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Friday, June 20, 2008
A state senate seat opens up in Tifton
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Word spread quickly late Friday that a superior court judge in Tifton decided not to seek re-election, and state Sen. Joseph Carter has decided to run for the post. He’s to qualify Monday.
Here’s the Tifton Gazette version of events.
Carter was unopposed for his senate seat. This would mean a special election, I think. Or a new qualifying period. Even the experts aren’t sure. “We will be in touch later as to the process for replacing him,” wrote Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson in a note to his colleagues.
Don’t know who would be interested in Carter’s seat, but the name of state Rep. Austin Scott comes to mind.
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Words didn’t fail him. He just didn’t need many.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Garland Pinholster resigned from the state Transportation Board two months after news broke that two Department of Transportation employees have accused him of sexual harassment.
Pinholster’s a man of few words. Look for yourself.
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The socio-economic side of up-and-down lake levels
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State Rep. Carl Von Epps (D-LaGrange) is pointing to the racial aspects of the U.S. Corps of Engineers’ control of lake levels in the Chattahoochee River chain.
Epps, invoking his role as the founding president of 100 Black Men of West Georgia, has written a letter of complaint to the commander of the Mobile District that governs the waters. On his legislative stationary.
In the June 2 letter, the lawmaker points out that the West Point Lake area includes a large number of African-Americans and poor people. And the bouncing water levels are depriving them of a reliable source of recreation.
Here’s a section of Epp’s message:
Due to its proximity and use of access, the lake provides substantial and in most cases the only opportunity for outdoor recreation such as picnicking, swimming, fishing, hiking and camping to the segment of the society surrounding West Point Lake that falls within a definition of minority and low-income populations….
But at the same time, the Corps of Engineers has utilized West Point Lake “as its workhorse” to provide for other demands throughout the river basin, while ignoring the original authorized purpose of recreation, and the needs and expectations of minority and lower income households in west Georgia and east Alabama….
Epps details his primary interest here:
Our non-profit has a lease on 31 acres with a one and one-half mile of shoreline on Lake West Point, with anticipation of providing camping, day and night retreat activities for our inner city youths… Although we are still in the planning stage, our potential is hampered by the uncertainty of [the] lake level.
