In Georgia, time to halt unlimited gifts from lobbyists
NOTE: A few weeks ago, my conservative colleague Kyle Wingfield and I were discussing the need to strengthen Georgia’s ethics laws, which put no limit on the value of gifts from lobbyists to legislators and make it difficult to hold state officials to modern standards of conduct.
We agreed that it’s an issue in which ideology should play no role and that offers common ground across the political spectrum. So we decided to adopt passage of a tougher ethics law as a joint project for this legislative session. We kick off that effort this week with columns in the Sunday AJC. (Kyle’s has been posted on his blog here.) As my column below explains, the key to success is voters getting involved and demanding to be heard.
———————
According to an AJC poll released a week ago, 72 percent of registered voters in Georgia believe there ought to be a legal limit on the value of gifts that lobbyists can give those whom we elect to represent us in the General Assembly.
Many state legislators don’t buy that claim. House Speaker David Ralston and others argue that they’ve seen no evidence of such support, and believe the public is satisfied with a system that allows lobbyists to shower politicians with gifts of unlimited value as long as those gifts are reported.
Who’s right?
For now, Ralston and his colleagues are right. Poll numbers are merely that — mute numbers on a page. Politicians respond to poll numbers only to the degree that they believe voters will act on them. If voters expect to be heard, they first have to speak.
In the speaker’s case, he accepted a $17,000 European vacation for himself and his family– all paid for by lobbyists — and aside from some bad publicity he has paid no political price for it. So if voters care, he’s been shown no evidence of that.
That has to change.
This year, the nonpartisan good-government groups Common Cause and the League of Women Voters have joined forces with the Tea Party movement and Georgia Watch to push a package of ethics reforms in Georgia that would include a $100 limit on the value of gifts to state elected officials. The goals also include restoring the authority and independence of the agency once known as the state Ethics Commission, which has been gutted by state officials unhappy with anybody looking over their shoulder.
Every one of our neighboring states — Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida — has adopted either outright bans on lobbyist gifts or limits that are much more strict than the proposed limit of $100 in Georgia. In other words, this is not some radical scheme; if adopted, we would still have the most generous gift limit in the region.
Bucking considerable pressure from their colleagues, legislators in both the House and Senate have agreed to champion a reform package. State Rep. Tommy Smith, a Republican from a rural district in southeast Georgia, said Thursday that he wants to help “make Georgia a state where the people out there who elect us have more influence than these lobbyists that walk the floor everyday.”
“We didn’t have a revolution so the special interests could run the government,” Smith said. “We had a revolution so people could run the government.”
Smith is chairman of the State Planning and Community Affairs Committee in the House, a post that Ralston can strip from him should he choose to do so. But Smith is nonetheless willing to take risk because he believes it’s important that legislators have “a wholesome and a correct fear of the people who sent us here.”
Right now, that fear does not exist. As one small measure of the problem, lobbyists spent more than $35,000 last year just taking state officials on golf outings. If you think that kind of behavior poses a problem, you need to say so.
Otherwise, your silence is interpreted as your permission.
– Jay Bookman
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183 comments Add your comment
Look before I leap...
January 13th, 2012
7:13 am
It’s gonna take more than a poll and some articles on the AJC blog.
Politicians don’t easily give up largesse that benefits them personally.
Voters are going to need to write or email their reps consistently to demand limits and bans.
The reason the legislators feel that “reporting” is sufficient is because they are aware that the information is difficult to obtain, interpret and track, and that voters are in general fairly lazy. It only becomes an issue during election cycles and easily gets drowned out in the rhetoric surrounding the issue du jour.
In other words, the politicians are taking us for suckers.
Cloudodust
January 13th, 2012
7:17 am
In all seriousness, our local politicians are far superior in unethical behavior. Problem is only the local voter is aware of their lying, cheating, stealing ways. Some accept it as status quo, others try to get the word out. Pssst : Get the word out
nelsonh
January 13th, 2012
7:24 am
What I would do if I were a big politician would be everytime a lobbyist gave me a very nice present or a trip to some exotic place, I would take a constituent along. Who it would be would be by a lottery number. It would be sharing the wealth. Lobbyists will always be there.
The Governor{Deal} has an enormous project coming to Georgia, however it is a secret. I say it is a new deep water port for Savannah and Donald Trump to show how to get Casinos running and River Boat gambling. Georgia is on the move. And a new futuristic airport right in the geographical center of the state.
Normal
January 13th, 2012
7:27 am
It seems to me that our “Representatives” have no shame or problem with being seen as a corporation’s whore.
Aquagirl
January 13th, 2012
7:29 am
Solyndra! Obummer! Any random distraction so I don’t have to face a Republican Speaker’s $17,000 junket!
Let’s face it, 72 % of voters thought we should have Sunday sales and look at the incredible weaseling which followed. If you think a legislature that can kill anything in a smoke-filled room will stop taking graft, think again. H3ll, Chip Rodgers lifted a couple million from a bank and the cons didn’t bat an eyelash.
Our voters are lazy. They’ll chuck out an e-mail but never VOTE differently. As long as that’s true, I’m not marching off on any crusades, Jay. Wasted energy.
arnold
January 13th, 2012
7:30 am
No gifts. Nothing from a lobbyist.
Look before I leap...
January 13th, 2012
7:31 am
@nelsonh
I agree, lobbyists will always be there and they do serve an important function in terms of bringing issues and opportunities to the attention of the legislators that can and do benefit the citizens of Georgia. However, bribery should not be part of the process. Ethics reform can help to minimize the effect of the legislator getting his pockets lined and ego stroked at the expense of the electorate.
Granny Godzilla
January 13th, 2012
7:35 am
Jay
How can we help?
Jay
January 13th, 2012
7:37 am
Call and email, Granny G. Call and email.
Jay
January 13th, 2012
7:39 am
I see Aquagirl surrendered before putting up a fight.
Look before I leap...
January 13th, 2012
7:39 am
@Aquagirl:
I agree that voters are lazy and they are incredibly partisan. The Dems will vote for the (D) and the Repubs will vote for the (R). The issue only has consequences during the primary season, never in the general.
That said, I think that Kyle’s and Jay’s push is to take the meat out of the sandwich that Ralston is selling. That the polls say one thing while the voters are remaining mute. When the polls are backed up by the communications the legislators are getting from their constituents, they tend to take more notice.
Look before I leap...
January 13th, 2012
7:40 am
@Jay
Kyle published links to the legislators supporting the initiative on his post. You might wanna do the same.
Jack
January 13th, 2012
7:40 am
Call & mail has always been an option.
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
7:44 am
Jay and Kyle fighting on the same side of an issue … what WILL the nutter-butters find to whine about???
AmVet - “A lot of so-called conservatives don’t know what the word means." ~Barry Goldwater
January 13th, 2012
7:45 am
Every one of our neighboring states — Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida — has adopted either outright bans on lobbyist gifts or limits that are much more strict than the proposed limit of $100 in Georgia.
Why are Georgia’s elected representatives consistently some of the most intransigent, backwards and corrupt in this entire country?
Because the people who elect them are perfectly fine with this debacle of a government we have here.
To wit, who exactly was ranked as one of the 15 most corrupt members of the entire US Congress before he won the election for governor handily?
And to Jay’s point, I concur.
