GwinnettForum | Number 20.66 | Sept. 15, 2020
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO is be on the campus of Georgia Gwinnett College. Immediately, one aspect hits you: the campus is most diverse. In fact, it’s tops in diversity among Southern regional colleges. See more details in Upcoming below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Congress, not the president, only has powers to write tax laws
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Allen Buckley bases his Senate campaign on totally new tax plan
ANOTHER VIEW: California hair salon owner is now her new hero
SPOTLIGHT: Walton Gas
FEEDBACK: Highlights problems with obtaining absentee ballots
UPCOMING: Once again, GGC ranks No. 1 in Southern regional college diversity
NOTABLE: Lilburn yard of Krauses features 200 species of native plants
RECOMMENDED: A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
GEORGIA TIDBIT: LaGrange Art Museum focuses on primarily Southern art
MYSTERY PHOTO: This structure has quite a story behind it; where is it?
Congress, not president, only has powers to write tax laws
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
“President Trump does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law. Under the Constitution, that power belongs to the American people acting through their members of Congress”– Senator Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska).
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | Although I often disagree with conservative Senator Sasse on specific policies, I have always found him to be highly ethical. I often agree with him on broader Constitutional issues. For anyone who has read the Constitution, Trump’s many actions are clearly an overreach, simply designed to improve his sinking popularity as he faces an uphill battle to get re-elected in November.
As background, Congressional Democrats and Republicans have been in a deadlock over the stimulus bill, with the House passing the $3 trillion relief package known as the “Heroes Act,” which has provisions for funds for school reopenings , local and state governments, and mail-in voting for the November election, among other things. The GOP-controlled Senate faced internal opposition from its members and was not able to agree on a specific counter proposal. And that’s when Trump saw his political opening, regardless of the Constitution’s balance of powers provisions.
The Constitution was written by our Founding Fathers with one overriding concern: that powers be completely balanced between the Executive, Legislative and Legal branches of government, so that government would not overreach. It is that balance of powers, central to our democracy, that is under attack by President Trump.
The U.S. Constitution, Section 7, Clause 1, reads:
“All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.” Clearly, only Congress has the authority to raise or lower taxes, not the president.
On August 8, President Trump issued three memoranda and an Executive Order which violate this clause. Specifically, these documents
- Provide added unemployment benefits ($400) for the unemployed, funds over what they would normally receive;
- Suspend payroll taxes (used to fund Social Security and Medicare) for those making less than $100,000 annually;
- Extended the moratorium on payments on student loans and
- Put provisions in place to halt evictions/foreclosures.
The issue is not whether we agree with the specifics in the order and memoranda. I personally agree that national action is needed on each item and that Congress should agree on a bill.
The problem is that President Trump abused his office once again for political gain, taking actions that are constitutionally reserved solely for Congress. Most assuredly, his legal counsel must have told him that his actions were unconstitutional.
But almost certainly Trump saw political gain and ignored the legal advice provided to him, much like he ignores the advice of medical experts regarding the pandemic. As he himself stated, “If we get sued, it’s [from] somebody that doesn’t want people to get money. And that’s not going to be a very popular thing.”
As a former Republican elected official, I could not see President Barry Goldwater or President John McCain even considering going this route. But that’s not who we elected in 2016.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Buckley bases his Senate campaign on totally new tax plan
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
SEPT. 15, 2020 | Much of our time these days we spend lots of time hosting visits from political candidates, so that we can evaluate their campaign, and help determine who GwinnettForum will endorse.
So far we’ve seen 110 candidates this year, the most ever. It’s enjoyable to learn about these people, and the ideas they offer. On October 9, GwinnettForum will present its 2020 endorsements for the General Election. That will be just three days before Early Voting starts.
Read not only the endorsements, but be sure to read the candidate’s answers to six questions we are putting to them. This will be the candidate speaking directly to you, the voters, without any editing on our part. This is presented without cost to the candidates who spend 30 minutes with us. If you find a candidate who does not have answers to these questions, that simply means he or she did not visit with us this campaign.
Allen Buckley of Smyrna is a Georgia attorney and CPA with over 30 years working with the federal tax systems. He is one of 21 people seeking the unexpired Senate term of Johnny Isakson.
Buckley
Buckley has run for high office before as a libertarian. He polled 134,000 votes (3.4 percent) in a 2008 race for the Senate, which Saxby Chambless won. Financial issues bother him, and he writes letters to the editor. He says that the government is not working on a long-term basis, and the Fed is printing money, the Treasury is borrowing, and the debt spiral is out of control.
