Your morning jolt: Delta gives upgrades to Casey Cagle, state lawmakers
And you were wondering why — unlike you — certain Georgia lawmakers have a smile on their faces when headed to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Delta Air Lines has given upgrades to some of the more powerful people in the state Capitol. From Richard Belcher and Channel 2 Action News:
Delta valued the gold medallions at just under $1,600 and gave them to Rep. Jay Roberts, chairman of the House Transportation Committee; Sen. Ronnie Chance, chairman of the Economic Development Committee; and House Majority Leader Larry O’Neal.
Receiving platinum medallions valued at just under $2,400 were Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle; House Speaker pro tem Jan Jones; Senate President pro tem Tommie Williams; and former House majority leader Jerry Keen, who got his medallion after deciding not to run last year.
It was a campaign contribution to someone without a campaign.
Last month, state lawmakers extended a fuel tax break for Delta that will save the company $30 million over two years. The upgrades were granted to the lawmakers last year – so to draw any connection between the two would be just downright mean.
***
Can Republicans who saw this Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press”…..
Visit msnbc.com for , world news
….be mollified by these pledge points issued Monday by the Republican presidential campaign of Newt Gingrich?
– “I believe it is unconstitutional for the federal government to impose an individual mandate requiring citizens to buy health insurance.
– “I am committed to the complete repeal of Obamacare and support the lawsuits of various state’s Attorneys General challenging its constitutionality.
– “In a free society you cannot tell citizens what they should buy and what those things should be.
– “I also believe individuals should be responsible to pay for the care that they receive.
– “Under the 10th Amendment, states should be free to design a system that works best to achieve that goal.”
***
Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols wants to get NASCAR Republicans addicted to travel by rail – literally. From Walter Jones with Morris News Service:
His goal is to run the state’s excursion train between Griffin and Hampton for race fans and others leading up to the Sept. 4 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series night race as a way to convince the public to support a state-run passenger railroad between Macon and Atlanta.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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100 comments Add your comment
the original and still the best John Galt
May 17th, 2011
9:13 am
Can you say “quid pro quo?” Sure you can.
I heered he was an Ayrab
May 17th, 2011
9:14 am
In a free society, you cannot tell citizens what they should not buy either.
Centrist
May 17th, 2011
9:25 am
Delta has been totally corrupt by bribing lawmakers prior and since their bankruptcy which only made senior management richer while dumping on retirees and other creditors.
Gingrich is D.O.A. as a presidential candidate. He is trying to inoculate his past personal behavior with his new-found religion, pander to Iowa farmers, and take both sides of the national healthcare debate. He is nothing but a slippery politician, and has had his double dealing tactics exposed – he is going nowhere.
Just Nasty & Mean
May 17th, 2011
9:25 am
Jim, good to see you in Macon!
Shouldn’t these lawmakers pay tax on this benefit they received?
Next legislative session, when Delta comes knocking for tax breaks, somebody be sure to remind them that if they have the resources to hand out goodies to favored politicians, they do NOT need tax breaks.
My Two Cents
May 17th, 2011
9:29 am
Time to clean up this state. Tired of sleazy politicians and political games.
My Three Cents
May 17th, 2011
9:38 am
It’s so easy recognizeable as wrong(Delta upgrades). Just because it might be legal does not make it right!
mc
May 17th, 2011
9:39 am
Glad taxpayers have bailed out their pensions too (when under bankruptcy)…so much for the “Free Market”!
Michael
May 17th, 2011
9:41 am
Wait, the federal government in a free society cannot design a system to tell me what to buy, but the state government in a free society can design a system to tell me what to buy?
OK idiots, which flavor Koolaid would you like?
Dump Them All
May 17th, 2011
9:42 am
This is the only reason these lazy people run for office… they get TONS of free perks form the businesses they do favors for. Why the voters think these men work for us is a joke. Time to CLEAN OUT THE CAPITOL.
Joe Mama
May 17th, 2011
9:43 am
I was a Delta Gold and Platinum medallion for many years (this was back before the days of Diamond Medallion, when free Crown Room Club membership came with being a Platinum-level member), and I’m pretty much appalled by this. It shows just how little regard Delta has for their customers and how they’re willing to essentially bribe lawmakers with their premium product and service.