Freedom is participation in power. ~ Cicero
Finn McCool
January 13th, 2012
7:45 am
Trying to fix the old boy network in Georgia? Ok, it’s worth a try.
ragnar danneskjold
January 13th, 2012
7:46 am
I believe in full disclosure, but otherwise oppose additional moralism in the code. If the voters don’t care, nobody else should. I oppose the joint effort of Messrs. Bookman and Wingfield as a waste of time. Better we limit the session to a single 48 hour period, to keep them from passing anything.
stands for decibels
January 13th, 2012
7:46 am
Call and email.
Ok, will do.
Thanks, Jay, and I’ll go over to Kyle’s place and thank him, too.
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
7:46 am
Didn’t Ralston ride into town on a wave of anti-”politicians behaving badly” sentiment and promise to make things right. The most effective complaint I have against people such as Ralston is to hold them to their talk by comparing their words to their actions and thus far, Ralston strikes out. I am against the current system that allows politicians to receive anything of significant monetary value and I am most certainly against the efforts taken by some of our politicians here in Georgia to shield themselves from public scrutiny via their dismantling of the Ethics Commission. I also think this is a most appropriate matter for groups such as the League of Women Voters and the Tea Party to take on since they can more readily wield that show of force through numbers. I’ll certainly show my support by sending out e-mails and I hope others do the same and if appropriate change does not come then my vote will reflect my disappointment in our elected ones.
Thanks to Jay and Kyle for the joint effort.
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
7:48 am
I thought Ragnar claimed to be a native of Florida.
Look before I leap...
January 13th, 2012
7:48 am
@AmVet
To wit, who exactly was ranked as one of the 15 most corrupt members of the entire US Congress before he won the election for governor handily?
My guess it is the same guy whose $1M+ real estate and business debt magically disappeared upon assuming residency in the Governor’s Mansion.
ragnar danneskjold
January 13th, 2012
7:49 am
Friend Aquagirl will be horrified that she and I fully agree.
ragnar danneskjold
January 13th, 2012
7:51 am
Dear Taxpayer @ 7:48, no, native of Tennessee. Lived in Florida for the past couple of years, but I’m here again. Trying to stay one step ahead of the police.
AmVet - “A lot of so-called conservatives don’t know what the word means." ~Barry Goldwater
January 13th, 2012
7:54 am
Rags is the PERFECT example of why this government stinks.
Sadly, there must be many of him around.
He hides behind his sophistry cloaked as “moralism” (?), but the fact is obvious, the man simply does not care a whit about ethical governance. Or that these representatives answer to us, the sovereign people, and not the special interests with the huge amounts of dirty money.
It is to me, unfathomable.
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
7:55 am
“Trying to stay one step ahead of the police.”
the fashion police?
which part of Tennessee?
Jerome Horwitz
January 13th, 2012
7:57 am
We have the best state government monied interests can buy.
Finn McCool
January 13th, 2012
7:58 am
James O’Keefe violates election law to prove liberals violate election law
salon.com
Aquagirl
January 13th, 2012
8:01 am
I see Aquagirl surrendered before putting up a fight.
I pick my battles, Jay. I think it’s meaningless as long as we have dimwit voters and a political system dependent on money and extreme partisanship.
Seriously, Nathan Deal was elected despite his ethics. Chip Rodgers is held up as a leader by fellow Republicans. The Teanuts pimp for Tom Graves. Mr CEO of Dekalb is out of office because he chose to run for Senate. People don’t care about ethics in their own lives, you think they care about their elected homeboy?
Passing ethics legislation will make you feel better, but as long as open crooks are re-elected, it’s meaningless. Legislators will find loopholes and the system will continue as always.
Fly-on-the-Wall
January 13th, 2012
8:02 am
Ragnar,
Limiting the session to 48 hours will on encourage more corruption and give us less time to find it. I think we need a FULL TIME legislative body so we can keep better tabs on what they’re doing PLUS stronger ethics rules. It still amazes me that people here in the South will look for a candidate that ‘looks’ to be the most Christian but allow that same person to rob us blind and then think nothing of it. Go figure.
Adam
January 13th, 2012
8:02 am
You and Kyle agreeing on something must piss some people off
Aquagirl
January 13th, 2012
8:03 am
Friend Aquagirl will be horrified that she and I fully agree.
AHHHHGGGHHHHHHGGGGGGG
Keep Up the Good Fight!
January 13th, 2012
8:05 am
It seems that in the corporate world at places like Walmart, accepting even a small gift can get you terminated. I hate to say it but this is definitely a time when our legislature should be following NO Gift policies. There are ALWAYS strings attached or “favors” being purchased. Legislators should never prostitute their duties…oh look, a unicorn
Fly-on-the-Wall
January 13th, 2012
8:06 am
AmVet,
Amen brother. Seems too many people have the attitude of ‘they did and maybe I’ll get a chance to do that as well.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
January 13th, 2012
8:06 am
Doctor needed in Aquagirl’s room ASAP!
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
8:08 am
Aquagirl does provide a sound rebuttal, Jay. Quite the pragmatic voice and difficult to counter given our “dimwits’ ” choice of governor and for their election of people such as Rogers and Graves.
Jay
January 13th, 2012
8:09 am
You get the government you’re willing to tolerate, Taxpayer.
Paul
January 13th, 2012
8:10 am
The best to you, Kyle and all others leading on this issue.
Mick
January 13th, 2012
8:10 am
Florida actually did something right?
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
8:11 am
You get the government you’re willing to tolerate, Taxpayer.
I’m very intolerant, Jay! Have you not noticed!
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
8:11 am
I’m with Jay – if you don’t stand up and make a stink, then you have no one but yourself to blame when they stick with the status quo
Look before I leap...
January 13th, 2012
8:17 am
My rebuttal to Aquagirl consists of two words:
“Tea Party”
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
8:17 am
btw – since we’ve talked about the Newtron’s attack on the Mittsiah about Bain, I thought I’d post the WaPo analysis: “Newt Gingrich, meet Michael Moore!”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/four-pinocchios-for-king-of-bain/2012/01/12/gIQADX8WuP_blog.html?hpid=z1
4 pinocchios … but, then, anyone who knows New to expect low standards for honesty
Mary Elizabeth
January 13th, 2012
8:19 am
“We didn’t have a revolution so the special interests could run the government,”(Rep. Tommy) Smith said. “We had a revolution so people could run the government.”
————————————————————————-
BRAVO to REP. TOMMY SMITH for his commitment to the same values and ideals that inspired our Founding Fathers to form our “more perfect union” and for his courage in sticking with this commitment, in spite of the fact that he could lose the Chairmanship of the State Planning and Community Affairs Committee in doing so. (I do not believe, however, that Speaker Ralston would make such a move that would be so contrary to the best interests of Georgians.)
When politicians are allowed to accept money and bribes from lobbyists, a more threatening outcome than valuing materialism is created. They, and we, will have created a culture in Georgia whereby politicians believe that they have the right blatantly to pursue their own self-interests instead of working for the interests of their constituents. Condoning a “culture of self-interest” by our state legislators only reinforces the “Age of Greed” that has been on the American landscape for far too many decades.
Rep. Smith, you make me proud of my south Georgia roots. What you are doing is exactly what my father, an outstanding city manager in my south Georgia hometown, would have encouraged you to do. I thank you not only for myself but for my deceased father.
