Georgia Receives Over $12 Million From Feds For Transit Projects

The Office of Vice President Joe Biden just released a statement detailing over $600million in new awards to 42 states for transit projects.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced funding for 191 new Recovery Act transit projects in 42 states and Puerto Rico that will help transform the nation’s infrastructure and support thousands of jobs across the country.

“Investing in these transit upgrades not only puts construction workers on the job at project sites, but supports American manufacturing jobs all the way down the supply chain,” said Vice President Biden. “At a time when jobs are priority number one, that means twice the employment bang for the Recovery Act buck.”

“Because of transit projects being built with money from the Recovery Act, thousands of people can pay their mortgages or their rent, make their car payments, put food on the table for their families and maintain their quality of life,” said Secretary LaHood.

Below is how the $12,054,893 in transit funding for Georgia was allocated:

Cobb County Community Transit	$244,880	Additional funds for Cobb Community Transits paratransit facility and Surveillance cameras.
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Agency	$2,260,703	Operating Assistance
Henry County Board of Commissioners	$120,000	Construction of a Lube Shop; misc. shop equip.
Georgia Department of Transportation – Office of Intermodal Programs	$3,233,800	Purchase 1 40ft. replacement bus, 3 replacement buses and 2 expansion buses; bus refurbishing, fare collection equip., ITS equip., surveillance and sec. equip.
Georgia Regional Transportation Authority	$636,298	Operating Assistance
Georgia Department of Transportation – Office of Intermodal Programs	$4,887,532	Purchase 21 Vans, 13 Shuttle Buses, and 2 Intercity Buses. Bus shelters; Computers systems, Automatic Vehicle Locator/Mobile Data, Security cameras, Communications System; misc. shop equip; Bus terminals; multimodal facility
Chatham Area Transportation Authority	$449,039	Operating assistance
Cherokee County Commission	$4,761	Additional support to purchase Miscellaneous Communications Equipment
Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners	$217,880	Operating assistance
State Total	$12,054,893

Savannah Morning News to Congressmen: Vote No On ObamaCare, Partie Deux

Friday, the Savannah Morning News editorial board let the world know where it stood on President Obama's latest health care reform bill.

They're opposed.

President Obama, unfortunately, is pushing for an all-or-nothing vote in Congress on his badly flawed health-care reform plan. While we share his love of Southern cooking, which he astutely displayed during this week's visit to Savannah, we oppose his taste in changes that will affect a sixth of the nation's economy.

WE ENCOURAGE Savannah's congressmen and Georgia's two senators to stand firm on their "no" votes against Obamacare.

Savannah Morning News (2010-3-5). Obamacare II: Answer still 'no'. Savannah Morning News. Retrieved on 2010-3-5.

From the backroom deals to the negotiations behind closed doors, nothing about this health care reform debate has gone right.

Most Americans could not say what is in the latest bill proposed by the President. Even folks like me, who have experience reading legislation, find it difficult to understand the health care bills working their way through Congress.

President Obama seems to have embarked on a quixotic quest to pass anything so that he can claim to have done something about health care in this country. What the President should do instead is slow down and get this thing right the first time.

There is no doubt that health care reform is needed. However, the President's current methods of achieving victory may result in him losing the war.

Guest Blogger: State Rep. Margaret Kaiser On College Education Cuts

Fighting For Our Future
By Rep. Margaret Kaiser

Georgia’s education system is under attack again. This time, our higher education system is the target. The Governor’s proposed budget has already cut $264 million from the state’s higher education system. Last week, Republican leadership ordered the University System’s Chancellor Erroll Davis to come up with a detailed plan to cut up to an additional $300 million.

This is simply unacceptable. We cannot cut our way out of this dire financial situation.

The budget cuts will eliminate 2,500 faculty and staff jobs. With Georgia’s unemployment rate over 10 percent, Georgia cannot afford to lose another 2,500 jobs. Over 500 courses at Georgia Tech will be eliminated and Georgia State University’s Brookhaven campus will be closed. The budget cuts mean the end of UGA’s statewide 4-H program and half of its county extension offices. Incoming freshman classes will be drastically reduced and transfer students will be turned away from UGA. An estimated 500 students will be forced to change majors or transfer elsewhere, possibly out of the state. For those who do not lose their jobs, their salaries will certainly be cut and tuition will skyrocket.

