& EDITORIALS
Declare among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and conceal nat; Jeremiah 50:2
2OI8, 2017, 2016 winner:. Editorial Page excellence
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JUST THE WAY IT IS by SIoan Oliver
T ast week I discnssed why I
favor the SPLOST. Other
,nportantelectionissues
dude the sheriff's race and
amendments to the state constitution.
HopefulS, every voter takes their vote
seriously and researches the issues
and candidates. There's
not enough space in my
artides to discuss the
pros and cons of each
candidate and each
ue. Als everyweeL
there's so much rhetoric
about synagogue shoot-
ings, inert pipe bombs in
the mail, Saudijoumalist
murdered, mob ofiUe-
gals invading the border,
senators fake
Indian ances,etc.
- that impossible
to discuss all topics.
Therefore, I will dis-
cuss my philosophy
and why I plan to vote the way I do.
and were corrupt Those beliefs
were hammered into my head for the
first two decades ofmylife.
IT WASN'T until college that I
devdoped an interest in politics and
started to think for mysd Sdl, since
I was born and raised
a Dem, I continued
LIKE MOST, growing up, I lis-
tened to my patents and the reasons
they voted as they did. In the Oliver
household, Democrats were good /
Republicans were bad. My parents
were raised during the Depression
and FDtes presidenc They were
raised eving that FDR saved the
country from economic disaster
(The Depression), from the tyranny
of Nazism, and from the Japanese
menace They believed the Dems
supported the little loved our
country and were willing to die for it,
fought against tyrann); and gener-
ally supported truth, justice, and the
American In contrast, my par-
ents preached that Republicans were
bad. Yes, they fought for the country
but they only cared about rich people
'and big businesses, despised the little
vuting for Dems, at
least in my eadyyears.
Actual,in the 1970's
and 80's there weren't
as many differences
between the Republi-
cans and Dems as we
now have - both par-
ties put America first;
fought communism
and tyranny; were
somewhat fiscally
responsibl be-
lieved in due pro-
cess and the rule of
law; supported the
Constitution; and believed that the
United States was the greatest country
in the history of the world, founded
by some of the wisest men ever to live,
and the Dedaration of Independence
and the Constitution were such great
documents that they must have been
nspired by God
THE PRIMARY reasons there
were more gmailarities, than differ-
enceg between the political parties
was because, up until the 1960 most
Americans had a shared ideology
of why America was great. We were
founded by millions of people who
collectively said, "I can do better?
Across the ocean lay an entire conti-
nent, waiting to be tamed. That un-
conquered land offered unlimited op-
pommities to anyone bold enough to
seize it. Yes, there were great dangers,
but the dangers were dwarfed by the
opportunities. Brave individuals were
required to seize those oppommit
First was the decision to abandon ev-
erything familiar in on& life, to cross
an ocean not knowing what waits
on the other side, only knowing that
America was calling them to be more
than they ever could be. When they
arrived, the real challenges began. The
land was unconquered and filled with
dangerous animals and "savage".
Incrementally, those rugged men and
tough women pushed west, forg-
ing a life and a dviliz 'on out ofthe
wildemess. It took almost 400 years of
wars, blood, sweat, and tears to settle
this New World but Manifest Destiny
combined with "rugged individual-
ism" eventually won. It wasn't until
1890, shortly after the Oklahoma
land rush, that the US Census Bureau
dedared the frontier was dosed.
DESPITE THE many great
achievements of our ancestors, they
made many mistakes. The most
obvious sins they committed were the
slaughter of the indigenous peoples
and bringing slavery to our shores.
However, those sins must be put into
historical context. Throughout his-
taD; stronger people have conquered,
and often slaughtered, weaker people.
Those not slaughtered were usually
enslaved. Ifs irrelevant whether you
think thafs good or bad - ifs been
that way throughout recorded histor
In mankinffs histor it took until the
19th century to invent the internal
combustion enging andit took the
same amount of time for dvilized
men to realize that slaughtering and
enslaving conquered people was
wrong.
