Georgia Political & Policy Digest

The Road Ahead - A Conversation With Speaker David Ralston

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:10:58 PST

Neely Young and Susan Percy report that Georgia’s new Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) has received high marks for his handling of the House of Representatives following the scandal-fueled resignation of his predecessor Glenn Richardson. Georgia Trend’s Neely Young and Susan Percy interviewed the Speaker – arguably the most powerful man in state government – in his Blue Ridge law office in July to talk about the challenges that confront the state, its lawmakers and its citizens and to hear what’s on tap for the 2011 session.

Officials express labor importance

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:02:59 PST

Ricki Barker reports that while many were out Monday celebrating a day-off by relaxing and enjoying barbecues, political officials made a point to remain hard at work as the November elections near. Roy Barnes, the Democratic candidate for governor, was present at an Albany community event to celebrate Labor Day. Barnes said that while many Georgians remain out of work, the role of creating jobs doesn’t lie with just the labor commissioner, it is the responsibility of the governor.

Deal, Barnes in fight for national campaign cash

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:02:56 PST

Ashley Fielding reports that it may be a statewide race, but this year’s Georgia gubernatorial election is going to get a lot of national attention. The Republican and Democratic governors associations say they already are involved in the duel between Democrat Roy Barnes and Republican Nathan Deal. Nationally, the groups have reported raising record amounts of money this year to make sure their parties snag the top job in states across the country.

Grand jury not targeting Deal, his lawyer says

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:02:50 PST

Larry Peterson reports that no federal grand jury is investigating former Congressman Nathan Deal, contrary to published reports and numerous ads by his opponents, the lawyer for the Republican gubernatorial candidate says. Barnes is airing TV ads claiming that - if elected - Deal could be distracted from his duties by a grand jury probe and argues that such ethical questions should disqualify him from being governor. The speculation stems from claims then-Congressman Deal lobbied Georgia officials about his company's lucrative business arrangement with the state. He denies any wrongdoing.

Deal to unveil his education platform

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:02:49 PST

Melissa Weinman reports that Republican gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal will unveil his plan for the future of education at a 1 p.m. press conference at the state capitol today. Brian Robinson, a spokesman for the gubernatorial hopeful, said the Deal campaign hopes to emphasize the importance of education with this grand reveal. “The Labor Day holiday ushers in the traditional start of the general election campaign. This is a time when people are really tuning into the election and comparing the candidates,” Robinson said.

‘If you like your health care’

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:59:59 PST

The editorial board writes, It would be hard to count the number of times President Barack Obama and other supporters of ObamaCare socialized medicine have promised that you would be able to keep your health care plan if you like it. But time and again, that promise has been whittled down, to the point that it is almost meaningless. You cannot, in fact, necessarily keep your existing coverage, no matter how much you may like it. Unfortunately, that is not the only way ObamaCare is seizing control of the medical system.

Bad report card

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:59:58 PST

The editorial board writes, When it comes to improving statewide educational outcomes, Georgia is a "C" student. That's according to this year's evaluation by the American Legislative Exchange Council. The group is a national think tank aimed at promoting policy solutions. Its 16th annual Report Card on American Education (available at www.alec.org) ranks the Peach State as 27th out of the 50 states. More disturbing, however, was the report's measure of Georgia's academic standards, compared to the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (or NAEP test): We got an F.

Illegal immigration now a costly problem

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:59:10 PST

The editorial board writes, Figures released by Rep. Jack Kingston, R-1, show illegal immigration to be more than just a small problem that can remain tucked away in some far corner of political debate. According to Federation for American Immigration Reform, an organization, it should be noted, that is pushing for stringent immigration rules, illegal immigrants are costing Georgia taxpayers over $2.4 billion a year. That is indeed alarming, especially in view of the poor condition of the state budget.

Representative wants action on illegals

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:56:59 PST

Staff reports that a study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform shows how serious the illegal immigration problem is in Georgia, U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-1, says. Illegal immigration in the Peach State alone is costing taxpayers $2.4 billion annually. Kingston said the report, "The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on U.S. Taxpayers," is a comprehensive analysis of the economic burden of the problem.

Federal court vacancies in Atlanta remain unfilled

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:56:58 PST

Bill Rankin reports that the weeks and months continue to pass and the cases keep piling up at the federal courthouse in Atlanta, where four judicial vacancies remain unfilled.

