On July 20, 1864, the Battle of Peachtree Creek took place in Atlanta.
Sir Edmund Hillary was born on July 20, 1919 in Auckland, New Zealand. He and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first to summit Mount Everest on May 29, 1953.
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to set foot on the moon.
When the lunar module lands at 4:18 p.m EDT, only 30 seconds of fuel remain. Armstrong radios “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Mission control erupts in celebration as the tension breaks, and a controller tells the crew “You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue, we’re breathing again.”
At 10:56 p.m. EDT Armstrong is ready to plant the first human foot on another world. With more than half a billion people watching on television, he climbs down the ladder and proclaims: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Aldrin joins him shortly, and offers a simple but powerful description of the lunar surface: “magnificent desolation.” They explore the surface for two and a half hours, collecting samples and taking photographs.
They leave behind an American flag, a patch honoring the fallen Apollo 1 crew, and a plaque on one of Eagle’s legs. It reads, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”
Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton gave the speech nominating Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis for President on July 20, 1988 at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. Dukakis accepted the nomination the next day.
Clinton’s performance was widely panned.
[Clinton] bombed so badly that there was speculation it might spoil his political future.
The prime-time speech would be a perfect opportunity for Clinton to regain some of the ground he’d lost to Gore and to reestablish himself as the one to watch from the party’s moderate/Southern wing.
But he blew it. The speech he delivered was long – 33 minutes, or twice the expected length – and mechanical. It only took a few minutes for convention delegates to tune him out, as the din of their conversations began drowning him out on television. Eventually, the broadcast networks began cutting away from his speech, with commentators noting the crowd’s complete lack of interest. The lowlight came when Clinton uttered the words “In closing,” prompting a spontaneous round of sarcastic cheers from the audience. His home state paper summed it up this way:
ATLANTA Gov. Bill Clinton’s big national moment his prime time speech Wednesday night in nomination of Michael Dukakis was an unmitigated disaster.
The Los Angeles Times has a great contemporaneous take on the speech.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
First Lady Jill Biden will offend visit Georgia this week, according to WRDW.
She’ll be in Georgia on Thursday afternoon, visiting a Horizons National summer learning program held at the University of Georgia and serving students from Barnett Shoals Elementary School.
The first lady’s office says the purpose is to highlight summer learning programs that are helping children who fell behind on their studies during the pandemic.
The tour also gives the first lady and Cardona a chance to highlight summer learning programs that are paid for by President Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief program.
I wonder if she’ll wax rhapsodic about the diversity of Georgia barbecue. BTW, I don’t think it’s politically-correct to call folks “rednecks” these days. Maybe Agricultural Americans?
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis seeks to criminalize political participation target “fake” electors, according to the Associated Press via WSAV.
They all signed a certificate declaring falsely that then-President Trump had won the 2020 presidential election and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors even though Joe Biden had won the state and a slate of Democratic electors was certified. Eleven of them filed a motion Tuesday to quash their subpoenas, calling them “unreasonable and oppressive.”
Also Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, agreed to file any challenges to a subpoena in the investigation in either state superior court or federal court in Georgia, according to a court filing. He had previously filed a motion in federal court in South Carolina trying to stop any subpoena from being issued to him there on behalf of the prosecutor in Georgia.
A lawyer for Willis’s office said in a court filing Tuesday that each of the 16 people who signed the false elector certificate has received a letter saying they are targets of the investigation and that their testimony before the special grand jury is required.
In the motion to quash the subpoenas, lawyers for 11 of the fake electors said that from mid-April through the end of June, Willis’s office had told them that they were considered witnesses, not subjects or targets of the investigation. For that reason, they had agreed to voluntary interviews with the investigative team, the motion says.
On June 1, grand jury subpoenas were sent to all 11 of those fake electors. And on June 28, the district attorney’s office told their lawyers for the first time that their clients were considered targets, rather than witnesses, the motion says.
The motion asks Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who’s overseeing the special grand jury to excuse the 11 electors from appearing before the panel. It also asks him to look into Willis’ actions “indicating the improper politicization of this investigatory process.”
Meanwhile, election officials nationwide are being warned that supply chain issues may threaten election administration this year, according to the Associated Press via WSAV.
The summer meeting of the National Association of State Election Directors brought together nearly 200 people, including elections directors from 33 states, experts in election security, interest groups that work with elections, vendors and others.
The supply chain as it affects elections may not return to normal until 2026, said Ed Smith, a longtime election technology and administration veteran who chairs a federal government-industry coordinating council that works on election security issues.
The lead time to obtain election hardware is two- to three-times longer than the norm, a delay not seen since 1999 or 2000, Smith said. Costs are also higher and elections officials should be prepared for spotty and unpredictable problems due to transportation and pandemic-related shutdowns, he said.
Elections officials preparing for the November midterm are also bracing for their own problems that could make it difficult to get paper needed to print ballots, informational inserts and other materials needed to run an election.
