[Perrin Lovett] - Minnesota: From Lockdown To Burndown -and- Congratulations To The Class Of COVID-19

Ah, another major rewrite in the interests of providing up-to-date coverage of more current events. This column was originally drafted early, as the secondary title suggests, as a commencement address of sorts to the Corona’d Class of Twenty. I had some good wishes and advice in-store, which honestly, would have been largely ignored. (At eighteen I would not have followed most of what I wrote). Anyway, other things happened and are still unfolding. I’ll hold the graduation thoughts for another time, minus a few cogent points, below, and this: Congratulations, kids! We’re proud of you.

You might have heard about some unpleasantness in the Twin Cities and that such was spreading into other areas and states. Let’s discuss that with a little background:

1913: European communists colluded with American charlatans to create the Federal Reserve System. (Bear with me here). Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) supplanted US Dollars as currency, which by the terms of the FR Act, they are not. This was and is blatantly unconstitutional. The ancient, dead Parchment was amended, however, so as to directly steal money in a necessary scheme to prop up the new and illegal bank, and to wrest from the Several States the last of their input power in Congress. Very few cared then or care now.

1913-1990: Minnesota, to include Minneapolis, has demographics part Scandinavia and part cheese wheel.

1990 - Present: Diversity flows into the State and particularly into Minneapolis and Saint Paul. We are told this is our greatest strength. (I'm getting there...)

2009: Special outsider activist and attorney Jacob Frey moves to Minneapolis from the Coastal East with the intention of becoming Mayor and assisting with the, uh, transformation.

2018: Frey was sworn in as Mayor. 

2010-2020(?): At some point within the past few years, Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin and local black resident George Floyd worked together at a Minneapolis Latino nightclub. They had to know each other. This is far from the only anomaly in this episode.

May (-June?) 2020: Police responded to a complaint that Floyd allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill at a local delicatessen. As we know, any and all “real” FRNs are counterfeit by their nature. The standard for proving malicious use of a counterfeit counterfeit is to show the suspect knew the bill was fake and intended to use it anyway. This is a relatively high standard and difficult to prove in court. Most such cases are dropped or pled down. In this case, Officer Chauvin responded along with at least three other officers, and as you’ve likely seen in the video, killed the unarmed, handcuffed, and seemingly compliant Floyd in what might best be described as a murder.

The four officers were rapidly fired amid an outrage. Local blacks, blacks in other areas, and many other people (Yours Truly included, maybe even you) are naturally incensed regarding the matter. However, things quickly become (more) violent and political.

Nation-healing interloper Frey plays all sides. On the one hand, he sues for peace while threatening military action in the event of (more) violence. On the other, he suggested the police would not have killed a white person under similar circumstances. He is either unaware of or chose to forget about Justine Ruszczyk, white, and shot dead by the Minneapolis police in 2017 when they responded to her 911 call. Your memory is okay: there were no White Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2017. Frey and other people continue to say more stupid things.

All hell breaks loose. Rioting in the Twin Cities makes international headlines. Violence spreads to other states. The National Guard is called in. Frey stokes. Trump Tweets. Some fool threatens to bring violence to the suburbs. (Some people in some of the burbs are waiting on him).

In a scene straight from the pages of Charles Sheehan-Miles’s novel Republic, a CNN crew broadcasts their own direct encounter with police brutality. They are arrested though later released. Ex-Officer Cauvin is then arrested. Real mobs gather around his house, facing off against his former co-workers, after some very funny business with a reporter and a rent-a-mob.

The protests, which look a lot like civil unrest or civil war, spread to New York, LA, Louisville, KY, Columbus, OH, et cetera.

That’s where we stood when I last checked Friday afternoon. In a few weeks, some of the same “protesters” who torched the Target, the AutoZone, the bank, and the liquor store will loudly yell about the lack of cheap merchandise, auto parts, cash, and Ripple in the neighborhood. There is no justice, really.

We’ve seen this before - truly shocking attacks that represent real injustice. However, agendas lurk everywhere, sensationalizing certain cases at the expense of others. And, let’s not bring in statistics about crime, police brutality, or who commits either against whom. Nobody likes numbers and charts.

Just as you’ve gotten used to wearing the fear masks, you might get used to this sort of nightly spectacle. Imagine it nationwide, thrice as intense, maybe with a few heavy bombing runs and some armor on the streets, and you’ll have a good mental image of a possible not-too-distant future. We hope for the best nonetheless.

