Your morning jolt: Milton County, governor’s race absent from House speaker’s to-do list

House Speaker David Ralston sat down with editors and reporters with the AJC on Tuesday evening.

The new speaker discussed transportation, the budget and taxes – topics that you’ll see addressed elsewhere. But two Republican-oriented items don’t appear to be on Ralston’s agenda: the creation of Milton County, and the governor’s race.

The topic of cutting Fulton County in half is significant. The No. 2 leader of the House, Speaker pro tem Jan Jones, is a fervent supporter. Here’s what was said:

Ralston: We’ve got a lot of issues this session – the budget, transportation, water. And I respect the speaker pro tem’s commitment to that issue. I know in that community, there’s a good bit of support for that.

I’m also aware, though, that when you start that discussion – and the further down the road you get with that discussion, you start bringing other issues in. and I’m sensitive to that. I’ve heard from the opponents. The pro tem and I really haven’t discussed it. We’ve been busy talking about other things.

Q: Do you think it’s a bad idea?

Ralston: I’m not sure if it’s a bad or a good idea, at this point in time. I’m kind of a deliberative person. I want you to make your case to me. And I really haven’t focused on the case, to know whether they can carry the burden of proof with me or not.

Further in the conversation, Ralston was asked whether he’d involve himself in the GOP primary for governor:

Ralston: We’ve got great candidates running, and at some point we’ll have a nominee.

Q: Your predecessor was a strong supporter of Nathan Deal.

Ralston: Nathan Deal is a very, very dear friend of mine who is my congressman. He’s been a great congressman and is an outstanding candidate for governor. My focus, very frankly, is on the state House at this point in time.

I don’t know that Nathan needs my help. He seems to be doing well without it. And I think all those candidates recognize I’m still doing on-the-job training. I’m going to devote my efforts to this House.

Five Democratic candidates for governor gathered on the University of Georgia campus in Athens on Tuesday evening for a televised set-to. My AJC colleague Aaron Gould Sheinin reports that finding cash for education was the dominant theme:

House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin), who has said for years that the state loses hundreds of millions of dollars a year in uncollected sales taxes, repeated that mantra Tuesday and said it could be a source of education funding. That proposal also was seconded by Attorney General Thurbert Baker and former Gov. Roy Barnes.

“We can start by collecting all the taxes that are due to the state,” Baker said. “There is $250 million to half a billion still out there on the table.”

Barnes, giving Porter credit for his work on the issue, said he would dramatically improve the current collection system. Georgia is the “only state in the continental United States furloughing teachers. Surely, if the rest of the country can find a way, we can find a way to educate our children,” Barnes said.

Barnes also proposed cutting $10 million, including Perdue’s budget proposal for an equestrian center in Perry. “The education of our children comes above that,” he said.

Former Adjutant Gen. David Poythress said he would target the “17 special interest sales tax loopholes or gimmes passed in the last (legislative) session that cost the state almost exactly the same amount of money saved by furloughing teachers.”

Poythress also said he would give up his $139,000 salary as governor until unemployment rate in Georgia dropped below 7 percent. It is now well above 10 percent.

Do not think Poythress is condemning himself to beans and rice. The candidate is currently drawing on two pensions, campaign manager Wendy Davis confirmed. One from the state draws on 25 years of service, including terms as secretary of state and labor commissioner. Then there’s a federal pension based on 27 years of active and reserve service. Poythress had been commander of the Georgia National Guard.

“The point isn’t that he isn’t going to be able to eat,” Davis said. “The point is sharing the sacrifice. It is symbolic and it’s real.”

One other debating point: Democratic candidates for governor include Carl Camon, the five-term mayor of Ray City (near Valdosta). During the debate, one of the questioners, Tim Bryant of WGAU radio in Athens, compared Ray City to the Alaska home of Sarah Palin.

He sends word this morning that he was mistaken. Wasilla, Alaska, is 10 times larger than Ray City, pop. 700.

This morning’s Marietta Daily Journal contains the first public criticism we’ve heard of Senate Majority Leader Chip Roger’s plan to revamp the state property tax system. The questions come from commissioners in Cobb County – which Rogers represents.

Reports the MDJ:

One proposed change Cobb commissioners have concerns with is that Rogers would allow for year-round property assessment appeals, as opposed to the 30 days residents currently have to appeal after receiving a notice of assessment. The bill would also mandate that every property receive an annual notice of assessment. Rogers said this is key because without a notice of assessment, it’s difficult to appeal in the first place.

Commissioners Bob Ott and Helen Goreham want to know the cost of an annual notice of assessment and whether it would be an unfunded mandate.

“I’m somewhat concerned about having reassessments every year, because that is going to be an added cost to Cobb County,” Goreham said.

Ott said it’s important to give residents ample time to appeal, but at some point the county has to know what revenue it’s collecting to balance the budget.

“We have to have some ability to plan,” Ott said.

Georgia Municipal Association spokeswoman Amy Henderson says her group is concerned about that clause for the same reason.

“It would make it very difficult to set the tax digest if the appeals go on through the year. How do you know what the tax digest is if people continue to appeal?” she asked.

Rogers’ bill would also allow for partial payment of property taxes since he said taxpayers can’t always afford to pay the bill in one lump sum.

Ott said a potential problem with partial payments is the same problem people have with credit cards – what if they get so far behind they can’t pay? And again, he said, how does the county factor what kind of revenue it’s going to receive with people paying a partial payment here and a partial payment there.

“How do you budget around that?” Ott said.

Finally, Hotline on Tuesday had these paragraphs indicating that U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop down in southwest Georgia might be feeling nervous over his support for health care reform:

At least 14 potentially vulnerable Dems commissioned polls in the last 3 months of ‘09, suggesting that even long-time incumbents are heeding DCCC chair Chris Van Hollen’s warning that the ‘10 elections will be difficult affairs.

…As GOPers smell a wave that will benefit their electoral chances, the party has increasingly turned to entrenched Dems who would leave behind GOP-friendly turf if they were to retire.

The NRCC has been pressuring Dems to retire rather than face a difficult election.

At least a few of those targets have gotten the message. Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO), who hasn’t gotten less than 60% of the vote since ‘82, put a poll in the field, as did entrenched Reps.Mike Ross (D-AR), Allan Boyd (D-FL), Earl Pomeroy (D-SD) and Sanford Bishop (D-GA).

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