From the "complete waste of taxpayer's money" department - Yesterday, the Pelosi-led House voted on a bill aimed at ending the "shutdown". It had ZERO dollars for building the much needed security wall at the Southern border. We taxpayers paid the Democrats salaries which were obviously wasted. Congress "works" in session about 138 days a year.. 240 Democrats at $174,000.00 annual salary means that we pay them over $302,000 for 1 days work. Talk about wasting money on non-essential "employees".. Trump 2020!

 

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After Trump met with Pelosi yesterday, Republicans said Trump posed a direct question to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: If he opened the government would she fund the wall? She said no." -- You know, Trump may have found Pelosi's "Achilles heel". She made a promise she would not fund the wall, and we know her track record on not keeping any promises she makes!

 

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I erred in my info "pass-along" yesterday concerning the money being spent at Columbus High that has been re-allocated from money not spent... yet... from past SPLOSTs.. for then current and future roof repairs. There seems the $3.6 Million allocated at Kendrick is being used, but the Jordan expenditures will come in at a $2.82 million, leaving about $600K open, and it appears is being redirected to Columbus High.. and Columbus High's project is estimated at $1.5 Million... so, it looks like only $900,000.00 is being taken away from previous SPLOST funds for roof repairs. This still does not justify the move. The original "roof repair" SPLOST was in 2003 and bolstered in the 2015 SPLOST, but seeing how a roof has a "life" of maybe 20 years, and it's been 15/16 years since the 2003 SPLOST was passed, some of those roofs are going to need further repairs/replacements in the next 4 or 5 years. Hmmm... maybe the MCSD can repair the roofs with sod from the CHS field....

 

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Drove by Cloverdale Rd yesterday to see if any action had been done on fixing the massive potholes that look like scars from IEDs. Nope.. I've sent pics to Council ad the 311 Center, but unless the potholes were fixed during the night hours, they are still injuring tires and suspensions as we speak.. on a positive note, at least the 311 Center acknowledged the information.. cannot say that about anyone from Council.

 

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Read where Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife are divorcing after 25 years and 4 children. We also learned that Bezos is worth about $137 BILLION.. well, he and his ex-wife will soon be worth about $68.5 BILLION each... I thought...Wow....for a man who built his business on being able 'to deliver', we just found out he does not know how to deliver the important things in his life.... but I'll tell you one thing.. if I had his billions of dollars, I do believe I would tell myself. "Hey, you have enough.. it's time to turn the job over to others and take care of and enjoy your family.

 

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Memory Lane...took a trip down memory lane..the good one, too.. stopped at Dinglewood for a tribute Scramble Dog to remember Lieutenant. True, Lieutenant passed earlier this year, and his funeral will be this Saturday, but Lieutenant is not gone...he lives in the chili he perfected over more than 50 years. In a world that changes constantly ..whether we want it to or not, we will have Lieutenant's chili to keep us connected!

 

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I was right! It IS a bicycle Roundabout! That edifice being built at Forest and Wynnton Rds in MidTown...I wonder how many potholes could have been fixed for what's already been spent on this!

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Who knew...that when the Veterans Parkway at Moon Road, and the Warm Springs Road projects would offer "career" jobs, and would take so long that workers would be able turn over their jobs to their children following in their footsteps..

 

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Democrat spinmeisters are referring to conservatives as "ditto-heads" for listening to Rush Limbaugh...so I guess it is appropriate that followers of the Democrat mantra/crap could be referred to as "dodo-heads" without further challenge.

 

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After seeing Los Angeles County CA eclipse his entire state's population,. it has driven NYC mayor de Bl@sio to fight back at the population drain NYC is feeling...so..de Bl@sio has declared that EVERYBODY gets free healthcare in NYC. Hmmmm...would serve him right if every corporation in NYC dropped their private plans and took de Bl@sio on his word, and bankrupt him fiscally to match his moral bankruptcy.

 

A follow up to deBl@sio's new healthcare plan..a Democrat spinmeister is already out claiming de Bl@sio's plan will CUT healthcare costs because people will seek help when illnesses are in their early stages...good grief.. what will (and does) happen is people will call 911 for medics and ambulances to take them to ERs for band-aids and aspirin and as taxi service across town. This already happens with Medicaid. Additionally, NYC will become the dead beat's East Coast destination.

 

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From the "another Democrat whine shot down" department - On Tuesday, this announcement was issued:

Despite the government shutdown, the Internal Revenue Service today confirmed that it will process tax returns beginning January 28, 2019 and provide refunds to taxpayers as scheduled.

 

“We are committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds notwithstanding the government shutdown. I appreciate the hard work of the employees and their commitment to the taxpayers during this period,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig.

Congress directed the payment of all tax refunds through a permanent, indefinite appropriation (31 U.S.C. 1324), and the IRS has consistently been of the view that it has authority to pay refunds despite a lapse in annual appropriations. Although in 2011 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed the IRS not to pay refunds during a lapse, OMB has reviewed the relevant law at Treasury’s request and concluded that IRS may pay tax refunds during a lapse.

 

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From the "Surprise, surprise,surprise.... NOT!" department - Online story: "After decades in public office, Gov. Nathan Deal will launch a lobbying and consulting firm after he leaves office Monday that will take on corporate clients as well as advocate on public policy issues. * Deal and longtime top aide Chris Riley will start the firm — called Deal, Riley & Associates — that will look to leverage their relationships in state government and knowledge of the inner workings of the Legislature." -- Wait a minute...where's the GA taxpayers' "share"? We paid for all the experience and contacts he made over his career in Public Office! And it's not just Deal.. it';s every politician who leaves office then goes into the "I know how to manipulate the system" business. We need a law that prevents an outgoing politician from capitalizing from contacts made while employed by the taxpayers.. at least for a couple of 5 years..same goes for ex-presidents.. none should be allowed to be paid for "speeches" to Special Interest groups during the next president's first term.

 

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Online headline: "Trump says federal workers support his border wall shutdown, Pelosi says he's 'almost' delusional." -- Hmmm.. quite a statement from Pelosi... especially since we feel she's "certifiably delusional"...

 

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Online headline: "Marc Thiessen: Trump started the shutdown but Democrats are about to own it" -- Hmmm.. They literally owned it the moment they threw Br'er Trump into the brier patch and Trump is "laffin" all the way to the 2020 elections. Dems feel keeping the fence from being built will enhance their chances in 2020, but America KNOWS it's about security and safety, and the Dems "dollar issue" doesn't fly.