Perdue’s tenure as governor comes up well short
With less than 18 months left in his final term, you might say Sonny Perdue is entering the lame-duck phase of his eight-year run as governor.
You might, except for the fact that Perdue’s lame-duck phase began the day he took office.
Lame-duck governors don’t tackle ambitious initiatives, preferring to leave that to their successors. Lame ducks defer to rather than lead the Legislature. Lame ducks play defense, seeing their job in terms of ensuring that nothing bad happens in the time they have left in office.
So how does that differ from the way Perdue has governed?
It doesn’t.
In fact, given his short remaining time in office and his demonstrated reluctance to take the initiative, it’s possible to explore, at least in preliminary terms, what historians are likely to conclude about the Perdue era. I suspect they’ll focus on three areas.
First, the budget. Through no fault of his own, Perdue has presided over an almost unprecedented meltdown of state revenues. I suspect he’ll be given pretty good marks for his handling of that difficult crisis.
That’s largely because of what he didn’t do, instead of what he did. Back in 2008, he didn’t let fellow Republicans — and a few Democrats as well, such as House Minority Leader DuBose Porter — raid the state’s reserve account to finance hare-brained election-year tax cuts. As a result, a $1.5 billion rainy-day fund was there to cushion the state against significant revenue shortfalls.
In addition, legislators this year passed an even more egregious bill that would have cut corporate taxes — and thus state revenue — by a billion dollars at a time when it was already clear the economy was in free fall.
Given the circumstances, that tax cut was perhaps the single most irresponsible act by the Legislature since the days of desegregation. Bucking criticism from his own party, Perdue vetoed it.
The second issue on which Perdue will be graded is transportation. Put bluntly, he flunked.
Upon taking office, the governor faced three major transportation challenges: Reform the dysfunctional state Department of Transportation; launch a major initiative to ease congestion that threatens to strangle metro Atlanta; find a way to boost long-term transportation investment statewide (Georgia, one of the fastest-growing states in the country and a state with an economy rooted in movement of people and goods, ranks 49th in per capita transportation spending).
Perdue accomplished none of those goals, and in most cases shows little evidence of even trying. The one area in which he made an effort, the reform of DOT, shows little sign of success. In fact, the “reform” agreed to by Perdue and state legislative leaders this spring made the situation worse rather than better.
Not surprisingly, in recent days state and federal audits have been harshly critical of how the DOT handles its finances. Perdue cited those findings as proof that reform is still needed, but among legislators the response has been muted at best. (If similarly critical audits had been released about an agency such as MARTA, the good ol’ boys would have had a merry old time lecturing about financial irresponsibility.)
The third area on which Perdue will be judged is water. Again, the verdict has to be failure. Throughout Perdue’s term, it has been impossible to discern anything that might pass for a long-term strategy for resolving the dispute with Florida and Alabama, and it remains true today.
Yes, our neighboring states have been reluctant to cut a deal. Yes, the state is in a weak legal position for reasons that long preceded Perdue. But it is also true that Georgia is in a significantly weaker position today than when Perdue took office.
The lack of strategic thought has been particularly glaring in the past year. It has been clear for a long time — and certainly since oral arguments in May — that a ruling in the central legal case in the dispute was likely to go against Georgia. State leaders should have had an aggressive strategy ready to implement once that ruling was announced, but I’ve seen no evidence of it.
In fact, I don’t know which would be more damning: The notion that they didn’t have a post-ruling strategy in place, or that they had a strategy and this is it.
For example, if other states won’t negotiate in private, why not do it in public? What solution does Georgia propose? Why is that deal fair to all, what are the scientific facts to support it and in what public forum is that case being offered and defended?
Like so much else, that’s all being left to the next governor.
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129 comments Add your comment
Peadawg
August 7th, 2009
11:46 am
“With less than 18 months left in his final term, you might say Sonny Perdue is entering the lame-duck phase of his eight-year run as governor.
You might, except for the fact that Perdue’s lame-duck phase began the day he took office.”
