Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2009 > February > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USPerdue on new transportation authority: No more reliance on ‘13 gerrymandered districts’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glenn Richardson in tow, Gov. Sonny Perdue this afternoon unveiled, not the details, but the theory behind his proposed creation of a State Transportation Authority.
Copies of the bill are still hard to come by, but here’s a copy of the flow chart. This time, because it’s authorized, we can provide a color version.
The membership of the authority has changed to 11 members, up from seven, with five appointments going to the governor, who also gets to name the Secretary of Transportation.
The constitutionally created state Department of Transportation would be reduced to a hand-servant.
The governor spoke for some 20 minutes, but two things quickly became apparent. First, Perdue felt personally burned by this experience with the DOT and his “Fast Forward” program meant to expedite backlogged road projects. Instead, the initiative went billions of dollars over budget and fell years behind schedule.
Said Perdue:
“There’s a long-held belief that the solution to that transportation need is simply to spend more money. And I probably fell into that trap early on…I believe we have been funneling money into a poorly devised system, process, with a broken delivery system.”
But the most provocative thing Perdue said touched on the divvying up of road cash. As stated before, the fight over this measure is likely to be based on geography — metro Atlanta versus every other part of Georgia.
The 13 members of the DOT board are chosen by congressional district, which guarantees some spreading of the sugar. Said Perdue:
“This [new] system is geared toward maximizing the transportation network as a whole, not divided up into 13 gerrymandered districts that change every 10 years.”
Here’s GPB’s “The Lawmakers” on Perdue’s press conference:
Not long afterwards, elections for three DOT board seats were held in the state Capitol. State Sen. Eric Johnson had this concise evaluation in a Twitter he posted this afternoon: “3 DOT elections (but will they matter?)”
Photo credit: Elissa Eubanks/AJC
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Comments
By Voter#490752
February 19, 2009 7:30 PM | Link to this
Georgia’s Constitution Article IV, Section IV creates the State Transportation Board “composed of as many members as there are congressional districts in the state. “The member of the board from each congressional district shall be elected by a majority vote of the members of the House of Representatives and Senate whose respective districts are embraced or partly embraced within such congressional district meeting in caucus.” Such a transportation “authority” if done properly would require passage of a constitutional amendment, and a chance for voters to decide.
By BonevilleJacket
February 19, 2009 8:26 PM | Link to this
If I’m not mistaken, weren’t those “gerrymandered” districts drawn by Republicans?
Also, like the previous commenter said, this sort of change will require a Constitutional Amendment, which will require strong bipartisan support. Those congressional district-based elections are one of the few effective means that democrats have political control in this State. I don’t think they are likely to give that up without some serious concessions.
By BonevilleJacket
February 19, 2009 8:31 PM | Link to this
If I’m not mistaken, weren’t those “gerrymandered” districts drawn by Republicans?
Also, like the previous commenter said, this sort of change will require a Constitutional Amendment, which will require strong bipartisan support. Those congressional district-based elections are one of the few effective means that democrats have political control in this State. I don’t think they are likely to give that up without some serious concessions.
By RSC
February 19, 2009 8:32 PM | Link to this
Is GDOT dysfunctional or is it the Governer? Six years ago Perdue unveils his Fast Fwd program. Basically GDOT would build 20 years worth of road projects in 6 years. Surprise, it didn’t work. Last year he ordered GDOT to be audited. The result of the audit did not find any evidence of fraud. They did find some accounting errors but the MAJOR problem was the Fast Fwd Program. You can’t fund twenty years worth of projects in 6 years. GDOT has plenty of problems that can be fixed but Perdue’s plan has nothing to do with improving project delivery. This is an attempt to give the Governer, Lt. Governer and the Speaker direct control of GDOT. If this plan passes rural Georgia will suffer the consequences. Most of the funding will go to the Metro Atlanta area. As the state legislators consider Perdues plan I hope they remember how well the Fast Fwd. Progerm worked.
By aaron humes
February 19, 2009 8:51 PM | Link to this
BonevilleJacket - NO.
The last map was drawn by judges because democrats gerrymandered them so bad. The majority party (whatever it is) elected in 2010 gets to gerrymander the next one.
By BigPoppa
February 19, 2009 10:03 PM | Link to this
If the good people of GA can’t see through this one………
By Vote
February 19, 2009 10:15 PM | Link to this
Big Poppa the problem is so many people are stuck in gridlock they blame the DOT rather than the governor Purdue WHO drained the DOT. And Gena spent too, the new DOT building is like the Taj Mahal.
What gets me “IF” this does pass. John Oxendine had to get elected to be commisioner of insurance, Tommy Irvin had to be elected the Agriculture commsioner. Why does Purdue get to give a job like Secretary of Transportation to someone, of course it will be Gena Evans his cronie? A job that big should be voted on by the voters its our money? And that person would have more power, you would want the best person for the job. Not the person given the job.
By DaddyJ
February 19, 2009 10:28 PM | Link to this
It was democrats who were trying to hold onto power that gerrymandered the maps, not republicans…thank you very much.
It was democrats that set up the crazy dot board elects as well. It was also rural democrats like Gov. Joe Frank Harris that proposed the “GRIP” to build rural highways all over the state and Reps like Speaker Tom Murphy and Jimmy Skipper that insisted on a “congressional balancing” funding formula to provide the money build those shiny new roads everywhere but Atlanta.
There’s pleny to blame republicans for, but at least get your facts right.
By Chris Broe
February 19, 2009 11:59 PM | Link to this
Facts? you kiddin’ me? FACTS? dont talk about facts. You kiddin’ me? FACTS? If you bring up facts our assembly will explode. The voters will recant every vote they ever made. If you bring up facts and truth and justice and reality then our political system is finished.
Woody Allen directed a scene in “Annie Hall” where some loud-mouth professor, in line to see a movie, is bragging about his knowledge of a certain author’s work.. Woody rudely interrupts the professor, and brings forth the author, who discredits the professor’s opinion, thus ruining any chance the professor had of getting laid that night, (his date was hot, too, so it was a shame).
Then Woody turns to camera and sez, “Wouldn’t it be great if life were like that?”
I hope you don’t get laid tonight, sir.
By HMLR
February 20, 2009 11:02 AM | Link to this
I am willing to bet that after yesterday’s election of Rep. Bobby Parham will change the chances of this bill passing. This bill is NOT about how the DOT doesn’t get anything, etc. It is about Sonny Perdue not wanting to have to deal with the six board members who have consistently voted with the legislature, their bosses. Specifically, I imagine he wants to get rid of dealing with one particular board member from NW GA. Back to Rep. Parham, why on earth would the Speaker now go with this bill when he just won yesterday control of the Board with the Parham election? Why give that to a lame duck Gov and someone to date who has a zero record of success on transportation? I dont think so. Lets bet this bill goes to a study committee where it should die. Oh, will bet too that Gena won’t be head of any new transporation authority. Afterall, where was she yesterday at this press confernce.