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TODAY'S
ISSUE
New state school board
member outlines views on education
By
Jose Perez
President, Target Market Trends, Inc.
Special to GwinnettForum.com
NORCROSS, MAY 21, 2004 -- As the newly appointed Seventh District
member of the Georgia Board of Education, I want to express my most
sincere thanks to each one of you for your trust and support. This
community has chosen to trust me with a very important task; that
of planning and making critical decisions affecting their children's
education and future.
 This
is another example of American openness that continues to surface,
even at the most difficult times. My gratitude for your trust is
immense.
While I have spent much time helping the schools, especially while
our own three children worked their way though the Norcross cluster;
it was never with the intent of seeking office. When the possibility
of becoming the appointee was presented to me, my immediate response
was, "I will gladly serve if I can add value." Frankly,
I am humbled by it all, and it is my goal to exceed your expectations.
It is a huge responsibility and I am stepping up to the plate willing
to make a difference.
Simply stated, I see as my first duty to help all our children
prepare for success in the real world, and to help the State of
Georgia make strides in academic achievement. Federal Reserve Chairman
Alan Greenspan noted recently, "We need to be forward-looking
in order to adapt our educational system to the evolving needs of
the economy and the realities of our changing society . . . It is
an effort that should not be postponed."
In our district, we are passionate about ensuring that we not only
adapt to our changing environment, but also thrive in it. I believe
that in any market economy, a skilled workforce is the keystone
for building competitive advantage, and fundamental to improving
the standard of living for communities.
Perhaps an area where I can be of more help is finding ways to
relieve the academic achievement pressure that the large Latino
immigration is placing on our schools. While the overall scores
are continuing to improve, there is an achievement gap to be closed.
However, it is important to note that closing the academic achievement
gap not only enhances the quality of life of the Latino population,
it also adds value to the community at large. It does this by attracting
better paying industries, because of a higher skilled workforce,
which in turn raises the overall standard of living of the community,
and ultimately increases tax revenues. Yes, it is in everyone's
best interest to reach out and help so that no children are left
behind.
Once again, it is a privilege and an honor to serve the Seventh
district in this capacity. I am a problem-solver by nature and trade,
and my goals are primarily to focus on critical issues and help
the education team improve academic achievement in our district
and in Georgia. I look forward to getting to know more of you as
we work together to make it happen.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Ramifications
of John Oxendine running for Lt. Gov. of state
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
MAY 21, 2004 -- "I took the one (road) less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. "---Robert Frost
 So
Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine is jumping into the race for
lieutenant governor, a full two years before the 2006 election season.
Well, well, well.
You figured some prominent Republican would jump into this race
soon, since the person presently occupying this office is Democrat
Mark Taylor, and while we have a sitting Republican as governor.
And while we would never accuse any political office holder of campaigning
for another office while already in office, we feel certain that
Mr. Oxendine will move about the state often in his official capacity
as insurance commissioner during the next two years.
You may recall that during the 2002 General Election, Mr. Oxendine
garnered more votes than any other winning candidate for office
in Georgia, 1,274,860. Only other winner getting more than 1.2 million
votes was Secretary of State Cathy Cox, who scored 1,225,280. Mr.
Oxendine has proven pretty popular with voters!
Now, his new move raises the question; can he take that popularity
into the race for lieutenant governor? In the 2004 election, the
sitting lieutenant governor, Mark Taylor, polled more than a million
votes himself, in a year when the Republican won the governor's
chair.
 Handicapping
the political future, it makes you wonder if young Mr. Oxendine,
the son of Senior (ret.) Superior Court Judge James Oxendine Jr.
of Gwinnett, will vault to new heights by winning the lieutenant
governor's race?
Should John Oxendine snare the lieutenant governor's chair, it
would make him the odd-on front runner for governor among Republicans
in 2010 (that's thinking far ahead), no matter whether the current
governor, Dr. Sonny Purdue, won or lost in 2006. Of course, Republicans
would be sitting far prettier and so would Mr. Oxendine should the
governor win office again.
Should, however, any of the potential Democratic candidates for
governor win in 2006, that would put a crimp in Mr. Oxendine's camp
even if he won the lieutenant governorship. Should he run for governor
in 2010, he would no doubt face the Democratic governor running
for re-election. Whew! This thinking far in advance is difficult.
Among the potential field of candidates for governor in 2006, of
course, would be the current lieutenant governor, Democrat Mark
Taylor. By default, he is the current tantamount head of the Democratic
party by virtue of his office (and the fact that Sen. Zell Miller
has virtually deserted the Democratic Party.) And as lieutenant
governor, and a "heartbeat away" from the office, the
voters assume he will run for governor in 2006, rather than seek
the second spot again.
