Local boards are right to opt out of House Bill 581

The Hart County Board of Commissioners (BOC) and Hart County Board of Education are right to exercise their right to opt out of Georgia House Bill 581. The amendment to the state constitution is not going to do what many voters may have thought it was going to do – limit their property taxes.

2025 Legislative Newsletter – Week 3

The Georgia General Assembly was set to return to the Gold Dome on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, to commence “budget week.”  Passing a balanced budget is our one constitutional obligation. Governor Kemp declared a State of Emergency on Monday anticipating winter storms across the state.

Don’t put on airs…and other lessons from book interviews

You can learn something from just about everybody, I believe. Jessica Phillips Henricks, a former Foxfire student, and I confirmed that belief when we interviewed scores of folks for a book titled “Travels with Foxfire: Stories of People, Passions, and Practices from Southern Appalachia.

BOE misses the point of HB 581

No. 1 –  Georgia House Bill (HB) 581 is not a tax exemption. The point of the bill is to limit the increase in your property value for tax purposes to no more than the rate of inflation. This bill in and of itself will not reduce your taxes. No. 2 – HB 581 is to increase transparency.

Snowed in at The Sun

Have you ever seen those longform articles, photo essays or videos of people who spend 24 hours at the Waffle House or another 24-hour diner?

Three of President Donald Trump’s promises

Somewhere among my shelves of books is a New York Times best-seller, circa 1987. I helped to make it popular by being one in the masses who purchased the 372 pages about a Big Apple real-estate phenom, Donald J. Trump.

Chamber banquet will be a highlight for everyone

In less than a month from now, the Hart County Chamber of Commerce will gather for its annual award banquet. The banquet, which was recently moved up one day to Feb. 21 in order to not conflict with a benefit concert for the local YMCA, is set to honor the best of the best in Hart County.

A handful of cobwebs

Once upon a time, the renowned 18th Century English preacher George Whitfield  was getting the people of Edinburgh, Scotland out of bed at 5:00 am to come hear him speak.

2025 Legislative Newsletter – Week 1

The 158th Georgia General Assembly convened at 10:00 a.m. for the 2025 Regular Session, Monday, January 13, 2025, marking the start of the first year of our biennial General Assembly.

How not to adopt profane and vulgar language

I guess this comes under the heading of ‘you probably can but shouldn’t teach old dogs new tricks’, because I just found out that I have a tendency to adopt other people’s speech patterns. I see them in characters I watch on certain streaming channels or movies.