Dear Georgia Senate: Drop the power struggle, get to work
It’s put up or shut up time in the Georgia Senate. As nothing new has been put up by the malcontents, you can see where I’m heading.
I refer to the 14-month-old dispute between Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and the GOP senators who stripped him of most of his powers. Ordinarily, such an intramural power play would interest only the true political junkies. But the Senate’s cold war is getting hot enough to matter to ordinary Georgians.
Some background: Days after Cagle was re-elected in 2010, Senate Republicans resolved to change the chamber’s rules to put two of their own, Tommie Williams of Lyons and Chip Rogers of Woodstock, in charge. Cagle argued, not without merit, that a majority of Georgia’s voters thought they’d just elected him to lead the Senate. But he lost that debate.
The 2011 session moved along fairly smoothly almost until the end, when an alliance of Democrats and pro-Cagle Republicans made a move to restore the old order. It failed, as has a series of GOP truces since then. The most recent cease-fire was brokered Monday night by none other than Gov. Nathan Deal, only to be rejected about 12 hours later by a majority of senators.
Now, re-read those last four words: “a majority of senators.” Those words explain why this mess has gone on long enough.
Regardless of whose side one takes — and none of the actors are angels — the basic facts on the ground haven’t changed in 14 months: 1) a majority is needed to change the rules; and 2) a majority favors the current rules.
Period, paragraph, end of story.
Cagle and his allies had upward of nine months to assemble a majority; goodness knows they tried. If they had a majority, they would have changed the rules by now. They don’t, so they haven’t. Deal with it.
I don’t say this as a partisan of the anti-Cagle faction. I have no grudge against the lieutenant governor, nor any loyalty to Williams or Rogers. All three support issues I support. This isn’t personal.
Well, it isn’t personal for me. But it quite clearly is personal for them. And that’s where the interests of ordinary Georgians come in.
Lawmakers like to say they’re performing “the people’s business.” As long as they’re feuding in this way, they aren’t. The leadership struggle colors every matter that comes before the Senate, even ones on which the two sides agree, because every matter is a potential tool for gaining or keeping leverage. Georgians deserve to have those issues considered on their own merits.
At the same time, I’m not bemoaning the perceived lack of efficiency in the Senate. In a state government controlled wholly by one political party, a little inefficiency is no bad thing. (Republicans said these kinds of things back when Democrats were that party.)
Government, on any level, is best when changes in the law are thoroughly vetted and debated. So it also behooves Georgians if the process is slowed down somewhere along the way.
I understand Speaker David Ralston’s frustration when he complains about not having a counterpart who speaks for the Senate and can deliver its members. “We can’t have 36 different leaders, or however many they have on any particular day,” he lamented last April.
But “speaks for” and “deliver” can be statehouse code for “lords over” and “bully” — not always, but often enough to give an outside observer pause. (Let’s also note that a tougher-to-please Senate arguably gains power at the expense of the more spoken-for House, which also might bug Ralston.)
Unless facts on the ground change, the two sides would do right by Georgians to put their spat aside until sine die. And primary season.
Let Cagle and his allies recruit fellow Republicans to run against the thorns in their side (though I’d like to see how successful they’d be with a pitch that amounts to, “Vote for this guy, because he’d help put us and, er, the Democrats in charge”). Let Williams and Rogers field challengers to the holdouts in their caucus.
May it be a long, nasty primary season. Then, after November, may the winners hold the reins of power.
Until then, may all of them simply get to work.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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176 comments Add your comment
JDW
January 12th, 2012
2:55 pm
The key issues that enabled a balanced budget under Clinton, were the proper levels of taxation…passed in 1993 with Democratic majorities in both houses and PAYGO…which was implemented in 1990, extended twice by Clinton and allow to expire by Duhbya.
Gingrich and the Republican Congress of the late nineties simply did what they are best at…NOTHING.
Inside Out
January 12th, 2012
3:02 pm
Here you go Linda…..Shhhhhhhhh UGA……
http://www.geldpress.com/2008/07/us-budget-reporting-deception/
td
January 12th, 2012
3:06 pm
JDW
January 12th, 2012
2:55 pm
And even if we put the Clinton “proper level of taxation” back into place today could we come close to balancing the budget?
Linda
January 12th, 2012
3:06 pm
Not only do we have a natl. debt of $15.224 T but we also have another $117.137 T in unfunded liabilities. Congress spent every penny in the Social Security Fund & Medicare Fund, which are now full of chits, little pieces of paper labeled IOU.
