Statement from Speaker Glenn Richardson on resignation
December 3, 2009 at 4:29 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsThis just landed in our inbox:
“Effective January 1, 2010, I will resign my position as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives and as state Representative for the 19th District in Paulding County.
It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Paulding County as their Representative for 14 years and as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives for the last five years. During this time, I have appreciated working with the members of the House and the people of Georgia to keep state government efficient and ensure a low tax burden for our fellow Georgians.
As Speaker, I have been well served by the entire staff of the House of Representatives, especially the staff in the Speaker’s Office. To each of them I offer my profound thanks for their tireless efforts. And to my many friends and supporters throughout the state, thank you for standing by me even in the most difficult times. My service would not have been possible without you.
I am confident that House Leadership will continue to lead the House and its members as they serve all Georgians to the best of their abilities.
I recently made public that I have suffered from depression for many years. I continue to seek treatment and have made progress in dealing with this disease. In making this public disclosure, it was my hope to raise awareness and encourage others who suffer from this disease to come forward and seek treatment. I fear that the media attention of this week has deflected this message and done harm to many people who suffer from this condition.
I am thankful for the opportunities my service afforded me to make Georgia’s future brighter. Though I will no longer be serving in elected office, my commitment to see a better tomorrow for our state remains. As always, I am confident that Georgia’s best days are still ahead.”
UPDATE 6:02 p.m.: Gov. Sonny Perdue has issued a statement about Richardson’s resignation:
“Today’s decision by my friend Glenn Richardson to step down as Speaker of the House of Representatives was the right one for him personally and for his family. Coping and recovering from depression is difficult enough, even in a private family setting. While I know his personal attributes of resolve, tenacity and perseverance made this act even more difficult, I believe the privacy that he should now enjoy, without the burden of public responsibility, will enable him to recover fully and completely. I look forward to the day very soon when I will once again see the competent, capable and confident Glenn Richardson that I know.”
December 3rd, 2009 at 4:36 pm
It’s the media’s fault, Thomas.
You and Scott Henry need to quit cheating on Susan Richardson with gas company lobbyists.
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:33 pm
I’d blame my social secretary.
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I find it to be an utter travesty that this soulless, narcissistic cheater is hiding his true nature behind the mask of mental illness, and using it as an excuse for his bad behavior. It is an insult to all the peope who truly suffer from these types of mental disorders, and the fact that his cronies, particularly Perdue, are perpetuating this lie, shows that many politicians in the state of Georgia DO NOT CARE about the mentally ill or disabled. SHAME ON YOU, Richardson AND Purdue!
December 4th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Rufus, I thought one HAD to be mentally ill to call oneself a Republican’t?
December 4th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Rufus, I’ve gotta say,
If I were a soulless, narcissistic cheater, it would depress the heck out of me too. I don’t think it’s reasonable to second-guess a person’s claims about their own mental states. He’s the only one inside his head ;)
I think Sonny’s quote about “resolve, tenacity and perseverance” is important too. He’s saying “he may be depressed, but he’s still a _man_”. Overcoming the machismo of depression-denialism isn’t easy, and though I don’t agree with their politics, I think Richardson’s resignation and Sonny’s willingness to even discuss this mess were good decisions.