Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for October 20, 2017

General James Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia, signed a treaty with the Spanish government of Florida on October 22, 1736.

USS Constitution, named by President George Washington, was launched in Boston Harbor on October 21, 1791.

During the War of 1812, the Constitution won its enduring nickname “Old Ironsides” after defeating the British warship Guerriére in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia. Witnesses claimed that the British shots merely bounced off the Constitution‘s sides, as if the ship were made of iron rather than wood. The success of the Constitution against the supposedly invincible Royal Navy provided a tremendous morale boost for the young American republic.

Today, Constitution serves as a museum ship, and has sailed under her own power as recently as 2012. Southern live oak, harvested and milled on St. Simons Island, Georgia, is a primary construction material for Constitution.

The United States Senate ratified a treaty with France on October 20, 1805, closing the deal on the Louisiana Purchase.

On October 22, 1832, the Cherokee Land Lottery began in Milledgeville, with more than 200,000 Georgians competing for 53,309 lots of land.

Georgia Governor John B. Gordon signed legislation on October 22, 1887 that increased the number of justices on the Georgia Supreme Court from 3 to 5.

President Grover Cleveland arrived in Atlanta for the Cotton States and International Exposition on October 22, 1895.

On October 20, 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt stopped in Roswell to visit his mother’s girlhood home at Bulloch Hall.

Dizzy Gillespie was born on October 21, 1917 in Cheraw, South Carolina.

President Warren G. Harding spoke in Alabama on October 21, 1921, and publicly condemned the practice of lynching.

Harding was a progressive Republican politician who advocated full civil rights for African Americans and suffrage for women. He supported the Dyer Anti-lynching Bill in 1920. As a presidential candidate that year, he gained support for his views on women’s suffrage, but faced intense opposition on civil rights for blacks. The 1920s was a period of intense racism in the American South, characterized by frequent lynchings. In fact, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) reported that, in 1920, lynching claimed, on average, the lives of two African Americans every week.

Lewis Grizzard was born on October 20, 1946 at Fort Benning, Georgia.

On October 21, 1976, Billy Carter spoke to an audience in Albany, Georgia, about his brother’s campaign for President.

On his brother Jimmy’s drinking habits, Billy said, “Jimmy used to drink liquor. Now he’s running for president he drinks Scotch, and I’ve never trusted a Scotch drinker.” Billy preferred the alcohol choice of his brother’s running mate, Walter Mondale – “I liked him the best of all the ones who came to Plains. He’s from a small town and he’s a beer drinker.”

Today, Billy Carter’s service station is preserved as a museum in Plains, Georgia.

On October 20, 1977, a small twin-engine plane carrying members of Lynyrd Skynyrd from Greenville, South Carolina to Baton Rouge, Louisiana crashed in a swamp in Gillsburg, Mississippi. Singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray died in the crash.

On October 22, 1991, the Braves played Minnesota in the first World Series game in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Braves won the first game of the 1995 World Series on October 21, 1995, as Greg Maddux dominated the Cleveland Indians, allowing only two hits. Native American groups protested the names of both teams.

The Atlanta Braves won Game 2 of the 1995 World Series, beating Cleveland 4-3, on October 22, 1995.

Georgia artist Howard Finster died on October 22, 2001.

Emory University Library has acquired nine letters hand-written by Barack Obama dating to 1982-84.

Hall County will celebrate its 200th anniversary next year.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

President Donald Trump invited 7-year old Dalton resident Mackenzie Koger and her family to tour the White House.

On Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders read Mackenzie’s letter during the daily press briefing, inviting the 7-year-old and her family for a personal tour of the White House, lunch at the Navy Mess and to meet Trump — if he’s in town.

“She was just blown away,” Laura Koger said of her daughter, adding she checked her out of school so they could watch the briefing together. “You could just see it. Mouth dropped, she stood still and watched it. She said ‘Momma, we get to go!’ I said ‘We get to go!’ I think me and her both were equally excited. I just love it.”

Mackenzie wrote the letter “because I wanted to tell President Trump how much I appreciate him.” When she listened to Huckabee Sanders read the letter, Mackenzie said “I just thought it was amazing.”

Congressman Rick Allen (R-Augusta) read to pre-K students on Thursday.

Congressman Rick Allen had pre-kindergarten students at The Childcare Network on Wrightsboro Road in the mood for food and reading Thursday morning.

The Augusta native read “The Very Hungry Catepillar” to students and talked about their favorite fruits and vegetables— after all, Allen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture.

Last week was Pre-K Week in the state of Georgia, marking the 25th birthday of the state’s early learning program. Georgia’s Pre-K program has helped put nearly 1.6 million children on track to read at grade level by the end of third grade, and achieve academic excellence and future success.

