Perdue didn’t do much; Deal likely to do even less
When Sonny Perdue took the oath as governor in January 2003, Georgia’s transportation system was hamstrung by a lack of funding and vision, and its education system was underperforming national standards. The state also faced a $620 million budget shortfall, and was tied up in a lengthy ongoing water war with its neighbors in Alabama and Florida.
Almost eight years later, with Perdue ready to leave office, little has been done to address those problems. In fact, some of those problems have become considerably worse.
In his 2002 campaign, for example, Perdue said he would call a summit of governors to resolve the tri-state water war. “We’ll come together face-to-face with no staff and hammer this thing out,” he promised. But years passed and no resolution was found, and with a federal deadline of July 2012 looming, Georgia’s legal situation in the water wars is much more precarious today than it was when Perdue took office.
The state’s transportation crisis has worsened as well. The resource-starved Department of Transportation is all but bankrupt, with almost no means to address traffic congestion and decaying, inadequate infrastructure. There’s no help in sight until at least 2012, when metro Atlanta and other regions will be asked to vote on an inadequate but badly needed one-penny sales tax devoted to transportation. And even that sign of hope may prove an illusion.
Perdue’s stop-and-go leadership style on transportation was epitomized by a much-ballyhooed 2008 news conference in which the governor announced firm support for a new commuter rail line.
“Let’s move out aggressively,” Perdue said. “Once I’ve made up my mind, I’m usually impatient.” And that’s the last that’s been heard of it since.
Going into 2011, the state’s budget shortfall is also three times larger than when Perdue took office, which will no doubt force additional budget cuts to education and other programs already cut to the bone.
Given the global economic situation, it’s hard to blame that shortfall on the outgoing governor. To the contrary, Perdue’s greatest strength as governor has been fiscal management. But any assessment of his legacy must include the billions of dollars that he insisted be cut from education even when times were good, making later cuts all the more painful.
Looking ahead — and I hope I’m proved wrong about this — anyone who liked Perdue’s lackadaisical eight years is probably going to love incoming Gov. Nathan Deal. His history in politics and his post-election behavior suggest that he will be even less willing than Perdue to lead aggressively.
In almost 18 years in Congress, Deal left almost no mark and showed no instinct for leadership. And since his win over Democrat Roy Barnes, he has shown no sign of changing.
His transition team, for example, is dominated not by his own people but by longtime lobbyists representing most if not all of the state’s special interests. (In an awkward bow to ethical concerns, the lobbyists are required to refrain from lobbying during the actual transition, but it’s hard to see what that accomplishes.)
Deal has also been oddly acquiescent as Perdue moved to install his own loyalists in critical state posts. Those include the top two jobs at the Department of Economic Development, the state treasurer and the heads of the Office of Planning and Budget, Personnel Administration, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.
(UPDATE: Gov.-elect Deal has recommended the appointment of Chris Cummiskey to head the state Department of Economic Development, replacing Heidi Green, who had been elevated to the post by Perdue in July.)
A more aggressive new governor with plans to use his authority would demand the right to fill those jobs himself. Deal’s passivity suggests that once in office, he will make Perdue seem downright activist.
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230 comments Add your comment
jewcowboy
November 30th, 2010
12:00 pm
“I think you will see why the state is in a downward spiral.”
Republican leadership?
Bosch
November 30th, 2010
12:01 pm
White Man,
It is a national problem, yes, but many states were more stable to handle the recession, GA, not so much, as was many of the Southern, GOP led states.
chuck,
I won’t write anything else negative about GWB because he isn’t POTUS anymore — but:
“He was President back in the day and the COUNTRY was much better off than it is now.”
is definitely arguable. And on the national level if you look at the reasons we are in straits now, it is very easily traced back to the causes.
Swede Atlanta
November 30th, 2010
12:06 pm
Ref Andygrdzki
I guess you haven’t been following the news much lately. Economists point out that earmarks make up between 1 and 1.5% of the total Federal Budget. Eliminating them do nothing to appreciably reduce the deficit. Further elimination would simply result in Senators from both parties using less transparent methods to obtain funds and resources for their districts.
I would much rather have legislation that clearly identifies the sponsor of an earmark than have money for these projects be introduced through less transparent means.
