Obama’s team? See 5,8A THE DAILY CITIZEN Tuesday,july 14, 2009 •Dalton, Georgia •www.daltondailycitizen.com • 50 Cents THINGS Court hears mower theft case TO CHECK FROMSTAFF AND WIRE REPORTS He wasfound guilty of Georgia’stop court. He told the justices that OUT felonymotor vehicle theft while Harris should still be charged with theft, 3 It has four wheels, apowerful engine and can after he loaded aToro rid- he shouldn’tbepunished as if he had stolen a ON THE hit speeds up to 40 mph. But is ariding lawn ing mower from the Home car. INSIDE mower technically amotor vehicle? Depot into his vanand Ariding lawnmower is manythings — an That odd question confronted the Georgia sped away.Since Harris efficient grass cutter,amodern mechanical mar- Supreme Court Monday after aman appealed a wasarepeat offender,he vel — butMcCarthysaid it’snot amotor vehi- The federal deficit eclipsed 10-year sentence for swiping ariding mower wassentenced to 10 years cle under state law. the $1 trillion markfor the from aHome Depot store in Dalton. in prison. “The term ’motor vehicle’ is not crystal,”he first time this month, The justices must decide whether to clip the His attorneys urged the told the judges. “There is no universal or defini- trial judge and later the tive meaning for motor vehicle.” even as the government prison term of Franklin Lloyd Harris, who was Harris increases spending. convicted of felonymotor vehicle theft. The Georgia Court of Appeals to Instead, he said state lawdefines avehicle as court’sdecision could also help clarify what throwout the charge on adevice which can transport people or property See page 5A lawyers say is amurkydefinition for “motor grounds that ariding mower is not considered a on ahighway.Since the riding lawnmower was vehicles” that may also extend beyond lawn- motor vehicle by state law. But both courts were Sen. John McCain is mowers. unconvinced. among the lawmakers who Michael McCarthy, the public defender in The case stems from Harris’ arrest in 2006. MOWER, 2A want funding cut forthe F- Whitfield County,pressed the case before ➣ Please see 22 fighter program. See page 5A DHS’ Chas Thomason gets camp invite. State See page 1B FROM TODAY’S nears FORUM refund “Atthis point the banks don’tcare who bailed them out. Theylearned the hard way. With all the foreclo- deadline sures theygot stuck with, who can blame them if they hold on to their money?” MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Slumping tax collections and budg- “Well, the Bravesare et cuts have Alabama and Georgia making those stupid moves scramblingtopay tax refunds again. The twopeople they before aWednesday deadline should get rid of are requires them to begin paying inter- Chipper Jones and Terry est for tardy refunds. Pendleton.” Alabama and Georgia have 90 days after the April 15 filing dead- “Whycan’tour politi- line to issue refunds to taxpayers cians write an illegalwork- who filed correct tax returns in ers lawwithout all the ifs, time. If the states don’tmakethe ands and buts in it?” 90-day deadline — which is Wednesday — theyhavetopay WEATHER interest to the taxpayers. In Alabama, it’s4percent annu- Forecast: Mostlysunny MATT HAMILTON/THE DAILY CITIZEN ally; in Georgia, it’s1percent Today’sHigh: 90 monthly. Tonight’sLow:65 Dwayne Carvell sorts recyclable materials in aneighborhood in the Dug Gap area on Friday “It appears we may have to,” Details, Page 10A morning. RegLansberry,spokesman for the Georgia Department of Revenue, said Monday. INSIDE Alabama Revenue Commissioner TimRussell said Classified..............5B Survey:Cityresidents Monday the state originally expect- Comics..................7A ed it would have to pay interest to Crossword..............6A some taxpayers, butitnow appears tax collections will be sufficient to Dear Abby..................7A get all refunds issued by Horoscope.............6A signal likes, dislikes Wednesday. Lottery..................2A Neither Alabama nor Georgia Movies..................6A has had atax refund problem equal to California’s. Obituaries..............8A BY CHARLES OLIVER The survey found: “Add more technical job oppor- California officials say they Opinion................4A [email protected] ■ 79.3 percent rated the city an tunities (durable goods, manufac- expect to issue IOUs this month to Sports......................1-4B excellent or good place to live turing beyond carpet),”wrote individuals for $140 million in tax Dalton residents who responded ■ 70 percent rated it an excel- another. refunds and to businesses for $58 to arecent city survey reported they lent or good place to raise children Council members say economic million. The state plans to redeem were largely satisfied with city ■ 66.58 percent rated it an diversity,jobs and entertainment the IOUs in October,but in the services and the city’squality of excellent or good place to work and shopping are all related and all meantime, it will owe3.75 percent life. “On the whole it’swhat I are things they’ve been trying to annual interest. expected. Iampleased with it,” address. But some did