Georgia Political Blogwire

updated at 16:48

• A novel explanation for why Sonny Perdue is “helping out” Charlie Crist

  —Peach Pundit

  

  As Tyler noted a few days ago, Senator Saxby Chambliss and Governor Sonny Perdue will host a March 15 fund-raiser at the Georgian Club for feckless Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (pictured) in the latter’s doomed run for the U.S. Senate.

  I [...]

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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 4:33pm EDT
  by Pete Randall

• CL TV: Bela Fleck Africa Project

  —Fresh Loaf

  Anania Ngoliga and accompanist guitarist John Kitime

  
  

  [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 1:16pm EDT
  by TL Pixley

• links for 2010-03-14

  —Confessions of a Political Junkie

  After success of 'Demon Sheep' ad, Fiorina's new ad slams Barbara Boxer Who says the Demon Sheep ad was a "success"? Maybe for comedy writers. Huff-Watch Someone is reading HuffPo so you don't have to. [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 1:06pm EDT
  by Erick-Woods

• Latest on hall of fame spending in the state budget

  —JasonPye.com

  Despite the fact that operations at the Golf Hall of Fame in Augusta has been closed for a couple years now, the state continues to pay for the misguided venture. Now some legislators want to sell the property of the monument to government waste to the city for $1:In [...]

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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:38pm EDT
  

• Lawmakers rush to beat legislation deadline

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Walter C. Jones reports that Monday, college students from across the state plan to demonstrate at the Capitol against budget cuts as a handpicked group of corporate financial experts offer recommendations for trimming spending. Legislators won't be around Monday, but protest organizers had already made their plans by the time' [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:11pm EDT
  

• Lawmakers: We don't know where budget ax may fall

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Walter C. Jones reports that Ben Harbin oversees the writing of the House version of the budget, and he doesn't know what will get the ax. Harbin, a Republican from Evans who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said a day after Gov. Sonny Perdue revised his budget recommendations on Thursday' [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:10pm EDT
  

• Prosecutors, sheriffs oppose state budget cuts targeting GBI agents

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Teresa Stepzinski reports, when someone is murdered, a child is molested or public money goes missing, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents are the first ones South Georgia sheriffs and prosecutors call for help. "Those guys always come running when we need help," said Charlton County Sheriff Dobie Conner, who like [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:10pm EDT
  

• State Senators upset with GDOT’s lack of progress on alternative transportation

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Maria Saporta reports that a pretty amazing resolution was introduced this week that basically describes the Georgia Department of Transportation as incompetent when it comes to developing anything other than highways, roads and bridges. Because of GDOT’s inability to develop alternative transportation modes, the resolution calls for the transfer of [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:08pm EDT
  

• Senators push bill on drug database

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Ashley Speagle reports that Georgia state senators are both supportive and concerned about a bill that would create a statewide electronic database to track prescription drug sales. "We need this because we've got an epidemic in the state of Georgia right now," Sen. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, said. "Over 30 percent'" [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:06pm EDT
  

• Georgia’s budget mess could hurt local health care

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Charles Oliver reports that some plans to deal with the state’s growing budget deficit could take a big bite out of Georgia’s health care system, say local doctors and hospital officials. [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:06pm EDT
  

• Latest on hall of fame spending in the state budget

  —Peach Pundit

  Number of comments: 16
  

  Despite the fact that operations at the Golf Hall of Fame in Augusta has been closed for a couple years now, the state continues to pay for the misguided venture. Now some legislators want to sell the property of the monument to government waste to the city for $1:

  In [...]

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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:05pm EDT
  by Jason Pye

• Halls of Fame seen as drain on state finances

  —Georgia Political Digest

  James Salzer reports that in the midst of a budget crisis, state government will spend almost $500,000 this year to continue paying off a monument to golf that was never built. Now two Georgia senators want the state to give the 17-acre Golf Hall of Fame property to the city [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:03pm EDT
  

• Water transfers would be severely limited under new bills

  —Georgia Political Digest

  S. Heather Duncan writes, identical bills introduced last week in the Georgia House and Senate would severely restrict water and sewer utilities from moving water between river basins, a move that reflects a growing fear that Atlanta will slurp up most of the state’s water supply. Most Georgia rivers, including [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:03pm EDT
  

• Crime scene photos request sparks privacy debate

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Bill Rankin reports that using the Georgia Open Records Act, a Hustler magazine writer recently requested crime-scene photos of Meredith Emerson, the Buford hiker who was stripped naked and decapitated in the North Georgia woods in 2008. Georgia lawmakers acted almost as quickly as the Emerson family. House Bill 1322, [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:03pm EDT
  

• GOP primary candidate speaks in Lee County

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Pete Skiba reports that a candidate for governor in the Republican Party primary election considers talking to voters a job interview. “I’m trying to do a job interview for what may be the most important job available in Georgia this year and that’s to be your next governor,” said Eric [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:02pm EDT
  