If it ain’t legal to give lawmakers Gold and Platinum Medallion status, then it shouldn’t be illegal to feed ‘em, booze ‘em up and get ‘em some hookers, either.
But I imagine that happens, too.
Bobby
May 17th, 2011
9:44 am
Delta is no more corrupt than the State Legislature. They are both sleeping in the same bed. Good thing the state sodomy laws were overturned by the State Supreme Court.
deegee
May 17th, 2011
9:45 am
So Delta gets fuel tax breaks and their customers pay fuel surcharges. It is disturbing to think that Delta bought their legislation for a grand total of $14,400. Please tell me that our elected officials aren’t working that cheap.
Riddle Me This
May 17th, 2011
9:47 am
“In a free society you cannot tell citizens what they should buy and what those things should be.” That’s funny! In this country citizens are required by law to insure vehicles. Is Newt saying that it is more important that metal & plastic be protected than human life???? Someone needs to get his priorites together.
Michael
May 17th, 2011
9:50 am
So the government places a .38 and a 9mm in front of me so I can choose which one to shoot myself with. They say “but you have a choice.” Thanks for the free society.
Centrist
May 17th, 2011
9:52 am
Nobody is required to drive a vehicle – you are only “required” to buy liability insurance if you drive on taxpayer built roads. And look at how many uninsured drivers there are – there is a whole market for honest folks who have to buy MORE insurance against uninsured drivers.
Frederick Douglass
May 17th, 2011
9:52 am
I wonder what kind of goodies Nathan Deal and his family get from Delta? Maybe one of the grandkids was allowed to pilot the jet over to Europe for the junket they’re on right now.
Laurie
May 17th, 2011
9:52 am
Glad I don’t fly Delta, and I’m really looking forward to Southwest coming to town
just wondering
May 17th, 2011
9:55 am
I’m wondering if say, sugar went up 4 fold, as has oil, in the next year or so, if Coca-Cola might look to the legislature for tax breaks? My guess is yes.
I’m not a huge Delta fan either, although I think they finally have a CEO who knows something about the airline business, unlike their pre-bankruptcy days when Mullin, and Allen before him were running it into the ground. The bottom line is that Delta is still the largest non governmental employer in the state and what helps them helps Georgia.
deegee
May 17th, 2011
10:00 am
Centrist, nobody is required to go to the doctor. That doesn’t stop them from going and then stiffing the doctor and the hospital. Who do you think ultimately pays for that?
Truth
May 17th, 2011
10:04 am
I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever give Delta one single dime of my hard earned money.
Light on policy
May 17th, 2011
10:04 am
I must admit this honesty from Newt is refreshing. Under the guise of a “free market economy”, Americans believe that we are getting the best bang for our buck in what we pay for healthcare because of competition. However, this isn’t supported by empirical data that shows healthcare costs have doubled per family over the last 9 years! At the same time, wages have remained stagnant.
I agree wholeheartedly no one shouldn’t be told what they have to buy but you shouldnt tell me that I have to pay for your care because we all need healthcare at some point.
Bobby
May 17th, 2011
10:05 am
deegee, people who need doctors for medical treatment are going to go. Better that they have some form of insurance rather than taxpayers having to foot the entire bill because for profit insurance carriers such as United Healthcare mark them as “uninsurable”.
Light on policy
May 17th, 2011
10:07 am
there is no competition or cost controls that keeps the cost of healthcare in check. The next time you need outpatient surgery, call the different hospitals in Atlanta to see if you can negotiate the rate based on the costs between those competitors.
OIFVet
May 17th, 2011
10:08 am
How much do Delta and Delta employees pay in taxes in the city,county,propriety and state outside of fuel taxes ?
deegee
May 17th, 2011
10:17 am
In the free market there are going to be certain sets of the population that private insurance companies consider to be uninsurable. People over the age of 65 would be an example. That’s why there is medicare. If you want to talk death panels then let’s talk Ryancare. My 70 year old father needs a heart transplant and can’t get insurance. My 21 year old son wants to go to law school. Let’s see, heart transplant for dad or law school for son. Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions.
