SWGA Politics

Come Have a Beer with SWGAPolitics.com and LP-SWGA![ July 31, 2009 – 6:15 pm]by Jeff Posted in » General, Local

Harvest Moon
Aug 28, 2009 (exactly 4 weeks from tonight)
7pm

We’ll keep you posted here if anything changes, but the current plan is just to hang out and drink beer/other assorted beverages, hopefully hear some good live music. Haven’t checked with Bo Henry, so I don’t know what he’s got planned that night, if anything.

Everyone of all political stripes, please feel free to join us!

As transparent as mud[ July 31, 2009 – 3:00 pm]by Bill Waller Posted in » Albany Dougherty County

With everything that’s happened recently, it’s easy to get lost in the details of what everyone has done. Names like Don Buie, Al Lott, LaJuanna Woods, James Taylor, Roger Marietta, and just about anyone else who’s name has crossed the TV screen make easy scapegoats on those grounds enough. However, the root of the problem is much more sinister and much more easily solved.

To start with, let me clarify that I get annoyed by “buzz words”. They tick me off in ways that only a Paris Hilton marathon on every network could possibly tick me off. And yet, I’m about to use one. Read More …

John Monds Needs To Get His Tail in Gear[ July 31, 2009 – 1:30 pm]by Jeff Posted in » 2010 Campaigns

John Monds IS the best candidate for Governor of Georgia in 2010.

I wholeheartedly believe that statement, and I’ve already publicly and privately pledged to do everything I can to help John become the next occupant of a certain mansion on West Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta. I am FIRMLY committed to doing just that.

I personally met John at this year’s Libertarian Party of Georgia Convention, and he really is a GREAT guy and solid Libertarian. He is extremely gracious as well, giving up his South GA Rep position on the LP-Georgia Executive Committee to let me have it. I remember that scene QUITE well, and he could have kept that position if he had wanted to. Honestly, that scene and his actions in it proved to me what a classy guy he is, and admittedly, it plays a significant role in how I think of him. I’ve also talked to him on a few occasions about things both political and not, and I can honestly say I would trust him as much as a close friend.

That said, you don’t hear too much about him on this site. Why not?
[Continue Reading]

Scandal continues to rock downtown[ July 31, 2009 – 8:00 am]by Tom Posted in » Albany Dougherty County

Even with Buie gone, the scandal that just won’t go away continues to rock downtown. In addition to what has already been written here, we find out that Buie only charged a whopping $1 in rent to the Dollar Square. Now that is a deal. Doesn’t it just make one wonder how a business can get a deal like that?

What’s more, Lajunna Woods part in this story just keeps getting deeper. I’m wondering just how far the rabbit hole goes, especially with more missing downtown money. Read More …

Supreme Court Decisions Filter Down Fast[ July 31, 2009 – 6:41 am]by Jeff Posted in » State

Last month, I wrote about the Georgia Supreme Court handing down a decision that basically said that if a teacher has a consensual sexual relationship with a person of legal age, the fact that the relationship was consensual must be allowed as a defense during the trial.

According to my own reading of the decision – and I am NOT a lawyer, you should definitely consult with an official member of the State Bar of Georgia before making any decisions involving matters of law – the Court was not saying that the sex itself was legal, but that consent of the victim was a valid defense, assuming the victim was of legal age to give such consent.

A month and a half later, we already have a case popping up citing this case as precedent. In the new case, reported in today’s AJC, an English teacher in Marietta had sex multiple times with a 17 year old student in April, and both he and the victim claim it was consensual. His lawyer is citing this Supreme Court decision and claiming that “his client’s case should be dropped”.
[Continue Reading]

Lee County Corrupt? Not Really[ July 30, 2009 – 6:53 pm]by Jeff Posted in » Lee County

Monday, Mike Sabot – a FORMER contributor to SWGAPolitics.com – implied that the Lee County Board of Commissioners was corrupt without any proof and without giving the full story. Here, I present the rest of the story – with apologies to the late great Paul Harvey. (See this post on my personal site this morning, because of Mike’s actions today I have made the decision to remove him, effective immediately.)
[And now, the REST of the story]

Don Buie: The Aftermath[ July 30, 2009 – 8:00 am]by Tom Posted in » Albany Dougherty County

As the news crashed on Wednesday regarding Don Buie, it was easy to miss one grant in the mess of all of that. There was a lot there, and it’s only a start. Especially with WALB reporting that Lott asked Buie who “Shanon Lee” was, and Buie revealed what we all already knew: that it was Shanon Buie. Lott asked Buie to resign, and he didn’t.

