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DEL.ICIO.USCagle and Richardson play good cop, tough cop
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last Friday afternoon was a time for comparison and contrast in Georgia politics.
Two of Georgia’s most influential education organizations were gathered at the Renaissance Waverly in Cobb County. One statewide group represented school superintendents, the other was made up of school board members.
Upper management, in other words. Not rank-and-file.
Late in the day, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glenn Richardson made back-to-back appearances. Cagle, all smiles, was there to reassure. Richardson was not.
The lieutenant governor said nothing to make news. The House speaker brought his own video crew to record his attempt to persuade a hostile audience that it’s time to end property taxes.
Cagle spoke first, and was a study in affability. The lieutenant governor, who has expressed doubts about the speaker’s effort, did not do so here — not with Richardson in the audience, waiting his turn.
At least, not directly.
But Cagle did make reference to the state’s soft economy. Critics say such downturns are a weakness in Richardson’s plan to shift state funding toward a consumption tax.
And in plugging his own push for charter school systems, which would allow schools to bypass much state regulation, Cagle also emphasized the need for educators to call their own shots.
“I’m convinced that local control is the answer to education,” he said. Another triangulation.
Because Richardson’s consumption tax would be collected — then dispersed — by state government, the loss of local control is another worry expressed by opponents.
Cagle received the standing ovation that Richardson would not. The lieutenant governor, elected statewide, clearly likes to be liked.
But Richardson must curry favor only with his Paulding County district, and 100 or so Republican lawmakers. He can afford not be liked.
If Cagle was the mommy figure on Friday, lavishing praise and encouragement, Richardson was the daddy — distant but demanding, and perfectly willing to endure unpleasantries along the way.
“I’ve been jeered, I’ve been snapped at. I’ve been told I was wrong. I’ve been told that I was not wise or prudent,” Richardson said in his wind-up.
The news in Richardson’s speech was that he would narrow the scope of his plan to eliminate the property taxes that underpin counties, cities and school systems.
At least for now, cities and counties would get a pass. His chief target, Richardson told the people who write the budgets for Georgia’s school systems, would be the property taxes that fund Georgia’s school systems.
One-third of Georgia’s school systems are engaged in a lawsuit against the state that complains of unequal funding. Richardson said his plan would fix that.
Many school systems are struggling under the burden posed by the children of illegal immigrants. Richardson said his sales tax would make them pay.
“One million or so Georgians — well, they’re not really Georgians, they’re not U.S. citizens — but they reside in the state of Georgia and they pay no Georgia income taxes and very rarely do they pay any direct property taxes,” Richardson said.
The House speaker has cast himself as the agent of difficult but inevitable change. If he doesn’t do it, someone else will.
“Right behind me, there’s somebody else that wants to be speaker, that thinks they can do it differently. Right behind you there’s another person that wants to run for school [board],” the Richardson said. “It’s the American way, and we better listen and be ready to change.”
The cost of being that agent of change could be steep. Ask any Old Testament prophet.
People of a certain age will remember a unique way we once described the headstrong and uncompromising. “He’d rather be right than president,” we’d say.
We do not know what Richardson’s ultimate ambitions are. But judging by Friday’s performance, he’d rather be right than governor.
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Comments
By Darrell
December 2, 2007 9:18 PM | Link to this
Thank goodness for Officals like the Speaker, who are willing to be disliked to state that the “status quo” is not working and then ofering a solution not just smiles and platitudes like our Spineless Lt Gov., who is more concerned with being liked than rocking the boat. History books are full of those who chose to rock the boat. It remembers very few who where just liked.
By Darrell
December 2, 2007 9:18 PM | Link to this
Thank goodness for Officals like the Speaker, who are willing to be disliked to state that the “status quo” is not working and then ofering a solution not just smiles and platitudes like our spineless Lt Gov., who is more concerned with being liked than rocking the boat. History books are full of those who chose to rock the boat. It remembers very few who where just liked.
By Tom Paine
December 3, 2007 10:14 AM | Link to this
Why is this guy the Speaker? He is just plain mean and that isn’t the public face that the Georgia Republican Party needs. He’s going to end up costing them rather than helping. Although he only has to appeal to his local voters, he’s pitting the representatives who will be forced to vote for his plan against their local school boards. His hardheadedness is going to cost some folks their seats — wait and see.
By anonymous
December 3, 2007 12:01 PM | Link to this
Tom Paine, I don’t know if the Speaker is mean or not, but I can tell you that I once had an email exchange with him where he told me that I was a “typical Democrat” because I had dared to disagree with his opinion on an issue. I reminded him that as the Speaker of the House he represented ALL Georgians and had an obligation to hear their views without name-calling. He replied with some further schoolyard tactics that were really beneath the dignity of his office.
By sm
December 3, 2007 2:02 PM | Link to this
The Speaker is a big baby, and always has been. In the long run, he will hasten the republican control of the state, and help the dems come back earlier than they should.
His poor attitude, temper, and affinity for women other than his wife will prevent him from seeking higher office.
By AGL Girl
December 3, 2007 3:03 PM | Link to this
SM - you better be talking about me cuz Glenn baby said I was his one and only!