Louisiana Governor Race Goes To Runoff

Republicans are claiming victory in Lousiana after Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards failed to win more than 50 percent of the vote and avoid a runoff in his re-election campaign.

Edwards, a conservative, pro-life Democrat who signed Lousiana’s heartbeat bill earlier this year, won 46.6 percent of the vote in the multiparty primary. Edwards faced a total of five other candidates in the primary.

Republican Eddie Rispone, a Baton Rouge businessman, finished second with 27.4 percent of the vote. Edwards and Rispone will face off in the general election on Nov. 16.

Republicans are encouraged because Ralph Abraham, another Republican, finished third with 23.6 percent. The combined total for the two Republicans was 51 percent of the vote, which means that, if Republicans can manage to turn out their voters again next month, they may be able to eke out a victory against Edwards, the only Democratic governor in the South. The three other candidates in the race, another Republican, another Democrat, and an independent, each garnered less than one percent of the vote.

The national Republican Party staged a large push late in the campaign against Edwards. The effort included a rally by President Trump in Lake Charles on the night before the election.

Forcing a runoff does not mean that the Republicans are assured of victory, however. In the 2015 election, Edwards again won a plurality in the primary in which three Republican candidates split a total of 57 percent of the vote. In the runoff, Edwards beat Republican David Vitter by 56 – 44 percent.

https://theresurgent.com/2019/10/13/louisiana-governor-race-goes-to-runoff/

Razor-Thin Margins Make Georgia And Ohio Governor Races Too Close To Call

There are new polls in Georgia and Ohio that cement the tossup status of the two states going into the midterm elections. While the GOP candidates are not losing beyond the margin of error in either case, Democrat gains indicate that Brian Kemp and Mike DeWine have not been able to close the deal with voters and both races remain in true tossup status. The two states are among twelve Republican tossups in which gubernatorial seats are at risk of being flipped by Democrats.

In the newest poll, Democrat Stacey Abrams leads Republican Kemp by a single point. Previous polling over the past month has consistently given Kemp a two-point lead. The average of the polls puts the race well within the margin of error.

Despite the fact that Georgia is considered a deep red state, there are several factors at play that may create a perfect storm for Republican Brian Kemp. The gubernatorial race in Georgia has garnered national attention due to the allegations of voter suppression by Kemp, who is currently secretary of state. Although these allegations have been debunked repeatedly, they continue to dog the Kemp campaign.

Abrams, who is black, may benefit not only from the voter registration controversy but also from the excitement generated by a black female candidate in a state with a large minority population. In the 2016 election, blacks made up 30 percent of Georgia’s electorate. If other nonwhites are included, that number increases to 40 percent. Both groups voted Democrat by an even larger margin than the white majority voted Republican. In 2016, Donald Trump won the state by less than six percent, about 230,000 votes.

This year, there are indications that the minority share of the electorate may be increasing even further. The Atlanta Journal reported in June that the share of white voters in Georgia’s primaries had decreased as the number of minority voters increased. In 2014, Republican primary ballots outnumbered Democrats by more than a quarter million. This year, the margin was just over 50,000.

Georgia Democrats may be benefitting from an Obama effect in which a black candidate at the top of the ticket inspires black voters to get to the polls in larger numbers. White liberals may also be motivated by the historic nature of the race.

Conversely, Republicans also be suffering from Kemp’s primary strategy of appealing to the Trump base, which is predominantly white, with ads that have been used against him in the general election. Kemp doubled down on his association with Trump, electing to skip the last debate to campaign with the president. Trump has a 49 percent approval rating among likely voters.

Kemp remains a slight favorite due to Georgia’s law requiring candidates to win with a majority of the vote. With both candidates polling below 50 percent, the race is almost certain to go to a runoff in December without Libertarian candidate Ted Metz in a two-way race that should favor Kemp as Libertarian voters turn out against Abrams’ plans for a Medicaid expansion for the state and her extreme position on gun control.

In Ohio, another race for an open seat previously held by Republican John Kasich looks more likely to go blue. Ohio is a perennial swing state so the close race there should be less surprising than the one in Georgia.

Mike DeWine, the Republican candidate, trailed Democrat Richard Cordray in October polling including a new Emerson College poll that put Cordray ahead by three points. Another poll by Baldwin Wallace University found that voters favored Cordray in a two-way race by one point, but, when third-party candidates were included, DeWine held a lead of less than half a point. In either case, the polls are well within the margin of error and the race could go either way, especially considering that 15 percent of voters still say they are unsure.

The bad news for Republicans here is that Democrats hold leads in other statewide Ohio races. In some cases, the Democrat lead is significant and, in others, it is within the margin of error, but the Democrat advantage is consistent across the board. Republican candidates also are hampered by President Trump’s 49 percent disapproval in the state.

Both Georgia and Ohio will be states to watch closely next Tuesday. A win for Abrams in Georgia would catapult her to celebrity status among Democrats as a black woman who won in a red state. That would automatically make Stacey Abrams a contender for 2020. The outcome in the purple state of Ohio could give an indication of which way the state, which is vital for Republican presidential candidates, would lean in 2020.

Originally published on The Resurgent

Twelve Republican Governorships Are Vulnerable in Midterms

Much has been said this year about the congressional elections and who will control the House and Senate next year. Gubernatorial elections have received scant attention, but the impact of 2018 on state governments will have lasting implications.

With a new census coming in 2020, governors and state legislators elected this year will control the redrawing of congressional districts that follows. Additionally, controlling the governor’s mansion may give provide an edge in the upcoming presidential election. Governors also typically have the power to appoint replacements when a senator resigns or dies. Losing a governorship would make it more risky for President Trump to appoint sitting senators. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who is 85, warned this week that if Democrat Fred Hubbell wins in November that his Senate seat might go to a Democrat.

One reason that the Democrats face such long odds against winning a Senate majority is the fact that they are defending far more seats than the Republicans. When it comes to governors, however, the situation is reversed. Thirty-five states are holding gubernatorial elections this year and 26 of them are being defended by Republicans. Three of these races, Illinois, Michigan, and New Mexico, are trending Democrat while nine states are considered tossups.

In contrast, only two of the nine Democrat governorships up for election, Connecticut and Oregon, are considered tossups. Alaska, where independent Bill Walker recently suspended his re-election campaign, appears to be the sole race in which a Republican pickup is likely.

Tossup races for open seats in Georgia and Florida have gotten the most attention, but sitting Republican governors in Wisconsin and Iowa are in trouble as well. Five other Republican open seats in Kansas, Maine, Nevada, Ohio and South Dakota are also considered tossups.

Much of the current Republican problem stems from the GOP’s success in the Obama years. Even though Obama was personally successful at winning elections, his coattails did not extend to other Democrats. The Democratic Party lost 23 governorships and control of more than 30 state legislatures during Obama’s tenure. Now, in a weak Republican year, those gains are at risk.

Here are the hot gubernatorial races to watch:

Alaska – Republican Mike Dunleavy is leading former Democrat Senator Mark Begich after the current governor, independent Bill Walker, withdrew from the race.

Connecticut – Incumbent Democrat Ned Lamont’s lead has been cut to single digits in this dark blue state.

Florida – Democrat Andrew Gillum holds a small but consistent lead over Republican Ron DeSantis in this closely watched race. A recent CNN poll had Gillum up by double-digits.

