SUE HORN EVANS EDITOR/

Although taking leaders to task certainly gains more readers and sells more newspaper subscriptions, it’s important to take a fair share of the ink and newsprint to spread some positive sunshine on our community leaders.

One of the glaring realities realized after nearly two decades as a reluctant denizen of the Gold Dome is that most voters have little idea about what really goes on there. A pending bill related to immigration and the cost of higher education with State Senator Mike Dugan’s name on it is likely an example. We hope voters will pay attention.

Senate Bill 264 is sponsored by Stone Mountain Democrat State Senator Kim Jackson. The number two signer on the bill is Republican State Senator Mike Dugan.

If passed and signed by Governor Brian Kemp, it would remove the requirement now in state law that all new Georgia residents must live here for a year before they can access the much lower instate tuition rate in our public colleges and technical schools. But, this proposed change would not apply to Americans.

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Immigrant” status along with aliens who were allowed to enter the U.S. as recipients of temporary “Humanitarian Parole.” Under SB 264, these lucky folks could legally “migrate” to Georgia from other countries and immediately access instate tuition rates. They would not have a twelvemonth residency waiting period as do Americans. U.S. citizens moving here from other states would still pay the much higher out of state tuition rate for their first year as a new Georgian.

University of West Georgia website we see that the instate tuition rate at UWG is $2186.00 (12 credit hours) vs the out-of-state cost of $7712.00 per semester. I’ll let readers do the math on how much more money college classes at UWG would cost American students than foreign nationals for their first year living here.

My guess is that SB 264 wasn’t at the top of any “end of session at the Gold Dome wrap up” presentation at a county GOP breakfast meeting.

PUBLISHER

After covering the news here since 1995 and watching leaders come and go, it is, and has been, my opinion that Carroll County has benefitted strongly from having certain leaders in key positions who appear to be motivated by more than financial reports and personal gain. These leaders - who have consistently ensured we have first world quality water, electricity, medicine, development, infrastructure, law, and quality of life - seem to be motivated by a Higher Power and a great sense of community, of belonging. Through their actions, we are consistently assured they view their positions and work results as long term, not the ‘grab my executive bonus and end of year compensation and run to the next available state’ kind of leader.

Georgia Trend Magazine recognized another of Carroll County’s significant leaders recently by naming Southwire Company CEO/president Rich Stinson as its “2023 Most Respected Business Leader”.In its article (June 2023), Stinson said, “The key within a private company is we look at things long-term. . . on how well we should work within the community.”

StarNews interviewed Stinson in 2017 (during his second year after moving here from Pittsburgh and joining Southwire) and he shared with us and our readers back then: “I joined the company, in large part, because I wanted to serve with an organization that focused on the long term- that prepared itself to be at the forefront of its industry for generations - and that’s just what I have found,” he said. “I was also drawn to Southwire’s strong commitment to sustainability, specifically in the realms of Giving Back and Growing Green. I have already been able to contribute time to serving alongside my fellow Southwire employees in our communities, and I look forward to strengthening this commitment even more as we grow.”

Stinson recognized then the quality of the leaders Carroll County had by saying, “This community is made up of individuals who care and want to make a difference,” he said. “. . small business people and our family at Southwire are all working toward the same goals. That is how you can truly make a difference.”

Stinson zeroed in on the vital point that our great leaders here include our small business owners. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and, by choice, so many of our small business owners are the backbone of our community, a strong network of goodness, sharing, support, kindness, and care. Thank YOU to all of our great small business leaders!

We have other leaders whom we choose. Sometimes we voters make good choices. Sometimes those good choices can override the actions of the poor choices. But, today, I want to express my appreciation for the efforts of all of our elected leaders, as each elected person IS a leader: it’s their choice as to the quality, and they make that choice with each decision, each vote. Every seat is an opportunity to be a great leader, to make a positive difference. Serving requires a great amount of time and effort to gain adequate knowlege of the duties of that seat, the laws governing their actions, the history and consequences of past votes/decisions. There is so much to learn, all while being under public scrutiny. It is a tough job, and the smaller the community, the harder it is.

StarNews will continue to report as we see it, but we are thankful for those who try to do their best.

