Citizen Newsletter #248 Sat, February 19, 2011 8:51:11 AM

From: Henry Citizen <hccitizen@hccitizen.n... View Contact

To: hc.citizen@hccitizen.org

The Citizen Newsletter

Issue # 248 February 19, 2011

The Conservative Voice of Henry County

Contact The Citizen at hc.citizen@hccitizen.org Your comments and submissions are always welcome!

Where are all the movies that were supposed to be coming to Hampton
In This Issue and Henry County? Henry County will never be able to compete with
Senoia and other Georgia locations.

• News & Announcements Mark

• The Agenda on SBN TV
• Stockbridge Lawsuit Settled
• Stockbridge Moves Forward "What's become clear to Americans is that the so-called 'stimulus' has failed," the
• Message from Mayor Copeland unemployment rate has remained at 9% or above for 21 consecutive months
• GOP Mass Precinct Meetings despite the administration's sales pitch that the stimulus would prevent the rate
from rising above 8%.
• Your Voice
• He Said, She Said: Bruce Holmes
• Republican Women of Henry
• Park Avenue Bank Fraud
• Law Firm Loses Credibility REP. T OM PRICE (R-GA) Introduces Amendment to De-fund
Union-Controlled NLRB

As the union-controlled National Labor Relations Board continues its

job-killing push to unionize America’s workplace—including deciding
whether to break-up and unionize company employees by
classification—Republican Congressman Tom Price (GA) has introduced
an amendment to completely de-fund the NLRB
Editorial / Publication Policy
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The Citizen newsletter is available online

at Scribd.com View online at

http://www.scribd.com/larry_stanley Get Your Yard Sign on February 19**

Your Support is Appreciated
The Conservative Voice of Henry County has
opened a venue for news, comment and opinion that
exists nowhere else. It is because of you; a steady
list of people who read and submit articles sharing
ideas and principles.
Attend The SPLOST Debate on February 23
On Saturday, February 19, the Cobb County Taxpayers Association
(CCTA) will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting at 12 noon at
Piccadilly's Cafeteria on Cobb Parkway in Marietta. At the meeting, we
will provide you with a progress report on our activities, and provide
you with materials you will need to fire up the grassroots, which
includes distributing our new lawn signs!
"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless
minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds" ~~ Samuel
Adams

Henry Schools: Negative Growth

Or visit www.hccitizen.org From the Henry Daily Herald:

Henry County Schools officials are expecting negative growth in

the number of students for the upcoming school year.

The projected enrollment for 2011-12 is 40,290 students,

according to Rodney Bowler, Henry’s assistant superintendent of
administrative services.

“This is a projected enrollment decrease of 294 students [0.7

percent],” Bowler wrote in his enrollment update this month to the
Henry County Board of Education.

He said the projection demonstrates a continued downward

enrollment trend that has occurred over the last five years,
potentially resulting in a decline in student enrollment next school
year.
 Now, let’s get this straight. Henry schools have experienced a
“continued downward enrollment trend that has occurred over the last
five years.”

Yet, the school board tried to convince voters we needed ten (10) new
schools – and a bond referendum allowing $256 Million in borrowed
money.

Thank you for your support and participation

THE AGENDA FEBRUARY 7, 2011

GUEST - LARRY STANLEY

Regional Transportation Tax. Another SPLOST with no protections for Joe Taxpayer.

Watch video: http://sbn.tv/AGENDA.html

See the Hack Line article at

http://charlesmobley.wordpress.com/category/henry-county/

Rep. Davis introduces new insurance bill

District 109 State Rep. Steve Davis, R-McDonough, recently announced the introduction of House Bill 167,
the Insurance Delivery Enhancement Act of 2011.

This legislation reforms current insurance law and allows private companies to come together under a Trade Association
Clause when purchasing group policies. Removing this restriction allows normally unaffiliated business to increase the size of
their own private insurance pools, which will lower their employees’ premiums.

“This is an important market-based solution that will help bring the cost of medical care down at no cost to the tax payers,”
said Davis. “This law will give immediate relief to the citizens of Georgia especially with the turbulent future of healthcare
costs over the next couple of years.”

HB 167 also includes a prompt pay provision that will require third party administrators to pay for service claims in a uniform
and timely fashion the same as primary care insurance. If the third party administrators fail to do this, they would pay a
penalty. This will primarily affect small practices that operate on tight finances.

