Saturday, February 16, 2013
This letter to the editor was submitted by Jason Pfeifle, field organizer with Georgia Fair Share.
- OPINION
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Saturday, February 16
As reported recently, Georgia Gwinnett College is facing a budget cut of $2.7 million, a cut that could lead to more furlough days for faculty and staff, reduced library hours for students, and a hiring freeze. At a time when Georgia Gwinnett College is growing and expanding, this proposed cut would be a huge blow to its ability to provide the kind of education that these college students deserve. There is a relatively simple solution to this problem. If we close the corporate tax loopholes that allow highly profitable corporations to avoid paying their fair share, we could generate the kind of revenue it would take to avert these proposed cuts. The state of Georgia loses approximately $569 million each year because corporations …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
This poem was read by Claudette Forbes during the Jan. 28 council meeting.
(Editor's note: this poem was sent to the editor by Claudette Forbes. She originally read it during the public comment portion of the Jan. 28 Snellville City Council Meeting. The views expressed are not representative of Patch.) Snellville - The Divided City I love this city, as I have said before And plan to stay here until I am no more The open pastures, peace and tranquility Invited me to Snellville city. Sometimes I go to City Hall Listen to the Mayor and the Councilors all To see how the city is being run Meet my neighbors and have a little fun. But alas! The Council is divided. They oppose each other, they are not united. It is four against two most of the way Been that way since the very first day. The Mayor, some say, should not …
Monday, January 14, 2013
In a Shakespearean-style speech, Anderson asks that the city drop their lawsuit against him
(Editor's note: the following is a letter to the editor sent by George Anderson, a citizen who filed an ethics complaint against Mayor Pro Tem Tom Witts last year. The statements made are the opinion of the author, and they do not represent the views of Snellville Patch. For background information on this letter, scroll to the bottom of the story. Since the items in question are part of a lawsuit, Mayor and council will likely not comment. Anderson originally planned to say this during tonight's council meeting, but determined that his statements would exceed the five-minute time limit. One more thing: his style of writing is based [on purpose] off various plays by William Shakespeare, including Julius Caesar. For comparison, click here.) …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Letter to the Editor: "Congress, without the help of Representative Rob Woodall, finally came together to protect the middle class."
- GOVERNMENT
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Thursday, January 3
(Editor's note: the following is a letter to the editor sent by Jason Pfeifle, field organizer for Georgia Fair Share.) Congress, without the help of Representative Rob Woodall, finally came together to protect the middle class. On Tuesday, Congress passed a bipartisan compromise that extends much needed tax cuts for middle class Georgians and local small businesses. Unfortunately, Representative Rob Woodall, who represents a large number of local Georgians, voted, in effect, for a $2,200 tax hike on middle class families in the midst of a slow economic recovery. By taking money out of the pockets of middle class families, this kind of tax increase would have threatened to derail the progress our state has made since the beginning of the …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
A 'letter to the editor' in response to Rep. Rob Woodall, submitted by Jason Pfeifle, field organizer for Georgia Fair Share.
(Editor's note: the following is a letter to the editor sent by Jason Pfeifle, field organizer for Georgia Fair Share, in response to Rep. Rob Woodall's letter to the editor on the fiscal cliff titled "Rep. Woodall: 'I Will Not be Complicit in Kicking the Can Down the Road.'") The fiscal cliff is quickly approaching, and itʼs time for our elected officials to get something done. In a recent opinion piece in the Snellville Patch, Representative Rob Woodall called for a comprehensive solution to the pending fiscal cliff and outlined what he thinks that solution should look like: reduced government spending, increased revenue through the closing of tax loopholes, and no changes to current tax rates. But, if Rep. Woodall is so concerned about …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The Gwinnett County School Board and Superintendent need to go, according to David Johnson, brother of a young woman who passed away from a rare bacterial infection.
Editor's note: the following is a letter to the editor sent by David Johnson, Hannah Rinehart's brother. Hannah passed away last month from a rare bacterial infection that led to blood poisoning. Her husband, Mark Rinehart, teaches math at South Gwinnett High School. Prior to Hannah's death, Mark and David tried to get a policy changed regarding donated Paid Time Off (PTO). The current policy does not allow faculty members to donate their unused sick days to another teacher if their spouse is ill. The following opinion is that of the author, and does not reflect the views of Patch or its employees. For further background information, see the following stories: ------------------------------- The Gwinnett County School Board and …
Sunday, October 7, 2012
After a long separation, Hank Reid and his family have been reunited with their son after a long tour in Afghanistan.
(Editor's note: this letter to the editor was sent by Hank Reid, found of Trinity Community Culinary Institute.) We often remember those moments in our lives when we can say Christmas came early. I can say that moment for me and my family came at approximately twenty two hundred hours a day and a half ago. My attempts at military lingo may fall short but what my family experienced far exceeded many joyous emotions I can remember. Almost two years ago, a tough but necessary decision was made for my eldest son Davonta to join the Army. Understanding all the risks with the added experience of personal tragedy, my wife and I knew that he was no more safe here as a young man with a mind of his own and no plan for the future, than in the …
Monday, September 10, 2012
This letter to the editor was sent by a Georgia charter school parent who criticizes Georgia PTA's refusal to support the upcoming charter schools amendment.
(Editor's note: this letter to the editor was sent by Rae Anne Harkness.) I am a parent of two children who attend school in south DeKalb County. I have always paid my PTA dues, blindly believing that it was part of being an engaged parent. Last year I had the difficult choice of deciding where to send my daughter for middle school. I liked the local middle school magnet program, but was hesitant to send her there because of school-wide discipline issues. I worried even more because at 11 years old my daughter (who is a gymnast) is very physically fit, but also fully developed and subject to inappropriate comments from older boys. Our home middle school and high school have even more discipline problems. The high school has the lowest …
Monday, August 27, 2012
Vicki Pomeroy sent a letter to the editor about the lack of greeters at Walmart. She asks the question, is it worth firing greeters to increase Walmart's bottom line?
From Snellville resident Vicki Pomeroy: "For many, many years I have heard and read how 'American' Sam Walton and his corporation are. After experiences this weekend, I am seriously beginning to wonder about the validity of those claims. My daughter and I went to the Snellville Walmart on Saturday and were surprised that there were no greeters at the entrance. I guess I had just never noticed how pleasant it was to be greeted by a friendly face when we shopped there. I asked the cashier about the missing greeters while we checked out and was informed that “we don’t have them at the door anymore” and “during busy hours there are usually a few outside of the customer service area." What? I was instantly disheartened by this news, as I …
Karsten Torch
10:33 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Good letter, I commend the effort to prop up our schools. However.... Would it not make more sense for us as a country to get rid of the corporate income tax altogether? It does nothing but make businesses change their numbers around so that they can pay lower tax rates elsewhere. Plus, getting rid of corporate taxes would give us more money in our coffers. Let me explain my though process here, … more ›