“By the time you finish the third grade, if you’re not reading at or above a third grade level, it’s likely you’re not going to graduate from high school,” Allen told the students.

Conyers voters will have more hours for early voting using proposed new voting machines.

Rockdale County Elections Supervisor Cynthia Welch said her office is extending hours, 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., the last two days of the early voting period. Extended hours will be available on Thursday, Nov. 2, and Friday, Nov. 3, to attract more voters to use the new machines Rockdale is piloting for the state of Georgia.

Welch said 96 voters had cast ballots in person, while 16 ballots had been issued by mail.

Rockdale was selected to pilot the Voter Express machines to gauge how well a small pool of voters could navigate the new system, said Welch, who projects a 12 percent turnout for Conyers elections. The new system allows voters to review a printed ballot before it is then placed in a tabulator. If a voter makes a mistake on a selection, he or she may turn in the ballot, receive a new one and start over.

Early voting for the Conyers elections is only available at 1400 Parker Road.

To confirm voter registration and for more information, Rockdale voters may call 770-278-7333.

Georgia Senate Appropriations Chair Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) writes about state revenues and expenses in the Savannah Morning News. Here are a couple tidbits.

With revenues reaching $2.1 billion for September, the state returned to positive territory with a 3.1 percent increase. Individual income taxes grew 3.6 percent for the month and net sales taxes grew 3 percent. Corporate income taxes were up 8.8 percent and title ad valorem taxes were down -11.3 percent. Title and tag fees were up slightly at 0.4 percent.

Motor fuel taxes were up 3.9 percent with impact fees negative at -15.7 percent, but hotel/motel fees were up 3.9 percent. Altogether, taxes and fees dedicated to transportation were up $6.3 million or 3.82 percent. Tobacco taxes were negative at -4.5 percent and alcoholic beverage taxes grew 3.6 percent.

After three months of the FY 2018 fiscal year, state revenues have taken in $5.5 billion, showing an increase of $171.4 million ahead of the same three months last year with a percentage growth of 3.2 percent. Compared to the budget passed this March, the state is $44.6 million ahead in collections to this point.

Savannah’s port is the largest trading partner of the Panama Canal and has had some 20 post-Panamax ships call on the port. Savannah’s port is the No. 1 port in the country for the number of ship calls per week. The port handles 8.2 percent of the total U.S. containerized cargo and 10.5 percent of the total U.S. containerized exports.

Warner Robins City Council candidates spoke to the Macon Telegraph.

Cartersville City Council candidates spoke to WBHF Radio.

Port Wentworth City Council candidates addressed a forum sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce.

Thunderbolt voters heard from eleven candidates for Mayor and City Council.

The Red & Black looks at campaign contributions in local State House special election campaigns.

As for the District 117’s candidates, Republican Houston Gaines and Democrat Deborah Gonzalez, have reported their campaign contributions. Both were required to report contributions to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission in July.

In Gaines’ corner, there is a contribution total of $66,136.33 supports his efforts, whereas Gonzalez’s total rests at $7,451.25.

Gaines’ support comes from donors both within Athens beyond.

He has received donations from University of Georgia professors, the assistant Athletic Director of marketing for the Georgia Athletic Association John Bateman Jr., Vice President of Student Affairs Victor Wilson and Athens Mayor Nancy Denson.

Beyond that, Edward John Flythe, the Superior Court Judge in Augusta has donated to Gaines campaign, as well as Paul Amos, the president of Aflac.

The majority of Gonzalez’s donors tend to remain in Athens, with support coming from UGA professors and locals.

Gwinnett County Transit buses will feature wi-fi after the commission approved spending $318k on installation.

The DeKalb County Republican Party will host Lt. Gov. candidate David Shafer at their October breakfast at Wright’s Gourmet tomorrow from 8:30 to 10 AM. On Sunday the DeKalb GOP will host a fundraiser for Rep. Karen Handel.

Look, Up In the Sky!

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will perform at the Wings over North Georgia air show in Rome this weekend.

The unit has a decidedly Peach State flavor this year.

Cmdr. Frank Weisser USN, a native of Atlanta, pilots Blue Angel Five, the lead solo; and Lt. Tyler Davies USN of Kennesaw, pilots Blue Angel Six, the other solo performer.

Maj. Mark Montgomery of Cartersville, USMC, pilots the C-130 ‘Fat Albert’ airlift craft; however, it will not be in Rome this year, having been grounded as part of the investigation into the crash of a similar aircraft that took the lives of 16 Marines in Mississippi in July.

The Blue Angels support squad includes four other Georgians, including AD1 Shane Miller from Woodbine, AM2 Demaude Prescott from Atlanta, AM1 Daniel Yater from Dacula and AM2 Michael McDuffie from Blackshear.