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm
Since every taxpayer in the country now owes $1,172,840 EACH, what are those “proper levels of taxation?” Would 90% be enough?
td
January 12th, 2012
3:09 pm
Inside Out
January 12th, 2012
3:02 pm
OMG. You bring us so called facts from a website that does not even post the owners real names. Great source.
Dusty
January 12th, 2012
3:11 pm
Uh oh , Linda, let’s not talk about 90% taxation. The liberals here would think that is a good & proper idea.
Jefferson
January 12th, 2012
3:14 pm
40% over 500k is a good start.
UGA 1999
January 12th, 2012
3:15 pm
Jefferson….40% over $500k is a good start…..Typical radical comment from the left.
Linda
January 12th, 2012
3:17 pm
Inside@3:02, 1. The site you quoted referenced their source as the US Treasury Dept.
The site I quoted WAS the US Treasury Dept.
The annual debt is the same on both websites.
2. The 1st sentence in the article you quoted (highlighted in blue) is a quote from CNN that Geldpress (your source) disputed in the 2nd sentence.
3. I asked you where you came up with an $18 B debt after Clinton. Your own source disagrees with you.
UGA 1999
January 12th, 2012
3:18 pm
Linda….I told you….
Dusty
January 12th, 2012
3:18 pm
Jefferson,
I think thee art Robin Hood and his bunch of hoodies who want to rob the evil rich.
Linda
January 12th, 2012
3:26 pm
Dusty@3:11, Unfortunately, 90% isn’t enough. You see, we still have to bail out the Post Office, again, Fannie Mae, again, Freddie Mac, again, all the unions in states with unfunded pensions, again, & a bunch of countries in Europe.
Linda
January 12th, 2012
3:28 pm
Jefferson@3:14, I wish Obama agreed with you, but he wants to start it at $200,000 for singles. He just calls them “millionaires & billionaires” for fun.
Dusty
January 12th, 2012
3:33 pm
Well, Kyle is quite correct in admonishing the Georgia Senate to get to work. I believe that is why they were sent to the capitol.
Seems like we have a wise and quiet governor who does his work. He has done more than trying to keep the kiddies from throwing spitballs in the Senate. He has a budget.
I don’t have it in front of me but it seems like he knows the problems. Money for starting reservoirs , specific educational funds, a hot lane on GA 400, funds for dredging Savannah’s riverfront, things we need to work on. Nobody is perfect but I think Gov. Deal is heading in the right ditrection.
Linda
January 12th, 2012
3:36 pm
UGA@3:18, Zeroes get their zeroes mixed up.
Reminds me of Obama wanting to raise taxes on thousandaires but calling them millionaires & billionaires to inspire this class warfare envy game.
UGA 1999
January 12th, 2012
3:40 pm
Linda…Yep he has been doing it since he got into office.
Tealiban Party
January 12th, 2012
3:42 pm
UGA 1999
January 12th, 2012
1:55 pm
Tealiban…..yeah but wait until Romney debates Obama and the GOP gets fully behind one candidate. Those numbers will change radically.
Can’t wait ’til they do. Might be hard to debate since ol’ Mitt has every side of every issue covered. Perhaps they will debate Mitt taking a $10 million bailout – government handout – for Bain – and how it is good for him, but not Detroit. Or how instrumental he was in gutting companies, firing American workers, outsourcing, while pocketing millions. Or perhaps another good topic will be his tax rate — if and ever he does release his tax statements. Or what about Romneycare?
This debate will be fun fun fun!
UGA 1999
January 12th, 2012
3:45 pm
Tealiban….I have NO problem with firing employees. Owning two businesses I have had to do it in the past. Pocketing millions….that is the name of the game brother.
You do realize that Obama is not going to have a telepromter right?
Tealiban Party
January 12th, 2012
3:47 pm
td
January 12th, 2012
3:02 pm
OMG. You bring us so called facts from a website that does not even post the owners real names. Great source.
Sounds like a GOP PAC….
Dusty
January 12th, 2012
3:49 pm
Linda,
Time for drastic cuts. Our Republican president coming up is going to have a rough time of it. Every cut will be argued as unnecessary by Democrats who will be in Bushwhacking mode again, not that they ever got out of it.
I wish we could tell the Post Office to get where your expenses are covered by mid summer. Fannie and Freddie should go bankrupt. Europe can help itself. Unions pay their own pensions or go out of business. Big business should be reminded of their profits and suggest better employee benefits and more work in the USA.
Much unhappiness will follow but a good president will inspire this country to make amends. at every level. If we get the same “leadership” we’ve been having, the forecast is not good. I hope every voter realizes that important point.
