Georgia Politics, Campaigns & Elections for April 30, 2013

And Then There Were Three

On Friday, Jack Kingston is holding a kickoff at 5:30 at the Mulberry Inn Courtyard in Savannah. Nowhere in the letter accompanying the invitation does it say he is running for Senate, but here’s what it does say:

It has been especially important over the past several weeks as Libby, our family, and I have carefully considered a bid for the Senate seat being vacated by Saxby Chambliss.

It is important that our area be united in this race. From the urgency of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project to the importance of our military installations and the bounty of Georgia agriculture to gun rights, we need a voice at the table.

Over the years I have hesitated to “cry wolf” and ask for contributions toward my own political effort. The donation level of our Capitol Cabinet program has not increased from $1,000 since its beginning. Now I need your help.

To wage an aggressive and successful campaign, we will need to build a war chest of $5 million before we enter the General Election. The Atlanta media market is one of the most expensive in our region and we will need to make a strong showing there in order to push ourselves across the finish line.

I am inviting you to a Kickoff Reception Fundraiser the night of May 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the Mulberry Inn’s courtyard.

That’s enough to leave the reader with the inescapable conclusion that Kingston is running for Senate without actually saying so. To attend and maybe find out for sure, call Alexandra Kendrick at 912-655-8721 or you can donate online.

Kingston, Chambliss, Isakson send letter to Obama about Savannah Harbor

For Congressman Jack Kingston, the ability to secure more funding for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is important not just as the largest economic development project in his district and the State of Georgia, but it may validate his role as a Congressional appropriator, for which he is likely to come under fire in a Senate campaign from some conservatives.

Kingston sent a letter along with current Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, to President Obama, urging more funding.

As you may know, [the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project] SHEP has been a bipartisan effort at the federal, state, and local level. We, along with full Georgia Congressional Delegation and Mayor Reed, have voiced to you support for SHEP numerous times.

Additionally, the State of Georgia has exceeded their cost-share requirement by identifying $231 million for SHEP and Congress has appropriated construction funds for the last five fiscal years.

However, because of the lack of support in your budget, both state and federal contributions sit idle and progress has slowed.  SHEP is seeing day-for-day delay in construction and the $174 million of annual net benefits to the nation are not being realized.

Governor Deal Signs Economic Development Legislation

Yesterday, Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill 318, legislation that changes the procedures of the Georgia Tourism Development Act at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The bill allows sales tax exemptions for certain approved projects in order to stimulate the creation of tourism attractions or the expansion of existing attractions. The venue was chosen because AMS attracts major events and thousands of tourist to Georgia each year.

“This legislation bolsters one of Georgia’s most important industries,” said Deal. “With these new incentives, we hope to grow the industry even more by encouraging the construction of new attractions.”

“An existing Georgia business, such as the Atlanta Motor Speedway, also stands to benefit if it chooses to significantly expand or improve its campus. However, this bill is about more than any one location. It is about creating jobs for Georgians and taking another step toward making our state the best place in the nation in which to do business.”

Speaking of Economic Development….Jobs!

Georgia-based Engineered Floors is expected to announce 2000 jobs in Northwest Georgia.

Two people with direct knowledge of the potential plan told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution a deal to bring the factory to Georgia is pending.

They declined to name the manufacturer, but a third person familiar with the plans said the company is Engineered Floors, founded by former Shaw Industries chief Bob Shaw.

The jobs announcement, which could come in the next two weeks, would be larger than the Baxter International bio-tech manufacturing campus planned for Social Circle, which would create 1,500 direct jobs, and Caterpillar’s tractor manufacturing site in Athens, set to employ another 1,400 people.

A message left for an Engineered Floors executive was not immediately returned.

Gov. Nathan Deal hinted at a major jobs announcement Monday during an event to mark his signing of a bill to create a venture capital fund backed partly by public dollars. But he declined to name the prospect.

“We’re hopeful that there’s another big one very soon,” Deal said of a potential economic development announcement. “We work very closely with the individuals making the investments. And we work on their timetable. We haven’t quite gotten there yet, but we’re anxiously awaiting.”