He based his current campaign on a much simpler national tax system that uses algebra to produce balanced budgets in years the U.S. is not experiencing a recession or worse (or just coming out of a recession). The proposal is based on a proposal in a 2017 Tax Notes article by Buckley titled “Eliminating the Income Tax . . . While Balancing the Budget.” He visited with us the other day.
Buckley said: “Over the course of three years, I worked on analyzing different options for a better tax system for the U.S. Ultimately I came up with the foregoing proposal. It’s not perfect, but it makes everyone pay something, is reasonably progressive, and forces the politicians in D.C. to do what state and local politicians must do—i.e. balance the budget.
“None of my fellow candidates in the race have come up with anything regarding a replacement, let alone better, tax system. We need to fix the nation’s finances as soon as possible following the pandemic’s end, instead of running significant deficits each year like we did for 2012 through 2019.”
Mr. Buckley’s “Save Tomorrow” campaign is about living for today and tomorrow, instead of living for today to the detriment of tomorrow. The focus is on doing things to make tomorrow as good as or even better than today, by acting now to address the nation’s financial challenges and confronting global warming in a practical way.
Buckley proposes eliminating the income tax altogether while changing the FICA tax rate from 7.65 percent to x percent and adding an x percent Value Added Tax. The self-employment tax (SECA) rate would be 2x percent. These percentage rates are flexible, and would be adjusted to balance the budget in non-recession (or worse) years. X balances the budget. (A 14 percent rate for each tax (28 percent for SECA tax) would roughly have been sufficient to balance the budget in 2013.) Under this proposal, the corporate and individual income taxes are completely eliminated.
There’s more in his plan, but too much to cover here. Mr. Buckley can be reached for comment at (404) 610-1936. Mr. Buckley’s campaign website is www.buckleyforsenate.org.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
California hair salon owner is now her new hero
By Debra Houston, contributing columnist
LILBURN, Ga. | Erica Kious, owner of E-Salon in San Francisco, is my new hero. We need more women like her who call out politicians who think laws don’t apply to them.
In this case, the politician was Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who, during a past presidential administration, helped push the Affordable Care Act through Congress against major Republican opposition.
Quite impressive, but she can’t blowout her own hair.
In late August, Pelosi arranged an appointment with a stylist who rents a chair at E-Salon. The visit violated California Governor Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus order that characterizes hair salons as “nonessential” businesses that must remain closed.
Before you judge Ms. Kious about Pelosi’s use of her salon, ask yourself if you could refuse the woman second in line to the presidency. When media outlets showed the video of the Speaker traipsing through the salon with wet hair, everyone wanted to hear from Ms. Kious. On “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Ms. Kious appeared hurt and angry, but gave a measured response:
“This isn’t even political … she didn’t have a mask on, and I just thought about my staff and people not being able to work and make money and provide for their families, and if she’s in there comfortably without a mask and feeling safe, then why are we shut down? Why am I not able to have clients come in?”
You’d expect Mrs. Pelosi to apologize, not only to Kious, but Californians as well. To be fair, she took responsibility. Well, almost.
“I take responsibility for trusting the word of a neighborhood salon … when they said what we’re able to accommodate people (sic), one person at a time, and that we can set up that time, I trusted that. So, I take responsibility for falling for a set-up.”
And then, the most powerful woman in America said that Ms. Kious, a small business owner with a family to provide for and no income, owes the Speaker an apology.
The more I think about the politician who said, “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it,” or about her behavior, ripping up her copy of the State of the Union address before the entire world, the more she reminds me of the Queen of Hearts in “Alice in Wonderland.”
“All ways are my way,” the Queen said to Alice. And “If I lose my temper, you’ll lose your head.”
Ms. Kious made a second appearance on Tucker Carlson to announce she has since closed shop, because of harassment and death threats.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Walton Gas
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Highlights problems with obtaining absentee ballots
Editor, the Forum:
It will be amazing if and when we finally get to the election this year in November. There are so many ways this whole thing can go sideways.
For instance, I downloaded a request for a ballot in the General Election at Gwinnett’s election site online at the beginning of July, filled it out, and faxed it immediately. As a concerned voter, I called the first week in August to check on the status of my application. The lady at Gwinnett’s Election Board told me they are just starting June’s request for Absentee Ballots, to check back some time in October.
That has given me pause as to when they will get around to July’s request. So I went back today to my computer and went on the Gwinnett Election site and low and behold there is a new (and in red too) information to sign up for an absentee ballot with the state.
As you can guess I filled out the form which was simpler than the one at Gwinnett’s Election Board. This one had most of my information filled out and all I had to do was press send. I got an email back from them instantly. Now it will be a matter of time if and when I get my ballot to cast. Or if I will get two ballots in the mail, which I promise to only vote once…maybe.
