The minimum expectations for this year’s Legislature
Seventeen of the Legislature’s 40 allotted days for 2010 are behind us, but the most important business still lies ahead. Here’s what this voter wants legislators to accomplish before leaving town.
1. Something other than budgeting death by a thousand cuts. Many state officials will tell you that, after more than $3 billion in budget reductions and with temporary federal dollars keeping state spending afloat, it’s time to shut down some programs altogether.
“When you just go across the board, across the board, across the board,” says House Majority Leader Jerry Keen “it hurts some agencies to the point of not being effective.”
Budget writers, the St. Simons Republican adds, have to ask themselves, “Are there things we just can’t do anymore? Not that they’re inherently bad, but we just can’t afford to do them anymore.”
For the future, a bill requiring periodic reviews of each state agency’s functions and budget would be a big help.
2. A firm transportation plan. Georgians have every right to complain that it’s taken Gov. Sonny Perdue eight years to present a plan to pay for projects to alleviate traffic congestion, most notably in metro Atlanta, and freight bottlenecks across the state. The only thing worse than waiting eight years would be waiting more than eight years.
Perdue finally has a plan, and it has much to recommend it. Focusing chiefly on regions — rather than the whole state, or counties either individually or in clusters — is a smart, pragmatic way to approve, raise and spend new revenues for transportation improvements.
Having a firm list of well-explained projects before voters consider taxing themselves is also a welcome requirement. Pass the bill, and put the issue in the hands of voters.
Admittedly, the budget and transportation appear on most anyone’s list of priorities. Here are some less unanimous ones.
3. Property tax reform. I’ve detailed before in this space the reason for lawmakers to pass a bill by Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers. Proceed more carefully, however, on capping annual assessment increases for land between sales.
A cap sounds nice, but it could have the unintended consequence of favoring incumbent businesses over new entrants, and older (and generally higher-earning) homeowners over young families.
4. Market-based solutions for water. New reservoirs may be part of the long-term solution to Georgia’s water woes. But with a federal judge’s deadline looming, we need more rapid action as well.
Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth) has a bill that would allow cities or counties essentially to sell excess water-withdrawal permits to other jurisdictions, which in turn would pay for infrastructure repairs. It’s a great idea to stop leaks and reallocate water resources more efficiently at the same time.
5. Further education reforms. The Senate in particular wants to improve accountability measures — a must after this week’s revelations of rampant cheating in some school districts — and to expand vouchers to children in foster homes or in military families. Both are solid next steps in schools reform that is gradual, earning trust from citizens rather than assuming it.
6. Meaningful actions on ethics. A limit on gifts? Mostly window dressing. The real need is to ensure the rules we have are enforced properly, without encouraging nuisance complaints.
Absent these moves, lawmakers can expect a lot of voter skepticism about re-electing a Do-Nothing Legislature.
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59 comments Add your comment
Carter is a Fool
February 12th, 2010
7:25 pm
Yes, these are good and they need to honor the state’s commitment that was made to National Board Teachers. Those teachers that are cheaters need to be FIRED. There is NO EXCUSE for those who are cheating on tests. I do not agree with the high stakes test everything culture. I surely do not agree with paying teachers based on test scores for we surely will see more cheating if this occurs or principals stacking the classes of their favorite teachers with the best students to improve those teacher’s pay.
Fire those involved in Cheating. Honor commitments to National Board Teachers. Ditch this idiotic pay plan which NO TEACHER supports.
Carter is a Fool
February 12th, 2010
7:26 pm
First
Carter is a Fool
February 12th, 2010
7:48 pm
Education in Georgia needs a lot of work here. Governor GoFish has been terrible for education. We need to clean out the cheaters. We need to restore the respect for those teachers in our state who are not cheaters (the vast majority). We could close the DOE. We should fire Cox as she is also an IDIOT. She is just one step better than the last face lift crook whose job she took.
