“When the going gets weird, the weird turn professional.” – from Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72

Hunter S. Thompson, whose birthday I missed yesterday morning.

State Rep. Calvin Hill diagnosed with leukemia

Yesterday, Calvin Hill announced via email that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, and is receiving treatment at the hospital.

Cheryl and I thank all of you so much for your uplifting prayers during this time.  We look forward to your continuing support as we work towards total remission. From there we will face the final chapter of bone marrow transplants, as the good Lord leads us on our path to recovery.
For now, I remain in the isolation ward of the Northside Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in Atlanta. (They do not allow any fresh plants, flowers or even fruits or vegetables in here) Untold numbers of tests and analysis are yet to come as we look forward to various therapy and chemotherapy programs that will be designed to suit my particular syndrome.

For those who ask “will I fight this thing?”, I believe you know that we fully intend to beat it with a combination of prayer, science and old fashioned hard work. It takes an equal application of all three to overcome something of this magnitude.
During this period, my assistant at the Capitol, Jan Brown will be glad to assist you with any legislative concerns you may have. You may reach her at 404-656-7855 or jan.brown@house.ga.gov.
May the Lord of all Bless us all in this our time of greatest need.

One way you may wish to help is by joining the National Marrow Donor Program by registering as a potential donor, or making an online donation.

Good advice from State Rep. Michael Caldwell

Georgia’s youngest legislator, 24-year old Rep. Michael Caldwell, was interviewed on TheBlaze.com and said something that every Republican in Georgia and the nation should hear. I wrote about it at InsiderAdvantage.com and made the story free for you to read.

“I think sometimes we’re trying to sell ‘Republican’ and we’re not trying to sell something we can believe in,” said Caldwell.

The RNC’s “Growth and Opportunity Report,” intended to guide Republicans going forward to the next campaign cycles devotes slightly more than five pages out of nearly one hundred  to message development, and says,

“If we believe our policies are the best ones to improve the lives of the American people, all the American people, our candidates and office holders need to do a better job talking in normal, people-oriented terms and we need to go to communities where Republicans do not normally go to listen and make our case.”

The remainder of the nearly 100-page RNC report focuses mostly on mechanics.

It’s fitting that some of the best campaign advice I’ve seen lately comes from Caldwell, who is by profession a sales manager. His statement is something that rings true to anyone who’s studied sales techniques and had to make a living selling goods and services. It’s often stated as, “sell the sizzle, not the steak.”

Campaigns & Elections

President Jimmy Carter said that unlimited donations to politicians constitutes “legal bribery” and urges the passage of restrictions on your freedom of speech campaign funding.

“It’s accepted fact,” Carter said during a speech in Atlanta. “It’s legal bribery of candidates. And that repayment may be in the form of an ambassadorship to someone who has raised three or four hundred thousand dollars to help a candidate get elected.”

“I would say that it’s almost impossible for a candidate, like I was back in those early days or others even, to be considered seriously as a candidate to represent the Democratic or Republican parties as nominee [for President] if you can’t raise $100 million or $200 million from contributors, many of whom know that they are making an investment in how they are going to be treated by the winner after the election is over,” Carter said.

Valdosta Board of Education member Annie Fisher will not run for reelection after twelve years on the board.

In Bibb County, Steve Allen remains Vice Chair of the County Board of Elections despite the wishes of the Bibb County Democratic Party, which appointed him.

In a 4-1 vote, the board authorized Elections Supervisor Jeanetta Watson to send a letter to the local Democratic Party to inform it that Allen — one of the party’s two appointees — is still a member of the board, thanks to a letter the elections office received in February from the party’s then-Chairman Fred Swann.

Ronnie Miley, the Democratic Party’s other appointee to the board, opposed.

Controversy has swirled around Allen’s status on the board since last month, when he voted in favor of holding the nonpartisan special election for the new Macon-Bibb County consolidated government on Sept. 17, the earliest date on the Georgia Secretary of State’s calendar for a special election. Allen’s vote incurred the wrath of the party’s executive committee, which favors a Nov. 5 election date.

The party cites traditionally higher voter participation from black voters in the county during November elections.

Allen said Thursday that he was legally appointed and sworn in for a new two-year term in April, and he has a certificate signed by Gov. Nathan Deal that affirms his appointment to the board. He said he has no intention of resigning from the board of elections.

