“Too Much”

“Enough”

I’m with Jason on this . . . → Read More: Eric Johnson Seeks to Ban American Citizens from Georgia Universities]]> AJC’s Jim Galloway has the story. Basically it involves a 21 year old student of my alma mater, Kennesaw State University. Apparently she came into the US as a kid with her parents illegally. When she found out about her status in HS, she began working to become legal.

I’m with Jason on this one – this girl should not be deported.

But Eric Johnson wants to ban this girl – and many others – from Georgia Universities. In fact, per Mr. Galloway’s headline, Eric wants to ban American citizens from Georgia universities. You see, as the law is currently understood, anyone born on American soil is an American citizen – no matter the citizenship or immigration status of their parents. So if he is successful in banning all children of illegal immigrants from attending school in Georgia, he will be banning certain American citizens from attending school here.

This comes on the heels of Eric pandering to theocrats and talibaptists the day before in working against America’s last line of defense against Theocracy, the First Amendment. In that situation, a group of senior citizens was told – correctly – that they could not have an official prayer before their government-paid-for meal, but could instead have a moment of silent reflection similar to that enjoyed by school kids every morning. In steps Eric saying “to heck with the Federal government” and enforcing his own religious beliefs on everyone – something I did not expect from him at all.

I’ve had issues with Eric’s history for quite a while, but these past two days have been a bit too much of current actions for me to be comfortable with. As I told one friend, I know and understand he is playing his game to angle himself into the Republican GAGOV nod – I’ve expected that all along. But if theocracy and nativism is what he thinks he has to do to win, that is an EXTREMELY sad statement on either him or our State – and we’ll find out in July which.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 For Immediate Release

Macon, GA—Former Senator Eric Johnson, Republican candidate for Governor, today announced his plans to reform the state budget process. As Governor, Johnson will instruct agency heads to implement zero based budgeting . . . → Read More: Press Release: Eric Johnson Announces Plans to Reform Budget Process]]> Will Instruct Agencies to Implement Zero Based Budgeting and Focus on Basic Government Services if Elected

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
For Immediate Release

Macon, GA—Former Senator Eric Johnson, Republican candidate for Governor, today announced his plans to reform the state budget process. As Governor, Johnson will instruct agency heads to implement zero based budgeting and partner with the private sector to ensure that state government focuses on the most essential core functions.

“As Governor, I will direct all state agency heads to implement zero based budgeting so that I, the legislature, and Georgia taxpayers will know exactly what services government is providing and what it costs to provide these services,” said Johnson. “Like the private sector, government should be in a position to make informed decisions based on the total actual costs of different programs, not just changes in expenditures.”

In the Senate, Johnson voted repeatedly to implement zero based budgeting—most recently in 2009.

Additionally, Johnson will create and ask respected business leaders to join him and other public sector representatives on the “Back to Basics Commission”, which will be tasked with setting priorities for the state budget. The Commission will be able to use the information provided by the use of zero based budgeting when reviewing the budget.

“Especially in these difficult economic times and given the tough choices state government is facing, many of us are asking what the core functions of government are,” said Johnson. “With input from private sector experts, public sector representatives, and our citizen consumers, we will ask the tough questions and look for programs that might be unnecessary and opportunities to trim the state budget while protecting vital government services.”

An architect and a respected conservative leader, Eric Johnson served as President Pro Tempore of the Georgia State Senate. In that role, he passed legislation that cut taxes and spending, empowered small businesses, and protected doctors and businesses from frivolous lawsuits. He and his wife Kathryn have two grown children and live in Savannah. For more information please visit www.JohnsonForGeorgians.com.

So I went through the PeachPundit archives – possibly the best single source of information for GOP straw poll results – . . . → Read More: Will This Be the Results on July 20, 2010?]]> Recently, some McBerry supporters have been telling me I needed to get my facts straight on him while maintaining that he has “won every straw poll except one in the winer’s home county.”

So I went through the PeachPundit archives – possibly the best single source of information for GOP straw poll results – looking for straw polls from 2009 and specifically how Ray McBerry did in them. The general data was also very interesting from the 14 straw polls I found from April through November, here’s what I saw:

McBerry came in 2nd in Walker County in November and the 11th District Convention in April, 3rd at the Henry County GOP Women in October, tied for third at the Young Republicans event in May – and hit either next to last or last every single time other than the ones I’ve named. Several of those times he came next to last were to the last entrant into the GOP field so far and who told me he didn’t even officially kick off his campaign until just a few weeks ago – Jeff Chapman.