Graduates, a little advice: 1) GET OUT OF THE CITIES! 2) Really consider moving somewhere remote, either here or abroad. You didn’t create this mess and you need not suffer the failures and stupidity of others. 3) Strongly consider what the great Ali once said about “bluebirds and redbirds.” 4) Develop a healthy distrust of governments and their cronies (especially international banksters).

Soon, hopefully, I’ll have the rest of the advice that I probably would not have heeded myself. And, soon and hopefully, we’ll have this episode in societal collapse behind us. ACAB? Some are, all are not; it’s the same with you, me, us, and them. Let’s not lose sight of the real challenge of our time: I saw plenty of masks but little social distancing in the riot news footage. We can do better. Zoomers, we're looking (proudly) at you.

- Perrin Lovett

Fellow Terry College of Business (UGA) grad Brother Perrin Lovett is a true renaissance gentleman & scholar. A recovering attorney, he's into guns & cigars, and the US Constitution. A published author, Prepper columnist & YouTube personality, and an acclaimed blogger, TPC is very proud to have our old friend on board as the C.F. Floyd Feature Writer of National Affairs. 

Click here to read Perrin's various writings at TPC. 

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COVERING THE GLORIOUS GEORGIA PIEDMONT

| Covington, GA | Newton Co. |

[Bess Tuggle] - IMHO, The Week in Review: Welcome Back #148; More Concerns w/ Newton Co BOC

I’d like to start with a moment of silence for all that have given their -all- for our country. “Thank you” is not a worthy word for your service. There really isn’t a word to describe it. The best I can do is bow my head in respect to honor the best of our best.

WELCOME BACK #148!!! And THANK YOU for your service! Again, no words can describe my gratitude and respect.

There’s really not a whole lot left new to review, IMHO,

Covington’s 4^th of July fest has been moved September 6^th. Labor Day weekend. Be there, or be square! (I know that’s lame, but sometimes I can’t help it)

Layla Zon has been appointed to replace Sammy Ozburn as a Superior Court Judge. I don’t know how this happened. (In my best Forest Gump impression) That’s all I have to say about that.

The whopper of the week goes to our dear Newton County Commissioners! As our property taxes go up, they’re giving Lidl a $200,000 break in permitting and review fees. I WANT THAT DEAL!!! It doesn’t even stop there. Over the course of 9 years Lidl get’s to enjoy a tax-abatement deal. Taxes will be abated or reduced. For real property, the tax valuation will start at 5% in year one moving up to 90% in year nine. I’m more than willing to bet $1.00 (signed) that it will change names/company organizations before those “benefits” run out.

And I hope we all go out and vote.

- Bess Tuggle

[Perrin Lovett] - Breaking The Hammer: Fables Of The Paper Eagle

Greetings! Another week and more affairs, some pertaining to the wider world, in that uniquely American way. Those of you who spent the weekend fellating the current “heroes” probably won’t understand or like the following. Tough. However, I’m proud to say that you might be compensated when a “hero” visits you in person before too long - gun in one hand, syringe in the other! 

There’s so much happening with homeschooling and the death of the public schools that I almost ran with that. (Dead schools, dead horse, I know). But, the CDC has effectively recommended disbanding the “schools.” For once, I agree with the CDC! 

Also, I had to alter this column slightly when some brand new (decades-old) news broke over the weekend. I did so. Sometimes it’s hard to write a national affairs column about a nation that died around the time I was born - at least, with a straight face. While the original main body, below, concerns the ongoing collapse of the US Empire overseas, there is a domestic story to tell first.

Back in 1969, the residents of Tribeca noticed a new construction site at 33 Thomas Street, a phenomenon not unheard of in Manhattan. By 1974, the new building was finished and open for business; an ugly 33-story tower at home among many others. This one was different. People noticed, though for years they said nothing, that the building had no windows. Blank concrete walls rose to the sky, topped by a bunch of antennas. After initially accepting the cover story that the odd structure was only an AT&T transfer station - which it was and is, in part - the truth emerged: it was (and is) also an NSA listening post.

I know, I know, the blind homers of C-town don’t care ‘bout no Yankee city. And you don’t have to, a similar post in downtown Atlanta being much closer. While they still serve various purposes, these facilities have become somewhat obsolete - being replaced by those personal spy devices that you’re reading this on at the moment. 

