Geoff Duncan should credit Dems for making Georgia the state it became
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Re: “From Republican lt. governor to Democrat: Loving my neighbor is easier now,” by Geoff Duncan.
I wrote regarding the column by Georgia’s most recently converted Republican or baptized Democrat, depending on your perspective.
We have been “privileged” to see Mr. Duncan’s years-long political evolution play out in this space. It has now culminated in his switching allegiance to the Democrats.
His reasons are many, backed by statistics and tied to quality-of-life issues. I have news for you, Mr. Duncan and people of Georgia: These statistics and issues have been around, in one iteration or another, for decades.
They were around when you were a Republican and when you ran for public office as a Republican. Did you change, did the voters change or did the issues change? For years, you pushed back against solutions for the issues you mention — solutions proposed by Democrats.
Credit: Hand
From Jimmy Carter to Zell Miller, these elected officials led
For you and the uninformed or newly arrived, here are some statistics that could have better informed you when you were contemplating running for public office.
By the start of 1970 Georgia was in no better shape than most other Southern states. For the next 30 years, through the leadership of Jimmy Carter, George Busbee, Zell Miller, Joe Frank Harris, Tom Murphy and many other elected and appointed leaders, Georgia went from a population of 4.5 million to 8 million; and a budget of just over $1 billion to more than $13 billion.
This all happened without tax increases, but with an improvement in quality of life and improvements in numerous areas of society that helped create this explosion of growth. Prudent, successive and quality growth.
By the start of the 21st century, Georgia was one of the unquestioned leaders in the South and had grown to become one of the largest populated states in the country. It was not luck. It followed a game plan: social progress through fiscal responsibility.
We were “loving our neighbor” for years.
This was the legacy you saw when you decided to become politically active.
Yet you shunned it. My guess is you were focused on the national scene and not Georgia. That is and was a mistake many people made then here in Georgia.
Show Democrats why they should embrace you
The Georgia Democratic leadership did not make that mistake. They cared about Georgia and put their energies solely into the needs of Georgia. They were the opposite of “newshounds.”
When I was executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party in the late 1990s, we had a saying for the 1998 elections. It was simply: “Enjoying Georgia, thank a Democrat!” And it could not be refuted.
Yes, to many, and for too many other decades, Georgia and Democrats were a different iteration. But we changed and we are proud of it. As I said, since 1970 (with a nod to Carl Edwards Sanders Sr. prior), Georgia Democrats are who brought Georgia into the 21st century. Yes, I know, unfortunately, their track record since then has been abysmal in running this state or trying to. They, too, have gotten away from the winning game plan.
So, Mr. Duncan, if you want to be embraced by Democrats, it is incumbent on you to say why they should. Many people who have been democrats for years are way ahead of you.
I will say I am glad you finally saw our agenda for what it was. Better late than never.
Steve Anthony worked in the Georgia House of Representatives for 18 years and served as chief of staff to Speaker Tom Murphy from 1981-1995. Gov. Zell Miller appointed him as executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party, where he served from 1995 to 1998. He is a consultant and lecturer at Georgia State University.
