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Thursday, April 12, 2007
Reading other people’s mail: The exchange that preceded the bust-up over the slavery apology
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Republican-endorsed effort in the Senate to apologize for slavery in Georgia imploded today, following a strange exchange of e-mail between Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson of Savannah and the chamber’s lead Democrat, Robert Brown of Macon.
We have the e-mails, and you’ll read them soon enough. Here’s the context:
Johnson has been working with state Rep. Al Williams of Midway, a Democrat and chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, to refine the wording of the resolution. But Democrats in the Senate had not been involved.
Johnson apparently approached Brown, the minority leader and an African-American, about joining his effort. And Brown, who can be very blunt at times, probably told Johnson what he’s told us — that he sees no value in the issue.
Then came Johnson with his e-mail and a fired-up BlackBerry. We’ve retyped the exchange to put it in chronological order, and have omitted e-mail addresses — the two lawmakers were using their private accounts.
From: Eric Johnson
To: Robert Brown
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2007 6:59:31 AM
Subject: Slavery Statement
I plan to issue this this morning. I think it’s classy and it will be a national story. Do you want to issue it together?
After weeks of research and cooperative bi-partisan negotiations, the Senate Democratic Caucus and I have agreed that no apology is necessary for Georgia’s role in slavery.
Any resolution would simply state the obvious — slavery was wrong and Georgia regrets its participation in it. Such an effort, while well intentioned, would be meaningless.
We cannot change history, but we can work together to make our future one of hope and promise.
Two hours later, Brown tapped out a reply.
From: Robert Brown
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 09:05:16
To: Eric Johnson
Subject: Re: Slavery Statement
Eric,
After our brief conversation a few minutes ago regarding a joint statement on a slavery apology, I reviewed your e-mail.
I do not agree to sign on this statement. Also I want to make clear that the Democratic Caucus has not taken a position on a slavery apology and no one representing the Senate Democratic Caucus has been negotiating on this matter.
The views I have expressed to you are my own. This includes the response I made to the proposed resolution you asked me to review.
Thank you.
Robert
Johnson replied. We have the text of the message, but with no header or time stamp. Just the following:
Robert, please know that we were trying to do the right thing. I never wanted to put you in an awkward situation. I will be releasing a similar statement soon so you may get a call. I will work on phrasing it so that the door isn’t slammed.
At 2:39 p.m., the Senate Press Office sent the following statement over Johnson’s name:
“After weeks of research and cooperative bi-partisan discussion, the Senate Democrat Leader has not made a request that we pursue an apology this year.
If the Democrats are focused on moving this issue forward this year, our door remains open to introduce a bi-partisan resolution as long as it has the support of both the Democrat and Republican leadership.”
The downside of a $140 million property tax break
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just ran into a knot of county tax officials at the state Capitol, and they were uniformly unimpressed by the budget deal between the House and Senate struck this week, which would return $140 million or so to Georgia property taxpayers.
By check, issued by 159 counties to property owners.
Phillip Hogsed, chief appraiser for the Cobb County Board of Tax Assessors, said postage alone will cost county government $55,000. Paid for by county taxpayers.
Pam Register, tax commissioner for Schley County, said the distribution doesn’t make much sense to her. The law calls for her and other county officials to make the payments to those who own property in 2006. But the land might have changed two or three times since then, she said.
Who gets the check?
Betty Story, tax commissioner of Sumter County, said it would make better sense to distribute the money as property tax credits in next year’s bills.
Ah, but then taxpayers couldn’t see the tax break they’re getting. And the proper politicians wouldn’t get the credit.
UPDATE: We just learned that the House and Senate are discussing the possibility of adopting Ms. Story’s suggestion, and putting the tax break in the form of a tax credit applied to this year’s property tax bills, which are usually issued in late summer.
Eric Johnson balks on slavery apology — says he needs Senate Dems to ask for it
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An interesting, official statement just popped into the in-box.
