Transportation solved?????

How was your drive to work and then home today? If you felt the commute was too long and roads too crowded, then join other Americans who think the same way about our state. Spending on transportation in Georgia has lagged well behind the state's explosive population growth, and our state spends the second lowest per capita in the country on transportation, ahead of only Tennessee. Road projects in Georgia are funded mostly with money from the state's gasoline tax, but those revenues have tumbled amid recession. Less revenue means fewer road improvements.

This is a problem that our State legislators have struggled for years to remedy, to end some of the worst gridlock in the nation in Metro Atlanta and in Georgia, the ninth-largest state. Georgia business leaders have pressed hard for a transportation funding plan saying the state's spending has not kept pace with its explosive growth. Supporters say more money is needed to keep and attract businesses to the state, despite critics who say the plans focus too heavily on the Metro Atlanta. Ah, but in rides the General Assembly on a white horse.

The last session of the General Assembly brought us a new transportation funding bill that has been hailed by lawmakers as the solution to our state's transportation woes. The House and the Senate overcame years of struggle and approved an funding bill that would allow Georgia voters to decide whether to hike the sales tax by one cent to pay for roads, bridges and rail projects. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it? Under the plan, Georgians would vote during the 2012 presidential primary on whether to increase the sales tax for transportation. The state would be broken into regions and only regions that approve the sales tax increase would have the money to spend.

Ah, but there lies one of the problems of this much heralded solution, the timing. The 2012 Presidential elections, for most of the counties and communities in this state, is also the time for the renewal of local SPLOST taxes on the ballot. Each election cycle, nervous officials at the local level sweat the outcome of SPLOST votes from a public that increasingly feels it is overtaxed. So now, instead of voting for a simple 1 or 2 cent sales tax increase for a local SPLOST, the voters will also be asked to consider another 1 cent sales tax for transportation. Will the extra 1 cent sales tax be too much for voters to stomach?

This matters to local governments because, in this tough economy, they have a direct need for SPLOST funds to continue to flow in whether its too pay for upcoming projects, or projects that were approved when times were good. For them to even think of losing that revenue could very well mean tax hikes in other areas, or more cuts to services. Not a pretty thought for local officials to face.

And here is, what I consider, the major problem with the transportation bill passed by the General Assembly, a complete lack of backbone. Like everything else, the members of the General Assembly have unburdened themselves of making tough decisions by just passing it down the line to the local level. "You're roads are crappy, the traffic is congested? You should've convinced your voters to pass the sales tax." Where is the spirit of the General Assembly that, in the 1830's, financed a railroad project that gave Georgia more railroad miles than the entire rest of our country combined? Where is the General Assembly that in the 1940's and 1950's financed a transportation construction frenzy of paved roads and bridges that still adorn our highways. When you cross that bridge next time, look at the date on the side.

No, today's legislators don't seem to have the guts of legislators of old. They seem to be too comfortable in their positions of presumed power to take a hard stand on an issue that would completely reinvigorate commercial and industrial growth in our state, as it has in the past. Such a stand might possibly jeapordize their position, and that's just too risky. No, it's much better to just drop the load, like so many other loads, on local leaders. Let them make the tough decisions, and let them take the heat. Is it just me, or does that almost smack of cowardice?

And why is Kathy Cox resigning?

Georgia’s fourth-graders rank 35th in the nation for reading proficiency levels, according to a recent study.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation discovered 71 percent of the Peach State’s fourth graders attending public schools scored below proficient in reading levels in 2009. Some of the key challenges affecting reading proficiency across the state are chronic absenteeism, summer learning loss, poor health and nutrition, parental involvement and low-performing schools, according to a news release.
Low-income and minority children disproportionately read below grade level, according to the study. That is “a clear indication of systemic failures that have plagued our education system both statewide and nationally,” the study said.
The study finds that nationally two out of every three fourth graders overall are not proficient in reading, according to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Kathy Cox to resign...

The Governor’s office has released a statement on Kathy Cox, who will be resigning her office:
Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement today regarding State School Superintendent Kathy Cox’s announcement that she will become the founding CEO of the U.S. Education Delivery Institute (EDI) on July 1. Governor Perdue will appoint a new state school superintendent upon Supt. Cox’s departure, per Article 5, Section 2, Paragraph 8 of the Georgia Constitution.
Below is the Governor’s statement:
“Superintendent Cox has been a passionate advocate for Georgia’s students, committed to improving achievement for every child. She pushed strongly for a more rigorous curriculum, which is preparing our students to compete on the global stage. While we will miss her here in Georgia, I share her excitement in this new opportunity.”