Georgia – In a scenario similar to Florida, Republican Brian Kemp holds a tiny lead in polling over Democrat Stacy Abrams. The race is statistically a dead heat.

Iowa – Democrat Fred Hubbell is leading Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds in a close race.

Kansas – There are no polls since early September, but Republican Kris Korbach was up by a single point in three of the last four polls.

Maine – Democrat Janet Mills led by eight points in the single recent poll.

Nevada – Republican Adam Laxalt and Democrat Steve Sisolak are locked in another dead heat race.

Ohio – Richard Cordray, the Democrat who formerly led the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, led Republican Mike DeWine by six points in the only poll from October.

Oregon – Democratic incumbent Kate Brown holds a single-digit lead over Republican Knute Buehler.

South Dakota – Republican Kristi Noem is favored over Democrat Billie Sutton, but there is no public polling in the race.

Wisconsin – Republican Gov. Scott Walker has been trailing Democrat Tony Evers in the polls but may be recovering. Walker led by a single point in the most recent poll.   

Originally published on The Resurgent

Democrats competitive in Georgia polling

A pair of new polls released on Friday, July 25 paint different pictures of the upcoming Georgia general election. A Landmark/WSB poll paints a stark picture for Republicans David Perdue and Nathan Deal, while a Rasmussen poll is more optimistic for the GOP.

The Landmark/WSB poll addresses both the race for the seat of retiring Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss and Gov. Nathan Deal’s reelection campaign. The poll of 750 “active Georgia voters” found that both Republican candidates trail their Democratic challengers. Newly anointed Republican Senate nominee David Perdue trails Democrat Michelle Nunn 43 – 46 percent. Incumbent governor Nathan Deal trails Democrat Jason Carter 40 – 46 percent. Margin of error in the poll is 3.8 percent.

A Rasmussen poll released the same day of 750 likely Georgia voters found a different result. In the second poll, Republican David Perdue leads Michelle Nunn 46 – 40 percent. The Rasmussen poll did not ask about the gubernatorial race.

Both polls found four percent of voters preferred another candidate, identified as Libertarian Amanda Swafford in Landmark poll. Both polls also found 10 percent of voters undecided. In the gubernatorial race, Andrew Hunt garnered almost six percent.

David Perdue clinched the GOP nomination earlier this week after a bruising runoff against Rep. Jack Kingston (R- Savannah). Perdue is a graduate of Georgia Tech and is a former CEO of Dollar General. Michelle Nunn has a history of volunteer work and was the CEO of the Points of Light Foundation.

In the governor’s race, Carter has been aided by allegations by Holly LaBerge, the secretary of Georgia’s ethics commission that Deal’s representatives had pressured her to help resolve ethics complaints about Deal in 2010. Jason Carter, a state senator, has called for a full investigation of LaBerge’s accusations.

In addition to their party affiliation, both Michelle Nunn and Jason Carter have something else in common. Both are related to prominent Georgia Democrats from the past. Jason Carter is the grandson of former Georgia governor and U.S. president, Jimmy Carter. Michelle Nunn, is the daughter of former senator Sam Nunn. Senator Nunn served as Georgia’s senator from 1972 through 1997.

Both of Georgia’s senate seats have been held by Republicans since Zell Miller retired in 2005. Republicans have served as Georgia’s governor since 2002 when Roy Barnes left office.

Read the full article on Elections Examiner

Shutdown legacy, Libertarian spoiler may sink Cuccinelli in Virginia

In Virginia’s gubernatorial election today, current Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is expected to lose to former Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe. Virginia, a hotly contested state in recent presidential elections, is an important prize for both parties. The state was reliably Republican until recent years when Virginians voted for Barack Obama twice.

After a dead heat for much of the spring and summer, the race trended towards McAuliffe in late summer. Polling data archived on Real Clear Politics and the Wikipedia page dedicated to the race show polls split between the two candidates between January and July. In September, Mr. McAuliffe began to edge away from Mr. Cuccinelli and in October he picked up a commanding, often double digit, lead for most of October. In recent days, two polls have shown Mr. Cuccinelli closing the gap, but still trailing.

The most recent poll, released on Nov. 4 by Quinnipiac, found McAuliffe leading 46-40 percent with Libertarian Robert Sarvis at eight percent. Another recent poll by Emerson College released three days earlier showed McAuliffe with only a two point lead.

There are likely two big reasons for Ken Cuccinelli’s impending loss. The most obvious is Robert Sarvis, the third man in the race. Sarvis, a lawyer and software developer is Libertarian candidate for governor. According to Real Clear Politics, Mr. Sarvis has polled between four and 13 percent in recent polls. In many of the polls, if the Libertarian percentage were applied to Mr. Cuccinelli, he would lead Mr. McAuliffe.

Third party candidacies damage the party that they more closely identify with because they draw voters from the same pool. The Republican and Libertarian parties are both competing for voters who oppose the Democratic big government agenda, Obamacare, gun control, higher taxes, and a host of other common issues. Since the Republican Party has the largest base, the Republican candidate ends up being hurt by the Libertarian. The Emerson College poll confirmed that Sarvis was drawing support from twice as many Republicans as Democrats.

Libertarian candidates do not have enough support to win. Instead, they can only act as a spoiler to prevent Republicans from winning. Many third party advocates are fond of saying that “a vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil.” In reality, a more appropriate aphorism would be that “the perfect is the enemy of the good.”

The second factor that will likely cost Cuccinelli the race is the government shutdown. Cuccinelli’s dive in the polls coincided with the run-up to the government shutdown. At the same time, Democrats surged in generic congressional ballots and a number of polls reported Republican approval ratings at historic lows. Polling in Virginia shows that Mr. Cuccinelli’s resurgence began in late October after a compromise on Oct. 16 reopened the federal government.

The Virginia race was contentious from the beginning with McAuliffe reprising Barack Obama’s successful “war on women” strategy against Cuccinelli. For his part, McAuliffe has been plagued by a string of scandals relating to his business dealings with an electric car company that took federal money and allegedly received favorable treatment from the government. Over the weekend, on Nov. 3, President Obama visited Virginia to campaign for McAuliffe. Given the president’s recent low approval ratings and Obamacare’s continuing difficulties, the trip may be as likely to hurt McAuliffe as help him.

In a last ditch effort to rally support, Cuccinelli has attempted to turn the election into a referendum on the Affordable Care Act. CBS News reported that Cuccinelli, who led the more than half of the states in a lawsuit that challenged Obamacare, told supporters, “If you want to fight Obamacare, if you want to tell Washington that Virginians have had enough of Obamacare, then I need your vote.”

The election will likely hinge on turnout, which is expected to be low. According to CBS News, the state believes that turnout may be as low as 30 percent.

Originally published on Elections Examiner

Deal blocks Fox Five from bill signing

Nathan Deal

A Fox Five news crew with Justin Gray was banned from attending a public ceremony where Gov. Nathan Deal was to sign a new immigration bill into law yesterday.  In a video on myfoxatlanta.com, Georgia State Troopers can be seen barring the news crew from the press conference.

An unidentified man, presumably an aide to the governor, can be seen on the video telling Mr. Gray that Fox Five will not be allowed in “until someone apologizes for telling lies about us.”