The exact same thing could be/will be said about Obama!
Peadawg
August 7th, 2009
11:47 am
Oh yeah…FIRST! lol
I Report/ Health Care Industry Plant/ Nazi :-) You Whine :-(
August 7th, 2009
11:47 am
Judged by whom?
You are a lib, wrong about everything, why are you not still quoting Quin Hillyer, is it not convenient anymore?
We are proud to be Americans. They are embarrassed by American prosperity. We feel blessed. They feel guilt-ridden. We think human life is a gift from God. They think human life is a tool to be manipulated, and even discarded, for the greater good of Mother Earth.
We are right. They are oh so wrong, on every level. We must work to ensure that the right prevails.
The left needs to be quite before they totally ruin their whole entire party, oh wait……
I rule.
Gandalf, the Wise
August 7th, 2009
11:55 am
4th!
Gandalf, the Wise
August 7th, 2009
11:56 am
Sonny, can’t live with him, can’t live with out him…
Paul
August 7th, 2009
11:56 am
Although I’m not a Georgian…
is this approbation for term limits?
Finn McCool
August 7th, 2009
12:00 pm
10th!!
hmmm, that didn’t make my day like I was expecting it would. Did I do somthing wrong?
I did feel a single hair stand up on th back of my neck but that’s about it.
Finn McCool
August 7th, 2009
12:03 pm
Paul, thanks for the link to that angry liberal lady on the last blog.
Liberal chicks are the hotness.
Turd Ferguson
August 7th, 2009
12:06 pm
Yea. Sonny is kindve a lackluster non-Hollywood type so its easy to take pot shots at him. Then again I was only casting a vote against King Rat-Roy.
BTW…Has Rat-Boy found prettier shade of pink for those lips?
RB from Gwinnett
August 7th, 2009
12:09 pm
Jay, will you be posting a similar piece about Shirly?
While I don’t disagree with you on Sonny as a whole, I’m curious to see if you and the AJC have the fortitude to judge her the way you have Sonny.
Paul
August 7th, 2009
12:11 pm
Finn
Seriously. I think Jay had it correct – people get scared, they get frustrated, they get violent.
We don’t tolerate it with teachers. Or spouses. Or parents with kids.
Just with ourselves when it comes to politics…
Dusty
August 7th, 2009
12:11 pm
Oh no, now Bookman has gone whack-a-moley with Gov. Perdue.
I knew it. I demand to see Bookman’s birth certificate. He was born in…PENNSYLVANIA!!! Ha! That rules him out as a Southern journalist (and gentleman).
Say no more, Bookman. You are disqualified. Gov. Perdue is doing the best he can with what he has to work with….a large percentage of those warmth seeking Northern invaders (liberals). Never soft spoken, they create chaos in our lovely society, interrupting our orderly meetings like kindergarteners! Yes, absolutely.
Now they desire to change Emory Medical and St. Joseph’s and make them Freebies for the Fallen as paid for by taxpayers. They will be financed just as well as Grady..Real well!
Perdue is just fine. He’s a vet. No pup unwanted. He’ll take care of you liberals. Relax!
Finn McCool
August 7th, 2009
12:11 pm
Ok, the weekend begins.
Here’s one for swampy dave:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YTAHnzoVFM
N.J.
August 7th, 2009
12:15 pm
When I moved to Georgia, it was just before a Democrat lost office and Perdue was elected. I noticed the difference from Florida as soon as I crossed the border. Everything was neater, cleaner and newer. However in the few years of Perdue, everything has fallen apart, When I go back to Florida to visit, don’t notice a difference at all. So much for the conservative idea that a pro business policy will create more revenues for the state.
N.J.
August 7th, 2009
12:19 pm
Most of the Northern Liberals who come from up North to the warm down south are not liberals at all, but Republicans. The south used to be largely a democratic bastion until a majority of northern Republicans left the north to escape the blue states and high taxes. Of course they demanded all of the services they had in the blue states with no increases in taxes in true conservative fashion.