Easy to miss, except by SWGA Politics readers of course, was the $50,000 grant to Lajunna Woods. Keep in mind the fact that the ADICA board never voted on the grant. Woods, an ADICA board member and owner of L’Jua’s Restaurant, has a bit of a history. Reports have surfaced that Woods’ liquor license was issued illegally due to her proximity to Albany State University. This was before she got her seat on the ADICA board…thanks to Mayor Willie Adams. Read More …

Battle Brewing In 8th Congresssional District DOT Race[ July 29, 2009 – 7:08 pm]by Jeff Posted in » State

There will be a called meeting tomorrow in the Senate Chambers to elect a new DOT Commissioner from the 8th Congressional District after the current Commissioner from that seat resigned a few weeks ago. Why is this important? Due to the geography of that particular district, it can swing to help either metro Atlanta or rural Georgia. Its northern edges are in the southern metro Atlanta area, and its southern edges are in the Cordele/Tifton area.

The candidates include former US Congressman Mac Collins, former state Representative David Graves, former GOP Congressional candidate Calder Clay, and Sydney Ross from Irwin County.

Apparently, Graves resigned his House seat 4 yrs ago after a failed attempt to use legislative immunity did not keep him from getting arrested a couple of times for DUI. Collins, being a former Congressman from the area, has a great deal of political connections. Clay and Graves, both hailing from Macon, are expected to split the Macon delegation, and Ross is expected to have the support of newly elected House Transportation Chairman Jay Roberts (R-Ocilla).

This race could get particularly interesting if no one achieves the required 50% + 1 votes to outright win on the first ballot, and candidates begin to throw their support behind other candidates on the race. At that point, alliances could shift in interesting and potentially unexpected ways, allowing a dark horse to emerge the winner.

With the new House Transportation Chairman having been named earlier this month as a man from South GA, will we now see another South Georgian elected into another key role in state Transportation leadership?

We should find out sometime tomorrow afternoon!

Lee Ferrell Doesn’t Have a Clue[ July 29, 2009 – 6:05 pm]by Jeff Posted in » State

The following is an email Kyle Constable received from Lee Ferrell yesterday in response to the ongoing saga of who in the GOP will challenge Sanford Bishop for the 2nd Congressional District seat.

Negative,
I said I would run it by my people and some people that asked me to run again. Then I would pray about it and let him know. In the closing prayer, which was lead by Don Cole, he thanked the Lord that the problem would be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. That is a bald faced lie that I agreed to withdraw for Mike OR him. . I said Dylan Glen was the game changer and I would step aside for Dylan. Then he goes and and posts on 2010 Georgia Race Tracker than he and Mr. Keown are considering running? So, I posted and referenced my announcement at the April 15th Lee County Tea Party being published in the Albany Herald. I’m sure that has probably been removed by now. Then he tells Cyle, I agreed? And Cyle doesn’t even check with me to see if it is true? The Thomasville paper is aware I had a sit down with Mr. Keown and Don Cole in Americus, Sunday but I did not and would not comment on what transpired. Cyle is young, inexperienced and being played like a fiddle. I forgive him but a shot has been fired across my bow and I will respond to the volly. I hearby FORMALLY announce to South West Georgia Politics that I AM running for the 2010 United States House of Representatives, GA 2 and my thanks to Mike Keown and Don Cole for making me THE major player. “Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead” I am not and will not be intimitdated by politicians. Their bullets are metaphorical. I have looked literal death in the eye many times and I am still here. I could care less about a political death. While I am firing vollies; I was offered a position as Mike Keown’s military adviser if I joined his team. That sir, IS an ethics voilation and not permissible by Federal Election Commissions regulations. He could have offered the position unconditionally but not in exchange for political favors, support, aid, assistance or money. That may be why Don Cole thinks I accepted the offer. Now, ask Don how he thinks his ambush turned out?. If Don had been a combat vet he would have remembered; “Your Kill Zone is also My Kill Zone.”

DEFENSOR FORTIS
Lee R. Ferrell,
SSGT, USAF, PDRL
Republican Candidate 2010
US Congress, GA 2

Kyle has his own comments on this email, which is certainly worth a read, but I’d like to talk about it from my perspective here.
[My Thoughts on Lee Ferrell]

Buie Gone![ July 29, 2009 – 10:55 am]by Tom Posted in » Albany Dougherty County

Sources contacted SWGA Politics indicating that Don Buie has not resigned…he has been fired. I’m not sure how accurate this actually is though, so we will update this as more information becomes available.

UPDATE: Read More …