Alarming news!

Even though every statewide organization representing local government has come out in opposition, our representatives in the state legislature are either supporting, leaning in favor of, or are "openminded" about House Speaker Glenn Richardson's so-called GREAT tax plan.

This should be a matter of great concern to every citizen of Burke County. The proposal to replace property taxes with a statewide sales tax jeopardizes not only the way local government will be funded, but also raises the specter of bureaucrats in Atlanta controlling the way our money is spent.

The great strides we have made over the last quarter century in school construction, law enforcement, fire protection, transportation, health care, recreation and infrastructure have largely been because of the strong property tax base we have in Burke County. It is the result, of course, of the huge impact of Plant Vogtle on the county's tax digest.

Richardson's plan would do away with property taxes, including those which would be generated by Georgia Power's two proposed additional units at Vogtle, and replace them with a sales tax which would be distributed to local governments "according to a formula."

In other words, local elected officials will be virtually powerless to make the most important financial decisions about their jurisdictions. And, the "formula" would surely eliminate Plant Vogtle's huge positive impact on this county.

We are shocked that Senator J. B. Powell and Representatives Gloria Frazier and Jon Burns are considering supporting this measure. We hope they change their minds before a serious mistake is made in the next legislative session.