express concerns Kansas had also been slowpay- said City Council member Dick “Last year,wecut (property) about the city’senforcement of ing tax refunds, butlast week 7 69847 00001 6 Lowrey. taxes 20 percent. We also cut alco- building and zoning laws as well as Kansas officials approvedaplan for But the city receivedlow marks hol license fees and business the availability of shoppingand internal borrowing that allowed it to in several areas. license fees, some of them by as entertainment. catch up on 35,000 tax refunds. ■ 17.46 percent gave the city much as 50 percent,”said Atotal of 413 residents respond- In Georgia, the Department of ed to the survey,either on the excellent or good marks for enter- Pennington. tainment Asked howoften theyvisit Revenue’sdelays were caused by Internet or by picking up the survey nearly 280 layoffs resulting from DENTURES at City Hall. The Census Bureau ■ 26.75 percent gave the city downtown Dalton, 1.48 percent excellent or good marks for job answered never, 23.95 percent said budget cuts. In the last twoweeks, reports the city has apopulation of the department added 70 employees just over31,000. The poll did not opportunities once amonth, 26.33 percent said ■ 34.58 percent gave the city once aweek, 32.54 percent said to speed up the processing of tax collect information on the age, gen- returns. William B. James, D.D.S. der or race of those who answered excellent or good marks for shop- twotofour times aweek and 15.68 ping percent said every day. Taxofficials say that more than the questions. 270,000 returns filed on time are “Obviously,wedidn’tget as big Asked what one thing they Some council members said Tues. &Thur.9-12 &4-6 would change, 220 responded, and those numbers were abit lower still awaiting processing. Officials asample as we would have liked to are unsure howmanywill start have.But what we got back was the top answer wassome variation than theywould likegiven how of the need to diversity the econo- central the area has been to their drawing 1percent monthly interest what experts say you normally get after Wednesday. back on those things. If we hit the my. 706-483-4022 Lansberry said the department average,that’sOK,”said Mayor “Try to attract newindustries to the city of Dalton to add jobs,” should have aclearer picture David Pennington. ➣ Pleasesee SURVEY, 2A 706-278-8020 wrote one person Thursday. Make sure your child is the onlything crawling on your floors. CHATTANOOGA CL EV EL AND Millions of germs,viruses and bacteria could be living on your floor. TM 7200 Shallo wfordRd. atI-75 566 Paul Huff Parkway Get an OreckHalo Healthier Home. WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON Tr ythe NEW germ-killing OreckHalo vacuum with a GERMS ARE GONE 423-485-8897 423-339-5600 30 dayRisk Free Guarantee.Available only at your local OreckStore. lOTTERY WINNING NUMBERS – FOR JULY 13 ATYOUR Georgia: MiddayCash3:3-4-7, Cash4:5-8-9-4,EveningCash3:4-3-9, PAGE 2 Cash4:6-4-4-7, Fantasy 5: 6-18-26-27-28 SERVICE Tennessee: MiddayCash: 6-4-7: Lucky Sum: 17; Cash 4: 4-6-3-9, Lucky Sum: 22; Evening Cash 3: 9-7-6, L-Sum: 22, Cash 4: 0-7-8-0, Lucky Sum: 15 Ourmailingaddress: 2A Tuesday, July 14, 2009 P.O. Box 1167 Dalton, Ga. 30722-1167 Ourshipping address: TODAY’S FORUM Gwinnett 308 S. Thornton Ave. TODAY’S CITIZEN Dalton, Ga. 30720 Editor’snote: Please blueberries to pick or buy?” OK’d for NAME: HarrisoN OurWeb site: keep your comments as brief as possible.Longer “I am aShawworker. WallaceHanks www.daltondailycitizen.com comments should be sub- Theydidn’tgiveusaraise, federal AGE: 5 To visitus: mitted as letters to the edi- buttheygaveusa$300 HOME:DaltoN tor.Ifyou include aname of Our offices are locatedonthe aperson or business, please bonus. We’reluckytohave FAMILY:Father, west side of the intersection of spell it. Call 706-272-7748 jobs right now. Times are program Wallace; mother, hard butmaybe next year Thornton Avenue and Morris to reach Today’sForum. we’ll get araise.” Traci;sisters,Sidney, Street in downtownDalton. “I just read Neal Hiller’s FROMSTAFF AND WIRE Sophia, Josie and We’re open 8a.m. until 5p.m. “Jimmy Carter did not REPORTS Henley; grandmother, Monday through Friday. letter to the editor.Ifhedoes- n’tlikethe waythis country give away the Panama Canal. Meme That waspart of the deal The Gwinnett County How to call us: is being run by Obama, then SCHOOL:Westwood he needs to get out of it.” when we built it. Learn your Sheriff’sDepartment has MaiNNumber: 706-217- American history.” become the fifth agencyiN kindergarten NEWS “The letter to the editor Georgia to be accepted into a PLAY:Teeball, go to (That’s 706-217-6397) about Cohutta wasnice but “Just because aperson federal program that allows movies,playwith Whenyou’renot sure with whom when you live somewhere, thinks there’sbeen an inap- local and state officials to friends propriate amount of attention you need to speak, our operator you need aplace to eat, a enforce federal immigration HE SAID:“Iwantto will makesure you’retransferredto place for entertainment, a spent on Michael Jackson laws.