— Sara Rawlins, Lawrenceville
Dear Sara: So, you admit all this up front? At least you came clean! You might end up among those whom the Secretary of State can accuse of double voting. But knowing you, we feel secure for democracy. Others may be having the same problem. –eeb
Shame on public officials to divert tire disposal funds
Editor, the Forum:
Emory Morsberger’s column about illegal dumping of automobile tires got my attention.
If citizens are being taxed for a specific purpose, i.e. tire disposal tax, then that money should be used specifically for that purpose. The fact that the money is used elsewhere is illegal and is a betrayal of the public trust. Shame on those responsible for such underhanded behavior.
— Jim Savadelis, Duluth
Send us your thoughts: We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum. Please limit comments to 300 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net
GGC again ranks No. 1 in Southern regional college diversity
For the seventh straight year, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has been ranked as the most ethnically diverse Southern regional college, according to the 2021 U.S. News & World Report (USN&WR) magazine college and university rankings, released today.
Joseph
Dr. Jann L. Joseph, president, says: “Diversity defines a key strength of the Gwinnett community and Atlanta region. GGC is proud to offer a vibrant environment where our diverse student body learns and grows within a campus community respectful of different ethnicities, cultures and beliefs.”
The ranking was based on data reported from the college’s fall 2019 semester. With 12,831 students, the ethnic composition of GGC’s student body was 32 percent black/African-American, 28 percent white, 24 percent Hispanic, 11 percent Asian, 4 percent multi-ethnic and less than one percent each for Native American, Pacific Islander and unknown. While 76 percent of students came from Gwinnett County in the fall of 2019, others came from 32 U.S. states and 120 countries.
In addition to being recognized for its diversity, GGC also ranked as the fourth most innovative school among regional colleges in the South. USN&WR ranks schools in this category which have made innovative approaches to curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.
Dr. Joseph adds: “These rankings further confirm that GGC’s innovative teaching model is having an impact on the success of our students. Our integrated educational experience has been a part of the college since the beginning.”
GGC also ranked in the top 20 public schools category among regional colleges in the South and earned recognition for its economic diversity, as a top performer on social mobility and its low student debt load at graduation.
Norcross marks completion of 0.7 mile Hunter-Walker Trail
The City of Norcross has completed the Hunter-Walker Trail. It is a 0.17-mile trail that connects Hunter Street and Rossie Brundage Park.
Construction began on the Hunter-Street Trail in 2018 as part of the Kennemore Manor Subdivision development. An easement was granted to the city by the development group in order to connect the trail to Rossie Brundage Park. Featuring a paved path, pedestrian bridge and public art by artist Dr. Angelika Domschke honoring the city’s Bee City designation, the trail was completed in late August.
The original trail connected two African-American neighborhoods in the late ‘40s and ‘50s, providing ease of access for commerce and community activities between these neighborhoods. The trail is named for two historic community leaders: The Rev. Anderson H. Hunter and Tom Walker. A local farmer, Reverend Hunter served as pastor at Hopewell Baptist Church in the late 1800s, while Tom Walker (1888-1965) was an entrepreneur who owned properties in properties in Norcross stretching from what is now Holcomb Bridge Road to Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
Krause’s Lilburn yard features 200 species of native plants
This edition features a tour of the front and back yards of Sandy and Rick Krause of Lilburn. Their yard was used for a tour for the Gwinnett Master Gardeners in June.
MORE: To view more photos of the Krause’s yard, click here.
Unlike most yards in the neighborhood and those featured in typical garden tours, the Krauses’ yard does not include expanses of turf lawn, boxwoods, and non-native, exotic plants. Instead, they use native plants to provide habitat and attract all types of wildlife. The garden provides food and shelter to wildlife, and includes flower-, nut-, seed-, and berry-producing plants for birds and other wildlife, and nectar and host plants for butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.
There is composting, the use of wattles, storm-water control, and a rain garden to further manage storm-water runoff. The landscape has been certified by Atlanta Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Xerces Society, and the Georgia Native Plant Society (gold category).
Nearly 200 species of native plants are showcased on this 0.44-acre wooded property. Nearly all the plants are those native to the Piedmont, a large percentage of which were rescued in the immediate area. The garden contains 19 of the 21 “Plants of the Year” of the Georgia Native Plant Society. The garden hosts plants for butterflies and other beneficial insects. Winding pathways weave through the hillside garden allowing visitors an up close and personal look at the plants and plant groupings. Conservation is practiced throughout.
The Krauses live at 488 Dorsey Circle. They welcome people to stop by when they see them in the yard, or by ringing the doorbell and asking to see the yard. The best view is not from the street.