We need to move away from all of these tests and streamline the curriculum. Stop moving from fad to fad. GPS, QCC, RTI, SST. Enough of the alphabet fads. Stop coddling the unwilling student and start requiring parental involvement in their child’s education. Nothing was wrong with Recess. Instead we have PE teachers with PhD’s teaching basketball. ENOUGH. We have too many people who do not support teachers on the payroll. Central offices bloated with administrators who come out with a new flavor of the month program. Paperwork threatens to bury the average teacher who cuts time from planning to do paperwork and attend countless meetings for some students who never ever attempt the assigned work.
We need to create alternative methods (online or night classes) so that those who do not achieve can be taught and not hold back those who want to work.
The standards get lower each year. The students know the game and perform at a level just below these reduced expectations. To pass the state writing test to graduate a student must score a 50 out of 100. On this grade scale there is no 0 for any criteria.
Michael H. Smith
February 12th, 2010
10:12 pm
We could close the DOE.
Probably the smartest comment you’ve made all night but don’t stop when there is 89% of unnecessary government departments and agencies left to go which are overloaded with Bureaucrat bums to throw out of their unelected offices.
For the future, a bill requiring periodic reviews of each state agency’s functions and budget would be a big help.
Music to my ears! Just a curiosity but does anyone happen to know how many employed taxpaying private sector workers it takes to support or pay the salary of one G’ ment employee? What is the ratio 10:1, 20:1?
“Are there things we just can’t do anymore? Not that they’re inherently bad, but we just can’t afford to do them anymore.”?
Yep!
Moving right along, to things we really cannot afford to do without anymore.
Using market-based solutions for transportation instead of using Market-based solutions for water would be a better approach, Kyle. Bonds would be a better instrument to use to fund building reservoirs. Even then water conservation and better water management – via reservoirs – alone is lacking efficacy. Water efficiency, re-using grey-water will greatly extend the water supply with have already available to us and would mean having to build less reservoirs. To achieve that feat, it will take the State legislators to pass new laws and bring power to bear on the State plumbing board to write the necessary code to allow and require it to be implemented. But, here once again, while other States lead in water efficiency, Georgia woefully lags.
Michael H. Smith
February 12th, 2010
11:16 pm
AP Source: Obama to Announce Nuke Plant Loan
President Barack Obama next week will announce a loan guarantee to build the first nuclear power plant in the United States in almost three decades, an administration official said Friday.
The two new Southern Co. reactors to be built in Burke, Ga., are part of a White House energy plan administration officials hope will draw Republican support. Obama’s direct involvement in announcing the award underscores the political weight the White House is putting behind its effort to use nuclear power and alternative energy sources to lessen American dependence on foreign oil and reduce the use of other fossil fuels blamed for global warming…
…The proposed new reactors would generate power for some 1.4 million people and employ about 850 people, the official said, adding that the Georgia project would create about 3,000 construction jobs.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9822967
PS. In case you or one of your trusted comrades on the left who never had an ingenious thought in their life is tuned-in to this blog right honorable Dear Leader Obama, we could use a nuclear powered desalination cogeneration plant in Georgia to solve our long term fresh water supply requirements? In fact, if it didn’t cut into the socialist agenda scheme of things, instead of borrowing more money from the Chinese, allow our own wealthy citizens earned investment incentives – like tax free returns, zero capital gains – for financing these nuclear power plants ventures?
6,000 plus private sector jobs, probably talking employment for about the next five or ten years pumping money into the local economy, putting a few nickles in the old State coffers…
Just saying.
@@
February 13th, 2010
8:24 am
Government cutting budgets is laughable. Once they’ve got our money, they never give it back. Case in point…
TALLAHASSEE – Florida’s state government workforce now includes about 5,500 positions that have been vacant for at least a month – jobs that Floridians pay to keep open even as legislators hit them with billions in fee and tax increases.
The empty jobs add up to $150 million in annual salary, based on the minimum starting wage for each job.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/elections/fl-vacant-florida-state-jobs-20100212,0,5813268.story
Some positions have been vacant for six years. SIX YEARS!!?!! If nobody’s been doing the job for six years, it stands to reason the position is not essential.
