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Thursday, January 22, 2009
Cagle: Price of property tax break could be state job furloughs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tim Bryant, the talk show host for WGAU (1340AM) in Athens, had Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle on the air this morning.
In a discussion about the state’s dismal economic situation, Cagle forecast deeper cuts at the University of Georgia — and elsewhere — if state lawmakers are to preserve that $428 million property tax break that Gov. Sonny Perdue has recommended eliminating.
Click here to listen to the entire five-minute interview. But this is the gist:
Cagle: We made a commitment to the homeowners. County commissioners along with city council members have actually sent those bills out. People are expecting to receive those $200 to $300 rebates, or reduction in property taxes. It’s a commitment we’ve made. We need to honor that commitment….Having said that, it’s going to require a $428 million additional cut to the supplemental budget, and that’s going to be very difficult to do, but we’re dealing diligently to get there.
Bryant: The governor says its fiscally impossible to find [that] $428 million.
Cagle: I have great respect for the governor. But I can tell you he and I don’t always see eye to eye, and this is one of those issues that we have a disagreement on. We can cut the budget.
Bryant: Any idea where? The front page story on the [Athens] Banner-Herald today: “Job cuts at the University of Georgia possible in 2010.” Would that be where you find some of the savings?
Cagle: You would certainly be identifying additional furloughs across the board. And that would create significant savings, naturally. Along with that, there [are] the state health benefit reserves that the governor has not accounted for. And there are other pots of one-time money that could be made available.
Photo credit: John Spink/AJC
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Isakson: We need a ‘9/11’ commission to investigate financial collapse
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson is about to pair with Democrat Kent Conrad of North Dakota to back legislation that would creat a 9/11-style commission to investigate what led to the nation’s financial collapse.
The commission would have subpoena powers, and would be authorized to turn over evidence of wrong doing to the Justice Department, Security Exchange Commission, etc.
In the bill, seven appointments to the commission would be divided thusly: Two by President Obama, one by the U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi, one by the House minority leader, one by Senate majority leader, one by the Senate minority leader.
So it’s conceivable that Isakson, who made his fortune in real estate, could find himself on the forensic commission. Note the difference in GOP attitude on this one. In the days following 9/11, the Bush administration egged on Republican opposition in Congress to an investigatory committee.
Not this time.
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The GOP considers its own Obama moment
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Politico has this take on the contest for chairman of the Republican National Committee, which comes to a head this week:
…And with race permeating the electoral landscape, all six contenders are competing to present themselves as the most minority-friendly candidate, the one most able to open up the party to new voting groups.
“I have heard all the candidates talk about it,” said Illinois Committeeman Pat Brady. “That’s where we got killed in the presidential.”
Though Republicans captured just 4 percent of the African-American vote in the last presidential race, two black candidates are vying to lead the GOP: former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.
Steele and Blackwell have not framed their bids in racial terms, and members of the committee say they won’t cast their votes based on a candidate’s race. But to some GOP leaders, the moment looks ripe for a black chairman — especially given the challenges of countering Barack Obama, the nation’s first African-American president.
“If the nation can celebrate the first African-American president, I would think the Republican Party would celebrate if we had the opportunity to celebrate an African-American national chairman,” said Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, who supports Steele.