The NSA itself, born in 1952 out of other nefarious government programs, was long the subject of controversy - not about what it did, but rather, about the tin-foil nuts who suggested it was real. As recently as thirty years ago, the existence of the agency was deemed a crank conspiracy theory. (I’ve come to accept “conspiracy theory” as synonymous with “hard fact.”) As the years passed, other programs were mentioned: Carnivore, Echelon, DCS1000, Boundless Informant, Galileo, FISA, etc. I remember discussing some of these, back in the day, with MB - back when we thought something bad was going to happen to America. Ah, the naivety of youth.

There is a popular, progressive semantic system for handling any such claims when they surface: 1) It doesn’t exist; crazy conspiracy theory; 2) It might exist, but you’re still crazy; 3) Okay, it exists, but it’s for the better, and 4) Hey! Look over there! 

With all of this in mind, how is the revelation about Obama’s “Hammer” in any way new or surprising? I’d be surprised if he hadn’t built it, a mere improvement on and expansion of what his predecessors conjured. My question is: What will we do about it? The short answer is “nothing.” Nobody in the government cares, this being their baby. The media is kicking around between numbers two and four, above. There are no white hats, nor sealed military indictments. The usual suspects smugly chuckle. The people - fat, stupid, and lazy - step and fetch while wearing masks. 

The Empire is really only good for three things: lying, destroying, and controlling. It keeps getting its way at home because of declining IQs, the subsumption of Americans in Amerika, the masked hoax, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. But overseas, it is beginning to feel the hard bite of reality. Heck, even now, 

The Empire Collapses!

Orange Man wants to nuke something - maybe some hapless stretch of desert or an innocent island. A live detonation would confirm or deny what we’ve been getting for decades from subcritical computer runs. Of course, they could just lie about the results, the way they lie about everything else. This proposed testing would require using at least one atomic device, and the truth is that our supply is a little short. My guess is that only about ten percent of the Empire’s nuclear arsenal is operational. The lapdogs subtly confirm this with their boasts about soon being able to produce 40, 60, 80 triggers per year (they call them “pits”). Tritium requires refreshment and that requires technical know-how. That, we no longer have.

Russia: Ever since the fathers of the neocons crawled out of the Trotskyite purge, they have hated Russia with a passion. War with the Big Bear is their eternal pipe dream. The fact that a dozen Pentagram simulations and RAND Corp. scenarios say that this would be suicidal does not deter these idiots as they are fact-proof. For funsies, compare the SU-57 to the F-35 or any other US design. This is like comparing a real, functional fifth-generation fighter to a problem-plagued clump of scrap aluminum fueled by excuses and deflections. Then, repeat that comparison across the full spectrum of weaponry while remembering that the Ruskies don’t brook transvestites, callous busybody judges, or SJWs.

China: China has few historical qualms with the Empire. They were our alley against the Japanese after FDR decided to make an enemy out of the Japanese. But, China is not Japan and this isn’t 1941. Repeat the Russia assessment, minus the overkill nuclear potential. Again, the morons on the western banks of the Potomac know they cannot win a war with China. China knows this and is beginning to act like it. Why the rapid removal of aircraft from Guam last month? Why the redirection of the Seventh Fleet? Something is going on in the western Pacific. It’s generally called “contraction.”

Iran: When the people of Iran threw off the monarchy the CIA had imposed on them, they earned the ire of the neo-nuts and their kin in Israel. Lie after sanction after sanction after covert operation after lie followed. In January, the world learned something about Iran that the few in the know suspected and that anyone moderately schooled in Persian history should have: Iran now has regional parity with the Empire. Years of sanctions forced them to innovate and to call on Russia and China. The result: murder their diplomat by drone and they will utterly destroy your drone warfare capabilities. Overnight, their ballistic missiles joined the top-tier. Any bets on their cruise, anti-ship, or anti-aircraft batteries?

Venezuela: Only Washington could be so arrogant and stupid as to want a war with a poor country currently self-destructing. They tried a naval maneuver last year, only to be checked by one lone Russian missile cruiser (of the kind that quelled the earlier Syrian expedition). Then, came the pathetic, B-movie, Bay of Pigs 2.0, which MB, Da, and I could have pulled off better. If the goal was to amuse Maduro to the point of tears, then “mission accomplished.” Orange Man said something stupid about the affair even as his handlers denied involvement. That might have been his “super-duper” line, but again, he has so many. PS: It’s small, but the FANB’s defensive capability might surprise as Iran did.