Two people who had announced they would run for the new Macon-Bibb County consolidated government in the September 17 Special Elections withdrew from the election.

Bibb County Elections Supervisor Jeanetta Watson said that Wednesday was the deadline for candidates to withdraw from the race and get a full refund of their qualifying fees.

Former Macon-Bibb County commission candidates Danny Glover and Celeste Queen have withdrawn from contention, Watson said.

Queen, 59, one of four candidates running for the District 7 commission seat, withdrew last week, Watson said. Queen, who listed herself as a homemaker on her qualifying form, was running against Eric Arnold, Barry Bell and Warren “Scotty” Shepherd.

Glover, 25, running for the District 3 commission seat, dropped out in May in the wake of a marijuana charge in Jones County. He was running against Elaine Lucas and Terry Tripp in the district. Glover expressed his support for Tripp when he withdrew from the race.

Qualifying for the special election reopens Monday and will run through noon on Wednesday at the Board of Elections office, 2445 Pio Nono Ave. It costs $3,000 to qualify for the mayor’s race and $450 to qualify for a commission race.

Candidates who have previously qualified won’t have to pay another fee but will have to resubmit their paperwork.

Why did Macon-Bibb have qualifying earlier this year only to reopen it? A federal lawsuit resulted in a change in the date of the election, which necessitated a new qualifying period.

Clarkston Mayor Emanuel Ransom should ask 11Alive for a copy of the video they shot to use in television ads for his reelection campaign later this year. Mayor Ransom was driving late at night when he helped foil a major metal theft at the construction site for the new public works building and helped police catch the thieves.

Democrat hipster Ted Terry has announced he will challenge Ransom for Mayor of Clarkston this year on a hipster platform of promoting sustainable living. With a population that’s nearly 57% black, Terry will have difficulty challenging a black incumbent, although in 2009, of 7500 residents, only 432 votes were cast in the Mayoral election.

This race is likely to become a rallying point between long-time residents of the DeKalb County community and hipsters moving in, gentrifying, and then making it too expensive for those long-time residents to remain in their community as property tax valuations rise.

Eugene Chin-Yu announced he will run for the Republican nomination for US Senate, but he didn’t announce whether he’ll be dropping a two-million dollar bill into his campaign warchest, so it remains to be seen whether he’ll be a factor.

More Charges in Cherokee School Board fight

Cherokee County Board of Education Chair Janet Read called for an ethics board hearing to determine whether Board member Kelly Marlow violated the rules in calling for SACS to investigate the Board.

The chairwoman’s request is on the unofficial draft of the July 24 school board agenda, obtained through an open records request by the Tribune, and calls for the board to vote on whether to convene the hearing to decide if Marlow should be censured.

In the draft, Read said Marlow’s complaint to SACS violated board ethics policy related to governance structure and conduct as a board member.

“It is with a heavy heart that I write this message,” Read said in the email obtained by the Tribune. “After an extensive review of Board Ethics Policy (BH) and several discussions with the school board attorney and much thought and consideration, I am requesting the following item be included on the agenda for the July 24 Called School Board Meeting: Request for Censure of School Board Member Kelly Marlow.”

Read wrote in her email to the board that she sent her request in advance to allow “additional time to reflect.”

Woodstock is Not Atlanta

You may have a new outlet shopping mall that you think is awesome, but it’s not Atlanta.

[T]housands of travelers along I-575 in Cherokee County have witnessed the mall’s construction over the past year and knew about its planned opening. The mall, about 40 minutes northwest of Atlanta, is off I-575 at Ridgewalk Parkway, a new exit that makes it easy to get to the mall.

Channel 2 Action News’ Chopper 2 reported a traffic jam on I-575 for more than a mile. To accommodate shoppers, the mall had employees park off-site and provided shuttle buses for shoppers. “We had many people on the ground working to direct traffic,” Slechta said.

The developers say the mall will generate more than $130 million in annual sales and $3 million in property taxes for Woodstock, with an additional $34 million in taxes for the city, Cherokee and its school district over the next 10 years.

State Unemployment Rate Bumps Up

Don’t panic, because although Georgia unemployment was up to 8.6 percent in June from 8.3 percent in May, it’s still significantly lower than June 2012’s 9.1 percent joblessness.