More generally, on the year, these are the totals:

131

31

Handel, Oxendine, and McBerry were the only ones on every ballot. Deal and Johnson were both off 4 of the 14 ballots, Scott was off two of them, and Chapman – who did not file to enter the race until September – was off of 6 of the 14 ballots.

Looking at rankings on each ballot and computing the number of times any given candidate ranked at any given level, we see:

There are 175 days left in this campaign, and a lot can happen between now and then – indeed, right now the game is still very much inside baseball, and who knows how the general public is going to react when the campaigns kick into high gear after the end of the General Assembly session and voters really start getting engaged probably after Memorial Day.

But the question remains: If we look to the past for a guide to the future, will the results of July 20 have any resemblance to the results of 2009?

Ray mentioned his religion three separate times in Tuesday night’s debate. I honestly don’t recall any of the other candidates mentioning theirs a single time – which is what . . . → Read More: Religion and the GOP GAGOV Candidates]]> Ray McBerry seems to want to make the intensely personal issue of religion a campaign ploy, so let’s humor him for a moment, shall we?

Ray mentioned his religion three separate times in Tuesday night’s debate. I honestly don’t recall any of the other candidates mentioning theirs a single time – which is what prompted this post. You see, Ray seems to think that by constantly telling you he is a Christian, you will think that none of the other candidates are, and if that is one of the major things you vote for a person based on that he will get your vote. What Ray leaves out is that from what I can tell, he is a member of an ultra-conservative fringe sect, the likes of which make even the stereotypical “Independent Baptist” church look hedonistic. Indeed, he sent this guy to speak for him at the Plains Tea Party. (In Ray’s defense, he and that guy have since had a falling out a couple of months ago. There have also been reports of him being at various PeachPundit gatherings in bars, yet simply not drinking himself, and I have been told he does not have a problem with Sunday Sales.)

I can tell you from personal experience that one of the things Austin Scott said he liked best about the South Ga leg of his Walk of Georgia was that he was close enough to home to go to his own church on Sundays, and several times he reported being invited to attend churches near his route while he was walking in other parts of the State.

I can also tell you from personal experience that Jeff Chapman prays over his meals, even in public restaurants when meeting someone for the first time.

And while I wanted to mention those two, they are not the real subject of this post. No, for this post I want to look at someone who is so dedicated to his religion that he will travel literally halfway around the world to further its message, yet is comfortable enough with his own religion that he does not feel the need to mention it at every appearance on the campaign trail.

That man is Eric Johnson.

You see, back in October, Johnson took 10 days away from campaigning to go on a missions trip to India. While there with a team from his church, he wrote several of the journal entries for the team, which can be found here. But other than an initial email to his list saying that he would be out of the country and a bit about why he would be out of the country, I’ve rarely heard him mention this trip.

I found the site I linked to in the last paragraph about a month after Johnson got back to the US, and I was highly impressed. Here is a man so dedicated to his religion that he will travel half way around the world to minister in whatever small way he can. Here is a man whose son is a preacher, and who clearly beamed with pride when his son was the Pastor of the Day in the Georgia Senate one day in the 2009 session. Yet here is a man comfortable enough with his religion that he doesn’t feel the need to constantly refer people to it while campaigning for Governor.

There is a difference between your religion influencing your decisions yet basing them on actual logic and using your religion as the SOLE basis of your decisions. The first is called being a man. The second is called being a fanatic.

I have no doubt that Eric Johnson’s Christianity is as much a part of his daily life as breathing, and will be so no matter what happens come July or November. I can say the same about Austin Scott and Jeff Chapman. I can also tell you that I have no doubt that each of these three men will listen to rational arguments on the facts of the issue at hand and base their decisions on them. Indeed, each of these three men, in my opinion, base their decisions on the facts first and their religion second.

In the end, that is about the best you can hope for, since every single decision any human ever makes is based to some extent on “worldview”, aka religion.