The incident apparently stems from an earlier story run by Fox Five that investigated Deal’s campaign fund.  The story reported that $90,000 payment was made to a fundraising company with ties to the governor’s daughter-in-law, Denise Deal.  The story reported that Denise Deal’s name was not disclosed on any records relating to the company that they could find.

Rodney Ho of accessatlanta.com spoke with Brian Robinson, a spokesman for Nathan Deal.  Ho quotes Robinson as saying that the governor’s campaign never hid the fact that Denise Deal worked for the company, Southern Magnolia Capital.  Ho further says that when challenged by Robinson, he googled “Southern Magnolia Capital” and immediately found Mrs. Deal’s name in the second search result, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce website.

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Robinson is quoted as saying that Fox Five was barred from the press conference because they did “a shoddy piece of journalism in which they should be embarrassed.”  The governor’s office is demanding an apology and felt that restricting Fox Five’s access would be a way to punish them.

So far no one is accusing Gov. Deal of breaking any laws, but the story implies that there is at least the appearance of a conflict of interest.  Deal, who was congressman before running for governor, has been accused of ethics violations in the past.  He was under investigation when he resigned from Congress to campaign for governor for allegedly steering state business to his company.  He is also accused of failing to report $2.85 million in business loans on state election disclosure forms.  The loans almost led him to declare a personal bankruptcy last year.

The immigration bill that Fox Five was to witness Deal signing was passed by the General Assembly in April and cracks down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants and gives local law enforcement the power to investigate immigration status.  Critics charge that it will hurt Georgia businesses and lead to a costly legal battle as a similar law did in Arizona.  At the moment though, the biggest controversy is not over what was in the bill, but over who was not at the signing.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Deal blocks Fox Five from bill signing - Atlanta Conservative | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/deal-blocks-fox-five-from-bill-signing-1#ixzz1MSdzHCdo

Analysis of Roy Barnes on abortion, guns and spending

Over the past few months, I have used my blog to educate voters with a series of profiles of candidates for elections in Georgia. In several cases, I contacted the campaigns through telephone calls or email to clarify positions on issues or with question about the candidate’s background. After waiting for several weeks, I finally received a response from Roy Barnes, the Democratic candidate for Georgia Governor.

To read the rest of this article please click the link below:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5960992/roy_barnes_answers_questions_on_abortion.html?cat=9

Photo courtesy of Roy Barnes campaign

Roy Barnes on abortion, guns, and spending

Over a month ago on September 23, as I was preparing candidate profiles for the gubernatorial candidates, I submitted several questions to the Roy Barnes campaign along with a request for the rights to use a photo of Mr. Barnes to accompany the article. Although I called and emailed the campaign several times, there was no response so I finally published the article.

Finally, two days ago, I received response from the Barnes campaign. In order to fully educate the electorate, I will pass along what new information I received. Additionally, I have also received permission to use the photo that accompanies this article. You can read the full candidate profile of Barnes here.

To read the rest of this article, please click the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/exclusive-roy-barnes-on-abortion-guns-and-spending

Is Roy Barnes' rape shield ad true?

Roy Barnes recently released one of the most scandalous television ads of this year's Georgia elections. The ad accuses Republican candidate Nathan Deal of attempting to weaken Georgia's rape shield law. The ad alleges that, under the law, rape victims would have had to "take the stand" to prove that they "didn't deserve to be raped."

To read the rest of this article, please click the link below:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5943578/roy_barnes_rape_shield_ad.html?cat=8

Dueling Curmudgeons for Georgia Governor Candidates

Just over a month prior to the general election, most of the buzz in Georgia surrounds two dueling ads from gubernatorial candidates Nathan Deal and Roy Barnes. Both ads feature gray-haired grandfatherly men who fifty years ago would likely be seen sitting on a bench outside the local filling station. The modern versions have the men sitting it a café with red-checked tablecloths.

The first ad was released by the Republican Governors Association on behalf of Nathan Deal. The ad attacks Barnes record as governor on the issues of education and jobs. The ad makes the claims that Georgia was “dead last” on education and “led the nation in job losses.” Politifact.com analyzed the claims in the ad and found that while Georgia was near the bottom when comparing graduation rates and SAT scores for 2002, the end of Barnes’ term as governor, it probably wasn’t dead last. With respect to job losses, there is evidence that Georgia lost almost 80,000 jobs after 9/11, which was more than any other state.

To read the rest of this article, please click the link below:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5848318/dueling_curmudgeons_for_georgia_governor.html?singlepage=true&cat=8

Candidate profile: Roy Barnes for governor *updated*

Roy Barnes is a Mableton native and a life-long resident of Cobb County, where his family owned and operated a general store. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia law school. He became the youngest member of the Georgia state senate at 26 years old when he was elected in 1974. He served eight terms in the senate, before leaving to run for governor in 1990. He was defeated by Zell Miller in the Democratic primary.

In 1992, he returned to politics when he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives. He served there until 1998, when he ran again for governor. This time he was elected.

A major achievement of Barnes’ term as governor was the removal of the Confederate battle emblem from Georgia’s state flag. In 2001, the flag was changed to a field of blue with a large state seal in the center, above five flags representing Georgia’s history and the words “In God We Trust.” This was an unpopular move that many believe was instrumental in his re-election defeat. Nevertheless, the move earned him a Profile in Courage award from the John F. Kennedy Library in 2003.

Education reform was also a hallmark of Barnes' tenure as governor. His administration resulted in more centralized control of Georgia schools. He also ended tenure for new teachers and required students to pass a graduation test to advance to the next grade, effectively ending social promotion. His website also notes that he reduced classroom sizes and increased pay for teachers. Many of these reforms were also unpopular.

Additionally, Barnes passed tax cuts for family farms and homes. He also created a sales tax holiday for Georgia. Additionally, he passed patient’s rights and anti-predatory lending laws. While he was governor, Barnes was known as “King Roy.”

After losing his re-election bid in 2002, Barnes devoted six months to pro-bono legal work for the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. He also established a consumer rights website, before founding a new family law firm, Barnes Legal Group.

More recently, Barnes argued before the Georgia Supreme Court against Georgia’s voter ID law. The law, passed in 2005, required that Georgia voters show a photo ID to vote. Barnes claimed the law was unconstitutional because some voters did not have driver’s licenses and paying for an ID would cause a burden on the poor. The case was dismissed by Georgia’s Supreme Court since the only plaintiff in the case had a photo ID and therefore had no standing to sue. The United States Supreme Court upheld the law in 2008 (http://www.answers.com/topic/roy-barnes#Governor_of_Georgia ).

Also, Barnes was recently appointed co-chairman of a nonpartisan commission on No Child Left Behind. The commission, sponsored by the Aspen Institute, is designed to seek improvements in federal education policy.

Since winning the Democratic primary, Republican opponents have accused Barnes of making an apology tour (http://politifact.com/georgia/statements/2010/sep/15/republican-governors-association/barnes-and-obama-sorry-gop-says/). He has apologized for not valuing and listening to teachers during his previous administration as well as for not explaining why he made some “hard decisions” as governor. Additionally, he also says that he has learned that he should listen more.

Some of Gov. Barnes’ stances on key issues are noted below:

Jobs: Barnes would issue an executive order to retrofit state and public buildings for energy efficiency. He would also create incentives for medical research in Georgia. Barnes believes that agriculture remains an important part of Georgia’s future and wants to increase the number of finished agricultural products, as opposed to raw materials, that Georgia exports. He believes that Georgia’s agriculture could make the state a leader in green jobs and the production of biofuels.

