Things to do in Cherokee County Thursday, Aug. 25

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The Family Care Center in the Piggly Wiggly Shopping Center in Centre includes a Thrift Store open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Family Care Center helps others by giving clothing, food and possibly hope to families in their time of need. The Center asks for your help by supporting its thrift stores. There are currently three locations, the one in Centre, another at 5511 Main St. in Hokes Bluff and another in Cedar Bluff. The Center is currently helping more than 100 families per week and thanks the community for its continued support. Director is Cindy McGinnis.

The Cherokee Historical Museum Arts and Crafts class with crafter Pam Dean will be held from noon until 5 p.m. at the museum. Call Kathy Marko for more information at 256-927-7835.

Cloud Farrow teaches an Art Class Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Cherokee County Public Library Participants are urged to bring two Number Two pencils and an 8 X 10 sketchbook.

The next meeting of the Historical Preservation Society of Cherokee County is Thursday, Aug. 25, beginning at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served and a quick business meeting will be held, followed by the program. The presenter, Sonny Lane, is a native and current resident of the Tucker’s Chapel community. Sonny majored in biology and chemistry at Jacksonville State University. He worked in the lab at Alabama Power for 8 years and was involved in research and development. He was at the Leesburg site and was involved in setting the specifications and testing the soil and concrete used in the dam and dikes of Weiss Lake. Those attending will learn how their work insured our safety. Sonny was later employed in the of the marble facility, Sylacauga Calcium in Sylacauga, AL. He worked in their lab for 40 years. He will share about the work he did there and the many products we use every day containing products from this plant. The meeting is free to the public.

TheatreCentre will hold auditions for its next show, No Time For Sergeants, Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 24 and Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. at 22-West Main St. in Centre. Twenty men of all ages, 17 and over, will be east for this play which is built around the original black and white 1957 movie of the same name. Scripts for the auditions will be supplied. The actors selected will be cast for the show Nov. 12, 13, 14, 2016. You may contact director Gary Davis at 256-927-9516 or 256-484-1344. No prior experience is required.

The Tech Corner: Aug. 24, 2016 edition

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Data overage charges

AT&T is dropping overage charges for mobile data plans. Instead of charging extra fees, it will slow down the connections of users who exceed their monthly data allowance.

The move is accompanied by a general price increase, though it will only affect new customers or those existing customers who choose to change plans.

T-Mobile dropped overage charges in 2014. Customers who hit their data allowance aren’t charged but get a slower connection for the rest of the month unless they buy a data “top up.”

Verizon introduced an optional “Safety Mode” that lets customers have a reduced speed rather than pay overages. Choosing this option carries a $5 per month fee.

With all three carriers, the reduced speed after hitting a data limit is 128 kilobits per second, approximately equivalent to 2G mobile speeds. This is just about fast enough for emails and basic web browsing, with painful waits, but it makes audio or video streaming nearly unusable.

The problem appeared to be driven by tablet users who consumed more data than expected due to watching full-screen, high-definition video.

Windows 10 anniversary update causes lockups

Microsoft has confirmed some Windows 10 computers may freeze up after the latest update. It says starting in Safe mode is one way to get around the problem while a permanent fix is developed. Users will just have to be patient and use their computers in this reduced performance mode that many do not even know how to enter. In Windows 10 the traditional ‘tap the F8 key before Windows starts’ to get into Safe Mode has been disabled.

Microsoft states that users can roll back the update. Doing so in Safe Mode is a little different to the normal process, so Microsoft has published the steps to do so.

Audi to reveal red light secrets

Audi will soon fit its cars with a technology that can coordinate with traffic lights in several US cities. The new feature is being built into an existing navigation and information service called Audi Connect, with a $25 a month service fee. The theory is that this will let drivers figure out whether they have time to safely attend to other measures such as checking on a child in the back seat, or checking their smart phone before returning their attention to driving.

The countdown will disappear from the screen with around three seconds to go.

Audi says that’s intended to stop drivers using the information to help them in impromptu races with neighboring cars while waiting for the lights to turn green.

Australian porn site members targeted school girls for nude images

Members of a pornography website targeted dozens of Australian schools so they could view and swap graphic sexual images of female students and other non-consenting women.

News.com reports that members of the site have posted and shared more than 2,000 images. Those nude photos made their way to the forum after users nominated a specific high school or region along with the full names of girls they were “hunting.”

Other members then “contributed” by looking up personal information about the targeted women, including their physical addresses, phone numbers, and links to their social media profiles. News.com does not say how site members obtained nude photos of their victims. Those with more technical expertise might have obtained the images by infecting their victims with a remote access Trojan. Then demanding sexual content in exchange for the return of their “slaved” computer.

