Safe as Houses

So, 11 Senate Democrats decided to abandon common sense and be political cowards by diving to the right, endorsing The Great Georgia Corporate Giveaway. And, if their hellbent desire to be complicit in the bankrupting of our committments to education, infrastructure and health care though this flawed piece of legislation wasn't enough, six of these Senate Democrats opted to also support The Georgia Power Ponzi Scheme, raising the rates of taxpayers across the state and funneling that money to pre-pay the profit of Georgia Power's shareholders.

It's exasperating, particularly for anyone who sees the ruin being wrought on our state.

At some point, you have to ask yourself ... what's the point?

If we've got Democrats who aren't going to, you know, act like Democrats, why is it worth tolerating having such individuals represent us under the Gold Dome?

If our elected Democrats are going to watch their numbers dwindle and think their only response to is to feebly run to the right on issues of importance, why do we let them get away with it? If our elected Democrats don't have the courage to actual stand up for the principles that the dedicated members of the grassroots movement believe in - the same dedicated members who year in and year out bust their tail to send these folks to Atlanta - then why do we exert that much effort?

If Sen. Emanuel Jones thinks it's better to let middle class Georgians take on more and more of the tax burden in the state, while big businesses and wealthier income-earners see their shares reduced, why should I get his back?

If Sen. Valencia Seay thinks the citizens of this state should subsidize the energy usage of the state's biggest energy consumers, why should she get my support?

If Sen. Tim Golden thinks it's acceptable to gut the state's budget - at the height of an unprecedented budget crisis - by an additional $600 million to $1 billion because he's politically scared, why should I treat him differently than any of the other Republicans in Atlanta who advocate these ideas?

Tell me why. Honestly.

And it can't be 'well, a conservative Democrat is the only one who can hold that seat' because, judging by this group's priorities and their voting patterns, I find it difficult to believe that we'd see a measurable difference if a Republican held the seat.

Why should they get our money? Our time? Our energy? Our support?

Why shouldn't we tell them to start standing up for the progressive principles their supporters believe in, yet they seem intent on rejecting on a case-by-case basis?

Honestly, I can't figure out why ... can you?

If this is the best the proponents of The Great Georgia Corporate Giveaway can do to defend this scheme well, frankly, I'm kinda disappointed.

Aside from the lack of statistical evidence to support the claims Buzz is trying to make, he embraces the fact that $600 million to $1 billion will be lost from the state's budget, in the middle of a $2.2 billion budget shortfall (and with budget deficits suggesting a long-term structural shortfall of $3 billion-plus).

And, when you embrace Draconian cuts to your basic public services, there's no need to offer any sort of rationale to defend why eliminating the corporate tax would be a beneficial policy move because enacting sound policy isn't your goal anyway. Your goal, then, is to cut the investments Georgia makes in education, transportation, health care and the like down to the bone.

Pointing out that Georgia's population has soared since 1990 or that cost of living and inflationary effects have helped to increase the size of the state budget will fall on deaf ears because, quite frankly, they don't care.

At least they're being honest about it now. And it's just becoming crystal clear the differences between those who are brazingly honest about gutting our public investments and vehemently against local control and, you know, the rest of us.

The names of the Senate Democrats who voted for The Great Georgia Corporate Giveaway ...

Sen. David Adelman
Sen. Gail Buckner
Sen. Tim Golden
Sen. Ed Harbison
Sen. George Hooks
Sen. Emanuel Jones
Sen. J.B. Powell
Sen. Kasim Reed
Sen. Valencia Seay
Sen. Doug Stoner
Sen. Ed Tarver

And, for the record, six of those 11 folks, also voted for The Georgia Power Ponzi Scheme ...

Sen. Tim Golden
Sen. Ed Harbison
Sen. Emanuel Jones
Sen. J.B. Powell
Sen. Valencia Seay
Sen. Ed Tarver

Flack's doing a fine job pointing out the arrogant approach the House Republicans have taken toward local communities - something underlined by a pair of proposals advocated by Rep. Bob Smith which would give the state legislature supreme control over the Board of Regents and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport - but my obsession with the ridiculous piece of legislation that is The Great Georgia Corporate Giveaway continues.

Largely because many Republicans are deliberately misleading the public regarding the $600 million to $1 billion the elimination of the corporate tax will drain from the state budget as they now are suggesting that's money that will get flowed directly back into the economy. Of course, all available data - including the state's official fiscal note attached to the proposal - suggests otherwise as the state figures to only recoup two percent of the depleted money, which is directly contradictory to what its proponents are claiming.

There's absolutely no rhyme or reason to what's being enacted under the Gold Dome, and there hasn't been for some time. What we're witnessing is a piecemeal approach to the self-destruction of our state's investments in public services all masked as economic growth via inefficient tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit big businesses and the top income-earners in Georgia.