The Rest: The Empire temporarily overran and subdued Panama back in 1989. For their part, the Panamanians were so used to corruption and terror that they barely noticed the Marines. A few years before that, the 82nd Airborne and the entirety of the Special Forces Command somehow managed to defeat the superpower that was Grenada, overcoming both the waves of the Caribbean and two Cubans armed with slingshots. Those two exceptional exceptions aside, the Empire hasn’t won a war, without massive Soviet assistance, in over 100 years. This century, despite perpetual deployment, they have demonstrated that they simply cannot win, no matter how poorly armed, equipped, organized, or fed the opponent. 

And, the wars of the last 20-30 years have been against third-rate countries and/or CIA-created non-groups. They can kill and displace millions of poor people. They can waste trillions of dollars. But, they can’t win, unless winning is defined as pouring money on the grifter commercial banks. Running out of options and knowing the score, the fools become desperate - desperate enough to contemplate war with countries that can fight back, fend off, or even vanquish a dying superpower. I don’t think - hey, the oil tankers made it - that Venezuela is on the table. However, some combination of Russia, China, and Iran is. There will be at least one more foreign war. The Empire will lose, embarrassingly, and be forced into further retreat. Then comes the unpleasant but, seemingly - I guess, necessary actions of “2033.” The good news, there and then, is that the same RAND models see no means for an Imperial victory on that front either. 

The Hammer will break on the anvil.

- Perrin Lovett

Fellow Terry College of Business (UGA) grad Brother Perrin Lovett is a true renaissance gentleman & scholar. A recovering attorney, he's into guns & cigars, and the US Constitution. A published author, Prepper columnist & YouTube personality, and an acclaimed blogger, TPC is very proud to have our old friend on board as the C.F. Floyd Feature Writer of National Affairs. 

Click here to read Perrin's various writings at TPC. 

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COVERING THE GLORIOUS GEORGIA PIEDMONT

| Covington, GA | Newton Co. |

Bess Tuggle's Memoirs of Surviving Children: Snoopy the Cussin' Bird

Cuss words were not a big problem when my kid’s were growing up, believe it or not.  I was a cabinet builder for 11 years, the office manager for a beef cattle ranch and well drilling business for 10; I was frequently referred to as the “token female.”  Add 4 lil’ boys to the equation and my filter was completely shot.  When Mama let it fly it just came out, and they knew to run and hide. 

            We -did- have one hard, fast rule though.  They were -never- allowed to cuss me.  I was the holder of the paddle, and used it accordingly!  They were also never allowed to cuss in public.  If it was in the yard, or on the property, it was called “Deer Camp Talk” and was acceptable.   Take away the animosity, the taboo, and cussing no longer held any appeal.  One of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten came from my favorite “rent-a-kid.”  I raised them all with “supervised chaos.”

            There were a lot pets over the years.  You name it, we had it.  The ones that consume my mind right now were our rescue birds.

            There was a lady in Social Circle that moved in with her mom to help her go through end-stage cancer.  Her mom had several birds.  It was a sad situation.  When she moved her cats in, in was a -bad- situation.  She listed birds as looking for a new home, and we ended up with 3.

            Snoopy was an umbrella cockatoo.  He was a big ol’ boy, 11 years old.  Peachy was a smaller cockatoo, but I can’t remember what kind – we had a love/hate relationship.  Or maybe I should say a hate/hate relationship.  We never got along.  Then there was “Rocky.”  A sun conure that fell in love with my youngest son.  As we were looking at the birds I heard the owner’s daughter say “By the way, don’t go near…”  That’s when we turned and saw the conure kissing Thing 4 through the cage while he petted her head.  That bird was given to him.

            One of the birds, Snoopy, was actually purchased for a captain as a gift to his wife and daughters.  I only had a couple weeks with the bird, but we developed a bond.  Then off he went.

            About a month later, Snoopy came back home!  Said captain’s wife and daughters’ were afraid of him.  Snoop had a really nice back porch enclosure at his other home, but he was also really loud.  After 3 $65 tickets for “noise nuisance” in their subdivision he came back.  Heaven help me, I got him back.

            Snoop, Snoopy, Loopy, Snoop-Man TERRORIZED the house!  And my children helped him!!!

            If you had a piece of pizza, you had to share it with the bird.  He’d chase you down until he got a bite.  He also had a penchant for coffee and tequila, not to mention chasing our pit bull down just to bite his tail.  You couldn’t turn your back on a beer if he was out.  Chewing -anything- and everything was a given.