Victims have responded by asking that their pictures be taken down. Most of them are ignored, some have been laughed at and ridiculed.

Criminals earn $195K in July with cerber ransomware affiliate scheme

Check Point Software, along with IntSights, have released a detailed report on the Cerber Ransomware and its Ransomware as a Service affiliate system.

The revenue generated by the Cerber affiliate system is staggering, with Cerber generating $195,000 in profits for July and the malware developer taking a 40 percent cut from this total. This equated to the malware developer making $78,000 in July and a forecasted $946,000 for the year!

Check Point, discovered Cerber in February 2016 when the malware developer posted about the new ransomware on an underground criminal web site in order to recruit affiliates.

The Cerber developer manages the Command and Control servers, the affiliate system, the support center, and the programming of the ransomware, while the affiliates would distribute the ransomware in order to infect victims. Both the developer and the affiliate would then split the ransom payments, with the developer keeping 40 percent of the profits and 60 percent going to the distributor.

Distribution campaigns performed by Cerber affiliates include email campaigns and other methods.

The shark ransomware project allows you to create your own customizerd ransomware

A new Ransomware as a Service called the Shark Ransomware Project has been discovered. The Shark Ransomware Project offers would-be criminals the ability to create their own customized ransomware without needing any technical experience by filling out a form and clicking a button.

Visa alert and update on the Oracle breach

Credit card giant Visa on Friday issued a security alert warning companies using point-of-sale devices made by Oracle‘s MICROS retail unit to double-check the machines for malicious software or unusual network activity, and to change passwords on the devices. Visa also published a list of Internet addresses that may have been involved in the Oracle breach and are thought to be closely tied to an Eastern European organized cybercrime gang.

When Oracle bought MICROS in 2014, the company said MICROS’s systems were deployed at some 200,000+ food and beverage outlets, 100,000+ retail sites, and more than 30,000 hotels.Oracle urged MICROS customers to change their passwords, and said “we also recommend that you change the password for any account that was used by a MICROS representative to access your systems.”

Health department promotes long-acting reversible contraception to help prevent unintended pregnancy

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One particular type of birth control, or contraception, offered by the Floyd County Health Department isn’t new but is getting new attention. Among the reasons: it’s safe, more than 99 percent effective and acceptable to large numbers of sexually active girls and women. It’s known as LARC — long-acting reversible contraception.

LARCs are reversible birth control techniques that are safe, help prevent unintended pregnancy, last for an extended period of time and don’t depend on your remembering to take or use them to be effective. LARCs include intrauterine devices (IUDs) like Liletta and Paragard and contraceptive implants like Nexplanon that prevent ovulation.

But despite their advantages over other forms of birth control, such as the pill and condoms, LARCs are not widely understood or appreciated. So much so that the health department is currently trying to increase awareness in the community about the effectiveness and safety of this high-quality, low-cost form of birth control.

“Unlike other forms of birth control,” Floyd County Health Department Nurse Manager Alison Watson says, “LARCs require no user intervention, work over long periods of time and can be reversed. They are safe and highly effective in preventing unintended pregnancies.”

“Easily reversible when a woman decides to have a baby, LARCs are designed to provide birth-control coverage from three to ten years based on the type of device chosen,” Watson says. LARCs available to U.S. women have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Watson is quick to point out that the health department offers other methods of contraception besides LARCs, such as Depo-Provera shots, the pill, the ring and condoms. “We believe every woman should have complete information about all contraceptives and be able to choose the method that is right for her without cost or access barriers.”

Watson explains that “LARCs could help further drive down teen pregnancy rates and could also help many young adults avoid unintended pregnancies and single parenthood.” According to the National Survey of Family Growth, 51% of pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended, which increases the risk of poor health outcomes for mothers and babies, including delayed access to prenatal care, preterm birth and physical and mental health problems.

Birth control is just one of many low-or-no-cost family planning services provided by the Floyd County Health Department.

Others include:

  • Health history and physical exam
  • Counseling and education
  • Treatment and referral services
  • Pregnancy testing and counseling
  • Reproductive life planning
  • Full range of birth control options, including LARCs
  • Screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS

Contact the Floyd County Health Department at 706-295-6123 or visit http://nwgapublichealth.org/counties/floyd/ for additional information about birth control and family-planning services.

