Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > February > 08 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USNot just a fish bowl, but a fishbowl with a soundtrack
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Other arms reach out to me, other eyes smile tenderly…”
The most crowded fish tank in downtown Atlanta wasn’t at the aquarium on Thursday. The third floor of the state Capitol teemed with different species - thick schools of do-gooders, floating down the hall amid shark-like lobbyists and darting bureaucrats.
Delegates for PTA Day were dressed in bright red. Then there were the Pink Ladies, and a host of guppie-like high school students.
The only one on dry ground was Chuck Leavell, keyboardist for the Rolling Stones and environmentalist, who made a musical appearance in the House chamber to receive an award for hugging trees.
He got us thinking in soundtrack terms. Click here to listen. It’s about eight minutes long, and worth it.
“Georgia, oh, Georgia, no peace I find …”
Leavell’s a great performer, had his audience in his hands as soon as he sat down at a keyboard and launched into “Georgia On My Mind.” When he followed this with “Statesboro Blues,” he even got a few of the women legislators - all Democrats, we note - up on their feet and boogeying.
“Going up to the country, baby, don’t you want to go?”
But the Legislature is a rock concert for workaholics. Even as the sideman found his groove, we spotted a couple of lawmakers in the back of the room using their laptops to check on bills.
Out in the hall, the tunes that blasted from the monitor made great background music for the public advocates, nervous as catfish about PeachCare, and the private interests, sharp as piranhas in a bathtub. But most of them were too busy to stop and listen.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Michael
February 8, 2007 8:31 PM | Link to this
Leavell is not now, and never has been, a member of the Rolling Stones. He has been hired from time to time as a keyboardist for various tours and recording sessions, but so have many other musicians.
By Concerned
February 8, 2007 9:00 PM | Link to this
Peach Care is going broke because too many parents sign up that do not want to pay their family insurance rates through their job. A family of 4 can earn 47,000 a year and still get Peach Care for the kids. You can sign up online and they used to take your income statement, no questions or checking done.
Peach Care is supposed to be for children who DO NOT have access to health care and do not qualify for Medicaid.
These parents cancel their family coverage through their jobs, get single coverage, and put kids on peach care. To fix it the state needs to lower the income requirments and make parents who have access to insurance for their families INELIGIBLE. If they did that, probably 50 percent would not qualify.
The problem is definitely not due to illegal immigrants on “welfare”. I know because I work for the state agency that administers Peach Care
By Fan
February 8, 2007 9:22 PM | Link to this
Chuck Leavell is most certainly a member of the Rolling Stones and has been for 25 years. Check out his webpage if you have doubts. The man is awesome.
By SpaceyG
February 9, 2007 8:41 AM | Link to this
So that (Rolling Stone - singular) wasn’t a typo after all.
It’s a cryin’ shame when folks don’t take time out to hear good music. People with no music in their soul are bound to write-up very bad legislation. Or promote it.
Why does Laura Mallory suddenly come to mind?