Archive By Section - Opinion
Live from Trump Broadcasting
Every time I turn on the news, which is almost never anymore, I get something to laugh about. My biggest laugh of the week is President Obama's vow to reduce the budget by $4 trillion over the next 12 years. What. Ever. First of all, I don't see him getting re-elected, but stranger things have happened. I don't think he's a bad guy, I just think he's not the right guy. If he was gonna ...
There is still time to get tax reform right
Perhaps the most important issue hanging over the heads of the General Assembly in the final three legislative days of the 2011 session is tax reform. What started out as a well thought out, although not perfect, comprehensive tax reform proposal from the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians has morphed into a much narrower legislative proposal that has hit a political roadblock in the General Assembly over perceived winners and losers. ...
Tax reform tops issues list
Though both the tax reform and immigration initiatives continue to change as the 2011 session enters its final week, a number of major features and the rationales behind them have remained in place throughout the legislative process, and will likely end up in the final bills as well.
Addressing tax reform, immigration
The first full week in April, also known as Masters Week throughout most of Georgia, is the traditional spring break period for K-12 schools in our state. For similar reasons, the General Assembly also took a brief break this week.
Once upon a mattress
Well, we knew it had to happen. There would be no way we could get another move off without a hitch. I was thinking that things were going good, we were getting stuff packed and loaded and no one had pulled a muscle or hamstring or whatever. The bull in the china shop hadn't dropped, kicked or shoved anything so hard that it caused a chain reaction of broken items. Hubs can be really rough ...
Prescription abuse bill passes
To our readers: State Sen. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began Jan. 10 and is expected to last until the middle of April.
DOT is delivering projects and accountability
Some three years ago, a seemingly never-ending series of studies, audits and reports criticized the Georgia Department of Transportation on a variety of fronts. Harsh comments made headlines across the state. Georgians were left to wonder if the DOT was an unaccountable, broken, unfixable bureaucracy.
Tax reform proposals create a stir under the Gold Dome
The Georgia General Assembly has completed its 37th day of a 40-day session. On March 31, the Georgia General Assembly recessed and will reconvene on April 11.
Senate approves budget
On Wednesday the Senate approved its version of HB 78, the FY2012 budget, by a vote of 47-4. This concludes the Senate stage of the process, and the bill will now go to conference committee for finalization.
Putting limit on prescription abuse
As this session draws to a close, the General Assembly continues to debate and vote on issues of importance to our state. Most of what my colleagues and I passed in the House were bills whose intent was to increase safety for Georgians in several professional fields.
Just call me Mrs. Buzzkill
So I'm getting ready to turn things down for the night, you know the routine: shut off the lights, turn off the TV, make sure nothing is "on" in the kitchen, when my little DJ. takes his headphones off and says, "Ma, you gotta listen to this song. It is so cool...".
Affordable Care Act is still a good deal for Georgia
Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the passage of the national health reform law, the Affordable Care Act. Several provisions have gone into effect such as eliminating pre-existing condition exclusions for kids, allowing young adults to stay on their parents' coverage until they are 26, the creation of a new pre-existing conditions insurance pool, and a program to help employers (including the state of Georgia) offset retiree health care costs. The bulk of the ...
Not-so-happy birthday for Obamacare
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) commonly referred to as ObamaCare was signed into law on March 23, 2010. One year later, the law remains unpopular with the public and a core fiscal concern for many voters, while many are learning just how intrusive are the government mandates.
Statewide drug courts are still much debated
To our readers: State Sen. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began Jan. 10 and is expected to last until the middle of April.
Slow progress on tax reform
The Special Joint Committee on Revenue Structure met to discuss possible changes to Georgia's tax laws in response to the report published earlier this year by the Special Council on Tax Reform. Currently, there are four House Bills, HB 385-388, that contain the recommendations of the council, and these have caused some confusion and consternation as of late. The fact of the matter is that these bills and the recommendations in them were required to ...
Articles by Section - Opinion
Georgia GOP sees no need to change course
The Republican Party delegates who gathered in Athens for their annual state convention heard a cautionary message from Gov. Nathan Deal about the future of the GOP.
Expert says students aren’t blueberries
Dear Public School Teachers in Georgia:
Governor’s vetoes are scarce
Governor Deal released only five veto statements and two signing statements as the signing deadline ended May 7.
No new discharge permit for KAF
Last week, the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) held a public hearing to solicit comments on the draft wastewater permit for King American Finishing (KAF) located in Screven County. The hearing was held at the Effingham County High School in Springfield and, although I was not there, I understand it was well attended.
It’s not your daddy’s old trade school
The extent that a business effectively utilizes new technology is a measure of the company's profitability. The critical issue for many companies today is filling their new jobs with talented people who can think critically and have real-world expertise in the latest technology.
Rush to judgement has bad smell to it
Often, sometimes too often, we like to paint the picture of the sides to an issue as good guys vs. bad guys. It helps us identify which side to support in an argument or a contest or a confrontation.
New ethics law has room for improvement
Until last week, Georgia had been one of only three remaining states that put absolutely no limits on how much money lobbyists could spend to influence the passage or defeat of legislation in a General Assembly session.
Dalton mayor may be ready for tall task
David Pennington, the mayor of Dalton, is making noises about challenging incumbent Gov. Nathan Deal in the 2014 Republican primary. Say what?
April showered with better revenues
April state revenues totaled $1.7 billion with a gain over 2012 of some $201.1 million for the month. This is the second largest month in five years. January and April 2013 were the highest-revenue months since 2008. So this is encouraging.
Losing Walt’s means losing a lot
Few things have made me feel older than the news in last week's Herald that Walt's Furniture is closing.
Why I love community newspapers
Most of them are small, although there are two or three larger ones with pictures of my show calves and me. All of them are slightly yellowed and somewhat worn by the weight of many years.
Lawmakers correct a past mistake
It's no secret that politicians often make mistakes - a lot of them.
Triumph over life-altering experience
This is the story of courage. This is a story of tenacity. This is the story of Hill Daniel.
HB 283 touches many education areas
HB 283 started out as a Title 20 (Education) clean-up bill that also put into code the changes recommended by the Education Finance Commission last year. In the end, it contained a number of provisions, some controversial, in a 35-page bill.
Inadequate road funding puts drivers at greater risk
Many of the roads and bridges we travel on every day in Georgia are crumbling because of insufficient maintenance and old age. Unless policymakers act soon to increase funding, motorists can expect more potholes, longer commutes, and dangerous safety problems.
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