I had to work with all of those snow birds in Florida. Everyone a tax hating Republican.
N.J.
August 7th, 2009
12:22 pm
Yes in true Republican fashion, these old northern conservatives voted for tax cuts, but demanded more libraries, more services for the elderly, better streets and sewers in their condominiums, and so on. And of course they voted against impact fees for developers who increased the population. Why do you think Florida went from being a Democratic State to a Republican one. All of those northern Republicans increasing the Red Population.
RB from Gwinnett
August 7th, 2009
12:24 pm
NJ, I think most of us want “service”, not “services” from our government paid employees.
Just curious, what percent of a person’s income do you think should go to the various forms of government to fund “services”? How much is too much?
Finn McCool
August 7th, 2009
12:25 pm
Hey, NJ,
Try driving anywhere in Atlanta. You have to re-align your wheels once a week from all the pot holes.
Tha city is broke.
Rightwing Troll
August 7th, 2009
12:26 pm
But there’s “Go Fish”… and the tireless efforts to keep “those people” from being able to vote…
NJ,
Actually, I’ve been trvelling from Atlanta to Sarasota for ten years and I think the exact opposite from you. The roads in S Georgia have been a nightmare for a decade, while once you cross the state line into Fla. the roads are awesome and the traffic moves well… Now go west on I-10 towards Tallahassee and beyond, that’s a whole different ball of wax… they don’t call the panhandle Lower Alabama and The Redneck Riviera for nothing…
Finn McCool
August 7th, 2009
12:29 pm
NJ, the switch of Southerners didn’t happen overnight. Democrats had a really good foothold in the south until Nixon’s first run which coincided with the 60’s civil rights movement.
Nixon knew he could play on the southern white fear and anger about civil rights. Voila, the south spent the next 20 years turning red.
arnold
August 7th, 2009
12:29 pm
GOP conservatives are the scourge of the earth. Conservative philosophy advocates little change. Yet Georgia needs creative change. Bring on the liberals!!!!!
stands for decibels
August 7th, 2009
12:29 pm
Just curious, what percent of a person’s income do you think should go to the various forms of government to fund “services”? How much is too much?
That’s pretty easy–the brackets under Clinton gave us a surplus. We oughta go back to that.
Of course, having the top tax bracket at less than half of what it was under Ike was “socialism,” right?
N.J.
August 7th, 2009
12:30 pm
No one can say Purdue has done a good job. I moved into this state impressed by how new and well kept everything was. The difference in the roads alone amazed me. No 20 miles of potholes. It was rather a surprise. Of course I moved in at the tail end of a Democratic adminstration. Now when I leave the state in the opposite direction on vacation I cannot distinguish between falling apart Florida and falling apart Georgia.
Mr. Snarky
August 7th, 2009
12:31 pm
Is Sonny still Governor? I thought he had gone back to fixing wounded cows.
Mike "Hussein" Smith
August 7th, 2009
12:32 pm
A better headline: Perdue’s tenure coming up dry
Cherokee
August 7th, 2009
12:33 pm
“The exact same thing could be/will be said about Obama!
What a silly thing to say. The cons have been yowling since Jan 21 that Obama is doing too much. Meanwhile Sonny sits on his behind doing nothing.
Not quite the same – and you really ought to think through your criticism – is Obama doing too much or too little? You can’t have it both ways…
stands for decibels
August 7th, 2009
12:33 pm
NJ, I think you’d have a tough time proving that “most” translants to the South are Republican, but even if they were–they’re Northeastern Republicans. Which is to say, generally, a lot more liberal than the current Southern variety, if not so much on fiscal issues than certainly on social ones.
Also:
I had to work with all of those snow birds in Florida. Everyone a tax hating Republican.
Since I’ve been known to excoriate those wingers who mistake their anecdotal experiences with statistically valid data, well, I gotta do the same with you.
Class of '98
August 7th, 2009
12:34 pm
Off topic…. can anyone imagine what would have happened if George W had requested that people send the White House copies of “fishy” information that spread “disinformation” about his agenda?
