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TODAY'S
ISSUE
South Africa visit
gives Gwinnettian new insight
By
Geoffrey Boyce
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: Today's author is a graduate
of Dacula High and a senior English major at Furman University.
He is planning on moving back near Dacula after graduation, and
become a fixer-upper of houses 'and do the work myself as a hobby."
He eventually hopes to get into residential building, and "participate
in Gwinnett's growth."-eeb)
APRIL 15, 2003 -- Southern Africa was a world entirely unknown
to me when I boarded a plane headed for Johannesburg in early January.
Sadly, my mind was filled with misconceptions and common American
stereotypes of backwards "Darkest Africa."
 This
ignorance all changed though when I began six weeks of intensive
academic exploration into the history and political science of Southern
Africa on a study abroad trip with Furman University. However, I
was unaware that the experience awaiting me would change my outlook
on the world forever.
My first week in Africa was spent in Namibia. I spent my first
four nights in a homestay with a family in Katatura outside of Windhoek.
Katatura was created as a township to keep black labor close enough
for exploitation by powerful whites under apartheid. No real infrastructure
was ever established. Katatura became a dumping ground for blacks
and was ruthlessly regulated by apartheid laws and the security
forces.
Katatura, like all other apartheid townships in Southern Africa,
struggles to succeed still today. Many homes do not have running
water. Some do not have electricity. A rapid population growth and
urban migration has flooded what little space there is in the area.
Unemployment is astronomical. The HIV/AIDS epidemic threatens to
annihilate a large portion of the population.
The discrepancy between rich and poor in South Africa and Namibia
is absurd. There is little hope for much of a better life any time
soon in Katatura.
Very few people understand any of this though. Few Americans realize
just how fortunate we really are. I noted my reactions to these
differing worlds in my journal:
"The world that I go to bed in tonight in South Africa does
not seem to be at all the same world of Namibia that I woke up in.
This morning I awoke in the small house of the Riarera family in
Katatura, Namibia. Eight people sleep there. Edward and Daniel share
the bottom bunk of Jackson's bed. Joseph sleeps on the floor in
the living room. The faucet in the bathroom does not work. There
is no hot water. There is no telephone. The children eat only a
small portion of rice with a few mixed vegetables and a bit of sauce
poured over it for dinner--if anything at all. The yard is nothing
but dirt and rocks, and the neighborhood men spend nights next door
at the small tin sheeben using what little money they have to drink
away their problems.
Tonight I go to bed in a hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa in
Sandton City, the newly rich part of the city. One of the world's
best shopping malls is right across the street. There is a pool
downstairs. Outside is a garden of beautiful trees, flowers and
grass. There is complimentary bubble bath waiting for me in my large,
clean, private bathroom. I have a double bed with four pillows all
to myself. I see a BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche outside on the street.
There is a telephone a foot away from my head from which I can call
anywhere in the world. I have my own TV. I can order anything I
want from room service below.
I am in an entirely new place. The world has changed before me.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Two-party
system suffering in current legislative battle
By
Elliott Brack
editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com
APRIL 15, 2003 -- Those of us who have labored long and hard for
a two-party system in Georgia should be pleased. It has arrived.
But it comes cloaked in a far different suit of clothes than we
had imagined.
We were wanting the choice of two good candidates for every office.
We were wanting a viable legislature where issues would be debated
on merit. We were wanting good government.
In the first year of two party government, instead we have elected
some far-from experienced legislators. The issues discussed have
been for the most part along party lines, clouded by what should
be a non-issue, the Georgia flag. And so far, we are still waiting
for good government, not to mention that better government still
seems a few light years away.
This new government of Georgia can't seem to get itself in gear.
Part of this comes from a lack of leadership on the part of the
governor, who seems to have a knack for not realizing the power
his office can muster. Perhaps he just doesn't like to twist arms
to get his programs moving. That seems to be what's needed one such
mundane item, as passing the state budget. Maybe Dr. Perdue will
eventually realize that he has a few choice plums in his basket
that he can distribute to worthy legislators, meaning those who
vote his way.
There's no better example on the budget crisis than the proposed
tobacco tax increase that the governor wants to help balance the
budget. Here is a potential added tax that the majority of the people
all around Georgia, based on extensive polling, see as a reasonable
way to go. Even smokers (who want to stop) approve of a higher tax
on tobacco products.
But hardheads in the Legislature are opposed to adding taxes, as
are tobacco belt legislators on both sides of the aisle. So the
tobacco tax that people do not see as worrisome, languishes with
little legislative support. A more hard-nosed leadership from the
governor's office might secure passage of this tax.
Another aspect of tobacco funds came to light last week, when Philip
Morris (now trying to hide its corporate entity as Altria Group
Inc.) suggested that it might not be able to meet its April 15 payment
of $63.8 million to Georgia. This is part of its overall $2.5 partial
payment of the tobacco settlement agreement.
If Philip Morris is considering not paying Georgia on the back
end of a legal agreement, it is not reasonable to seek money "up
front," that is, in the form of higher taxes on its product?
Higher taxes up front might eventually be the only way to get money
out of Philip Morris.
The Philip Morris aspect is just another reason why
our governor should push harder in these last days of the session
on the tobacco tax. Providing this leadership, and getting a budget
through the Legislature (without a special session) will show that
a two party system can work in Georgia. It'll be nice to see Georgia
in gear and running smoothly.
(Editor's note: we got details for this article,
as we have in the past, from the Gwinnett County Public Library
and their research librarians. A big cheer for this department,
which helps lots of us with arcane but useful and helpful details.-eeb)
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FEEDBACK
4/15: Says Cobb
County ordinance works on graffiti
Editor, the Forum:
Hi. I recently moved to Norcross and I am concerned with the
amount of graffiti showing up on empty gas stations and areas
of the community.
Is there any current legislation to require property owners
to clean up graffiti? In Cobb County such a bill passed and
requires that any property owner with graffiti on his property
have no longer than 10 days to clean up the graffiti or face
fines.
I believe this is working. I recently visited one of the areas
in Cobb County. The area has no visible graffiti. You can only
see where it was painted over. The law is working and has a
direct impact on gang activity. I feel such a law would have
tremendous impact and help the area. Any Idea how we could get
such a law introduced to Gwinnett?
-- David Proud, Norcross
(Editor's note: Gwinnett has
looked at this issue in detail. The question that keeps coming
up is, should Gwinnett penalize/punish the victim of graffiti
vandals? However, there is no silver bullet that will solve
this issue. It will take a combination of education, eradication
and enforcement to rid our county of this problem. Therefore,
Gwinnett does not believe that this type of legislation is the
answer. Meanwhile, there is work ongoing between the legislative
delegation and county commission to have legislation put into
place that would allow Gwinnett to use inmates or county resources
to remove the graffiti on private property under certain guidelines.
Until this legislation passes, there is no current legislation
to address what you suggest. -eeb)
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Seems like South
Carolina has its own Yogi Berra
"I never know what I'm going to say until I say it so I
am kind of interested in hearing what I think."
-- SC Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston,
during debate on a provision to make it mandatory to wear seatbelts.
Courtesy of S.C.
Statehouse Report.
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