Comments from our readers:
I AM SORRY, my friends, but you can't call yourself a Republican if you don't support Andre Bauer. We need to get down to the real issues with practical solutions, not broad policies. Our political leaders shouldn't have to be euphemistic about what is going on. I support his stance and theory about how we are facilitating governmental assistance.
WHY DOES AUGUSTA government have to go all the way to Boston to hire a "master planner" who then gets half a million dollars belonging to local taxpayers to pretend to plan by offering "conceptual sketches"? Master planners work for government, and every time government tries to think it works better than private business, it fails and breaks the taxpayer.
EVERYTHING OBAMA has done to make more jobs has instead caused more jobs to disappear. Everything he says works backwards. So listen to him, then figure the opposite of what he says will happen.
THIS IS A RANT for the Harlem Police Department. I am a single mom in Harlem, and I am starting to get a little scared concerning the drug activity in Harlem. If the Harlem police would start up some sort of neighborhood watch program, I would be the first to sign up.
THIS IS A RANT about public servants and elected officials that will not respond to e-mails. I sent an e-mail to four South Carolina representatives and three South Carolina senators asking for their help in getting the word out to all Aiken County voters about the very great need to pass a school bond referendum. Only one of these seven elected officials even bothered to respond.
CONGRESS CONSIDERING a 2,600-page bill on any subject whatsoever is proof we are living in an idiocracy.
THE MORE OBAMA talks, the more one realizes that Joe Wilson was right.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE -- no more articles about Jimmie Dyess. We get it. He was a war hero. What is this obsession The Chronicle has with him and those constant columns from Perry Smith?
I WAS RECENTLY in your city to see the Futurity, which gets a rave. It was wonderful. In between, we drove around your lovely city and the surrounding areas, and I could not believe the amount of trash that I saw on the side of the roads. Everything from mattresses to tires to garbage sacks. Maybe you should think of changing the name of your city to the Garbage City instead of the Garden City.
Listen up Ranter #1 - Calling yourself a Republican isn't the answer. This country needs to get away from the 'bowling shirt' mentality where it's all about winning the argument, or showing up the other side, and nothing about doing the work of the US citizens who sent them to Washington in the first place. Progress and partnership is needed not under-handed roadblocks, lips pressed tightly together, and arms folded over chests. That's just political grandstanding and we the people have had enough of that.
Somebody has to try and slow down the out of control O-Train before it derails and takes us all with it into the gaping chasm.
"Master planners work for government, and every time government tries to think it works better than private business, it fails and breaks the taxpayer." Huh? Do I need more coffee or something? Aren't master planners private business?
Ranter #3 - That is not "entirely" correct. Check out this snippet from today's The Washington Times:
"The era of big government has returned with a vengeance, in the form of the largest federal work force in modern history.
The Obama administration says the government will grow to 2.15 million employees this year, topping 2 million for the first time since President Clinton declared that "the era of big government is over" and joined forces with a Republican-led Congress in the 1990s to pare back the federal work force. "
I find it sad that Joe Wilson had to make his blurt on national tv and even sadder that it's taking so many so long to realize it wasn't a blurt, it was a statement of fact.
LOL on the Garbage City suggestion. Can you say "subsidy city"? Personal responsibility isn't real big in a subsidy city.
Ranter #6 re: The 2,600 page bill. What a very appropriate use of that word! For those who may not know, here is the explanation from Wikipedia:
"Idiocracy is a 2006 comedic film, directed by Mike Judge and starring Luke Wilson and Maya Rudolph.
The film tells the story of two ordinary people who are taken into a top-secret military hibernation experiment that goes awry, and awaken 500 years in the future. They discover that the world has degenerated into a dystopia where advertising, commercialism, and cultural anti-intellectualism run rampant and dysgenic pressure has resulted in a uniformly stupid human society devoid of individual responsibility or consequences.
Despite its lack of a major theatrical release, the film has achieved a cult following."
