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By Tom, on July 29th, 2009%
The sign ordinance task force is hoping for public comment to help shape a sign ordinance that will create a “best of both worlds” scenario, one where businesses can compete freely but we still have the beautiful city that’s the hope of all who support the sign ordinance. The first meeting, which will be on August 6, is open to the public and the City is saying that they want public comment.
Of course, if they really wanted the public there, perhaps they shouldn’t be holding the damn meeting at 3:00 on a workday. Continue reading Task force off to an awesome start…and they haven’t even met yet
By Jeff, on July 29th, 2009%
“There should be a law…” is something that I tend to avoid. Quite frankly, we have too many laws as it is, and most of the time when you hear that phrase, what comes next is something that will curtail civil or economic liberties to some degree.
Of course, with that opening paragraph, there is bound to be a ‘but’, and here it is:
From looking at the Official Code of Georgia as available on LexisNexis online, it appears that there is no law requiring local government meetings to be open to the public. This, to me, is despicable. While there may be SOME reason for closed door sessions in certain extremely limited situations, by and large local government meetings should be open to the public.
But there is an equally important issue here, one that I’ve never seen addressed – and the one that resulted in me doing that search of OCGA. You see, I’ve lived in several cities in Georgia spread across each of the State’s lateral zones (north, central, south). In each of those, I’ve noticed the same things happening in every town: local commission meetings are advertised as ‘open to the public’ but are held at times during the workday when John Q. Public is at work and therefore cannot attend. Local media coverage is often spotty, at best, and therefore John Q. Public may or may not be truly informed of the decisions his local leaders are making – decisions that affect his day to day life far more drastically and severely than any decision made at the State or Federal level.
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By Tom, on July 29th, 2009%
Representative John Conyers (D-MI) from Michigan sort of gets it. You see, Conyers asked recently what good was reading the bills before Congress when they’re 1,000 pages and it takes two lawyers to understand them. Now, he was actually mocking those people in this country who have this silly idea that Congressmen should actually do their jobs, but he’s right. What is the point? Continue reading On the cusp of understanding
By Jeff, on July 28th, 2009%
if the powers that be will let it.
You see, apparently, per this post on frequent SWGAPolitics.com commenter Kyle Constable’s blog, there are at least three people vieing for a shot at being the Republican challenger to Sanford Bishop next year.
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By Tom, on July 28th, 2009%
For weeks, Albany errupted with howls of protest. The sign ordinance hit businesses as varied as Harvest Moon and Pier One. They argued that the sign ordinance was killing their business, and they were right. Code Enforcement was lining up for the kill, or so it seemed, and now the Albany economy was going to take the hit. Continue reading Funny how the public critics aren’t on the task force
By Tom, on July 28th, 2009%
Don Buie’s life just got more interesting. WALB reported yesterday that additional checks are being investigated by the GBI, these made out to one “Shanon Lee”, who WALB believes is Buie’s estranged wife. A total of five checks ranging from around $500-$600, totaling $2600. Buie was answering WALB’s Karen Cohilas’ “interoggatories” when Cohilas asked if Shannon Lee was Buie’s wife.
Buie’s mature and professional response? He hung up. Continue reading Say it ain’t so Don
By Publius, on July 28th, 2009%
Note: The following is a letter to the editor of the Gainesville Times written by a friend of SWGAPolitics.com, Kellie Weeks of Gainesville, GA.
As politicians continue to spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need, our children’s futures are wasting away. Every time we turn around, someone from the government is telling us they “need” more money because “revenue” is down. Whether it is local, state or federal, they need to raise taxes to “provide” us with services we “need.” After all, they know what we “need” better than we do, right?
Just last summer, the city school system raised taxes to pay off about $1.5 million of a $6 million debt. At the time, they cut very little, and though it was pointed out to the board that the “tuition program” was being subsidized by taxpayers at a tune of $1.5 million a year, the board would not consider ending it.
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By Jeff, on July 28th, 2009%
In searching for something to write about last night, one of my Twitter friends, terraM, suggested I check out Georgia Political Digest, and its ‘Latest Political News’ page did, in fact, have something that caught my eye.
Per the AJC’s Cameron McWhirter and Aaron Gould Sheinin, professional spies – aka ‘opposition researchers’ – are becoming quite common in national politics, and two GAGOV candidates have hired such people. The two? John Oxendine and David Poythress.
In other words, the guy who has the reputation as having hired thugs working his campaign and the former Air Force Judge Advocate General/ Adjutant General of the Georgia National Guard are thus far the only two GAGOV candidates with hired spies on their payroll.
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By Jeff, on July 27th, 2009%
Conclusions:
HB 81: SUPPORT Rating: 9
HB 82: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 83: SUPPORT Rating: 9
HB 84: SUPPORT Rating: 9
HB 85: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 86: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 87: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 88: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 89: SUPPORT Rating: 6
HB 90: OPPOSE Rating: 1
[Commentary]
By Tom, on July 27th, 2009%
SWGA Politics has just gotten it’s hands on part of the lease for the Dollar Square property. I say part because it’s only one little old page, but it shows the rent that the store pays to ADICA: A whopping $700 per month. Now, this is a property that ADICA pays the county $2,000 per month on, meaning ADICA is subsidizing the Dollar Square to the tune of $1,300 per month.
Now, what took so long getting this? Ah, now there is a story for the ages. It might have been lost, or it might not have been.
You see, I haven’t had a lot of luck getting responses from Don Buie. I’ve left a couple of messages regarding allegations that he was staying in a hotel on the taxpayer’s dime, and never heard back. Granted, Kevin Hogencamp from the Journal did. Carlton Fletcher, from the Herald, apparently didn’t. Apparently, Carlton and myself got the official brush off in accordance with City Manager Al Lott’s directions. Continue reading The Dollar Square’s lease…sort of, and other sundry items.
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State House Bills I Find Interesting (HB 81 – HB 90)
Conclusions:
HB 81: SUPPORT Rating: 9
HB 82: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 83: SUPPORT Rating: 9
HB 84: SUPPORT Rating: 9
HB 85: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 86: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 87: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 88: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 89: SUPPORT Rating: 6
HB 90: OPPOSE Rating: 1
[Commentary]