Letters to the Editor

Behind the scenes with Fayette AARP #2936

Years before retiring from a career of teaching students with special needs I became a member of AARP. My husband is 10 years older than me, so I’ve received AARP benefits for 25 years. When I did retire I joined the local chapter of AARP. My knowledge about the organization did not begin until then.

Many members of the nation at large view AARP as an insurance broker/provider. It is true that AARP was created with insurance in mind. The National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA) formed the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in 1958 11 years after the creation of NRTA. Read More»

Vote YES for more parental control

We are both proud products of Fayette County public schools. We also both now have young children attending Fayette County public schools.

There is absolutely nothing more important to us than the quality of public education for the children of Fayette County and for all of Georgia. We both understand and profoundly believe in the power of a quality education to transform lives and give the youth of this state, through hard work, the opportunity to strive for and achieve their hopes and dreams. Read More»

Vote NO on charter school amendment

Ballot questions are notorious for being misleading and the proposed charter school amendment to the Georgia Constitution is no different. The question asks, “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”

It is interesting that the proponents of this amendment don’t ever talk about what this amendment is REALLY all about. Read More»

Vote Yes for charter amendment

A few vocal opponents of the charter school amendment make a big deal about a Georgia Department of Education (DOE) commission approving some charters. IS it a big deal?

Parents (and non-profit groups) can now submit a charter to their local school board for approval, and if it is denied, they can appeal to the state DOE. The DOE established a commission in 2008 to hear and decide these matters, but a Gwinnett County lawsuit challenged the commission’s authority and the case was appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court. Read More»

Charter approach could be useful in other areas

While voting yesterday on the charter school amendment, I realized the grand potential of this concept. Imagine how lithe would be life if we expand our freedoms with an extended set of similar amendments to touch every aspect of our existences.

By creating state commissions answerable to no one, we could easily circumvent locally elected officials with their hyper-sensibilities to the electorate and stilted protocols for approving community modifications. Read More»

Hope and change

In 2008 then Presidential candidate Obama ran on a platform of “Hope and Change.” He certainly delivered change.

After four years of failing policies, our country is experiencing massive unemployment, spiraling deficits, and diminished military capabilities.

However, in her recent column Bonnie Willis suggests that we should ignore such a dismal record because he still remains a beacon of hope. Read More»

Have you heard the latest from Washington?

If President Obama is re-elected, the Senate already has a bill in waiting entitled the Consumer Ready Environmental Energy Plan (note the acronym).

One major aspect of the plan is to require all citizens to reduce their carbon footprint by 2015.

Beginning in 2015, if a citizen cannot provide proof that they have purchased a solar panel, windmill, or electric vehicle since 2011, they will be penalized $1,000 every year until such proof is provided.

As in the Affordable Healthcare Act, the penalty will be collected by the IRS. Read More»

President Obama’s Medicare costs will rise for seniors

Put together by government’s bean counters, they know that Obama Medicare Program costs will definitely go down for the government, however; they will rise for Medicare users. Medicare is in three main parts, Part A is hospitalization, Part B” is for doctors’ care, and Part D is for medication. Read More»

We pay Obama’s free advertising

It’s an “Obamanation” how our President is getting credit for programs linked to his name while we pay the cash for his free advertising.

One example is the “Obama Phone” given to the less than fortunate who receives them at no cost. The truth is those more financially fortunate are tapped for the costs of the “Obama Phone,” not the federal government.

This is because telecom companies, by federal law, may choose to collect the amount they are required to contribute through a “Universal Service Fund” from their subscribers. Read More»

Fayette County GOP endorses Mary Kay Bacallao for School Board

On behalf of the Fayette County Republican Party, I wanted to inform you that we are strongly endorsing Mary Kay Bacallao for Post 2 on the Fayette County School Board.

There is only one Republican Candidate in the race and Mary Kay is it.

Her opponent and incumbent school board member has served for 12 years and has been instrumental in the wrong direction that our school board has taken in recent years.

Many of our current fiscal problems in our school system are the result of many bad decisions made by the incumbent. Read More»