How are all these things working out for everybody?
On this date in history:
In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, decreeing that the right to vote shall not be denied on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.
In 1913, the 16th Amendment, allowing establishment of an income tax, became part of the U.S. Constitution after ratification by Wyoming.
In 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama was reportedly considering tougher sanctions against Iran after that nation's launch of its first space satellite.
Also in 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a bill expanding a popular health insurance program for children.
4th rant, isnt it the job of the neighborhood to decide to request the watch and the cops provide the support? i think you are ranting in the wrong direction....
Idiocracy is a sad but true statement. The dumbing down of America continues, government dependants grow faster than jobs, and why work when the government will provide? If there is no 'benfit' to working, other than supporting yourself, many on the government 'teet' feel no inclination to change. We need to quit making life so easy on the ones that choose to do nothing. Change welfare to 'workfare'. Sure we'll give you this government money, but you are going to pick up trash, or clean parks, or paint public property. Stop giving money for nothing and you will 1)reduce the unemployment rate 2)reduce government costs.
Write-In 'Unbelievable' in 2012!
1. Voting someone into office base on political party is what is wrong with this country today. 2. It does seem that they could have hired a "planner" from at least within the state. 3. Refer to no. 1. 4. Naming a place Harlem was kind of asking for it, wasn't it? 5. Refer to no. 1, plus - because of no. 6. they don't have time to do anything else. 6. Duh! 7. uh-ha 8. If you don't want to read it , turn the page. 9. I think the people of Augusta must be used to it. It is one of the first things I notice about this city. Just in case the people haven't been out of town for awhile, most places clean up the trash every so often. Maybe the city should be renamed "Audumpsta."
I have to add one more to my list of campaign promises kept by the president. "I will control wastefull spending." With his 3.8 TRILLION dollar budget, he has all the control he needs. Promise kept.
Why does SC have 3 senators? Is it a special needs state?
To the Garbage City ranter. I agree with you. Imagine the dismay of the local "county" taxpayers who were told that the "county" wide mandatory $286 trash fee they stick on to our property taxes would fix the road litter problems. Now we still have the mattresses, tires, trash bags, etc. along our streets and roads and we are paying twice what we should be paying for mediocre mandatory trash service. Well, I should say the "county" residents are paying twice what we should be paying since our "consolidated" government still illegally discriminates between "city" residents and "county" residents in the amount of fees that we are charged. Another great idea our illustrious commissioners stuck us with that did not work. It was never about trash collection, it was about a profit making revenue stream for the "city" government funded by "county" property owners.
Good morning all. It's me again. To the Garbage City ranter, that's not garbage. Augusta is going green. Those, tires, mattresses and crack pipes one sees on the side of the road are carefully placed there for recycling. If you are moving to South Augusta you merely stop, pick up what you need and whaalaa....the old is new again. Sorry....the crack pipes were intended for South Augusta but according to some single mom they are being taken to Harlem.
On the trash problem, I know all of it does not, but a great deal of the trash on our roadway is deposited there by the for hire trash collectors. I have found myself following dumpsters spewing all manner of refuse. Where I live there is a tarp law but a simple cheap blue plastic cover will not keep loose paper and other light garbage contained at 50 to 70 miles an hour. I don't suppose the tires and maybe even a mattress came from one of these but the tarp law should be more heavily enforced to reduce the amount of small light and very unsightly litter that one can't miss seeing on almost any public road or highway in this country. I guess it does give the judges an alternative in sentencing offenders. Maybe a sentence of picking up litter for the drivers of a dumpster truck spraying jetsam would give them incentive to secure their load before the journey to the landfill. As for the rest of it, some people have a total lack of respect and could care less what our world looks like.