Truth-O-Meter: Senators side with "big oil," critic says

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:55:57 PST

Staff asks, Are Georgia's two U.S. senators too beholden to "Big Oil" companies? That's the claim on a website created by Oil Change International, critical about the positions of some U.S. senators on some oil and energy issues. The site, www.bobbinginpetroleum.org, has images of 46 senators, including Georgia's Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson.

Few use tracking tool to verify immigrants

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:50:46 PST

Perla Trevizo reports that all state and local entities that administer public benefits — such as business licenses, food stamps and unemployment insurance — are required to check an applicant’s immigration status through the use of the Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlement, or SAVE, system. But only about 30 percent of cities and counties in the state are signed up to use it, records show.

No more nuisances

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:46:00 PST

The editorial board writes, OK. Having a new three-person "nuisance property" task force costing $226,000 may be a nonstarter. It's just not a good time to be spending money on new things. An Augusta Commission committee rejected the idea recently; the full commission votes as early as today. We appreciate the Augusta commissioners' balking at the cost. Mayor Deke Copenhaver has supported the task force idea, but understands the price tag problem. "When we're looking at furloughs, the case for creating new positions becomes a more difficult sell," he wrote in an e-mail to us.

Starting today, Cobb, Fulton jail inmates to be checked for immigration status

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:45:59 PST

Jeremy Redmon reports, starting Tuesday, law enforcement officials will start screening everyone fingerprinted and booked into jails in Cobb and Fulton counties against an additional national database to see whether they are in the country legally.

Disclosure on Walker funds long overdue

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:45:58 PST

Marlon A. Walker reports that nearly a year since the death of former Mayor Donald Walker, paperwork detailing the financial end of his last run for office still does not exist. The lack of campaign disclosures since Walker’s death — no documents have been filed on his account since June 2009 — means it is unknown who contributed funds to his account. It also leaves the question of whether $10,000 existed in the account to transfer to mayoral candidate Chuck Chalk for his failed run for the mayor’s office in 2009.

Government grants fair is Wednesday in Stephens County

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:45:48 PST

Charlie Bauder reports that U.S. Rep. Paul Broun is hosting a grants fair in Stephens County this week. The fair is Wednesday at the Currahee Campus of North Georgia Technical College, on Ga. 17 between Toccoa and Martin. The fair will be in the Conference Center of the Currahee Campus from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Broun said anyone interested in learning about the grants process should attend.

Garden City targets apathy in annexation quest

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:45:42 PST

Michael Atkins reports that Donald Gross, a resident of Southbridge since 2001, supports Garden City's efforts to annex his sprawling subdivision, but that's not what distinguishes him from many of his neighbors. What does, rather, is the fact that Gross actually has an opinion in the matter. For officials in Garden City, inching ever closer to the magic number of petitions needed to annex the 1,400-acre development, apathy among inhabitants has emerged as the latest in a string of threats to the plan. Southbridge and its 3,000 residents have fielded overtures from Garden City, Savannah and Pooler since early last year.

Cobb officials bend rules

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:45:37 PST

Tim Eberly reports that two top Cobb County officials arranged a no-bid purchase of four used dump trucks for a quarter-million dollars in 2008, even though the trucks had more mileage than the county trucks they replaced. Only two weeks earlier, the trucks had been owned by a friend of the two officials, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned.

Shelter, lights up for vote

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:45:21 PST

Blake Aued reports that the Athens-Clarke Commission will decide the fate of dozens of streetlights, a new cat shelter and a Cobbham restaurant at tonight's voting meeting.

State cuts neonatal program

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:45:14 PST

Alan Mauldin reports that state funding cuts to a program that provides neonatal care to expectant women mean that more than 100 Colquitt County mothers-to-be will not have the service next year. The elimination of funding, which took effect in June, will not affect women already enrolled in the program, called Babies Born Healthy.

Purpose of proposed state transit tax debated

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:08:09 PST

Blake Aued reports, if voters tax themselves to ease traffic gridlock, most of the money would go toward roads, but environmental and transit officials are hoping to change that. A fifth of a proposed 1 percent sales tax for transportation could be spent on buses and trains outside of metro Atlanta, and only 5 percent could be spent bicycle lanes and sidewalks - while up to 70 percent can be spent on new roads. The Georgia Transit Association and the Sierra Club are among the groups that will seek to raise the cap on bus, bike and pedestrian spending when the state legislature meets in January.

Analysis: When the public talks, do officials listen?

