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Column
By Frank
Gillespie
The Madison County Journal
March 15, 2000
 Frankly Speaking
Tax
the wealth out of this country?
Every time someone suggests giving part of our money back to
us in the form of a reduction in taxes, the big spending liberals
scream, "a tax break for the rich!"
Well, if that is their goal, to soak the rich, then we need to
design a tax program that will do just that. I suggest an annual
estate tax. Every person would be taxed a percentage of their
personal wealth each year. This would make it possible to eliminate
the income tax and make the rich pay the entire bill.
It can be made as progressive as you want. For example, if your
net worth is less than $100,000, you own no taxes. From $100,000
to $1 million would cost you one percent of your fortune. The
rate would increase by one percent per million. An estate of
$10 million would pay 10 percent annually. The government would
take all of your wealth over $100 million. Bill Gates, Ted Turner
and Michael Jordan would give up enough to finance most of the
government!
Of course the same plan, with a somewhat lower tax rate, would
apply to corporations as well. Any company with assets of $1
billion or more would have their excess buildings, inventory
and bank accounts taken as corporate tax.
Just think of the problems this would solve. No more mega-mergers
because government would get most of it. No more obscene salaries
paid to pro athletes. No more massive "soft money"
donations to political candidates. No more rich candidates trying
to buy the presidency.
Also, we would not have to worry about overcrowded freeways because
so few of us would have jobs. We would never have to decide between
the unlimited number of brands of toilet tissue, because our
stores could only afford to stock one or two. We would no longer
be concerned about gun control because no one could afford to
buy one.
So, if the best way to run our country is to tax the rich, let's
do it right. Quit fooling around with the tiny amounts we pay
in income taxes. Let's tax the wealth of this nation out of existence.
Then we would have what the left-wing radicals want, a country
where the government owns everything. It is called SOCIALISM!
Ask the Russians how well that idea works.
We do not need to tax the rich. We do not need to tax the middle
class. We need to reduce government to the level authorized by
the U.S. Constitution. The explosion of business in America would
generate enough excise taxes, users fees and license charges
to pay for the necessary government services.
As for individual wealth, a return to constitutional government
would give all of us who are willing to make an effort the opportunity
to become rich. No one has ever been taxed into wealth. But many
of us have been taxed out of it!
Frank Gillispie founder of The Madison County Journal.
Letter
The
Madison County Journal
March 15, 2000
Wrestler seeks
help with trip to Australia
Dear editor:
My name is Matt Cleghorne. I am an eleventh grade student-athlete
from Madison County High School and have been on the wrestling
team for two years. I have recently been selected to travel to
Australia as a member of the United States People to People Sports
Ambassadors Program. I will be participating in the South Pacific
Invitational, a special wrestling tournament for youth teams
throughout the world, July 17-30.
The People to People Sports Ambassadors Program was founded by
President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956. Since that time the program
has grown dramatically and has sent thousands of United States
students overseas to achieve an international experience. Sports
ambassadors are carefully interviewed and evaluated before their
acceptance. Because of its balanced athletic and educational
value, it also offers the opportunity to gain additional high
school and college credits as well.
I personally would like to become a Sports Ambassador because
it will not only give me an opportunity to meet people and experience
other cultures from around the world but a chance to compete
at a level at which most could only imagine. Representing one's
country at my age is an experience of a lifetime. We intend to
use this opportunity to share our culture in the spirit of competition
and in the hope that we can ensure goodwill in future international
relationships.
In order to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,
I need your help! I am requesting sponsorship and/or donations
of any kind from individuals and businesses to help alleviate
the financial costs. The program amount is $5,000, which includes
transportation, accommodations and all other associated costs.
The preparations for this opportunity are time sensitive. There
are certain deadlines to meet and the date for full tuition is
May 1, 2000. I realize this isn't much time, but any help you
can provide is greatly appreciated.
All checks should be made payable to Matt Cleghorne, for People
to People. An account has been set up for the sole purpose of
my trip at Merchant & Farmers Bank in Comer. However, in
order to keep accurate records on all contributions, please mail
to my home address at 470 Gholston Street, Comer, Ga. 30629.
Please feel free to contact me or my family at (706) 783-5566
if you have further questions. My family and I thank you in advance
for your gracious consideration and support.