Said Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson of Savannah:
“After weeks of research and cooperative bi-partisan discussion, the Senate Democrat Leader has not made a request that we pursue an apology this year. If the Democrats are focused on moving this issue forward this year, our door remains open to introduce a bi-partisan resolution as long as it has the support of both the Democrat and Republican leadership.”
Looks like Johnson wants to hear from Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown of Macon, before he moves the apology statement toward a floor vote. Heretofore, the Republican Senate leader has had state Rep. Al Williams a black Democrat from the Savannah area and chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, as his partner.
We don’t know whether Brown, who is also African-American, will accept Johnson’s invitation. The last time we talked to Brown about the slavery apology, he said that — to his mind — the issue wasn’t worth a bucket of warm liquid.
That’s our phrasing, not his.
At high noon on April 26, we’ll find out who’s really running in the 10th
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Secretary of State Karen Handel today set April 24-26 as the qualifying period for the special election to fill the 10th District congressional seat made vacant by the death of U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood of Augusta.
Qualifying that Tuesday and Wednesday will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursday, the hours are 9 a.m. to noon. It’ll cost the candidate a fee of $4,950 — which may weed out a few of the names we’ve been batting around for several weeks.
The election is June 19, and the run-off, if necessary, will be July 17. Voters in the 21 counties covered by the district have until May 21 to register.
TABOR resolution set aside for the year?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UPDATE: This evening, State Sen. Chip Rogers, sponsor of the bill, sent the following message:
“The House Ways & Means Committee was nice enough to schedule a hearing on SR 20. I asked sub-committee Chairman Tom Graves if we could wait until next week. I had too much on my agenda for today and could not appropriately present this important measure to committee members. I appreciate the House for giving me this opportunity to present the resolution and look forward to answering any of their questions.”
ORGINAL POST: We’re told that a House Ways & Means subcommittee has canceled a hearing on S.R. 20 that had been scheduled for this morning.
This is the legislation sponsored by state Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) to put a constitutional cap on spending. The anti-tax crowd that came to support it is a little miffed that a) the hearing isn’t being held; and b) no one will tell them exactly why.
Two reasons immediately come to mind: a) House GOP leaders want to wrap all tax-reform related bills into next year’s session — except for that property tax rebate agreed to this week; or b) they think the proposed constitutional amendment would tread on the constitutional powers of the House, which are based on control of the budget.
Looks like the race for state GOP chairman is over, one month early
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Next month’s state Republican convention in Gwinnett County may have just been robbed of its last shred of drama.
The Marietta Daily Journal reports today that Anthony-Scott Hobbs, radio talk show host and former Cobb County party chairman, has bowed out of the race for state party chairman.
That leaves longtime GOP activist Sue Everhart of Cobb County, a close ally of U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, the only announced candidate. She’s already wrapped up every endorsement in sight, from Gov. Sonny Perdue to — gosh! — Isakson.
Hobbs just wrapped up his four years as chairman of the Cobb GOP, said a pending marriage and financial pressures led him to drop out. “I understand it’s a full-time volunteer job and at this junction in my life - these are my earning years,” Hobbs told the MDJ.
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Surprise! Paper ballots declared unmagical
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Did you see this piece on the paper-ballot pilot project in Georgia?
People liked the idea of a receipt they could hold in their hands. But a return to hand-counting of ballots is rife with expensive complications. Cobb County officials, for example, estimated it would take 120 days and $520,000 to manually audit its 191 precincts.
And in smaller, rural precincts, vote-counters could easily figure out who voted for whom.
Secretary of State Karen Handel, elected last year, says she’ll proceed with caution. “Clearly, we need to continue to evaluate paper audit trail technology,” she said.
Handel now sounds very much like her predecessor, Cathy Cox. The pre-‘06 version.
Cox expressed skepticism about the use of paper ballots — until she ran for governor. Makes you wonder whether all those heart-felt expressions of support for paper ballots last year, by both Republicans and Democrats, were just so much pandering.
