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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OK already, We've had enough winter! Come-on spring!!!
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The Catalyst Site will be another 'development success' for the county like the one they developed on Gold Kist! If development of that site is sooooo gooood, why doesn't its current owner develop it????? The county should not be using tax dollars to speculate on business opportunities!
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Not all Christians celebrate the religious aspect of Christmas. While I recognize and glorify God over the miracle of Christ's birth, I find NO WHERE in the bible where we are told to pick a random day and celebrate Jesus' birthday. Christmas is a man made holiday. Somebody in the catholic denomination selected Dec. 25th at random in an effort to keep pagans from celebrating the winter solstice. The modern version of the holiday - for most people - is about being with family, trying to be more charitable to those in need and trying to capture the spirit of love and forgiveness we should ALL have ALL YEAR LONG. Again, I AM a Christian and I DO NOT celebrate Dec 25 as the birthday of Christ. I do, however, celebrate this secular/civil holiday in a manner consistent with my beliefs as a Christian.
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Thirty-nine (39) students from Gainesville High earned the Cambridge Scholarship Award! (www.cie.org.uk/ The world's largest provider of international qualifications for 14-19 year olds) How about a few Suwannee County students earning it in the near future!?
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If'n ya don't like the standard of livin' here, move. If ya don't agree with the church of the divine Profit, move. If ya want to eat in a good eatery & have a cocktail, move. If ya want cheaper gas,more consumer selection or to have fun,move. If ya don't like trashy roads, stray dogs or random gunshots,move. If ya don't agree with our corrupt & ineffective political machine...., seems like that's the answer to 'bout everything. The thing that needs to move is voters off their butts!!!!
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I am an american citizen, born & bred, I speak damn good english, pay my taxes, work, & support charity & the community. As an American who has lived all over this great country, I'm sick of this outsider thing. Live Oak is not the center of the spiritual universe nor the site of the second coming. Take off the rose colored glasses, step out from behind the stained glass curtain & read police beat, we got the same issues as anywhere else. I do the right thing and don't want or need some brainwashed religous nut cases telling me how to live,where to live, how to think or talk That is working out real well in Iran these days, ain't it! Maybe Jim Jones or those other "Holy Men" like Rasputin, Bringham Young or the wackos in Waco agree with this line of thought, but not me! We also need to hire folks from "away" to try & bring meanigful change since the well established politicians who buy their offices more than earn them can't seem to get past this thinking either. As for Christian Village residents, quit whining, at least you get a paper delivered, have sprinklers, garbage pick up & a good medical facility unlike the rest of us poor unwashed sinners here in God's Paradise. There's a storm brewin' in this country & Suwannee Co. is fixin' to feel it too!
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Stop, look and listen. These outsiders someone talked about complaining. Most are either drunks, or drug users or dealers. Read the sheriff's inmate report each morning then you will see who these outsiders are. Seventy to eighty percent come into town for the weekend or to camp for a week. Why not, we have the means for a good drug market. But our sheriff and his officers show some of them that Suwannee County does not want them. If only the court system would require these people that are caught for DUI, or selling or dealing drugs, to post a $50,000 or $75,000 cash bond, then maybe, just maybe, these people would travel around Suwannee County. In November the sheriff's office arrested in one long weekend, three or four days, forty plus adults, for drugs, DUI or theft. Ninety percent lived out of Suwannee County. They come from as far away as Oregon. Stop, look and listen. Our sheriff and his officers need our help. Report things that don't look right. Thank the sheriff the next time you see him for doing his job. Thanks.
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Yes, this is a rant about the people in Suwannee County. Maybe if they would stop speaking of people as being outsiders, and just new neighbors, and quit thinking of them as someone who doesn't even need to be here, and treat them just as new neighbors, then maybe the people wouldn't be treated like outsiders, and would be treated more like a neighbor. I'm not sure I made a very good point, but I think you get what I am talking about. Thank you.
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To the lady that has lived here all her life. I guess it's a lady, and she thinks we all ought to learn our ways from Live Oakans. I was Air Force family for 20 years, and we lived in Maine, California, Texas, Louisiana and Georgia twice, and I find people are the same every place you go, some are nice, some are not nice. Some do illegal things and some do not. My neighbors of 23 years don't know me and I don't know them, they are not friendly. I have a lot of dogs that people have brought out of Live Oak and dumped out here. I still have four of them, I love them, they are never chained, they are never left out in the cold, so I don't think this lady quite knows what she is talking about. She says they don't want the drunks around here, well you have drunks around here, read your arrest record, you have bad checks, domestic violence, grand theft. Live Oak is the same as every other place in the world. Goodbye.
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This area has some very unique traditions and heritage. Many are rooted in the land historically. This builds stong community ties and values. It also should be applauded and respected. We are lucky enough to live in one of the few places on the planet where multitudes of people are free to move to multitudes of places for any number of reasons. Many come here to quietly kick back and enjoy the second 1/2 of life. After living a 1/2 a century or more elsewhere it is unreasonable to think that you can just change your own heritage to conform to someone else's. If people are enamoured enough with our area to move here, accomadations must be reached & we should welcome and gain from diversity. There is nothing bad about hiring experienced and concerned people for positions like the Co-ordinator either. It sounds like a "house divided" around here, more & more. No one benefits from that.
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I read Councilman Stewart's letter . He just wants to restrict Law Enforcement. The paper reported exactly what he said and now he wants to spin it. He agrees with Florida Statues when they agree with him.
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" We the people" are not being served or represented by our gov't. worth a damn, at any level,local, state or federal. Ol' Charlie Crist has done such a fine job here, why would anyone consider sending him to DC? The Boyd's are more concerned with building a political dynasty than serving the masses, Nelson sold us out to the big bucks down south and locally all they care about is keeping this place as stagnant and unchanging as possible. It is time to forget Republicans & Democrats & start looking for honest, open minded, independent thinkers not tied to the crumbling machine these people have built & maintained for personal wealth & power. Please vote the incumbents out of power every chance you get.
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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.)
