David Perdue announces as Republican for Senate

Former Governor Sonny Perdue’s cousin, David, a former Fortune 500 CEO, announced via email and video yesterday that he will be a candidate for US Senate in 2014.

I like the way they rolled this out with a video.

Perdue took the opportunity to cast himself as a political outsider with business experience that will make a difference.

We deserve better than what we are getting from our federal government right now. We need new leadership that can help unleash the power of the American economy. We’ve had enough of the rhetoric. We’re ready for results.

More interesting, potentially, to political junkies and strategists, is Perdue’s pledge to open his own wallet wide. He told Daniel Malloy of the AJC:

“I’ll see how it plays out,” Perdue said. “I will be the largest investor. I’m very confident it’s going to be well-funded. We will have the necessary resources. And our research shows if we get the message out we can win this thing. …

“I’ll have more skin in the game than any other person who invests with us. But I also ask of other four candidates: Where’s their skin in the game?”

“If you look at the choice we have in this election, I’m going to provide Georgia an option. If they like the result right now going on in Washington, they have a choice of four career politicians. … If they want something else, I’m going to provide the only true broad-based business background for them to choose from.”

My analysis is that this most marginalizes Karen Handel’s campaign. Already $2 million behind Kingston and Gingrey, another Perdue tapping Sonny’s network will likely diminish her fundraising among an important segment. And the ability and apparent willingness to pass her with the stroke of a pen is a major asset.

Here are my two rule for if I ever get in the position of writing a jumbo lottery-style check to hand to a bunch of political consultants:

1. “Invest” no more than 10% of the cash that’s available on a short-term basis; don’t make time-pressured investment decisions to cover a potentially bad bet.

2. Write one check only. This is important. Make peace with the amount you’re willing to spend, get your family and financial advisor on board, deposit the money in your campaign account and assume you’ll never see a dime of it again. Hoping to repay all or part of it will lead to bad decisions. Writing checks piecemeal to cover expenses that emerge will prevent your team from being disciplined to a budget, and can easily double your spend without your making to conscious decision to do so.

I think those are the kind of sound financial management measures a seasoned businessperson would take. But that said, I’m willing to stand in front of that fire hose of money and drink deeply.

Bob Barr video clarifies position on Second Amendment, “Stand your ground”

In case your understanding of former Congressman Bob Barr’s position on the second amendment and state “Stand your Ground” laws is blurred, this video draws a line in the sand.

Kelly Marlow votes for ethics hearing on Kelly Marlow

My first inclination is to call this a turn for the bizarre, but the threshold for pro-level weirdness was passed miles ago in the ongoing saga of Cherokee County Board of Education member Kelly Marlow and her strategist Robert Trim. Kelly Marlow joined the rest of her colleagues in voting to hold a hearing on whether she violated the BOE’s ethics policy.

A record crowd of about 1,000 people packed the Cherokee High School auditorium close to capacity to hear the decision on whether Marlow should be censured for calling in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, an accreditation agency, to investigate the school superintendent, board chair and the board.

School Board Chairwoman Janet Read made the motion to call for the hearing and it was seconded by Board Member Michael Geist.

Marlow joined her fellow board members in raising her hand for the 7-0 decision in favor of the ethics hearing.

The crowd reacted to the decision with a resounding standing ovation.

Ten people spoke to the board regarding the vote on whether to conduct the hearing, but none of the board members asked any questions or offered comments before their unanimous vote.

Smart Citizens Rally Against Marlow, or SCRAM!, creator Christine Rea of Canton said she was at the meeting to present a petition to the school board, “signed by over 1,200 Cherokee County residents” that “asks the District 1 representative to please rescind her letter to SACS.”

“This action by one solitary board member acting on a personal vendetta has jeopardized futures of 39,000 students,” Rea said.

Among those in support of calling for the ethics hearing is Julie Olvin of Canton, who said she “enumerated eight separate violations of the board’s ethics policy” by Marlow, her District 1 representative.

Debbie Dooley of Gwinnett County said she was asked by tea party activists to come to the meeting and support them in the efforts for Marlow.

“I have been appalled at some of the reaction that I’ve actually seen simply because we’re asking questions,” Dooley said.

Quote of the day comes via Jim Galloway, quoting John Carter of Ball Ground, Ga.:

“Let’s go through the list of falsehoods that this tiny little fringe has hurled….The arrests and chain of evidence have been handled in accordance with all appropriate due process. There is no collusion or impropriety on the part of law enforcement, and any accusation to that effect is sensational and slanderous.”

“They call Georgia’s decision to pursue standards that match other states [to be] indoctrination, while out of the other side of their mouths, attacking us for low performance and standards.”

“They’ve accuse us of cowing to the feds with cookie-cutter curriculum, while in reality, Common Core was a state creation that allows schools and systems to select whatever curriculum they see fit.”

“They’ve accused us of teaching Common Core curriculum in social studies and sex ed, that some find controversial. Get your liar’s bingo card ready. There is no Common Core for social studies. There is no Common Core for sex ed. There is no Common Core curriculum of any kind.”

