2018 Budget Receives Clean Audit Opinion

Police & Government
public hearings millage rate courthouse Qualifying meetings state of emergency property

Blairsville, Ga – Rushton and Company issued an unmodified opinion on Union County’s 2018 audit and addressed rises in expenditures.

CPA Clay Pilgrim attended the July Commissioner Meeting to deliver their findings for 2018. Following United States and Government Auditing Standards, the company found nothing out of the ordinary during 2018.

Pilgrim presented the statement of net position for the county, which includes assets, liabilities, and residual net position.

“For 2018, we have an unmodified opinion or clean opinion on financial statements,” said Pilgrim.

The net investment in capital assets for 2018 amounted to $40,544,709, restricted new position was $6,294,106, unrestricted net position was $3,456,935, total net position as $50,295,750, and revenue was $214,292 under expenses for the year.

audit

Overview of 2018 General Fund.

“Net position is the equity of the county, net investment capital assets, which is going to be land buildings,” explained Pilgrim, “Restricted net position is resources that are held, not just been expended that are restricted by an outside party or legislation like SPLOST.”

In the General Fund, revenues rose by 8.3 percent or $1,283,735 due to increase in property taxes, title ad valorem, LOST, insurance premium taxes, and intergovernmental revenues.

General Fund expenditures increased by 8.4 percent or $1,319,428 in part due to the rise in Risk Management expenses from health insurance claims, Sheriff’s office budget being up by $726,069 from personal services and capital outlay, and fire and emergency management up by $227,520 from personal services and capital outlay.

“Increase in capital assets, not a recurring charge and really not a lot of that affect the bottom line anyway as far as capital is concerned because a lot of that dealt with trades of vehicles,” stated Pilgrim about the rise in Sheriff’s Office expenses.

audit

Record of last three fiscal years.

SPLOST for the year covered the 2009 and 2015 years with the 2009 balance closing out at $5,921 and 2015 balance spending $3,608,643 for county projects.

Auditors and county performed audit adjustments as necessary and no disagreements were found within the findings.

Pilgrim also discussed upcoming changes from the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).

“GASB Statement No. 87 which is going to be on leases and change the approach on leases. Currently, we have operating leases and capital leases, and they are trying to move to a more single approach, said Pilgrim “more toward the capital lease side of things, a lot more things on the balance sheet.”

The change applies to most governments leases, including real estate, and finance purchases.

“GASB Statement No. 88 is also coming that is certain disclosures relating to debt, debt borrowings, and debt direct placements,” stated Pilgrim, “This one will really just add some additional disclosures in the financial statements, which we will assist with.”

Finally, Rushton & Company already implemented GASB 89, and it accounts for interests and costs during a construction period. The city no longer has to capitalize construction costs into certain funds when reporting them.

Pilgrim thank Commissioner Lamar Parris and his staff for their helpfulness during the audit process.

 

Cagle campaign brings out the big guns

Election 2018, Politics
Hall County, Gainesville, Georgia, Secretary of State, Lt. Governor, Governor, Gubernatorial, Election, 2018, Runoff, Republican Nomination, Campaign, Brian Kemp, Casey Cagle, National Rifle Association, NRA, President, President Elect, Lt. Colonel, Oliver North, Second Amendment, Stacey Abrams, Democratic, George Soros, July 24

Lt. Colonel Oliver North was met by large crowds as he hit the campaign trail supporting Casey Cagle in becoming Georgia’s next Governor.

Gainesville, Ga. – “There’s only one candidate who’s been endorsed. There’s only one candidate for Governor’s office who actually meets the standard of what we need and that’s Casey Cagle,” retired Lt. Colonel Oliver North enthusiastically spoke to the large crowd gathered in Gainesville, Ga. this weekend.

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle has been the center of controversy for several weeks after the release of a secret recording in which Cagle speaks candidly to former gubernatorial candidate Clay Tippins about politics over policy.