But back to the topic of the blog…. Deal has no new ideas. It is the same “I’ll cut taxes” mantra that we know doesn’t work. Businesses are not investing or hiring in Georgia because of the taxes. They aren’t investing here because our public education system is failing, traffic is a nightmare and we still have no long-term vision for managing growth including infrastructure and natural resources such as water.
If Georgia is in a better position 4 years from now I will wager a bet it will be because the state economy will have been buoyed by an improved national economy and not because of anything that Deal and the rats under the Gold Dome have done.
Common Sense isn't very Common
November 30th, 2010
12:08 pm
The state is in a tailspin because of the illogical usage of state funds over the last 8 years.
Where is the education level of the state vs other states?
Where are the jobs created by all the state tax cuts?
The good old boy network (both dem and repub) have screwed up the state which at one time showed promise and progress. Remember it was going to be the Silicon Valley of the south.
The housing boom which attracted untold number of illegal immigrants has resulted in water wars with neighboring states and young people being unable to find entry level employment in the building trades.
Mary Elizabeth
November 30th, 2010
12:10 pm
Matti @ 10:40
Re: “Magnanimity of equality”
You response is true if humankind views itself only in relation to the marketplace, i.e. winners and losers.
But there is a more profound view of humankind than simply as marketplace players.
We are – more importantly – fully human beings, equally created, to “bloom” with our own unique talents and gifts while we exist.
To place the marketplace as the centerpiece of our reality of who we are while we are on Earth is to diminish our own souls. This is what I mean by “equality of consciousness.” Outside of the marketplace perceptions, we are all inherently equal.
That is the magnanimity of equality that I mean when I appeal to others to look deeply into, and with compassion, any other human being.
Reality
November 30th, 2010
12:12 pm
Let’s look at other States for comparison….
Mass. has better education and better transportation than GA. What are they doing that allows this? We need to look at other States and follow their lead.
I am sick to the stomach that Georgia voters elected mass republicans. The republicans have done nothing but drive our State into a ditch. Now that they run ALL State agencies and offices, there is no one else to blame but themselves….. and they have absolutely no clue how to get us out of this ditch.
Thanks, Georgia voters!
White Man
November 30th, 2010
12:14 pm
Bosch, I somewhat understand your point. However I dont think you can look at the Govenor and and point a finger at him for everything that happens in that state. Now if the rest of the nation was thriving and we were struggling it would be a different story.
chuck
November 30th, 2010
12:14 pm
This discussion about the 2-party system is pretty pointless. We don’t have a 2 party system. We don’t have a 1 party system. In fact, we don’t have a system. We don’t have clear choices coming out of our parties, because they are made up of people who are more interested in power than they are principle.
Why does that happen? Very simply, it is because we have open primaries. If we had closed primaries you would see a very different slate of candidates. How many of you are actually dues paying MEMBERS of either the Republican or Democrat parties? Last time I checked, it was less than 2% of the residents of Georgia. I USED TO BE a mamber of the Republican Party, but I haven’t paid dues or gone to a party meeting in 15-20 years. It is no wonder that we get what we get. Then you have those who jump from one party to the next just to cause mischief. If you had to be an active member of the party to vote in the primary, it would sharpen the focus and move candidates to more definite positions on the issues.
White Man
November 30th, 2010
12:15 pm
Jewcowboy……nice try to spin my question.
Lawrence
November 30th, 2010
12:21 pm
But I bet Deal can write a better newspaper column than Jay can.
chuck
November 30th, 2010
12:22 pm
Swede Atlanta, you are obviously misinformed as to how earmarks work. They are the least transparent of all Washington spending. A huge part of the reason for our deficit is the fact that these little jewels get tucked into totally unrelated bills that come before Congress. Is congress going to hold up the defense spending bill because of a billion here or there for some pointless study on cow flatulence? NO. I think the BEST THING the Republicans in the house could do would be to let EVERY proposed appropriation stand on its own merit. In other words, congressmen who want a project for their distict funded would have to present it for an up or down vote. They should have broken the healthcare bill into its component parts and voted up or down on each one. Do you realize how much crap can be hidden in a 2000 page bill?
Swede Atlanta
November 30th, 2010
12:24 pm
Chuck
The idea of closed primaries is an interesting idea. My only concern with that is most people’s political consciousness only awakens every 2 years at election time. People aren’t taking time to be involved in their communities, school boards, etc. so I fear that closing primaries will have the negative effect of allowing a small handful of voters, even smaller than under the open primary system, select the candidates.