Taxes: Barnes supports property tax relief.

Education: Barnes is critical of recent cuts in the education budget, cuts in teacher salaries, and teacher furloughs. He would focus on math, science, language and special education and work to reduce class size. Barnes would have two classroom teachers on his staff as governor to ensure that all policy discussions stay grounded in classroom reality. He would also convene teacher panels provide communications between teachers and policymakers. Barnes wants to minimize the number of class days devoted to standardized testing. Finally, he would like to integrate Georgia’s high schools and technical colleges to promote more vocational training.

Transportation: Barnes would like to implement an elevated light-rail system to move commuters from Atlanta to outlying suburbs, much farther than the existing MARTA system. He would also connect Georgia’s major cities with light-rail systems, while working to improve Georgia’s roads.

Life: Barnes’ website makes no mention of his position on life or abortion.

Gun Rights: Barnes’ website makes no mention of his position on second amendment rights.

Immigration: Barnes indicated recently that he would sign legislation similar to the controversial Arizona law. Opponent Nathan Deal accuses Barnes of previously supporting citizenship and driver’s licenses for illegal aliens.

My Two Cents: There are no more conservative Democrats. Mr. Barnes previous administration was somewhat similar to President Obama’s administration. Gov. Barnes pushed forward with initiatives, such as the centralization of the educational system, that were very unpopular with the people of Georgia, and, as a result, helped to elect the first Republican governor in Georgia since Civil War reconstruction.

Now many of his proposals echo President Obama’s failed federal policies. Barnes wants to spend money that the state does not have on projects designed to stimulate the economy. I have attempted to contact the Barnes campaign on several occasions to find out where the money to pay for these projects will come from. I am still waiting for a response. Barnes’ statement that one of his first priorities would be to install low flow toilets in all schools and state buildings reflects just how far out of touch Barnes is.

A Barnes administration would take Georgia where we don’t want to go. His policies would lead to more government interference in the marketplace and ultimately higher taxes. His policies would drive more businesses away from our state and cost jobs. We have seen how his policies work on the federal level and we don’t need them in Georgia.

Sources:
http://www.roy2010.com/
http://www.answers.com/topic/roy-barnes#Governor_of_Georgia
http://myconsumerrights.com
http://www.ontheissues.org/Roy_Barnes.htm
http://timesfreepress.com/news/2010/sep/22/deal-slams-barnes-immigration-comments/
http://wsbradio.com/localnews/2010/07/roy-barnes-backs-az-immigratio.html
http://politifact.com/georgia/statements/2010/sep/15/republican-governors-association/barnes-and-obama-sorry-gop-says/

Candidate Profile: Nathan Deal for Governor *Updated*

John Nathan Deal is a native of Millen, Georgia. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Mercer University in Macon, before joining the US Army. He served as a Democratic Georgia state senator from 1981 to 1993, before being elected to the US House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992.

After the landslide Republican victory in 1994, Deal says that he became uncomfortable being the most conservative Democrat in the Georgia congressional delegation. In April 1995, four months after beginning his second congressional term, Deal changed parties and became a Republican. He served continually as a congressional Republican until he resigned to run for governor. Deal announced his resignation on March 1, 2010, but delayed leaving office in order to vote against President Obama’s health care reform bill.

At the time of his resignation, Deal was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for using his influence as a congressman to preserve a no-bid contract for his salvage business. Deal was accused of using his congressional email account to discuss personal business with officials of the Georgia senate and Department of Revenue. Deal was concerned with changes that Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham had proposed to a program that earned Deal’s company an estimated $300,000 per year. Deal’s company had worked with the state for twenty years (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Scandal-surrounding-Rep-Nathan-Deal-R-Ga-79319837.html ). After his resignation, the Office of Congressional Ethics released a report that said Deal may have exceeded congressional limits on outside income and used his US House office and staff to preserve a private stream of money coming from a no bid state contract (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35154.html).

Deal has placed his complete side of the story on his campaign website. You can read his version of events here: http://www.dealforgovernor.com/the_real_story.php.

Deal has said that the deal was not improper and that he had reported it each year to the House Ethics Committee. Deal also says that the report is incomplete because neither Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle nor Revenue Commissioner Graham cooperated with investigators. Cagle refused to cooperate and Graham said that he could not provide the information requested by the investigators without a subpoena. Since Deal resigned, the matter never went to the next level, which would have been the House’s Committee on Standards. Deal is also facing a state ethics investigation over the use of campaign funds to pay some of his legal fees from his federal ethics investigation (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/nation/ethics-commission-investigating-deal-complaint-95978069.html).

More recently, Deal also came under fire for failing to report $2.85 million in business loans on state election disclosure forms (http://www.ajc.com/news/deal-failed-to-disclose-615412.html). He also took out loans to invest in his daughter’s sporting goods business, which went out of business in 2009. Deal and his wife owe $2.3 million, which is greater than the current market value of their home. There is a possibility that Deal will have to file bankruptcy, but he has vowed to avoid that step.

Here are some of Deal’s positions on prominent issues:

Life: Deal is endorsed by Georgia Right to Life. He is rated 100% by National Right to Life and 0% by NARAL. He also earned a 93% rating from the Christian Coalition.

Gun Rights: Deal has an A rating from the National Rifle Association.

Jobs and Economy: Deal is rated 93% by the US Chamber of Commerce. This indicates a pro-business voting record. His rating by the AFL-CIO was 20%. He would like to fuel growth in biotech and medical services through private lending and state capital investment company. He would also like the UGA’s Small Business Development Centers to offer technical and advisory assistance to complement venture capital investment. Deal wants to eliminate wasteful items from the budget and focus on education, transportation, public safety, and healthcare.

Education: Deal is rated 17% by the NEA. This indicates a voting record against the education establishment. He would develop charter schools to focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and fund universal pre-k and the Hope Scholarship. Deal would like to give local school districts more flexibility, while holding them accountable for results. He wants to eliminate forced teacher furloughs, while giving teachers the opportunity to help solve the education crisis. He would like students to be able to move on when ready, rather than having allotted times that must be fulfilled.

Taxes: Deal was rated 69% by the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), which they consider a satisfactory rating. He would like to cut Georgia’s corporate tax rate, the corporate “net worth” tax, and allow exemptions for business inventory. He would also exempt businesses from taxes in their first ten years. For individuals, Deal would enact a 6% flat tax, exempting those who earn $7,000 or less. He would also eliminate the marriage penalty. Deal supports the federal Fair Tax and is endorsed by John Linder. Finally, Deal has signed the Americans for Tax Reform’s pledge to not raise taxes.

Immigration: Deal has said that he would work to pass legislation in Georgia similar to Arizona’s immigration law. On the federal level, Deal would like to close the “anchor baby” loophole, in which children born in the US are automatically granted citizenship, even if they are here illegally.

Transportation: Deal supports a regional approach that allows communities to prioritize and fund their own transportation needs. He wants to find alternative east-west routes to relieve congestion in Atlanta.

Healthcare: Deal supports medical malpractice reform and will continue to oppose Obamacare.

