Trust me!
A word to mommies and daddies:
Let your daughters and sons know
you love them as the little girls and
little boys they are! Show them you
love them each day with sweet little
words and loving hugs! Pray with
them! Let them know how much
God loves them as they are! It works!
Girls, go ahead and become the
best you can be in sports! It's fun!
God has great plans for you. You
deserve it!
Boys, stay out of the girls' rest-
rooms! You don't belong there!
You're a man! Enjoy it! It's tim! Trust
me! God has great plans for you as
a man[
A message to our judges who make
these rules. Grow up! Start making
correct decisions! Quit being politi-
cally correct! Read your Bibles and
make your decisions based upon
God's word! It's as simple as that!
God bless.
Dale Likens is an author who lives
in Monroe County.
Back in June, Monroe County taxpayers paid $2,765 for
an investigative report into a county emptoyee~ allega-
tion that commissioner Larry Evans harassed her for not
hiring his "niece". But commissioners have refused to let
the taxpayers, who paid for the report, see it. They've
kept it hidden from public view. Only District 3 commis-
sioner John Ambrose supports letting the public see it. If
you think you have the right to see the report, tell your
commissioner or call the office at 994-7000 and let
them know. Meanwhile, we will count the days they've
kept their constituents in the dark until it~ released.