Regardless of this recent smear on Cagle’s bid to be Georgia’s next Governor, one fact remains and cannot be disputed, Cagle is the only candidate for governor in Ga. to receive the coveted endorsement from the National Rifle Association (NRA).

With this point being perhaps one of the largest differences between Cagle and his opponent, Brian Kemp, Cagle’s campaign decided it was time to bring out the “big guns”.

President elect of the NRA, North, hit the campaign trail with Cagle on July 14 making three stops across the state to share with constituents why Cagle is the only candidate that will uphold the values of the NRA.

“I’m here because there is only one candidate for governor who has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association,” North said explaining his stance on Georgia’s heated gubernatorial race.

According to North, Cagle has “sterling record as supporter of the Second Amendment”. North went on to say that Cagle “is going to make sure that your gun rights and others are going to be defended when he’s in office as your Governor.”

Doting on Cagle’s record of fighting for the rights of gun owners in Ga., North also brought attention to Cagle’s support of firearms manufacturing and the jobs that have created in this field.

“He’s created the best, pushed through the best legislation, I think, in the country for giving you the right to defend yourselves,” North was met with cheers from the large crowd as he presented Cagle’s record on the Second Amendment.

North added, “I’m just reassured by what he’s already done, and what he’s committed to do.”

Constituents also got a peek into the private life of North as he shared personal stories of how the fight to defend the Second Amendment hits close to home threatening a long standing family tradition.

Hall County, Gainesville, Georgia, Secretary of State, Lt. Governor, Governor, Gubernatorial, Election, 2018, Runoff, Republican Nomination, Campaign, Brian Kemp, Casey Cagle, National Rifle Association, NRA, President, President Elect, Lt. Colonel, Oliver North, Second Amendment, Stacey Abrams, Democratic, George Soros, July 24

Casey Cagle with wife Nita stand beside North as he addresses the crowd.

North, grandfather to 17 grandchildren, shared this tradition, “I get to give them a present. The only present I get to give them. Everything else comes from Betsy (wife) and me.”

This present given by North when each child turns 14 is a box containing three items, a Bible, a map and compass, and a 20 gauge shotgun.

North labels each box with “There are three things in this box that you have got to learn how to use, and if you do learn to use all three things, you’ll never go hungry, you’ll never be lost and you need fear nothing, but you have to learn to use all three.”

Each child is then told to read Proverbs, one Proverb per day for a month. After this task is completed and understood, North teaches the children how to use the compass and map. The final item that the child can then master is the use of the shotgun.

North told of how each child must learn to take apart, put together and clean the firearm before they can tackle the task of learning to shoot.

A bonding experience for a grandfather and a grandchild, one which his family holds dear, North joked, “The kids call me by my first name…Colonel.”

But according to North this tradition is threatened and he pointed to the fact that a couple of states have already passed laws where it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to possess or purchase a firearm.

Speaking of Virginia, the Lt. Colonel’s current state of residence, North said, “If that happens in Virginia, you know where I’m moving? I’m moving right here.”

North concluded his endorsement with a request, “I want each one of you, if you would please, go out and find a family member and a co-worker and a neighbor and a friend. So now you’re talking four of each one that you know that’s not here today and get them to the polls on the 24th of July so that this man….”.

Upon saying this North turned to Cagle and was drowned out by cheers from the audience.

Cagle briefly shared his thoughts on North’s personal endorsement: “I just value, not only what he has done in his life but also what he is doing by standing up for the Second Amendment.”

Referring to North as a good friend and speaking of the encouragement that North has given him, Cagle simply added, “This man is a real patriot.”

 

 

 

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This Week’s Events in Union County May 7, 2018

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This Week’s Events in Union County April 9, 2018

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Weather Summary for 2018

Community, Outdoors

Weather Summary for 2018

By: Eddie Ayers, County Extension Agent

Back in December and already this year there’s been a lot of talk about how wet it’s been in the last year and while I agree with the comments I’ve been getting, I thought I’d do a little investigating and use facts to report on the weather of 2018. My data is coming from the UGA AEMN area weather stations.