Would each of you take the time to thank your elected official? Attend your city council meeting, county commission, or school board meeting. Each has a website for dates, times, places. Or send them an email or oldfashioned thank you card. If you need your elected official’s contact information, email me at suehorn.starnews@gmail.com

The Democrat legislation that Sen. Dugan has decided to push along with his support only applies to foreigners with refugee and “Special

We think it’s easy and accurate to refer to this legislation as an “Americans last bill.” So, how much more tuition would an American pay in our public colleges than foreign nationals? From information on the

Pushed by the leftist Coalition of Refugee Service Agencies (CRSA) and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the same concept (then sponsored by out-going Republican Rep Wes Cantrell of Woodstock) died last year as HB 932. When this writer made it public during the 2022 legislative session that Speaker Pro Tem Rep Jan Jones (R - Milton) had cosponsored the bill, she went to the Clerk of the House office and scratched her name off the list of

Concerning SB 264 and “Special Immigrants”

The United States is currently facing a massive human rights and criminal crisis at our Southern border that needs to be addressed.

An opinion piece [see this page] about my co-sponsoring a bill that never even got a committee hearing is politics in the most unflattering form.

What is not mentioned in this opinion piece is that the language in SB 264 already exists in Georgia law with the exception of the term “Special Immigrants”.

What defines Special Immigrants is listed under 8 USC Section 1157. To put it in plain language, “Special Immigrants” describes those who had to flee their country after the disastrous and - I feel, botchedwithdrawal from Afghanistan (I am a Ret. Lt. Col., U.S. Army) and those who have been forced to flee the Russian aggression in the Ukraine. My politcal party, Republican, was rightfully upset that the current Administration abandoned so many of those who allied themselves with the United States for more than 11 years when we conducted what did not appear to be a well thought-out evacuation.

See D.A. KING page 21

We were appalled that the freedoms that women and young girls had attained were gone overnight as the Taliban re-took control.

I think that it is fair that those who fought beside us be able to become contributing persons while living in our nation.

My opinion holds the same for those who we have decided to settle in the United States until the Ukrainian forces are finally able to defeat the Russian invaders.

That is what SB 264 would have done, if passed. Realistically, we will never know because SB 264 did not advance in either the House or the Senate.

We need to focus on the crisis happening at our door - not take political potshots.

Pride overcomes wisdom, arrogance overrides common sense, and self-importance overrides discernment

That which has been is what will be. That which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which will be said, “See this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who will come after.”

--- Ecclesiastes 1:9-11, Probably King Solomon around 1000 BC Apple, Google and Big Pharma may beg to differ, but the Bible is commentary on a lot of topics as well as a history lesson digging deeply into the character of Man. Questions like “Why am I here?” and “What happens when I die?” are very popular and thought-provoking. Most of the characters in the Bible like Samson, David, Moses, and Solomon were favored by God even though they had fatal flaws. These stories give me hope.

Solomon asked for wisdom and it was granted by God. Bible scholars tell us Ecclesiastes was written after Solomon became King of the Hebrews, had gained much wealth, power, and a ruinously large harem. Solomon’s downfall was that he allowed the gods of his ladies to influence him and thusly God’s people. Read the entire book and you will find a wise man who shows great regret and despair with his life.

The Bible also chronicles the fight of The God of the Hebrews against the gods of Man. Whether it was Moses against the gods of Egypt, Elijah versus the gods of Canaan, or Paul and the gods of Rome, good and evil were unmistakable just as it is today. The 631 rules throughout the Torah (first five books of the Hebrew scriptures) are pretty restrictive by today’s culture, but are the basis for much of the Judeo-Christian ethic about a moralistic culture.

Many people want to know what is happening in our culture concerning the dramatic rise in moral relativism. Lately, the battle over transgenderism regarding children is in the forefront.

As late as the 1960s, the Christianized worldview and government laws shielded us from much of progressive academia that emphasized the thought that man was able to form his own values and they were as good a standard as any other.

In ancient times (BC), most societies were pagan and were characterized by child sacrifice, sexual immorality, survival of the fittest, and a class structure of elites and the common man. Women were more like chattel. Religion expanded thru conquest and See TRAVIS PITTMAN page 20