Fresh Loaf

And isn’t it ironic? A little too ironic, don’cha think?

Earlier this month, Gov. Sonny Perdue announced that state revenues were in the toilet, budget estimates were projecting a $1.6 billion ( yes, that’s a “B”) shortfall and that he was considering raising most people’s property taxes.

Hmm. This reminds us of an earlier situation involving a large government entity. We just can’t quite put our finger on it…

Oh, yeah – It’s Atlanta! Remember when CL broke the news back in January about the city budget crisis and the media shit-storm that followed?

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— Georgia has its own Montauk Monster, and it’s called, simply, Bigfoot. Details will be unveiled Friday, so says Peach Pundit.

— Despite evidence to the contrary, Georgia Politics Unfiltered claims, “There is no sex in the courtrooms of Cobb County Superior Court (or the judge’s chambers for that matter).” Does lesbian sex count?

— Georgia Politics Unfiltered also updates a post from yesterday that hyped today’s political forecast from CQ Politics. CQ’s shocking revelation: In the presidential election, Georgia is “Republican Favored”!

— According to Lucid Idiocy, the food crisis is over. Gov. Sonny Perdue supports biofuels. And the Montauk Monster was spotted drinking margaritas at the Jekyll Island Club. (OK, I made that last one up.)

— Georgia On My Mind has posted photos of the ancient Etowah Indian Mounds. No apparent news there, seeing as how they were built nearly 1,100 years ago. They’re real purty, though.

— Media Matters‘ SpaceyG says she isn’t all that bummed about waking up with John McCain. Political Insider’s Jim Galloway says McCain isn’t all all thrilled about waking up with Ralph Reed. No word on who John Edwards is waking up with.

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— It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I don’t know how I feel. GriftDrift has posted another installment of “My Morning Wooten” and … he says Wooten makes sense. WTF? Thankfully, by the end he’s poking at Wooten for pulling out the usual canard about the liberal media. There. All’s right with the world again.

— Over at Good Will Hinton, there’s a podcast interview with S.E. Cupp, co-author of the book Why You’re Wrong About The Right: Behind The Myths. The stereotypes Cupp hopes to debunk? “Republicans are racist, we’re humorless, we hate the planet, we’re stupid, we’re religious fanatics, we aren’t cool,” Cupp tells Hinton.

— Do we need to create a code of ethics for the blogosphere? A.man.I at My Urban Reporter discusses the news reports that Atlanta political blogger Andre Walker (Peach Pundit, Georgia Politics Unfiltered) is on the payroll of U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Atlanta), yet wrote multiple posts about Scott without disclosing their relationship. A.man.I points out, and I second, that’s an ethical no, no. See also CL editor Ken Edelstein’s post on the issue.

— Tondee’s Tavern has a report from Ed, who is in China for the Olympic Games and laments the censorship he’s already faced with Internet access.

—  Amy Smart received an invitation from Gov. Sonny Perdue to attend his annual fish fry and, as she writes on Georgia Women Vote!, she’s not really amused since Sonny’s “Go Fish Georgia” program is fully funded while schools are facing budget cuts.

— Things have been a little quiet on the Dora-Blog. But now Bubba Rich laments that the bad times have come back to Doraville, that touch of country in the city.

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(closes eyes, grips fists) Please let it not be Perdue. Please let it not be Perdue.

Oh! Hi there. (shuffles papers, sits up straight) Beltway columnist Robert Novak, the Corvette-drivin’, right-leaning pundit who prides himself on his “Prince of Darkness” moniker, says John McCain’s pick for his running mate will be announced sometime this week. Mitt Romney’s been speculated as the most likely candidate.

Barack Obama will pick — you guessed it — Bicycle Shorts Man. Good night!

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HOMELESSNESS: New study quantifies homelessness in Georgia, finding that 20,000 people were homeless statewide one night in January and 75,000 went without a home at some point during the year.

NICHOLS TRIAL MOVED: To Atlanta City Court.

NOT THE LAST STRAW: The Athens Banner-Herald sees the silver lining in Gwinnett voters’ straw-poll rejection of MARTA.

IN TRANSIT: CNN reports on Americans weaning off driving and the rise of public transit; as usual, Atlanta is used as the example of the city lagging behind.

IN-THE-RED STATE: Gov. Perdue announces that the state budget is $600 million short. Maybe Atlanta and Georgia aren’t so different after all.

GOING AGAINST THE GROIN: Mike Hampton comes out of another minor league game after “tweaking” something, this time his groin, after just 29 pitches.

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Pres. George W. Bush today lifted an executive ban on offshore drilling. Kind of snobbish that only CEOs get to drill for oil off the coast, but whatever, I don’t make the rules.

Gov. Sonny Perdue applauds the move and urges Congress to act:

“With record gas prices straining the budgets of many Georgia families, we cannot afford to take any option off the table. It is imperative that we take a balanced approach of conserving, developing alternative energy technologies and increasing the supply of domestically-produced resources. I want to thank President Bush for his action today and I urge Congress to hear the voices of the American people who are asking for relief from our dependence on foreign oil.”