Centrist
May 17th, 2011
10:17 am
@ deegee – people stiff credit card companies, dentists, accountants and many other people and entities that give services without payments up front. As a compassionate country we give (mostly hospital “emergency”) healthcare without up front payment – and many people abuse the system. Instead of addressing the abuse, Obamacare is layering more ineffectual bureaucracy. Do you think the illegal aliens who load emergency rooms are going to buy health insurance?
double
May 17th, 2011
10:20 am
scrath my back.I will have the taxpayer scratch yours.Term Limits/no bribes.
deegee
May 17th, 2011
10:32 am
Centrist, you are more likely to find old people loading up the emergency rooms than illegal aliens. When old people at the retirement home fall down, as they frequently do, they are sent to the emergency room for a full battery of tests. You pay for it via Medicare. BTW, you lost all credibility with me when you use illegal aliens as a part of your discussion. Please take under consideration the fact that illegal aliens constitute about .03% of our population and people over 65 constitute 13%.
Centrist
May 17th, 2011
10:34 am
@ deegee – you have obviously not gone to an emergency room or “Doc in the box” in a while to see the clientele.
Red
May 17th, 2011
10:43 am
So the taxpayers and voters basically foot the bill for breaks, etc. and the lawmakers are the ones getting the benefits. Delta then jacks up my fare and gives me lousy service. Wasn’t “reform” over things like this a highlight over the past two sessions? Looks as if the “reform” is a part-time legislature getting endless perks even more than before. Note to all companies doing business in GA – just bribe, er – I mean give some “perks” to those legislators who vote to give you perks.Maybe Sonny is driving Kias for life?
Young Lady
May 17th, 2011
10:51 am
@Centrist- The issue isn’t illegal aliens as much as it is people (poor and middle class people specifically) can’t afford preventative care in this country. I have seen far more poor families and elderly packed into emergency rooms than I have anyone else. Between doctor’s visits and medication if you’re not in perfect health you can easily be forced into a position of not being able to afford medication if you want to eat. Then guess where you end up when sick? ER. Congrats on just being a shill for the right with the ‘illegals in our emergency rooms.’ Hospitals have problems with ER payments period. They’re a place of last resort if you cannot pay.
The solution is to make it so people can afford preventative care so they don’t end up in the ER. Urgent care is a step in the right direction but it’s still not enough nor is it affordable enough for the people that truly need that option. Nor is it a perfect solution in that having a perminant GP is better for overall health management because you have a rapport with them.
Also if you’re going to complain about bureacracy try complaining about the amount health insurers already have. They already make it nearly impossible to comparison shop with other providers or become enrolled if you’re not in an employer program. That’s the real abuse. Congrats on just being the shill we all know you are though.
deegee
May 17th, 2011
10:51 am
Centrist, I have spent time in the emergency rooms. I don’t see the hordes of little brown people that you claim are clogging up the system. Perhaps illegal aliens are 100% of the population of people living in the house next door to you but don’t let that interfere with your ability to see the issue objectively.
Centrist
May 17th, 2011
10:53 am
Current data is hard to find, but here is older data and things are certainly worse now:
Forty-three percent of noncitizens under 65 have no health insurance. That means there are 9.4 million uninsured immigrants, a majority of whom are in the country illegally, constituting 15 percent of the total uninsured in the nation in the mid-1990s. – Employee Benefit Research Group study, January 1995. EBRI President Dallas Salisbury, Washington Post, January 25, 1995.
Utilization rate of hospitals and clinics by illegal aliens (29 percent) is more than twice the rate of the overall U.S. population (11 percent). – Assessment of Potential Impact of Undocumented Person on National Health Reform, National Health Foundation, April 14, 1993.
MrLiberty
May 17th, 2011
10:57 am
People complain about our supposed Free Market Capitalism. We do not have free market capitalism. What we have is corporatism, corporate capitalism, or how it used to be know – merchantilism.
Everyone wants to limit campaign contributions because they think it will stop this kind of crap. Please tell me how. What we need to do is slash government power to the BONE! It is this selective taxing authority, the ability to steal from all of us and give to their friends, their regulatory ability that they can use to punish enemies and benefit friends, etc. that lays the groundwork for government corruption of this type.
The libertarians have always had it right. The problem is, has been, and always will be with government and its power.