These budget cuts do more than hurt Georgia in the short-run. There are serious long-term implications for cutting $600 million from higher education. How can Georgia compete in a global economy with cuts like this? How can we expect our children to be prepared to enter the job market if our higher education system is so drastically underfunded?

My Democratic colleagues and I, like you, are shocked by the proposal. We must fight for Georgia’s students. It is our state’s obligation to provide adequate education for our children. These budget cuts do not do that. It’s time to stand up for our children and speaking out against this assault on higher education.

State Representative Margaret Kaiser (D - Atlanta) represents the 59th district in the Georgia House of Representatives. Kaiser was first elected to the legislature in 2006.

Secretary of State & Red Cross Teaming Up For Capitol Blood Drive

Thursday, Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced a partnership with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive at the State Capitol next week.

The blood drive will take place on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in State Capitol Room 216.

For more information on giving blood, or to schedule an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code “gasc” or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

Congress Needs To Take A Pay Cut

Tuesday, Arizona Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick introduced a bill that would cut the salary of Congress by 5% [Lorber, Janie (2010-3-3). Congressional Pay Cut Gains Support. The Caucus. Retrieved on 2010-3-4.].

In her remarks on the House floor, Kirkpatrick said, "Every day this country is falling deeper in debt. Today we owe more than $12.4 trillion, and by 2016 our debt could be as much as $20 trillion. After more than a decade of mistakes and neglect by both parties, Washington can no longer afford to ignore this issue.

"It is time for Congress to get serious about getting Federal spending under control. We should start with our own salaries."

Republicans have been screaming at the top of their lungs that we need to reign in this out-of-control government spending; that we need to balance the federal budget; that we need to make the tough choices and cut where necessary. Certain Democrats, mainly the Blue Dog Coalition, have been making these same demands as well.

Now it's time for Congress to (pardon the pun) put their money where their collective mouths are.

To the members of Georgia's congressional delegation, when are you going to sign on to this legislation? When are you going to put your money where your mouth is and take a voluntary pay cut?

I don't believe the founders of this great nation intended on elected officials to make a living off of serving the people. The primary job of an elected official is to represent the people, not make money.

Now don't get me wrong, making money is good. But to make money while the country is going under almost equals the big corporate bonuses that most everyone has railed against.

Get the debt under control. Get spending under control. Then once that's taken care of, worry about getting paid.

Ballot Access Bill Hits House Committee Monday

Let's talk about House Bill 1141. The legislation, sponsored by state Rep. Bobby Reese (R - Sugar Hill), would reduce the number of signatures needed for an independent or political body candidate to obtain ballot access.

H.B.1141 is supported by a Georgia Libertarian Party candidate for Secretary of State [Libertarian David Chastain Fires a Broadside in Support of SB 359 and HB 1141 Bludgeon & Skewer. Retrieved on 2010-3-4.].

David Chastain rightly notes that Georgia has some of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation. If an individual is not a Democrat or a Republican, well then good luck running for office in this state.

Right now, Georgians only have two choices at the ballot box; a Democrat or a Republican. And that's not right. If an individual wants to run for office, then they should be able to run without having to jump through the dozens of hoops put in place by the major political parties to maintain their power.

Monday, March 8th, a House Governmental Affairs subcommittee is holding a hearing on H.B.1141. The hearing begins at 2PM in room 605 at the Coverdell Legislative Office Building. This meeting is the first step; a step that all legislation must take before it becomes law.

Voters in Georgia deserve more choice at the ballot box, and H.B.1141 is a way to achieve that.

Reactions to Obama's Health Care Speech [UPDATE #3]

Wednesday afternoon, President Obama delivered a speech calling on Congress to pass his health care bill "in the next few weeks."

Members of Georgia's congressional delegation are beginning to react to the President's remarks.