 

Arrest Records from the Wednesday, August 24 issue of the Calhoun Times

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The following arrests information was taken directly from Gordon County Jail records. Arrests were made by the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office except where otherwise indicated. Law enforcement officials are in compliance with Ga. Code 50-18-72 of the Open Records Act in releasing reports of arrests. People with similar names may not be the same as those listed in reports. All people are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

Friday, Aug. 19

Thomas Addison, 26, 210 NW 17th Street, Apt. 7, Miami, Fla., arrested and charged with second-degree burglary.

Johnny Lewis Blevins, Jr., 50, 212 Old Belwood Road, Calhoun, arrested and charged with probation violation.

Michael Lee Crowder, 45, 5177 Roland Hayes Parkway, Calhoun, arrested and charged with battery FVA.

Teaquita Terrell Fluker, 22, 1231 NW 58th Street, Miami, Fla., arrested and charged with second-degree burglary.

Michael Shannon Ivey, 45, 300 County Road, Centre, Ala, sentenced.

Josue Leonore, 31, 1125 NW 130th Street, Miami, Fla., arrested and charged with second-degree burglary.

Samuel Leonore, 31, 1125 NW 130th Street, Miami, Fla., arrested and charged with second-degree burglary.

Jason Dewayne Taylor, 41, 130 Church Road, Calhoun, arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine.

Zachery Labron Lee Taylor, 25, 233 Covey Rise Drive, Calhoun, sentenced.

Timothy Lewis Edwards, 36, 117 Hanover Circle, Calhoun, arrested by and housed for CPD.

Melanda Lynn Gibson, 36, 1203 Carter Mt. Road SE, Fairmount, arrested by and housed for CPD.

Sandra Leugh Goble, 53, 103 3rd Street, Ellijay, arrested by and housed for FPD.

Geoffrey Landon Whaley, 26, 5420 Adairsville Road, Adairsville, arrested by and housed for CPD.

Tadric Lamarius Wilkey, 34, 212 Old Belwood Road, Calhoun, arrested by CPD and charged with theft by taking.

Saturday, Aug. 20

Johnny Lee Byrd, 56, 298 Maplewood Drive, Calhoun, arrested by CPD and charged with simple battery FVA.

Jurbien Bedford Byrd, 29, 298 Maplewood Drive, Calhoun, arrested by CPD and charged with simple battery FVA.

Steven Gary Gaddis, 43, 88 Echota 4th Street, Calhoun, arrested by CPD and charged with child abuse.

Christy Nicola Higgens, 29, 2324 Trimble Hollow Rd., Adairsville, arrested and charged with probation violation.

Ryan Gene Pate, 26, 8290 Nickelsville Road, Ranger, arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

Leon Thompson, 43, 168 Barnard Road, Cohutta, arrested and charged with probation violation.

Russell Baker, 51, 1742 Hammond Road, Hastings, Mich., arrested and charged with driving while license suspended, no proof of insurance.

Leonard Lamar Goble, 51, 87 Acorn Drive, Chatsworth, arrested by GSP and charged with DUI, driving on roadways laned for traffic.

Randall Mart Townsend, 63, 390 N. Ave., Fairmount, sentenced.

Sunday, Aug. 21

David Orlando Garcia, 25, 133 Holly Hills Drive, Calhoun, arrested by CPD and charged with DUI, failure to yield at intersection.

Daiysha Monae Glenn, 17, 701 Cheyenne Blvd., Madison, Tenn., arrested and charged with theft by shoplifting.

Steven Skylor Nichols, 24, 525 Peters St., Apt. 19, Calhoun, sentenced.

Charla Alicia Richards, 43, 114 Brookstone Drive, Calhoun, arrested by and housed for CPD.

Dexter Lee Johnson, 42, 6584 East Brire, Lithonia, arrested by GSP and charged with DUI, maximum limits-66 in 55 MPH zone, driving without a license on person.

William Avery Padgett, 30, 191 Cornell Way, Dalton, arrested and charged with criminal trespass.

Curtis Del Silvers, 46, 200 Crawford St., Oakman, arrested and charged with obstruction of LEO.

Another scam hits Dekalb County area

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The Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office is urging citizens to remain vigilant in keeping a watch out for scam artists and bogus phone calls.

On August 23rd the Sheriff’s Office received several calls about a “Sergeant Wayne Matthews,” stating that he is from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and that they have missed court. He is also stating that they are going to be arrested if they do not get pre-paid cards from Wal-Mart. This person is calling from a private number and giving the Court Referral number as a call back number, according to a press release from Dekalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris.