“Certainly, the paper supply has been the leanest it’s ever been,” said Jim Suver, co-chair of a federal election security working group that focuses on supply chain issues. The biggest crunch will start in September, when all states are working toward the same November election, he said.
A unionized Starbucks in Augusta is being struck, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
Workers at an Augusta, Georgia, Starbucks went on strike Tuesday morning. The strike comes on the heels of the global chain firing a key figure who helped the coffeehouse unionize in April.
At 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, partners started picketing outside the location on Robert C. Daniel Parkway.
“I asked the partners how long do they want to strike for and they were like, until they meet at least one of our demands,” [lead organizer Jaysin] Saxton said. “So until they meet at least one, we’re out here.”
And though the Augusta location was the first in the state to unionize, it is not the first Starbucks to go on strike.
Camden Mitchell, union representative from the Southern Regional Joint Board of Workers United, said that on Sunday a store in Atlanta held a one-day strike, and a store in Columbia, South Carolina recently went on strike for two days prior to a union vote.
Georgia’s Medicaid program will pay for “gender-affirming” surgery for participants, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Augusta Chronicle.
Gender-affirming surgery includes procedures that help transgender people transition to their self-identified gender.
Georgia Medicaid had barred insurance coverage for gender-affirming surgery since 1993. The new [lawsuit] settlement means that the Medicaid program will now cover the surgeries going forward.
The lawsuit started last year when two women enrolled in Medicaid sued the state Department of Community Health (DCH) because they were denied coverage for their gender-affirming surgeries – which had been recommended by their physicians and mental-health providers.
The resulting settlement, announced Monday, will now require Georgia Medicaid to cover gender-affirming procedures and adopt new clinical guidelines for when the gender-affirming surgery will be approved.
Chatham County is working on a proposal for a Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) referendum, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Chatham County government leaders and those of the eight municipalities within Chatham are negotiating shares of the local option sales tax, also known as LOST. The tax is a 1% levy paid on most goods and services purchased within the county.
LOST is commonly referred to as the “fifth penny” in the seven cents charged on every dollar spent. LOST proceeds are the only sales tax revenue that goes directly to municipalities for general use. Of the other six cents in the tax, four go to the state, one to the county to be spent on designated capital improvement projects (SPLOST) and one to the Savannah-Chatham Public School System for upgrades (ESPLOST).
The LOST agreement is valid for 10 years and expires at the end of the year following the release of the decennial U.S. Census – December 31, 2022, in this case.
The 2023-2032 LOST is projected to generate almost $1 billion over the next 10 years. The stakeholders are working to agree on a percentage split between Chatham government and the municipal government[s].
By law, negotiations are to conclude within 60 days of July 1, or Aug. 30. If no agreement is reached, the stakeholders enter a mediation or arbitration phase, which is also limited to 60 days. Agreements reached in mediation or arbitration are non-binding. If an agreement is not signed by all parties by Dec. 30, 2022, the LOST expires and collections would cease on Jan. 1, 2023.
Property taxes will go up. City of Savannah officials project losing LOST would force a 75% bump in the millage from a little over 12 mills to 21 mills. For context, a property with a taxable value of $150,000 would see a tax bill increase of $600; a $300,000 property would call for an additional $1,200; a $500,000 property by $2,000.
Chatham property taxes would climb as well, by approximately 1.5 mills, meaning taxpayers would see two increases. Using the same valuations as above, the county maintenance and operations tax on a $150,000 property would rise by $90; a $300,000 property by $180; and a $500,000 property by $300.
From another article in the Savannah Morning News:
Nearly one month and three sessions into the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) renegotiations, discussions have stalled on how funds from a 1% tax levy should be distributed amongst the county government and Chatham’s eight incorporated municipal governments.
The latest session was held Tuesday, with the county proposing it should receive 50% of the approximately $1 billion in projected revenue from LOST collections between 2023 and 2032 and the municipalities countering with a proposal that limits Chatham County’s share to 14%.
The county, which received a 23% share in the last 10 years, proposed a 50/50 split. The municipalities proposed cutting the county’s share to 14%.
A signed agreement on the funding breakdowns between the county and the municipalities must be officially settled before the end of the year, or else Chatham County and its jurisdictions will lose their ability to collect the 1% sales tax, resulting in millions of lost revenue.
To reimplement the LOST tax, county residents would have to vote on a ballot referendum to bring back the 1% sales tax, a hard deal to sell, said city officials.
Tift County and the City of Tifton disagree over moving forward with a LOST, according to WALB.
There’s been a legal dispute between the city of Tifton and the County Commissioner’s Office since 2018. The city is saying if they don’t get this dispute resolved it could affect the money in your pockets.
The dispute is over tax dollars. Every 10 years, local option sales tax also known as LOST dollars is negotiated between the city and the county to decide who gets what. Currently, the city gets 33% and the county gets 66%. The city is asking for more.
