House GOP leader: ‘My goal is to end Fulton County’
When the Legislature passed new maps for the state House and Senate last year, Republicans gave themselves extra slices of certain counties.
Earlier this month, House Speaker pro tem Jan Jones of Milton bluntly explained the merits of the tactic to a group of north Fulton voters. From Neighbor Newspapers:
In January, according to Jones, there will be a north Fulton majority in both the House delegation and the Senate delegation.
Which means, “we can cut Fulton County down to size until we get Milton County,” she said.
“My goal is that we reduce the thumbprint … of Fulton County on your lives and your pocketbooks such that in a very few years, Atlanta and south Fulton will not fight us on recreating Milton County because Fulton County will be insignificant,” she said. “We will begin that process next year.”
Jones said she actually thinks splitting Fulton into three counties would be in the best interest of all citizens.
“My goal is not to re-create Milton County. My goal is to end Fulton County and bring government closer to the people,” she said. “But it will take convincing.”
Jones’ comments, reported last week, are only now circulating within the city of Atlanta. They explain the motives behind HB 1052, which would have given the power to appoint two of three Fulton County representatives on the MARTA board to municipalities in north Fulton, said state Rep. Rashad Taylor, D-Atlanta.
“The strategy is to chip away at any power that Fulton County has. One of the greatest powers the county has is the appointment of representatives to the MARTA board,” Taylor said.
Taylor has invited Jones to a town hall meeting in his neck of the woods – on any Saturday in the next two months — “so that my consituents and others not in north Fulton may have the benefit of your views.”
***
Over in the editorial department, my AJC colleague Kyle Wingfield reports this bit of news:
Multiple GOP districts last month voted to propose that a ballot question about ethics reform be put to voters in July’s Republican primary. This and other potential ballot questions will be weighed tomorrow as the party begins its annual two-day convention in Columbus.
A question about ethics reform is a slam dunk at the ballot box, if opinion polling is any sign. In a statewide poll before this year’s legislative session, 82 percent of self-identified Republicans said they supported a cap on gifts from lobbyists to legislators — the central plank in this year’s stymied ethics reform bills.
***
The New York Times has two articles worth your time today. The first is about groundwork being laid for a $10 million Republican effort to redefine President Barack Obama in harsh terms:
A group of high-profile Republican strategists is working with a conservative billionaire on a proposal to mount one of the most provocative campaigns of the “super PAC” era and attack President Obama in ways that Republicans have so far shied away from….
“The world is about to see Jeremiah Wright and understand his influence on Barack Obama for the first time in a big, attention-arresting way,” says the proposal, which was overseen by Fred Davis and commissioned by Joe Ricketts, the founder of the brokerage firm TD Ameritrade. Mr. Ricketts is increasingly putting his fortune to work in conservative politics.
A new study released by the Brookings Institution argues that Mitt Romney’s Mormon religion is unlikely to hurt him at the polls in November.
The researchers based the conclusion on an experiment in which people were asked whether they planned to vote for Mr. Romney or Mr. Obama. Some of the respondents were first given information about Mr. Romney’s religion – and in some cases, quite detailed information – while others were given none. Those who received the information first were no less likely to support Mr. Romney.
***
Over at the Savannah Morning News, Larry Peterson has this on the Republican race to challenge U.S. Rep. John Barrow, D-Augusta:
A 12th Congressional District hopeful is ducking an opponent’s claims that he broke federal election law.
Rick Allen says Wright McLeod didn’t fully report expenditures, took donations larger than allowed and stole campaign donor information.
***
Members of the executive and state committees of the Democratic party on Wednesday received this note from Russell Edwards:
”While I intended to stay on board as the Treasurer to help finalize a budget and provide information to Committee members until my replacement was elected, the situation has changed due to circumstances beyond my control.
“My access to the Party’s financial information was terminated last Monday, effectively cutting off my ability to perform my duties. After unsuccessfully attempting to reinstate my access to perform my job for the State Committee, I am left with no choice but to resign immediately.”
The party’s April financial report is due on Monday, which will give everyone a peek at the party’s financial situation.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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177 comments Add your comment
Tweedle Dee
May 17th, 2012
1:27 pm
Truth – No, we don’t have to stand for bad government, wasteful projects and incompetent schools. But that is all that we get with Fulton County. Wouldn’t mind trying our own hands at it for a while. You seem to have lost all hope and impact, which is just what the asylum managers want.
honested
May 17th, 2012
1:32 pm
Tweedle Dee,
As Jason so eloquently stated, the consideration of ‘wasteful projects’ won’t be a concern, because the tax base won’t support them and you guys are too cheap to pay for anything anyway.