[UPDATE #3]: 4th district Congressman Hank Johnson issued the following statement in reaction to President Obama's speech on health care reform -

"President Obama’s proposal includes the best ideas from across the political spectrum. Now it is time for Congress to unite and pass reform once and for all.

This is about lowering premiums, reducing the deficit and covering the uninsured. By expanding coverage and providing subsidies for low-and-middle income Americans, we will make our system fairer and spread risk so the poor and sick get the care they need. By rewarding care that makes Americans healthier, not care that maximizes profits, we will control premium costs.

Lives are on the line. I remain confident we will succeed.”

Brian Robinson, spokesman for Lynn Westmoreland (R - Georgia), said, "Lynn's voting no, of course."

"Americans will not react well to pushing this through the Congress when they’ve spoken out so clearly against this plan," Robinson continued.

[UPDATE #2]: Brenda Jones, spokeswoman for John Lewis (D - Georgia), said that while she wasn't sure Congressman Lewis heard all of the President's remarks, she was certain that the 5th district U.S. Representative felt the nation must take action on health care.

"[Congressman Lewis] believes health care is a right and should not be a privilege for only those who can afford it," Jones said. "I am certain he will be seeking to pass the best possible health care reform legislation we can muster at this time in Congress. He also believes we cannot stop there. He will continue to work on this issue until this nation provides access to health care to all of its citizens."

[UPDATE #1]: Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-GA), Co-Chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus, released the following statement today after the President’s press conference on health care -

"What the President announced today were a small collection of meaningless platitudes designed to garner a few more Democratic votes. It was by no means a bipartisan olive branch, particularly when Democratic leaders still plan to manipulate Senate rules to try and pass health care reform by a simple majority vote to avoid regular order. The simple fact remains that 73 percent of Americans don’t want the current health care reform proposal to pass. All the speeches and legislative maneuvering in the world cannot change that inconvenient truth."

As the reactions come in, I'll post them here.

Communications Workers Endorse Hodges For Attorney General

Wednesday afternoon, the Ken Hodges campaign announced that they received the endorsement of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), Local 3201.

Roger Todd, president of the Albany, Ga.-based affiliate of North America’s largest telecommunications labor union, says that Hodges, the former District Attorney for Dougherty County, is the Democratic candidate he wants to keep Georgia’s working families safe.

"We know the great work Ken Hodges has done for Albany as its District Attorney," Todd said. "And we appreciate Ken’s stellar performance advocating for Dougherty County’s crime victims. We’re proud to support him."

The Communication Workers of America represents 730,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada’s labor sectors, both public and private, and it claims nearly 1,700 chartered local union affiliates.

"I’m humbled by the CWA Local 3201’s endorsement, and I’m grateful for their support," Hodges said. "Every day the local’s hardworking members do their all to keep this state running on track. That’s a lead I’ll be honored to follow as Attorney General."

GOP Labor Commissioner Candidate Says Obama Costing Georgia Jobs

State Rep. Melvin Everson (R - Snellville), the lone Republican running for Labor Commissioner, is on the attack today blaming President Obama for Georgia's record-setting unemployment rate.

"Obama’s unreasonable and unworkable policies of national energy taxes and the federalization of our healthcare systems are contributing factors to Georgia’s unemployment problems," Everson said. "The big-government mentality is helping to cripple all businesses – large and small – and it is costing us jobs and hurting families."

A report released by the state Dept. of Labor Wednesday said that unemployment 10.4% for the month of January [Morris, Mike (2010-3-3). State unemployment at record high in January. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved on 2010-3-3.].

Everson said the high number of unemployed Georgians proves that it is time for a new direction in the state Labor Department.

"We need to create an environment where small businesses and innovative companies locate and grow right here in Georgia," Everson said. "We need to work with all of our available economic development and education outlets to foster that entrepreneurial sprit statewide."

Remarks by President Obama on Heath Care Reform

The White House released the full text of the President's remarks on health care reform Wednesday afternoon.

Thank you so much, all of you, for joining us today. And I want to thank Julie, Barbara, Roland, Stephen, Renee, and Christopher, standing behind me -- physicians, physicians assistants, and nurses who understand how important it is for us to make much needed changes in our health care system.

