2019 Columns

I first penned this tribute to my father in 2015.  It has been 35 years since he passed away and not a day goes by that I don’t think of him, especially on Father’s Day.  With a few minor edits, I present it again this year. My dad was a man with a limited education — he only made it through the seventh grade — but the wisest man I ever knew. He was also the hardest … [Read more...] about June 10, 2019: Father’s Day A Time to Remember a Special Man

Dear Gov. Kemp: I have been wanting to share some thoughts with you about your first 100 days in office but I have been distracted with other matters, like watching House Speaker David Ralston trying to scramble out of a hole he dug for himself.  I am still getting used to calling my Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brother from  UGA “governor,” but I am pleased to do … [Read more...] about June 3, 2019: Some Unsolicited Advice for Gov. Brian Kemp

This is a story that is so good and so positive it is almost exasperating.  Let me get to the good and positive part first. I will explain the exasperation later. Last year, a group of community volunteers in Bartow County, led by Rev. David Franklin, the head of the Bartow Baptist Association, approached the Board of Education and newly-minted Superintendent Philip Page, … [Read more...] about May 27, 2019: Bartow County a Positive Example of School and Community Partnership

When the phone rang, I knew who it was.  It was Skeeter Skates. The phone just sounds different when he calls.  He can be intimidating, even to a telephone. For those of you who may be new to this space, Skeeter Skates is the owner of the eponymous Skeeter Skates Plow Repair and Stump Removal in Ryo, Georgia, only never use the word “eponymous” when talking to … [Read more...] about May 20, 2019: It Is Hard To Be Influential Around Skeeter Skates

Let me get straight to the point:  Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston is skating on thin political ice.  Ralston holds the second-most powerful position in our state and has for almost two decades.  But those days may be coming to an end.  There is no question that Ralston is a power under the Gold Dome.  Not much happens there without the … [Read more...] about May 13, 2019: Speaker Ralston’s Legal Tactics Could Backfire on Him