JDW
January 12th, 2012
3:49 pm
@TD if you put taxes at the proper levels AND assume that PAYGO was in force yes it would be pretty close. Of course that means that Duhbya would have to have actually funded Medicare Part D, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the general increase in defense spending from 2000.
So lets look at 2010
Impact of taxes…$370 Billion+
Cost of Medicare Part D…$52 Billion
Iraq and Afghanistan…$170 Billion
General Defense increase…$367 Billion
Total…$959 Billion…2010 budget deficit $1.293 Trillion…difference…$334 Billion
Now wouldn’t you rather be talking about deficits in $334 billion range…BTW if they had funded the stimulus plan and additional unemployment payments as they should have under PAYGO we would be almost even.
So the conclusion is that had the framework established by Clinton been left in place and followed we would not be in this mess today.
Tealiban Party
January 12th, 2012
3:49 pm
UGA 1999
January 12th, 2012
3:45 pm
You do realize that Obama is not going to have a telepromter right?
You’re right. He should have went to five different schools to become a professional teleprompter reader (aka newscaster), like Palin. To hell with the Harvard law degree…
Inside Out
January 12th, 2012
3:52 pm
UGA…Who was the first President to use a telprompter??? You do know that Williard carries one with him and uses it during EVERY speach….
UGA 1999
January 12th, 2012
3:54 pm
Tealiban…..Good point, how did Obama pay to go to those schools?
UGA 1999
January 12th, 2012
3:55 pm
Inside….Willard is the president?? WOW I will alert the media!
Jefferson
January 12th, 2012
3:56 pm
If you don’t want to pay you fair share, be a square.
UGA 1999
January 12th, 2012
3:58 pm
Jefferson…..What do you feel a “fair share” should be?
Inside Out
January 12th, 2012
3:59 pm
Were you this concerned about the teleprompter when Regan used it?? How about both of the Bushes????
Dusty
January 12th, 2012
4:00 pm
Tealiban Party,
Now you have fallen so far you have to insult Sarah Palin? Sarah Palin is running for NO office at this time. What’s your point? Just prejudiced?
Dusty
January 12th, 2012
4:05 pm
Inside Out,
You too, Brute’? Reagan is dead and the Bushes are not participating in politics at the moment. Could you stay a little more updated in your paltry party postings?
Inside Out; always on the wrong side.
@@
January 12th, 2012
4:07 pm
The class deserving voters’ wrath is composed of society’s predators and parasites, who span all rungs of the income ladder.
I didn’t know Steve Conover was writing for AEI.
Kewl!
I’ve missed him.
Steve spreads
the “love”
Jefferson
January 12th, 2012
4:16 pm
A fair share of tax would be equivilent to a fair share of the income.
Tealiban Party
January 12th, 2012
4:16 pm
UGA 1999
January 12th, 2012
3:54 pm
Tealiban…..Good point, how did Obama pay to go to those schools?
How much government help did you get to go to UGA?
Linda
January 12th, 2012
4:19 pm
Dusty@3:39, The Post Office needs to go back to ponies.
Fannie & Freddie are buying about 90% of the mortgages today.
The US already funds about 20% of the International Monetary Fund, created to bail out Europe.
It’s the state public unions that are unfunded.
We’re in a world of hurt, but the Democrats said, “Let’s take over the health care industry! Let’s close the coal-powered power plants but give tax breaks to electric cars powered by them! Let’s take over the financial industry (& call it the Consumer Financial Protection Agency)!” There’s $117.2 T in unfunded liabilities & what does congress do? Give employees exemptions from paying into social security! We are clouded in uncertainty & what does congress do? Come up with the forty eleventh temporary gimmick trick to get votes.
Yesterday, Kyle wrote about Greece giving pedophiles, exhibitionists, kleptomaniacs, pyromaniacs, compulsive gamblers, fetishists & sadomasochists entitlements. Now that I think about it, should a poll be conducted in the US, these freaks would probably receive higher approval ratings than our congress.
td
January 12th, 2012
4:21 pm
Jefferson
January 12th, 2012
4:16 pm
A fair share of tax would be equivilent to a fair share of the income
Please explain you proposal. I am confused.
Inside Out
January 12th, 2012
4:23 pm
Dusty…Just like the republican party……Throw it out there then duck and dodge when in is turned around….
Jefferson
January 12th, 2012
4:28 pm
The more you make the more you pay the more you have left. It what left that matters, not what you pay.
Pulpwood for about a month, they you would know what hard work is.