If Congress fails to act, Bush’s order will just go in a file cabinet somewhere.  Whether you’re fer it or agin it, contact your elected official and let them know.

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And they’re not even considering the wind potential off Georgia’s coast. From the office of Gov. George Ervin “Sonny” Perdue:

According to a recent Forbes article entitled “America’s Best Places For Alternative Energy,” the abundance of biomass in Georgia’s Bioenergy Corridor ranks third in the nation as a potential source of renewable energy. The article referenced the amount of privately owned forest in Georgia, more than any other state in the country, as a reason for the state’s ranking. Forbes also cited that “roughly 50 million tons of the state’s own timber end up in the state’s wood-products manufacturing plants every year” and the industry “returns nearly half of it in the form of primary mill wood debris.” Only Iowa and North Dakota ranked higher. Rounding out the top five were Mississippi and North Carolina.

“Georgia’s wealth of natural resources combined with our research institutions and a strong business climate create an ideal environment for the development of renewable energy,” said Governor Perdue. “We appreciate Forbes’ recognition of our ability to develop alternative energy sources.”

…

Georgia is at the forefront of the nation’s development of cellulosic ethanol, a non-food feedstock for the production of ethanol from pine and other wood residuals. Range Fuels broke ground on the nation’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Soperton on November 6, 2007. The facility is expected to be operational in 2009. In addition, the state’s research institutions including the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia and the Herty Advanced Materials Development Center are providing R&D in support of cellulosic ethanol and other renewable energy alternatives.

Full press release follows after the jump.

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— Matt Towery at Insider Advantage reports that Gov. Sonny “Go Fish” Perdue is one of the top four on John McCain’s list of potential running mates. That means two Georgians are top vice-presidential candidates – Perdue for McCain and Sam Nunn for Barack Obama. Towery says Perdue’s rise is because of McCain’s shaky hold on the South, and the fact that Georgia appears up for grabs. The latest Insider Advantage poll shows McCain with 44 percent and Obama with 43 percent.

— Meanwhile Jim Galloway at the AJC’s Political Insider reports that another Insider Advantage poll shows that Jim Martin has leapt into the front in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Martin leads with 31 percent, Vernon Jones is second with 20 percent and Dale Cardwell is third with 11 percent. Still, 33 percent of those polled remain undecided.

— But that doesn’t stop Flackattack over at Tondee’s Tavern from making his own predictions in the race. He thinks Jones will come in first, with Cardwell squeezing into the runoff.

— Over at Peach Pundit, there’s another shining example of why Clayton County’s government is more entertaining than the Keystone Cops … if you don’t live there. In this episode, District Attorney Jewell Scott can’t indict a juvenile suspect in a murder case because she was unaware of a state law that mandates juvenile murder cases must be taken before a grand jury within 180 days of their arrest.

— There appears to be a spate of restaurants up for sale in Decatur, including the Chocolate Bar. However, according to inDecatur, most of them are being offered anonymously.

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Gov. Sonny Perdue duped all of us, folks. While we stood together as Jaw-juhns and prayed for rain, the Man From Bonair was actually asking God to bless our nation with a Republican presidential candidate who’d consider him as a running mate.

InsiderAdvantage’s Matt Towery is reporting “strong national sources” are whispering about Perdue being one of the top four prospects for vice president. If he doesn’t snag the no. 2 spot, he’d at least be “a player” in McCain’s administration.

But why pick Perdue?

Oh, hey Matt. Come sit a spell:

Why? First, Perdue has strong approval ratings in his home state. Second, his home state is now in play and could, in a perfect storm, become the decision-maker of 2008. Third, former Sen. Sam Nunn, according to both Time and Newsweek, is an eye-blink away from being the Democratic nominee for VP. But Perdue’s name identification and popularity as a current Governor would easily eclipse that of Nunn.

So enter Sonny Perdue, former head of the Republican Governor’s Conference and a consensus style GOP leader.

Mere conjecture? Nope. Perdue, according to strong national sources, has risen to the top four in the veepstakes. Whether he’s the eventual choice or not, look for him to be a player in a McCain administration.

Attention to Sen. McCain, one of this blog’s loyal readers: Put Perdue in a position where he truly shines.

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We have come such a long way from praying for rain.

Friday Night Drag Racing with Governor Perdue

ATLANTA– Governor Perdue and Atlanta Motor Speedway President and General Manager Ed Clark will square off in a heads up street drag race down Atlanta Motor Speedway’s drag strip TONIGHT, Friday, June 27, 2008.

Friday, June 27, 2008
8 p.m.
WHAT: Governor Perdue and AMS President Clark Address Media

WHERE: Infield media center – deadline room
Atlanta Motor Speedway
1500 Highway 19-41
Hampton, GA 30228

9 p.m.