            The worse thing was the -bird’s- vocabulary!  I blame the boys!!!

            Snoopy learned “Mama” first.  Go figure.  He’d start screaming it, at the top of his lungs (umbrellas are LOUD), every time I pulled in the driveway after work.  “Mama, mama, Mama, MAMA!!!” due to the influence of my boys’…  Then he learned how to bark, thanks to our dogs. 

            Snoopy was finally taught the “F” bomb.  He would -scream- it as loud as he could when he wanted attention.  Over and over and over.  I could teach my boys not to say it in public, but the bird wasn’t havin’ none of it.  He had a mind of his own.  Thankfully, it was tough to pronounce “f” without lips.  Most folks didn’t understand what he was saying, but we did.  He also learned to “shoot a bird.”  Not an easy feat for kids that couldn’t pick-up their own laundry, or clean their rooms, to teach a bird to give you the middle finger.  But they did.

            The Loop Man finally moved to California with my eldest, Thing 1, where he was a happy hangar bird – until he fell in love.  I got thrown in the ditch.  Snoop fell for a cute, disabled blond that worked from home and could give him all the love and attention he needed and deserved without kids, dogs, cats and other distractions.

            I threatened my boys’ that I’d will the bird to whoever I was pissed the most at when I wrote my will.  Umbrella’s live to be approximately 75 years old, even with bad habits (Snoopy smoked, too).  My boys’ are safe, for the time being.  I ain’t making no long term promises though.  Still have my heart set on a capuchin monkey.

- Bess Tuggle 

 

A jack of all trades, Ms. Tuggle has been a Covington resident since the late 70’s. She's been a K-Mart cashier, cabinet builder, vet tech, office manager for a beef cattle ranch and water well company (where she was able to hold benefits for D.A.R.E. and Scouts), a court reporter, business manager, assistant at a private investigation firm, legal assistant, convenience store clerk, landscaper and elementary school substitute teacher.  Her greatest pleasure is being a wife, mother and grandmother.  Her stories are all real, and all names will be withheld to protect the innocent, and also maybe the guilty, depending on the crime & the Statute of Limitations.  

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Click here to read a sampling of Bess's columns 

The Piedmont Chronicles

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On the C-town Beat w/ MB: Square to Become Traffic Nightmare of Biblical Proportions? #COV "Messing Up"; Amici's Back! Odds & Ends

*Ed. note: never oversell the lede

Greetings, Good People, & welcome back...we're so glad you could attend. 



The Square

So the home city's been doing a little work on our beloved town square & folks - it ain't looking good. Well, aesthetically & visually, I think it will look pretty good, actually, but in terms of that ever-important traffic flow, I think we might've just screwed the pooch.

The changes made to the east side of the Square at the Church & Floyd intersection are going to cause one helluva bottleneck as now drivers will not be able to hit the inner lane & head west to avoid the back-up at the Floyd St stop sign. This, naturally, will have an adverse effect of the rest of the traffic pattern.

I think it's going to be just terrible, my friends. Just TERRIBLE!

And we won't even get into Pace St yet (we will though).

The City of Covington 

It's pretty much a consensus view that the current council has really mucked things with the whole Main St/ED/??? change. Not only is it a big damn mess, but it's actually going to cost MORE money than it did previously (and w/ the Vogtle utility increases, not to mention the CPC [Communist Party of Covington] giveaways, get ready for a big, thick, throbbing tax increase).

But hey - at least we took back our city, so there's that.

Also, the 4th of July's been cancelled, which, actually, seems fitting given the current state of things.

###

And then there's Fleeta.

It's May of 2020; she's not even 5 months in.

I almost feel sorry for her...

AMICI'S!!1! 

That magical spot on College Ave is finally back open for business! This writer made a point to swing by yesterday for a quick one to celebrate their reopening, as I did again today. I believe the Gentlemen's Club will be meeting tomorrow afternoon as well. Remember to try the Ranch & to tip handsomely!

Odds & Ends 

Moe's is closed, as is Long John Silver's & presumably Ross. Look for several more businesses to fold over the coming weeks & months.

What a shame.

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Okay for now, stay safe & well. 

-  MB McCart 

[Perrin Lovett] - The CFF 2020 Too Early Football Preview Spectacular!

