Georgia Pundit

via Olives Soon To Be The New ‘Peach’ For Georgia? – 41NBC.

Move over peaches and pecans, olives may soon start to  grow into Georgia’s number one cash crop.

Just ask Bob Krueger in Hawkinsville. He saw Georgia’s potential about a year ago when he planted a farm of olive trees. More specifically, he’s planting olive trees to produce olive oil.

“I’ve got 22 acres here, and I’ve got 13,200 trees planted here,” Kruger says.

He planted them in June of 2012, which means it will be at least another two years before his olive trees start producing enough fruit to actually produce and sell.

Georgia, specifically areas further south in the state, are actually quite perfect for the olive tree to thrive. The trees need a hot and dry climate, which is exactly what Hawkinsville provides.

Kruger noticed a few years ago something unique about the United States’ olive oil consumption. To start, he noticed that we consume nearly 74 million gallons of it every year, and of that, nearly 98% is imported.

“I noticed, gee whiz we’re only producing two percent of our own consumption here. That’s a tremendous market potential,” Krueger said.

via Senate passes bill to ease FAA furloughs | www.ajc.com.

With flight delays mounting, the Senate approved hurry-up legislation Thursday night to end air traffic controller furloughs blamed for inconveniencing large numbers of travelers.

A House vote on the measure was expected as early as Friday, with lawmakers eager to embark on a weeklong vacation.

Under the legislation, which the Senate passed without even a roll call vote, the Federal Aviation Administration would gain authority to transfer up to $253 million from accounts that are flush into other programs, to “prevent reduced operations and staffing” through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.

In addition to restoring full staffing by controllers, Senate officials said the available funds should be ample enough to prevent the closure of small airport towers around the country. The FAA has said it will shut the facilities as it makes its share of $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts — known as the sequester — that took effect last month at numerous government agencies.

via Deal signs bill expanding immigration crackdown | www.ajc.com.

Gov. Nathan Deal has quietly signed into law a measure that willexpand Georgia’s sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration as Congress debates overhauling the nation’s immigration system.

Senate Bill 160 is aimed at blocking illegal immigrants from obtaining state driver’s licenses, grants, public housing and retirement benefits. The bill will also prevent people from using foreign passports to get public benefits in Georgia, unless those passports include paperwork indicating they are in the country legally.

via The Marietta Daily Journal – GOP leaders join anti Common Core stance.

This month the Republican National Committee adopted a resolution denouncing the Common Core State Standards, while Saturday local Republican districts, such as District 6, representing parts of Cobb, Fulton and DeKalb counties, followed suit.

“I believe it would be very wise for our education leaders to thoroughly examine all the ramifications of choosing to implement the Common Core curriculum and not be shortsighted to fill a budget shortfall,” said state Sen. Judson Hill (R-east Cobb), chairman of the Cobb Legislative Delegation.

Cobb GOP Chairman Joe Dendy said he believes the general public is unaware of the ultimate goal of Common Core.

As for the school board, “I would really ask them to be extremely cautious and do their due diligence in finding out about the Common Core curriculum and not take the word of the publishers because they’re just out to sell textbooks,” Dendy said.