 And speaking of jobs, Victor Hill keep his for now

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kelly Amanda Lee ruled that Victor Hill will keep his job as Clayton County Sheriff and that Governor Deal cannot be forced to move forward to remove him under state law.

The issue concerns a state law that requires the governor to appoint a panel to recommend whether an indicted official should be suspended while criminal charges are pending. Deal said in January that he would not name a panel because Hill was under indictment when he was elected; the charges relate to the first time Hill was in office, from Jan. 1, 2005, to Dec. 31 2008.

Deal said he would not interfere with the decisions of voters to choose Hill over the incumbent and six others in the Democratic Party primary last summer and a write-in candidate in the November election.

“I don’t think it (the law) applies to prior to Mr. Hill taking office,” [Judge] Lee said.

“I don’t think the Legislature ever envisioned the public electing someone sheriff even after they have been indicted,” Pate said.

This is the first time Georgia voters have ever elected a candidate under indictment.

Deal to sign Juvenile Justice Reform

According to Walter Jones of Morris News, Governor Deal will sign HB 242, the comprehensive overhaul of Georgia’s juvenile justice system designed to promote better outcomes and lower recidivism rates through community-based alternatives to incarceration.

After seven years of effort by lawyers, advocates and legislators, reforms are on the way to becoming law that will fundamentally change how delinquent children are handled. Instead of shipping most off to be locked up by the state, they’ll stay in their hometown, where they will be subject to intensive supervision and counseling.

The goal of House Bill 242 is to eventually take money that the state would have spent holding them behind bars and to channel it instead to local governments that will use their choice of programs in dealing with the young troublemakers. Only violent youths are to be kept in state facilities.

“It’s a big step forward for us. We’re basically pairing research on what works and what’s been shown to be effective with funding and outcomes,” said Joe Vignati, Justice Division administrator at the Governor’s Office for Children.

Kelly McCutchen, president of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation conservative think tank, agrees.

“We need to stop doing things that sound good or make you feel better,” he said.

Take a couple minutes to read the entire article, because it represents a paradigm shift from the old “tough on crime” mentality that sounded great in campaign ads and direct mail, but just didn’t work.

I’m not sure anyone other than Nathan Deal could have passed this legislation; his knowledge of the effectiveness of accountability courts via his son, a Hall County judge, combined with the fact that Deal cannot credibly be accused of being not conservative enough, allowed him to work to pass a bill that many other politicians would have found unpalatable.

Organizing for Action hiring in Georgia

From Politico.com, we learn that President Obama’s political tool, OFA, will be hiring a statewide coordinator in Georgia. Just in time for Mayor Reed’s reelection and heading into next year’s Senate and Congressional elections.

Georgian takes Regional Reins from Reince at RNC

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus announced that Georgia native Matt Kivett will be Southeastern Political Director overseeing RNC operations for Georgia, the Carolinas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Political Corruption Bad for Business?

Being on a list of companies investigated in a probe into political corruption and bid rigging in the DeKalb County CEO’s office might be bad for business, as the County Commission slows procurement on a sewer upgrade.

County commissioners last week decided to start over on finding a private company to oversee part of a massive $1.35 billion overhaul of DeKalb’s water/sewer system. The reason: one of the firms on a list of finalists was named in search warrants served in January as part of the corruption investigation.

It will be August before a new bid is in. That threatens DeKalb’s ability to meet federal deadlines to cut the number of sewer spills – delays that may drive up the overall price tag for the work and the rates that are paying for it.

Commissioners said they were concerned that MWH Americas earned top rankings for the management contract.

The Colorado-based company was not the staff recommendation for the work, despite a top score for technical expertise. DeKalb Water Partners got the nod as the lowest bidder at $15 million.

MWH was one of six companies identified by name in search warrants looking for evidence of bid-rigging, bribery and fraud at the homes and offices of DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis and his former campaign manager, Kevin Ross.

Talk about a job going in the sewer.