Government expands, it never contracts.
common sense
February 13th, 2010
8:47 am
Another important issue for taxpayers: Reform the bloated, ineffective Sex Offender Registry and its restrictions. Why are we paying law enforcement to spend millions monitoring the 65% of registered offenders who have judged, by the Governor’s own Sex Offender Registry Review Board, to be no threat to the community? Easy answer: Hyping a rare threat — that some stranger will rape your child — and then pretending to solve it gets politicians elected. All of the available research, much of it done by criminal justice divisions, clearly shows that the current laws are ineffective, and even counterproductive, but they make great politics! I do not want my taxpayer money used to wreck some young man or young woman’s life who had consensual sex with a 15-year-old. Deal with the violent predators as a separate category instead of lumping high-risk violen and low-risk nonviolent offenders together, and enact laws that protect us all.
@@
February 13th, 2010
9:03 am
common sense:
Unable to move about freely, are ‘ya?
Beer Drinker
February 13th, 2010
9:04 am
Item 7. SUNDAY SALES!
Adolph's Quick-cuts
February 13th, 2010
9:07 am
Georgia’s water supply problems are better solved by the law of average rainfall. Atlanta typically experiences drought after dry-spell followed-up perfectly and inexplicably by biblical downpours that fill the reservoirs to the rim. Tennessee would be kind to take our water just to relieve the pressure on the dam.
Budget Cuts? Resource allocation is the tool of political thuggery. You need alliances to make cuts. It’s so easy to say, “cut the budget” and try to sound like you’re some sort of polite, pinky-conscious, tea party sipper at the trough. Conservatism has no shame.
If only they hadn’t banned the m-word. That’s worse than losing your thesaurus, man.
Transportation? thats easy: make the outer perimeter a rail line.
Education reform deserves further study. (Johnny can’t red the property tax code).
Ethics reform? Fix human nature? Good Luck.
Michael H. Smith
February 13th, 2010
9:32 am
Usual inane liberal tripe: No sanity, no substance and no solutions.
Road Scholar
February 13th, 2010
9:35 am
Ethics: A good start is to look at the Richardson cover up! You want accountability? How did “everybody knew” but no action, or even worse, dropping the charges. Then put into place well defined ethics rules…with ramifications published so no one misunderstands the results of their actions.
Education: Somehow make the parents responsible. Tax cuts based on score improvement? The only way to get the unwise parents attention is their pocketbook unfortunately. The ones who are already doing their job could benefit also. Then quickly investigate the present test scandal; retest all alledged groups w/o including the teacher or present administration. Compare scores and erased answers again. Allow those teachers who admit cheating to be suspended. Those who otherwise are caught, fire them and have them pay for the retesting. Crime should be painful.
Beer and wine sales on Sunday: I drink but this would not affect me. But others fail at time mgmt.
Legalized Marijuana? Don’t know, but it would help empty our prisons and reduce their costs. If it was taxed, then it would generate revenue. The jury is out on this one!
JDW
February 13th, 2010
9:58 am
Kyle, nice job of pointing out the fact that we have real issues that need to be addressed by our elected representitives.
Problem is I can’t think of a single decent piece of legislation passed by those yahoo’s in the last 5 years.
Will
February 13th, 2010
9:58 am
Kyle:
As a public school administer, I expect the Georgia General Assembly to remember that public schools are governed by locally elected Board of Educations and one of the primary responsibilities of these locally elected BOEs is to set policy in regard to the local school system.
It is terribly frustrating to have the Georgia General Assembly meddle in this local responsibility. For example, do you know that the General Assembly passed a law requiring LBOEs to have a policy regarding recess! LBOEs are not required to allow recess but, if they do or do not, they must have a polciy stating so and under what conditions. Seems like a LBOE could handle that with direction from the GGA. Want another asinine example? State law, not LBOE policy, dictates the management of elementary children during lunch!!