I leave you with Eric Johnson’s reflections on his India trip:

October 20
Mission trips will often affect the missionaries more than those you on serve. This is why God sent Jesus as a servant and not as a king (see Hebrews). I will have to spend some time reflecting on this trip, but my initial thoughts are these:

God is at work around the world. We come to places like India where Christians are persecuted and the “middle class” lives in what would be considered slums in America and the poor are starving and we think we can bless them somehow. Nope. It’s the other way around. God doesn’t need us. He just allows us to participate in His plan.

Our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world show extreme bravery and incredible servanthood at the same time. Our hosts are prime examples. There is nothing they won’t do for you. They never showed impatience or exhaustion. They were joyful and willing and gracious. Even the poorest would share what little food they had. They were Christ-like in their hospitality. Even with physical threats on their guests and the death of a student, they kept their pressures away from us and only showed absolute joy at the opportunity to care for us in every manner their resources allowed. I saw a little of heaven in that attitude.

The gospel seems so much simpler here. It’s the same saving grace we preach in America. But, maybe there is less “noise” to compete with it. The willingness to listen to it is fresher. The prayer requests require a simple trust in Jesus. When an old woman came up and simply pointed to her belly, you just prayed for healing and knew God knew what her problem was and how to deal with it. She would get no doctor’s care and was asking me to intervene with her Creator. When a teenager said in broken english that he wanted Jesus in his life, you couldn’t sit down and read scripture or counsel him – you just asked God to welcome a new child into his kingdom and trust the Holy Spirit to do the rest.

This needs more thought, but I felt closer to God on this trip. Maybe it was being around these “heroes of faith”. Maybe it was spending so much time with a team of God-honoring people. Maybe it was witnessing uncomplicated and innocent faith. Maybe it was worshiping in a language that you couldn’t understand but knew God relished it.

I don’t know about you, but I feel inadequate in serving an almighty God. But the truth is, that when you witness life change, see miracles, and watch Him work, your faith increases and the inadequacies don’t matter. He’s in charge. I’m not. That’s a relief.

I also will return with a healthier appreciation of blessings and what really matters in life. He gives me the essentials. We want so much that we don’t need.

The testimonies from people you meet here are nothing short of inspirational. Several were shared in previous blogs. The courage and determination of these pastors who face family exile, beatings, and a life of poverty remind me of the early church. Eternity is their home and they want only to worship God and sign up as many tongues in their choir as possible.

As I fly home, these are my prayers: Am I doing enough to honor God? Can I worship with more abandon? Can I feel a renewed sense of urgency? What can I do to grow my faith?

I return to my campaign for Governor tomorrow. I am physically exhausted, but mentally refreshed. I return dedicated to my effort to lead Georgia in a God-honoring way. I will never forget the blessings that our state enjoys – or where they came from.

For those who followed this mission and those who prayed for its success, I am eternally grateful. It was another blessing in my life.
Next week, Kathryn leaves for Ghana in Africa. She will also cherish your prayers. Until then, I can’t wait to wrap her in my arms and not let her go!
Praise the Lord!

Thurbert Baker: No statement yet. Understandable, given that he is . . . → Read More: Glenn Richardson and the GAGOV Race]]> Obviously, when the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives is accused of threatening to beat his (ex)wife, it becomes an issue for Governor candidates. So let’s look at each of them in regards to this issue (in strict alphabetical order by last name):

Thurbert Baker: No statement yet. Understandable, given that he is currently the top lawyer in the State and this could turn into a criminal case.

Roy Barnes: No statement yet. As a former Governor, he should have a bit of insight here, though he also has to contend with the King Roy image that his opponents would be sure to bring up in response to any statement he issued.

Carl Camon: No statement yet. As someone WELL below the radar, he could have made a name for himself – possibly – by being the first to come out calling for Richardson’s resignation.

Jeff Chapman: No statement yet. Has a record of bucking the GOP establishment which could help him weather this issue – could even improve his chances, given the rest of the GOP field.