I want to thank all of you who are here today. I want to specially recognize two people who have been working tirelessly on that -- on this effort, my Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius as well as our quarterback for health reform out of the White House, Nancy-Ann DeParle.

We began our push to reform health insurance last March, in this room, with doctors and nurses who know the system best. And so it’s fitting to be joined by all of you as we bring this journey to a close.

Last Thursday, I spent seven hours at a summit where Democrats and Republicans engaged in a public and very substantive discussion about health care. This meeting capped off a debate that began with a similar summit nearly one year ago. And since then, every idea has been put on the table. Every argument has been made. Everything there is to say about health care has been said and just about everybody has said it. So now is the time to make a decision about how to finally reform health care so that it works, not just for the insurance companies, but for America’s families and America’s businesses.

Now, where both sides say they agree is that the status quo is not working for the American people. Health insurance is becoming more expensive by the day. Families can’t afford it. Businesses can’t afford it. The federal government can’t afford it. Smaller businesses and individuals who don’t get coverage at work are squeezed especially hard. And insurance companies freely ration health care based on who’s sick and who’s healthy; who can pay and who can’t. That's the status quo. That's the system we have right now.

Democrats and Republicans agree that this is a serious problem for America. And we agree that if we do nothing -– if we throw up our hands and walk away -– it’s a problem that will only grow worse. Nobody disputes that. More Americans will lose their family's health insurance if they switch jobs or lose their job. More small businesses will be forced to choose between health care and hiring. More insurance companies will deny people coverage who have preexisting conditions, or they'll drop people's coverage when they get sick and need it most. And the rising cost of Medicare and Medicaid will sink our government deeper and deeper and deeper into debt. On all of this we agree.

So the question is, what do we do about it?

On one end of the spectrum, there are some who've suggested scrapping our system of private insurance and replacing it with a government-run health care system. And though many other countries have such a system, in America it would be neither practical nor realistic.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are those, and this includes most Republicans in Congress, who believe the answer is to loosen regulations on the insurance industry -- whether it's state consumer protections or minimum standards for the kind of insurance they can sell. The argument is, is that that will somehow lower costs. I disagree with that approach. I'm concerned that this would only give the insurance industry even freer rein to raise premiums and deny care.

So I don't believe we should give government bureaucrats or insurance company bureaucrats more control over health care in America. I believe it's time to give the American people more control over their health care and their health insurance. I don't believe we can afford to leave life-and-death decisions about health care to the discretion of insurance company executives alone. I believe that doctors and nurses and physician assistants like the ones in this room should be free to decide what's best for their patients.

Now, the proposal I put forward gives Americans more control over their health insurance and their health care by holding insurance companies more accountable. It builds on the current system where most Americans get their health insurance from their employer. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. I can tell you as the father of two young girls, I would not want any plan that interferes with the relationship between a family and their doctor.

Essentially, my proposal would change three things about the current health care system. First, it would end the worst practices of insurance companies. No longer would they be able to deny your coverage because of a preexisting condition. No longer would they be able to drop your coverage because you got sick. No longer would they be able to force you to pay unlimited amounts of money out of your own pocket. No longer would they be able to arbitrarily and massively raise premiums like Anthem Blue Cross recently tried to do in California -- up to 39 percent increases in one year in the individual market. Those practices would end.

Second, my proposal would give uninsured individuals and small business owners the same kind of choice of private health insurance that members of Congress get for themselves -- because if it’s good enough for members of Congress, it’s good enough for the people who pay their salaries.

The reason federal employees get a good deal on health insurance is that we all participate in an insurance market where insurance companies give better coverage and better rates, because they get more customers. It's an idea that many Republicans have embraced in the past, before politics intruded.

And my proposal says that if you still can’t afford the insurance in this new marketplace, even though it's going to provide better deals for people than they can get right now in the individual marketplace, then we'll offer you tax credits to do so -- tax credits that add up to the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in history. After all, the wealthiest among us can already buy the best insurance there is, and the least well off are able to get coverage through Medicaid. So it's the middle class that gets squeezed, and that’s who we have to help.