The Automated Environmental Monitoring Network (AEMN) in Georgia was established in 1991 by the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The objective of the AEMN is to collect reliable weather information for agricultural and environmental applications. Each station monitors air temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, solar radiation, wind speed, wind direction, soil temperature at 2, 4, and 8 inch depths, atmospheric pressure, and soil moisture every 1 second. Data are summarized at 15 minute intervals and at midnight a daily summary is calculated. A microcomputer at the Georgia Experiment Station initiates telephone calls to each station periodically and downloads the recorded data. The data are processed immediately and disseminated via the internet at www.weather.uga.edu.

We are fortunate to have three reporting stations in our area. They are Hillcrest Orchards in Ellijay, Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge and the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center in Blairsville. For the purpose of this article, data has been averaged, but you can visit the web site and get more details and up to the minute weather.

Since rain has been the topic of conversation lately, let’s look at that first. In Blairsville, the total rainfall for 2018 was 76.01 inches and there were 164 rainy days. In Blue Ridge, the rainfall was 74.89 inches and 185 rainy days. In Ellijay there was 79.12 inches of rain and 168 rainy days. The average for our area is around 62 inches, but the statistic that stands out is the number of rainy days. During rainy days the plants did not receive good sunlight and that affects plant growth.

In looking at the month of December in 2018 Blairsville received 10.96 inches of rain and 17 rainy days. Blue Ridge received 11.21 inches of rain and 17 rainy days. Ellijay received 10.92 inches of rain and 17 rainy days. This may seem like a lot of rain, but back in 2015 Blairsville got 13.35 inches of rain with 13 rainy days. Blue Ridge got 16.57 inches of rain with 16 rainy days. Ellijay got 16.04 inches of rain with 17 rainy days. 2015 was not that long ago, but it seems we have gotten more rain lately. It might be the number of rainy days that is making us think we are getting more rain that we actually are getting.

As for temperatures the average maximum temperature in Blairsville was 68.53 and the minimum was 47.26. The overall average was 57.23 which is about normal, but the number of days below 32 was 761 which is up from before, but below 2015. In Blue Ridge the average maximum temperature was 68.12 and the minimum was 48.46 and the overall average was 57.59, which is also about normal. The number of days below 32 was 699 which is up from before, but also below 2015. In Ellijay the average maximum temperature was 69.17 and the minimum was 48.81 with an overall average of 58.48 which is about normal. The number of days below 32 was 625 which is above earlier years except for 2015.

In conclusion the UGA weather stations are a great resource for information that provide facts about our weather conditions and now when people ask if it’s ever been this wet, you have the facts to say yes. If you need more information or different facts, visit the website and explore, or contact me in the Gilmer County UGA Extension office.

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Short Takes – What We Learned From Helsinki, 2018

Opinion

What We Learned From Helsinki, 2018.

We watched a clash of two techniques at the Helsinki Summit yesterday, Trump’s The Art of the Deal and the other, The Art of Deception, as practiced by KGB’er Vladimir Putin. After the joint press conference two things emerged that need to be understood. President Trump is a deal maker. He thinks in those terms and he employe’s the idea of let’s not fight, but let’s both succeed, so long as it doesn’t harm America and is good for you.  Putin is a czarists!

In the American political scene, those techniques managed to sweep away all opposition from Republican contenders challenging him for the GOP nomination. They worked to bring along American voters to drive the Democrats from the field. It worked and by doing so drove the Left crazy. It did not work against Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Trump looked weak and that’s a danger to the base. I hope he will learn from that experience. He usually does.

I do not doubt that President Trump was fully briefed on the deceptive characteristics he would face with his Mano-a-Mano with Vladimir Putin, a career KGB officer who is skilled, not in the Art of the Deal, but in the Art of Deception. Russians are not New York real estate brokers. They seek a restoration of empire and power, not buildings. Therein lies the differences.