Adding to this frustration is the fact that the majority of members of the GGA run on the promise that “less government is better government” and a pledge that they will not attempt to micromanage the affairs of a locally elected BOE. They constantly complain about “Washington” trying to dictate to them when state government is more effective than Washington “big government”.
The GGA is another excellent example of it mattering not in the least whether you elect republicans or democrats -the majority of these politicians cannot help themselves in believing that more from a centalized, distant government is better than government at the closest point of contact.
sl_iii
February 13th, 2010
10:02 am
Make Georgia the most business friendly state in the US. Legislature should lower all business taxes to the lowest in the country. People need to understand that taxing businesses only raises the cost for the consumer and we need more jobs.
jconservative
February 13th, 2010
10:15 am
Michael H. Smith February 13th, 2010 9:32 am
“Usual inane liberal tripe: No sanity, no substance and no solutions.”
I agree completely with your first two posts. This one was unnecessary and contributes nothing to the debate.
—————
I really agree with your thought on desalination. Israel has five seawater desalination plants and is expanding two of them for even more volume.
The state of Texas is building a brackish water facility (less salt) and here is a note from their study: “Desalinated water costs are a function of capital costs, debt service, and operating costs. In general, desalinated brackish water can cost about $1.50 per 1,000 gallons, whereas desalinated seawater may cost anywhere from $2.50 to $3.00 per 1,000 gallons or more.” The entire Georgia coast is brackish water. How much are you paying your water system per 1000 gallons?
I cannot understand why Georgia is not pursuing this option for water.
The ground water may disappear but the oceans are getting bigger.
If anyone knows why Georgia is ignoring this option please tell us.
jconservative
February 13th, 2010
10:23 am
While I am on the desalinzation bandwagon, here is another quote from Texas:
“There are about 250 desalination plants in the US with a design capacity of >0.025 MGD. Almost half of them (114) are in Florida, 33 in California, and 38 in Texas (Mickley, 2004 and Nicot and others, 2005 1.29 MB). The 25-MGD desalination plant at Tampa Bay, Florida, is so far, the largest seawater desalination plant in the country. Texas is planning to build a seawater desalination plant within the next several years (see Question 17, above) as is California which is proposing about two dozen plants along the Pacific coast.”
Michael H. Smith
February 13th, 2010
10:26 am
How did “everybody knew” but no action, or even worse, dropping the charges.
Perhaps the “everybody [that] knew” being held question had [or still have] ethic problems or a few too many lobbyists ties of their own? One thing for sure, if there is a tax, regulation or law that stands in the way of business or the powerful rich making money somebody in government is going to be the target of corruption and subject to be bought at some price.
As my father once told me: Everybody has a price, I just hope I’ve set my price high enough that no one will ever be willing to pay what it will take to buy me.
Somehow make the parents responsible.
Thought of that one years ago and was told it would probably be unconstitutional… go figure.
If it was taxed [Marijuana], then it would generate revenue.
Ah, the best way to a politician’s heart: Tell him or her there is a tax in this thing for you if you can get it passed into a law or legalized.
The sin tax shell game will it ever end?
Michael H. Smith
February 13th, 2010
10:57 am
jconservative
February 13th, 2010
10:23 am
There is a fresh water problem confronting the entire southern half of the nation from east to west that needs addressing. Unfortunately not enough of us are seeing the hand writing on the wall so to speak. The problems seen in the above ground surface waters is just the tip of what is occurring below in the ground waters which normally not readily seen. As some have it, the depletion of the mid-west aquifer could provide for another Dust Bowl event likely worse than its’ predecessor.
California, Texas and Florida are leading in desalinization. States like Arizona and California have gone beyond water conservation and water management to include what some see as the next step to the state-of-the-water-art in reusing water, grey-water, to flush toilets and irrigate crops and landscape. Where is Georgia, what are we doing, with surface waters challenged and aquifers depleting…. Let us pray for a couple of reservoirs and enough rainfall to fill them before another million or so people appear in Georgia and the next drought occurs?