I will post these remarks, also, on Kyle Wingfield’s blog, and I will call all of the legislators on both Jay Bookman’s list as well as Kyle Wingfield’s list. I wish to thank these two ethical journalists not only for these articles today, but also for posting names and phone numbers of legislators who have the power to stop the era of self-seving politicians in Georgia.
The next step is to work to ensure that the money that politicians, state and national, can accept for their election campaigns is very limited, perhaps even limited to government funds. We must recreate the America envisioned by our visionary Founding Fathers. This nation must remain, as Lincoln so passionately expressed, “of, by, and for” the people, themselves.
Aquagirl
January 13th, 2012
8:19 am
….Let’s not forget the illegal PAC contributor/insurance magnate hosting John Oxendine for a hunting trip. The only reason we heard about it is Oxendine’s stepson did a Cheney on another hunter. Again, Oxendine un-elected himself after 4 terms.
As long as voters re-elect crooks to office, you can pass all the laws you want. The only thing you will accomplish is making some poor but honest shmuck from Peanutburg, GA skip lunch. Whoop-de-friggin’-do.
Aquagirl
January 13th, 2012
8:21 am
My rebuttal to Aquagirl consists of two words: “Tea Party”
Watch the language, bub.
Adam
January 13th, 2012
8:22 am
TaxPayer: I do not think you are “very” intolerant. Just intolerant. The ones who can’t help themselves from hurling insults as soon as they are challenged on ANYTHING are the “very” intolerant ones.
Jay
January 13th, 2012
8:22 am
You refute your own argument, Aquagirl. Oxendine was the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for governor, with much more name recognition and money than anyone else.
And he finished what, third or fourth? Because his history caught up with him.
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
8:24 am
wow … I didn’t realize this happened 30 years ago yesterday
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/air-florida-crash-reflections-on-a-tragic-day-in-dc/2012/01/12/gIQAANhytP_video.html?hpid=z5
I remember that so well … and, during the 8 years I lived in DC, I couldn’t cross over the 14th street bridge and look down on the Potomac (especially in the winter) without thinking of those poor people
Brad Steel
January 13th, 2012
8:24 am
Other than legislators, how could anyone (well, really anyone who does not need to purchase influence) be against this?
Votes against this should be political suicide.
Jay
January 13th, 2012
8:26 am
You are correct, Brad.
That is why they will fight like hell to make sure no vote ever takes place.
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
8:29 am
“Votes against this should be political suicide.”
one can only hope.
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
8:30 am
Step one in making an effective stink is to always identify said extent of stink and to fully disclose extent of stink to all involved parties with no use of deodorant. In short, I have come to believe that we need much more awareness on the part of the average voter regarding issues that affect them and that awareness has to come in the form of a dissemination of the whole truth in a way that will not be ignored or tuned out in favor of a “story” that one accepts because it smells good. Jay, we need more people with access to the people to spread the whole unabridged word otherwise Limbaugh and Co. win before we even get started. I’m glad to see that you and Kyle were able to find a common cause to address. By the way, how does it compare with Limbaugh’s and Hannity’s, et al, take on the subject. You know, some of the voices that reach far and wide day after day after day as far as the air waves will travel.
Jay
January 13th, 2012
8:30 am
Back in the mid-’90s we ran a similar and ultimately very successful campaign. At the time, lobbyists didn’t even have to disclose what they spent, and we forced them to change that.
Speaker Tom Murphy fought the proposal hard. His designated hit man on the Ethics Committee was a rep from north Georgia named Boyd Petit, who tried to undercut and kill the legislation at every turn.
After it passed, and Petit was up for re-election, he touted himself as a champion of ethics reform who had helped make sure the bill passed. We exposed that as a lie, and he lost.
He is now a registered lobbyist.
AmVet - “A lot of so-called conservatives don’t know what the word means." ~Barry Goldwater
January 13th, 2012
8:30 am
Fly, it would seem that after 130 years of being on the outside looking in, when the GOP finally did take over state government, they would take the high road.
Sadly, they did the very opposite. Under GOP “leadership” we have even more corruption and their attitude clearly is, now it is time for us to “get ours”. And ethics and the constituents, be damned. (They’re sheep. As long as we have an R after our name, they will keep on sending us right back to do the same things.)
As Jay notes, the consequences of there being no consequences.
OK, out to do the capitalism thing.
WRITE AND EMAIL THESE MEN AND TELL THEM THAT THIS IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE!
Curious
January 13th, 2012
8:32 am
Does that include local governments such as DeKalb County?
Look before I leap...
January 13th, 2012
8:34 am
@USinUK
Re: Air Florida
I was there man. Stuck in traffic on the bridge when the plane hit – about 100 yds away from the impact. I can’t begin tell you how awful that was. I had nightmares for YEARS. I still get a bit wigged out when flying in the winter.
Aquagirl
January 13th, 2012
8:35 am
you refute your own argument, Aquagirl. Oxendine was the frontrunner for the GOP nomination
Holy frak, Jay, did you forget? Oxendine lost to NATHAN DEAL.
Is that really your argument that voters will select honest politicians over shady ones?
Have another cup of coffee and think about that one.
Look before I leap...
January 13th, 2012
8:37 am
@Aquagirl:
Sorry for the bad language. But my point was, misguided as they are, they were very effective in influencing the slate of candidates.
stephen
January 13th, 2012
8:37 am
Legislators COUNT on public apathy. It is what makes the system work so well – for them. When we blame our representatives for stealing from us, we deny our accountability.
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
8:37 am
Look – 8:34 – holy moly – sorry if that dredged up some bad memories for you – I was home safe and sound in GA – I remember watching the footage with my mom. Horrible day – but, who doesnt’ remember the act of bravery / heroism of the man diving back into the water to save that woman right before she went under
Jay
January 13th, 2012
8:38 am
Aqua, I’ve expressed a lot of qualms about Deal on ethics questions.
But compared to the shameless Oxendine, he is a paragon of virtue.
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
8:39 am
Holy frak, Jay, did you forget? Oxendine lost to NATHAN DEAL.
Why did the voters choose Deal over Handel.
Adam
January 13th, 2012
8:40 am
Jay: But compared to the shameless Oxendine,
It always saddens me when I see a statement like this. I probably know next to nothing about the people in question, but just HOW MANY TIMES are we going to fall for the pitting of someone absolutely nuts against someone who is “just unethical” before we realize we need to put someone up for office that isn’t either one of those things!? And I mean in ANY race.
Jay
January 13th, 2012
8:40 am
I think that hero would be Lenny Kutnick, USinUK, one of those faceless Washington bureaucrats. I still run across his name once in a while on reports and documents coming out of DC.
mm
January 13th, 2012
8:40 am
As usual, the politicians ignore the people that put them into office.
Adam
January 13th, 2012
8:42 am
Only 1834 more days until the next President is inaugurated, whoever that will be.
Look before I leap...
January 13th, 2012
8:43 am
@USinUK
No worries – the memory comes back every year on this day.
Flying to NYC this afternoon – will down a couple of stiff ones in the Sky Club before boarding.
But back to our scheduled programming….
stands for decibels
January 13th, 2012
8:45 am
one of those faceless Washington bureaucrats.
1. It’s actually Skutnick
2. I was going to ask if anyone thought maybe he’s earned a raise, since he hasn’t had one in three years? But he retired from the CBO in 2010, turns out.
/drive-by
Look before I leap...
January 13th, 2012
8:45 am
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
8:39 am
Holy frak, Jay, did you forget? Oxendine lost to NATHAN DEAL.