Nathan Deal: No statement yet. Faces corruption charges of his own, has been listed as one of the 15 most corrupt Congressmen. Also had a multi-million dollar scandal of his own surface this year that began when he was still in the General Assembly. Scandals anywhere within the GOP become fodder for reminding people of these things, which is not good for him. Futhermore, Richardson -along with Speaker Pro-Tem Mark Burkhalter and Majority Leader Jerry Keen – is a maxed-out donor to Deal, meaning that Deal is clearly the chosen candidate of Richardson.

Karen Handel: Wants people to believe she was the first to call for Richardson’s resignation, but she wasn’t – Austin Scott was, which we’ll see in a moment. Also seen by many as Governor Sonny Purdue’s hand-picked successor, and Gov Purdue was the architect of the sweetheart backroom deal that allowed Richardson to remain in power long enough for Speaker Pro-Tem Mark Burkhalter to solidify his own grip on the Speakership, rather than having an open election. Wants to be seen as a “leader”, yet waited until after the deal was done to come forward calling for Richardson’s resignation – even though she had nothing to lose and everything to gain from coming forward sooner.

Eric Johnson: Chaired the Ethics Committee that first probed Richardson’s affair allegations. As he has noted, at the time there were no threats alleged and no abuse of power allegations, as well as no proof offered of the affair. Still, his connection then could cost him now, as many will still consider him dirty due to the ethics commission’s inaction – even though it was the proper action.

Ray McBerry: Tries to portray himself as a man of honor, yet has yet to issue a statement about Richardson – a man who is accused of threatening to beat his wife. Also an extremely fundamentalist Christian, which could play a role there. As the only GOP GAGOV candidate who is not currently in office nor has ever been in office, he had the single most to gain here, and squandered it.

John Monds: No statement yet. As a member of the Libertarian Party, he neither has to worry about the current scandals involving the Republican Party nor the past history of the Democratic Party – meaning he could benefit from the two halves of the Big Government Party attacking each other.

John Oxendine: Defended Richardson. Enough said there, though there is also this post from earlier this week.

DuBose Porter: Was the first GAGOV candidate -and ONLY Democratic candidate thus far – to speak out about this, but didn’t call for Richardson’s resignation. As House Minority Leader, he also did not field a candidate for Speaker to oppose Richardson this past term – which was politically smart at the time, but could now come back to bite him.

David Poythress: No statement yet. Yet another candidate with nothing to lose and everything to gain who squandered the opportunity. Instead, he attacks the current Revenue Commissioner while Rome is burning.

Austin Scott: Had the single most to lose of any GAGOV candidate due to his position within the Georgia House of Representatives, yet was one of the first two Committee Chairs to come out calling for Richardson’s ouster – and was thus the first GAGOV candidate to do so, despite what Karen Handel wants everyone to think. Has a record of challenging Richardson, which once cost him another committee chairmanship. Has said (at the Tifton Forum) he is in the race DESPITE Richardson, not because of him.

But I ran into . . . → Read More: Are GA Leaders Costing Georgians Jobs?]]> 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.

You see, OCGA 48-8-2, subsection 3 part E states that a “dealer” in the State of GA can be defined as anyone who “Maintains or has within this state, indirectly or by a subsidiary, an office, distribution center, salesroom or sales office, warehouse, service enterprise, or any other place of business”.

What this means is that any store that has pretty much any physical presence in Georgia must charge Georgia sales tax on its sales – whether from a brick and mortar store or from online sales. There may be some caveats within there, but none that I saw in about 20 minutes of searching.

This gives a competitive advantage to some sites, such as Amazon.com, which is who got my business after I learned that my preferred store, BestBuy.com, had the exact same deals as Amazon.com but had to charge me sales tax due to this law, while Amazon.com did not.

This also costs Georgians jobs, because retailers who get a significant amount of business from online sales are not going to want to have any form of physical presence in Georgia – not even so much as a two-person office. For example, a major retailer – Cabela’s Outdoors – was actively working to build a new store in Adairsville, GA barely 5 miles from the school I graduated HS from just a few years ago. I’m now told that the primary reason they did NOT build was directly because of this law. That was to be a combined retail/warehouse site, and would have meant something along the lines of 100-200 jobs at a bare minimum, not to mention the economic impact on an area of Bartow County that could really use the money. For those that are unaware, one of Cabela’s biggest competitors -and one who I’m told Cabela’s physical stores are most similar to – is Bass Pro Shops. This Cabela’s would have been the only one in a 3 state radius – the next closest store would have been outside Baton Rouge! The physical store alone would have generated a LOT of sales tax money for the State and the County, but our leaders got greedy with this code section above, and we lost out on potentially hundreds of jobs just from this one retailer.