Putin’s post “Summit” interview with Fox News reporter Chris Wallace, revealed to even the most casual observer, the purest application of the techniques of the Art of Deception by Putin. His body language, when examined in minute detail, as it will be, was so evident of deception that practitioners of Kinesic interview techniques will be able to write thesis on what Putin revealed through his body language alone, lies and deceptions. He is a practiced Russian politician and the history of Russian politician’s suggests they don’t make deals unless there’s a gun to their head.

What gun does Trump hold to Putins head? It’s what Trump knows best, how to make profits, especially when his opponent is in deep economic trouble. Trump’s gun is his continued sanctions against Russia. They’re working and it’s hurting. What does Putin have to counter Trump? It was Russia’s new natural gas deal with Germany a project soon, I fear, to come to an end. It’s also Russia’s support for Syria, which, as foreign policy, Russia cannot afford, and the massive amount of GDP Russia is pouring into it’s military, especially it’s deep water navy.

Trump was not coruscating in his post “Summit” interview and it has alarmed his base. It drove the American media wild with cheers and jeers and predictions of Trump’s early demise. But, as they’re already demented and would seized any rumor as a truth and exploit it, fewer people will believe them. Beware the Russians because they will exploit this apparent weakness.

Winners and losers are already being touted or jeered and by all accounts, at least by the Leftist media, Trump lost and Putin won. Not only did Trump lose, he was made to look the fool and so, therefore, must be guilty of treason. But, regardless, Russia is still in the throes of economic decline unable to afford their adventurism, still needs relief for its infrastructure expenses. It  needs to earn some serious cash.

If we suspected that nothing noteworthy would come out of the Summit, the Left’s reaction would still hover between sneering contempt and laughter while Trump’s base will experience their first bout of mild depression. The late night comedy shows will be veritable clown shows regardless of the truths. And, this too shall pass. Trump is still our best fighter yet!  

Remember, Freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em! (17Jul18)

This Week’s Events in Union County May 28, 2018

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This Week’s Events in Union County May 14, 2018

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Union County $2.2M Over Budget in 2018

News, Police & Government
2020 Budget

Blairsville, Ga – Union County went $2.2M over budget in 2018 due to unexpected health care costs and rises in service expenses.

Auditors advised the amending of the 2018 budget after expenditures exceeded expectations for the year. The total operating budget for 2018 amounted to $18,908,000.

Several areas of the operating budget experienced higher costs than anticipated, but the biggest expense was health insurance.

“Our medical insurance went up $569,000 last year, completely out of the blue,” stated Commissioner Lamar Paris, “we’re working hard this year to get that cut back, working with our employees, try to work on healthy habits, where they go to the doctor, when they do to the doctor, and increasing employee costs.”

The county also hired a new online doctor, where they can talk to a doctor at any time.

“It’s a benefit to our employees and hopefully our bottom line too,” said Paris.

Aside from health insurance, other departments/offices that went over were general administration by $167,391, sheriff’s office by $563,356, jail by $143,668, and fire department at $172,950.

General Administration included repair and maintenance, and SPLOST can’t provide funds.

Budget UC 2018

Overview of 2018 operating budget.

“We redid a whole section of the courthouse roof,” explained Commissioner Paris, “We try to use SPLOST wherever we can for any capital improvements, but on a repair, we can’t do that. The roof was $37,000 over budget. Contract labor was $20,000 over budget.”

The Sheriff’s office experienced a host of costs increases just like other county offices.

“Salaries were up $173,000 and that’s happening because sheriff’s deputies and all other counties, everybody’s going up and when one goes up, they all go up. So their deputies want more money or they’ll go to that county. It’s a real tough thing how you balance what the pay is and what the pressure is coming from other places,” stated Paris.

The county and Sheriff Mack Mason came together to find a number that satisfied deputies, but the expense didn’t factor into the initial budget. Uniforms, vehicle repairs, vehicles, and supplies also caused the overages. Capital assets and some SPLOST covered part, but not all of the costs.

Jail also raised salaries, which accounted for $82,000, and paid $10,000 in overtime.