Hypocrisy, thy name is liberal.
Mrs. Godzilla
August 7th, 2009
12:34 pm
Well….he could do a Palin….
arnold
August 7th, 2009
12:36 pm
Florida is not the south. The Dixiecrats, in 1948, started the swing to the Republican party. Nixon, with his southern strategy, caused it to steamroll. Civil Rights was the main reason the south went GOP conservative.
mike
August 7th, 2009
12:38 pm
Wow! Jay thinks that a Republican didn’t so a good job? Stop the presses.
arnold
August 7th, 2009
12:39 pm
Mel Martinez, in Florida, just anounced he would “pull a Palin”. he is resigning a year early. He quit other Government posts early also. I guess Palin is their leader.
@@
August 7th, 2009
12:39 pm
jay, it was Sonny’s “empty chair” reference at his State of the State address that pulled not only my heartstrings but a vote for him.
What can I say….I’m a sap for saplings.
N.J.
August 7th, 2009
12:40 pm
I totally believe in a progressive income tax. those who benefit the most from the nation that allows a free market to exist should pay the most for those privileges, the simply creating of jobs doesn’t cut it as an excuse for low personal taxes, though it is a justification for keeping taxes on capital kept INSIDE a business low. Those who work in the jobs are the ones who CREATE the wealth and are entitled to a fair share of it, at least a living wage from it.
I would say a total tax rate of fifty to sixty percent is not unreasonable at the upper incomes, but right now, the IRS states that the average net federal income tax paid by the wealthiest two percent comes in at around 23 percent. Way too low. Now when you look at Europe, conservatives always mislead by pointing at the top tax rate. But the average middle class person doesn’t pay close to that top tax rate. They pay a bit less. There rates are closer to the average American tax rate rather than the average millionaires tax rate. Thats consistent with American Republicans. They know most Americans have never lived in or even visited most of Europe and therefore have no idea of how the average Brit of Dutch person lives. They live better and they really don’t pay much more in taxes for it, and they get a LOT more for the taxes they do pay.
The average civil servant gets paid much lower than the average person outside of the civil service and for decades their benefits have been substandard compared to the private sector. This has been a fact since Reagan. When I worked civil service in Florida the average wage of all my employees was about 25 percent lower than they could have gotten in the private sector and my own salary with a masters degree was even lower than that. So the basic bullshit that you want service from the civil service is totally that. You get what you pay for and you pay crap. Georgia is even worse than Florida, Jobs requiring a minimum of a Masters starting at 30,000 a year.
Turd Ferguson
August 7th, 2009
12:40 pm
Finn McCool
August 7th, 2009
12:25 pm
Hey, NJ,
“Try driving anywhere in Atlanta. You have to re-align your wheels once a week from all the pot holes.
Tha city is broke.”
And the questions is WHY is the City of Atlanta broke. Atl city govt uses Hartsfield like its their own personal ATM yes the city is broke.
Just look who is running the city of ATL which is frought with employee pilferage, theft of funds, diversion of funds etc. It will never change so you drive in the potholes I will stay in the burbs.
Mr. Snarky
August 7th, 2009
12:41 pm
“Well….he could do a Palin”
Mrs. G. Even Sonny’s not that pathetic.
Mr. Snarky
August 7th, 2009
12:43 pm
“Off topic…. can anyone imagine what would have happened if George W had requested that people send the White House copies of “fishy” information that spread “disinformation” about his agenda?”
He didn’t have time. He was to busy spreading disinformation about his agenda.
stands for decibels
August 7th, 2009
12:44 pm
Hypocrisy, thy name is liberal.
Day late/dollar short, thy name is Class–the wingers were all moaning about this yesterday.
Yes, how dare the man propose to do what, say, Snopes has been doing for a dozen-plus years?
N.J.
August 7th, 2009
12:46 pm
And of course even the last living proponent of supply side economics turned against the Republican Party for making a complete hash of the theory in 2004 when he supported John Kerry for President.
