On Tuesday, it will be time for the polls to open again. This column is to beg you all to go and vote for the candidates of your choice.

It always saddens me to hear that only 50 percent or fewer of the American population go to the polls. This is a right we all have to speak our minds. If you don’t like the way our government is being run, then let them know. If you’re satisfied with how things are going, you need to let them know that, too.

Editor:

In the July 8 News-Times editorial, “No to T-SPLOST, yes to Sunday sales,” it is correctly pointed out that raising the sales tax from 7 percent to 8 percent is an increase of 14 percent. If that were the true cost to the consumer, it would scare anyone from voting for T-SPLOST.

However, I believe it should also have shown the affect that T-SPLOST will have on the consumer’s dollar. A dollar spent would cost the consumer $1.08 rather than $1.07.

Editor:

Voters in Columbia County districts 1 and 4 will be able to cast ballots for their school board races whether they vote on the Republican, Democrat or non-partisan ballot. Our school system is a vital part of this county. It is often cited by residents as the main reason for residing here.

I would like to offer my endorsement for candidates in both of these elections. Roxanne Whitaker, the incumbent from District 4, is the best choice among the three candidates. It has been my privilege to serve with her during my tenure on the board.

The term “the check is in the mail” is a time-worn phrase generally understood to mean the opposite, using the U.S. Postal Service as the scapegoat for a missing payment.

In the case of disabled veterans overcharged on their property taxes for the past four years, finding a scapegoat will be a little harder – but at least the check actually will be in the mail.

County officials around Georgia didn’t find out until this spring that a change in federal guidelines in 2007 granted larger homestead exemptions to qualified disabled veterans.