• Johnson says employment rate key to budget

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Mark Lastinger reports that Republican gubernatorial candidate Eric Johnson said a steady stream of jobs is the key to restoring the flow of state tax revenue that has slowed precipitously in recent months. Johnson shared his four-point plan to revive Georgia’s economy during a Friday stop at the Times-Enterprise. The [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:02pm EDT
  

• Political Insider: The topic of race and the next fight over abortion

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The Political Insider, Jim Galloway, writes that the state Capitol hasn’t experienced a major confrontation over abortion in five years. That’s about to change. And this time, passions will be stoked even higher by the volatile issue of race. [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 12:00pm EDT
  

• 'Urban farm' bill now ready for some votes

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The editorial board writes, With a word-word here and a tweak-tweak there, the Georgia legislature's House Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs has managed to put together an "urban farming" bill that is worthy of the full Georgia General Assembly's support. As Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Kelly Girtz noted in a [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Book on Georgia politics shows past is prologue

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Larry Peterson writes, Georgia has never had a Legislators With Disabilities Act. But the General Assembly has sometimes functioned as though it did. Indeed, before 1962, the Senate was at times so procedurally challenged that House members crossed over to run its committee meetings. The reason: Georgia's election system guaranteed [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Thompson: Crime scene photo law getting 'better'

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Editorial Page Editor Jim Thompson writes, You'll note the word "better" in the headline for today's column is in quotes. Here's the reason: Reporters and editors like me across the state have a legitimate professional interest - and the public, whether they want to acknowledge it or not, has a' [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Water: A positive step in Georgia

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The editorial board writes that members of the Georgia Legislature and Gov. Sonny Perdue were in a buoyant mood Wednesday following passage of water conservation bills in both the state House and the Senate. The self-congratulatory air, however, is premature. Much legislative and administrative work remains to be done before [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Be counted

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The editorial board writes, Last week, the federal government wasted a lot of precious tax dollars on junk mail. It reminded Americans in a one-page letter to fill out their 2010 census forms, which are expected to arrive in their mailboxes any day. Too bad someone at the U.S. Department [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Getting out to stay in

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The editorial board writes, there was a time, a century or more ago, when politicians felt it was beneath them to campaign lustily for public office. In fact, many candidates would barely go stumping at all, feeling the call to service should be answered with reticence and humility. Compare that [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Sunshine Week: Make secrecy the exception

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The editorial board writes, “Sunshine is the best disinfectant,” Louis Brandeis, U.S. Supreme Court Justice. The esteemed Justice Brandeis was ahead of his time. His observation fits exceptionally well with national Sunshine Week, which starts today. The annual event, launched in 2005, champions and celebrates openness in government. We can [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Another View: Open records imperative

  —Georgia Political Digest

  State Rep. Rob Teilhet writes, Every year, there is legislation that would make it more difficult for Georgians to obtain open records. From bills written to shield economic development deals to bills that make requesting open records more laborious, they all impose restrictions on the public while allowing our government [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Another View: Let’s make great laws even better

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Max Wood, former U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, writes, Open government is crucial to protecting citizens’ fundamental right to know what their elected officials are doing. Open records laws also try to protect legitimate privacy rights. [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Another View: Penalties would be enforced

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Ken Hodges, former Dougherty County district attorney, writes, Government should be open and transparent to the people of Georgia for one simple reason: When those in power ignore the law and they hide it from us, it’s a crime, and all of us are the victims. [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Another View: Safeguards, penalties insufficient

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Sam Olens, Cobb County Commission Chair, writes, A democratic government requires transparent and accountable standards. A democracy lacks principle and credibility without laws that assure full and timely access to open meetings and records. [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Another View: Protecting this right is a priority

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Thurbert Baker, Georgia Attorney General, writes, We all must remain vigilant to ensure that openness in government is maintained and improved. The ability of citizens to know what government is doing with its power and our tax money is the linchpin for holding government accountable. Like many critical rights that [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Essig: Take balanced approach to state budget

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Alan Essig, executive director of the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute, writes, Will Georgia continue to have a world-class university system, so vital for Georgia's economic success? Can our children expect to be educated in vibrant public schools with quality teachers and small classes? Can Georgians throughout the state expect [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Higher ed 'vaccinates' Georgians

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Betty Jean Craige, professor/director of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts at UGA, writes, Fifty years ago, the University of Georgia was not the renowned public research university that it has become. Fifty years ago, UGA did not provide students an excellent education, and it did not produce for [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Alice in Budgetland

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The editorial board writes, instead of running around acting like the proverbial chickens with their heads cut off, the state’s leaders and legislators should simply take a deep breath and then contemplate the navel of their budgetary crisis for a moment. It is born of their own actions, past even [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Unemployment

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The editorial board writes that to cushion the crush of the recession, Congress has repeatedly extended the duration of unemployment insurance until now it's possible to receive benefits for as long as 99 weeks in some states especially hard hit by joblessness. But by the same token, it's also clear [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Graduating to equality

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Ed L. Schrader, president of Brenau University, writes, the jousting in the General Assembly of Georgia this year over state appropriations as a byproduct focused attention on the issue of tuition equalization grants to students who attend private colleges and universities. The program that has been around in Georgia since [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Robinson: Hitting below the Bible Belt