Furthermore, let’s look at the border cities issues, which are major areas of concern in areas such as extreme northwest GA, Columbus, Valdosta, Augusta, Savannah, Rome, and even in South GA along the FL and AL lines. Assuming our border states do not have similar clauses in their own laws, this means that a company – whether it be a mom-and-pop operation that employs a handful of people or an operation such as Cabela’s that employs a few hundred people per site – could locate just across the border in any of these areas and utilize the Georgia population to drive its profit from the physical store while still enjoying its tax-free online sales due to the other state’s tax laws! In other words, more jobs and tax revenue LOST because of Georgia lawmakers!

A final note on this topic, for now: One person tried to call me a “tax dodger” on Facebook over this issue. He said that I could take advantage of in-store pickup from a store located in Georgia, and thus this made up for the additional unnecessary tax burden. But Best Buy was the store in question, and the closest physical store they have to Albany is roughly 100 miles away. Even at my parents’ house in Cartersville, the closest Best Buy store is about 25 miles away, and I own a full-size pickup truck and a small SUV right now. This means that either way, if I go to Best Buy physically – even just to pickup an item I ordered online – I’m going to spend a minimum of roughly $5 in gas to get that item – in addition to paying the sales tax! Meanwhile, I can go to Amazon.com, but that exact same item and have it delivered to my door with NO sales tax! As a consumer, why would I want to pay more for the same item??? This is just one example – as we all know, there are quite a few stores that fall into this same problem for us here in Southwest Georgia!

This next session, Georgia lawmakers including both Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson and many State Representatives and a few State Senators have said that jobs and the economy are one of the top – if not THE top – priority they have. I have a potential solution I’d like them to consider:

Repeal OCGA 48-8-2, subsection 3 part E.

The Fifth question is in two parts again due to youtube’s strict 10 minute limit, and involves infrastructure spending:

Part 1: Part 2:

I do . . . → Read More: Tifton Forum: Wrapping It Up]]> Here are the last two questions I was able to get on video before my battery died in the middle of Ray McBerry’s answer for the second question.

The Fifth question is in two parts again due to youtube’s strict 10 minute limit, and involves infrastructure spending:

Part 1:


Part 2:

I do apologize for the more-than-normal shaking at the beginning of this video. I was sitting on the back row during this event, and when John Oxendine got up to leave I asked Gerry Purcell to tape for a moment so I could introduce myself to John briefly and shake his hand as he walked out the door. He was “very busy” and barely acknowledged me, but I did tell him my name and shook his hand – which was really all I was aiming for. Just to get a chance for him to see me offline. Anyway, I do want to thank Mr. Purcell for backing me up while I did that, it was very nice of him.

The Sixth question was “Do you see any areas where State government could cut back?”. As I said earlier, my battery died about halfway into Ray McBerry’s answer, and I missed Eric Johnson’s answer entirely.

John Oxendine starts this one off, as the question was directly specifically to him, and actually opens with a thought . . . → Read More: Tifton Forum Fourth Question: The Fair Tax]]> This was one of few questions that all candidates answered that could be left in a single youtube video, and in it the candidates discuss the Fair Tax and their views on it.

John Oxendine starts this one off, as the question was directly specifically to him, and actually opens with a thought I completely agree with (again with me saying nice things about him! ICK!) about the need for a truly 21st century tax code, not one that was written in a bygone era that will never be returned to. But then he specifically says he would leave in some exemptions – meaning that the system he proposes STILL would not be truly “fair”. He also flat out says that there will be no drop in taxation under his plan. But we already knew this from a couple of months ago, when he never addressed cutting anything while proposing several new spending programs.