@@
January 12th, 2012
4:30 pm
Yesterday, Kyle wrote about Greece giving pedophiles, exhibitionists, kleptomaniacs, pyromaniacs, compulsive gamblers, fetishists & sadomasochists entitlements. Now that I think about it, should a poll be conducted in the US, these freaks would probably receive higher approval ratings than our congress.
My heart would bleed for none of ‘em.
td
January 12th, 2012
4:34 pm
Jefferson
January 12th, 2012
4:28 pm
The more you make the more you pay the more you have left. It what left that matters, not what you pay.
Pulpwood for about a month, they you would know what hard work is.
Isn’t this what happens now? The bottom 48% of wage earners pay no Federal income tax at all while the top 1% pays 28% of all Federal income taxes paid.
td
January 12th, 2012
4:38 pm
Jefferson
January 12th, 2012
4:28 pm
“Pulpwood for about a month, they you would know what hard work is”
Do you think people that make a great deal of money do not work hard? Did not the people, who harvest pulpwood, make the choice to do so? Are they getting paid what the market pays for such a job and what the skill set requires to be paid? .
Linda
January 12th, 2012
4:38 pm
Jefferson, what is the maximum number of months that you think a taxpayer should work for the fed. govt. AND for his or her fed., state & local govt.? 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, more?
How many months maximum should any taxpayer work for the govt. before having any money of their own to, you know, buy food, clothing & shelter?
When does a taxpayer become a slave? After 11 months?
The churches ask for only 10%? Who is more worthy? God or DC?
td
January 12th, 2012
4:41 pm
Linda
January 12th, 2012
4:38 pm
“The churches ask for only 10%? Who is more worthy? God or DC?”
Love that one Linda and it is so true. I will have to remember it and borrow your quote in the future.
Dusty
January 12th, 2012
4:41 pm
Linda,
I think there are ways to back off on some of this. Yep, ponies for the Post Office. Fannie & Freddie can’t go bankrupt like other agencies unless the whole country goes bankrupt? States will have to reorganzie their pension plans.
Get rid of Obama and I think we can change our monetary set-up in Europe. I believe they think Obama is an easy giveaway who will “look good” by giving them more money. Maybe not but I can’t think of any big noticeable cuts he has made here. It is always take more from citizens and then give it back as stimulus that disappears. Too bad they didn’t teach hIm economics at Harvard. (I’m judging by his actions NOW and the current debt.)
I know it is easy to say “Never say never.” I think we better get close to saying NO on many expenses or reach the time when there is no choice of any kind.
Occupunks on Kyle's blog
January 12th, 2012
5:07 pm
I paid my fair share! Now where are my food stamps, my EBT card, my Medicaid, my free college edumocation, my 500K section eight house, my earned income tax credict check?
Try street hustling, gaming the system for a while, then you’ll know how hard you have to work to be a mooch.
It ain’t easy being sleazy.
Dusty
January 12th, 2012
5:10 pm
@@,
I know the feeling when you hear about the people Greece decided were DISABLED. To me, disabled means not able to work. I don’t see these perverts as not able to work somewhere.
Of course, in this country, if your income is very low or nonexistant, food stamps are issued and maybe Medicaid.. I doubt if they ask anyone if they are some sort of pervert!! At least I don’t think we call them disabled. That would be an insult to the ones who are truly disabled.
Jefferson
January 12th, 2012
5:11 pm
If you don’t know hard labor, you can’t know what a dollar means to someone who has to produce hard labor.
Somewhere over there
January 12th, 2012
5:51 pm
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. GA used to be a solid blue state up until 2000. Not sure where I’m going with this because I’ve had a few beers.
Good night.
Somewhere over there
January 12th, 2012
5:52 pm
Dusty/@@
How are you two doing these days? Bookman’s blog misses you but you’re not missing anything. Same old bs.
saywhat?
January 12th, 2012
5:53 pm
Kyle wrote
“But, ByteMe, they aren’t holding the bills up because they’re bad or letting them through because they’re good. Instead, in some (not all) cases, they are making the merits secondary to personalities. And I don’t think the citizens win in that case.”
I actually agree with you. This is just like the Republicans in the US House and Senate opposing anything Obama is in favor of, whether or not they supported it in the past. It IS bad for the citizens when they do this. I am glad you are learning.
saywhat?
January 12th, 2012
5:56 pm
Linda asks “The churches ask for only 10%? Who is more worthy? God or DC?”
Knowing what I do about Linda’s God by what Linda writes, I will have to go with DC.