“Requiring prompt payment will help bring medical cost down because doctors and physicians will be able to better
anticipate when they will receive payments, enabling them to budget more appropriately,” said Davis.

The legislation passed overwhelmingly in both chambers in the 2010 session but was not signed into law.

Davis reintroduced the bill with five other republican chairmen as co-sponsors, including Representatives Howard Maxwell,
Carl Rogers, John Meadows, Sharon Cooper and Bill Hembree.

House passes sweeping cuts to domestic programs

WASHINGTON – Jolted to action by deficit-conscious newcomers, the Republican-controlled House passed sweeping
legislation early Saturday to cut $61 billion from hundreds of federal programs and shelter coal companies, oil refiners and
farmers from new government regulations.
The 235-189 vote to send the bill to the Senate was largely along party lines and defied a veto threat from President
Barack Obama.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110219/ap_on_re_us/us_congress_spending

Henry County Board of Commissioners

Board Requests Changes to How Commissioners are Elected

The Henry County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday that will, if the 2011 General Assembly agrees,
ultimately create a more balanced election process for the Board.

Currently, the six members of the Board of Commissioners are elected in two separate election cycles, with the positions of
Chairman and Commission Districts 1, 2 and 3 sharing one election cycle and being on the same ballot at the same time,
while the commissioners for Districts 4 and 5 share a different election cycle. With such an imbalanced election process, it
could potentially result in a situation in which all six sitting Commissioners have two years of experience or less. Such an
occurrence would be detrimental to the orderly and efficient operation of government because government works best when
there is a balance of experience and expertise amongst the duly elected.

To avoid this situation, the Board of Commissioners passed a resolution requesting the Henry County local delegation to
approve and introduce local legislation that would create more balanced election cycles for the Board. If the language is
adopted by the 2011 General Assembly, the position of Henry County Commission District 3 would be temporarily changed to
a two-year term, effective January 1, 2013, for one election cycle. After that time, it would revert to a four-year term, and
align with the election cycle for Commission Districts 4 and 5.

During the same meeting, the Board also adopted a resolution that will, if the 2011 General Assembly agrees, change the
way vacancies created on the Board of Commissioners, by Commissioners’ unexpired terms of office, are filled.

The situation was brought to light last year when former District 2 Commissioner Rick Jeffares vacated his seat to run for
another office. The Board appointed Monroe Roark to fill the vacant position until the end of Jeffares’ term, December 31,
2010 – nearly a month after Fred Auletta was selected by vote of the citizens to represent them.

Under the proposed legislation, if a vacancy occurs on the Board of Commissioners when there are less than 360 days until
the date of the next general election, any qualified successor appointed by a majority vote of the Board of Commissioners
shall serve in that capacity until a qualified successor is elected to fill that position. The qualified successor will be able to
take office immediately upon the certification of the election results by the election superintendent. This will enable the will
of the voters to take effect sooner, thereby avoiding a situation in which an unelected, appointed person is making decisions
on their behalf.

Both requests have been made to the Henry County local delegation for them to approve and introduce local legislation
before the 2011 Georgia General Assembly. Action is expected to take place on these items later this year.

THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST

NATIONAL TENTH AMENDMENT SUMMIT

(ATLANTA - Feb 18, 2011) It was a year ago this week that the first-ever national Tenth Amendment Summit was held in
Atlanta, Georgia and hosted by the Georgia gubernatorial campaign of Republican Ray McBerry. The purpose of the Summit
was to bring together candidates running for office from across America who all shared the same desire to restore States'
Rights and state sovereignty; and more than thirty candidates attended, including Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, and
Independent campaigns. The offices sought by the attending candidates included state representatives and state senators,
Congressmen, and three candidates for governor of their respective states. Keynote speakers scheduled for the event were
Chief Justice Roy Moore of Alabama, Judge Andrew Napolitano of Fox News (he ended up getting snowed in New York the
night before the Summit), and Ray McBerry, Republican candidate for governor of Georgia. Other speakers at the one-day
Summit included John McManus of the John Birch Society, Michael Boldin of the Tenth Amendment Center, and national best-
selling author Donnie Kennedy. It was standing room only at the Atlanta Airport Hilton where the Summit was held, with
attendees literally from one end of the country to the other and from as far away as Rhode Island and Washington state.