Now, it is absolutely true that all of this will cost some money -- about $100 billion per year. But most of this comes from the nearly $2 trillion a year that America already spends on health care -- but a lot of it is not spent wisely. A lot of that money is being wasted or spent badly. So within this plan, we’re going to make sure the dollars we spend go towards making insurance more affordable and more secure. We’re going to eliminate wasteful taxpayer subsidies that currently go to insurance and pharmaceutical companies; set a new fee on insurance companies that stand to gain a lot of money and a lot of profits as millions of Americans are able to buy insurance; and we're going to make sure that the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share on Medicare.

The bottom line is our proposal is paid for. And all the new money generated in this plan goes back to small businesses and middle-class families who can't afford health insurance. It would also lower prescription drug prices for seniors. And it would help train new doctors and nurses and physician assistants to provide care for American families.

Finally, my proposal would bring down the cost of health care for millions -- families, businesses, and the federal government. We have now incorporated most of the serious ideas from across the political spectrum about how to contain the rising cost of health care --- ideas that go after the waste and abuse in our system, especially in programs like Medicare. But we do this while protecting Medicare benefits, and extending the financial stability of the program by nearly a decade.

Our cost-cutting measures mirror most of the proposals in the current Senate bill, which reduces most people's premiums and brings down our deficit by up to a trillion dollars over the next two decades -- brings down our deficit. Those aren't my numbers; those are the savings determined by the Congressional Budget Office, which is the Washington acronym for the nonpartisan, independent referee of Congress in terms of how much stuff costs.

So that's our proposal. This is where we've ended up. It's an approach that has been debated and changed and I believe improved over the last year. It incorporates the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans --- including some of the ideas that Republicans offered during the health care summit, like funding state grants on medical malpractice reform, and curbing waste and fraud and abuse in the health care system. My proposal also gets rid of many of the provisions that had no place in health care reform -- provisions that were more about winning individual votes in Congress than improving health care for all Americans.

Now, despite all that we agree on and all the Republican ideas we've incorporated, many -- probably most -- Republicans in Congress just have a fundamental disagreement over whether we should have more or less oversight of insurance companies. And if they truly believe that less regulation would lead to higher quality, more affordable health insurance, then they should vote against the proposal I've put forward.

Now, some also believe that we should, instead of doing what I'm proposing, pursue a piecemeal approach to health insurance reform, where we tinker around the edges of this challenge for the next few years. Even those who acknowledge the problem of the uninsured say we just can't afford to help them right now --- which is why the Republican proposal only covers 3 million uninsured Americans while we cover over 31 million.

The problem with that approach is that unless everyone has access to affordable coverage, you can't prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions; you can't limit the amount families are forced to pay out of their own pockets. The insurance reforms rest on everybody having access to coverage. And you also don't do anything about the fact that taxpayers currently end up subsidizing the uninsured when they're forced to go to the emergency room for care, to the tune of about a thousand bucks per family. You can't get those savings if those people are still going to the emergency room. So the fact is, health reform only works if you take care of all of these problems at once.

Now, both during and after last week's summit, Republicans in Congress insisted that the only acceptable course on health care reform is to start over. But given these honest and substantial differences between the parties about the need to regulate the insurance industry and the need to help millions of middle-class families get insurance, I don't see how another year of negotiations would help.

Moreover, the insurance companies aren't starting over. They're continuing to raise premiums and deny coverage as we speak. For us to start over now could simply lead to delay that could last for another decade, or even more. The American people, and the U.S. economy, just can't wait that long. So, no matter which approach you favor, I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health care reform.

We have debated this issue thoroughly, not just for the past year but for decades. Reform has already passed the House with a majority. It has already passed the Senate with a supermajority of 60 votes. And now it deserves the same kind of up or down vote that was cast on welfare reform, that was cast on the Children's Health Insurance Program, that was used for COBRA health coverage for the unemployed, and, by the way, for both Bush tax cuts --- all of which had to pass Congress with nothing more than a simple majority.

I, therefore, ask leaders in both houses of Congress to finish their work and schedule a vote in the next few weeks. From now until then, I will do everything in my power to make the case for reform. And I urge every American who wants this reform to make their voice heard as well --- every family, every business, every patient, every doctor, every nurse, every physician’s assistant. Make your voice heard.