Every so often the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office receives calls about scams like this one. Some of the numbers they attempt to trace back come from a prepaid phone or an overseas number. If you receive a call like this or someone saying that they are from the IRS and that you need you to send a money order do not respond and call your local Police department or Sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Harris says “If anyone received this or any other phone call like this please be aware that this is a scam. The Sheriff’s Office definitely do not ask for money or pre-paid cards from Wal-Mart or anywhere. The Sheriff’s Office also does not collect any fines or cash bonds that money is paid and handled though the circuit clerk’s office.”

Obituaries from the Wednesday, August 24 issue of the Calhoun Times

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Betty Raines

Betty Ann Raines, age 74, of Calhoun, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016 at Mary & Martha’s Personal Care in Rossville.

Betty was born on Oct. 9, 1941 in Jasper to the late Harvey Keener and Mary Mullins Keener. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey Raines, and several brothers and sisters. Betty was a member of New Town Baptist Church and retired from Mohawk Industries.

She is survived by her daughter, Brenda Blackmon and her husband, Macky, of Calhoun; two brothers, Larry Keener of Talking Rock and Leroy Keener of North Carolina; two sisters, Julia Mooney of Talking Rock and Sherry Cody of Jasper; grandson, Shaun Blackmon; and great-grandson, Drake Blackmon.

Funeral Services were conducted on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 4 p.m. at Thomas Funeral Home with Reverend Clifford Free officiating. Burial followed in Fain Cemetery. Pallbearers serving were Terrence Greene, Brian Mooney, Kevin Wilkie, Jerry Wayne Jordan, Daniel McTaggart and Richard Sullivan.

The family received friends on Friday, Aug. 19 from 5 until 8 p.m. at Thomas Funeral Home.

You may leave the family online condolences at www.thomasfuneralhomecalhoun.com

Thomas Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements for Betty Ann Raines.

Willard Baggett

Mr. Willard B. Baggett, age 80, of Chatsworth, passed away Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016 at Parkside Nursing Home.

Willard was a member of Center Hill Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara Sue Baggett; parents, William Berrie Baggett and Lela Baggett; son, Clayton “Buster” Baggett; daughter, Melissa Marie Baggett.

He is survived by five children, nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Cremation services were provided by Peeples Funeral Home.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 8 p.m. from the Chapel of Peeples Funeral Home. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Wednesday from 5 p.m. until the service hour.

Peeples Funeral Home & Crematory of Chatsworth is in charge of the arrangements for Mr. Willard B. Baggett.

Terri Autrey

Terri Autrey, age 58, of Plainville, passed away on Monday, Aug. 22, 2016 at her residence.

Terri was born on July 3, 1958 in Floyd County to the late Albert Max Scott and Nellie Pickard Scott.

She is survived by her daughter, Pachis Berner her husband, Sam; brother, Roger Scott and his wife, Marie, and Troyia Scott and his wife, Wanda; sister, Sket Angland and her husband, Jamey; stepmother, Pam Scott; and three grandchildren, Alexis Owens, Aryian Berner and Blayse Berner.

The family received friends on Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 5 until 8 p.m. at Thomas Funeral Home.

You may leave the family online condolences at www.thomasfuneralhomecalhoun.com

Thomas Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements for Terri Autrey.

Paul Jones

Mr. Paul E. Jones, age 78, of Calhoun, died Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016 at Floyd Medical Center. He was born in Waleska on Dec. 28, 1937, son of the late Vernie Andrew and Gladys Mashburn Jones. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Doris Cagle Jones, on Nov. 27, 2013.

Paul was owner/operator of Paul’s Community Barber Shop in Calhoun for many years.

Survivors include his brothers and sisters-in-law, Luther and Helen Jones of Adairsville, Floyd Jones of Rydal, and Hoyt and Juanita Jones of Cartersville; several nieces and nephews; and a host of friends.

Services to honor the life of Mr. Paul E. Jones will be held Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. from the chapel of Max Brannon and Sons Funeral Home, with Rev. Hoyt Jones officiating. Music will be arranged by Sally Jones. Interment will follow in Faith Tabernacle Church Cemetery in Rydal. Pallbearers will include Anthony Jones, Austin Jones, Garrett Worsham, and Tripp Breeden. Honorary Pallbearers are Richard Weaver, Ray Erwin, Hollis Patterson, and Don Thomas.

The Jones family received friends at the funeral home on Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 6 until 9 p.m.

Condolences may be left at www.maxbrannonandsons.com. Funeral services for Mr. Paul E. Jones are under the care and direction of Max Brannon and Sons Funeral Home of Calhoun.