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Geveryl Robinson writes, Do you ever get the impression that some Republicans - namely conservative, evangelical Republicans in the Bible Belt - believe they are the only ones who are Christians? I do. As someone who grew up with parents who are lifelong Democrats and lifelong ministers, it's especially disturbing [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• NEA reacts to Obama plan: “Too much top-down scapegoating of teachers”

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Maureen Downey writes, Among the first reactions to the new Obama plan, this statement from Dennis Van Roekel, president of the 3.2 million-member National Education Association: "We are disappointed by this first effort by the Administration to rectify the considerable problems in the current federal education law..." [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Eberhart: Illegal immigration hurts low-wage minorities

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Inger Eberhart, a member of the board of advisors of the Dustin Inman Society, writes, As an African American, I'd find it quite refreshing to hear "leaders" in the minority community and editorial writers acknowledge the damage done by illegal immigration. The Americans first and most affected by the crime' [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• Survey bodes well for no one

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The editorial board writes, most Americans now believe the federal government has pretty much ground to a halt, and their frustration isn’t directed exclusively at either major party.A McClatchy-Ipsos poll released earlier this month documents statistically what is common-sense obvious to anybody who’s been paying attention: A substantial majority of Americans [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:59am EDT
  

• McKee: 1 cup of turnip blood

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Cartoonist Rick McKee's commentary on Georgia's "budget recipe." [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:52am EDT
  

• The absolute limit

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The editorial board writes, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue said this past week that what we're seeing is a tectonic "government reset." Spot on! His statement that, "We're taking a step back from a lot of things that were nice to do in good times," could not be more simply or [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:52am EDT
  

• It’s time for all of us in Bibb County to get busy

  —Georgia Political Digest

  The editorial board writes the shocking news is starting to settle in with teachers, principals, staff and administration of the Bibb County School System. Four high schools, Hutchings, Northeast, Southwest and Rutland, will receive up to $2 million each for three years to turn the schools’ academic performance, around. Though the [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:46am EDT
  

• Change could speed public's path to Richmond County government files

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Mike Wynn and Johnny Edwards reports that getting access to public documents could become less cumbersome under a new policy being drafted by Augusta's city attorney. The government is expected to unveil changes to an administrative rule that requires all records requests to be routed through the Law Department, something [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:45am EDT
  

• Berkeley Lake residents spar with FEMA over dam

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Shane Blatt reports that more than 100 Berkeley Lake residents packed a town hall meeting Saturday morning for an update on the city's deteriorating dam and the ongoing feud with FEMA over a city-estimated $4 million repair bill. [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:45am EDT
  

• Suwanee offers prizes to promote Gateway

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Heath Hamacher reports that the city of Suwanee will soon use a new campaign — one that involves free prizes — to promote its Gateway, the city’s oldest and largest commercial area. The Suwanee Gateway is a four-square-mile commercial area that boasts more than 300 restaurants, shops and other businesses. [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:45am EDT
  

• Stimulus provides $58 million; Study shows spending averages $610 per person in Floyd County

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Diane Wagner reports that Floyd County institutions and businesses got more than $58 million in direct aid through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to a study by a nonprofit investigative journalism group that tracked the dollars nationwide. ProPublica researchers found the equivalent of $610 for every man, woman [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:45am EDT
  

• Clermont legal fight over library vote could be costly

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Melissa Weinman reports that it may be a case of David vs. Goliath, but Clermont officials say they are prepared to take on the county in a likely costly legal battle over the location of a North Hall library. Hall County has a budget of more than $90 million; Clermont’s [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:45am EDT
  

• County gets update on delinquent tax collections; Hiring outside agency still troubles tax chief

  —Georgia Political Digest

  Jennifer Shrader reports that After the Troup County Commission got an update on the sheriff’s collection of delinquent taxes, Tax Commissioner Gary Wood says he still believes the county made a bad decision by taking the collection out of his office. [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 11:45am EDT
  

• Streetalk: What college has the worst basketball fans?

  —Fresh Loaf

  Enclosure: [download]

  Number of comments: 2
  'Florida is pretty redneck, the worst fans. A lot of trash. They get way too rowdy and are rude to girls. I had a friend that got punched in the eye by a Florida fan.'

  
  

  [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 10:00am EDT
  by Jeff Slate

• Add It Up: Ain’t got a job

  —Fresh Loaf

  Number of comments: 1
  Metro Atlanta's unemployment rate exceeds the nation for the 28th straight month

  
  

  [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 9:43am EDT
  by Thomas Wheatley

• McBerry Responds to Attacks

  —Peach Pundit

  Number of comments: 20
  

  Dear Friends,

  Our Campaign in the governor’s race has now moved to the place for which we have been striving together this past twelve months… some of our opponents in this race and the enemies of liberty which abound are threatened by the phenomenal growth we are experiencing. Those who purport [...]

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  Posted: March 14, 2010, 9:22am EDT
  by Tyler