This has been a long and wrenching debate. It has stoked great passions among the American people and their representatives. And that's because health care is a difficult issue. It is a complicated issue. If it was easy, it would have been solved long ago. As all of you know from experience, health care can literally be an issue of life or death. And as a result, it easily lends itself to demagoguery and political gamesmanship, and misrepresentation and misunderstanding.

But that’s not an excuse for those of us who were sent here to lead. That's not an excuse for us to walk away. We can’t just give up because the politics are hard. I know there’s been a fascination, bordering on obsession, in this media town about what passing health insurance reform would mean for the next election and the one after that. How will this play? What will happen with the polls? I will leave it to others to sift through the politics, because that’s not what this is about. That’s not why we’re here.

This is about what reform would mean for the mother with breast cancer whose insurance company will finally have to pay for her chemotherapy. This is about what reform would mean for the small business owner who will no longer have to choose between hiring more workers or offering coverage to the employees she has. This is about what reform would mean for middle-class families who will be able to afford health insurance for the very first time in their lives and get a regular checkup once in a while, and have some security about their children if they get sick.

This is about what reform would mean for all those men and women I’ve met over the last few years who’ve been brave enough to share their stories. When we started our push for reform last year, I talked to a young mother in Wisconsin named Laura Klitzka. She has two young children. She thought she had beaten her breast cancer but then later discovered it had spread to her bones. She and her husband were working and had insurance, but their medical bills still landed them in debt. And now she spends time worrying about that debt when all she wants to do is spend time with her children and focus on getting well.

This should not happen in the United States of America. And it doesn’t have to.

In the end, that's what this debate is about. It's about what kind of country we want to be. It's about the millions of lives that would be touched and, in some cases, saved by making private health insurance more secure and more affordable.

So at stake right now is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem. The American people want to know if it's still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future. They are waiting for us to act. They are waiting for us to lead. And as long as I hold this office, I intend to provide that leadership. I do not know how this plays politically, but I know it's right. And so I ask Congress to finish its work, and I look forward to signing this reform into law.

Thank you very much, everybody. Let's get it done.

Hope Continues To Fade For Mass Transit In Clayton County

28 days from now, Clayton County will be without a bus system resulting in patrons having to find another way to work or school. Adding insult to injury, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) announced Tuesday that a plan to add three Xpress buses in Clayton was shot down by the Federal Transit Administration.

The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) announced Tuesday that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has shot down a proposal to add three new Xpress bus routes in Clayton County, following the March 31 demise of the county’s C-TRAN bus service.

The news of the FTA’s decision filtered into the Clayton County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday. During the meeting, the board voted 4-0 — with Commissioner Michael Edmondson not present — to approach U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) to ask him to use his influence to intervene in the FTA’s decision to deny CMAQ funding for the new Xpress routes.

Hall, Joel (2010-3-3). Plan to add Clayton Xpress routes denied. Clayton News-Daily. Retrieved on 2010-3-3.

Sadly, David Scott can't do much to stave off the end of mass transit in Clayton County.

The local county commission has made it clear that they have no intention to keep the bus system running. The legislative delegation continue to miss the obvious solution --authorizing MARTA in Clayton County-- and instead keep waiting on the state to pass a transportation plan.

Without the support of the local elected officials, what can a Member of Congress do?

Barrow, Bishop & Marshall Co-Sponsor Balanced Budget Amendment

Tuesday, U.S. Representative Bobby Bright (D - Alabama) introduced an amendment to the Constitution calling for Congress to produce a balanced budget every year [Allen, Jared (2010-3-2). Blue Dogs offer balanced budget amendment to deal with debt. The Hill. Retrieved on 2010-3-3.].

Three Georgia Democrats --John Barrow, Sanford Bishop and Jim Marshall-- signed on as co-sponsors to the legislation.

"Fiscal conservatives have pushed a balanced budget for years, and there is no better time to act on this important goal," Bright said in a news release. "Balancing the budget will force Congress to make tough decisions, and to achieve a balanced budget, we must begin to cut spending. I strongly believe enacting and adhering to the Blue Dogs’ proposals will help achieve the goal of living within our means and bringing fiscal responsibility back to Washington."