Why did the voters choose Deal over Handel.
Maybe because she was endorsed by Palin?
Keep Up the Good Fight!
January 13th, 2012
8:47 am
Does that include local governments such as DeKalb County?
It should included ANY and ALL government officials at any level of government. NO gifts (the only exception would be a “lunch” not to exceed $25 with a cap of $100 per year per “entity” buying — and I would be willing to give that up too). However since we are talking about our state legislature, any state law would not reach the federal government.
Peadawg
January 13th, 2012
8:48 am
“Why did the voters choose Deal over Handel.”
Good question…
Peadawg
January 13th, 2012
8:49 am
“Why did the voters choose Deal over Handel.
Maybe because she was endorsed by Palin?”
Oh, well, there’s your answer.
Jay
January 13th, 2012
8:52 am
Skutnick, it is.
If I recall correctly, he also became one of the first if not the first “hero in the audience” cited by the president (Reagan in that case) in the State of the Union, which has become pretty cliche by now. Gov. Deal did the same in his State of the State this week.
Curious Minds Want to Know
January 13th, 2012
8:52 am
It puzzles me how a local councilman or commissioner can serve more terms than a mayor or ceo! There need to be term limits set for all state political offices. Even the governor can only serve two terms. If a councilman can make under 30 thousand dollars a year and hold that same seat for say 10 plus years, how can they survive in this tough economy? There has to be some perks coming under the table.
Talking Head
January 13th, 2012
8:52 am
Jay,
I completely agree with you that our lawmakers should not accept gifts from lobbyists. I think it too is unethical.
If we can simplify our tax code (or eliminate the progressive income tax), lower corporate taxes, end subsidies for companies, and end this crony capitalist environment we have then lobbyist will disappear. Unfortunately our lawmakers enjoy the supreme power they possess and these steps that I laid out that need to take place more than likely won’t.
Stevie Ray
January 13th, 2012
8:52 am
JAY,
Since I’m quite the narccist, I presume you wrote this topic just for me.
Of course we can do something about this. Fun fact, Georgia’s constitution at one point (1800’s I think) explicitly banned lobbying of state corruptresentatives. Also I recently learned the term lobbyist was coined by Pres Grant from peddlers he hung around in Willard Hotel Lobby.
Jay, what is process to get a referendum on a ballot in this state?
Aquagirl
January 13th, 2012
8:54 am
compared to the shameless Oxendine, he[Deal] is a paragon of virtue.
No, he’s asmarter crook. Are you really comparing Oxendine’s ethical record against Nathan Deal’s? You obviously did not have the cup of coffee I suggested. Though I will cede you a point: ethics legislation ensures more competent crooks. I have been pleasantly surprised by Nathan Deal’s effectiveness, as opposed to Sonny “Pray fer Rain!” Perdue.
But my fellow realist TaxPayer has a point: Why did the voters choose Deal over Handel? It really boiled down to Deal’s backing in the legislature, his fellow thugs used their vote-production machines for a critical boost. Our resident dumb@$$es ran to the polls like a good bunch of lemmings.
If you think this electorate can effectively demand ethics from their officials, I have no idea where you came by that fantasy. Y’all may get some token legislation. I will be first to pat you on the back if that happens. Heck, I’ll even throw in a flightsuit and an aircraft carrier for your declaration of victory.
Peadawg
January 13th, 2012
8:55 am
“But my fellow realist TaxPayer has a point: Why did the voters choose Deal over Handel?”
?Would you vote for someone endorsed by Sarah Palin? Didn’t think so….
Jay
January 13th, 2012
8:56 am
Stevie Ray, there is no such process.
Proposed state constitutional amendments need two-thirds support in both the House and Senate to go on the ballot. And that’s the only process on the books for such things.
carlosgvv
January 13th, 2012
8:59 am
It is certainly true that “we didn’t have a revolution so special interests could run the Government”. It is even more true that money talks and BS walks. So, don’t look for Georgia politicans to give up their gifts from lobbyists. One way or another, money will find a way. We have the best Georgia politicians that money can buy and this will not change in the forseeable future. So, Jay and Kyle, find another cause to fight as your chances of winning this one are zero.
Stevie Ray
January 13th, 2012
9:00 am
“Arizona, Maine and Connecticut have adopted reforms that permit members of the legislature as well as other statewide offices, to fund their campaigns through small dollar contributions only…once they receive a qualified number of contributions, they receive funding from the state.”
Lot’s of success here as the politicians spend much more time amongh the voters than with funders. In DC, cash raising activities take up at least 30% of congresspersons time. Most only spend time on the floor when aides tell them a vote is needed. It’s only going to get worse in GA if we do nothing…
kayaker 71
January 13th, 2012
9:01 am
Seems that all of the zeal directed toward the Georgia Assembly and Deal might be because they are Republicans. Where was all of this reform rhetoric over the last gazillion years that the governor’s office and the Assembly were controlled by Democrats? I would venture that lobbying and special gifts are not just a Republican invention…. not by a long shot.
Jm
January 13th, 2012
9:05 am
Yeah bipartisanship
Stevie Ray
January 13th, 2012
9:05 am
JAY,
I’m dropping these guys emails today. Seems letter campaign and other media outlets are best ammo we possess at current. Any chance your an Kyles series can get front page? What about those local news folks….perhaps they can buck the trend and actually add some value to our lives…
Jay
January 13th, 2012
9:05 am
To Carlos, Rags and Aqua:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7vtWB4owdE
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
9:05 am
kayaker – 9:01 – scroll up to Jay’s comment about the last campaign headed by the AJC – it was when the Dems and Tom Murphy were in charge …
i’m sure Jay will gracefully accept your apology. he’s nice that way.
Aquagirl
January 13th, 2012
9:07 am
And in the midst of my pessimism, I’d like to remember Arland Dean Williams Jr, the survivor of Flight 90 who passed the lifeline to other passengers until he went under. What a remarkable man.
Stevie Ray
January 13th, 2012
9:07 am
KAYAKER,
Fair comment to be sure but I suspect some reporting has taken place. Know that books citing corrupt campaign finance/lobbyist are in fashion now and this is beginning to become a meaningful public topic across the country.
It’s the only true bi-partisan activity in DC and any state that has not adopted meaningful reform in this area.
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
9:13 am
?Would you vote for someone endorsed by Sarah Palin? Didn’t think so….
Which begs the question, “Was Palin hired by Deal or one of the other Gubernatorial candidates?”
Jm
January 13th, 2012
9:14 am
You think some legislative assistant is smart enough to recognize a FL area code?
Just kidding. Your battle. Fight it.
Welcome to the Occupation
January 13th, 2012
9:15 am
House Speaker David Ralston and others argue that they’ve seen no evidence of such support, and believe the public is satisfied with a system that allows lobbyists to shower politicians with gifts of unlimited value as long as those gifts are reported.
Well, isn’t that convenient.
Libertarian
January 13th, 2012
9:15 am
Is the proposed $100 limit daily? yearly?
Jay
January 13th, 2012
9:17 am
Libertarian, it’s per expenditure.
Which is what makes the effort to fight it so ridiculous.
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
9:18 am
Another thought I had in the back of my mind when asking why Handel lost out to Deal was w.r.t. the League of Women Voters and the Christian Coalition. Didn’t they choose what they considered to be the lesser of two evils in Deal over Handel, i.e., unethical behavior over not-one-hundred-percent-plus anti-abortion. Now they reap what they sowed.
