SWGA Politics

Closing the Consent “Loophole”[ November 30, 2009 – 9:19 pm]by Jeff Posted in » Legislation

Last Friday, I wrote about State Rep (and Attorney General Candidate) Rob Teilhet saying he wanted to close the loophole in regards to teachers having sex with students being able to use the fact that it was consensual as a defense when charged with sexual assault of a person in custody.

I said then and I maintain that I have ZERO problems with the teacher in question losing their license to teach. I’m even willing to allow – though I’m not completely sold on this – that it should be a crime to begin with. ALL I am saying is that if a person is charged with sexual assault under this statute, the fact that the sex was consensual SHOULD be a valid defense that SHOULD be allowed at trial – as the Supreme Court of Georgia said last summer.

I just wanted to get my position on the matter crystal clear before going into the meat of this post. You see, there is already a bill that attempts to close this “loophole” – State Rep Kevin Levitas’ HB 886 pre-file.

Also please remember that, as always, this commentary is SIMPLY opinion-based commentary from a “civilian” with absolutely no legal training whatsoever. If you need legal advise on the subject matter at hand, PLEASE contact a member of the State Bar of Georgia!
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Excuses are easy, action is what matters though.[ November 30, 2009 – 8:00 am]by Tom Posted in » Editorial

Everywhere I go, I have a tendency to listen to people around me. Yeah, it’s evesdropping, but it’s also one of the best ways to find out what people are actually talking about. I hear plenty of celebrity gossip, and quickly dismiss it. Personally, I could care less about Amy Winehouse or Angelina Jolie unless she’s got a cool new movie coming out. But all to often, I hear excuses for all kinds of things. Read More …

Should Local Law Enforcement Patrol Federal Highways?[ November 30, 2009 – 6:35 am]by Jeff Posted in » Legislation

If you drive on the Interstates very much at all, you’ve seen city cops sitting on them with the radar guns out. Most drivers deem these as “speed traps”, and they probably are. State Senator Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) has pre-filed a bill that would end this practice, at least somewhat.

I’ve been thinking about it, and doing some basic research, and honestly I’m torn on the measure. The way I read the section of US Code Seabaugh’s bill references, Seabaugh’s bill would do quite a bit more than just ban the City of Forsyth Police Department from sitting on I-75 – just as an example there.
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Are GA Leaders Costing Georgians Jobs?[ November 29, 2009 – 6:41 am]by Jeff Posted in » Legislation

Georgia leaders like to talk about how they are bringing jobs to Georgia, especially under this economic climate. DuBose Porter has one plan and Republicans in the General Assembly consistently talk about how proud they are of their own efforts this past session with the passage of the JOBS Act.

But I ran into a dirty little secret over the past few days, one which State Rep Jeff Mays was kind enough to point out to me was part of Georgia Law.

You see, I like to do most of my Christmas shopping online. Quite frankly, I’m not such a fan of the crowds on Black Friday or pretty much any day between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and most stores offer the same deals online as you get in the physical store. So I get the same price with nowhere NEAR the hassle. As an added bonus, if I shop online I don’t have to pay sales tax. But that is where the dirty little secret comes in.
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Are GA’s Bullying Laws Strong Enough?[ November 28, 2009 – 6:43 am]by Jeff Posted in » Legislation

State Rep Mike Jacobs genuinely doesn’t think so – but he wants to talk about it.

Currently, “bullying” is defined in the OCGA as:

(1) Any willful attempt or threat to inflict injury on another person, when accompanied by an apparent present ability to do so; or

(2) Any intentional display of force such as would give the victim reason to fear or expect immediate bodily harm.

Rep Jacobs, at the request of some of his constituents, would like to add a third part to the definition to state:
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Do Teachers Not Deserve Equal Protection Under the Law?[ November 27, 2009 – 11:00 am]by Jeff Posted in » 2010 Campaigns

This past Sunday, the Marietta Daily Journal had an article about a Supreme Court decision that came down over the summer than I’ve already written about a couple of times – the decision that said that consent WAS a defense for teachers accused of sexual assault of a person in custody.

The article addressed both a local case up there potentially impacted by the decision as well as two State Representatives’ efforts to change the law – one of whom is Rob Teilhet, who is running for the Democratic Party’s nomination for Attorney General.

Per the article,
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Happy Thanksgiving[ November 26, 2009 – 8:20 am]by Bill Waller Posted in » Editorial

“Perhaps no custom reveals our character as a Nation so clearly as our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Rooted deeply in our Judeo-Christian heritage, the practice of offering thanksgiving underscores our unshakable belief in God as the foundation of our Nation and our firm reliance upon Him from Whom all blessings flow.”President Ronald Reagan, Thanksgiving Day, 1986

The recession is in full swing and it seems like common sense has left the nation’s government, but we still have so much to be thankful for. I’m thankful for all of the liberties that we still have in our great nation, thankful to be living in this country, and even more thankful to be living in the south.

Things may be a bit slimmer this year. There are homes in my neighborhood that will be auctioned off soon and I know of business owners that are struggling and employees that have been laid off. These people too seem genuinely thankful for their blessings rather than lamenting about their situation.

Thanksgiving is a great time of year. I suspect that our table isn’t any different than most. We are surrounded by family and food. It is a nice time to reconnect with aunts, uncles, nephews and cousins.

May your thanksgiving day be special.

The Sexton Doctrine[ November 26, 2009 – 6:49 am]by Jeff Posted in » National

The “Sexton Doctrine” is how I look at every single conflict, from personal all the way through international. Briefly stated, it is:

Absorb the first strike, and make DANG SURE you deliver the LAST strike

It is a philosophy of both strong defense AND overwhelming offensive capabilities that are held in check by an overriding desire for peace.

It is under this philosophy that I can be BOTH an ardent non-interventionist AND a proponent of military research and development (ie spending).
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Maybe they’re starting to get it[ November 25, 2009 – 8:00 am]by Tom Posted in » Albany Dougherty County

Arena football will return to the Albany Civic Center, although it’ll look different, with the Albany City Commission’s 5-1 vote to bring the Albany Panthers to town.  I’ve been a proponent of arena football for a while, not just becaue I’m a football fan, but because I also think that if downtown is going to have a prayer, it’ll need things like arena football to attract folks downtown.

What I was suprised with was that the City Commission taking a certain amount of care to minimize any negative financial impact to the City – and by extension, the taxpayers – before agreeing to any deal. Read More …

The Opiate Of The Masses[ November 25, 2009 – 6:45 am]by Jeff Posted in » General

Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. –Karl Marx

Those words were written in the middle of the 19th century, when people turned to religion for their every need. I hold that we could replace “religion” with “government” and thus update the quote to the 21st century.

People today turn to government for their every need and desire. And it isn’t just those “evil” entitlement programs that THOSE people use that are the problem. No, “normal”, every day people also turn to government for their needs and desires too. Sign ordinances are a prime example. Someone doesn’t like the way a particular business’ sign looks, so they go to their local government to have that sign banned. Or they don’t like what a book says, so they have it banned from their local library. Or they are afraid of “radicals”, so they ban a church from buying land to expand. Or they don’t like the smell of cigarettes, so they have them banned from every place imaginable. Or they don’t like a particular group getting married, so they put laws in place preventing it. Or some people can’t afford healthcare, so they put laws in place that make healthcare a “free” government service. They think they find freedom in these actions, yet they are only feeling the illusory affects of the opiate called government.
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