I support our volunteer fire fighters, but think they should be paid

A very wise person once told me that the issue of paying our beloved volunteer firefighters here in Oconee County was the "third rail" of local political issues, meaning touch it and you will be shocked by the reaction against you. Well I never let popularity or lack thereof slow me down on looking forward to a  day where change is inevitable for the better for all of us. I hope someday, some way, we are able to pay our volunteer fire fighters for their concerted and continued efforts in Oconee County.

Lowell reading a book about guns while donating dollars to help burn victims

We handed the first person at Butler's crossing a handful of change as we were driving toward Atlanta yesterday in our usual State Route 53 to Highway 78 path to Druid Hills. I had to give the change to second person I encountered as we were in the left turn lane with the arrow and did not want to slow traffic down. I actually gave my coins to the guy closer to the Taco Stand and the Middle School after completing the turn rather than the first person near the Rite-Aid-Revco-CVS nexus.

Then further down 53 I gave my son Lowell a couple of greenbacks to give to this smiling young man near what we call T's Crossing and the future Stribling's meat market restaurant - I personally cannot wait for that to arrive.

Looking forward to this Stripling's General Store being
finished real soon at T's Crossing as my friends in S. GA
swear this is the greatest thing since sliced bread. 

But I also want to make sure that the people who volunteer to battle blazes and bust in burning doors get compensated someday for putting their lives on the line daily. I appreciate their sacrifice but really want to ensure that they are going to get some money for their efforts. I know that transition will meet with plenty of opposition, but I think we do need to pay our firefights. And yes I know that some local volunteers such as Shawn O' Kelley do not agree with my stated position, and I respect that difference of opinion.

Perhaps some sort of transition like that which has transpired successfully in Morgan County would serve as a model for what we need to eventually do here in Oconee. Fire Chief Thaxton receives compensation and does a fine job. I think he needs to pay some of his assistants and first responders, or at least have a blanket insurance policy to help them with the inherent risks involved. Perhaps that is already in place.

Not sure what he is checking out, but thanks for your work

Pardon me for touching the third rail of Oconee politics again on this drizzly Mothers Day, but I think that firefighters deserve to be paid. In lieu of that, I would like to thank each and every one of them, including the smiling young man we encountered at Highway 78 yesterday. You all do a great job and at the very least deserve thanks from all of us.

I think we all should donate as much as we can afford to at the boot drives at every major intersection in Oconee County, and as their sticker states (that they handed out at T's Crossing) "I helped give Burns the Boots!" and was happy to support the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation. Thank you very much for keeping Oconee County safe for all of us.  This is not a liberal versus conservative issue, this is a life saving issue that concerns everyone.