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:04:28 PST

Walter C. Jones reports that two government panels are crisscrossing the state this summer to solicit opinions from the public about their pocketbook, which raises the question of how much impact citizen comments will ultimately have. One is the tax-reform committee created by the General Assembly and the other is the Public Service Commission which is considering requests from two statewide utilities for rate hikes totaling more than $1 billion. Neither series of hearings is routine. Will they listen to what's being said?

Holiday a workday for Georgia politicians

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:02:58 PST

Steve Visser reports that organized labor isn't backing Nathan Deal for governor, but the Republican plans to capitalize on the federal holiday unions won in 1894. "We celebrate working Georgia -- all of Georgia is looking for a job, and we're going to help them find a job," Deal campaign spokesman Brian Robinson said. "We do see the general election starting this coming week, and we'll be doing traditional things like walking in a parade on Monday and on Tuesday releasing our education plan. We're going to be talking issues right out of the gate." Deal, a former North Georgia congressman, has barely had a breather since winning the Republican primary.

Roy Barnes: New health reform law’s unhealthy for Georgia

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:02:57 PST

Dawn Castro reports that Roy Barnes says the new federal health reform law backed by fellow Democrats could be “financially devastating” for Georgia unless officials in Washington figure out a way to help states cope with a staggering jump in Medicaid costs.

Another Barnes mea culpa that’s sure to catch Republicans’ attention

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:02:30 PST

Chris Seward reports, in an interview with the Associated Press, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes says he and President Barack Obama both have made mistakes when it comes to concensus building and just as Barnes has learned from his mistakes as a onetime governor, he said the president will, too. Barnes’ recent mea culpas have been getting a lot of airtime in GOP campaign commercials that contend Barnes and Obama are cut from the same cloth when it comes to leadership – only “Barnes is worse”.

Superintendent candidates all want change, say experience is key

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:01:33 PST

Walter C. Jones reports, as parents are settling into the routines of a new school year, they're renewing their frustrations about public education, and the three candidates for state superintendent of schools hope those feelings will spur their election. All three - Democrat Joe Martin, Libertarian Kira Willis and Republican John Barge - began their campaigns as mavericks of sorts. All signed up to challenge then-incumbent Kathy Cox who resigned within days of qualifying to run for re-election. The trio describes the absence of an incumbent and voter frustration over budget cuts, teacher furloughs and a test-cheating scandal as a lucky alignment of events for a maverick.

Will Interstate 3 link Savannah, Augusta and Knoxville?

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:59:56 PST

The editorial board writes, The candidates for governor of Georgia are correct to express a certain cautious optimism when it comes to Interstate 3, the proposed highway linking Savannah, Augusta and Knoxville, Tenn. The route is currently under study by the U.S. Department of Transportation, an inquiry expected to wrap up next year. The study will include, among other aspects, the economic and environmental impacts of building the new highway. A Savannah-to-Augusta stretch of an I-3 should be a no-brainer.

A new ObamaCare ‘surprise’

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:59:55 PST

The editorial board writes, One of the many little “details” that went unnoticed in Democrats’ rush to pass ObamaCare socialized medicine was a requirement that businesses start filing tax forms for any vendor that sells them at least $600 worth of goods in a given year. Even Democrats now admit the new rule is a bad idea, but one effort in the House of Representatives to overturn it has already failed. Shouldn’t the American people have been made fully aware of these “unintended effects” of ObamaCare before it became the law of the land?

Feds get green light for unlimited GPS tracking

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:59:50 PST

Bob Barr writes, The handwriting has been on the wall for quite some time; and now it’s official, at least for nine far west states – the government can place a GPS tracking device on your car while it is parked on your own property; then track and record your movements for an indefinite period of time, without ever securing a warrant to do so. This frightening situation is the result of a recent decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

McKee: Labor Day brings more bad news for jobless Americans

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:59:14 PST

Don McKee writes, Labor Day arrives with more bad news for nearly 15 million Americans out of work in a recession that keeps bleeding jobs and squeezing the middle class. And the picture is even worse when the underemployed are counted.

Below the surface bustle of the local election scene, not much has changed

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:45:55 PST

Larry Peterson reports, on the surface, Chatham County's political scene is bustling with competition and basking in the affection of statewide candidates. For the first time in decades, eight of the 10 partisan posts up for grabs locally Nov. 2 are contested. "It's an incredible phenomenon," said Savannah political consultant David Simons, active in the county since 1994. And candidates for statewide offices are paying at least lip service to the importance of the county and its south Georgia neighbors.

