Georgia History

Samuel Elbert was elected Governor of Georgia for a one-year term on January 6, 1785. Elbert was an early participant in Patriot meetings at Tondee’s Tavern, a Lt. Colonel in the first group of troops raised in Georgia, and a prisoner of war, exchanged for a British General, and eventually promoted to Brigadier General reporting to Gen. George Washington. As Governor, Elbert oversaw the charter of the University of Georgia and afterward, he served briefly as Sheriff of Chatham County.

On January 6, 1961, United States District Court Judge William Bootle found that Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter were “fully qualified for immediate admission” to the University of Georgia and “would already have been admitted had it not been for their race and color,” ordering the desegregation of UGA.

On January 6, 1988, the United States Postal Service released a stamp commemorating the bicentennial of Georgia’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788.

State Capitol History: Dover, Delaware

Dover, Delaware was first settled by the Dutch prior to 1631 and later colonized under William Penn. The city of Dover was founded in 1717 and became the Capitol of Delaware in 1777. In 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in a ratification convention held at Battell’s Tavern, which is also known as the Golden Fleece Tavern. Here’s an excerpt from the history of the Constitution according to the State of Delaware.

The Continental Congress adopted the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787. An official copy of the document was presented to the Delaware Assembly by the President of Delaware, Thomas Collins, on October 24, 1787, along with four petitions containing 171 signatures urging ratification.

On November 10, 1787, both branches of the Delaware Legislature adopted a bill which called for a State Convention to be held in Dover, Delaware, on December 3, 1787, for the purpose of considering the ratification of the new Federal Constitution. This piece of legislation provided for the election of ten persons to be selected in each county to attend this convention.

The elections were held and thirty men were chosen to meet in Dover and decide the action Delaware would take on this important matter. History tells us that all the elections were orderly with one exception–the one held in Sussex County. here we find, from the words of a political pamphleteer of the time that armed men prevented a fair election.

Delaware was such a small state in 1787, and many were afraid that the much larger states surrounding Delaware would take advantage of her. Others believed that the only way to survive as a small state would be to join in a union with the larger states. Fortunately, our leaders of Delaware were intelligent men and made the wise decision to ratify the Constitution as soon as possible. Rhode Island, on the other hand, was another small state in similar circumstances, but it was the last of the 13 states to ratify the Constitution.

It’s funny to me to see the rivalry demonstrated in that last sentence between the two smallest states in our nation. So cute! December 7th of each year is celebrated as “Delaware Day” in recognintion of its historic role in the adoption of the Constitution.

Also funny? The tavern that hosted the ratification convention submitted an invoice for “use of a room, fire wood + candles for 5 days for the Convention.”

Georgia Politics

Sunday night will see the Wild Hog Supper, the traditional kickoff of the General Assembly Session.

Yesterday, Stan Jester was sworn-in as a member of the DeKalb County Board of Education, with the Oath administered by Georgia Supreme Court Justice David Nahmias. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote about the kerfuffle caused by DeKalb County Schools trying to treat an elected member of their Board as an employee:

Jester said in the statement that he would put his reports online “for anyone to see” and challenged the rest of the board members to do the same.

“I do reject the manner and rationale of the board chair in dealing with this issue,” Jester said in the emailed statement to Channel 2. “It has ranged from inaccurate to intimidating. Rather than try to bully or embarrass other board members, I will take great care to do what is in the best interests of children and taxpayers.”

A check of online court records by The AJC did not show any cases or liens involving Jester.

Reining in the inexorable expansion of government and government power has to start somewhere. Here it is one citizen standing up for his rights against a public entity he was elected to help govern, not to subjugate himself to. In 2009, DeKalb County Public Schools was the sixth largest employer in Atlanta.

Congressman-elect Buddy Carter held a hometown ceremonial (fancy word for “fake”) swearing-in ceremony in Savannah at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church. The actual swearing-in will take place today in Washington. All kidding aside, I like the idea of holding a ceremony in the district – it reminds the Congressman where he comes from and to whom he answers. Congratulations.

At least six millionaires will take the oath of office as United States Senators today, including Georgia’s new junior Senator David Perdue. Bloomberg rated Perdue as likely the richest of those.

To rank the new senators, Bloomberg Politics used the same methodology employed by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group in Washington that tracks money in politics. That method uses the midpoint of the range of net worth reported to produce these rankings.

