SWGA Politics

We’ve Gotten Lax[ June 15, 2009 – 10:01 pm]by Jeff Posted in » Editorial

I just got this email from a regular reader:

Jeff,

I was disturbed by the name calling on the local blogs, e.g.:
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State House Bills I Find Interesting (HB 21 – HB 30)[ June 15, 2009 – 5:56 pm]by Jeff Posted in » Commentary

Conclusions:
HB 21: OPPOSE Rating: 1
HB 22: OPPOSE Rating: 1
HB 23: OPPOSE Rating: 1
HB 24: OPPOSE Rating: 5
HB 25: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 26: SUPPORT Rating: 6
HB 27: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 28: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 29: SUPPORT Rating: 9
HB 30: OPPOSE Rating: 1
[Commentary]

The Sign Ordinance: Something To Think About[ June 15, 2009 – 3:00 pm]by Tom Posted in » Editorial

The sign ordinance has been, hands down, the political story in Albany this year.  So far, I’ve seen editorial comments from both local publications and WALB.  I’m not sure if WFXL has gone the editorial route or not as of yet.  With all the voices being heard, you’d think there would be drastic differences in approach, but you would actually be surprised.

WALB was probably the most supportive of the sign ordinance, but still pointed out the silliness of how Code Enforcement officers will knock on your door for having an overstuffed couch on your porch, but APD has been unable to get rid of the criminals milling about the neighborhood.  They even jokingly suggest violating the code enforcement laws in an effort to attract enough attention so that APD wouldn’t even be necessary.  Having lived in a fairly high crime neighborhood for a while, that sounds like a heck of plan.

Between the television station, two newspapers, and this blog, you have to really do something unusual to have us all agree that there’s problems with the sign ordinance.  Well, that’s where we’re at right now. Read More …

Another Health Care Analysis[ June 15, 2009 – 12:00 pm]by Tom Posted in » Editorial, National

There’s a lot of messed up things in this world. One is our nations health insurance system. Medical costs are sky high, and there’s a lot of debate on what to do about it. Frankly, I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with a viable alternative that would solve the crisis without violating my principles. So far, I’ve got nothing.

However, Reason has an interesting article today that really takes a look at health care reform and lays out some facts that proponents of universal health care would do well to understand. Read More …

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington[ June 15, 2009 – 10:58 am]by Bill Waller Posted in » 2010 Campaigns, Editorial, National

Last night I watched the classic movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington starring Jimmy Stewart and directed by Frank Capra. If you have not seen the movie, a senator dies and a new one needs to be appointed by the governor. The governor chooses Jefferson Smith, a man that leads a group of boys in an organization named the Boy Rangers. Through the organization, Smith teaches the boys how great our nation is, and he has a deep respect for our institutions of government. When he arrives in Washington, he writes a bill that would provide a camp for the Boy Rangers. The camp stands in the way of a dam project that had been proposed by the senior senator from the same state. The dam project would benefit a businessman in their home state named Jim Taylor. When Smith refuses to back down, Taylor sets out to ruin him. Threatened with expulsion from the US Senate, Smith uses a filibuster to buy time and save his name.
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Be Careful What You Ask For[ June 15, 2009 – 8:00 am]by Tom Posted in » Editorial, National

It was late 2008. President Bush was on television, explaining how we just had to bail out all these banks by buying up their mortgaged backed securities because if we didn’t, our entire financial system could collapse. We just had to bail them out, or else. That was the first time we heard arguments like “to big to fail” and the point when phrases like “liquidity in the market” entered the mainstream of American though. Businesses clamored for help. The government was only to happy to oblige.

Yep. You should be careful what you ask for. Read More …

Do Associations Matter?[ June 15, 2009 – 7:08 am]by Bill Waller Posted in » Editorial, State

My momma always warned me that I would be judged by the company I kept and she often said that there is guilt by association.

Following the recent presidential election, I have begun to wonder if those old sayings still hold true today or if they simply no longer apply. In the not too distant past, a political candidate that hung out with Tony Rezko, William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, and ACORN would have been toast, but none of those past associations seemed to matter to the voters. Is this the norm today or does this trend only apply to Democrats?
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