Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2008 > March > 04 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USVanity car tag bill again delayed — amid signs of pushback from transplanted alumni
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Senate Public Safety Committee had been scheduled to take up H.B. 1165, the measure that could bar vanity car tags for those who attended of out-of-state universities.
A meeting had been scheduled for 1 p.m. today, but now it’s been canceled — for a second time. Possibly, we’re seeing the result of an effective lobbying campaign conducted by an impromptu consortium of alumni associations.
Several House members, both Republican and Democrat, have recanted. We’re trying to get a count. Below is one exchange between Thomas Chapman, the retired chairman of Equifax, and state Rep. Ed Lindsey, who now calls his vote for H.B. 1165 a mistake:
Dear Representative Lindsey:
As a Georgia native and tax payer, and former CEO of an S&P 500 company, I resent the Legislature wasting it’s time on a bill dealing with college logos on consumer paid license plates.
Surely, issues like water, education, healthcare, roadways, etc, are more important than worrying about which state allows a schools logo to appear on license plates.
Vote no on HR 1165, and please direct your energies, Rep. Lindsey, on matters of importance. I appreciate your support and action.
Thomas F. Chapman
Chairman and CEO
Equifax, Inc Retired
Nothing like a harsh note one of Atlanta’s former business giants to make an impression. Here’s Lindsey’s reply:
Thomas,
Sometimes under the Gold Dome, we make a mistake. This bill appears to be one of those times.
We focused too much on assisting alumni from our state institutions living in neighboring states and not enough on our own citizens.
After listening to your and others concerns, I believe that this bill should be defeated or seriously amended.
I have asked my senate colleagues to defeat this bill in their chamber and have transmitted your concerns to them.
I thank you for your input on this issue and please contact me on any other issues that you may have.
Sincerely,
Rep. Edward Lindsey (R-Atlanta)
Comments
By DH
March 4, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this
I am a transplanted Atlantan living in Virginia. Here they have college plates for 20 out of state universities, including Georgia Tech., FSU, Auburn, etc. I’m sure the Virginia state DMV is quite happy to take the extra money from all those wanting their college plates. I hope the Georgia state government and the legislature wake up. It’s a money maker!!
By Atlanta Gator
March 4, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this
Nice. Finally, our elected representatives are starting to listen to their own constituents, not purported fans of Georgia universities who live, vote and pay taxes in other states.
By Disbelieving Wrecker
March 4, 2008 1:53 PM | Link to this
DH, I’m an Atlanta native and a Tech grad, and I still live here. Like you, I think it’s amazingly short-sighted that the General Assembly wouldn’t take this free money and run.
The Auburn, Clemson and Florida tags are still in their infancy, with about 10,000 AU plates issued in the last two years, and 1,000 CU and 1,000 UF plates issued in the last couple of months. I’m guessing other ACC and SEC alumni will want to get their own Georgia tags approved, too. These alumni tags have the potential to raise several millions of dollars every year——free money that our legislators would otherwise have to raised by other taxes.
I have yet to meet the first Tech grad who is against these out-of-state alumni plates. This bill seems to be an exercise in misplaced pride by some UGA alumni in the Assembly. Never seems to have dawned on them to dedicate the out-of-state tag money to supporting Georgia state schools. Go figure.
By Dusty
March 4, 2008 2:45 PM | Link to this
Ok, if you want to call this a money making bill, somethng almost unheard of in our lovely Assembly, don’t pass it. Actually it seems like the proverbial much ado about nothing. Thomas Chapman was quite correct about that.
But what’s the great importance here? My alma mater is a university in South Carolina. They send me window stickers yearly to remind me of my great good fortune. If these tag folks want to advertise for their school and themselves, get a STICKER and send your money to your university. They’d like that.
By Tom
March 4, 2008 4:11 PM | Link to this
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Yes, as previously-mentioned, Eric Johnson has once again shown what a dumbass he truly is.
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By Atlanta Gator
March 5, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this
Tom——I hear you, but calling Sen. Johnson a “dumbass” is probably something of an exaggeration. Let’s just say that he and Rep. Fleming are “somewhat misguided” regarding this particular topic.
By George
March 10, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
Please consider the fact that everyone who desires a vanity tag lives in Georgia. Also consider the fact that most got their college education out of state but elected to live, work, pay taxes and vote in Georgia. Georgia corporations recruit students from out of state all the time. We are always looking for ways to entice solid educated people to our state. The fact that House Bill 1165 is even being considered has undermined much of our good will and made southern hospitality, which we claim to possess, a joke. Many people consider the Georgia legislature a laughing stock because of their insistence to pursue irrelevant issues and thus avoiding those things which most Georgians consider important. Why not spend more time on water, commerce, education, the environment, health care and roads. The Georgia legislature always has plenty of unfinished business at the end of every session, why not vote no on house bill 1165 and go back to work.