And who will be those motivated voters that are registered and participate? They will be the lobbyists and those with special interests. They have strong motivation because if they get their candidate elected they will benefit. Ordinary voters really never benefit from getting their man or woman into office.
But I’m open to trying a closed primary system to see what happens.
I am more concerned about how we in this country have come to equate “money” with political speech. That was certainly not the way the Founding Fathers ever imagined it to be. And those that love to roll in the money at election time are often the same ones that want a strict original intent construction of the Constitution.
When moneyed interests be they individuals or business and other organizational interests can buy elections by flooding the airwaves with negative attack ads and drowning out their opponents, the electorate loses.
Political speech in my book is just that, speech. It is the form of communicating a concept, an idea, a proposal. Money should not be confused with “speech”.
chuck
November 30th, 2010
12:25 pm
Reality, I can tell you that the traffic problems in Boston are just as bad as those in Atlanta. It’s all a matter of perspective.
Reality
November 30th, 2010
12:29 pm
@chuck and others…..
Why does this blog which deals with the State of GA have to degrade into a discussion about federal issues? Are you admitting that the State of GA cannot do anything with holding hands with the feds? Why can other States do things without feds?
If GA wants to be the self-supporting State that so many of you claim, we need to find solutions for our own problems and stop worrying about things outside of our border – especially things we cannot control!
Reality
November 30th, 2010
12:30 pm
@chuck….
You just missed my point entirely. How sad.
chuck
November 30th, 2010
12:33 pm
Swede, I don’t think that money has anything to do with it. I had this discussion with USinUK a few weeks ago. Do you make your decision on who to vote for based on political ads? I don’t either. Why do assume that other voters are so much dumber than we are?
captguitarman
November 30th, 2010
12:40 pm
Great commentary today – and Bookman’s column was right on. I hated the King Roy years and the Dems running the Dome, and prayed for a big change. In 2002 it finally came. I rejoiced in anticipation of good, strong government coming to Georgia and a state that would continue forward to meet its great potential. As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. I had hoped that Karen Handel would be embraced as a breath of fresh air, just what we needed after 8 years of What, Me Worry? Sonny Perdue’s protecting Georgia from John Barleycorn, with the exception of “Merlot To Go” – a sterling legacy. Llackadaisical? you were being kind there Bookman – the word I had in mind begins with “incompe” and ends with “tent.” Handel, as I and many believed, would pounce upon on Don’t Take Another Step, Or I’ll Shoot Glen Richardson’s good old boys just doing bidness cultural legacy under the Dome and get this state moving forward again. Alas, the Dome Pubs and lobbyists believed it too, and thank God there was a crook waiting in the wings, a Congressman very familiar with how to conduct bidness, and the timing was perfect because he was ready to resign his seat at the eleventh hour, under the cloak of darkness the day before the Ethics Committee would have voted to censure him. Of course he hadn’t done anything in 18 years except bidness — what a stroke of luck. Like with What, Me Worry? Sonny, you don’t want all these pesky state issues and problems gettin’ in the way of bidness. And more good fortune the critical facts about his insovlvency, failure to file required formes, bankruptcy, etc. were all successfully kept under wraps until after the Republican run off. So here we are. Georgians have the governor they deserve. The Shady Deal is in, and he has formed a blind trust to handle his assets. But, he has no assets, you say. But, he will. He will leave office as a millionaire on $135 K per year. The blind trust will handle all the bidness opportunities – that is why it was created. Georgia and Atlanta were once the capital of the New South. Too bad. Way too bad.
Reality
November 30th, 2010
12:40 pm
Latest federal news…. the republicans in the Senate have joined in voting to keep ear marks. LOL! What hypocrits!
When will you people that actually vote republican finally get it through your head that they are WORSE than democrats because they outright LIE about what they believe in and what they plan to do once in office?????? You continue to swallow everything they say, hook, line, and sinker!