Barbara Smith

Mrs. Barbara Jean Smith, age 62, of Ranger, departed this life on Sunday Aug. 21, 2016 at Redmond Regional Medical Center. Barbara was born on Nov. 25, 1953 in Calhoun, the daughter of the late Haywood Pack and Roselee Silvers Pack. Barbara was also preceded in death by her brothers, Larry Pack, J.L. Pack and Lloyd Pack; brother-in-law, Charlie Ralston. Barbara was a fulltime housewife and mom; she loved taking care of her family and family that lived nearby. She was a member of Church of God.

Mrs. Barbara Jean Smith is survived by her loving husband of 42 years, Larry Smith; daughters, Sherry Smith and Robin and Stephen White; special daughters, Shell Smith and Tonya Roberts; special son, Chris and Trisha Smith; brothers, Keith Pack, George Pack, Tony Pack, Hubert Pack, Ford Pack; sisters, Bessie Faye Ralston and Bonnie Lou Walker; sister-in-law, Glenda Pack; grandchildren, Jesse Smith, Eli Smith, Jacob White, Hunter Smith, Zach White, Jasmine Roberts, Gabby Roberts and Jackson Roberts; great grandchild, Gracie Pitman, several nieces and nephews and many friends.

The service to celebrate the life of Mrs. Barbara Jean Smith will be held Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016 at 3 p.m. from Ponders Calhoun Chapel with Rev. Mitchell Gaston officiating. Interment will follow at Haven of Rest Memorial Park with Jesse Smith, Zach White, Jacob White, Paul Shipman, Chris Smith and Harvey Petty serving as pallbearers.

The family received friends on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016 at Ponders Calhoun Chapel from 5 until 9 p.m.

Arrangements made Ponders Calhoun Chapel 675 Jolley Rd, Calhoun, GA 706-625-7577. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.pondersfuneralhome.com.

GUEST COLUMN: Clinton and Trump are both wrong on corporate taxes

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Hillary Clinton thinks corporate taxes are too low. Donald Trump thinks corporate taxes are way too high. They’re both wrong, and the economic consequences could be huge if either nominee’s tax proposal becomes law.

Trump would slash the rate to 15 percent and allow millions of partnerships and single-owner firms set up by hedge fund managers, lawyers and other well-heeled taxpayers to also pay the 15 percent rate once they pass earnings through to their personal income taxes.

Clinton would hold the existing corporate tax rate steady at 35 percent but would close a variety of loopholes, which amounts to a tax increase.

The problem is that corporations don’t really pay taxes. They just pass them along to employees, shareholders and customers.

Raising corporate taxes takes money out of people’s pockets and encourages companies to send operations overseas, where corporate tax rates are lower. Corporations don’t suffer but the economy does.

That makes Trump’s tax-cutting proposals seem sensible, but there’s just as much danger in cutting too much.

Most economists say that a cut to 25 percent would let companies pay higher wages while reducing the incentive to move abroad. (President Barack Obama for years has proposed 28 percent, with a special 25 percent rate for manufacturers).

The U.S. would see little revenue loss because economic output would grow and companies would pay more tax at lower rates. Workers receiving higher wages would also pay more tax.

The arithmetic doesn’t work, though, when the tax is as low as Trump’s proposed 15 percent. Federal tax revenue would fall too much, and under existing budget rules Trump would have to find offsetting spending cuts.

Trump would also go too far by allowing the pass-through companies to pay the 15 percent rate. While it might seem fair to give them the same rate as traditional corporations, it would make inequality a lot worse by lowering taxes for some of the wealthiest Americans.

He would also invite abuse: Just about anyone could qualify with some simple paperwork. The resulting tax cuts for millions would send tax revenue plummeting.

What about Clinton?

She makes a big deal of calling on corporations to pay their “fair share” of taxes. It pleases the Democratic Party’s left wing, yet it’s illogical.

She dismisses reams of new research showing that workers bear most of the cost of corporate taxes in the form of lower wages. She also waves off the fact that corporate taxes make up about 2 percent of gross domestic product about the average for the last 50 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

And while it’s true that the U.S. in 2015 collected only about 10 percent, or $344 billion, of federal revenue from corporations, that number is deceptive.

Democrats argue that it was a much higher 30 percent in the early 1950s, evidence they say that unsavory lobbying and campaign contributions by special interests are what drove it down.

What they don’t say is that Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes expanded rapidly from the 1950s through the 1970s, making smaller the percentage contribution of other taxes to the national till. They also ignore the fact that by 1980, corporate taxes had already declined to 12.5 percent of total U.S. tax revenue.