Diehard
February 13th, 2010
11:43 am
Would any child in GA know if the DOE was shut down? Probably not. Time for local control with accountability.
Churchill's MOM
February 13th, 2010
11:46 am
End some (hopefully 10+) useless programs.
Icarus
February 13th, 2010
11:55 am
The list above is a reasonable assessment, but instead, we have a legislature that seems to be wanting to waste time on microchip implants, and now, making gold “legal tender” in Georgia. I expect us to spend more time placating the fringe than solving problems in 1-6. I also expect a much more competitive general election than most in the majority party under the gold dome believe.
common sense
February 13th, 2010
6:05 pm
Yes, @@, I can move about wherever I want, but I wish I had the same freedom to decide not to spend my tax money on wasteful, ineffective, politically-driven laws. My sister was sexually molested in Atlanta back in the 1980’s, and none of these laws would have protected her. What’s worse is that we are applying the same laws to non-violent young men and women (some of whom had no victim contact) who are no threat to the community and ruining the rest of their lives. Here is a to many research papers on the subject, so that next time, you can make an educated comment.
lhttp://www.nacdl.org/sl_docs.nsf/issues/SexOffenderResourcesink
dewstarpath
February 14th, 2010
12:33 am
- I told another poster in one of Kyle’s earlier blogs
(the one about the global warming data scandal at
the University of East Anglia) about the fact that there
was serious problems with the education system in
Georgia, but I never suspected it would reach this
level.
To quote the 70’s music band Ace, “How long has this
been going on ???”
Adolph's Quick-cuts
February 14th, 2010
6:44 am
Desalt the ocean? Do you poor potables really think that salt is the only poison we have to distill? There are toxins that the corporations have dumped in our oceans that would kill a killer whale if he were dumb enough to drink it, okay?
We’d have to boil the entire ocean, then run it through like an entire planet’s upper tectonic sand filters, then nuke it, then add baking soda to kill the stink, and even then the killer whales wouldn’t be stupid enough to drink it. Okay?
I speet on desalinated water! I drink bud lite, okay? The alchohol kills all the salt and the toxins and even the killer whales think it tastes great.
Goofballs.
YOU MFs are NEVER HAPPY!
February 14th, 2010
8:39 am
That’s right I SAID IT. During the campaign, you railed against Obama’s energy plan and touted FRANCE (of all countries, since you hate them so much), whining about how they were so successful in employing nuclear energy, and that Obama wasn’t entertaining nuclear. Mc Cain and Palin even slobbered the same from their lips. Now he GIVES you nuclear and the jobs and energy efficiency that it will bring and you still whine. Now, you change the subject, to DESALINATION PLANTS??
How about putting that criticism where it RIGHTFULLY needs to be put? The water problem in Georgia ain’t got a d@mn to do with Obama. Instead, thank your big pudgy friend from the chicken klan sitting on his duff in the State Capital. That’s been his battle and debacle. Boy I tell you.. what I bunch of numbskulls. Can’t wait to get the home sold and get outta this backward thinking hellhole of a state! UUGGGhhhH!
Michael H. Smith
February 14th, 2010
9:02 am
“Usual inane liberal tripe: No sanity, no substance and no solutions.”
Ace
February 14th, 2010
9:03 am
Local schools should not be allowed to tax property. State funds only for education. If that’s not good enough – private schools if you are so inclinded.
Putting someone in jail for posession of a plant is just stupid. Now you have to feed him for your stupidity and you solve nothing.
Saving money is not hard.
Michael H. Smith
February 14th, 2010
9:26 am
Putting someone in jail for posession of a plant is just stupid. Now you have to feed him for your stupidity and you solve nothing.
Saving money is not hard.
Now isn’t that cute.
Time was in this country someone in jail had grow their food on prison farms with excess produce sold to pay expenses under the policy of “No pickie, no eatie”.