In a private session the night prior to the public event, the candidates from around the country met together to discuss their
common goal and to share strategy ideas for accomplishing the return of state sovereignty in America. In unanimous
consent, the following Declaration was presented by the candidates on the following day:

We The People of the several States created a federal government to serve as our limited agent, delegating to the federal
government only those limited and few powers listed in the Constitution, and no others.

We recognize the federal government has seized unlimited power over virtually every aspect of
Americans' lives in violation of the Constitution of the United States, specifically with respect to the Tenth
 Amendment.

We call upon freedom-loving citizens everywhere to stand with us, as candidates for state and federal office, to pass
meaningful and sensible legislation to restore the most critical check and balance deliberately designed into our
constitutional republic; that of strong, sovereign states.

We pledge to limit and restrain all federal government exercise of power that exceeds in any way the plain language
of those few powers listed in the Constitution and to nullify all others that exceed such limit.

When we restore the balance of power between the states and the federal government according to the Constitution,
our country will enjoy the dynamic blessings of liberty and prosperity.

More than a year later, the State Sovereignty Movement has made great strides. More than half the states have passed
state sovereignty resolutions proclaiming their rights against unconstitutional federal encroachments, and a growing number
are challenging the Obama healthcare law with bills of nullification. Additionally, a number of states have passed or are
presently considering versions of the ten state sovereignty bills promoted by Ray McBerry's gubernatorial campaign in
Georgia including the "State Authority and Intrastate Commerce Act." A litany of new books on the subjects of State's
Rights, the Tenth Amendment, and nullification have been published; and the Tenth Amendment Center has used the model
of the first Summit for a series of "Nullify Now!" conferences across the country.

A collector's 2-DVD set of approximately six hours from last year's Tenth Amendment Summit is available at
www.TenthAmendmentSolutions.com

Butts County GOP

Please read complete article by Dick Morris below.

Senators Coburn, Crapo, and Chambliss may feel that they can lie down with dogs and not get fleas. But they are
wrong.

They are letting themselves be used to undermine the Republican no-tax agenda and should leave these working
sessions immediately.

And, if they don't, the good citizens of Oklahoma, Idaho, and Georgia should make them do it!

SENATE REPUBLICANS PUSH TAX HIKES

A bi-partisan Senate working group which includes Republican Senators Tom Coburn (Oklahoma), Mike Crapo (Idaho), and
Saxby Chambliss (Georgia) is considering back door, automatically triggered tax increases as a way to bring down the
budget deficit.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the plan which is under consideration would provide for "tax reform" that would
generate $180 billion over ten years. "Tax reform" is the new word for tax hikes just as "investment" is the new word
for more spending. While the Senators are understandably vague about what tax increases they are contemplating, they
reportedly want to eliminate various tax deductions and "loopholes." If the work of the Bowles-Simpson deficit reduction
commission (on which Coburn and Crapo sat) is any guide, the loopholes would include reducing or eliminating the mortgage
interest, charitable contribution, and state and local tax deductions.

More insidious, the tax proposal has a gimmick: If Congress doesn't raise taxes by the required amount; the law would
automatically trigger a cut in all tax deductions equal to the outstanding revenue shortfall. A tax increase by Immaculate
Conception. Automatic. No Senatorial fingerprints on it. In other words: taxation without representation.

The Senate group is headed by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND). Realizing his big taxing and big
spending ways would lead to defeat in the 2012 election, he has decided to retire but not before he sticks it to us one more
time with tax increases. Also involved is Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin who says of their work "we're getting
close," hoping to have his plan for tax hikes ready "in a matter of weeks or months."

Of course, the bait for the tax hikes are a variety of spending cuts included in the plan, but the Republican Senators'
participation in these talks and their possible support for the tax increases that will eventuate, will just serve to legitimize a
tax increase.

What are Coburn, Crapo, and Chambliss thinking? I asked Mike Crapo during a recent visit to Idaho. He swears that
he will oppose any tax increase, but his participation in these talks leads one to suspect that he might not do so.

The concept of splitting the difference in a grand deal of tax increases in return for spending cuts would lock into place much
of the enormous increase in government spending that has taken place under Obama.