My Two Cents: Deal may be a crook… then again he might not be. It’s hard to tell what the truth is with both sides so willing to lie and misrepresent the issues. At the very least, he is guilty of bad judgment and not paying close enough attention to his filings. That is not a good thing in a candidate for governor.

Regardless, Deal’s platform most closely resembles my own beliefs. He proclaims a belief in small government, individual liberty, free markets, and low taxes. What’s more, his congressional voting record backs up his claims.

His website contains the most comprehensive plans for his administration of any of the three gubernatorial candidates. Most of his ideas are good ones that reflect conservative principles. Beyond the attack ads, this election is going to be about whether Georgians will have free markets or centralized planning and government stimulus on the state level.

Corruption in elected officials is never good. Deal was not my first (or second choice) in the primary. Nevertheless, corrupt officials can still be effective administrators. I don’t like voting for someone whose record is as questionable as Deal, but given the alternative, I think that he is the best choice for the state.

Sources:
http://www.dealforgovernor.com/index.aspx
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Nathan_Deal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Deal
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Scandal-surrounding-Rep-Nathan-Deal-R-Ga-79319837.html
http://blogs.ajc.com/gold-dome-live/2010/03/29/ajc-investigation-report-finds-deal-violated-ethics-rules/
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35154.html
http://www.ontheissues.org/GA/Nathan_Deal.htm
http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/04/27/nathan-deal-says-hed-implement-arizona-style-immigration-laws/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/26/nathan-deal-georgia-lawma_n_207485.html
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/nation/ethics-commission-investigating-deal-complaint-95978069.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/deal-failed-to-disclose-615412.html

Roy Barnes' Potty Plan

Former governor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes has a plan to put Georgia back to work. One of his highest priorities in implementing that plan, which he believes will solve the job and revenue crisis in Georgia, is… low flow toilets.

According to his campaign website (www.roy2010.com), Barnes says, “One of my first orders of business will be to retrofit every state building and public school in Georgia for clean, efficient energy consumption – this includes the use of low-flow toilets and the expansion of our sewer systems where necessary. These projects will reduce the state’s energy and water costs in the long run, while putting Georgians back to work right now.”

Barnes doesn’t say where the cash-strapped state government will get the money to fund these massive renovation projects. Currently our state is so short of money that we have already had to furlough teachers, close state parks and cut government services to the bone.

The installation of the toilets will certainly be expensive. To get some idea how expensive it would be, I looked at the price of a low flow toilet on HomeDepot.com. Admittedly, the State of Georgia can probably bargain a better price than Home Depot retail, but it gives us a place to start. Next, I found that there are 2,487 public schools in Georgia (http://georgia.educationbug.org/public-schools/). If we assume that there is an average of twenty toilets to be replaced in each school, which is probably a low estimate, we find that the cost of the toilets – not including installation – would exceed 12.3 million dollars. This figure also doesn’t include Barnes’ other sewer projects and assorted potty paraphernalia.

My first thought at that point was “that’s a lot of crap!” In the current economic climate, couldn’t we find a better use for 12 million dollars? For example, in Georgia the average teacher’s salary is $48,300 (http://teacherportal.com/salary/Georgia-teacher-salary). Transferring that money to the schools would save 255 teacher jobs. New teachers in Georgia make $34,442. That same amount of money could hire 358 new teachers. That is more than two teachers per county!

In choosing to attack the problem of water conservation, Barnes is tackling an issue that was at the forefront of every Georgians mind… two years ago. Since then we’ve had lots of rain and even record floods. Granted, water rights and conservation are topics that Georgia and its neighbors need to deal with, but Georgians don’t feel the urgency that we did two years ago when the lakes were going dry.

Today, the issue on everyone’s mind is the economy. In July 2010, Georgia had an unemployment rate of 9.9% (http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm). That is a ranking of 39 out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. People are worried about keeping their jobs or finding a new one.

Barnes makes the point that these renovations will save the state money in the long run. However the high up-front costs mean that the new potties will not pay for themselves for many years. The $248 invested per toilet might save a few dollars per year on each buildings water bill.

Barnes would probably also say that by the state could help stimulate the economy by buying toilets and hiring workers to install them. The problem with this view is that while the costs to the state are great, the impact is small and temporary. No exact figures are available, but I would guess that around 99.9999% of Georgians are employed in non-potty related industries.

The flip side is that, unlike the federal government, Georgia can’t print money to pay its debts. When the potty bill comes due, the state government will either have to start paying interest on the debt or raise taxes on those of us who still have jobs, businesses, and houses. This will further slow economic growth.

The ultimate effect will be similar to President Obama’s federal stimulus programs. It will cost enormous sums of money to employ a small number of people while siphoning money away from private businesses that can create real jobs. The stimulus money may as well have been flushed down a massive federal potty.


To paraphrase an old saying, “there is no such thing as a free potty.”

Please feel free to comment as long you don’t have a potty mouth.

Villa Rica GA
September 21, 2010

Ethics vs. incompetence in the Georgia governor race

Georgia’s gubernatorial race is quickly devolving into a mudslinging contest between former House member Nathan Deal and former Governor Roy Barnes. It seems unlikely that neither party’s primary voters could have found a better standard bearer for their party.

Deal had a strong conservative voting record in his years in Congress, but faced ethics charges for state contracts that his company received. Deal resigned to run for governor before the investigation could be completed, but now the state Ethics Commission is investigating allegations that Deal improperly used campaign funds to pay legal fees associated with the federal probe. Deal maintains that he did nothing wrong and fully disclosed his business dealings each year.

Deal’s problems have been compounded by recent revelations about his personal finances. It was recently revealed that Deal has $2.3 million in business loans coming due in February (http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/deal-says-bankruptcy-not-614486.html). The loans, which stem from business loans to Deal’s daughter for a failed sporting goods business in Macon, may force Deal into bankruptcy or lead to the foreclosure of his home.

For his part, Roy Barnes has no ethical challenges against him, but is offering little that is new. For instance, on his website, Barnes said that one of his first actions would be to retrofit government buildings and schools with energy and water efficient technology. In his Peach State version of the stimulus, Barnes believes that government spending is the way to restart the faltering Georgia economy. A question left unanswered is where the money would come from to pay for these construction and renovation projects. Two likely answers are more debt or increased taxes and fees on Georgians.

Barnes, who has already served one term as governor but failed to win re-election. His education programs which angered teachers and his removal of the Confederate emblem from the Georgia state flag contributed to his defeat. In fact, Barnes has spent much time on the campaign trail apologizing for his past performance as governor (http://politifact.com/georgia/statements/2010/sep/15/republican-governors-association/barnes-and-obama-sorry-gop-says/).

One thing that both candidates agree on is the need for tax reform. Barnes would like to enact reform to stem the rising tide of property taxes in the wake of the large numbers of foreclosures over the past few years. Deal’s economic plan focuses on tax relief to businesses to foster economic growth. Deal also supports the Fair Tax.

National politics will also play a role in Georgia’s elections this year. In what promises to be a big year for Republicans, it will take hard work from Deal to buck the tide the Democratic losses. Around the country, conservative and moderate voters are energized to come to polls to oppose the Obama agenda. Republican state candidates will likely benefit from the opposition to Washington. Nevertheless, Deal seems to be struggling mightily to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Further, a victory for Roy Barnes would likely mean that Georgia will pull out of the state lawsuit against Obamacare. This might not affect the ultimate outcome of the lawsuit since many other states will keep it moving forward, but it might mean that Georgia would abide by federal law rather than seeking a way to escape federal mandates.

