OPINION
A Section
w w w.b on i f ay now.c om
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Our VIEW
Bipartisan gimmickry As with most things to come out of Washington these days, the budget deal negotiated by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is more of a political fix than a policy solution. Although Ryan touts it as modest deficit reduction, “a firm step in the right direction,” in truth its initial move is to increase spending and fees, then promises to tip-toe toward cutting spending years off in the future. That’s the price many Republicans appear willing to pay for a bipartisan agreement that ensures there will be no government shutdown drama for the next two years. The debt crisis will have to take a back seat to the GOP’s election crisis. Avoiding yet another shutdown battle removes one large, potential distraction from focusing
exclusively on Obamacare leading up to the 2014 midterms. Republicans hope to ride the health insurance law’s current historically high public disapproval ratings to a Senate majority next year. Clearly, their minority status, along with a Democrat in the White House, limits Republicans’ ability at this time to make the necessary substantial changes to federal spending, especially on entitlement programs. Repeated brinkmanship has won them precious little except widespread blame for the shutdowns and for damaging the economy, most recently in October. They can’t enact real spending reform unless they have more votes in Washington. To achieve that, they have to win more elections. The GOP
See BIPARTISAN A5
Letter to the EDITOR Reader praises school musical Dear Editor, The recent production of “The Sound of Music” by the Holmes County High School Drama Group was excellent.
Dick Basht Bonifay
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Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Sometimes a bargain is not such a bargain Sitting at my Resigned to his new desk in my new fate might be a high-backed chair I better description. am so comfortable, I helpfully got a I may fall asleep plastic tub for him writing this. When to put all the pegs, I came home from screws, wing nuts, Office Max with drawer pulls, etc. HAPPY CORNER my new corner into. He tentatively Hazel Wells Tison desk in a four foot began to lay out the X four foot flat box, numbered boards my husband knew he was and planks being careful in trouble. The Salesman not to overturn the onemanaged to get it into my piece desk top leaning in Ford Edge with the seats the open closet doorway. folded down (with the help That 60 pound piece is of a passing customer.) I the only thing that didn’t assured the salesman that require assembly. I could get it unloaded with That night he studied the help of my former NFL the instruction manual like football player neighbor, he was going to take the Brad Baxter. The chair GRE. The next morning wasn’t quite as flat so I he grimly found a place to thought it wouldn’t be too sit on the floor and began big a deal. Husband Jack studying, “step one place tackled it right away and glue on pegs and insert one got it together in a few into each of the 12 holes in hours. piece number 8. Set aside Brad easily pulled the to dry.” These instructions boxed desk out and got it go on through step thirteen into my middle bed room and then as you are to the which I call my office point of placing the top on and rested it there until the attached cabinet and Tuesday when Jack got desk top, step A1 starts up the nerve to cut away and goes through A15, the box and looked at the whereupon Step B1 starts overwhelming number and goes through B15. of parts. (The salesman How an 88 year old man had suggested that I can sit in that position might want to contact for hours on end and still the company and have manage to get up off the someone sent out to floor is a major feat. At assemble it.)I can’t say that the end of the day, most of Mr. Tison was undaunted. the pegs and cam screws,
and cam locks had been identified and placed in the directed holes. He informed me that with the help of possibly 3 or 4 four more people, he might get it done in 3 weeks. The next morning, conveniently, I had to be at the church early to help setup and serve a meal for the family of Avonelle Sims Hagan whose funeral was Thursday at First Baptist Church. Meanwhile, back at the farm, son Glen arrived and rescued his dad. His airplane and boat modeling building days from childhood came in handy and when I got home around 3:00, lo and behold, they were ready to place the top on the assembled cabinet. Not only was Glen able to help with the assembly, but he was able to set up my computer again so that I can once again write these wonderfully inspiring bits of drivel. He also informed me that my book shelf above has far too much weight on it, and one day it will come crashing down and I’d better get rid of something. I intend to do that just as soon as I finish decorating the living room and put all the boxes from all the decorations back in the shelves. I could give away my 10 volume set of
Master Plots and my two volume American College Encyclopedic Dictionary. My husband suggested that I throw away my “antique” jars. Certainly, I can’t throw away fifteen or so photo albums and some books I can’t part with though I’ll never reread them. Have you ever noticed in the magazines how book shelves always look so neat and bare? They will have maybe half dozen books, some art work, and a few trinkets or keep sakes! Why do they call them book shelves? Anyway, I am happy to have a more comfortable desk and chair and am indebted to Brad Baxter, my husband, and my youngest son for making it happen. Soon I’ll have this place so organized my family won’t recognize it when they all gather here for Christmas which is coming faster than we can comprehend. My next column will be for Christmas week. Post Script: My friend Paula Waters arrived and tackled the book shelves while “urging” me to throw away or give away a lot of stuff. So now my book shelves look like something out of a magazine (almost). I am so organized!