GO TO DICKMORRIS.COM

YOUR VOICE
 Biscuits & Brunch
149 Burke Street
Stockbridge, GA 30281
(770) 507-6800
Cemetery Research
Group
www.crghenry.org
Signature Broadcasting
Network – SBN TV
We’re all about you!
http://sbn.tv/
94-A Woolsey Road
Hampton, Georgia 30228
770-946-0043
McDonough Arts 2011 events
For more info contact: Debbie
Withers 678/522-4020 or
debwithers@gmail.com
http://www.mcdonougharts.net
Holmes: What You Are Saying
Bruce Holmes, Henry County Commissioner, District 5
the Hack Line
We Won't Play
Seems that Fulton and DeKalb are feeling ostracized like the outlaying ARC counties in
their position on the Atlanta Regional Roundtable. The Transportation SPLOTS (T-
SPLOST) passed last year by the legislature puts the new tax up for a vote in 2012.
Currently the 10 county metro area is putting together a wish list for projects and is
spearheaded by a leadership panel.
The five member panel was increased to 6 when Atlanta Mayor Reed to help with the
process and give into mounting pressures of inside the 285 beltway politics. It seems
there are even greater numbers of elected officials crying about not having more
representation by Fulton and DeKalb counties.
Those opposed to the board’s makeup are stating they won’t support the bill and
process unless they can stack the deck in the favor of the two counties.
Some years ago there was talk about Henry and other metro counties having to pay for
MARTA because it is considered a “regional issue” though we have no real benefit from
MARTA. With the new tax coming in the form of a penny Fulton and Dekalb elected
officials are not all agreeing to the new T-SPLOST because they do not have the votes to
tell the rest of the metro area how the money has to be spent.
http://charlesmobley.wordpress.com/category/henry-county/
Bruce Holmes Community Meeting
According to the county web site, District 5 Commissioner Bruce Holmes has a
community meeting scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 26, a 9 a.m. at the Fairview
Recreation Center. A couple of thoughts:
* The official announcement says: "During the meeting, there will be an update from
the Police Department on crime in the area." Will that update include a mention of any
recent domestic violence incidents in the area?
* Another quote: "Commissioner Holmes will update citizens on projects and programs,
as well as answer questions from the audience." Will he actually do that now? If so, will
the questions be screened? Will any topics be off-limits? I imagine plenty of people
would like to ask him if he really admitted to police that he pulled his wife through their
house by her hair.
* Will he still have the meeting at all in light of recent developments? It could be an
interesting morning if he does.
From the AJC WIFE: HENRY COMMISSIONER BEAT ME
HENRY COUNTY commissioner is under investigation on charges of domestic violence.
Holmes denied beating his wife.
“Everything was untrue," he said. "I’ll be frank with you, it’s a family matter and we’d
appreciate it if you’d respect our privacy. The case was closed. There’s nothing going
on.”
The 46-year-old Holmes was elected last November by a slim margin to represent
District 5, which covers Ellenwood, parts of Stockbridge and other northeastern HENRY
COUNTY communities. His term began in January. He ran unsuccessfully four years ago
on a platform that focused on increased presence of law enforcement in District 5. He
has lived in HENRY C OUNTY since 2002.
At the Hack Line: If it is true, Commissioner Holmes needs to step aside from his position while he obtains expert
help and counseling and a legal remedy for his spouse is established. Spousal abuse is never accepted and should not
be tolerated. Our elected officials are to be they type of citizen which we all should desire to be like, not ruffians.
Commissioners are entrusted with a higher degree of expectations.

On FaceBook:
Commissioner Bruce Holmes will host a Community Meeting on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 9 a.m. at the Fairview
Recreation Center. During the meeting, there will be an update from the Police Department on crime in the area.

I predict Cousin Brucie will cancel this forum. It would be good, though, to hear his position on area crime!

Bruce has several youth athetic programs he sponsors. Naming the new youth program in Fairview the Bruce Holmes
Athletic Association is nothing new.

OK, does Bruce also support an anger management program for wayward commissioners?

There are some people about whom we are predisposed to believe nefarious reports. Silence, meaning Bruce's, is not
golden when the issue is alive and nobody has yet stood to defend him. Or offer alternatives to his purported guilt.

ALL of my back channel sources are taking a strict legal position: no comment. So much for Bruce having friends who
will speak even privately to defend him. Even the Henry Dem Party has remained silent. For me, this speaks volumes.

I trust your judgment. But keep in mind that Dems rarely trust each other enough to defend each other.... silence
allows them to hedge their bets and maintain a political foothold. If this is an unfounded besmirching they'll stand up
later and say, "I never had any doubt he was innocent all along".