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
9:23 am
House Speaker David Ralston and others argue that they’ve seen no evidence of such support, and believe the public is satisfied with a system that allows lobbyists to shower politicians with gifts of unlimited value as long as those gifts are reported.
Well, isn’t that convenient.
The tactics that the sly will use know no bounds. I have had local yokels refuse to look at documentation that I had gathered and the true reason was quite obvious, implausible deniability, but deniability none the less since they could truthfully claim later that they had never seen aid document. Their choice of wording is key.
Libertarian
January 13th, 2012
9:23 am
Jay
January 13th, 2012
9:17 am
Yeah Jay, if its per expenditure, couldn’t they just say instead of a $10,000 golf outing, it was 100 different $100 expenditures? Seems like there would be a lot of finagled expense reports.
Stevie Ray
January 13th, 2012
9:24 am
Am I truly hearing that some on this post are throwing in the towel….AQUAGIRL is this true or am I misreading your intent?
This is the only issue that truly matters locally and in DC. Any one who denies this in favor of the obligatory and useless BLUE v RED crap on other issues lives in fantasyland…
Jay
January 13th, 2012
9:25 am
Technically, perhaps, Libertarian. But you’d then have to report those 100 different expenditures, which wouldn’t look so good to the public and, perhaps, to an actual working ethics commission.
Jm
January 13th, 2012
9:27 am
Trotsky 9:15
Transparency is better than nothing
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
9:28 am
“Would you vote for someone endorsed by Sarah Palin?”
awww … how are the mighty fallen …
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
9:28 am
“Transparency is better than nothing”
I don’t know if you meant that to be funny, but that is just brilliant.
Welcome to the Occupation
January 13th, 2012
9:31 am
TaxPayer, absolutely. “Deniability” is all.
Sort of like in the movie A Few Good Men.
Speaking of which, when do we get a discussion of the latest outrage viral video of US troops misbehaving, I wonder.
Jm
January 13th, 2012
9:32 am
Usinuk
Glad I could brighten your day
I was making a factual, though perhaps wry, assertion
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
9:35 am
Jm – well, whatever it was, it made me snort.
Jm
January 13th, 2012
9:38 am
JP Morgan , the first reporting large bank had weaker than expected earnings
Liberals can celebrate
Business owners and borrowers that can’t borrow can be frustrated that the federal government has made banking an unattractive business and therefore everyone is contracting credit, which means a slow grow economy
So the unemployed can thank Obama and the liberals too
Jm
January 13th, 2012
9:39 am
Unemployed
(for their predicament)
Guy Incognito
January 13th, 2012
9:39 am
If you are the 13th comment on the 13th page of a Jay Blog, on Friday the 13th………what is your fate?
RB from Gwinnett
January 13th, 2012
9:44 am
This discussion won’t go anywhere until everybod stops making it a partisan issue as if only the party they don’t support is guilty of it. How many times do you see posted here the “corporate owned Republican’s” garbage thrown around by idiots who ignore the millions given to every last Democrat by corporations.
““Votes against this should be political suicide.”
Unless you’re telling us you’ll vote for a Republican against your incumbant Democrat because of that vote, you’re kidding yourself.
Jedi Mind Trick
January 13th, 2012
9:46 am
Caps on lobbyist contributions are not what the voters are looking for, and lobbyists do not sway legislation, they are just being nice. Move along
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
9:50 am
If you are the 13th comment on the 13th page of a Jay Blog, on Friday the 13th………what is your fate?
One sooner than 14th or one later than 12th. Take your pick.
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
9:51 am
Perhaps RB would do us the honors and give us a count of R v. D v. Nonpartisan for the posts on this here thread.
Aquagirl
January 13th, 2012
9:52 am
AQUAGIRL is this true or am I misreading your intent?
You have, because you seem to think I am not concerned about crooked politicians. This is like anti-abortion activists claiming the other side LOVES abortions and wants every uterus in America scraped for the thrill of it all. My point is that legislation passed by crooks to stop crooks will do nothing.
Disagreeing with a plan does not mean you disagree there is a problem. The fact you think this way says a lot about political discourse in this country. Please leave the “you disagree with me, you’re a quitter/hate babies/hate America/communist-socialist” rhetoric to the politicians. They’re the experts in its usage.
2012 Legislature: To restore public trust, pass ethics reform | Kyle Wingfield
January 13th, 2012
9:56 am
[...] My colleague Jay Bookman has his own post on the ethics reform and a brief explanation of our joint project during this legislative [...]
RB from Gwinnett
January 13th, 2012
9:57 am
Taxpayer – “Perhaps RB would do us the honors and give us a count of R v. D v. Nonpartisan for the posts on this here thread.”
Perhaps you can go back an re-read my post and explain to everybody how your post makes any sense at all…
0311/1811
January 13th, 2012
9:58 am
JAY:
On this we can definitely agree.
No gifts (zero, Nada) in my opinion.
NOT EVEN LUNCH !
Welcome to the Occupation
January 13th, 2012
9:58 am
Jm: “Transparency is better than nothing”
What is the opposite then of transparency?
If transparency is to X what day is to night, then what is X I wonder?
Robert Lee
January 13th, 2012
9:59 am
RB, yes I would vote R if I agree with their positions. Its obvious that both sides of the fence are using this to their advantage for trips, meals, etc becasue they are able to do it. As Jay mentioned earlier, there has been change due to voter pressure in the past for this topic so why not again…..all it takes is for enough people to call/email to make their voices heard.
Regarding the terrible crach in DC 30 years ago, I was a eager 7th grader on his class trip to DC. There are about 4 things I remember about that trip, the crappy hotel with hookers walking around outside, the Smithsonian museums, the Lincoln memorial and reflection pond, and the missing guardrail section where the plane had slide off into the icy water next to the highway. It had happened about 5 days before we left and if we had not been going by train my parents would have never let me go.
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
9:59 am
Welcome – opaqueness.
Welcome to the Occupation
January 13th, 2012
10:00 am
Where’s Thang man?
Did he stay up too late blogging last night?
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
10:00 am
damn.
it’s a scary day when I find myself agreeing with Scout
Welcome to the Occupation
January 13th, 2012
10:03 am
USinUK: “it’s a scary day when I find myself agreeing with Scout”
I say, it’s getting wayyyy too chummy around here. Quick, another post about the latest James O’Keefe stunt, Jay! Yeah, that oughta do it.
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
10:06 am
This discussion won’t go anywhere until everybod stops making it a partisan issue…
I don’t know what came over me, RB. After all, what in your post could have ever implied that there was partisanship displayed in any posts here whatsoever.
carlosgvv
January 13th, 2012
10:08 am
Jay – 9:05
You are right Jay! Thinking you can actually do anything about this is truly comic.
harvey
January 13th, 2012
10:08 am
What voters can do is regularly vote against any incumbent. Turn them over so fast that they can’t get too entrenched into the buddy system.
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
10:12 am
“James O’Keefe stunt”
WHAT a doofus.
Jerome Horwitz
January 13th, 2012
10:13 am
Jm – Ok, If banks don’t have funds to lend why are consumer rates so low and both credit unions I belong to continually directing offers for re-financing/cars/etc my way?