So Georgians face a Hobson’s choice this year for governor. On one hand, Nathan Deal has solid conservative principles that would normally be popular in a year in which voters seem prepared to soundly reject the Democrats’ Big Government philosophies. On the other hand, Roy Barnes, known as “King Roy” during his first term has a history of ignoring the voter’s wishes and is pushing programs similar to President Obama’s unpopular and failed stimulus. It boils down to a choice between questionable ethics and judgment on one side and incompetence and bad ideas on the other.

You can find more information on both candidates by visiting their websites and viewing the candidate profile pages below.

Nathan Deal
http://nathandeal.org
http://www.examiner.com/carroll-county-elections-2010-in-atlanta/candidate-profile-nathan-deal-for-governor
Roy Barnes
http://www.roy2010.com
http://www.examiner.com/carroll-county-elections-2010-in-atlanta/candidate-profile-roy-barnes-for-governor


Sources:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35154.html
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/nation/ethics-commission-investigating-deal-complaint-95978069.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/deal-says-bankruptcy-not-614486.html
http://politifact.com/georgia/statements/2010/sep/15/republican-governors-association/barnes-and-obama-sorry-gop-says/

Candidate profile: Karen Handel for governor

Karen Handel is a native of Washington, DC and grew up in Maryland. According to her website, she left home at 17 due to a “deteriorating family situation.” She was able to finish high school and began taking college courses at night while working for Hallmark Cards.

She worked as Deputy Chief of Staff to Vice President Dan Quayle’s wife, Marilyn, during the first Bush Administration. While working for Mrs. Quayle, she was involved in the breast cancer awareness campaign that ultimately became the Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure.” Later, she held executive positions at Ciba Vision and KPMG, an international accounting firm. She also led the Greater Fulton County Chamber of Commerce during a period when an employee had recently embezzled all but $10 from the organization. Handel led the group through troubled times and back to solvency.

In 2002, she returned to politics as Chief of Staff for Governor Sonny Perdue. In 2003, she was asked to run as a Republican in a special election for Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. She won handily, even though Atlanta is heavily Democratic, after campaigning on property tax and ethics reform. She inherited a $100 million deficit, but was able to balance the budget without raising taxes thanks to sharp spending cuts. She also passed one of the strongest ethics laws in Georgia. Her ethics reforms eventually led to dismissal of Fulton County Sheriff Jackie Barrett on corruption charges.

In 2006, Handel was elected Secretary of State. Her duties in that office included overseeing elections and professional licensing boards. She also formed an office to combat election and consumer fraud. Handel also launched a Transparency in Government initiative which shows state spending data on the Secretary of State website, along with Handel’s political and financial disclosures.

As Secretary of State, Handel was at the center of Georgia’s voter ID controversy. In 2005, Georgia passed a law requiring voters to show photo identification at their polling place. The law was challenged as unconstitutional, but was ultimately upheld. The Supreme Court upheld a similar Indiana law.

In 2009, Handel also made news when her biographical entry on Wikipedia was altered to claim that she did not have a high school diploma, but had received a GED. She actually does have a high school diploma. One of her supporters, Erick Erickson, blogger on peachpundit.com, claimed that the alteration was traced to a state computer in a building where John Oxendine’s staffers have offices. Erickson also says that the same computer was used to make positive changes to Oxendine’s Wikipedia entry. The Oxendine campaign denies any role in the affair.

Handel made a controversial stand at the Republican debate in April 2010. At the end of the debate, she stated that she would not appear with fellow candidate Ray McBerry again. Her statement included an indirect reference to accusations that McBerry had an inappropriate relationship with female student (http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-34858-Carroll-County-Elections-2010-Examiner~y2010m6d8-Candidate-Profile-Ray-McBerry-for-Governor). She was the only candidate to take such a stand.

An astute reader pointed out that I had missed something about Karen Handel when I first posted this profile. There have been claims that Handel was a dues-paying member of the Log Cabin Republicans from 2002 through 2004. This was presumably to become more friendly to gay voters in the Atlanta area. Handel denies the claim, but politifact.com rates it as being probably true (http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2010/jun/16/karen-handel/did-handel-ever-joing-log-cabin-republicans/).


Handel resigned her position as Secretary of State in January 2010 in order to campaign for governor.

Here are her positions on some important issues:

Jobs: Handel believes that Georgia’s location, work force, and low taxes are the keys to creating jobs. She also believes that Georgia’s infrastructure and educational system are limiting factors due to population growth.

Education: Handel wants to coordinate programs with teachers, parents and community leaders to cut the drop-out rate. She wants to expand the number of charter schools and make sure that children graduate with the knowledge and skills to succeed in college or in the workplace.

Transportation: Handel favors a comprehensive, rather than regional, approach to transportation funding.

Health: Handel favors health technology and market solutions that will cut costs while preserving quality. She opposes single-payer health systems.

Life: Handel believes in the sanctity of life. She opposes embryonic stem cell research and abortion. She is the only major Republican candidate not receive an endorsement from Georgia Right to Life because she supports an exception that would allow abortion in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is threatened.

Marriage: Handel believes that marriage is between a man and a woman only.

Gun Rights: Handel is a supporter of individual second amendment rights. She opposes further bans on “assault weapons” and supports the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed weapon.

Taxes: Handel believes that high tax rates, whether on citizens or businesses, inhibit job creation and economic growth. She would like to review Georgia’s entire tax code and enact comprehensive reform (to include income, property, business and corporate taxes). Handel is a supporter of the Fair Tax.

Immigration: Handel believes that we should welcome legal immigrants. She believes that it is the federal government’s job to protect the borders, but that due to federal inaction the states must “fill the void.” As Secretary of State, she enacted a program to verify immigration status of applicants for professional licenses.

If she is elected, Karen Handel would be Georgia’s first female governor.

Sources:
www.karenhandel.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Handel
http://www.reformelections.org/feature.asp?menuid={6DF33DE1-9946-4D3F-B57E-01FB1FB59FBD}
http://www.peachpundit.com/2010/04/21/georgia-voter-id-law-upheld-again/
http://www.lifenews.com/state5154.html
http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2009/07/03/karen-handel-yes-i-have-a-high-school-diploma/
http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/05/01/karen-handel-no-more-appearances-with-ray-mcberry/
http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/05/04/karen-handel-gets-a-ray-mcberry-less-debate/?cxntfid=blogs_political_insider_jim_galloway


Photo credit:
Simon Howden
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=404

Candidate profile: Otis Putnam for governor

Otis Putnam is a native of Brunswick and attended North Georgia College in Dahlonega. Putnam is a Walmart employee and has been with the company for thirteen years. He served in the Army National Guard as PFC. He is descendent of Israel Putnam, a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution and a hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Putnam is a political outsider who has never held elected office. In 2006, he did serve as the Second Vice Chair of the Glynn County Republican Party. He was inspired to enter the gubernatorial race through a combination of his Christian beliefs and his desire to help put Georgians back to work and revive the economy. He bills himself as the “regular guy” in the governor race.