“The rate increased primarily because of two factors that occur this time of year,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “A large number of education workers are unemployed during the summer and new graduates are considered unemployed until they find a job.”

 

Veterans

Congressman David Scott (D-Atlanta) has called for Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki to resign based on concerns about the administration of the Atlanta VA Hospital.

Congressman Austin Scott (R-Tifton) held a Veterans Benefits and Education Fair at Wiregrass Technical College.

Less than a half hour after the two-hour event’s start, approximately 75 veterans had registered to meet with a representative from Congressman Austin Scott’s office and visit the half-a-hundred vendors that turned out for the fair, according to organizers.

After Army and Navy veteran Frank Lathron shared a bit of his heart’s burden with the representative, he said he foresees the fair gaining strength and attracting more veterans.

“I came here to have a question answered, and the secretary of our congressman, Rep. Austin Scott, gave me all of the info that I needed. It was just a pleasure dealing with her,” said Lathron. “And everything was there when I walked around. Everyone who came should’ve gotten an answer to their question, if they asked. It’s just a fantastic deal.”

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Cobb County) will hold a series of similar Veterans’ Workshop in the Eleventh District.

Bartow:  Tuesday, July 23, 9:00am—12:00pm 

Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce
122 West Main Street
Cartersville, GA 30120
Board Room

Cherokee:  Wednesday July 24, 2013; 9:00am—12:00pm

Historic Cherokee Courthouse
100 North Street
Canton, Georgia 30114
2^nd floor courtroom

Fulton:  Thursday July 25, 2013; 9:00am-12:00pm

American Legion
Post 140
Chastain Park
3905 Powers Ferry Rd
Atlanta GA 30342
Cobb: Thursday, August 1, 2013; 11:00am-2:00pm
Kennesaw Library
2250 Lewis Street
Kennesaw, GA 30144
Please contact Rep. Gingrey’s district offices for more information.
Marietta: (770) 429-1776
Canton: (770) 345-2931
Bartow: (678) 721-2509

Electric Cars: No Dealerships, No Gas Tax

I’ve met several owners of electric cars, from the Chevy Volt to the Tesla Model S and Roadster. In 2011, a Florida Tesla dealer held several days of test drives at the Intercontinental in Buckhead because Georgia had no in-state dealership and there’s still no Tesla dealer anywhere in Georgia.

So how do you buy a Tesla Model S? You order it from the company’s website.

But internet car sales open a can of legal worms, from lemon law responsibility, to access to temporary tags, to whether an out-of-state dealer may be sued in Georgia courts. In Georgia, dealerships have specific legal responsibilities, primarily to protect consumers, but which may affect the ability of a small manufacturer like Tesla to sell new cars here.

The Georgia Public Policy Foundation published an article that opines that the current dealership laws may stifle competition and innovation.

Two states have passed bills requiring alternative-fuel vehicles to pay an annual fee: $100 for electric cars in Washington state and $64 for hybrid and electric cars in Virginia. A New Jersey senator has proposed a $50 annual fee on electric and natural gas cars, with the revenue dedicated to highway and bridge maintenance. A bill in Arizona calls for a one cent per mile charge for electric cars, estimated to average $120 per year. The North Carolina Senate in May passed a bill calling for a $100/year charge for electric cars and $50/year for hybrids. And an Indiana legislative committee is looking into annual road impact fees for electric and hybrid cars. It’s time for Georgia to follow suit. Source: Surface Transportation Innovations

Fun and Politics

Today, I’ll be attending the National Train Show at the Cobb Galleria beginning at noon.

Now in its 23rd year, the show sprawls across 144,000 square feet where hobbyists, some coming from as far as Japan and Australia, shop for toy trains and accessories, peruse a mass of working model train layouts, and chat it up with fellow enthusiasts and manufacturers. It’s the largest show of its kind and the culmination of the annual National Model Railroad Association convention….

The 23rd Annual National Train Show. Noon-6 p.m. July 19; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 20; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 21. $12; $11 ages 65 and older; $6 ages 6-12; free ages 5 and younger, and military, Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts in uniform. Cobb Galleria Centre, Two Galleria Parkway S.E., Atlanta. 602-569-9072, www.nationaltrainshow.com.

Afterwards, I may head over to the National Federation of Republican Women Southeastern Regional Summer Conference at the Waverly Renaissance.