Nothing like dealing with liberal attitudes that need an adjustment.
Ace
February 14th, 2010
9:28 am
I’m no liberal you flower, you must know everything – I’ll adjust you.
One tired American teacher
February 14th, 2010
9:37 am
Kyle,
What about education? Education is the 100 pound gorilla in the state and everyone has a plan to put it a diet. Maybe it would serve the children of Georgia if the Gold Dome bunch would honor their committments to tommorow, lead by example, and put themselves on the Biggest Loser. And vouchures, abolutely not. That’s Sonny’s sop to his “God in a my box, not yours” constituents.
Michael H. Smith
February 14th, 2010
9:40 am
Threatening someone on the internet could get you a bunk next to Bubba for about five years – he really likes cute.
Ace
February 14th, 2010
9:51 am
Rosebud, I am Bubba.
The Cynical White Boy
February 14th, 2010
9:52 am
Item 7 – Sunday Sales of Alcohol (I agree).
Item 8 – Legalize Gay Marriage. Oh, just shut up, deal with it, and move on. For God’s sake, it ain’t my business who other people are crazy enough to sleep with and want to marry. Besides, straight people like me have already wrecked the institution of marriage enough, thank you very much.
Item 9 – Create some new holidays. Hell, why can’t we be like France, give everybody a lot of vacation. They’d be less traffic and we’d all be in a better mood.
Item 10 – Change the State Flag to a clear piece of plastic. Since it’s see-thru, you can see anything you want in the new flag. Black Power? It’s yours. Stars and Bars? It’s yours. Place whatever you want behind the clear plastic, enjoy your politically correct flag.
Item 11 – Go ahead and start naming streets after the Chosen One in every community. May as well get it over with, you know it’s coming, and they’ll be grunts of racism until His name is found everywhere on the map.
Michael H. Smith
February 14th, 2010
10:15 am
I’d love it if Kyle, actually did answer some of these wacko questions:
What about education? Education is the 100 pound gorilla in the state and everyone has a plan to put it a diet…
And vouchures, abolutely not.
I wish this “teacher” worked for my boss. In fact Kyle, I wish all government employees that work for us were employed by a few employers some of we taxpayer/employers have worked for over the years. Then again, this is kind of a rhetorical statement concerning most government employees who think they are entitled, “the world owes me a living” types.
If you have a job of any type at the moment be glad you have the privilege to work in that job.
This taxpayer/employer of teachers absolutely supports vouchers for all students. Let the money follow the student, not the schools or the government education monopoly. Make public schools compete with charter schools and private schools for the monies they receive. Make schools and their administrators, principles and teachers prove their actual worth competitively and not protectively as now under government or unions.
The 800 pound gorilla in the room of education is competition in the capitalist marketplace.
Michael H. Smith
February 14th, 2010
10:18 am
Enjoy your extended stay at the State Hotel, cutie.
Peter
February 14th, 2010
10:59 am
Kyle….the plan would be to throw out the Governor, who has done zero, but improve his own wealth, with lies and deception.
Water, Education, traffic, mass transit, none of these issues has been delt with in a meaningful, way.
Just like Bush has done for America, Sonny has done for Georgia, create a problem, and then let another come in to clean up the mess !
Democrats are Corrupt, Repukes are Lying Scaliwags
February 14th, 2010
11:08 am
There will never be regional transportation funding as long as cobb and gwinette are lumped in with Fulton and Dekalb…We will not send out tax money to those lying crooks, ever.
Democrats are Corrupt, Repukes are Lying Scaliwags
February 14th, 2010
11:10 am
Free North Fulton from the yoke of tax slavery to the crooks in the rest of Fulton County. We demand separation into Milton County for everything North of I-285, and Fulton County for everything South of I-285. Make it so.
Democrats are Corrupt, Repukes are Lying Scaliwags
February 14th, 2010
11:12 am
Join the Tar and Feathers party, dedicated to tarring and feathering crooked politicians.