Should Lt. Gov. Taylor win the governor's office in 2006 (and upset
Dr. Perdue), that might wrack havoc for the newly-elected lieutenant
governor, should it be Mr. Oxendine. After all, that would mean
that in 2010, Governor Taylor would normally be the odd-on favorite
to win a second term. By then, Mr. Oxendine might want to postpone
his quest for the governorship until 2014. Whew! That's even thinking
farther in advance!
And meanwhile, sitting on the sidelines these days, also plotting
strategy, is another potential candidate for the top office: Secretary
of State Cathy Cox. And remember, she did poll the second most votes
in 2002. She has her choice of what she wants to run for…and
when, and no doubt will be a formidable candidate.
Twists and turns are always ahead on the political road. It's a
more difficult highway and has more directions than even Robert
Frost could anticipate!
ABOUT
OUR SPONSORS
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public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Barbara Grastat,
specializing in the sale and purchase of both new and re-sale homes
for over 21 years. She may be reached at her office in Duluth at
678 318 1190 or via the Internet at bgrastat@bellsouth.net.
For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm.
McLEMORE'S
WORLD
5/21: What you miss
with online shopping
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
CALENDAR
Dacula planning big
activities around Memorial Day
Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks invites Gwinettians to "join us in Dacula
on Memorial Day, May 31, 2004."
Activities will start early and last well into the afternoon. They
include the 11th annual 5K run, Dacula Memorial Day parade, and
the Dacula Festival, taking place in the park There will be several
hundred runners, loads of paraders, political candidates and much
for people who enjoy the crafts, food, music and fun at the festival.
The mayor adds: "Most of all, it gives folks time to reflect
on what Memorial Day is about-honoring those who have served and
died for freedom. 2004 is an especially poignant time as our troops
are engaged in fighting in several major terrorist suppression fights."
One of the honored guests will include David Wilburn, a veteran
of the Afghanistan and Bosnian campaigns.
Wilbanks also says that "Memorial Day 2003 in Dacula was a
smashing success, and we hope you will help us make 2004 even more
special."
Mountain Park Aquatic
Center to open on Tuesday
Gwinnett Parks and Recreation officials will cut the ribbon to
officially open the Mountain Park Aquatic Center and its new 7,200
square foot Activity Building on Tuesday, May 25, at 2 p.m. The
new outdoor leisure pool will soon ring with activity. The building,
which houses a large community room and smaller classroom, will
be ideal for a range of activities. Attendees can also check out
the half mile paved multi-purpose trail and more than eight acres
of undisturbed greenspace.
BOOK
RECOMMENDATION
From Dr. Wallace B.
Eberhard, Athens
Professor Emeritus, Henry W. Grady College of Journalism,
University of Georgia
Here are two recent good reads, one fiction, one nonfiction.
- Fiction: Donna Leon, Uniform Justice...Ms. Leon is an
American living in Venice, and her mystery novels explore the
human mind and Italian politics in the setting of one of the world's
loveliest cities.
- Nonfiction: Rick Atkinson, Army at Dawn...Atkinson is
a Washington Post reporter turned historian. This book earned
him a Pulitzer. It's about the Allied invasion of North Africa
in the fall of 1942--the first major combined arms operation of
World War 2. Nothing went quite right -- does it ever in war?
-- but Americans learned how to fight, and leaders learned how
to lead. Atkinson moves from headquarters to foxholes with literary
skill."
- An invitation: What books have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent book along with a short paragraph as to why you liked
it, plus what you plan to read next. --eeb
ENCYCLOPEDIA
TIDBIT
5/21: Atlanta Federal
Reserve Bank is in new quarters now
From rented space in Atlanta's Hurt building, the Atlanta
Federal Reserve Bank opened for operation November 16, 1914.
During its first years the Atlanta Fed sought to strengthen the
cotton economy of the Sixth Federal Reserve District and minimize
dependence on New York banks.
 Officials
also sought to enroll banks in the Federal Reserve System. The Sixth
District opened the first branch of the Federal Reserve System in
New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1915. Additional branches opened in Birmingham,
Alabama, and Jacksonville, Florida, in 1918 and in Nashville, Tennessee,
in 1919. In 1918 the Atlanta Fed moved into its own building, located
on Marietta Street in downtown Atlanta, where it remained until
1964.
In the Sixth District, enrolling banks in the Federal Reserve System
was initially a challenge. During the 1920s the number of banks
enrolled in the system slowly increased, but it declined after the
1929 stock market crash. During the early 1930s the Atlanta Fed
assumed the assets of many failed banks.
With the completion of new headquarters at 1000 Peachtree Street
in 2001, the Atlanta Fed continues to meet the needs of the banks
and the public in the region in the twenty-first century.
To access the Georgia Encyclopedia, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Considerations about
life from Helen Keller
"So much has been given to me; I have no time to ponder over
that which has been denied."
-- Helen Keller, via Deb Roberts.
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