0311/1811
January 13th, 2012
10:17 am
UK:
You know I “call ‘em like I see ‘em” ………….
n
January 13th, 2012
10:19 am
Crusading AJC! It’s about time! Good on ya!
bob
January 13th, 2012
10:23 am
Jay, unlike subjects such as raising taxes or the role of gov where the two sides disagree, perks will always be around for both parties. We have a house of reps in DC that knowingly passes out inside trader info to friends and family, that story died in three days.
Aquagirl
January 13th, 2012
10:23 am
it’s a scary day when I find myself agreeing with Scout.
Could be worse…you could be agreeing with rags. *shiver*
It looks like a good day to start drinking before noon.
Mary Elizabeth
January 13th, 2012
10:24 am
Carlosgvv@10:08
“Thinking you can actually do anything about this is truly comic.”
—————————————–
Carlos, I always tell my dear sister that I must be sure to vote in each election, so that I can, at least, cancel out her vote, of which I invariably disagree.
So this morning I am posting my following words on this blog, as well as on Kyle Wingfield’s blog, to “cancel out” the impediment, on both blogs, that your voice is doing to curtail the belief, and the hope, that citizens can make a difference in their government, which, of course, they can, once motivated:
NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED!
Paulo977
January 13th, 2012
10:25 am
AmVet
Because the people who elect them are perfectly fine with this debacle of a government we have here
_______________________________
Check out our historical roots ….anything to keep the confederate flag flying!!!
0311/1811
January 13th, 2012
10:29 am
Headline: MSNBC
“MORE THAN HALF OF EMPLOYERS SAY THEY CAN’T FIND SKILLED WORKERS”
“Experts say there’s a talent shortage in some industries but that another factor is in play too: “Employers have been spoiled.”
Hummmmmm ………………………..
n
January 13th, 2012
10:30 am
Bill Shipp, I hope you’re reading this. The AJC is going to war! Just like old times!
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
10:32 am
““Employers have been spoiled.””
or do they just smell that way …
0311/1811
January 13th, 2012
10:38 am
UK:
I guess it’s wrong now to want employees who have talent and work hard.
But when you have someone work on your house, car or whatever …………… that’s what you sure want.
373 more days
January 13th, 2012
10:41 am
I agree with Jay and Kyle, and this should not be a political party decision, it is purely a moral issue, and if our politicians don’t have the morals to do something about it, maybe we should…………
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Adam
January 13th, 2012
8:02 am
You and Kyle agreeing on something must piss some people off
It appears you are the only one Adam…………why is that?
Talking Head
January 13th, 2012
10:42 am
On a side note, it looks like the FED will be introducing Quantitative Easing Part 3. This will surely pull us out of this slugglish economy (sarcasm).
Just as with QE2, though, another round of easing won’t help the underlying problems relating to either housing or employment. The issue isn’t tight money policy any more — we haven’t made money this easy in, well, forever. The problem in housing is employment; there just aren’t enough qualified buyers any longer. And the problem in employment is an administration that keeps pushing short-term, gimmicky tax breaks that make for great headlines but do nothing to allow for long-term planning for investors, while increasing the ambiguity of future investment costs with bad regulation like Dodd-Frank and ObamaCare, which turns over rulemaking to the whim of bureaucrats.
USinUK
January 13th, 2012
10:48 am
Scout – 10:38 – it’s absolutely not wrong to demand that people are able to do what you want to hire them for.
I just find it fascinating that we have so many skilled people who are out of work, yet none of them seem to have skills good enough to suit employers. It’s hard to believe that ALL the people who have been unemployed for more than a year are totally inept (especially as I’m good friends with one of them and she’s amazing) – it makes me wonder where the disconnect is …
is it skills?
or is it pay (or lack thereof)?
and, despite my usual snark, that is an honest question.
Oops, Wrong Planet
January 13th, 2012
10:50 am
It’s pretty easy to email all the listed legislators. Feel free to copy and use the email list, the personal note, and the list of ethics changes taken from “http://georgiaethicsreform.com/ethics-proposal/”.
Note: Lt. Gov. Cagle is shy about providing his email address. You can use his contact form at “http://ltgov.georgia.gov/00/ltgov/contact_us/”.
(sorry for the wall o’ text)
=======
Fr: O. W. Planet
[email]
[address]
To: Lt. Governor Casey Cagle
cc: Chip Rogers
David Ralston
Gloria Butler
Jan Jones
Joe Wilkinson
John Crosby
Stacey Abrams
(Modified) New Ethics Legislation in the State of Georgia
PLEASE NOTE: I am a Georgia citizen and registered voter. I endorse and urge you to swiftly enact legislation and rules based on the following list from “http://georgiaethicsreform.com”.
I’ve modified the original text to require stricter ethics rules as follows:
- Allow $0 (ZERO) in gifts from lobbyists to public officials (including family and staff.) We should not allow for even the appearance of unethical influence.
-Increase the “revolving door” time to at least 5 (FIVE) years after leaving State office for all public officials (including family and staff) until allowed to work as/for a lobbyist. Serving our State should not be considered as a springboard to professional influence peddling.
-Allow $0 (ZERO) in transfers from one candidate’s campaign funds to another candidate. Candidates and public officials should not be allowed unfair and undue influence over fellow candidates and public officials. Any unspent campaign funds should be returned to donors pro rata.
Lobbyist Gifts and Reporting:
- Limit the amount of any one gift to $0 (ZERO) from a lobbyist for any public official, their immediate family members and staff. This limit includes travel.
- Disclosure of gifts from lobbyists must occur within five days, punishable by a fine of $100 per day until the disclosure is submitted.
- Expand lobbyist disclosure to include all expenditures related to gifts for any public official and/or their immediate family members and staff.
- Adjust lobbyist registration fee to make fee more affordable for non-profit groups and small businesses (from $300 per lobbyist plus $10 for each additional client to $150 fee plus $50 for each additional client).
- Increase the amount of expenditures that require registration as a lobbyist from $250 to $1000 to help encourage true citizen lobbying.
- Enforce lobbyist registration and disclosure requirements at the local level.
State Ethics Commission:
- Rename the “Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission” back to the “State Ethics Commission”.
- Restore the rule making authority of the State Ethics Commission.
- Expand the oversight of the State Ethics Commission to include conflicts of interest and misconduct of all state and local public officials.
- Empower the Georgia Supreme Court to appoint all members of the State Ethics Commission.
- Toughen fines for major ethics violations and require minimum fines for such violations.
Campaign and Political Action Committee (PAC) Limits:
- Restrict the total of all transfers out of a candidate’s campaign account to other candidates, political parties, campaign committees and PACs to $0 (ZERO) in any two-year election cycle.
- Require PACs to disclose all expenditures.
- Limit the amount of contributions to PACs and Political Parties from individuals, corporations, unions and PAC to PAC transfers to $1,000.
- Limit how candidates and public officials can use campaign funds by clearly defining legitimate campaign expenditures in Georgia statutes.
- Clarify language governing candidate disclosure for city and county offices concerning campaigns that raise less than $20,000.
Conflicts of Interest and Misconduct:
- Georgia public officials at the state and local level or their immediate family members cannot hold state, local or authority contracts.
- No member of the General Assembly may serve as a lobbyist on any local, state or federal level.
- Expand the prohibition of lobbyist serving on state boards, commissions or authorities to registered federal lobbyists.
- Increase the one-year revolving door prohibition on lobbying for legislators to 5 (FIVE) years.
