Published: July 02, 2009 02:25 pm      

Rant & Rave - July 3

Suwannee Countians, it's time to speak your mind! How? By calling the Suwannee Democrat Rant and Rave hotline. The hotline never closes and is your way to let it out. You can let everyone know how you feel -- as long as you express yourself in a respectful way.

Note: In written entries to Rant and Rave, errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation are those of the authors.

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I remember the end of prohibition, illegal "numbers" games and "coke" in Coca Cola. The last 70 years have shown me you can't change human nature; it's smarter to adapt to it. When I was growing up, people gambled and found alcohol no matter how many millions were spent to stop them. (kind of like stopping marijuana today?). Imported scotch and bourbon were sold from the back of a garage, 3 doors down from my house. People played the "numbers," watching Sunday's paper for the winning numbers. (Does this sound a little like the lottery?) In the end, government found that taxing alcohol and gambling and creating the lottery provided better control and generated income. We are fooling ourselves and sending lots of money out of Suwannee County thinking we can make anything different by limiting alcohol sales. If you go to the Lake City ABC Store, why not buy gas (it's cheaper) and visit the Wal-Mart, Lowe's and Home Depot (better selections) or the mall with more stores. My wife likes the Food Lion there. Beyond that, it's a little hypocritical to sell beer here so drinkers can still get drunk at home or in their pickup, even on Sunday. Forbidding alcohol sales on Sunday is no problem but the other 6 days would increase tax revenue (needed), probably generate jobs (needed) and hopefully help attract business (needed). Wake up Suwannee County!!!

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Before the zealots get started, pastors & politicians both earn the daily bread from the working folks pocket. These pockets ain't doing real well right now. The Bible & the constitution separate church & state. Freedom of religion also applies to freedom from religion! If you gotta pay somebody to run your life & tell ya' right from wrong, then your probably addicted to the "opiate of the masses". Nobody is telling you how to worship, don't tell me how to live.

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To street vendors selling watermelons: I will not stop to ask the price. If not posted, you automatically lose this customer.

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I fill my car's gas tank in Keystone Heights for $2.55/gallon and drive to Live Oak to find the price is $2.75/gallon. Where can I buy a very, very long hose and gas pump?

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If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck, I'd swim to the bottom and never come up. I have heard about all I want to hear about alcohol being sold in Suwannee County.

If you don't like it here, move. Go to another city or county or even to another country where you can stomp your own grapes. I am tired of our city being stomped. I thank God that this is not your decision to make. Take your wining and your dining somewhere else.

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Yeah, about us having a new hearing, about us having a new hearing on the golf cart deal. Why shouldn't everyone be heard. Let's have a new hearing, advertise it, let everyone be heard and then make a decision on it. There's many, many people in Suwannee County that don't believe they got a fair shake in the past city council meeting. Thank you very much.

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How much power does our city council members have? June 9, 2009 if you attended the city council meeting you saw four councilmen ignore the people that elected them and the city attorney that advises them. Again the voters were not given a say in what happens in the City of Live Oak. One city councilman even admitted the decision was made before this meeting concerning the golf cart vote. How much power can two individuals have that do not even live in the city limits of Live Oak? The voters can be thankful that they have councilman Ken Duce who does what is right and represents all of Live Oak. Mr. Duce was correct when he said golf carts would work in gated communities or retirement subdivisions not Live Oak. Roberts Rules of Order has changed evidently because in the past the chairman asked those present if there was any other discussion before a motion was entertained, uh-oh another boo-boo. Maybe in 2010 & 2012 some changes can be made and we will get councilmen that will work for the taxpayers instead of themselves. How about another hearing concerning golf carts so everyone can have a chance to speak? Thank you.

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Yes, I am calling about the rant & rave about the polices about the sheriffs saying about the seatbelts and stuff. I understand that about the seatbelts, then I seen somebody in the rant and rave had about people have their right if they want to wear their seatbelt and if they don't want to wear their seatbelt, I mean I think it's a good idea to wear seatbelts but also they need to push the issue on the bus drivers. They need to have seatbelts on all the seats for the kids to wear seatbelts because I'm telling you I work with a business and I have seen those bus drivers and I mean they be flying by and going fast. Those kids is not strapped in and I honestly think they really need to put seatbelts on school buses. They saying for the cars, the vehicles to fasten up seatbelts, I think the buses need to have seatbelts so the kids can be fastened in too. Thank you.

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Citizens of Suwannee County, let's quit kidding ourselves that we are a dry county. Per capita we consume as much as other counties yet we get no new choices; we have to drive 20 miles to get it and there's no new tax revenues from new businesses. Lets take our heads out of the sand and vote our county wet. We need to join the other 63 counties in Florida.

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Callers to 386-208-8314 may express their thoughts, good or bad, 24/7 about community issues and politics, but not about private individuals or businesses. If you prefer, you may email your comments to nf.editorial@gaflnews.com. You don't have to give your name, and please, keep submissions to less than 45 seconds (that's about 150 words). We want everybody to have a chance to be heard. Submissions that are overly long will be discarded. If 45 seconds isn't enough time, write a Letter to the Editor. (Guidelines for letters appear on Page 6A of our print edition.)