Centrist
May 17th, 2011
10:58 am
Here are some more recent statistics:
Illegal immigration costs U.S. taxpayers about $113 billion a year at the federal, state and local level. The bulk of the costs — some $84 billion — are absorbed by state and local governments.
The annual outlay that illegal aliens cost U.S. taxpayers is an average amount per native-headed household of $1,117. The fiscal impact per household varies considerably because the greatest share of the burden falls on state and local taxpayers whose burden depends on the size of the illegal alien population in that locality.
http://www.fairus.org/site/News2/708226221?page=NewsArticle&id=23190&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1761
Red
May 17th, 2011
10:58 am
It’s not the government. It is the people who control the government. Libertarians live in a dream world. As long as man controls government, government will be used in means such as this. It did not take long for the first Congress to even deviate from “liberty”.
dou
May 17th, 2011
11:08 am
i love delta…all companies do this..if you think southwest doesn’t …think again. look it up. i will not fly on southwest, nor ever ever ever ever give them a penny of my money.
dou
May 17th, 2011
11:11 am
i love delta and will never ever ever ever ever give southwest a penny of my money. if you think southwest doesn’t do this, think again…look it up.
CATH
May 17th, 2011
11:13 am
we get it dou…. i won’t fly southwest either. funny how the ajc doesn’t have a “comment” section for the drunk airtran pilot. we all know that if it was delta, they would have a huge “comment” section for everyone to rip on ‘em. i mean come on, ajc…A DRUNK AIRTRAN PILOT…
gsueagle
May 17th, 2011
11:14 am
i have voted republican for 40 years but i will never vote for Newt
deegee
May 17th, 2011
11:20 am
FairUS is an anti-immigrant organization. Their statistics don’t stand up to scrutiny.
Another Voice
May 17th, 2011
11:21 am
Yeah the Repuks acting like the fat cats they are….everyone else. I am sorry for you!!! Where are the jobs the promised?
Idiots Cry About Delta Tax Break
May 17th, 2011
11:22 am
All you government school dummies that are whining on here about Delta lobbying and getting a fuel tax break are dumb as a rock.
It is the same thing all corporations do. They do it as either a single entity or via organizations like the Chamber of Commerce. Go back to school and learn something for a change. Put your crying towel up, take off your panties and put on some big man reality pants.
They (Delta) did their job, I wonder if you are smart enough to do yours?
Your morning jolt: Delta gives upgrades to Casey Cagle, state lawmakers | Conservative GA
May 17th, 2011
11:27 am
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Centrist
May 17th, 2011
11:28 am
@ deegee – simply dismissing a thorough well documented report broken down by states with several paragraphs describing the methodology to match your pre-conceived political stance is not debate. Sorry, you lose.
Fran
May 17th, 2011
11:28 am
Delta doesn’t care about anyone except the top management! They are lining their pockets and should be ashamed of the way they treat their retirees as well as passengers! Southwest might just run them out of Atlanta! Now wouldn’t that be wonderful! The precious metals (medallions) would then be worthless!
Jon Lester
May 17th, 2011
11:35 am
George W. Bush campaigned successfully by “staying on message,” declaring his positions and stubbornly staying consistent. Newt’s erratic and scatterbrained daily revisions make his indecisiveness and dishonesty painfully obvious, even to his would-be supporters.
DannyX
May 17th, 2011
11:53 am
Centrist, are you ever going to take a centrist position on anything?
Do you even know a centrist is?
LMAO
May 17th, 2011
11:58 am
Newt is big on – do as I say, not as I do. Delta and the state republicans are no better than the democrats. Absolute power corrupts and we are witnessing it first hand. This is only the tip of the ice berg
south of the gnatline
May 17th, 2011
11:59 am
I was jes’ wondrin’ why a good ol’ South Jawjuh boy (Jay Roberts of Ocilla) would be so generous with a $30 million tax break for Delta Airlines. The $1600 gold medallion brib– um, I mean appreciation gift, is probably just the tip of the iceberg. We’ll never know the rest of Delta’s largesse. Speaking of appreciate brib- um, I mean gifts — it will be interesting to see how many free campaign signs those who voted “aye” for the Billboard Bill will receive from that industry. Why is this sort of bribery and graft apparently legal (or unenforced) in the state of Georgia? And why do Georgia voters seem blind to it?