“In classic, counterproductive secessionism, this same board member has argued that we should withdraw from the Georgia School Board Association. My only guess as to why this would be desirable is that GSBA enumerates all the ways in which this board member underperforms.”

“I just wanted to speak truth to madness. God bless the Cherokee school district.”

I’m not taking a position on the veracity of that statement, just appreciating its verbosity. Debbie Dooley makes a good point that Galloway noted, but the local paper apparently didn’t catch:

“Activists are going to ask a lot of questions. There’s a lot of suspicion between conservatives and the public school system. In Gwinnett County, we can criticize and ask questions of our school board, and we’re not attacked by teachers.

Campaigns & Elections

Floyd County residents will vote in November on whether to allow Sunday Sales of on-premises alcohol and package sales of beer and wine. One member of the County Commission voted against putting the measure on the ballot.

Tony Beatty announced his campaign as a Republican for the Hall County Commission seat that will be vacated by Craig Lutz, who is running for the Public Service Commission seat currently held by former Democrat-turned-Republican Lauren “Bubba” McDonald.

Candidates for Macon-Bibb consolidated government qualifed this week, some for a second time, this week. Because of a federal challenge to an earlier election date, after balloting was rescheduled, qualifying had to be reopened.

Charlie Bishop and Sam Hart join a crowded mayoral field that includes Robert Reichert, C. Jack Ellis, Joe Allen and David Cousino. In addition, the board of elections has certified Anthony Harris as a write-in candidate for mayor.

Candidates who have qualified for a commission seat are: Gary Bechtel (District 1); Henry Ficklin, Larry Schlesinger and Paul Bronson (District 2); Elaine Lucas and Terry Tripp (District 3); Mallory Jones III, Beverly Olson and Theron Ussery (District 4); Bert Bivins III, Louis Frank Tompkins and Jon Carson (District 5); Eric Arnold, Barry Bell and Scotty Shepherd (District 7); Charles Jones, Virgil Watkins and Regina Davis (District 8); and James Timley and Al Tillman (District 9).

Chhor Chav, a 36-year-old sheet metal mechanic, is running for the District 6 commission seat against Robert Abbott, Ed DeFore and Adah Roberts. According to Chav’s notice of candidacy, he has lived within the district for a month.

Taxes, taxes everywhere, I really need a drink

The Richmond County Board of Education will hold a meeting for the public to sound off on a tax increase that the BOE already approved.

Savannah City Manager Stephanie Cutter proposed a budget that will include a property tax cut, saying, “I think our taxpayers deserve this.”

The Marietta City Schools Board voted to lower the property tax by nearly half-a-mill, saving taxpayers money.

Lisa Cupid was the only member of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners to vote against lowering the property tax rate.

Chairman Tim Lee responded to Cupid’s worries by recalling the discussion that took place when the millage was increased in 2011. Lee said the board promised to lower the property rate when it was possible.

“Our budget moving forward is sustainable,” he said.

Commissioner Bob Ott, who represents southeast Cobb, wants to see the rate lowered more.

“I would hope that you would continue that commitment to try to lower it,” Ott told Lee during the vote Tuesday night.

A stormwater utility tax fee would likely take back the Cobb County property owners’ savings, if passed by the Commission.

Lee is not breaking new ground with his attempt to impose what critics are already calling a “rain tax.” Then-Chairman Sam Olens tried to talk the commission into a similar stormwater fee in 2003 and 2006, but without success.

As Lee was roughly reminded via last summer’s attempt to impose a 1 percent sales tax for regional transportation improvements (the “TSPLOST”), new taxes and new fees are a tough, tough “sale” in Cobb. Even the county and school system SPLOSTs that have passed have tended to do so by only a handful of votes.

After public opposition made itself heard, the Bartow County Commission voted 3-2 against raising the property tax millage rate.

The Effingham County Juvenile Justice Department received the first paperwork in a potential eviction from its landlords. The Department held a rent payment pending disposition of a claim they had overpaid monthly since 2008.

Ray Moore dies

Ray Moore, for many years a fixture on local television died this week in hospice care. The best review of his career is found in the Newnan Times-Herald. In the article is this fascinating account:

In 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, NBC News wanted a reaction from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In an excerpt from an autobiography written for his family, Ray Moore, who was then WSB-TV news director and anchor, explained how he scooped the nation:

“No one could find Dr. King. Calls to his office and calls to his home went unanswered on that November day. So I decided to take some action. I enlisted a cameraman and we got in a news car and headed for the office of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on Auburn Avenue, not far from Dr. King’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. Darkness comes early in November, and it was dark when we parked on the curb next to the SCLC front door. I got out and knocked on the door.”

A member of King’s inner circle recognized and trusted Moore and let him in. King gave a dramatic interview — in which he foreshadowed his own assassination five years later — which aired that night on NBC, CBS and ABC. Asked about death threats and attempts on his own life, King told Moore — and the world: “You almost become immune to being afraid as a result of these threats. This is where I have decided to stand: I believe firmly that this cause is right — and that someone must have the courage and fortitude to stand up for it — even if it means suffering and even if it means death.”

In 1968, during the international manhunt for King’s own assassin, a source Moore had cultivated provided the tip that found the assassin’s abandoned white Mustang in Atlanta.