Sincerely,
Matt Cleghorne
Comer
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Column
By Margie
Richards
The Madison County Journal
March 15, 2000
 An important test
If you never read another one of my columns
- read this one, please.
It's about an important test I've got coming up in a couple of
weeks.
It's not one I can study for, but it's one I must take every
few years to protect my health.
I'm talking about a colonoscopy.
For some reason, the mere mention of this test strikes fear into
the hearts of many. When I mention I'm going to have one I get
looks of sympathy and often gasps of distress or horror.
I assure you I don't dread it in the least (well, maybe the prep,
a little).
I've been through numerous colonoscopies since being diagnosed
with ulcerative colitis 16 years ago, and I can tell you firsthand
that they are nothing to fear. The worst thing is having to drink
all that stuff the night before to clean out the system.
Classified as an autoimmune disease, ulcerative colitis, and
its "relative" digestive diseases - such as Crohn's
Disease - are not pretty subjects.
Often accompanied by debilitating pain, ulcerative colitis in
an "active phase" causes inflammation and ulceration
of the wall of the colon, accompanied by frequent bowel movements,
bleeding, and other manifestations such as extreme fatigue and
skin rashes. For some, such as myself, these symptoms come and
go; for others, they are an almost constant fact of life.
To sufferers of these diseases, a colonscopy is a vital tool
in the diagnosis of their illness and in monitoring the condition
of the bowel, including the possible development of cancer.
For those of you that don't know, a colonoscopy is a procedure
a gastroenterologist (digestive system specialist) can use to
examine the lower bowel, or colon. The small flexible tube used
in the procedure is called an endoscope and is equipped with
telescoping features and a light which allows the doctor to peer
through the tube at all sides of the bowel wall as he maneuvers
it around and through the loops of colon. (The colon is about
six feet long.) Pictures of the bowel can be taken and the endoscope
even has a pair of small scissors which he can use to take biopsies
or clip off small irregular growths called polyps - a frequent
precursor of colon cancer. The procedure can generally be done
under mild anesthesia as an outpatient in a hospital setting,
and after it's over you can go home and sleep the rest of the
day.
According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is one
of the most prevalent forms of cancer in this country and also
one of the most preventable. Because it is generally slow growing,
a tumor or growth in the colon can take years to develop. But
the flip side of this is that often by the time noticeable symptoms
manifest themselves, such as obvious blood in the stool or pain
in the abdomen, the cancer is far advanced and has already spread
through the bowel wall to other organs, such as the liver.
This is what happened to my brother over five years ago. By the
time pain, bleeding and other symptoms forced him to seek medical
attention, his colon was blocked by a large tumor and there were
cancerous tumors on his liver and several other organs. Treatment
only helped prolong his life; saving it was not possible. Just
seven months after he was diagnosed, my brother was buried at
the young age of 47. Seeing what he went through would be enough
to make anyone want to avoid a similar fate.
continued on page 5A
Katie Couric, nationally known host of the Today Show, became
a widow a couple of years ago, after losing her husband to colon
cancer at the age of only 43.
Katie is now one of my heroes. I admire her crusade to prevent
colon cancer, promoting an awareness of the diesease, its prevention
and treatment tirelessly, even going so far as to undergo a colonoscopy
herself on national television. Now that, pardon the pun, took
a lot of guts.
As our doctor recently told me, cases of colon cancer are being
seen at younger and younger ages.
EVERYONE, depending on their individual and family history, should
have regular exams and stool specimans sent in to check for "occult"
or hidden blood in the stool, even if they feel perfectly healthy!
Also, examinations, such as proctoscopy and colonoscopy should
be done to examine the colon at whatever age your doctor advises.
For some it might be 50, for others, such as myself and my husband,
who both have family histories of colon cancer, it could be 40,
or even sooner.
Sometimes a doctor will only want to perform a proctoscopy, which
is a less invasive procedure and can be done in the doctor's
office. But for my money, and to get a thorough examination,
I would just as soon have the more complete procedure. (Besides,
you still have to do the prep anyway!)
Please, please do not ignore simple precautionary procedures
that can save your life. There is no need for anyone to die of
colon cancer. It has been called a "preventable cancer."
Talk with your doctor about the subject - don't wait for him
to bring it up - and visit a specialist if you have any family
history of the disease.
Insist that those you love do the same.
Margie Richards is a reporter and office manager of the Madison
County Journal.
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