Fire department went over due to salaries and buying a new ladder truck for the county.

“Had a couple of guys that drove all over the Southeast looking at fire trucks,” said Paris, “finally, found one that we bought for $93,000. It’s eight years old with 30,000 miles on it. The company that sold it to us completely went over it and redid it. We never had a ladder truck, and we needed one a long time.”

Typically, ladder trucks cost around $1M-plus for brand new trucks. Also, the fire department started new training procedures and developed new facilities to teach firemen how to carry people out of a fire.

County also hired a public defender to speed up the trial process for inmates to lessen jail expenses from 2017. Last year, inmate cost was $118,000, and this year, it’s $19,000 due to the new public defender.

Revenues and property tax collection exceeded the budget by $150,000, charges for services exceed by $277,000, sale of capital assets exceeded by $400,023, and $1.5M of fund balance was used.

The fund balance equalizes expenses over revenues, and the $1.5M is less than last year. Hopefully, by next year,

everything will equal out, and the fund balance won’t be needed.

Contract Agreements

The hospital’s helicopter service, provided by Air budgeMethods Corporation, was renewed in a contract that runs through May 31, 2019. The county agreed to pay half of $76,765.00 to continue the service. It’s an increase from last year because initially, the company wanted to pull out of the area. It will not exceed that amount, and Union General will pay the other half.

“When you go over there and look at the helipad and think that in little Union County,” Paris marveled, “that no matter what happens you can be flown to wherever the emergency room is that you need to go to, just to have that available, we never ever had that available until ten years ago.”

Legacy Link, the service that helps run the senior center, and the county renewed its contract for the fiscal year 2020 for $95,000 as well as a commitment letter for $11,450.00.

This Week’s Events in Union County June 11, 2018

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Heat Safety Awareness Day – May 15, 2018

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Heat Safety Awareness Day – May 15, 2018

ATLANTA, GA. (May 15, 2018) – Heat Safety Awareness Day will be observed on Tuesday, May 15th.
In an effort to better inform people and address commonly overlooked dangers of heat, particularly across
Georgia, the National Weather Service (NWS) and Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security
Agency are sponsoring an inaugural Heat Safety Awareness Day. We hope this can become an annual
occurrence each May, sometime before the summer season officially begins.
Heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities across the United States, on average killing more than
100 people each year. Numerous people and groups are at risk of heat-related illnesses, including children,
pregnant women, older adults, emergency responders, outdoor workers, and even athletes. Additionally,
people with certain medical/health conditions (i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, respiratory diseases) are
at greater risk.
In Georgia, during the summer months (June/July/August), daytime temperatures can soar into the 90s for

days and even weeks at a time. Add in the typical humidity, and it can feel unbearable at times, with heat-
index values getting into the 100-110 degree-range! Though “Georgians” may be used to this kind of heat

each year, your body can start physically shutting down when temperatures are just crossing the 90-degree
mark, especially when proper preparations for heat are avoided ahead of time.
Throughout this Heat Safety Awareness Day, you will learn more about the specific dangers related to heat,
who is most at risk and what you can do to be safe in the heat and prevent heat-related illnesses. Also, we
will provide basic information on meteorological products and terminology that best define and measure
extreme heat, including heat-specific Watches & Warnings, Heat Index, and Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature
(WBGT).
Please join us on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, as we highlight Heat Safety Awareness Day across the state of
Georgia. For additional information, including setting up potential interviews, please contact either Steve
Nelson or David Nadler at the NWS Peachtree City/Atlanta office. Contact information is included below.

This Week’s Events in Union County April 2, 2018

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This Week’s Events in Union County February 5, 2018

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Getting Started in 2018

State & National

Getting Started in 2018

By: Sen. Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega)

On Monday, January 8, 2018, we reconvened for the second session of the 154th Georgia General Assembly, which many anticipate will be very fast-paced. The Georgia Senate began our business with leadership changes and three new members. We will also welcome another new member next week who won a special election on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.