Washington needs to get spending under control. A balanced budget amendment is a good step.

Only a Sith, George W. Bush or Organized Labor deal in absolutes

"If you are not with me, then you are my enemy."

-Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

"You're either with us or against us in the fight against terror."

-President George W. Bush, November 6, 2001.

"Regardless of your party affiliation, if you're not with us, you are against us."

-Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), March 2, 2010.

It is extremely rare for me to venture into national politics on a site with the name, "Georgia Politics Unfiltered." However, recent comments and actions by the organized labor community compelled me to do so.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the labor unions intend to send a message to Democrats like Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. That message being, "if you are not with us, you are against us." [Hananel, Sam (2010-3-2). AFL-CIO sends a message with rebuff of Lincoln. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2010-3-3.] The AFL-CIO is now opposing the re-election bid of Blanche Lincoln simply because she did not vote with them 100% of time (although her overall voting record shows that Lincoln is a pro-union U.S. Senator) [SOURCE: Issues2000.org fact sheet on Blanche Lincoln].

Democrats and activists on the left went through this exercise in 2006 when they challenged Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman in the primary. The end result was Ned Lamont winning the battle, but losing the war; and Joe Lieberman having no reason to show loyalty to the folks who tried to take his job.

Blanche Lincoln is a good Democrat, and it is a shame that her friends have turned on her just to prove a point.

I never thought the day would come when organized labor would adopt the same philosophy of the bad guys in Star Wars and George W. Bush. But it has happened.

Let this be another lesson that can be learned from Star Wars:



Only a Sith, George W. Bush or Organized Labor deal in absolutes.

Hank Johnson Gets His Photo-Op With President Obama

Earlier today, I talked about presidential photo-ops; and how the right picture could give a candidate the edge over their competitors.

Hank Johnson, the Congressman from Georgia's 4th district, was on-board Air Force One as President Obama traveled to Savannah for another stop on the White House to Main Street tour. Johnson was rewarded with a picture of him and the President bounding down the steps of Air Force One en route to a speech announcing more details of the Homestar Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program.

Wednesday morning, Congressman Johnson's constituents will open their newspapers, see the Associated Press photo pictured above and suddenly, the already high stock of Hank Johnson will go through the roof.

The 4th district of Georgia is one of the most Democratic districts in the state. President Obama won the district handily in the 2008 presidential primary, and he continues to receive high marks from voters there.

The image of Johnson and Obama departing the presidential plane will have the intended effect of suggesting to 4th district voters that --among other things-- Hank supports Obama, and Obama supports Hank.

In a race that features a former DeKalb County CEO and a sitting DeKalb County Commissioner, Hank Johnson's picture with the President likely increased the edge he has over his opponents. It's likely that voters will see the picture again on campaign literature later this year.

[Photo By Alice Keeney/Associated Press]

Does A Presidential Photo-Op Help Bishop, Porter Or Thurmond?

Among the big news stories in Georgia today is President Obama's visit to Savannah as part of his White House to Main Street tour.

The White House Press Office released a list of elected officials who will be attending the President's remarks at Savannah Technical College. Among those listed are 4th district Congressman Hank Johnson, 2nd district Congressman Sanford Bishop, Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond and House Democratic Leader DuBose Porter.

Of the ten politicos expected to be in attendance, four are either running for higher office or locked in tough bids for re-election. Does a photo-op with President Obama help any of the four candidates running for office this year?

A photo-op with the President may help a person like Hank Johnson in his campaign for another term in Congress. Obama carried the 4th district by large numbers in both the 2008 Democratic presidential primary and the General Election. For someone like gubernatorial candidate DuBose Porter or possible lt. governor candidate Michael Thurmond though, a picture with the President might hurt them in the General Election when Republicans and independents vote.

A recent Insider Advantage Georgia poll shows that Georgia gives President Obama a job approval rating of 41%. Numbers like that may be too much of a burden for Sanford Bishop who faces stiff competition from Republican state Representative Mike Keown.

