Transportation, healthcare, scrap metal sales laws and reforming the criminal justice system were just some of the issues “on the table” during the Madison County Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Eggs and Issues” breakfast this week, which was sponsored by Jackson EMC.
The transportation SPLOST vote, or “T-SPLOST,” which is currently set for a vote next July, was perhaps the most significant topic discussed.
State Rep. Tom McCall, who serves on the transportation committee, said that if the T-SPLOST, which adds a penny tax on the dollar to all items already taxable, passes in the scheduled July vote it will double the amount of funds Madison County receives from the state for transportation costs over a 10-year period. Projects will be funded in three-year blocks, McCall said, with the top three projects in the county being the widening of Hwy. 72 from Comer to Elbert County; widening and providing turning lanes at the Hwy. 29/ Hwy. 98 red light in Danielsville and the third would be widening Hwy. 72 West from Comer back toward Colbert.
State senator Frank Ginn said he liked that the state was divided into 12 regions for SPLOST funding and that local officials had input into what road projects the T-SPLOST will fund. “The money will stay in your region,” Ginn said.
On criminal justice reform, state representative Alan Powell said the state must offer effective alternatives to jail time, where the daily cost to care for each inmate runs from $40 to $60.
“We have this ‘let’s lock ‘em all up mentality,’” Powell said, adding that the state cannot continue to maintain the cost, which amounts to around $1 billion per year. He said that a third of inmates are currently serving time for drug-related offenses.
“Take their money….give them hard labor,” he said. “We need to ‘get smart’ on crime.”
McCall said the current state prison population is as high as Madison and Elbert county populations combined.
“We’re all paying for them,” McCall said.
Another area of concern, particularly in this area, is copper theft, which continues to grow around the country. McCall said he hopes that new laws are coming to the state, which will require those that sell scrap metal to register with the local sheriff. He also wants to see restrictions on how metal is hauled to help prevent accidents.
County district 3 commissioner Stanley Thomas, who was just one of several local officials on hand, agreed, saying the holes in the system that require citizens to show their driver’s license to purchase cold medicine, but cause no difficulties for thieves to sell their stolen copper, must be fixed.
McCall predicted that having to register with the sheriff’s office to sell metal would stop a lot of it.
School superintendent Allen McCannon told lawmakers that in a recent meeting with state health officials, he learned that insurance premiums on non-certified employees (bus drivers, parapros, nutrition workers, secretaries) will increase by $150 per month per person over the next three years.
“The cost to (the school system) is $1.4 million,” McCannon said. “They’re getting ready to pass the cost (of insurance) on to employers – and when you do that you pass the cost on to taxpayers.”
Ginn blamed the issue on three things: “Obamacare,” the cost of testing and malpractice insurance costs.
“There’s federal and local issues driving it,” he said.
For Powell, the root of the problem is simpler. “We have too many people using it and we have all these new technological advances that cost a lot of money,” he said, adding that the U.S. has one of the best healthcare systems in the world.
“Healthcare is eroding the economy today,” he said. Powell pointed to all the government employees, including retirees, who are continuing to receive health insurance benefits, along with those on federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which the system is running out of money to support.
And he said rising premiums in the government sector is just what workers in the public sector have been experiencing for some time.
“We need to ‘get smart’ on crime.” Legalize pot and tax it. Road problem and prison problem solved. Lock up all the politicians that voted for these laws in the past that lead us to this situation.
Copper thieves to register at the sheriff's office? Good idea. (that's one)
Healthcare cost increase for non certified employees? Ain't that a shame. The rest of us should have someone that cares about our healthcare cost. Maybe they (politicians)should get out the insurance companys' back pocket and pass legislation that would reduce the cost for all of us. Maybe some free market capitalism would solve the problem.
"Obamacare"? You all make me sick everytime you say the word.
These two politicians' worth is equal to the amount of money that is in their pockets, not a penny more.
Ron Paul-2012.
As to the two politicians, who knows what the deal is? Like all politicians, they don't care one bit about the folks they represent except to get their votes come election time. And don't tell me that such cynicism is not waranted; nothing they say can be believed any more (well, maybe Ron Paul).
Are the basic principles of Democrats and Republicans so similar that one can easily step from one side to other without stepping on those who elected him? Hardly. They mix about as well as Oil and Water.
What this man really represents is all the career politicians that are killing our great country while lining their pockets, and the dire need for Term Limits.
I won't forget, Mr. Powell, and, I don't plan to let others forget either.
Oh,it's a desperate move alright. Desperate to keep his paycheck and benefits,that's all. The
constituents that elected him must be Democrats, that's what he was until 3 days after the election.
There are some in the Republican party that plan to oust these RHINOS (Republican in name only) in the next election cycle. I hope that have plans for Mr. Powell's future.
I cannot for the life of me think of any justification for switching parties 3 days after an election. If he wanted to make sure his constituents have a voice(they elected a Democrat), he should have stepped aside.
Representative Powell is 100% right about passing the cost of prison's and jail on to the drug offenders though. Hurt them where they will remember it and they might be less inclined to do it again
A question about the idea to register to sell scrap ? How would that work exactly? Would the seller be required to register with the sheriff each time that that person sold scrap metal or would they only register one time as a seller ? Something needs to be done about the metal theft's and sale. But if it adds to the cost for both involved, the sheriff's work load and the person selling scrap, how can that be a real help?
I will vote NO on any new taxes. We do not need a tax increase with the economy in the shape it is in now. Will this give us jobs? Maybe a few for the paving companies and the like, but none will come to Madison County.
At least Obamacare removes the illusion of free market healthcare and set the stage for moving to a single payor.
What e
We need for Ginny and Powell to say is we are stopping the vote buying schemes of Medicare and Medicaid and government employees will have to buy their own insurance.
According to you, isn't the single payor Medicare setting the fee payments currently? How would the government being in charge of the ONLY payor available be different that this?
This limited space does not allow for thorough explanation. The following is a Cliff notes of the Cliff notes.
In the old days doctors and hospitals charged what they deemed appropriate for their services. Insurance companies typically paid the "usual and customary" fee. This structure allowed doctors and hospitals to treat those patients who could not pay the total of their bills.
Along comes the vote buying scheme called Medicare. Keep in mind the only Healhcare program completely run by the government is the Veterans Hospital/Clinic system. The Fedralistas contract with private insurance companies to administer the Medicare program. As the Federalistas began to realize the vote buying scheme was going bankrupt and would bankrupt America they began cutting fees paid to doctors (1984).
I will spare the many years in between. The private insurers began noticing what Medicare was paying and the "usual and customary" went out the window and the doctors were told this is what we will pay and too bad. Payment for services under this scheme have been reduced every year since 1985.
So while government may not yet be the single payer, they set the rates by which all healthcare is paid. This is why so many practices do not accept Medicaid, TriCare, new Medicare patients, some private insurance plans, etc. When doctors have to start paying money from their savings to be in practice they stop practicing. Its like having a $12 an hour job and paying $12.25 an hour for someone to watch your children while you work. Doesn't make sense.