The Government Avenger
November 30th, 2010
12:44 pm
Guess what Jay? No bleeping money! I am a state employee with out a raise in over three years (plus furloughs). It sucks. Better be in Georgia though where at least they TRY.Look at California where they are billions in debt.You progressives make me sick. You can only milk the producers so much. Boortz has you pegged, you idot.
marky mark
November 30th, 2010
12:44 pm
as I read the comments in the blogosphere, this morning, I am amazed that over and over people are complaining that the R’s keep being voting in. Folks, this state is and always has been conservative. I will not matter if the candidate has a D or R after his name, the voters of GA (except intown neighborhoods in Atlanta) always have and always will vote C (conservative) unless there is an unbelievable sea change. The only way an L will win this state is by running as a “moderate conservative”. But we all know that NO one, not Obama, Hillary, Bill, NO ONE will be elected nationally or in the south as a liberal…..so why does everyone act surprised?
chuck
November 30th, 2010
12:47 pm
Reality, the problem IS THE THINGS WE CAN’T CONTROL. Unfunded mandates from the Federal Government suck up nearly half of our budget and it will get worse when Obamacare takes effect. IF, and it’s a big IF, we could hold the federal government to doing JUST THOSE THINGS ALLOWED by the Constitution, then we might have a chance at being self sufficient.
chuck
November 30th, 2010
12:50 pm
Reality, how did I miss your point. You claimed that MASSACHUSETTS had better transportation than Georgia. I refuted that claim.
Swede Atlanta
November 30th, 2010
12:51 pm
Chuck,
I don’t vote based on political ads however I do believe that many people who aren’t poltically or otherwise engaged (think of the people Jay Leno questions on the street that can’t even name one of their own Senators) believe whatever crap is thrown at them. Think about the ads denouncing “death panels” and the uproar that created in the opposition to health care reform. The death panel scare was a lie (they actually exist today in private insurance companies) but the ads were effective. So while I may be more politically aware and interested in the world around me I do think political ads can be effective. That said….
It takes a tremendous amount of money to run a campaign. You need staffers. Some many be volunteers but you will need some full-time paid staffers. You need money to set up your state or federal organization including leasing office space, phones, fax machines, etc. It takes money to get your name out in the media if you aren’t already well known.
So unless you have your own fortune (e.g. Michael Bloomberg) or are well financed you have a very tough time running a campaign.
So yes money talks and I do fear that today money controls the political process. There are obvious exceptions such as Jerry Brown’s win in California but in general I think money plays a very large role in our current politics.
chuck
November 30th, 2010
1:09 pm
Swede, you kind of proved my point about closed primaries. Those Leno knuckleheads would not put in the effort to joina a party and actually participate in the political process. In my estimation this would result in a more educated and informed electorate which would help in having a better slate of candidates in the general election.
chuck
November 30th, 2010
1:12 pm
BTW, when you were talking about money earlier, you gave the impression that you were just talking about political ads. There was an article about a school board candidate in a second tier city, Macon or Augusta or somewhere, that spent less than $200.00 and was elected. Her opponent spent thousands. I think MOST people have a pretty good idea about what they want in their elected officials.
the original and still the best John Galt
November 30th, 2010
1:42 pm
As someone said above, I had high hopes for George “Sonny” Perdue after all those decades of control by the Demopublicans. But, “‘Sonny’ lied.” After telling all the flaggers in South Georgia that he’d bring the state flag up for a vote, and then pulling the old switcheroo on them and not allowing their pet banner on the ballot, he then proceeded to appoint arrogant amateurs who passed the Southern Baptist litmus test to high State offices, and used those appointees to get special favors for himself. I guess Baptists are against John Barleycorn but lying and stealing are OK if done by the anointed.
RGB
November 30th, 2010
2:14 pm
Jay’s definition of government “doing something” equates to “spending money”.
Last I checked there wasn’t much.
Would you be in favor of amending the state constitution to allow budget deficits? Would that help us “do something?”
RGB
November 30th, 2010
2:19 pm
Religious persecution, no matter how it is couched, is repulsive and unattractive.
Blaming Baptists (or any other religious denomination) for your pet cause reflects your juvenile thinking and lack of understanding of both politics and priorities.
In the future, avoid it.
the original and still the best John Galt
November 30th, 2010
2:43 pm
Hmmm, in my book those who lie and steal while professing to be Christians are hypocritical. Your milage may vary.
carlosgvv
November 30th, 2010
3:03 pm
Jay
I’m afraid your sunny optimism about TARP is whistling past the graveyard. For years now, our corporate and political institutions have been sitting on a solid foundation of lies, lies and more lies. History teaches that any country rotting from within will not last. We’ve had a good run, I guess. So sad.