Category Archives: Radio Commentaries

December 12, 2014 Radio Commentary

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Horse Racing & Pari-mutuel Betting would Expand Government

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, December 12, 2014 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Are you ready to create another government agency? If not, we have a battle on our hands. On November 17th Representative Harry Geisinger pre-filed H.R. 1 to make horse racing constitutional in Georgia. At the same time, he pre-filed his 38-page H.B. 2 to make it happen. But those 38 pages go beyond horse racing. They outline a system for pari-mutuel betting to be controlled by a seven-member all-expenses-paid horse racing commission to license racetrack facilities and schedule at least 60 live racing days in Georgia every year. The races would be simulcast to satellite facilities throughout the state and Internet betting would be set up to accommodate online gamblers.

They expect to collect a ton of new revenue, but let’s look at the facts. First, it’s never cheap to expand government and hire new people. Second, gambling is extremely harmful to gamblers and families. Average pathological gamblers pay about $1,200 a year to treat their habit, although they might never be cured. A fourth of habitual gamblers lose their jobs; 28 percent file for bankruptcy or owe $75,000 to $150,000 gambling debts; players with incomes under $10,000 lose nearly 10 percent of the family income at casinos and do three times more betting in lotteries than those earning over $50,000. 28 percent of pathological gamblers are either separated or divorced, nearly double the non-gambler rate and one in five commits suicide, a rate 20 times higher than non-gamblers. Continue reading →

December 5, 2014 Radio Commentary

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Just Add “Childhood Seizures” to Current Law

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, December 5, 2014 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Three weeks ago three bills were pre-filed to change Georgia’s current law governing our state-sponsored research program for using marijuana to treat patients with cancer or glaucoma. Since marijuana is a Schedule I drug, with a high risk for abuse and no proof of medical value, the current law also included the Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Program to develop security and record-keeping guidelines and protocols.

That happened in Georgia in the mid ’80s and it’s been the law in Georgia ever since. However, a couple of years ago a nationally known physician went on a world-wide study of marijuana, came back and published his findings. Since his report, 33 states have legalized medical marijuana and the pressure is on to legalize it here, regardless of the consequences.

Two days ago, the last of five meetings was held by the special joint committee created to study and research marijuana, but they didn’t discuss the three bills members of that committee have pre-filed for the 2015 legislative session. So, I’ll do it here.

H.B. 1 was pre-filed as a bare-bones bill to be fleshed-out later. It is so broadly written that it allows everything, but prohibits nothing. It would allow (a) unrestricted use of marijuana and its derivatives (b) to be supplied by unmentioned sources (c) for any number of patients of any age. It would be (d) administered through an unidentified private or state business, (e) for any period of time, and (f) prescribed by unnamed individuals, (g) with protection from prosecution for anyone with “a stated maximum amount of THC,” which is not stated. Continue reading →

November 14, 2014 Radio Commentary

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Political Sea Change

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, November 14, 2014 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

The hard work of Tanya Ditty, State Director of Concerned Women for America of Georgia; Jane Robbins, American Principles Project Senior Fellow; and other education experts was rewarded when their resolution passed the Georgia Baptist Convention last Tuesday. The intent of the resolution is to counteract the disastrous effects of Common Core State Standards on education in Georgia.

The resolution asks the legislature to (a) withdraw Georgia from the Common Core State Standards and testing; (b) prohibit all state officials from entering into any agreement that cedes any measure of control over Georgia education to entities outside the state; (c) on both state and local levels, assure transparency and accountability of curriculum and content standards; (d) and prohibit the collection, tracking and sharing of personally identifiable student and teacher data outside the state. A copy of the resolution will be sent to Governor Deal, Lt. Governor Cagle, Speaker Ralston, and members of the General Assembly.

In the November 4th General Election, Georgia Republicans built on past successes of 2005 when they took control of the Georgia General Assembly, and 2011 when they gained more control by electing Republicans to every state-wide position. Republicans retained all those seats this year and replaced a Democrat congressman with a Republican. Result: Effective January 12, 2015, Georgia will have a Republican Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Secretary of Education, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Labor, both U.S. Senators, 12 Republican Congressmen out of 14, and a majority of members in both House and Senate of the General Assembly. Continue reading →

October 31, 2014 Radio Commentary

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YOUR Vote REALLY Counts!

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, October 31, 2014 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

You may be disgusted with your choice of candidates, but, if history repeats itself, your vote may decide the election. Consider this.

In the 1986 race for the U.S. House of Representatives, Arlan Strangeland of Barnesville, MN defeated Collin Peterson by 142 votes out of 186,320. That’s less than one vote per precinct.

In a 1974 special election in Pennsylvania, John Murtha defeated Harry Fox by a total of 122 votes in 430 precincts of the 12th Congressional District. Murtha won by a margin of one-fourth of a vote per precinct!

In the 1960 Presidential Election, John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon by 113,000 votes. That was about one-half vote per precinct.

In 1948 in Texas, Lyndon Johnson was elected to the U.S. Senate by 87 votes out of 988,295 in 6,000 precincts. That means he won by 1/69th of a vote per precinct.

In 1918, Woodrow Wilson carried the State of California with less than one vote per precinct. California’s electoral vote made the difference and Wilson was re-elected President.

If you’re not enthusiastic about the candidates, remember this. There’s always a candidate that’s less-bad than the other one. So, don’t play “sick” on November 4th. It’s Election Day! Continue reading →