Following are Mr. Putnam’s positions on a variety of issues facing Georgia:

Jobs: Putnam would like to remove the unnecessary obstacles and fees that block small businesses from creating jobs.

Taxes: Putnam opposes all increases in taxes and fees. He believes that government should live within its means. When revenue falls, spending should be cut. Putnam believes that revenue will increase as the economy recovers. He believes that essential state services should not be cut.

Education: Putnam would like to put prayer back in schools. He would like to simplify regulation and reduce standardized testing. He supports programs to attract and keep quality teachers.

Transportation: Putnam would like to root out corruption in the DOT and focus on long term planning. He would ensure that DOT projects are completed on time. He would reduce congestion in Atlanta by finding an alternate route for large trucks.

Health Care: Putnam supports tort reform as a method to reduce health care costs. He opposes the government takeover of health care. Putnam believes in free market reforms and preventive medicine.

Life: Putnam is Pro-Life.

Gun Rights: Putnam supports the right to keep and bear arms.

Sources:
http://otisputnamga.tripod.com/
http://israelputnam.com/
http://peachesinregalia.com/2010/04/08/otis-putnam-r-joins-gop-primary-race-for-governor/
http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-06-20/gop-hopefuls-fight-spotlight

Photo Credit: Otis Putnam

Candidate profile: DuBose Porter for governor

DuBose Porter is a native of Dublin, Georgia. He received an undergraduate degree in English from Davidson College in North Carolina. After graduation, Porter interned in Washington, DC for Senator Sam Nunn. This inspired him to get a law degree and enter public service. He earned a juris doctor degree from Cumberland Law School at Birmingham’s Samford University in 1979.

After earning his law degree, Porter practiced law in Dublin before purchasing and becoming editor of a newspaper, the Dublin Courier Herald in 1987. Since then, the Courier Herald’s publishing company, of which Porter is Chairman of the Board, has purchased nine other small town newspapers. Porter is business manager for the newspapers as well as serving on the board of the Bank of Dudley.

Porter’s political career began with a run for the Georgia House of Representatives in 1982 at the age of 28. Porter served as Floor Leader for Gov. Zell Miller from 1991-1992. He was elected Speaker Pro Tempore of the house in 2003 and leader of the House Democratic Caucus in 2005. He currently serves on the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Appropriations, and Ethics Committees. In the past, he chaired both the Education and Higher Education committees. Presently, Porter is minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Following are Representative Porter’s positions on some important issues facing our state:

Education: Porter believes that a well-educated work force is vital for Georgia’s future economy. He supports using technology to facilitate teaching and giving more power to teachers. He would strengthen Georgia’s colleges and universities. Porter wants teachers and the state to work with parents. He opposes school vouchers.

Taxes: Porter believes that revenues can be increased without raising taxes. One method of doing so would be passage of the Point of Sales bill (HB 356) which would allow local governments to collect sales taxes themselves or contract out to private firms instead of relying on the Department of Revenue. Porter believes that this would increase efficiency and lower costs. Porter believes that his proposal would also allow the state to collect more money from tax cheats.

Transportation: Porter would like to use some sales tax revenues to leverage federal transportation money. Porter believes that a multi-nodal mass transit (high speed rail) system would be a solution to gridlock. He also wants to upgrade and repair Georgia’s roads.

Crime: Porter believes that education is an answer to the crime problem.

Life: Porter says that he is pro-life, but believes that abortion should be legal in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at stake. He believes that the abortion issue should be decided by the courts.

Gun Rights: Porter is a gun owner and supporter of the second amendment. His publishing company also publishes hunting magazines.

DuBose Porter is also an Eagle Scout.

Sources:
http://www.porterforgeorgia.com/
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=7948
http://www.courier-herald.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuBose_Porter
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2010/06/11/agreement-among-dems-for-governor-no-vouchers-concerns-over-over-reaching-charter-laws-and-under-reaching-tax-collections/?cxntfid=blogs_get_schooled_blog
http://www.georgiademocrat.org/node/1122
http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/newtonhome/headlines/86734157.html
http://porterforgeorgia.blogspot.com/2010/02/55-dubose-porter-transportation-will.html
http://www.peachpundit.com/2010/05/24/dubose-porter-slips-up-admits-to-being-pro-life/comment-page-1/
http://porterforgeorgia.uber.matchbin.net/printer_friendly/7882626
http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x657337992/Profile-Dublin-gubernatorial-hopeful-Porter-running-a-grass-roots-campaign

Photo credit: Juan Gnecco
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=135

Candidate profile: Eric Johnson for governor

Eric Johnson is a native of Savannah. He attended college at Tulane University in New Orleans, majoring in architecture. Professionally, he was a managing partner for the architecture and engineering firm Hussey, Gay, Bell, and DeYoung in Savannah until 2004. He worked for North Point Realty, a Savannah developer, until his resignation from the senate in 2009. He then returned to HGBD where he is currently director of business development.

Johnson got his start in politics campaigning for Mack Mattingly and served as Senator Mattingly’s Regional Director from 1981 to 1983. From 1987 to 1989, Johnson served as the Chairman of Chatham County’s Republican Party. In 1992, he was elected to Georgia’s House of Representatives where he served one term. In 1994, he was elected to the Georgia state Senate. Johnson served in the senate until 2009 when he resigned to run for governor. During his time in the senate, he also chaired the state Ethics Commission.

During his time in the senate, Johnson served in several leadership positions. He became Minority Whip, the second-in-command of the minority party, in 1997. In 1999, he assumed the role of Minority Leader. When the Republicans took control of the senate, he became President Pro Tempore of the senate in 2003, a position he held until his resignation.

In 2010, when Johnson released his tax returns amid his campaign for governor (he and Roy Barnes are the only candidates to do so), it was revealed that he had failed to report more than $280,000 that his firm had earned from state contracts. Under Georgia law, he was required to report any business conducted with the state valued at more than $20,000 since he held more than 10% interest in his architecture firm at the time (http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-05-26/eric-johnson-ethics-fix).

In total, Johnson’s firm earned more than $850,000 from nine separate state contracts between 1999 and 2004. $578,953 of these revenues was reported on hi financial disclosures. One job, valued at just over $400,000 was underreported. Johnson’s disclosures show earnings of only $111,188. This was $289,375 short of the actual amount. The contract in question was for the renovation of a library at Dalton State College and was commissioned by the Georgia Financing and Investment Commission. Johnson calls the omission “inadvertent” (http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-05-26/eric-johnson-ethics-fix).




Here are Eric Johnson’s positions on some important issues of the campaign:

Taxes: Johnson would cut taxes for property owners, teachers, retirees, veterans, military personnel, farmers and small businesses. He would eliminate the sales tax on energy used in manufacturing, and favors a consumption tax such as the Fair Tax. He favors legislation to require a 2/3 majority to raise taxes and zero based budgeting. Johnson wants government to get back to the basics and privatize unnecessary services.

Jobs: Johnson favors a complete rewrite of all regulations for every state agency to eliminate needlessly burdensome and “silly” regulations. He opposes legislation like the Democratic “card check” bill that would make it easier to unionize. He would like to consolidate and streamline Georgia’s programs for business loans, grants, and tax credits to make them easier to get. He would also streamline professional licensing and expand Georgia’s Work Ready program with a Workbook internet site (modeled on Facebook) to match workers with jobs. Johnson also favors tax credits for job creation and promoting Georgia’s tourist industry. He also wants to allow a small percentage of the Employees Retirement System to be utilized for alternative investments to help provide capital to lure businesses to our state (Georgia is currently the only state to prohibit this).