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
From Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: A Room of One’s Own is packed with interesting gems that will probably appeal more to women than to men. A combination of two speeches made by the author, this stream of consciousness book highlights the domination of men in world history and literature. Woolf focuses on the differences between women and men and on how social conditions and customs have conspired to keep women down and raise men up. Woolf says, throughout the ages, men have written more about women than women have about men. Men have exalted women in poetry but, in reality, women were quite insignificant and “flung about the room.” She famously insists that women need their own incomes and rooms (independence) to be successful writers. This book is full of insight but is a bit painful to read. And it’s sure to revive memories for women who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s.
An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. Send to: elliott@brack.net
LaGrange Art Museum focuses on primarily Southern art
The LaGrange Art Museum, located in downtown LaGrange, Ga., is situated adjacent to Lafayette Square in a renovated 1892 Victorian building, which originally served as the Troup County Jail. The museum’s primary mission is visual arts education, outreach, and community support to the citizens of west Georgia and east Alabama through a variety of exhibitions and programs. It hosts an average of 14 exhibitions per year with a focus on regional artists and, to a lesser extent, national artists.
Founded in 1963 as an outgrowth of the Chattahoochee Valley Art Association, the museum was originally called the Chattahoochee Valley Art Association Gallery. The museum facility was completely renovated in 1978 and became the Chattahoochee Valley Art Museum in 1991. In 2006 the name changed once again to become the LaGrange Art Museum.
The museum includes four galleries, office and classroom space, a sculpture garden, and a gift shop. Free and nominal-fee art classes are offered to the general public at the museum as well as at other community facilities. Classes held at the museum are for adults as well as for children and include creative play, drawing, and structured studio classes in fine arts. As part of its outreach mission, the museum sponsors an annual arts festival, Affair on the Square, which began in 1965. The festival features a nationally juried fine arts and crafts market, with merit awards, and highlights painting, jewelry, glass, and photography.
Along with the Lamar Dodd Art Center of LaGrange College, the museum cosponsors the LaGrange National Biennial, a nationally juried art exhibition held at the museum and at the Dodd Art Center. The museum also provides support for the LaGrange Artists’ Guild, which holds its regularly scheduled meetings at the museum.
Founded in 1991 as a separate nonprofit membership organization, the LaGrange Artists’ Guild coordinates a members’ show at the museum each fall.
The permanent collection focuses primarily on 20th-century works, with an emphasis on American southern art. Artists whose work resides in the permanent collection include Pat San Soucie (watercolor) and Larry Welo (etchings). In 1996 the museum was the venue for the Georgia Watercolor Society National Show, an annual exhibition hosted yearly by various Georgia museums.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to http://georgiaencyclopedia.org
This structure has quite a story behind it; where is it?
Just what does this structure commemorate? It might mean more to this forum than some other edifice. Figure out where it is, and that might also tell you something. Send in your thoughts to elliott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
That walkway to a beach had several eagle eyes recognize it. It was deemed a tough photo to identify, and Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill responded immediately: “Talk about vague!,” she wrote. “My knee jerk reaction was that this might be on St. Simons Island. But I don’t remember a boardwalk that long over the marshes. (However, I haven’t been in a few years.) Or it could be the boardwalk in Sandwich, Mass. Then I thought it might be one around the Charleston area – so many marshes there, too. But my FINAL guess is going to be the boardwalk at Gray’s Beach in Yarmouth Port, Mass., on Cape Cod. Fabulous photo!”
She’s right. And the spectacular photo is that of Donny Loeber, now of Naples, Fla.
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. contributed: “Today’s mystery photo is a view of the Bass Hole Boardwalk at Grays Beach in the Town of Yarmouth, Cape Cod, Mass. The half mile long boardwalk was originally built in 1939 and is popular with locals and tourists alike for some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets in Cape Cod. Walking along the boardwalk, you’ll spot osprey nests and plenty of gently waving beach grass.
“The channel that runs along the boardwalk is a popular spot for kayaking and paddle boarding. Given the natural beauty here, it’s extremely common to see photographers taking senior portraits, family photos, and wedding or engagement photos. To commemorate their special occasions, many folks also participate in the Boardwalk Plank Program offered by the Yarmouth Parks and Recreation Department. For $150, an individual or family (slightly more for local nonprofits and businesses) can have a commemorative plank engraved with up to 24 letters or characters to be placed on Bass Hole Boardwalk for everyone to see.”
George Graf, Palmyra, Va. also recognized the boardwalk. He added: “On January 7, 1639, the court record refers to the land grant to the first settlers, John Crow, Thomas Howes, and Anthony Thacher, as (the lands of Mattacheeset, now called ‘Yarmouth.’) This is considered the first usage of the name. It is ‘Yarmouth’ to represent the new township to the east of Barnstable. This name comes from the English township located on the eastern coast of that country, a little over 100 miles north of London.”
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