THE SYSTEM of government
that we established is what makes the
United States the greatest country on
eartKIt is a system founded upon
limited government, deriving its "just
powers " from "the consent of the
governed," with established means
to right any wrong. Many of our
country's wrongs have been righted -
slavery was abolished, Jim Crow and
segregation have been abolished, and
the right to vote is universal - provid-
ed you're a dRzen. Most people real-
ize that men are not perfect, though
we continually strive to form a "more
perfect union." America and our
government are comprised of men,
and men commit sin. That means we
still have wrongs to right.
SO, WHAT does all this have to
do with the upcoming dection?
Everything, Simply put, we have one
political party (the Republicans) who
believe in the principles upon which
our country was fOunded and one
that doesn't (the Democrats ). Repub-
licans preach individual responsibil-
ity; Dems preach that government
will support you. Republicans want
people to get a job; Dems want
people to get on welfare. Beginning
in the 1960 the Democrats have
strayed further and further from the
core concepts of America and why
America is great, tothe point where
in 2018 many Democrats despise our
country from its very founding. Dur-
ing his presidenc Obama frequently
apologized for Americals sins and
never bragged about our greatness.
Recen@, Governor Andrew Cuomo
(D-NY) said ' 'nerica never was that
greg' And many Dems want to abol-
ish parts of the Constitution simply
because their candidate (A1Gore then
Hillary) didn't win their election.
DEMOCRATS have become a
radical, leftist movement disguised
as a political part . Dems actively
embrace sodalism. They no longer
adhere to the beliefofinnocent
until proven guilty (an accusation
is enough). Many Dems claim our
Founding Fathers were radst; there-
fore, the country has been racist since
its founding. Also, Democrats preach
"white guilf', minorities are "victims",
government is god, America never
was great, and borders are racist.
Dems want illegals to vote in dec-
tions. Ifyou disagree with them, on
any issue, you're a bigot who must be
silenced. Dems will and do, what-
ever it takes to win, earning them the
moniker - %y any means necessarf
STACEY Abrams is a perfect
Democrat. She happily bums an
American flag She fully supports
killing third trimester babies. She
will gladly confiscate your guns. She's
never seen a tax increase that she
doesn't love (as long as the tax doesn't
apply to her - she's a tax cheat).
Democrats, like Abrams, cannot win
with their radical, anti-American
i,
deas. So, shes good with maporUng
illegals to vote (provided they vote
for Dems). What Hillary or Obama
says, all Dems follow. Whether ifs
Stacey Abrams or John Barrow, every
Dem is exactly alike with their "group
think." No Democrat disagrees with
or condenms another, ever. Sadbr, a
vote for any Dem is a vote to continue
the in "cMlity that Hillary &mands. As
someone who loves America, I can-
not vote Democrat. Please )oin me to
keep America great and vote straight
REPUBLICAN.
Sloan Oliver is a retired Army
He lives in Bolingbroke with his wife
Sandra. Email him at sloanoliver@
earthlinknet.
PEACH STATE POLITICS by Kyle Wingfietd
(t
T fyou're confused come to their own conclu- million could flow into
| about the five pro- sions, this new trust fund each
lposed constitutional Amendment 1: Creates year.
AL amendments on the the Georgia Outdoor The question is whether
Nov. 6 bal-
lot, you're not
alone. The
brief, vague
descriptions
on the bal-
lot offer little
explanation
what exactly
the amend-
ments will do
if approved by
a majority of
voters.
The following
is one man's
interpretation
of the amendments; I en-
courage voters to conduct
their own research and
Stewardship
Trust Fund
The idea is
to dedicate
up to 80 per-
cent of the
sales-tax rev-
enues from
outdoor
sports and
recreation
equipment
to protect
f f and preserve
green space.
State officials
estimate
more than $50 million per
year in tax revenues from
these sales, so some $40
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Deadlines noon on Friday prior to issue. Comments featured on opinion pages are the creation of
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Publication No. USPS 997-840
work in practice. In this covenant. The state would in other states, how-
case, no enabling legisla- not reimburse counties for ever, and voters should
tion has been passe& The any lost tax revenue, question the wisdom of
ballot language describes The forestry industry enshrining an experimen-
it is wise to dedicate fund- the types of cases to be maintains the amendment tal, evolving mandate in
ing for any such purpose, heard in the new court as will create a more uni- Georgia's Constitution
State revenues will fall "complex business dis-form, fair market valua- instead of fixing any prob-
during the next recession; putes" but it does not de- tion of timberland for ad lems in the statute.