Georgia School Councils, the First Ten Years Part One

The A-Plus Reform Act of 2000 envisioned an igneous plan. After thirty five plus years of top-down school reform failed
to produce the expected results. The plan, work from the bottom-up instead, and mandating parent involvement as a
key part.

Unlike public education, School Councils were given a purpose:

“To bring communities and schools closer together in a spirit of cooperation, to solve difficult education problems,
improve academic achievement, provide support for teachers and administrators, and bring parents into the school-
based decision-making process.”

Besides Purpose, two additional key points currently make them unique. The majority of its members are parents, and
the principal can no longer chair the school council.

Originally Principles could chair School Council. They created the agenda, and ran the meetings. Seven years later, our
Legislature realized the dynamics were not working as intended, and changed the law disqualifying Principles from the
position.

So what are School Councils supposed to do?

Provide informed advice and recommendations to the principal, and where appropriate, the local board of education,
and superintendent on all matters related to student achievement and school improvement.

O.C.G.A. 20-2-85 gives School Councils a starting list of areas of interest, with accesses to, or involvement in, but not
limited to the following:

Review of school board policies; Review of school improvement plans, and approve them; Review Curriculum and
Assessments. “As a minimum, assessments would include state writing tests, CRCT results, End of course test, Georgia
high school graduation test, College board PSAT and SAT results, and ACT and Plan results.”

Development of a school profile, which shall contain data as identified by the council to describe the academic
performance, academic progress, services, awards, interventions, environment, and other such data as the council
deems appropriate; School budget priorities, including school capital improvement plans;

School-community communication strategies; Methods of involving parents and the community;

Extracurricular activities in the school; School-based and community services; Community use of school facilities;
Student discipline and attendance;

Reports from the school principal regarding progress toward the school’s student achievement goals, including progress
within specific grade levels and subject areas and by school personnel; and The method and specifications for the
delivery of early intervention services or other appropriate services for underachieving students.

In all the law lists fourteen starting points. Why is this important?

A High School Diploma should indicate that the graduate is prepared to enter the workforce, or continue on to college.

Recently number-one son and I attended a College Fair where he selected brochures from about 40% of the colleges.
We later discussed what we were looking for in a college and arrived at this initial academic description.
An enrolment of 20,000 or less, and three or more degree choices in a Social Science discipline.

When looking at the middle 50% of the current freshman class we discovered; the average ACT and SAT scores were
27.5, and 1850, the equivalent of a 76 and 77.

While these results are not definitive of all colleges, it gave us goals to strive for.

What you must look at, is the ACT and SAT scores of the high school your son or daughter will attend to see how close
they are to these levels of academic accomplishment. While these indicators are not definitive of the elementary,
middle, and high school, they do demonstrate current levels of academic achievement for students who believe they are
prepared for college.

If there average scores are not similar or close, you must ask your School Council, what are they doing to improve
academic achievement.

What so many in our community fail to grasp, is that it all starts in elementary school. Success is a cumulative effort.
High Schools do not fail on their own, failure starts in elementary school.

In Part Two of this series we will explore The Nation’s Report Card, the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational
Progress), and the CRCT (Criterion-Referenced Competency Test).

“If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.” Mark Twain

Bruce Kendall

South Atlanta Tea Party

Mas s Prec in ct M eetin gs a S uc c es s

You did it! Well, we all did it. Record turn-outs for the GOP Mass Precinct Meetings were recorded this past Saturday,
Feb. 12 as you came out and got involved with this first level of representative government. Local precinct work is one
of the most effective things with which we can get involved as we participate in the electoral process. There are some
areas we can improve in. For example, the Starr’s Mill and McIntosh precincts had no delegates. If you are in one of
these precincts, please contact us ASAP.

Your experiences were no doubt similar to ours as you spoke with your neighbors and friends, and discovered you were
educating them about the Mass Meetings and their purpose. Telling so many patriots about important work.

And so many of them showed up:

Fayette County - 140 attended

Henry County - 140 attended
Clayton County - 40 attended
Coweta County - 150 attended

Thank you all for being there. See you March 12 at the County GOP Convention.

The Citizen Newsletter is provided by

Henry Citizens for Responsible Government

Larry Stanley, Editor
899 East Lake Road, McDonough, GA 30252
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