Anne Lindholm: Political activist, volunteer, mother

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:45:42 PST

Larry Peterson reports that Ann Lindholm paces the stage, her hands slicing the air as she addresses hundreds of people at a tea party rally. She leans forward to stress a point about her Army husband, deployed in the Middle East. "I'm sick and tired of his sacrifices going in vain!" she shouts. "And I will not abide it!" Lindholm talks about Washington politicians eroding freedom. WTKS talk show host Bill Edwards, master of ceremony at many such rallies, sees a little bit of former Gov. Sarah Palin in Lindholm. Starting last year, she was one of the local organizers of the tea party movement.

Dalton council plans to cut tax rate

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:45:35 PST

Charles Oliver reports that the Dalton City Council is slated to cut its property tax rate to 2.87 mills from 2.974 mills when members meet on Tuesday. City officials project the new tax rate will bring in $9.647 million, compared to $10.603 million last year.

Columbus voters are thinking about jobs

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:45:34 PST

Larry Gierer reports that if Columbus residents were to take out an advertisement to inform the city’s mayoral candidates of the big issue in this year’s race it would likely read in big letters — “Jobs Wanted.” A sampling of local residents found the economy on everyone’s mind even if it wasn’t what he or she considered the top issue.

Jobs to be key in local campaigns

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:45:32 PST

Blake Aued reports, as Athens-Clarke voters get ready to elect a new mayor and up to three new county commissioners, one thing is on their minds: jobs.

Ethics probe of lawmaker Seabaugh quietly vanishes

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:03:53 PST

James Salzer reports, The State Ethics Commission recently closed one of its oldest cases when it imposed a relatively small $2,500 fine on onetime Senate Majority Whip Mitch Seabaugh for a series of campaign disclosure violations in a case that dates back to 2003. It brought to a quiet close a case that investigators thought would end with a legal bang. Instead, it ended with a whimper.

Republican candidates in Carroll for election rally

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:02:59 PST

Rachel Lane reports that Gov. Sonny Perdue said Saturday that he has made the Georgia government more efficient over the past eight years and he thinks Republican gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal will continue that trend. “We want a governor who’s dedicated and focused on the job at hand, with integrity and honesty,” Perdue said. “That’s who [Deal] is.”

Political Insider: The real money behind Georgia’s race for governor

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:00:59 PST

The Political Insider, Jim Galloway, writes that Republican visitors are likely to be quite common around here this fall. Partly because Georgia has a hot race for governor. And partly because AirTran Airways this summer gave $75,000 in free airfare to the Republican Governors Association. There’s nothing stopping them.

Labor Day: No holiday for the jobless

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:58 PST

The editorial board writes, Anxiety remains an unwelcome guest this Labor Day weekend in homes and gathering places across Atlanta, Georgia and the United States. That’s no surprise, given that the Great Recession continues to burden our economy and keep unemployment high. It’s understandable, then, that the jobless and the still-employed alike may feel nervous about their futures. Which brings us to Labor Day — by tradition a period of rest from toil. ALSO,op-eds American workers’ spirits aren’t broken by Michael Thurmond; Atlanta set to prosper on job-creation front by Paul Garcia and Donna Hyland; and Manufacturing sector in need of a strategy by John Engler.

The enduring spirit of the American worker

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:57 PST

Michael Thurmond writes, Labor Day 2010 celebrations will be muted or non-existent for millions of Americans who are unemployed, underemployed or too discouraged to continue the search for work. The Great Recession is reaping a bitter harvest of jobs, hopes and dreams. Americans fortunate enough to be gainfully employed are haunted by fear and anxiety, which are the debilitating bi-products of widespread economic uncertainty. A growing number of respected economists are beginning to raise the specter of a potentially devastating double-dip recession.

Not just jobs, good jobs and safe jobs

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:57 PST

Richard L. Trumka and Richard Ray writes, Americans are worried about finding and keeping jobs. Many are desperate for any job at all in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Fifteen million people who want to work are stuck in unemployment lines. Just about as many are working part-time when they want to be working full time or have given up looking. So it can be tempting to overlook dangerous workplaces and say now is not the time to prioritize workers’ safety.