New Poll: Most Democrats, Republicans Undecided On Gubernatorial Candidates

Insider Advantage Georgia released a new set of polls Tuesday that shows most Democrats and Republicans are undecided on their Party's choice for governor.

In the race for the GOP nomination, 36% of those questions say they are undecided. On the Democratic side, 48% are undecided.

Here are the numbers:

The Republican primary survey was conducted Sunday night and includes results from 946 registered, likely voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The results:

John Oxendine: 27%
Karen Handel: 13%
Nathan Deal: 9%
Eric Johnson: 7%
Other: 8%
Undecided/No Opinion: 36%

The results from 664 registered voters who said if the election were held today they would choose a Democratic ballot:

Barnes: 36%
Baker: 7%
Porter: 3%
Poythress: 2%
Other: 4%
No opinion/Undecided: 48%

Towery, Matt (2010-3-2). Oxendine, Barnes Continue To Lead In Gubernatorial Primaries. Insider Advantage. Retrieved on 2010-3-2.

On Milton County, Some Folks Just Don't Get It

In Monday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, reporter Ralph Ellis touches on the movement to re-form Milton County as part of a larger article detailing the animosity between three newly-created cities and Fulton County government.

Ellis writes, "Five years after the first new city emerged, there are enough accusations, counterclaims, lawsuits, secession threats and racial overtones to create a permanent municipal divide. People aren’t polite when discussing their differences. They’re angry and combative." [Ellis, Ralph (2010-3-1). No love lost between Fulton, cities. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved on 2010-3-2.]

People, in Fulton County, have a reason to be angry and combative. Nothing about Fulton County works.

Now, that great representative of the people, Bill Edwards, says that the creation of the new cities and the movement to resurrect Milton County is all about race.

The Milton County movement smacks of racism, as did the creation of the northside cities, said Bill Edwards, a Fulton County commissioner.

“People seem to treat us differently,” said Edwards, who represents Fulton’s southside.

I disagree.

Milton County has nothing to do with racism. Milton County has everything to do with Fulton County being too big for its britches. Milton County has everything to do with creating smaller government that is closer to the people it serves. That's why these new cities were created.

This is a fact that is backed up by Steve Rapson, the city manager of Union City:

"If the citizens of Sandy Springs, Johns Creek and Milton thought they’d been heard, I don’t think those cities would be in existence today," Rapson told the AJC.

If Fulton County worked the way it was intended; if Fulton County operated similar to the way Fayette County operates, does anyone really think people would have jumped at the chance to start from scratch with a new city? Does anyone think those same people would be clamoring for a new county?

Starting new government is hard work. Creating new government involves a lot of heavy lifting. It would be much easier to keep the current government that is in place, but when that government no longer functions, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish that government and institute new government, "laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

That is not my opinion. That is the essence of the Declaration of Independence; that the powers of the government is derived from the consent of the governed. The people of north Fulton worked within the system for a very long time. Now they have withdrawn their consent to be governed by Fulton County. And they feel that their only alternative is to create new cities and a new county.

Sadly, there are folks who still don't get it. They say the secession movement in Fulton County is about nothing but race. However, I suggest to those reading this that if you talk to the people who voted to create the new cities and are backing the move to re-create Milton County, race will be the last thing that enters that conversation.

Obama Visit To Savannah Includes Tour Of Small Business And Local College

Later today, President Obama will visit Savannah for the next stop on the White House to Main Street Tour. The President is scheduled to depart the White House at 9:45AM and arrive in Savannah at 11:35.

Below is President Obama's full itinerary:

9:45AM -
The President departs The White House en route Andrews Air Force Base

10:00AM -
The President departs Andrews Air Force Base en route Savannah, GA

11:35AM -
The President arrives in Savannah, Georgia (Hunter Army Airfield)

11:55AM -
The President tours Savannah Technical College

12:30PM -
The President delivers remarks on jobs and the economy

1:20PM -
The President tours a local manufacturing facility

2:50PM -
The President tours a local small business

3:40PM -
The President departs Savannah, Georgia en route Andrews Air Force Base

[SOURCE: White House Press Office]