Austin Scott asks to respond to the question, and basically eviscerates the Fair Tax concept using the GSU study I’ve already discussed here. Scott again calls for a debate on the Fair Tax, and correctly points out that every state without an income tax has a higher state property tax than Georgia. Thus, large property owners – and there are quite a few of those in Georgia – pay a disproportionately higher tax burden, as they are having to pay BOTH the higher sales tax caused by the Fair Tax AND the higher property taxes indirectly caused by the Fair Tax. Scott says that having higher property taxes because of a switch to a sales tax is unacceptable to him as a Governor or as a taxpayer. He then notes that whatever you pay in State income tax is deductible on your Federal income tax, but that this would not be so if either or both switched to a sales tax. Meaning yet ANOTHER way you wind up paying MORE tax with the “Fair” Tax.

McBerry opens up with a nativist rant blaming the problems on “those illegals” who are “not paying their fair share”. He then notes all the tourists that would also be “added” to the tax rolls – even though these tourists ALREADY pay sales tax in Georgia when they are here. In other words, he advocates INCREASING the tax burden on tourists, which will lead to LESS tourism in this State! He then starts in on another of his black helicopter anti-Federal government theories. Here, he talks about one of his “States’ Rights Bills” that called the “State Authority in Federal Tax Funds Act” that would have Georgians pay all of their Federal taxes to the State of Georgia, and then the Governor and General Assembly would decide what to actually pass on to the Federal government. This was actually the very statement that led to the question that I wanted to ask during the forum but was not given a chance to, and which McBerry ducked when I tried to ask him afterwards. Something that missed my attention here as I was filming is that he flat out admits that Bobby Franklin, who barely 72 hours after this event called for outright war against the US government, is sponsoring this bill. McBerry states that this is the way things we done for the first 100 years of the United States of America, but he is actually a couple dozen years off – it was done that way for 80 years or so, and led directly to the American Civil War. But hey, Ray wants to start the Second American Civil War, so it is no wonder that he would conveniently ignore this fact.

Eric Johnson speaks for about 30 seconds or so and says that he favors lowering the income tax while raising the consumption tax to try to achieve a more fair balance.

Eric Johnson is up first, then John Oxendine in this video, then Ray McBerry and Austin Scott in the second part.

Johnson opens up by admitting that this wasn’t a . . . → Read More: In Which John Oxendine Looks Good To Me]]> Here’s the Third Question from the Tifton Forum, which is “what are you going to do to protect us from the Federal Government?”

Eric Johnson is up first, then John Oxendine in this video, then Ray McBerry and Austin Scott in the second part.

Johnson opens up by admitting that this wasn’t a concern of the GOP until the OTHER half of the Big Government Party came into power in DC. (He claims they are the other party though.) He gets it right though when he says it is not as easy as yelling at the Federal government, that “it takes years, lawyers, and millions of dollars”. He then says he is “itching for a fight” with the federal government, and that he will find SOME issue to take them to task on. He says he would want some other States to join us “but I’ll do it alone if I can”. Next, he correctly points to redistricting as being one of the first things that will land on the new Governor’s desk, and that at that point he will have the attention of the Georgia Congressional Delegation. Once he has their attention, he plans to have a little chat with them about States’ Rights for Georgia.

Oxendine is up next, and in this next paragraph he is actually going to get some positive coverage from me for a change. Not really because I WANT to – it is well known on this site that I despise the guy – but because what he says here is one of the most sane, rational plans I’ve yet heard on this issue. And I still can’t believe I’m saying that about Ox, but I guess I’ve delayed the inevitable long enough, so here goes with what he said. “You can stand up and you can preach a beautiful sermon about States’ Rights, but that’s not going to get anything done.” You’ll remember that Ray McBerry has said he still preaches on occassion…

Anyway, he then says he already has a bill pending in the “Legislature” – I’m assuming he means General Assembly? – that asserts States’ Rights on a law called “RISA”? I’m not sure about the name, but apparently it prevents State oversight on the health care policies of large, self insured companies – and Ox HATES not being able to regulate every single thing he possibly can. OK, so I couldn’t bring myself to keep this paragraph completely positive. Sorry! Anyway, he says he has been told that if this bill passes, he will be sued the day it becomes law and that he has already lined up test cases and precedent from Kentucky that he feels supports his position. In other words, he knows what is coming and is prepared for it on this specific bill.