- Extend the new FIVE-year revolving door prohibition on lobbying for legislators to the executive branch and paid legislative staff members.
- Clarify procedures for handling complaints to House or Senate ethics committees by removing “firsthand knowledge” provision.
- Require financial disclosure like that of the Department of Transportation by other major department heads and members of state boards and commissions such as the Department of Natural Resources, Board of Regents, Certificate of Need Commission, etc.
- Require public disclosure if lawmakers do business with special-interest groups regarding legislation.
- Prohibit lobbyists who make illegal expenditures or transfers from lobbying for 5 years.
- Disqualify any elected or public official who accepts an illegal gift from holding any public office, being employed by any public office, serving as a lobbyist or in a position of trust in the government for 4 years.
Thank you for your attention to this matter,
O. W. Planet
TaxPayer
January 13th, 2012
10:50 am
or do they just smell that way …
Indeed.
Adam
January 13th, 2012
10:50 am
RB, yes I would vote R if I agree with their positions.
^^^^^ THIS
Seriously, if the positions are good, that’s who I vote for. Party only matters insofar as trends go.
getalife
January 13th, 2012
10:52 am
Hope, unity and change.
Well done Jay and Kyle.
getalife
January 13th, 2012
10:58 am
I think we should give Jay and Kyle a standing ovation.
Bravo sirs Bravo.
Butch Cassidy
January 13th, 2012
10:59 am
0311/1811 – “MORE THAN HALF OF EMPLOYERS SAY THEY CAN’T FIND SKILLED WORKERS”
By skilled, do they mean someone with a stable work history and hands on knowledge of the industry in which they are hiring. Or some guy with a BS, BA, MS, MA, MBA behind his name. Because I assure you, the two are NOT one in the same.
Halftrack
January 13th, 2012
11:03 am
No one wants to hold the other person accountable. All of them make promises to change the code of ethics, if elected, but never do. It boils down to the fact that they know Ole Joe is on the dole but he lets me be on the dole some too.
Butch Cassidy
January 13th, 2012
11:04 am
USinUK – “I just find it fascinating that we have so many skilled people who are out of work, yet none of them seem to have skills good enough to suit employers. It’s hard to believe that ALL the people who have been unemployed for more than a year are totally inept (especially as I’m good friends with one of them and she’s amazing) – it makes me wonder where the disconnect is …”
Agreed. I have known several people that had excellent careers for 10, 15 20 years that suddenly found themselves in the hiring line. The thing that amazed them most is the emphasis on the almighty degree. It’s like what do you want? Someone who has worked hands on in the industry for over a decade, or someone who studied the theory of the industry and worked for 2 years.
r u shocked
January 13th, 2012
11:04 am
let me see, we have an ethically impaired Governor who left Congress under a cloud, a state representative who managed to get elected in spite of having an affair with his mother in law, the ego’s of the current Republican leadership ( and I use the term leadership for lack of a more appropriate term), a city (Atl) whos last 4 mayors 1. began the whole airport patronage problem 2. indicted 3. daughter involved in dealing drugs, continued the airport patronage 4 still cashing in on the airport. Why do you expect from this cross section of Ga politicians?
Dearie
January 13th, 2012
11:05 am
Oops, Wrong Planet
January 13th, 2012
10:50 am
Thanks OWP. I will be following your lead. I challenge others to do the same.
Doggone/GA
January 13th, 2012
11:06 am
“It’s like what do you want? Someone who has worked hands on in the industry for over a decade, or someone who studied the theory of the industry and worked for 2 years.”
Anytime the talk turns to degrees I remember something that happened to me many years ago now. I could not get a promotion I wanted, in an IT (computer center) job that I had been doing for 15 years because I did not have a degree. So what did they do? Hired someone with a degree in MUSIC.
Welcome to the Occupation
January 13th, 2012
11:07 am
Talking Head: “The problem in housing is employment; there just aren’t enough qualified buyers any longer. ”
You’re right, the problem is demand deflation.
“And the problem in employment is an administration that keeps pushing short-term, gimmicky tax breaks that make for great headlines but do nothing to allow for long-term planning for investors, while increasing the ambiguity of future investment costs with bad regulation like Dodd-Frank and ObamaCare, which turns over rulemaking to the whim of bureaucrats”
I don’t necessarily agree with you in your emphasis on investors or about Dodd-Frank here, but you’re absolutely right about the “gimmicky tax breaks”.
But therein lies the central problem of a supposedly leftist president who would roll back the economic policies of recent years. In truth, it’s clear that he fundamentally agrees with the general ideological trend that has shaped our policy-making for a long time now concerning taxation and economic growth.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
January 13th, 2012
11:10 am
Well, seems to me if the lobbyists don’t pay for the golf trips to Scotland and such then us taxpayers will have to. Taxes is already sky-high so I say let them pay for it. They’re going to get what they want anyway, might as well let them pay a little something for it.
Have a good Friday everybody. I’m out here in my long johns hauling and lugging to get you ready to swap weird music tonight. My You-Know-Whats are shriveled up to nothing in this cold. I hope you appreciate my sacrifice when you start guzzling.
Matti
January 13th, 2012
11:12 am
I’m gonna write my reps about this, so I can get a good chuckle out of their responses.
Butch Cassidy
January 13th, 2012
11:18 am
Doggone/GA – ” So what did they do? Hired someone with a degree in MUSIC.”
Thanks you for proving my point. It’s not that I don’t value education, I got my degree, and nefver looked back. But to make it a primary factor in hiring is retarded. I wonder how a hiring manger would feel if he decided to build a new home and his choices were: A. A skilled tradesman who’s been building homes for over 20 years and knows the business inside and out. or B. A guy who got his degree in Communications and decided that he liked building things and has been working for 2 years in the industry. Hmmmmmm…..decisions, decisions.
Adam
January 13th, 2012
11:21 am
Sheets, felines
Mr. Holmes
January 13th, 2012
11:24 am
Email sent to my new rep (B.J. Pak) and cc’d Ralston.
0311/1811
January 13th, 2012
12:13 pm
UK:
Supply and demand. Either take the job or not (if you have the skills).
I started with an annual salary way below most of my contemporaries because that’s the career I wanted.
It’s all about choices.
0311/1811
January 13th, 2012
12:17 pm
UK: Well, here you go …….. as I said ……. all about choices !
Headline AJC: “Men snap up scarce jobs as women exit workplace
“When the restaurant management field dried up on him after 25 years, Steve Moore took a chance on a whole new field: selling cars. (It helped that people had told him for years that he’d be good at it.)
When Meaghan Kenagy felt unsatisfied in her marketing job, she quit to pursue dual master’s degrees in business and public administration at Kennesaw State University.
Their stories mirror a national pattern. With jobs still scarce, men are filling about two-thirds of the available positions, according to recent analysis by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In many cases, they’re taking a step sideways or even a step down to land those jobs, economists say.
More women, meanwhile, are making a temporary exit from the labor market, returning to school to sharpen their skills.”
http://www.ajc.com/news/men-snap-up-scarce-1301479.html
ken
January 13th, 2012
12:34 pm
And Obama loves Goldman Sachs, RETIREMENT $$$$$$$$$$$$
Lobbyist Own Obama
January 13th, 2012
12:50 pm
Barrack Obama has taken and been given more money than any other politican in American HistoryObama is corrupt and a liar.