Immigrants following the jobs

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:57 PST

The editorial board writes, it doesn't come as a great surprise to many in Northeast Georgia to learn that the flow of illegal immigrants to the United States is decreasing. For first time in 20 years, the number of illegal immigrants in the United States is on the decline, dropping from a peak of 12 million to 11.1 million last year, according to a Pew Hispanic Center study released last week.

Labor Day: Time to reverse public-sector trend

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:57 PST

The editorial board writes, The rates of unionized workers are highest in Alaska, Hawaii and New York, lowest in North Carolina at around 3 percent. And the fastest-growing unions are those comprised of public workers - a fact reflected in the way that public sector pay and benefits typically are higher than those found in today's private sector. Now there's a labor trend that needs to be reversed.

POLITICAL NOTES: John Barrow strong for re-election, but no shoo-in

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:56 PST

Larry Peterson writes, Will John Barrow be re-elected Nov. 2? Sure, says the wag at Pinkie Masters, peering into the pop-top hole on his PBR as if the answer were there. After all, the local bar patron adds, Barrow's the best Republican in the race. Sure, that's an exaggeration - both about Barrow and the leanings of his 12th Congressional District, which takes in most of Savannah. But despite Barrow's huge win during the Democratic ground swell Barack Obama kicked up in 2008, the 12th is only marginally Democratic. Barrow knows that and as well that many of the district's Democrats are of a middling-to-conservative sort.

Summer’s over, so let’s hear Republicans’ plan

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:52 PST

Kyle Wingfield writes, This weekend traditionally, if not technically, marks the end of summer. That’s a good thing for Democrats, who may now be allowed to stop explaining when their “Recovery Summer” is finally going to begin. The seasonal change also brings a new seriousness to November’s midterm elections, which are less than 60 days away. Staying out of the bumbling Democrats’ way has brought Republicans within reach of a majority in the U.S. House and possibly, but less likely, the Senate. But the final eight weeks of this campaign will require more than that of the GOP.

Breaking America's spirit

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:50 PST

The editorial board writes, Even liberal magazine Time is highlighting his historic plummet in popularity from near 70 percent to near 40. Even liberal comedian David Letterman is making stabbing jokes about his endless vacations. Even Democrats running for re-election are running as fast and as far as they can from this president. You have to wonder: If the national news media had been this interested in Mr. Obama and his background in 2008, would he have been elected? Would so many Americans who now regret their vote for him be so surprised at what he's become? Has he become anything other than what he is?

Towery: It was Beck's rally, but it's Hannity's war

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:49 PST

Matt Towery writes, Mainstream media were taken aback when television and radio talk show host Glenn Beck recently hosted a rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The throng of people assembled more to celebrate religious and civic values than hear about partisan politics. Naturally, the likes of CBS News trotted out "experts" who declared the crowd to be about 87,000 people. Take it from someone who used to perch on the balcony of the Capitol to watch events: Even the folks at CBS had to be laughing among themselves at such an underestimation of the crowd's size.

Tucker: Summer of discontent: Backlash to the browning of America

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:16 PST

Cynthia Tucker writes, What a weird summer! Average Americans, normally sober-minded citizens, came undone over exaggerated threats and imagined enemies; rallied here by the thousands to “restore honor;” and denounced mosques, minority rights and the 14th Amendment — all the while demanding strict adherence to the U.S. Constitution. This is a tempestuous and irrational time, an era of economic gloom, eroding living standards and deep fears about the future. But economic uncertainty alone cannot account for this summer’s strange currents. The runaway inflation and deep recession of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s didn’t produce a similar season of civic craziness.

A tough task worth taking on

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:46:57 PST

The editorial board writes, not quite three years ago, the head of the Georgia Department of Corrections — the post formerly held by Columbus Mayor Jim Wetherington — urged local citizens, businesses, civic groups and faith communities to become more active in helping former offenders try to avoid being repeat offenders. Out of that breakfast meeting came Love in Action, a nonprofit ministry for ex-inmates in which Columbus clergy, businesspeople mental health professionals, law enforcement officials and others are trying to give former prisoners a real chance at another chance.

These are taxing times

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:46:24 PST

The editorial board writes, Rome not being known for a shy and sheepish population when it comes to complaining about taxes, things could and should get interesting at The Forum this coming Tuesday between 4 and 7 p.m. That’s when the state’s Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness visits to get local citizen opinions on what it should propose by way of changes and repairs. There are but seven such sessions scheduled across Georgia and the turnout does not appear to be overwhelming. Nobody cares about taxes elsewhere?