This week the Newton County Commissioners voted not to help fund the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. It’s hard to say no to anything patriotic, but with the current budget constraints that the county is facing, it was the right and courageous thing to do. The vote was 3-2 not to share the costs of the event with the city of Covington this year.

 Earnest Simmons and J.C. Henderson opposed the measure not to continue the sponsorship.

 We understand their concerns, but in these times you cannot make decisions from the heart; they have to be made with conscious thought of current realities.

 We might suggest that you spend that grand day celebrating at home with your family and friends and in the evening if you would like to see fireworks, you can turn on the PBS airing of the annual Capitol fireworks display. It is awe inspiring.

 An example of politicians not showing courage has manifested in our senators and representatives in Atlanta.

 They have, for all practical purposes, killed Senate Resolution 452 that would allow the state revenue commission to file a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee on legislators who have not paid taxes. If passed, those legislators would have been reprimanded or removed from office. We do not need people who cannot pay their taxes in a position to pass a law that tells the citizens of Georgia how they should pay theirs. Those who have killed this bill, including the very ones who owe taxes, should be removed from office.

 In other actions, our less than courageous representatives have allowed another bill to die that would have allowed the citizens of Georgia to vote on whether alcohol should be sold in stores on Sundays.

 We would think that a majority of people would much rather have the tax sales of Sunday alcohol than to be taxed even further to help pay for the state’s shortfalls.

 We have a healthy respect for those who have their heart set on keeping this ban in place, including our senators and representatives.

 However, we think some of the same senators and representatives who have sat on this bill probably have a nip or two, including on Sunday, but through political expediency feel they have to thwart the possible will of the people.