Clinton also fails to mention another big shift since the 1980s — the huge jump in the number of pass-through companies, such as partnerships, sole proprietorships and limited-liability corporations, which also lowered corporate tax receipts.

Earnings by these entities, which account for about 95 percent of all U.S. firms and more than half of all business revenue, flow through to the owners’ individual taxes. None pays corporate tax.

Clinton gets it right when she blames the ability of U.S. companies to invert, or relocate their tax headquarters in low-tax countries, for driving down corporate tax receipts.

But at about $4 billion a year in lost revenue, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, it’s not a huge contributor. Keeping the top rate at 35 percent — the highest in the developed world — won’t fix the problem. Nor would it raise much money, once companies search out new loopholes to avoid higher taxes.

Her pledge to make inverters pay exit taxes and other penalties only adds to the incentives companies have to shift tax costs to workers, harming the middle-class voters she says she most wants to help.

To understand why, it helps to think about how corporations and capital behave.

In 1962, University of Chicago economist Arnold Harberger wrote that the providers of capital, not workers, bore the cost of corporate taxes in the form of lower investment returns. But that was when the U.S. operated in a closed economy.

Today, capital can easily move across borders to seek out lower-tax countries and maximize profits.

When that happens, investment leads to more modern plants and equipment and better-trained workers, which improves productivity and pushes up wages.

If taxes are high, the opposite happens: Investment suffers, productivity doesn’t improve and wages stagnate or fall. Even Harberger came around to believing that labor usually bears the cost of corporate taxation.

The debate these days isn’t whether wages are affected, but how much.

Academics provide a variety of estimates, but the consensus seems to be between 50 percent and 75 percent of taxes paid, says Kevin Hassett, the American Enterprise Institute economist who did some ground-breaking work on this issue. His Aug. 14 op-ed says the answer to today’s wage stagnation is lower corporate taxes.

Both candidates have obvious political reasons for their tax positions.

For Clinton, a tough Democratic primary contest against the socialist Bernie Sanders would have made a corporate-tax cut suicidal.

Trump’s motivation seems to be winning over the corporate executives and tax-cutters who dominate the Republican establishment.

They may think they’ve got the politics right, but they’re wrong on the policy.

Paula Dwyer writes editorials on economics, finance and politics for Bloomberg View. She was London bureau chief for Businessweek and Washington economics editor for the New York Times, and is a co-author of “Take on the Street: How to Fight for Your Financial Future.”

 

Cedar Bluff, Cherokee County drop; Piedmont maintains top ranking in latest ASWA football poll

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Even though not all high school football teams across the state were in action during Week 0, there was still plenty of movement in the latest Alabama Sports Writers Association football rankings. The latest poll was released late Tuesday evening.

Surprisingly, Class 1A Cedar Bluff – which was last year’s state runner-up – slipped one spot to No. 3 this week without having played a game. Defending state champion Maplesville (0-0) held on to the top spot, followed by this week’s new No. 2 Linden (0-0), which leapfrogged the Tigers from the No. 3 spot in the preseason.

Cedar Bluff opens the 2016 season on Thursday against Chattooga, Ga. (0-0).

One other area Class 1A team held on to its ranking: the Spring Garden Panthers (0-0). Spring Garden continues to be ranked at No. 7 and will host Class 3A Beulah (0-0) on Friday.

Speaking of Class 3A, defending state champion Piedmont (1-0) continues to be the top dog after grabbing 25 out of a possible 27 first-place votes. The Bulldogs are coming off a dramatic come-from-behind 29-22 victory over Cedartown, Ga. in last week’s Border Battle. Piedmont will travel to longtime rival Cherokee County on Friday.

Speaking of the Warriors (0-1), they dropped out of this week’s Class 4A rankings after losing 54-28 to Rockmart, Ga. last Friday. However, they are continuing to receive votes after being ranked eighth in the preseason.

This week’s complete rankings are listed below.

ALABAMA SPORTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POLL Week 1 – Aug. 23, 2016

(First-place votes and record in parentheses)

Class 7A

1. McGill-Toolen (24) (1-0) 314

2. James Clemens (2) (0-0) 236

3. Hoover (1) (1-0) 229

4. Spain Park (1-0) 182

5. Bob Jones (1-0) 155

6. Hewitt-Trussville (1-0) 130

7. Murphy (0-0) 93

8. Central-Phenix City (0-1) 90

9. Auburn (1-0) 67

10. Lee-Montgomery (1-0) 19

Others receiving votes: Gadsden City (0-1) 14, Vestavia Hills (0-0) 3, Buckhorn (0-0) 2, Foley (1-0) 2, Mary G. Montgomery (1-0) 2, Jeff Davis (0-1) 1.