“Standing up and ranting and raving might make you feel good, but its not government, it doesn’t get things done, it doesn’t accomplish things.” “You don’t tell the Supreme Court to go jump in the lake, you beat them at their own game.” He closes by opening himself up to one of my typical attacks, but I really am trying to keep this paragraph as positive as I can towards Ox, so I’ll let it slide. But I’ll actually bring the three lines I quoted out into their own paragraph for emphasis, because they REALLY are spot on regarding this issue:

“You can stand up and you can preach a beautiful sermon about States’ Rights, but that’s not going to get anything done. … Standing up and ranting and raving might make you feel good, but its not government, it doesn’t get things done, it doesn’t accomplish things. … You don’t tell the Supreme Court to go jump in the lake, you beat them at their own game.” -John Oxendine

This question is set up for Ray McBerry to show his black helicopter insanity in its full glory, and he really doesn’t disappoint in that regard. He opens up by saying that Ox is crazy for fighting the issue from the inside, that States’ Rights is about the people of the State of Georgia asserting their demands on the Federal government. I knew the moment he made that statement that I was actually going to have to say nice things about the Ox, and my honest thought was “Oh my God, this guy is going to making John Oxendine look good to ME!”. Of course, again, this really shouldn’t be surprising seeing as how barely 72 hours after this event, McBerry’s right hand man was openly calling for war against the US Government.

Anyways, McBerry’s next point is about Voter Verification, where he sides with Karen Handel (who was not present at this forum). He says that Handel should’ve essentially given the Department of Justice and the Federal courts the finger on done her own thing – even though her own method has been shown to FAIL 60% of the time and label US Citizens as “non-citizens”. Yep, that’s right. Ray McBerry is siding with the person who has been shown to be denying AMERICANS their right to vote! The rest of his drivel is basically the same things he said in his opening speech.

Austin Scott opens with a line that I’ve heard him use many times when this subject comes up, both privately and publicly: “My name is Austin Scott. I’m an American, and there will be no talk of secession from my administration.” He continues with saying that President Obama has been elected for a year now, and we cannot allow what has happened over the last year to destroy this country. “We’ve got three years left of this guy, and we cannot allow these things to destroy us and turn us into 50 independent States. What we’ve got to do is fight him on the issues where he is wrong.”

He correctly points out that the States’ Rights issue has grown in popularity over the last several weeks due to the healthcare debate. Scott then correctly says that the State Appropriations bill is approximately $40 Billion, with approximately half of that coming from Federal funds. (The actual numbers are something like $39 Billion total, $21 Billion Federal and $18 Billion from actual in-state sources – but this is something I too have been looking at, and was waiting a bit before going after McBerry with them myself.)

Scott continues with noting that we all pay Federal income tax and we all pay Federal tax on virtually everything we do, and that what the Federal government does is essentially blackmail. He gives examples such as transportation and healthcare. Did you know that the reason a lot of speed limits – particularly on Interstates – are set at the levels they are is because the Federal government mandates this or they will withhold transportation money for road improvements? Montana once had no speed limits – and therefore received no Federal transportation money. About 5-10 years ago, they finally caved in and put speed limits on their highways specifically so they could get some of that money.

Continuing with Scott’s remarks though, he notes that two of the Republican Governor candidates sat in another forum a few days earlier and promised to increase Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals – yet was telling the Tifton crowd today that they were going to cut spending! “What we’ve got to have is people who tell you the truth, and who give you the same answer they give to the next crowd and the next crowd and the next crowd. I hope you’ll watch as this debate goes on, and what you’ll find is that Austin Scott is absolutely consistent.” “Some of the things that we want to build – like transportation projects and other things – we simply cannot afford to do right now.” “Every dollar that I take out of your pocket as Governor is a dollar that you can’t give to your church, its a dollar that you can’t give to the boys and girls club, its a dollar that you can’t give to a YMCA. I honestly have more faith in the American people than I do in the American government. I think if we leave more money in your pocket, you’ll use it wisely to help those same people that the government takes it from you in the name of helping.”

So yeah, as much as I HATE to say that I would EVER vote for John Oxendine, I will give him this: I will vote for John Oxendine LONG before I will vote for Ray McBerry – and this site attests to how much I detest John Oxendine and would NEVER vote for him. And it comes down to this: As corrupt as John Oxendine is, at least he isn’t so crazy that he wants to start a literal shooting war with the United States of America.