WHAT: Governor Perdue and AMS President Clark Square Off In a Heads Up Street Drag Race

WHERE: Atlanta Motor Speedway
1500 Highway 19-41
Hampton, GA 30228

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Gov. Sonny Perdue recently reversed his long-standing opposition to state-funded commuter rail in Georgia.

“I am fully prepared to support GDOT’s efforts on commuter rail and making the pilot a reality. After looking at the operational costs that I’ve seen it makes sense to go all the way to Griffin using this pilot program.”

— Perdue, in a June 12 press release.

“We have added 15 new GRTA Express bus routes and plan to have 37 such routes in operation by 2010. We are moving forward with the Bus Rapid Transit project on the I-75 corridor, at a cost of over $1.8 billion.”

— Perdue, responding to a question about passenger rail in Georgia, during a 2006 AJC candidates’ forum.

“[The Atlanta-Lovejoy line] had also endured a decade of hurdles, including Perdue’s 2003 gutting of a state bond package (passed under Roy Barnes’ administration) that included money to fund commuter rail…”

— Georgia Trend, March 2007.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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NATIONAL HEALTH MUSEUM: Atlanta is picked as the location for the $230 million museum, Sonny Perdue announced Wednesday afternoon.

HEALTH UNSURANCE: Georgia gets failing grade, as do most other states, from a Families USA study on equality in health insurance coverage.

SHORTFALLIN’: The Georgia DOT will likely finish this fiscal year more than $1.2 billion in the red, Commissioner Gena Abraham says.

EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS: Six new cases of the disease, which is spread by mosquitoes and swells horses’ brains, are reported in South Georgia. Humans are also susceptible.

IN FARM’S WAY: Carroll County woman plans to turn 66 acres into a sustainable, ecologically balanced agrarian community called Brokenfoot Ranch. At least its name isn’t as lame as Serenbe.

NANNY 911: A Forsyth County deputy, his wife and his part-time magistrate father are charged in a human-trafficking case in which they allegedly hired a woman from India to be their nanny, only to quit paying her and threaten her if she tried to escape.

MANHUNT: Lawrenceville police searched for a suspected car thief for three hours Wednesday. It looks really exciting in this exclusive AccessNorthGa shot of the manhunt.

FLYING HIGH: Two former TSA agents and a former Delta Air Lines employee plead guilty to intended drug-smuggling after being caught during a sting operation at Hartsfield-Jackson.

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Some tips courtesy of Conserve Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue’s newest initiative aimed at educating Jaw-juhns of the many ways we can create a more sustainable state.

• Drive sensibly: Speeding, rapid acceleration (jackrabbit starts), and rapid braking can lower gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds. Drivers can save up to 80 gallons of gasoline ($302) by driving sensibly on the highway. Around town, sensible driving can save five percent, up to 30 gallons of gasoline ($113).

Gas station sign in Hepzibah, Ga.
• Choose the right vehicle: If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets better gas mileage whenever possible.

• Reduce trunk loads: An extra 100 pounds in the trunk cuts a typical vehicle’s fuel economy by up to two percent. Removing an extra 100 pounds of unneeded items from your trunk can save up to 12 gallons of gasoline per year ($45).

• Decrease speed: Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly over 60 miles-per-hour (mph). Each five mph over 60 equates to paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas.

• Avoid idling: Idling gets zero miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas while idling than cars with smaller engines.

• Inflate your tires: Keeping tires properly inflated improves gas mileage by approximately three percent, saving up to 20 gallons of gasoline ($75).

• Tune up: Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of four percent, saving up to 25 gallons of gasoline ($94). Fixing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve mileage by as much as 40 percent (saving up to 250 gallons or $945).

• Select the right oil: Using the manufacturers recommended grade of motor oil, including refined motor oil, improves gas mileage by one to two percent, an annual savings of more than $40.

These are all well and good. But like a bunch of Ritalin-fueled cleaning ladies, we can do more. From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenwheatley, I offer the following tips:

• Check the A-TRAIN Trip Planner, the online navigation tool that’ll literally show you the path to the city’s transit options.

• If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, buy a hybrid. Or one of those tiny, funny looking cars. The AJC says people will giggle. If you’re shy it might help you make friends. Energy-supply crunches are great ice breakers!

• If you live intown, ride a bike. If you live along transit intown but want something that’ll get to those in-between spots, think about a Segway. Or get a scooter. A co-worker here says his meep-meep machine gets 70 miles a gallon. Yes, it only has one gallon, but that’s roughly $4 a week to get him to work and back home.

“But wait, Mrs. Frankenwheatley!” a voice cries out from the smog. “Public transit doesn’t serve my area! I don’t have the money to purchase a hybrid! People throw cans at me when I ride a scooter!”

Well, then click here to find your local elected official and tell them how you feel. Be sure to ask those who are running for election as well. Tell ‘em you want tax incentives and rebates. Make it clear what you want in terms of transit. Heck, maybe you want them to drill for oil — although come on, really? But get involved. Give them your ideas and hold them accountable. And don’t forg