LMAO
May 17th, 2012
1:37 pm
Tweedle Dumb are you stupid or just ignorant? Which North Fulton school gave you a diploma cause you definitely didn’t earn one? Roads in North Fulton were built with tax dollars from FIB. The school were built with tax money from FIB which is in S Fulton. Federal money where? State of Georgia? Don’t make me laugh. I guess the street scape in Sandy Spring came from Slo Frank Harris. Man you make blondes look extremely bright.The parks which you speak of don’t exist in South Fulton. The vast majority of the parks were built in North Fulton as were the schools.
Marlboro Man
May 17th, 2012
1:42 pm
South GA gets to vote on this one.
Kris T.
May 17th, 2012
1:48 pm
Can anyone in the Georgia legislature spell ethics reform?
Denise
May 17th, 2012
1:49 pm
So much hate…it’s so sad. Come quick Lord Jesus.
KrystalsBalls
May 17th, 2012
2:06 pm
You will all go down together, because that’s where this whole thing is headed. Enjoy!
Tea party Nut and some GOP Clowns
May 17th, 2012
2:34 pm
control freaks I got to have the power of control. Please can we get alone. when will this end. let’s work together!! we all lose if we keep fighting. Jan please!!
hombre
May 17th, 2012
2:59 pm
where would jesus live? the real one, not my cousin….
The Truth
May 17th, 2012
3:07 pm
So Tweedle Dee you are magically going to vote in the most wonderful, spend thrift, government in the nation? You are delusional. Once a politician gets their hands on the tax dollars you pay and are directed by special interest groups and lobbies, they forget who they represent. It happens on the local, state, and federal level. Why do you think people spend thousands locally and millions of dollars in state and federal elections to get into office? It is not to be a public servant, it is the allure of power, the ability to control, the perks that come with the office, the immediate respect the politician believes they gain, but does not earn. Government is no longer for the people, it is for the politician or the political party.
Connie
May 17th, 2012
3:15 pm
Milton sounds like a neighborhood association filled with the most annoying peeps eva’
hiram
May 17th, 2012
3:19 pm
How many hours did Jim enforce his new rules? It’s like trying to herd cats…
hahahaha
May 17th, 2012
3:32 pm
I mean who are we kidding here. The issues is Black and White. Plain and simp What we need are license plates that depict north or south fulton, so I can know when the bigots are on my side of town.
Intrepidt
May 17th, 2012
3:37 pm
Bobby… I totally and whole heartedly agree! It should be law that NO public “servant” (i.e. any elected official in any capacity, at any level) can accept ANY “gift” from lobbyists, etc. The only reason a lobbyist gives “gifts” (fancy word for BRIBE) is to buy that person’s support for their own special interest…which many times, if not all, has nothing to do with the wishes, or are in the best interest, of the general public who is directly affected. Even the smallest “gift” immediately makes the public “servant” beholding to that lobbyist and the bigger the “gift” the more beholding. This practice totally cheapens the roll of the politician and eventually guarantees their demise as they become more and more greedy. You cannot tell me some folks, perhaps not many, actually get involved in politics just to see what perks they can garner for themselves. So indeed, I agree…NO GIFTS of ANY kind from lobbyists to politicians and if they are found to have accepted these bribes (that is all they are) then they are banned, permanently. Period!
N-GA
May 17th, 2012
3:53 pm
….and all the overhead that goes with another county: county education, board of commissioners, sheriff’s department, water/sewer, yada, yada, yada…….
JF McNamara
May 17th, 2012
4:24 pm
I couldn’t run Fulton. If the majority in that area wanted a Milton county, it would already be in existence. If you don’t want to be here, then we don’t want you. So long as they don’t gerrymander the money for themselves and did it geographically, they can hit the highway.
After they left, I would put a commuter tax on people living in Milton. If you love it so much there, work there. My guess is that they would see the benefits of Fulton to their life then…
red herring
May 17th, 2012
4:27 pm
agree with kyle on the issue of ethics reform. very little ethics can be found in the legislature and
the people elect their legislators to do their bidding not the bidding of the companies/interests who are funneling money/gifts/travel/meals to the legislators to get them to take stances in opposition to their constituents best interests. same with big pharma and doctors—finally the likes of JAMA and the lancet have taken a stance that says that relationship is too cozy….and more importantly not in the best interest of the patient.
Old Glory
May 17th, 2012
4:41 pm
Let everyone in South Fulton pay for their own services and those in North Fulton will pay for their own services. How does that sound?
EN
May 17th, 2012
4:59 pm
I wonder what the ripple effects of this strategy will be for the infrastructure of the city of Atlanta, and in turn the foot print of Fortune 100 companies who call Atlanta their home.
Proud White Clayton County Resident
May 17th, 2012
5:07 pm
What is with all the Clayton County bashing? We do not have a dog in this hunt, so please leave us alone. There are many good things about Clayton County: affordable housing, nice libraries, and friendly people are just a few. Some other points about the Campbell/ Milton county things: 1. Once you cross Campcreek Parkway South Fulton really is “refreshingly rural” 2. The Tri-Cities area around the airport (Hapeville, College Park, and East Point) do have their problem areas, but parts of all three are really going through some intense renewal. I also think it unfair to bash them (having the noise of the world’s busiest airport next door could deter some upscale developers) and 3. Granting Hartsfield/Jackson to South Fulton/Campbell County is laughable because not only is it a wholly owned appendage of the City of Atlanta, it is also 2/3 in Clayton County.
