All the good things accomplished by our County Commission
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| Marilyn Langford |
Unfair and Unbalanced
BY MARILYN LANGFORD
Now let me tell you what has me riled up this week.
The tomfoolery under the gold dome has surpassed my expectations. Even I was surprised that House Bill #1, regarding medical marijuana, the one I commended Rep. Peake of Macon in my column a couple of weeks ago, was dead on arrival. This medicine is the only hope for treating children who have debilitating seizure disorders. Last year, when it failed to pass, the parents of these desperate children were told, “We will pass it next year.” The hype during the campaign season last summer was so positive, that some of those parents who moved to Colorado were packing to come home. However, despite Representative Peake’s good intentions, Governor Deal called Representative Peake into his office and told him, “If it passes, I will veto it.” At that point, Rep. Allen Peake followed the advice of singer Kenny Rogers, “You got to know when to hold ‘em: and know when to fold ‘em.”
I was not surprised that the very controversial “Religious Freedom Preservation Act “ will dominate the session, unless a more discriminatory bill is introduced that brings even more professional homophobes to the Capitol. It is worthy to note that this Bill has yet to be introduced, but the Capitol halls have been packed with religious proponents showing support for this potentially harmful legislation. One of the sponsors of this Bill says this Bill is only meant to protect people from interference of government in their faith. Kudos to Macon Circuit District Attorney David Cooke, who points out that this bill would give permission for parents to abuse their children by saying it was their “religious faith.” Using the same logic, it could allow a husband to beat his wife and then claim it was his religious belief. Who knows what other atrocities could be committed and this law used as a defense. Stay tuned.
We aren’t going to have any bus drivers in 2016! All you parents need to start figuring out how you’re going to go to work and get your children to and from school. Gov. Deal has released his 2015 State budget and buried on page 137 is his intention to eliminate insurance coverage for 11,500 bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and other school positions that are part-time. My guess is the number is larger than that. This goes beyond tomfoolery. Somebody please tell the Governor that bus drivers and other targeted victims mainly work for the state insurance benefit! They certainly don’t work for the high wages or the thrill of being responsible for the lives of so many children every day.
I don’t know why Gov. Deal keeps insisting on taking away healthcare from the working poor. I hope you never forget that he turned down Medicaid Expansion for 600,000 Georgians by refusing $9 million a day of our OWN tax dollars. Now that money is being sent to other states, mostly blue states, because they have Governors who put their citizens’ welfare before politics.
The most unusual thing happened this week. Deal disappeared! I’m not kidding! It happened. The Governor went missing over the weekend and was conspicuously missing from certain MLK Day observances on Monday, highly unusual for a Georgia Governor. It was so strange, social media was rife with rumors that Deal had fled the country to avoid extradition after his upcoming indictment. I, of course, knew it was just a rumor because “if it’s too good to be true, it is.” Upon his return today, his office only said he was in the United Kingdom on a secret mission. I didn’t know he was such a European Man of Mystery!
Reminder: The deadline to enroll in Affordable HealthCare is Feb. 15. If you need help completing paperwork, visit the Monroe County Workforce Development Center, 89 Washington Drive in Forsyth, Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Marilyn Langford of High Falls writes a regular op-ed column in the Reporter sharing the liberal perspective on events.
I am glad to find that the rumors are not true.Contrary
ReplyDeleteto popular belief you are not under witness protection,
you are indeed just reloading and poised to unleash the
wrath of common sense on the self-serving,egotistical,
whine-asses hell bent on proving that ,Yes indeed there
is an I in teiam.
I am afraid That we may have missed the boat on medical
Pot.I thought that after Clinton told the world that yes
I did smoke it, but I didn't inhale, that the world that
was convinced that slick Willy was the second
coming,would finely open their narrow minded eye's and
see the positive side of what for so long was considered
to be the reason America was going to hell in a hand
basket. Unfortunately the powers that be advised Bill
that for the benefit of good we might need to
back-paddle a bit on the pot deal. If Bill had told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,We might be looking at a situation where people with debilitating
illnesses might be able to live in the greatest state in the union free of pain and suffering, instead of freezing their tales off in the mile HIGH city. And yes there would be a lot more college grads that look at an internship as a great opportunity to learn instead of a great way to get a head in life...........just sayin.
As for the R.F.P. Act there might be a silver lining
hidden under all that smoke they are hiding behind in the name of religion.You see, it's against my religion to sit idly by and die quietly because I can not afford the health care I need to maintain a quality of life worth living.You see where I'm heading with this?
As a long time follower and a most of the time Allie of your opinions and beliefs I hope you keep lashing out at the politicians that put the greater need of the people on the back-burner so that they can appease their political affiliation by hindering their opponents.If they keep it up there is no telling ( In the name of god) What I might do......Anybody know a good lawyer?
I appreciate your support of my endeavor. I know it's an uphill, near impossible task, but I hope I can make even a few people think about something sensibly. Health care is high on priority list.
ReplyDeleteGotta tell ya, just happened upon your blog by accident reading about something stupid going on in the state. There's lots of stupid going on in many states. Mostly, it's about elected officials doing the bidding of those who pay them...and apparently those who are foolish enough to vote for them because they make big deals out of protecting your God given right to worship and carry guns and display hate to whomever you like. That they are being used for the larger agenda that ruins our public education system, exploits natural resources, takes away our rights as citizens appears to elude them. Republicans are systematically destroying this country ... for what? What really galls me is the Guiliani comment that Obama doesn't love this country. I believe that is called transference. Attributing qualities to another that apply to yourself. If republicans loved this country, they wouldn't exploit its resources and stoke hate and division for the sake of wealth for the few.
ReplyDeleteI can't speak to Georgia politics, but here in Michigan republicans are destroying our forests and have no concern for the Great Lakes that comprise 20% of the WORLD'S fresh water. They will continue to do so until nothing is left or people wise up. It literally makes me sick. They say all politics are local but most people are being distracted by the us v.s. them mentality which is exactly playing into their hands. How does that change?
Your blog made me laugh and perhaps even inspired me to be more proactive. I'm at that age where I have nothing but time on my hands and a voice.
Bless you for what you do.
Thank you so much! It makes me realize that Georgia isn't the only State going to hell in a hand-basket. Last year Georgia passed a "Guns Everywhere" law. I will never over that stupidity! I hope you will continue reading and commenting.
ReplyDelete