Got to say, you have to admire the political gamemanship going on regarding transportation funding as the House just put the ball back in the Senate's court ...

The House changed one of its bills, House Bill 277, calling for a state-wide penny sales tax for transportation improvements. It added a concession to the Senate. The new version of House Bill 277 would ask voters to approve a statewide penny sales tax. If that failed, the legislation would then allow contiguous counties to band together and tax themselves for transportation projects, something the Senate favors.

“If it succeeds, the voters have spoken,” said House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons). He said the Senate should agree to the House compromise and put Georgia towards a solution to gridlock and other transportation problems.

Since North Georgia is projected to get roughly five inches of rain today through Sunday, and the state weather folks say we're about three inches behind where we should be, if we get said rain will they begin to routinely say 'we're two inches above where should be' ...

While folks may have differing views on the course of action to take regarding our transportation crisis, it's also important to point out that Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle apparently is mistaking foolish stubbornness for political leadership. Remember, it's Cagle who has routinely killed any meaningful attempt at transportation reform based on his short-sighted goals of political power.

Some measure may pass, and it very well could be the regional approach Cagle is clamoring for, but let's not forget that it should have passed last year ... or the year before ... and it didn't because Cagle was too stubborn to find a workable compromise.

I've sometimes been out on my own on this, but I still contend that - given the two competing plans - the statewide one-cent sales tax is the best approach to addressing our transportation needs. The Athens Banner-Herald is arguing for the regional proposal, and while it's not an awful piece of legislation by any means (particularly given our lack of investment in our transportation infrastructure), it's also important to note that it's inadequate to meet the needs.

For starters, the final piece of legislation will offer an opt-out clause that will let counties that vote against the T-SPLOST opt out of the arrangement, thus removing a chunk of funding from the proposed projects and leaving some projects in limbo (i.e. if Oconee County took itself out of a project connecting Barrow County and Athens-Clarke County). Additionally, existing data has shown that the amount of revenue raised from a statewide approach would do more to meet our needs rather than a piecemeal approach done community by community.

The editorial picks up on the recent story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that criticized how the projects were selected for the Georgia House's plan, but, personally, I'm less than moved by that criticism. While I think it's perfectly plausible to believe that politics influenced where some projects will go, it's also important to recognize that the two projects in question - the Greene County one and the Bryan County one - will be strong expansions in growing communities along corridors that are projected to accommodate considerable residential and commercial growth in coming years.

Furthermore, the statewide approach gets us one step closer to a more integrated system of rails that will better serve North Georgia, including 'The Brain Train' connecting Athens-Clarke County to Atlanta, and that's going to put me over the edge every time.

 - Granted it's roughly a year-and-a-half away from the actual election, but it's never too early to start talking about the 2010 Senate races ... particularly in light of Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to vote against the Employee Free Choice Act.

Taking a look at the 37 races that will be up for grabs next year, there are six seats currently held by Republicans that figure to be under heavy Democratic pressure. Specter will have a difficult time holding on to Pennsylvania as he's lost the influential labor support in a trending blue (and that's not even assuming he faces a primary challenge from the right). Likewise, Ohio, New Hampshire and Missouri will kick off the election cycle with presumed Democratic frontrunner, while Florida and Kentucky figure to be competitive races (though if Gov. Charlie Crist opts to seek the seat for U.S. Senate, then Florida is a Republican lock).

On the Democratic side, Sen. Harry Reid figures to be safe in Nevada, and, despite the hullabaloo surrounding Illinois, it's hard to see a Republican winning a state that is staunchly progressive. Colorado would seem to be the best opportunity for a Republican pickup, though recent polling has suggested that Sen. Michael Bennett appears safe.

All that said, it's just difficult to see how Democrats don't pick up one or two seats, thus ensuring a filibuster-proof majority.

- There's an interesting debate going on between Brad DeLong and Paul Krugman regarding the vitality of Timothy Geither's plan to address the financial sector. DeLong is supportive of the proposal, while Krugman is vehemently opposed. Given they're two progressive economists, it's a good discussion and, while I think Krugman is being somewhat hyperbolic, I do tend to lean toward his argument right now.

- I never ceased to be amazed when I take a look at the regional poll numbers and realize exactly how much The South drags down the approval numbers for not only President Obama, but also Congressional Democrats. In the Northeast, Obama has an approval rating of 86 percent, while he's got a 73 percent approval rating in the Midwest and 75 percent in the West ... but in the South he's hovering at 42 percent with 50 percent disapproving (his disapproval isn't higher than 23 percent in the other three regions). Congressional Democrats have approval ratings of roughly 50 percent in the other three regions, and the party's generic approval rating is 68 percent in the Northeast, 56 percent in the Midwest and 57 percent in the West. The generic approval of the Republican Party is in the single digits in the Northeast and less than 25 percent in the Midwest and West.