Supply side does not call for a continual lowering of taxes, but for a rate that pays for government without creating a deficit. The theoretical optimum on the Laffer Curve is 50 percent but all that supply side states that there are TWO points at which taxes cause revenues to drop to zero 100 percent tax rates and ZERO percent tax rates. The optimum like on any curve fell at 50 percent, but can lie at any point between ZERO and 100 as long as it stops deficit spending.
Traditionally in the old Republican Party, the only time high taxes were justified were at a time of war. Bush threw a monkey wrench into that by starting a war and lowering taxes. It didn’t work as of course even classical economic theory and supply side predict.
stands for decibels
August 7th, 2009
12:46 pm
But about Perdue–could he have run in place more pathetically on the issue of transportation had he tried? where is the commuter rail? Where are the bus lines? Why is it, if anything, actually harder to get around without a car than it was when this guy took office?
RW-(the original)
August 7th, 2009
12:47 pm
Snopes is the government now? No wonder this country is going to he11 in a hand basket.
RW-(the original)
August 7th, 2009
12:49 pm
DB,
It’s harder for me to get around in a car because there are so dang many buses everywhere blocking traffic.
stands for decibels
August 7th, 2009
12:51 pm
Snopes is the government now?
well, concept’s similar–send us your forwarded-from-crazy-coot-relative-on-AOL and we’ll debunk them.
I’m sure you’re aware Obama felt the need to have a webpage set up just to handle the phony rumors during his campaign. It’s depressing, but such countermeasures become more or less necessary.
And for what it’s worth, I wouldn’t be real surprised to see a Republican elected official doing something similar should it become necessary.
stands for decibels
August 7th, 2009
12:53 pm
It’s harder for me to get around in a car because there are so dang many buses everywhere blocking traffic.
Well if the bus has just a passenger or two, you’ve got a point. However, I’ll take a busload over the equivalent 30-40 cars in front of me any ol’ day.
And with decently designed bus stops, with their own merge lanes on busy roads, it’s not much of an issue.
N.J.
August 7th, 2009
12:53 pm
Even now I am reading and listening to old respected economists, conservative economists,stating that the economic recovery will start at the end of this year and the economy will go into full scale recovery when the Bush Tax cuts for the wealthy are ended in 2010. Of course the rich will NOT pay those taxes, they will put the money into the only place it is protected from high levels of taxation and that is INSIDE of a working operating business that is generating revenue.
Thats always the case. When money is inside of a business rather than taken out as personal revenue, the business owner cannot remove the money without losing a significant amount of it when the top marginal tax rates are high, He can take out enough to live well on at lower tax rates on the progressive scale, but he can’t take enough out for extreme luxury items like yachts and maseratis.
He leaves it inside and only takes out what he needs, when he needs it. When the top marginal rates are low, he takes it out as personal income and starts investing speculatively, and that is exactly what caused the current economy catastrophe as it has every other economy recession, bubble and market crash in since the creation of the income tax in 1913. Before this the American economic cycle went into depression every ten years, like clockwork.
stands for decibels
August 7th, 2009
12:53 pm
Well I sure like starting my posts with “well.” Oy.
RW-(the original)
August 7th, 2009
12:54 pm
DB,
Yes it was “Fight the Smears” or something and for some reason he considered it a smear to be called a Muslim, but then he went on his apology tour, Egyptian edition, and bragged about his Muslim roots.
Gale
August 7th, 2009
12:55 pm
Mrs. Godzilla
August 7th, 2009
12:34 pm
Well….he could do a Palin….
Can’t do it. He has already served a full term.
RW-(the original)
August 7th, 2009
12:55 pm
Well if the bus has just a passenger or two, you’ve got a point.
I got caught in that slow typing thingy and left out the most important word.
It’s harder for me to get around in a car because there are so dang manyempty buses everywhere blocking traffic.
Mr. Snarky
August 7th, 2009
12:56 pm
“It’s harder for me to get around in a car because there are so dang many buses everywhere blocking traffic.”
Darn those kids and their school buses! They should all be home schooled.