earmarking these fundsfine that term. Advocates valorem taxation pur- Bill text http://www.
for a specific use means say the amendment willposes; some local govern- legis.ga.gov/Legislation/
tens of millions of dol- help settle disputes more ments worry the amend-en-US/display/20172018/
lars will not be available quickly by removing them ment will shift the tax SR/146
for other, perhaps higher, from the busy dockets of burden onto homeownersAmendment 5: Chang-
priorities such as paying existing courts. Skeptics and commercial prop- es rules for calling a
teachers or state troopers, wonder how we could erty owners. Devastation county education sales
On the other hand, theknow that when we don't wrought by Hurricane tax referendum
amendment says "up to"know exactly what type of Michael on timberland is School districts already
80 percent can be dedi- cases the new court(s) will certain to complicate this can ask voters to approve
cated: Legislators might hear. issue, education special-purpose
reduce the percentage Bill text: http://www.Bill text: http://www,local-option sales taxes,
to zero during a budget legis.ga.gov/legislation/ legis.ga.gov/legislation/ commonly known as
crisis. If so, one wonders if en-US/Display/20172018/ en-US/Display/20172018/ E-SPLOSTs. But in coun-
this money is really "dedi- HR/993 HR/51 ties with multiple school
cated" at all. Amendment 3: Rede- Amendment 4: Adds districts, all of the districts
Bill text: http:// fines, reclassifies Forest rights for crime victims must agree: not only on
www.legis.ga.gov/ Land Conservation and to state Constitution whether to propose a tax,
legislation/en-US/Dis-Timberland Prosecutors and legisla- but on how to divide the
play/20172018/HR/238 This amendment would tors acknowledge Georgia proceeds. Over the years
Amendment 2: Cre- allow legislators to in- already has one of the na- there have been concerns
ates a statewide busi-crease property tax breaks tion's strongest Crime Vic- one district in a county
ness court for forest-land conserva- tims Bill of Rights in law. could withhold its support
This amendment tion and to reduce prop- The "Marsy's Law" vic-for a referendum, or agree
would authorize a' erty taxes through a new tims' rights constitutional only if it is given a dispro-
new statewide court tocommercial timberland amendment was initiated portionate share of the tax
settle some business property category. It and funded by California revenues.
disputes. Its judges would shrink the conser- billionaire Henry Nicho- This amendment would
would be appointed ration covenant periodlas after his sister was prevent such situations
by the governor, ap- on forest land conserva- murdered and the fam- by allowing a district
proved by a major- tion use property fromfly was not informed the with a majority of the
ity vote of the Senate. 15 years to 10 years, and accused killer had made students in its county to
and House judiciary reduce the size of eligible bail. It would give alleged place an E-SPLOST on
committees, and serve tracts from 200 acres in a victims of crime the right the ballot. While a smaller
five-year terms. They county to an "aggregate" to opt in for notification district could not block
could be reappointed, of 200 acres, as long as the of proceedings and to seek the referendum, it would
and would never have land is in tracts of at least court intervention if they be assured of receiving
to face voters. The 100 acres In any givenbelieve their rights were its proportionate share
amendment also con- county. The state could violated. It also allows the of the revenues, based on
templates the creationkeep up to 5 percent of Legislature to "further student population.
of business divisions of assistance grants, which define or expand upon the Bill text: http://WWW.
superior courts, reimburse counties forrights provided." Nicholas' legis.ga.gov/legislation/
Exactly what this lost tax revenue, for goal is to eventually em- en-US/Display/20172018/
court would do is un- administration purposes, bed Marsy's Law into the SR/95
dear. Typically, consti- "Qualified Timberland U.S. Constitution. Advo-
tutional amendments Property" would cover at cates argue an amendment The CEO of the Georgia
are paired with gen- least 50 acres of commer- would give victims "equal Public Policy Foundation,
eral laws, known as en- cial timberland, assessed rights" and add heft to Kyle Wingfield's column
abling legislation, that and taxed at lower rates those rights. This initiative runs in newspapers around
specify how they wouldwithout a conservationis causing legal problems the state.