Do U want to know what's wrong with this country....well this is an example :::Grady Hosp. has lawsuits against it because they can't continue giving FREE dialysis treatment to many illegals.. Their attorneys are advising them to protest & make the hosp. look like the bad boy. They have been offered free trips back to their home country & they refused.. SOOO while Grady goes in the tank because of loss of money,,the hosp. now has to fight this lawsuit.. The taxpayer "US" have NO rights.. We pay the bill & will also pay the lawyers for these folks.. We have lost our minds & need to either start another revolution or just give it over to to the freebie sucking leeches.. I could care less about being pc anymore.. So don't read my posts if U are looking for PC..
People are finally seeing the light, slowly but surely.
Yep sure do. I see the light from the sun is shining through the blinds, and it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Good morning.
I have to agree with the rant about GArbage City. I just wonder why they didn't mention all the potholes in the streets as well. Sure glad I moved to North Augusta where the streets are not only clean, but repaired as necessary.
a. Ok, I won't call myself Republican. Won't sign on w/DEM either.I agree with the bowling shirt analogy.
b. Why do we elect people who are so incapable of doing a task they must purchase studies? If this is above their paygrade, we need better people or more pay.
c. You forgot both Houses of Convicts in your criticism.
d. Drugs are being sold in every neighborhood in the USA. Legalize them, make our neighborhoods safer.
e. Staffs are cut due to lack of state funds. Don't expect to save taxes and get emails too.
f. When you combine bills, amendments, plain english translations, the health care reform legislation topped 5,000 pages of Gobbledygook.
g. Virtually all politicians lie. Any politician who actually has the cahoneys to get up and tell his voters the truth will be run off the podium.
h. Ranter wants no more rolls of those Dyess.
i. Well, well. You drove around some of our less lovely areas did you? I am quite curious of any "economic impact" you may have made in those areas of town you call trashy.
Are you out of your simplistic mind? What do you think will happen when drug kingpins compete? You think they will create a safer community? Or is it just that you want more access to drugs?
No. Legalize the production and manufacture to put the illegal market out of business, similar to the effects of the repeal of prohibition. Controlling the access of formerly illegal drugs is the right thing to do. As for my personal access, I can go to my Dr, get any scrip I need. Just because a person chooses to purchase "illegal" drugs instead shouldn't make them a criminal.
The drug laws of this country are silly and discriminatory. A person of means with good health insurance can go to their GP with any ol complaint and obtain "legal" drugs at the pharmacy, with just a small co-pay. Let those without means desire to relieve their stress in their most obtainable way, get caught, and it destroys their lives.
Drug laws are huge business. Prisons, courts, law enforcement, all generate massive industry fighting the "drug war". Meanwhile, our violent criminals prey upon drug users who must risk their lives to obtain what those with means can get safely and without fear of prosecution.
Indeed, I say legalize drugs, release non violent drug offenders, and begin the controlled and taxed legal distribution of drugs. If that is objectionable to you, I ask if you'll agree to outlaw the sale and consumption of alcohol and tobacco, which have destroyed far too many lives, yet are available to those of age who desire to use them.
Ayeti, you must have watched 'Lopez' the other nite. "Get it legal". The theme song of Cheech & Chong's new tour.
I used to like George Lopez, no longer. I've never seen his latenight show.
For the record, I am for legalization and mostly for the reasons you stated Ayeti. Doesn't make sense to spend the kind of money we do on this 'war on drugs' which is a completely lost war.
Don't normally watch him myself, but that nite the three of them were high as kites (George, Cheech, and Tommy)! For those that missed it, it's on demand.
For the money we have wasted on the war on drugs, we could have assigned a counselor to every crackhead in America.
My company's simple rule on drugs: "I don't care what you do on your time. If any customer ever alleges you were high or drunk on the job, you'll immediately be suspended without pay, and if it's proven, you're gone, no second chances." "If you are hurt on the job and fail a drug and alcohol test, you're gone, no second chances."
Important note: By endorsing the legalization of drugs, I do not suggest limiting any company or government agency requiring workers to be drug free. In fact, I support drug testing of all subsidy recipients. I endorse legalization, not condoning or promoting the use of drugs.
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