Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > December > 13
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Democrats were cooking up a deal for a commuter rail line
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Talked to House Minority Leader DuBose Porter this afternoon about assertions by Gov. Sonny Perdue and his new transportation commissioner, Gena Abraham, that the state’s road-building operations are in disarray.
Porter was skeptical, and said he required more evidence. He also said poor execution is less of a problem than the absence of a transportation policy. “If there’s anything been lacking it’s a state vision of where we’re going to be 10 years from now,” he said.
But the Dublin legislator admitted that the governor’s accusations could freeze discussion of a statewide or regional sales tax, which business types say is needed to fix metro Atlanta’s congestion.
Yet here’s the interesting part:
In the run-up to last month’s election for DOT commissioner, Porter led the House Democratic caucus to join ranks with House Speaker Glenn Richardson, who supported state Rep. Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain).
Porter said Democrats obtained commitments from Smith for a “multi-modal transportation center” in downtown Atlanta, and for a commuter rail line to Lovejoy. “We said we’d use our influence in Washington to achieve funding for both. We brought something to the table,” Porter said.
Sorry about that Rio Grande reference, says Carroll County chairman
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In today’s Carrollton Times-Georgian, the chairman of the Carroll County commission formally apologizes for another commissioner’s use of the word “wetbacks” at a work session earlier this month.
“I apologize to the Hispanic community and to anyone who was offended by the statement,” Chairman Bill Chappell wrote. “I do not believe Commissioner [Bill] Head had any intent to offend anyone and he has confirmed that with me.”
The newspaper said Head also released a statement, but it doesn’t sound like an apology.
“I made that statement hoping to voice my belief that we need to close our borders to all illegal immigrants,” the 82-year-old Head wrote. “This is the reason for the statement, and was in no way intended toward legal people.”
At a Tuesday work session, Head had said that his county needed additional courtrooms because “of all the criminals moving in from Atlanta, and all the wetbacks coming up from down south.”
We assume, but can’t confirm, that the criminals moving in from Atlanta — obviously won over by Carrollton’s admirable quality of life despite the difficult commute — were included in the statement of regret.
Note to our loyal commentators: We do not condone the use of ethnic slurs, either by politicians or bloggers. Don’t make us delete you.
Planning ahead: Ron Paul’s heir?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Guess which presidential candidate expects to benefit if Republican candidate Ron Paul loses the GOP primary and resists running on the Libertarian Party ticket instead?
Close, but no cigar. It’s Cynthia McKinney.
The former Georgia congresswoman and ex-Democrat is running for president on the Green Party ticket and believes she can woo some of Paul’s supporters should he fizzle out early, according to this report at Reason.com, a Libertarian website.
McKinney, who moved to California shortly after she lost her congressional seat for the second time in 2006, has been making campaign stops, mainly on college campuses, in New York, Illinois, Wisconsin and elsewhere.
During a stop in Iowa, McKinney talked about the kinship between Greens and Paul’s supporters. Both attract independent thinkers who eschew the two major parties, she said, according to the website.
“In most places my audiences have been small on the Green side,” she said, “and large on the independent thinking side.”
Hola, boss. That’s it, you’re outta here!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rep. Tom Price, a Roswell Republican, introduced legislation Wednesday that could generate pink slips for employees across the country who don’t speak English.
Price’s “Common Sense English Act” would amend the Civil Rights Act to allow employers to require workers to speak English while on the job.
Price said that a bill that’s likely to find an appreciative audience in Georgia, where immigration legislation ignited a firestorm earlier this year, is necessary to “productivity and success in America.”
“English is the language that unites our society and keeps our economy,” Price said in a statement. “Denying employers the right to promote our national language in the workplace only encourages division and creates troublesome misunderstandings.”
Is this really the time for honesty?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a jobs program in Marietta.
The Pentagon is once again trying to shut down the Marietta production line of the F-22A Raptor and Georgia’s congressional delegation has once again launched a preemptive strike to save the plane. And this time they’re wielding the sword of truth.
Top Pentagon officials may say they don’t need the Raptor to win wars, but Georgia lawmakers wrote to Defense Secretary Robert Gates to assure him that dumping the Raptor would endanger national security, encourage America’s enemies and cost 25,000 Americans, 3,000 in Marietta, their jobs.
Congressmen aren’t usually that up-front about their true concerns - jobs back in their districts - when it comes to saving weapons programs the military says it doesn’t need. Many weapons programs, in fact, are often designed to include contractors and sub-contractors from as many congressional districts as possible to ensure the program’s longevity.
In their letter to the defense secretary, the Georgians mostly talked weapon-system talk about “fifth-generation” fighter lines, “supercruise” and “rigorous campaign-based analysis.”
But the bottom line, they said, is they want the Pentagon to build 60 more Raptors after the current three-year contract for F-22As - won by the Georgians against Pentagon resistance - runs out in 2010 to keep local voters working.
The $5 billion price tag of those planes, the Georgians said, would keep 25,000 Americans working, provide business for about 1,000 contractors in 44 states and help about 75,000 other people who would benefit “indirectly.”
How many of the 75,000 work and vote in Georgia is not known.
Permalink | |
Services »
