Articles by Section - OPINION
Three strangers become three heroes
This is a story about heroes - good people doing good things. The cast of characters in this performance shares one thing in common: They are strangers to one another.
Bargains save money, but not time
My sister is having some renovations done to her house and is momentarily out of bathrooms. So she has been staying with me intermittently.
Wake up, smell the hot fudge, coffee
I overheard something funny as I was munching on a sweet snack last month. I didn't catch much of the conversation, but I did hear, "I need hot fudge." I thought it was hilarious.
Washington, we have a problem
Another week, another controversy in official Washington.
Williams: Transplant rules unfair
Last week, a federal judge ordered Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to allow 10-year-old Sarah Murnaghan, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, to be moved to the adult lung transplant list. She then got her potentially lifesaving transplant.
Carter: My favorite memory of my dad
My favorite memory of my father isn't a memory at all - or, at least it's not mine. It's a tale told years ago by his older sister about Dad's first day at elementary school in the south Georgia town where they were born.
Mothers make for good shopping buddies
Attention, Newton County mothers and your adult daughters: When you're out and about shopping, picking out spring plants for your garden, or maybe enjoying lunch and a little family gossip, do not be alarmed if you notice me lurking about. I have neither sinister nor larcenous intent.
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Archive By Section - OPINION
Jimmy’s timing a bit suspicious
I don't give a flip whether Jason Carter is elected to the Georgia state senate or not. He won't represent me because I don't live in Georgia's 42nd district. What I do care about is that his grandfather, Jimmy Carter, is at it again.
Some good people are leaving office
Before we get caught up in the drama of the primary election campaigns, we should stop and take note that some good people will be leaving their current elected offices after this year.
Safety first
It's sad to say, but last Thursday was my last class day of Leadership Newton County. As I wrote in my last column - the one about the Covington Fire Department kicking my tail - our last class day focused on public safety. We began our day at the Covington Fire Department, where Chief Don Floyd graciously provided our class with Chick-fil-A biscuits and coffee. Food is the way to a Leadership class member's heart. ...
The final stretch of the session
The House worked through two more legislative days last week, and the final two days will be this week. The days are spaced out to give the Senate sufficient time to deliberate on the budget, which the House passed the previous week. Then a conference committee will need time to work through differences between the two versions that inevitably result. We considered 28 bills and resolutions on the floor, along with dozens ...
The dangers of under-aged shaving
Recently, my youngest son looked at me, rubbed his face and said, "I need to start shaving." I tried not to snicker, but then he's only 11 years old. While he might have a whisker or two hiding on his face, there's no way he's ready for a sharp blade and a handful of foam. Besides, I remember all too well what it was like when I took up shaving at the ...
Kid friendly checkouts
I was in line at a local grocery store with a young mother and her baseball clad child. He looked to be about 5 years old and was very cute in his brightly colored baseball shirt.
Certain in my uncertainty
Are you normally a pessimist or an optimist? I say "normally" because I don't know too many optimists right now, what with our current economic, political and social mess. But, think back to when things were normal - like when you were polishing your brand new '57 Chevy. Were you an optimist back then, or were you a pessimist? It's something to think about. Personally, I've concluded that I might be a borderline ...
The sounds of town
On these blessedly cool spring mornings, we throw open the windows to capture the crispness before the beaming sun begins its rise toward noonday and the beginning of stuffily hot afternoons.
Don't worry -- everyone will know
The last time I heard someone utter, "Don't worry - no one will ever know," the response was, "What are you smoking, crack?" The crack comment was not meant literally, but figuratively. It made its point: Don't assume that you can get away with something; people do find out, and you have to think through decisions. The result: The action suggested was not taken - success.
What a day
Sometimes the pace of life seems a bit too frenetic. When things I cannot control greatly outnumber things over which I think I have influence, I find it soothing to pause and examine what other folks were dealing with on this particular date throughout recorded history. Misery just loves company, doesn't it?
Working through the details
We returned to regular committee work and floor sessions last week. The House and Senate Appropriations committees had made some good headway during the two weeks of focused hearings. This work was rendered all the more important because the February revenue numbers, as half expected, slid by another nearly double digit margin. Georgia saw a 9.9 percent drop from February of 2009, which was itself down by over 34 percent from 2008. This makes for ...
Lights out
For years we have heard Covington residents complain about their high utility bills. Most of the complaints about paying high utility rates can be lumped into perennial complaints of life - like taxes are too high, the mail is always late and traffic is horrible.
Almost Masters week
I have some friends in the Augusta area who are devotees of The Masters golf tournament. They are pretty excited that a player by the name of Eldrick is going to play in their upcoming tourney. Eldrick is quite a player. I call him Eldrick because that's what they called him the first time they introduced him at The Masters. I was standing there when they said it.
More urgent needs than stadiums
We have a government in Georgia that quite literally is on the verge of collapse because of gaping deficits in the budgets for this year and next.
We need more guns, fewer judges
Senate Majority Whip Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) wants to eliminate a bunch of Superior Court judges in Georgia. Seabaugh says getting rid of 19 judges would save the state $13 million to $14 million. This means we Georgians would then have money available for really important stuff like building Gov. Sonny Perdue's $9 million horse barn in Houston County and enough cash left over for a palomino or two. When state government works ...
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