Immigration: Johnson will require state agencies to enforce current Georgia law and verify citizenship status of applicants for state benefits. He would increase the per diem paid to counties to house illegal alien prisoners and require all law enforcement agencies to establish citizenship status of prisoners. He would collect citizenship data in schools, colleges, and emergency rooms, as well as holding employers responsible when they repeatedly hire illegal aliens.

Energy: Calling Georgia “the Saudi Arabia of pine trees,” Johnson supports research to use Georgia pines to replace coal in power plants and as a source of ethanol. He also supports expansion of the nuclear Plant Vogtle to help meet Georgia’s electricity needs in coming decades. He would like to open Georgia’s coastal waters to environmentally safe drilling and oil exploration.

Transportation: Johnson would like to make transportation a priority for funding from state bond revenues. He would like to build a western bypass around Atlanta (through LaGrange) to relieve congestion. He favors public-private partnerships to provide additional money for transportation. He also supports county or regional taxes that stay in that region for transportation projects. Johnson would like to expand Georgia’s rail network for freight. He supports tolls for out-of-state vehicles and tax credits for companies that encourage telecommuting.

Life: Johnson is endorsed by Georgia Right to Life.

Gun Rights: Johnson supports the second amendment.

Ethics: Johnson strongly supports transparency in government and says that there is no ethics bill to strong for him to sign. He has a record in the senate of supporting ethics reform legislation.

Property rights: Johnson helped amend Georgia’s constitution to uphold private property rights.

Marriage: Johnson helped amend Georgia’s constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.

Johnson was Georgia’s first Republican senate majority leader since Reconstruction.






Sources:
http://www.johnsonforgeorgians.com/
http://www.ballotpedia.info/wiki/index.php/Eric_Johnson,_Georgia_Senator
http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-05-26/eric-johnson-ethics-fix

photo credit: Eric Johnson

Candidate Profile: Carl Camon for Governor

Carl Camon was born in Nashville, Georgia and grew up in Ray City, Georgia. Ray City is located in south Georgia, just north of Moody Air Force Base, which in turn is located near Valdosta. Camon served over ten years in the US Air Force and Air Force Reserve. He received a “below the zone” promotion and attained the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-5). His service in the military convinced him of the need to maintain a strong national defense.

The military also helped Camon advance his education. He received Associate degrees from Georgia Military College and the Community College of the Air Force. He also earned Bachelor, Masters, and Specialist degrees in education from Valdosta State University. His concentrations were in Mental Retardation and Severe Disabilities.

His political career began in 1993 as a member of Ray City’s city council where he served two terms. Later, he became the first African-American mayor of Ray City, eventually serving five terms from 1996 through 1997 and 2000 through 2009. As Ray City mayor, he helped to start Georgia’s first municipal pre-k program. He also founded the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute and the Mayor and Council’s Education Initiative Scholarship. Camon worked to obtain grants to modernize Ray City’s fire and police departments, and declared war on drugs in his city. While mayor, he was listed as one of “40 under 40” Rising Stars in Georgia.

In 2002, he was appointed by Governor Roy Barnes to a four year term as chairman of the County and Municipal Probation Advisory Council. The role of the council is to provide orientation and standardization for probation officers, as well as private providers of probation services. Other civic roles for Camon include membership in the Budget and Executive Committees of the Georgia Municipal Association and chairman of the Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee.

Camon has also served in a variety of teaching roles. His resume boasts fifteen years of experience in education in jobs as varied as Assistant Professor of Education, Pre-k Director, and high school teacher. He was listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers four separate times and was awarded Teacher of the Month.

It was in his role as teacher that Camon received the only blemish on his record. While teaching at a school in Valdosta in 2007, Camon was accused by several students of making sexual remarks, staring at the breasts of female students, and looking up their skirts. The NY Times reports that Camon denied the allegations, saying that the girls were angry at him for calls to the parents about bad grades ( http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/us/19georgia.html ). The Times also reported that Camon had been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student on a previous occasion in which no probable cause had been found.

In the 2007 case, Camon was suspended for one week. Rather than accept the suspension, he resigned, saying that he refused to accept punishment for something that he did not do. His complete statement on the matter can be read here: https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AfKEK8-LWmzhZGNmZDk0bTNfMjZjdjlwNnJkOQ&hl=en. After resigning, Camon was rehired by the same school system the following year, where he taught the same students in the same school. He maintains that he was falsely accused and unjustly suspended. He continued to teach in Valdosta until 2009 when he resigned to start a business, Teacher Advocacy and Protection (TAP) with his wife.

Here are Camon’s positions on some important issues:

Education: Camon believes that many of Georgia’s problems are linked to education, and commits to teach one class in each county during his term as governor. He also pledges $5,000 per year from his governor’s salary to scholarships for deserving high school students. Camon would like to return authority to teachers and increase their pay to the national average. He would also encourage teachers to retire after 25 years to reduce costs. Over time, he would phase out alternative schools and work to reduce the number of students who repeat grades. He is a strong supporter of pre-k, HOPE, and Quality Based Education.

Jobs: Camon would invest in the infrastructure of Georgia’s cities, which he believes would help to continue to develop economically. He would prioritize state spending and cut wasteful programs. He would offer incentives for the creation of small business and for hiring new employees. Camon would restructure Georgia’s welfare system to provide more job training. He would also expand opportunities for higher education to all citizens and encourage people to take personal finance training and counseling. He also believes that expansion of wind, solar and other green technologies will help Georgia. Mr. Camon would empower the Department of Commerce to market Georgia for tourism and industry.

Taxes: Camon would keep taxes low and believes that this will help to stimulate the economy.

Transportation: Mr. Camon would explore the possibility of building a high speed rail system to connect Georgia cities. He would also support regional mass transit systems. He would restore the Local Assistance Road Program (LARP) for cities and counties and increase regional representation in the Department of Transportation. He would work to increase the installation of electric power stations along interstate highways to facilitate the use of electric autos. Mr. Camon would support legislation to prohibit auto insurance companies from charging higher rates solely on the basis of poor credit scores. He would direct federal stimulus money to regions of greatest need. He would expand video surveillance of Georgia roads in an effort to ease congestion. He would also expand and secure Georgia’s ports.

Life: Camon’s website does not address life or abortion issues. In an email, he did state that he opposes abortion.

Gun Rights: Camon’s website does not address second amendment issues. In an email, he did state that he supports the second amendment.




Sources:
http://www.camonforgovernor.com/
http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=80274&catid=175
http://www.cmpac.gaaoc.us/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/us/19georgia.html
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AfKEK8-LWmzhZGNmZDk0bTNfMjRkc3p3N2ZkNA&hl=en
http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/03/18/responses-from-ray-mcberry-and-carl-camon/?cxntfid=blogs_political_insider_jim_galloway
http://www.mayorsyouthinstitute.com/
http://georgia.com/2010/03/12/election-series-interview-with-d-carl-camon/
http://peanutpolitics-keith.blogspot.com/2009/12/carl-camons-campaign-platform-for.html
http://www.thevoterguide.org/v/ajc10/race-detail.do?id=194890249&party=D