---FROM THE TPC SPORTS DESK---

IT’S TIME! for something seriously fun which affects all of us. As Amerikan as Korean baseball, football is much more important than some other things. I have high hopes this column posts sometime before August.

Are you - hang on, how would that sound, drunk, and through an N-95? War Mu Rebby Por Dum Uuubaaaaaaaahhhh??????!!!!!!!!!!!

It may not be ready for you. This season, the NFL may become formally known as the National Fanless League. In place of real obese and gaudily-attired fans in the stands, the masters just might give us the CGI facsimile. All things being unequal, this could be an improvement for the Falcons. For funsies, the computer nerds could liven things up by inserting a digital Jabba The Hutt lounging lower level on the fifty or maybe floating mega-COVIDs darting in and around plays. Facemask penalty! Get it?

Without fans, will cheerleaders be needed? If so, might they be rendered digital cartoons of some kind? This sportswriter wonders if player fear-masks might feature a “pink puppy” design in honor of National Breast Month. I figure the season will be cut short during the middle of the Komen Kon anyway. Second wave, etc. 

The Georgia Faithful surely remember standout Deandre Baker, a legend who now plays for one of those pro teams nobody cares about. He might not mask up at all, a victim of a house party gone wrong in Miramar, Florida. The worst news, really. Now, the best:

BULLDAWG NATION ----- THIS IS THE YEAR!!!!!!

At long last, this will be the season that the annual meeting of the UGA Next Year Club will be held via Zoom. I figure that, if the season even starts, it will end 4 and 2, with the telethon to happen on or around Tuesday, October the 13th. It’ll be like the union of also-rans who proudly disclaim 2/3rds of their national championships with a technology built more for porn hacking than for conferencing. I’m excited.

Well, that’s all for today! If you’re in the mood for something utterly trivial, like the possible origins and purposes of the Hoax of 2020, consider clicking HERE.

- Perrin Lovett

CFF Feature Writer Editor, Freedom Prepper

Bess Tuggle's IMHO: The Week in Review - Newton Co Looking to Raise Property Taxes

A little good news to start this weekly review.  Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center is opening up “Wild” summer camp opportunities!  For those that haven’t been, Charlie Elliot, located in Mansfield, is an -awesome- place for children and adults alike.  Camps are for children from age 7 to 16, and there are day and overnight camps available.  Call Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center at (770) 784-3059 or visit their website www.georgiawildlife.com/camps.  From personal experience (through Scouts and school field trips) all their programs are safe, well run, and ALL FUN!

As Newton County Schools consider calendar options, Rockdale County Schools are planning ahead for budget cuts.  Not raising taxes, but where they can cut their costs to stay within budgets.  GO Rockdale County Schools!!!  Here’s hoping for a “trickle down” effect on Newton (schools and government in general).

Now it comes down to “The things that make me go ‘hhhmmmm…’”

The Covington grant program for small business is expanding.  Overseen by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), the grant expansion is being open to qualifying business’s inside Covington City Limits, as opposed to being limited to the Central Business District.  Funding for the grants is what I question.  “The council designated $200,000 for the program, with the funds coming from the city’s MEAG trust fund, which is made up of revenue generated by the city’s electric utility.”  (Per the Newton Citizen)  Hold on and back up here.   

Revenue generated by the city’s electric utility?   

I know it hasn’t been long since I read that electric rates were going up to cover Covington’s debt to Plant Vogle.  Shouldn’t revenue go toward debt service before going to business grants? Someone help me out here, ‘cause it makes me go “Hhhhhmmm…”

(Deep breath.  I’m not gonna cuss, I’m not gonna cuss, I’m not gonna cuss…)

Newton County commissioners are considering a millage rate increase to cover the cost of their proposed budget due to a decrease in revenue thanks to Covid-19.  See Rockdale County Schools – aren’t some budget cuts in order?  Using Covid-19 to justify an increase sounds like a lame excuse to me.  While I don’t doubt there’s been a decrease in revenue, have they considered the savings incurred while employees worked from home?  The government buildings are still there, but their expenses should have gone down considerably.  Lower utilities (electric, water), trash service, cleaning services, general miscellaneous products (toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex, hand sanitizer…), just to name a few.  I’d like to see a line-by-line budget report.  I think we, the citizens, are entitled to it.  I ain’t holding my breath though.

Early voting begins Monday, May 18^th.  GET OUT AND VOTE, FOLKS!!!  Get out and VOTE!

- Bess Tuggle