Gov. Perdue involved in road construction?

I don't know why there is such shock at this report. Road politics have always been a mainstay in Georgia history since the paving began a century ago. But it seems a three-month FOX 5 I-Team investigation learned that Georgia taxpayers will spend $100,000,000.00 to widen a state highway through Governor Sonny Perdue’s hometown of Bonaire. The new highway will also run right along property owned by the Governor. Project records show that Governor Perdue was actively involved in deciding where the road would go. This seems brazen enough, but the crown for raod politics would have to go to Jim L. Gillis, who was Georgia's highway commissioner for many years.

Distillery to open outside Atlanta

The Georgia Distilling Company would like to formally announce that we will be holding a simple groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new facility on May12, 2010 at 10am that morning. We hope this will be the beginning of an important piece in the future of Jackson/Butts County, and wish to share this moment with you, and other members of our community. A rendition of the finished building will be on hand to view, and Shawn Hall, Dan Rivers, and Bill Mauldin will be on hand to talk with members of the community and answer any questions. Should you have any questions you may contact us at

Shawn.Hall@Georgiadistilling.com
Bill.Mauldin@Georgiadistilling.com

404-281-5484

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you there.

The location is 540 W Third St in Jackson, right across from the Butts County Administration Building.

India tells Al Gore to "shove it"

In this new century full of talk about global warming and how any day now Arizona really will have oceanfront property, we get a breathe of fresh air. You see my friends, the Indian government has moved to establish its own body to address and monitor science surrounding climate change, saying it "cannot rely" on the official United Nation panel. What that really means is that they don't want the world sticking its nose into Indian affairs. Who can blame them?

The move is a severe blow to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) following a claim of the UN that the Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035. Sounds like vintage Al Gore doesn't it? But this claim was not repeated in any peer-reviewed studies and was completely rebuffed by scientists. India's environment minister Jairam Ramesh announced that the Indian government will establish a separate National Institute of Himalayan Glaciology to monitor climate change in the region. "There is a fine line between climate science and climate evangelism," Ramesh said. "I am for climate science."

I like the term "climate evangelism".... it has a nice ring to it and is fairly true. That has been the basic theme of all this global warming nonsense, spreading a false gospel and predicting the end of the world. At least India, a third world nation that this IPCC is supposed to be helping, woke up to the realities. What India also failed to mention is that they would like to continue the industrialization of their country, without the bothers of "cap and trade" type legislation. They also would like to continue building coal fired power plants at their current rate or faster to support that industrialization. That is something the big bad UN would frown upon.

Its too bad that our President can't see the UN for what it is, but then again he's beholden to the "climate evangelists" until the next election in 2012. Perhaps he should take a look outside the window of the White House and see the effects of one of the coldest winters in 25 years. Then tell me, Mr. President, that the Earth is getting hotter. But just in case, I think I'll buy some more land in South Georgia, as that will be the new Gulf Coast in 2035, according to the UN.

You just gotta love our elected officials.....

You know some things are just beyond belief. It seems that news has broken saying that our dear Gov. Perdue wants to make a drastic change to our state government. Sure, he has proposed some whoppers before, but this one takes the cake, literally. It seems that he no longer feels that we poor, ignorant, uneducated, tax payers are worthy or qualified to vote or campaign for four top level positions in our state government. He feels that it is best that these individuals be appointed by the Governor, instead of being elected at large. The four are state school superintendent, agriculture commissioner, labor commissioner and insurance commissioner. Mighty funny how these positions are up for grabs in this election, and have active candidates whom the public can investigate and get to know before they give them that position. If the Governor has his way, you'll no longer have that chance. And you though cronyism was bad now, wait until those posts are given to the best friends or contributors of a sitting governor.

Now this change will require two-thirds approval in each house of the Legislature, and will have to be ratified by the state's voters. The governor elected in 2014 would be the first to appoint people to the four positions. Appointments would require confirmation by the Senate. But its just plain scary that, with all the things our State SHOULD be working on, this is what they come up with. Just whose side are they on anyways?