In addition to welcoming three new members, Sen. David Shafer, who served as the Senate President Pro Tempore since 2013, resigned his position and the Georgia Senate nominated and elected Sen. Butch Miller to serve in this role. Sen. Miller is a fellow North Georgian and we are honored to have him as our next Pro Temp. The Senate Committee on Assignments also announced chairmen and committee assignments for the upcoming year.

In addition to my duties as Senate Majority Whip, I will continue to serve as the Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee, the Secretary of the Appropriations Committee, as a member of the Finance, MARTOC, Regulated Industries and Utilities committees and as ex-officio on the Senate Assignments and Rules committees.

As we draw near to the second week of session, we will begin budget hearings as we craft the Amended FY18 and General FY19 budgets. During these meetings and agency presentations, I will keep the prosperity of all Georgians in mind as we finely comb through proposals. Our focus will be on saving tax payers’ dollars while ensuring economic growth and job creation continues to grow in our great state.

Something new here at the Georgia Senate is livestreaming of standing committees that meet in one of the five rooms wired during the Senate Transparency Project. This is in addition to the Senate Chamber being livestreamed during session days. The goal of this project is to bring transparency to standing committee meetings, where legislation is discussed and vetted before moving forward in the legislative process. Another objective is to provide access to our process for those who do not live in the metro area and cannot get to Senate committee meetings quickly. I truly encourage you all to take the time to watch these livestreams. But, if you can’t get to a computer during the meeting time, each and every meeting video is archived to be watched during any time—day or night.

On day four of the session, Gov. Deal gave his last State of the State address. Within his address, Gov. Deal focused on the growth across the board within the state of Georgia. For the past five years, Georgia has been named the number one place to do business. Overall, we have a very busy session calendar ahead of us as we work on the Governor’s budget proposals, legislation pending from last year and other issues that may arise.

I would like to say thank you to all of my constituents for your encouragement and care for the 51st District of Georgia. Please call or email me with any questions, comments or concerns you have and I look forward to hearing from you.

Short Takes – 2018

Opinion

2018

Today is the first day of a brand new year, that drags along with it the sum of all the problems and pretenses of the old year, but accompanied with a dash of sincere hope that under new management, our country can succeed in restoring America to its rightful role, for all the world, as the “Shining Beacon on the Hill.”

I noted that we approach the future under Donald Trump, ‘with a dash of hope,’ but also with a marked lack of enthusiasm. The TEA Party experience seems to have evaporated into thin air after having achieved three consecutive election victories for Conservative principles that finally showed the Marxist-Democrats the door. But those rascals are still out there plotting and scheming and organizing, to undo the grass works efforts that made a Trump Presidency and a Republican Congress possible. From Republicans, there is no gratitude.

Shockingly, the lack of acknowledgement of that effort from our stunned elected politicians who constitute the Republican Party, and who still fail to grasp the import of the tidal wave of political change that eliminated the Democrats, has also swept the GOP’s influence out the door too. They are still reeling in disbelief wondering how a pragmatists became their leader. Apparently some have even “reached across the aisle” to join hands with the Socialist enemy to try to restore their combined hegemony over the American political process. Let the looting continue.

Primary among the GOP “Never Trumpers” stands 4th place loser John Kasich, Governor of Ohio who, if the frequent appeals from his web site to my email address are any indication, still believes he should be the rightful Republican candidate so as to restore to proper governing, the failed process of “bipartisanship” and return our government to the capable hands of the one world government crowd composed of mega banks, international corporations and the quasi assembly of third world nations gathered under the blue banner of the United Nations.

2018 will be another important midterm election experience for conservatism. Also judging by the volume of their appeals for donations, Democrats must truly believe, because Americans really, really hate Trump, that they will capture the House and the Senate again. How they accomplish that goal with an intractable and intransigent, but aging leadership, themselves ready for hospice care, is in serious doubt. Their message never changes, free stuff for everyone, no border walls, protect sanctuary cities and states, and free education and glorify perversion because it’s only fair.