Busy people get things done Google attributes the saying “if you want something done, give it to a busy person” to Dona Keating. Many other variations of similar quotes are credited to other individuals. PERRY’S Rev. James PRATTLE Perry Wells Guy, Hollis Savelle and other individuals in our county surely must be familiar with that admonition as today’s “Prattle” will reveal. My readers will remember that the Thanksgiving holidays brought on a hub of activity in the Perry and Hester Wells household. Out son, Grant, wife, Lynn, son Mac and daughter Virgina were among the visitors in our home. They elected to come from their Houston, Texas home for Thanksgiving as other demands were being made on their time for a visit with Lynn’s parents in Arizona during the Christmas holidays. Grant has lived in Houston since his release from the U.S. Air Force and has been on the same job for 31 years. The two children are fast approaching the top level of the teenage years, thus trips to Florida have leveled off to one per year with each family. Granddaughter Courtney Wells, Emory’s daughter, has narrowed her visits home since graduation from the University of Georgia and she is now employed in Atlanta and living in that general area. She had not been to Florida since last Christmas. We all take solace in the fact that she loves her job and has found a group of wonderful people as fellow employees. Courtney departed our home on Nov. 30. Grant’s family made their departure for Houston the following day after a hefty breakfast was served by
Farm Bureau, which sells in stores for at least $12. A third consideration came when the group gave the old speaker, called out moth balls, a monetary gratuity for his efforts, which may be a “first” for me. Before either of above speaking dates took place, I had learned of the death of Estelle Hewett Scott, my lifelong friend, neighbor and classmate in the 1944 Vernon High School Graduating Class. With that news came the request from the family that I had been selected to do a eulogy as a representative of our class. Of course, I agreed to “do SPECIAL TO TIMES-ADVERTISER my best” and participated along with minister, Rev. J. Lynn, Grant, Virginia and Mac Wells pose for their E. Hodges, who was pastor 2013 Christmas photograph. at Vernon Baptist Church beginning in 1955. The the chef on duty, which time. funeral was in Panama City many in our home call Frederick Kolmetz was on Thursday, Dec. 5, and I “daddy,” or “granddaddy.” in the gathering at Daniels drove to the visitation the Serving the food the “Waffle Lake and was present at previous night also. House way” was fun for Vernon High School Dec. 8, All went very well on the cook who fed a host of 1941 and heard President the speaking engagements people a hot breakfast in a ask congress to declare with many accolades for relatively short time. war on Japan. my efforts. But busy, busy On Monday after Soon after his call, was still the order of day observing that “not a another longtime friend, for ole Perry. Friday, Dec. creature was stirring–not Hollis Savelle, called and 6, found the Prattler in even a mouse,” a telephone after a short conversation, Panama City once again call came from my friend, he told me that the as a guest of the Judges of James Guy. His request Washington County the 14th Judicial Circuit as was for me to speak for Cattlemen’s Association we celebrated the annual a few minutes at the well was extending an invitation Christmas Party and established quarterly fishfor me to speak at their Luncheon at the luxurious fry at Daniels Lake Pavilion annual banquet on Dec. Bay Yacht Club House, on Saturday Dec. 7. 3. Never finding it easy to located on prestigious Inasmuch as this was Pearl say “no,” I found myself Bunkers Cove Road on Harbor Day, Preacher Guy agreeing to undertake the beautiful St. Andrew asked that my remarks Hollis’ request. Bay Front. Among the be of a patriotic theme, After his call, Hester vast numbers of active bringing anything that I asked: “Where is that man and retired county and could personally relate to that vows to be slowing circuit judges, I was happy the actual attack on our down?” to see and enjoy a short U.S. Naval Fleet, plus any After the presentation visit with Judge Warren other comments I desired with the Cattlemen’s Edwards, who came out to make. I told him that I Association, which I of retirement to serve as had been the speaker at enjoyed immensely county judge in Holmes the Veteran Day program — while devouring a County upon the untimely at Poplar Springs School delicious steak, which I death of Judge Louis K. on Nov. 11, covering my valued at least $23.95 in top Hutchinson. personal memory of the restaurants. This was while Sandwiched into incident and that I had also reminiscing and visiting the busy week was reported my experience with Jim Clemmons, who concluded when Hester of active duty as a Military admits being older than I and I attended the Escort in the American am. He was accompanied annual Chipley Country Graves Registration and by his son, Dr. James Christmas program, Reburial Program, making Clemmons, and wife, produced this year by 25 escorts in late 1948 into Angela. A second perk Jimmy Miller. He planned, mid 1949. That didn’t let me was winning a door prize practiced and presented a off the hook, so I agreed to — a jar of Florida honey, See PERRY A5 do it again at the requested donated by the Florida