1. David Perdue

Perdue, a former CEO of Dollar General Corp. and Reebok, funded much of his own Senate campaign against a crowded Republican primary field and Democrat Michelle Nunn. His assets fall between $16.9 million and $47.1 million, with a net worth midpoint of $31.6 million. His stock portfolio is broad and deep, ranging from Apple Inc., to Xylem Inc., a water technology company. The only liability Perdue lists is a $250,000 to $500,000 margin loan with Goldman Sachs Wealth Management. That suggests his multimillion-dollar home on Georgia’s Sea Island is paid off. Going to Washington will mean a hit to Perdue’s income stream. His $174,000 salary as a senator will only put a small dent in the $716,081 in compensation he’ll lose from stepping down from board of director positions he’s had with four companies, including Alliant Energy Corp. in Madison, Wis.

Incoming U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R) of Colorado may have a personal balance sheet that is in the red, according to this methodology.

Hardie Davis was sworn-in yesterday as the 84th Mayor of Augusta, Georgia and the first African-American Mayor since the consolidation of Augusta and Richmond County.

Mayor Davis laid out his plan, One Augusta for all, before a diverse group at the inauguration, where he raised his right hand and placed his left hand on a bible with his family by his side.

“I pledge to work with each commissioner on behalf of all of our citizens.  We will lead with a spirit of unity and mutual cooperation,” he said.

The former Georgia State Representative and Senator also touted government transparency, assuring tax payers they would know where the nearly $800 million budget is being spent.  He also pledged jobs for all who want to work and a vibrant economy under his leadership.  Some people told News Channel 6 he’s just the man to get the job done.

“Augusta is at the point where I think we’re ready to explode. I think everything is in place.  I think out leadership is the last part that we really need to make sure that we get a grip on and move this city forward,” said Keith Brown, a former Augusta-Richmond County Commissioner and Augusta Resident.

Mayor Davis spoke in depth about his economic development plans for the city, talking specifically about what should be done to help the south side.

“Those land resources need to be tapped not just for resale and commercial investments, but they have to be tapped for residential investments as well. When you look at the number of people that are going to be moving into this region, simply by reason of the Cyber Command Center of Excellence alone, we’ve got to have residential investments in south Richmond County,” he said.

I think former Commissioner Brown meant “explode” in the sense of an economic boom.

Last month, Brian McDaniel was sworn-in as a new Superior Court Judge in Moultrie.

Elected May 20 as Superior Court judge for the Southern Judicial Circuit, which includes Brooks, Colquitt, Echols, Lowndes and Thomas counties, McDaniel [took] office … as the junior-most of the district’s five Superior Court judges.

Meng Lim was sworn-in last month as Georgia’s first Asian-American Superior Court Judge, in the Tallapoosa Circuit.

Three members of the Butts County School Board were sworn-in – two retreads and a newbie.

Butts County Probate Judge Betsy Biles Biles … administered the oath of office and loyalty oath to incumbents Bobby Craven and Millard Daniel and to new member Mamie Crawford during a lighthearted ceremony held at the Butts County Board of Education’s central office building.

Crawford, who worked for 40 years as an educator in the Butts County School System, replaces outgoing chairman Ernest Battle in the District 2 seat on the board. Craven holds the District 1 seat. Daniel represents District 5. Neither Craven nor Daniel faced opposition in last year’s election.

Crawford defeated opponent Belinda Davis in last May’s election to claim the District 2 seat.

Pro-tip: don’t refer to your church as “my friggin’ church.”

Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee didn’t make a resolution last week to watch his language in the New Year — but he’s no doubt wishing now that he had.

The chairman issued a “mea culpa” in the wake of an MDJ item printed Jan. 2 that saw Lee using a euphemism (“friggin’”) that’s heard more and more frequently these days — but not usually in connection with one’s own church, which is how Lee used it.

So what got the chairman so fired up, and especially during a time of year during which “peace on earth, good will to men” is supposed to prevail?

Well, it turns out Lee and Atlanta Journal Constitution Senior Business Editor Charles Gay are members of First United Methodist Church of Marietta.

At 4 PM today, JoAnn Birrell will take the oath for a new term as Cobb County Commissioner.