Democrats are Corrupt, Repukes are Lying Scaliwags
February 14th, 2010
11:13 am
and ALL politicians R crooked.
Peter
February 14th, 2010
11:16 am
Love the article Kyle….I would think since Sonny and the Republican’s are in charge, the first thought would be ethics, or the lack of it for 8 years now.
Then would be the lack of any improvement of Education, transportation, water for Atlanta, and of course we did get Hooters to the Capitol. That seems to be the claim to fame so far !
We did get a fish farm in all of this, and I am sure the teachers are jumping for joy !
Michael H. Smith
February 14th, 2010
11:36 am
Some folks should read the Georgia State Constitution before making obtuse comments: Sonny Perdue cannot serve another consecutive term as Governor.
The mess in this State wasn’t made under the last eight years of Sonny Perdue. Georgians can thank Democrats of over 100 years for making most of that mess and the Republicans for doing so little to clean it up.
So now the readers are entertained with the insanely hilarious thought that if the readers will just fire the lazy janitors and bring back the mess makers, this State will once again be all clean and orderly.
Democrats are Corrupt, Repukes are Lying Scaliwags
February 14th, 2010
11:48 am
Enough talk, lets git to tarrin’ and featherin’
Guv'ner Sunny Pardue
February 14th, 2010
8:43 pm
Kyle:
Whoa, slow down! You’re not from these parts are you? I can tell that you’re definitely not a Georgia Legislator, because if you were the first, second, third and fourth through sixth priorities would be to go fishin’. Doggone it, Kyle, your raising expectations way too high. If we as Georgia Legislators actually got to everything on that list then the citizens of Georgia would expect us to do all of that stuff every year and we can’t have that. Why don’t I just disappear and go fishing and let the rest of the Georgia General Assembly collect money and hot dates from lobbyists while arguing over guns and what ever other needless distraction they can find to waste taxpayers’ money and time while other more pressing needs go unaddressed and completely ignored like we do every other year and you Kyle can go work for some fancy newspaper in some state capital somewhere where they expect more from their lawmakers than just not to screw things up too badly?
This has been a message from the Guv’ner of the great state of Georgia, Guv’ner Sunny Pardue. Tell me what’s on YOUR Sunny-Due List! (I don’t really mean that because I don’t really wanna know because everybody’s in my office is gone fishing anyways)
Lewis
February 14th, 2010
9:16 pm
As vividly described in Sunday’s AJC, the Republican controlled Georgia Legislature is having great difficulty paring programs and cutting government expenses. It is easy and convenient to rail against big government and vacuously support cuts to government spending. It is quite something else to carry through on these claims and to actually do something. So far, the Georgia Republicans are doing a poor job dealing with the budget realities in a responsible manner. It says to me that the Republicans are all for cutting spending AS LONG AS IT IS SOMEONE ELSE’S PROGRAM AND NOT A PROGRAM THEY HAPPEN TO LIKE. In other words, they are exactly like the Democrats were, except the name of their political party starts with an “R.”
C. Chaplin
February 14th, 2010
9:19 pm
What about a Milton County that starts at I-20 and goes north? What is the public’s views of them apples?
Democrats are Corrupt, Repukes are Lying Scaliwags
February 15th, 2010
7:33 am
I-20 includes too much of the city of Atlanta (aka the crooked city) to be included in Milton County. We do not want the debts or the dead beats from inside the perimeter. Just give us everything North of I285, and just maybe the Tar and Feather Party will spare you come Tarrin’ and Featherin’ time.
Adolph's Quick-cuts
February 15th, 2010
7:49 am
Sounds like someone needs some lebensraum. And is willing to go full brownshirt to get it.
Larry
February 15th, 2010
9:01 am
Ethics reform should be the number one priority for the legislature. My company is private contractor for the U. S. government and has a firm rule on the dollar amount for gifts given to or received from our customer. Twenty bucks! Just increased from $10 a few years ago. Any appearance of wrong doing is not acceptable – too bad our state officials aren’t held to the same standard.