Class 6A

1. Clay-Chalkville (21) (1-0) 305

2. Blount (2) (1-0) 215

3. Spanish Fort (4) (0-1) 205

4. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (1-0) 193

5. Opelika (1-0) 174

6. Oxford (1-0) 127

7. Park Crossing (1-0) 110

8. Saraland (1-0) 69

9. Bessemer City (1-0) 45

10. Benjamin Russell (0-0) 39

Others receiving votes: Florence (0-1) 27, Hartselle (1-0) 17, Hazel Green (0-0) 4, Southside-Gadsden (1-0) 3, Minor (1-0) 2, Gardendale (1-0) 1, Homewood (1-0) 1, Parker (0-0) 1, Wetumpka (1-0) 1.

Class 5A

1. St. Paul’s (27) (1-0) 324

2. Jackson (0-0) 238

3. Alexandria (0-0) 205

4. Russellville (0-0) 191

5. Mortimer Jordan (0-1) 141

6. Beauregard (0-0) 118

7. Eufaula (1-0) 103

8. Etowah (0-1) 96

9. Guntersville (0-0) 42

10. Brooks (0-1) 19

Others receiving votes: Cleburne Co. (0-0) 17, Greenville (0-0) 11, Central-Clay Co. (1-0) 10, Scottsboro (0-0) 8, Sylacauga (1-0) 6, Calera (1-0) 5, Mae Jemison-Huntsville (0-1) 3, Vigor (0-1) 2.

Class 4A

1. Cordova (11) (1-0) 268

2. Madison Acad. (9) (0-0) 258

3. Andalusia (1-0) 199

4. UMS-Wright (5) (0-1) 197

5. Leeds (2) (1-0) 166

6. Munford (0-1) 101

7. North Jackson (0-0) 94

8. West Limestone (1-0) 80

9. Thomasville (0-0) 57

10. Fayette Co. (0-1) 45

Others receiving votes: Haleyville (1-0) 26, Cherokee Co. (0-1) 20, Handley (0-0) 10, St. James (1-0) 7, Randolph (1-0) 3, Satsuma (1-0) 3, Montgomery Catholic (1-0) 2, Jacksonville (1-0) 1, Tallassee (1-0) 1, Wilson (1-0) 1.

Class 3A

1. Piedmont (25) (1-0) 318

2. Gordo (2) (1-0) 248

3. T.R. Miller (0-0) 198

4. Hillcrest-Evergreen (0-0) 172

5. Opp (0-0) 154

6. Colbert Co. (0-0) 113

7. Montevallo (0-0) 108

8. Daleville (0-0) 76

9. Bayside Acad. (0-1) 68

10. Oakman (0-0) 47

Others receiving votes: Glencoe (1-0) 9, Lauderdale Co. (0-1) 9, Mobile Chr. (0-0) 7 Clarke Co. (0-0) 5, Randolph Co. (0-0) 2, Straughn (0-0) 2, Excel (0-0) 1, N. Sand Mountain (1-0) 1, Pisgah (1-0) 1.

Class 2A

1. Elba (27) (0-0) 324

2. Washington Co. (0-0) 213

3. Fyffe (0-0) 202

4. G.W. Long (0-0) 173

5. Lanett (1-0) 165

6. Tanner (0-1) 144

7. New Brockton (0-0) 104

8. LaFayette (1-0) 93

9. Cleveland (0-0) 65

10. Aliceville (0-0) 46

Others receiving votes: Ranburne (0-0) 3, Red Bay (1-0) 3, Gaston (0-1) 2, J.U. Blacksher (0-1) 1, Sheffield (0-1) 1.

Class 1A

1. Maplesville (24) (0-0) 314

2. Linden (2) (0-0) 234

3. Cedar Bluff (1) (0-0) 228

4. Brantley (0-0) 178

5. Pickens Co. (0-0) 147

6. Notasulga (1-0) 128

7. Spring Garden (0-0) 93

8. Sweet Water (0-0) 82

9. Berry (1-0) 55

10. Decatur Heritage (0-1) 32

Others receiving votes: Addison (1-0) 24, Georgiana (1-0) 12, Loachapoka (0-1) 4, Marengo (0-0) 4, R.A. Hubbard (1-0) 2, Lynn (1-0) 1, Millry (0-0) 1.