Lobbyist Own Obama
January 13th, 2012
12:56 pm
Warren Buffet was given Goldman Sqachs for five billion dollars by Obama so that they can profit from the climate change control lie. Remember we the American People bailed them out. They are going to share the commissions from the brokerage deal that Obama would give to Goldman Sachs. That’s a 4 percent commission on a 10 trillion world-wide business.00 Billion to Goldman Sachs. Check out Shore Bank in Chicago and the Chicago Exchange deal for the facts. You can google it for yourself.
Lobbyist Own Obama
January 13th, 2012
12:57 pm
That’s 400 bilion dollars to Goldman Sachs.
Lobbyist Own Obama
January 13th, 2012
1:00 pm
But Jay won’t talk about that or the inside trading deals from Pelosi and the democrat crowd.
Jerome Horwitz
January 13th, 2012
1:09 pm
Sorry LOO the insider trading crud is bi-partisan. Nice try tho’.
Lobbyist Own Obama
January 13th, 2012
1:16 pm
Horwitz that’s true but the mainstreet media liars won’t expose the democrat’s side of corruption. And Jay is one of the cheerleaders for the democrats.
Janney
January 13th, 2012
1:52 pm
So glad you and Kyle are starting this campaign, Jay! We can’t get discouraged, we need to press our representatives. There is power in numbers.
truth
January 13th, 2012
2:00 pm
I e-mailed my State Rep about this issue last year. His rely was, ” I think we already have enough ethics.”
JB
January 13th, 2012
2:10 pm
Rangel has been in Congress for 30 years. He went in middle class money wise, maybe a little below, and is now rich. All that on most of the time making less than 100K per year….and keeping up two homes in NY and DC, two of the most expensive places to live in the US……………..He’s rich…………….HELLO?????
JB
January 13th, 2012
2:22 pm
Obama’s economic plan broken down like it would be at your house…No difference…..You owe 20,000 on your credit card, say Visa.You’re getting $ 500 advances on your Master Card with a 5,000 dollar limit to make the payments on the 20,000 card. In the meantime, your wife is going to the Mall every month and spending $600 on the $ 20,000 card. Your logic is you need a 30,000 limit on the 20,000 Card to make things better, and as to have a little room for Cash advances to make the $100 payment on the $5000 dollar card………………That folks is Obama’s economic plan………And if the Banks are OK with all that, you’re OK with all that……..And it ain’t far from what the thinking it up there.
Obozonomics
January 13th, 2012
2:35 pm
Gifts from lobbyist a problem, really? The gifts are not the issue, it is the fact that lobbyist are even legal at all…
man behind the curtain
January 13th, 2012
2:50 pm
And what about gifts of lucrative jobs to members of politician’s families?
Jamal Jenkums
January 13th, 2012
4:34 pm
Yeah 140 years of democRATS lining their pockets and suddenly it is shameful and HAS to stop. Jay is a hypocrite as usual. You never heard a PEEP out of him when his liberal buddies were carting off the cash. You’re too easy Jay. Pathetic.
williebkind
January 13th, 2012
4:39 pm
I will support this with action!
sheepdawg
January 13th, 2012
5:15 pm
ignorant sociopathic idiots
Sounds Like A Plan
January 13th, 2012
5:45 pm
Oops, Wrong Planet
January 13th, 2012
10:50 am
Well stated…
fomr dem
January 13th, 2012
5:48 pm
I remember a former legislator from the Winder Area and I being asked to lunch at the Legislative Office Building one day during session. The lunch was relatively cheap, 8 or 9 dollars for each of us but the former Legislator graciouslly declined the offer of lunch from the lobbyist. I accepted. I however always felt a certain respect for the gentleman from Winder. If I remember correctly, he was defeated in next election because his district had gone Republican pretty rapidly. He’s the only Legislator I can remember never having taken a gift or food from a lobbyist I later learned. He also had a great military career. Probably one of the nicest most honorable people I ever knew.
catlady
January 13th, 2012
7:28 pm
…(N)one of them seem to have skills good enough to suit employers.” and it seems like one skill employers expect is the skill to take on more and more for less pay, not complain, and get by, perhaps on foodstamps and Peachcare (courtesy of the taxpayers). But boy, they’d better not complain, because there are a million more folks out there who would LOVE this job….
middleground
January 13th, 2012
8:27 pm
Today at 3:30 our Lt. Gov. was shopping for ties at the Nordstrom outlet near the mall of GA. Is he under attack because he has a driver and a shinny large black SUV with dark tinted windows.
His driver assistant helped him in the store. So whats this costing us every year.
What do you think the gas costs us for this lifestyle of the rich government official?
THEY ARE SO OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE WHO PAY THE BILLS!!!!!!!!
1/15: Ethics legislation: Limit dollar distractions | Atlanta Forward
January 14th, 2012
10:34 am
[...] of interest: AJC columnists Jay Bookman and Kyle Wingfield weigh in on the [...]
Morning Reads for Saturday, January 14, 2012 the Short Stack edition — Peach Pundit
January 14th, 2012
11:28 am
[...] Wingfield and Jay Bookman have both written columns in support of limiting lobbyist gifts to elected [...]
Morning Reads for Saturday, January 14, 2012 the Short Stack edition
January 14th, 2012
12:54 pm
[...] Wingfield and Jay Bookman have both written columns in support of limiting lobbyist gifts to elected [...]
captguitarman
January 15th, 2012
4:25 pm
Kudos to you, Jay, and to Kyle Wingfeld and the AJC for putting this long over due issue front and center and under a bright spotlight. Please keep it there, and perhaps voters will begin to signal their reps that it’s way past time to put an end to doin’ bidness under the Gold Dome. As you noted, this is not a partisan issue, and it is going to be easy to wean House and Senate reps of both parties from their “legislative lifestyle.” Until the legislators begin the feel voter heat, things will not change. Opposing arguments are interesting and almost comical — and make you wonder how stupid they think the voters are. I liked the one legislator who complained that a $100 gift limit is too low because of the price of meals at fancy restaurants – showing they are so addicted to lobbyist crack and the legislative lifestyle that they can’t even understand why voters might question what a lobbyist buying $100 plus meals for legislators might really be after. Despite the phony and cynical objections from the objets des largesse, it these genrous gifts clearly buy extraordinary access and attention that the vast majority of voters can only dream about. And I just had to shake my head at the column by the ethics consultant, Rick Thompson. His “concern” is driving the lobbyists and their activities underground if individual gifts are capped at $100. Doesn’t that beg the question of how that could even happen if the legislators are obeying and complying with the ethics gift cap laws — even if the lobbyists are trying hard to get around it. His argument doesn’t hold water if you make the assumption that Geogia’s legislators will fully obey the law, as they are sworn to do. Just taking a moment to noodle through Mr. Thompson’s canard should be enough to make all voters of both parties insist on caps. They all claim that it’s not that important to them, and that it doesn’t buy anything, and they are all too ethical to be bought, blah, blah, blah. OK, I’ll buy that – but it makes me wonder then, why this cap is such a concern then, and why are they all so opposed to it if it doesn’t matter any way. If you are going to err, err on the side of complete honesty and propriety in legislative matters.
lawrencevillelions.org » Morning Reads for Saturday, January 14, 2012 the Short Stack edition
January 16th, 2012
2:10 am
[...] Wingfield and Jay Bookman have both written columns in support of limiting lobbyist gifts to elected [...]