Mayor Julie Smith appealed to the public in a news conference Monday. She says the county commission refuses to negotiate.
“Rather than having partial court to decide the merits of the claims between the City Of Tifton and the Tift County Board of Commissioners, the county has decided to use its powers under state law to hold the City Of Tifton hostage,” Mayor Smith says.
Both Tift County and the City of Tifton have filed lawsuits against each other. In a demand later to settle the lawsuits, the county issued an ultimatum saying if Tifton doesn’t agree to its terms it will end local option sales tax. Ending LOST dollars means higher taxes for everyone.
Brunswick City Commission members may adopt today a project list for a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) with Glynn County, according to The Brunswick News.
Columbia County Commissioners approved their project list for SPLOST, according to WJBF.
That list will go on the ballot November 8th for voters to have the final say.
“In a growing community like we have, we have been very dependent on SPLOST to be able to do capital projects. As a matter of fact, we’ve had a continuous SPLOST since 1990 in Columbia County. It has been renewed by the voters each time,” Columbia County Manager Scott Johnson said.
Since there’s currently a SPLOST in effect until December 31st, Columbia County sales tax is eight cents on the dollar. On November 8th, residents will vote to maintain or do away with the one-penny sales tax.
If approved, the SPLOST would provide more than $280 million over the next six years, with money allocated for Grovetown and Harlem.
If voters decide they don’t want the SPLOST, sales tax in Columbia County will go back to seven cents on the dollar. The county would have to wait another year before proposing a new Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
Gwinnett County reached consensus with its municipalities on a project list for the upcoming SPLOST vote, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Gwinnett County and its 16 cities are moving forward with a referendum to extend the county’s special purpose local option sales tax for another six years.
County commissioners voted on Tuesday to approve a SPLOST intergovernmental agreement with the cities. They also voted to put the referendum on the general election ballot in November.
The new SPLOST, which will officially be called the 2023 SPLOST since collections would begin next year if voters approve it, is expected to collect an estimated $1.35 billion over a six-year period.
The proposed SPLOST is separate from the Education SPLOST, or E-SPLOST, that voters approved for Gwinnett County Public Schools and Buford City Schools in 2020. The SPLOST that will appear on ballots this fall will be split between the county government and the 16 city governments for projects including parks and recreation, transportation, water and sewer projects and facilities projects.
Gwinnett government will get 75% of the funds generated by the SPLOST — an estimated $1 billion — while the cities will split up the remaining 25%, according to Carter.
The Gwinnett County Commission failed to produce a quorum to vote on the property tax millage rate for the upcoming fiscal year, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
The final of three public hearings was canceled after a nearly half-hour delay on Monday night because of a lack of a quorum of commissioners. At least three commissioners were needed to have a quorum, but only Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson and Commissioner Marlene Fosque were in attendance.
“As you know, we had a scheduled public hearing for tonight on the 2022 proposed millage rate,” Hendrickson told attendees after a 28-minute wait. “Under state law, in order to conduct official business, a quorum of the Board of Commissioners consisting of three members must be present in person.”
“Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we will not be able to have a quorum present this evening and will need to reschedule this public hearing. Knowing that you took the time to join us this evening, I want to apologize on behalf of the Board of Commissioners for this inconvenience.”
Appling County public schools will purchase student school supplies with some COVID-relief funding, according to the Statesboro Herald.
“We feel that it’s somethings we can utilize for parents to help put students on a more level playing field.” [Superintendent Dr. Scarlett Copeland said.]
She says districts across the country are trying to get students caught up in learning gaps that happened during the pandemic. That means offering tutor sessions during school, after school, and it the summer.
“We’ll bring some retired teachers back in. They’re creative in that way to do the tutoring to help catch those skills up.”
She says they’ll work aggressively to get students caught up on skills that might have taken a backseat during the pandemic. She says it’s now time for moving students ahead.
“We’re trying to communicate even more with parents on the things they can do at home to help students because we feel that is important.”
Sylvester is aggressively enforcing regulations against blight, according to WALB.
The Dalton Utilities Board voted to raise rates, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.
Citing the impact of inflation on energy and chemicals costs as well as expenses to upgrade aging facilities, the board of Dalton Utilities voted 4-0 Monday to raise the base fees for water and wastewater starting Sept. 1.
According to data provided by the utility, the average residential customer using 3,500 gallons of water a month will see their water bill rise to $27.36 a month from $23.73 and their wastewater bill rise to $30.70 a month from $25.88.
“Our water and wastewater facilities use Dalton Utilities electricity, and in March we had something like a 15% increase in electric rates to cover increasing electricity costs, which are driven by higher natural gas costs,” [Dalton Utilities CEO Tom Bundros] said.
“We are seeing chemical price increases of 25%, 35%, even 50%,” he said. “It’s just a vicious inflationary cycle, increases in one sector ripple through the economy affecting other sectors. I hope we are not revisiting the 1970s, but it’s beginning to look like we are.”
Comments ( 0 )