AISA

1. Bessemer Acad. (27) (2-0) 324

2. Escambia Acad. (2-0) 241

3. Autauga Acad. (0-0) 215

4. Monroe Acad. (0-1) 136

5. Lowndes Acad. (0-0) 123

6. Abbeville Chr. (0-1) 101

7. Marengo Acad. (0-0) 94

8. Fort Dale Acad. (0-0) 92

9. Jackson Acad. (1-0) 80

10. Morgan Acad. (1-0) 39

Others receiving votes: Clarke Prep (0-0) 27, Edgewood Acad. (0-1) 20, Northside Methodist (1-0) 13, Chambers Acad. (0-0) 11, Lee-Scott (0-0) 11, Springwood (0-0) 4, Pike Liberal (0-0) 2, South Choctaw Acad. (1-0) 2, Sparta Acad. (0-0) 2, Tuscaloosa Acad. (0-0) 2.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association prep committee members are: Paul Beaudry (Chairman), Alabama Media Group; Will Gaines, Anniston Star; Jonathan Deal, Athens News Courier; Gary Estwick, Birmingham News; Rob Rice, Blount Countian; Shannon Fagan, Cherokee Herald; Tommy Hicks, Citronelle Call-News; Ross Wood, Clarke Co. Democrat; Rob Ketcham, Cullman Times; Johnathan Bentley, Daily Mountain Eagle; Justin Graves, Decatur Daily; David Mundee, Dothan Eagle; Lee Peacock, Evergreen Courant; John McWilliams, Florence TimesDaily; Jeremy Smith, Freelance (Demopolis); Chris McCarthy, Gadsden Messenger; J.J. Hicks, Gadsden Times; Daniel Boyette, Huntsville Times; Ben Thomas, Mobile Press-Register; Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser; Eric Bacharach, Opelika-Auburn News; Shannon Allen, Sand Mountain Reporter; Jason Bowen, Scottsboro Daily Sentinel; Daniel Evans, Selma Times-Journal; Baker Ellis, Shelby County Reporter; Joey Chandler, Tuscaloosa News; Cory Diaz, Wetumpka Herald.

Not voting: Cathy Higgins, Alexander City Outlook; Josh Dutton, Andalusia Star-News; Andrew Garner, Atmore Advance; Lavonte Young, Talladega Daily Home.

Ensley: identifying common garden problems

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Problems may involve direct injury, abnormal growth, or both. There may or may not be a remedy.

Some problems may affect all vegetables, others one crop, one variety, or sometimes one or two plants.

Some Common Problems

Failure of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant to set fruit (blossom-drop): If the plants are growing well this is frequently due to adverse night temperatures below 60 degrees F and above 75 degrees F. Also heavy use of nitrogen fertilizer will cause blossom-drop especially when applied at or closely after flowering.

Blossom-end rot of tomatoes: Caused by insufficient calcium when fruits are forming, rot is characterized by a large dry brown to black and often depressed leathery area at the blossom end of fruit. Calcium deficiency usually results from improper soil pH, excessive nitrogen fertilization, rapid plant growth, and drastic fluctuations in moisture caused by heavy rainfall or drought.

Poor plant growth and/or small fruit size of tomatoes: Often a result of using old, large or overly hardened transplants. Young transplants (5-6 weeks from seeding to planting in the garden) with 5-7 true leaves normally produce the best yields and fruit size.

Cucumber plants suddenly start wilting, leaves may show dead areas and fruit may be mottled: cucumber mosaic virus, a common disease problem in Georgia. Select mosaic-resistant varieties. Sudden rise in temperature or depleted soil moisture can cause wilting too, but plants will recover.

Poor or slow germination of seed: Can be several causes, like soil temperatures too low or too high, poor seeding techniques (too deep – lack of firming), maggots feeding on the seeds, birds, lack of moisture, too much moisture, soil surface becomes crusty, etc.

Generally slow or poor growth of all crops: low pH, low fertility, cool weather, lack of sunlight, poor drainage, too little/too much moisture, poor soil structure.

Lettuce and spinach going to seed: This is normal for these crops under warm temperatures and long days. Spring and fall planting and proper variety selections are remedies.

Onion bulbs fail to reach desirable size: Wrong planting date, non-adapted variety, crowding of plants or lack of moisture, especially early in growing season.

Irregular kernel development of sweet corn ears: May be due to inadequate pollination.

Planting sweet corn in blocks of several short rows rather than in long single rows may help.

Garden peas cease flowering: A natural occurrence when summer temperatures arrive. Peas perform best when planted in the spring or fall.

Off-shaped cucumbers (crooked, nubbins, etc.): Often due to a shortage of soil moisture. Cool temperatures at time flowers are developing can be a cause. Poor pollination due to lack of bees or low number of male flowers is another possibility.