Future leadership for the Democrat party is an unspoken contest between old time American  leftists and the corroding influence of foreign ideals (Islam), they are trying to force into the American culture as a norm, a precursor of the coming jihad that turns America into a Caliphate.  

Presently, both party’s find their bases confused by indecision. For the Democrats, it’s do they move further left and double down, or move center right to save themselves? For the stupid Republicans, a golden opportunity has been laid at their feet and sure as heck, they’re going to flub it. Where is the TEA parties when we need them? The GOP needs to be cleansed of its socialist heretics. Younger conservative candidates need to be encouraged to step forward and seize the reins of American constitutionalism. As my friend Jack Smith reminds us constantly, “if not now, when?” “If not you, who?”…or something like that. We’ve got to get moving, now.

Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em! (01Jan 2018)

A Christmas Message

Opinion

Thanksgiving 2018 has come and gone and about all we really know about it comes from
commercial sources. Through the constant drumming of the media we are basically told all we
need to know about Thanksgiving, when to start, when to stop and, by the way, ‘don’t forget
those great deals on Black Friday’ because, well, Christmas is just around the corner and after
all, America’s economy depends on commercialism. Their point is, It’s okay to go into debt but
don’t eat the Romaine lettuce. Is it who we really are? Apparently!

But this year I sense a distinct change in the atmosphere. I’ve heard more detailed explanations
of the real Pilgrims story at Plymouth, Mass. in attempts to correct the re-written history some
elements in our society want us to accept. I feel a perceptible shifting of moral values going on
and I sense a not so subtle shift back to religious faith especially as the destructive tenants of
Islam are flooding our country. The leadership of our churches, long beaten into compliance to
accept the dictates of a secular society, must return to their mission of spreading the gospel and
abandon the demand that we must accept the perverted deviancy of 1% of our population that
demands acceptance, without consequence.

What Americans know about Christmas is mostly suggested to us by the years of Macy’s Day
parades, Hollywood movies and Coca-Cola. TV quickly changed our values. Decades ago,
Coca-Cola embraced Clement Moore’s poem, A Christmas Carol, “Twas the Night Before
Christmas” and lo, we now have an indisputably accepted short, fat, happy ol’ elf who enters
homes down chimney pipes, never gets dirty and enjoys their product while winking at us.
When I was a little boy, a world war was underway yet the traditions of Christmas, and even
then they were commercial, were anticipated and observed. We decorated Christmas trees, had
special seasonal attractions and attended Church programs singing hymns while we little
children read or recited memorized snippets of scripture to the audience. I recall my surprise
upon learning that even Germans soldiers observed Christmas, indeed was responsible for
introducing the Christmas tree as a tradition. And, they sang “Silent Night.” What a revelation.

Among the big traditions were Christmas cards. My mother saved Christmas cards for years
and she gave them out in profuse qualities herself. Those that came to me, mostly from mothers
friends and sisters, were scenes depicted as cartoons. Family cards were actually incredible
works of art depicting scenes of happy home fires or snow, doubtless of a Victorian England, the
country where greeting cards and Santa Clause were introduced as a tradition.

Until Coca Cola’s depiction, St. Nick was tall and skinny, a poor emaciated figure, hungry
looking with a limp bag hanging over his shoulder. None of that has changed except Santa’s
size, but I am sensing once again, with Christmas day still weeks away, a change in the public
attitude, a realization that a prosperous America is returning even with all its social problems of
drug addictions, homelessness and hunger. I feel a sincere longing to return to our old traditions
where good cheer and happiness are not feigned but heartfelt; where charity is freely given
without conditions and people actually enjoy helping other people.

But, we must be careful and not allow the Left to peculate our good thing and introduce social
changes we know to be destructive to a free peoples. Government in the hands of Progressives,
will sweep all that away and the once shining city on the hill idea, as Ronald Reagan coined it,
will be but a footnote in history. We must strive to preserve all of our God given liberties.
Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em! (29Nov18)

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