Chris Cohilas will serve as the new Doughery County Commission Chair and Anthony Jones took the oath as Dougherty County Commissioner for District Six. The Albany Herald has a neat story about the new Commissioner.

“When I was a 22-year-old working at my first job (as an extension agent) in Shelby County, Alabama, most of the farmers I worked with were old enough to be my grandparents,” said Jones, who defeated long-time County Commissioner Jack Stone in the May 20 Democratic primary to claim the District 6 seat. “I encouraged them to use specific fertilizers and to get their soil tested, but the general reaction was ‘Who’s this young boy telling us what to do?’ So I had an idea.”

Jones talked Francis Hall, a widely known farmer in the community, into renting him an acre of land “she owned that everybody in the community rode by.” Jones and a hired hand worked the land, usually tending it late in the evening when he’d come home from work. They planted tomatoes, corn, peas and butter beans.

“For the first couple of days, I worried about those tomato plants,” Jones said. “I could hear what those old farmers in the town were saying. But I ended up with so many tomatoes I had to give them away. We had a ton of corn — I know we had 75 bushels — and all kinds of peas and butter beans.

“At the end of the day, when I went to see Ms. Hall about settling up, she said, ‘You came in here telling all us old folks what we should do on our farms, and we didn’t want to listen to you. It turns out, though, you’re a damned good farmer. You don’t owe me no rent.’”

Dawson, Georgia Mayor Chris Wright began serving his second term in office. His first term included getting shot six times. Here’s to hoping the second term involves no gunplay.

Dawson County has a new Commissioner in District 1, Sharon Fausett who has shown restraint admirable and previously unknown in a politician – she will listen first, then speak.

Fausett, who served on the county tax assessor’s board and comprehensive land-use committee, succeeds two-term Commissioner Gary Pichon, who chose not to seek re-election.

She has opted to delay speaking publicly on her goals as commissioner until after her first meeting, which will be held at 4 p.m. Jan. 8 on the second floor of the Dawson County Government Center.

Karen Armstrong took office as a new member of the Dawson County Board of Education in the same ceremony.

The Newnan Times-Herald profiles Bob Trammell, an incoming freshman in the State House of Representatives – must read for legislators, lobbyists, and politicos.

Trammell, of Luthersville, was elected on Nov. 4 to House District 132, which includes a portion of Coweta and Troup counties, and the northern half of Meriwether County. He is the only Democrat in Coweta’s legislative delegation.

Trammell succeeds Carl Von Epps, D-LaGrange, who has served since 1993 and did not seek reelection this year.

He is hoping to get assigned to one of the two judiciary committees.

“As a lawyer, I think I have an opportunity to make an immediate contribution on those.”

Trammell said he wanted to serve in the House of Representatives because he has a commitment to be of public service. “That goes back to Thomas Jefferson’s view of public service. I think it is both a privilege and a responsibility. And so, I’ve always known that public service was something that I wanted to spend a good part of my career involved in, whether that was in elected or non-elected capacities.”

Looking toward the upcoming session, Trammell thinks the number one issue will be transportation and how to fund the state’s transportation needs. A joint study committee has been meeting on the issue and will be issuing a report on its findings.

“Funding is a critical part of what they talked about. What it boils down to is the way that we have funded transportation needs in Georgia is not sustainable,” Trammell said. “We’re still tied to a gasoline tax while cars are more efficient.” But more and more people are on our roads, and needs are going to continue to increase. “So we have to have some way to address improvements and just general maintenance on our roads and bridges. And that will be what dominates a lot of this upcoming session.”

House Bill 1, which will allow the use of CBD oil, has already been pre-filed for the upcoming session – so has a bill to allow much wider usage of medical marijuana.

HB 1 “is a bill that we need,” Trammell said. When it comes to wider legalization of marijuana, those issues “need to be examined carefully. I think we have to have law enforcement weigh in on that.” And Georgia officials need to take a close look at what the impact has been on other states that have legalized medical marijuana. “That is more of an open-ended question in my mind,” he said.

Trammell hopes to see the general assembly look again at expanding Medicaid.

“I don’t think that the legislature needs to always be focused on new laws or more laws,” Trammell said. “When there is problem or a need, I think that is where we need to focus. But I don’t think we need to be carrying bills … in search of a problem.”

Georgia will also have a new Adjutant General this month, as Brig. Gen. Joe Jarrard takes over from Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth, who is moving to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.