Finally, while I admit that we in Clayton do have our problems, I must point out that I can have a rich full life without EVER entering Milton County (shopping on Upper Peachtree, attending concerts and sporting events, getting a university education, flying to various international and domestic destinations from the airport) but potential Milton County residents would have a very difficult time doing the same without coming into Atlanta proper, South Fulton and yes Clayton County (North Point is no Lenox/ Phipps, there is no international airport or state university in North Fulton) Please consider all crass uneducated future comments and above all leave all of us happy Claytonites out of your rangling. :0)
Rockerbabe
May 17th, 2012
6:19 pm
Tweedle Dee: I do not smoke, never have. I live in Clarkston, Dekalb County and I can tell you without one second thought, that anytime after 7 pm and the entire weekend, Dekalb for the most part is a pleasant place to be. One can drive easily without delays to most destinations.
I used to work in mid-town Atlanta for seven long years. I often worked until 7 pm, so as to avoid all of the traffic from the outlying counties. The weekends in Atlanta proper are quite nice and the traffic is quite manageable. Stop badmouthing the city and Dekalb County. I wouldn’t live anywhere else in metro Atlanta.
Electric_Pink
May 17th, 2012
6:31 pm
The formation of Milton County would be a disaster put on “simmer.” Watch. For those who don’t want any part of Fulton County because they think it’s run incompetently, don’t want to share power, or don’t want to be under a majority black government, so be it. Let them go and screw up in a new county we don’t need and create even more government. Yep, makes perfect sense. White flight and the exodus from anywhere that black people are is nothing new. White people want to control their exposure to blacks and have contact on their terms. Working with them is not really a big deal as long as they don’t have to report to one. Eating the same food at the same restaurants, breathing the same air even. They’ll be entertained by blacks, sure. But they don’t want to live around or worship with them. No laws of integration are going to tell whites who they can be around when they can control the circumstances. I tell you what. Anywhere that black people are not wanted stirs a compulsion for said black people to come right on through. I don’t care if Milton County is formed, if black people want to be there, that’s where they’ll eventually be. The neighborhoods will change, as will the face of government over time. When you try to keep someone under your thumb and out of your neighborhoods, eventually they will push back and you’ll end up with a broken thumb sitting in your little integrated “country club” county wondering what the heck happened. Next thing I know, all the white people will leave metro Atlanta period and form an exclusive government on the moon. But who are going to be your suppressed people?
James
May 17th, 2012
6:39 pm
@Old Glory, that’s been the law for years. North Fulton and south Fulton are in different service districts. It is illegal to transfer funds between them. Interesting that since that law went into effect the people in north Fulton have whined and complained ten times as much about not getting the services they feel entitled to. Wonder why north Fulton suddenly found itself short of funds once the service district laws went into effect?
People, stop trying to talk the Milton wannabes out of having their own county. They’re parasites, ungratful ones at that. Let them destroy themselves.
honested
May 17th, 2012
6:59 pm
Electric Pink and
James
Thanks for thoughtful and accurate information.
Jack in Sandy Springs
May 17th, 2012
7:23 pm
Fulton County is 50% white yet the county workforce is less than 20% white. Why is this? Racism plain and simple. Why doesn’t the AJC do a story on this, all they have to do is request the county’s own monthly EEO reports that break down the employee population by race. The % of white employees has been declining steadily the last 20 years. How many white department heads are there? How many were there 10 years ago? Fulton was best run when Skandalakis was boss and he had that taxpayer assistance lady staffer and the sharp young guy who ran his office. Now I can’t get any info or help and my commissioner should retire and the chair too busy traveling on the taxpayers’ dime.
This is Mrs. Norman Maine
May 17th, 2012
10:15 pm
Where have I heard this end Atlanta/Fulton talk before?
What was his name?
Mitch?
Was it Mitch Skandalakis?
What did he say? Was it “Atlanta, we’re going to kick your @ss”?
How did that work out?
fire eater
May 18th, 2012
7:11 am
The re-creation of Milton County should be a legislative priority of the upcoming 2013 Georgia Legislature. It is CRIMINAL that the tax PRODUCERS of “North Fulton” are being looted by ghetto Democrats of Atlanta for their vote-buying boondoggles.
Black leaders are essentially correct in screaming it’s about race…yep, you urban politicians are about to be forced to fund your schemes from your own constituents. Some justice here with White liberals intown getting a drastically increased tax bill; my advice to them: “ENJOY!”
“North Fulton” and Lower Fulton have as much in common as Sweden does with Somalia.