Fresh Loaf

Of course he signs it on Earth Day. The legislation, House Bill 473, creates a grant program that provides incentives to businesses that install solar panels, produce heat from geothermal heaters, and invest in energy efficiency.

From the governor’s office:

“HB 473 provides Georgia companies with additional incentives for investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy,” said Governor Perdue. “These clean energy grants will also help the private sector meet the state’s goal of reducing energy consumption by 15 percent.”

HB 473 will be administered by GEFA under similar terms and conditions of the current Clean Energy Property Tax Credit (HB 670) passed last year. Quality standards, such as Energy Star criteria for geothermal heat pumps and a high efficiency standard (exceeding ASHRAE 90.1.2004 by 30 percent) for lighting and buildings, determine eligibility for the grant program. The grants will be available on a first come, first served basis; installation of the qualifying clean energy property must be completed before a grant application can be submitted. The maximum grant for each applicant is limited to the lesser of 35 percent of the cost of the clean energy property or the statutory caps.

There’s a hitch though — the size of the grant program depends on how much stimulus cash our benevolent federal overlords decide to give us this summer.

While HB 473 authorizes Georgia to use ARRA funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy grants to non-residential consumers, the state will not know whether this is possible or how much will be available until its application for recovery funds is reviewed this summer by the U.S. Department of Energy. GEFA is expected to receive a total of approximately $82.5 million for the State Energy Program through ARRA, which will support many other efforts in addition to HB 473.

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Plant Vogtle

It’s quite common for journalists to “bury the lede” — that is, to downplay the real news and stick it in the far recesses of an article. Sometimes it’s on purpose, but usually it’s avoided.

To “bury the lede” on a press release? Kind of bizarre. But it happened today when Gov. Sonny Perdue announced he’d signed a bill that would mean more money for the state’s unemployed — and even up to 13 extra weeks of benefits to help them through hard times. It all comes from federal funds, so it wouldn’t mean a tax increase on Georgia businesses. Sounds good, right?

Perdue followed up that little bit of sunshine with a long list of legislation he also inked today with his Juan Hancock. Among them: Senate Bill 31. That’s the WTF legislation that allows Georgia Power to start charging customers for some costs of two proposed reactors at Plant Vogtle years before the white elephants are completed. It was widely maligned and derided by everyone from conservative bloggers to the AARP. Apparently the only people in favor of the plan were the free-market drumbeaters at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation and lawmakers coached in talking points by 70 lobbyists hired to peddle the bill.

Its signing into law wasn’t very surprising, really. (Perdue’s chief of staff is a former Georgia Power “vice president of governmental and regulatory affairs,” or, in English, “lobbyist”). But it’s just kind of funny that one of the hot-button bills of the session — one that would “create jobs” and “be good for Georgia” — didn’t merit its own press release. And the fact that a recent lawsuit filed by Atlanta attorney John Woodham and the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation about the bill didn’t even make Perdue wince or explain the decision.

After the jump, the full announcement about the state unemployment legislation Perdue signed. But first, the full list of all the other bills Perdue signed today. Play along with us as we sort through the pile and see what they were! At the top of the screen, select whether it’s “HB” for “House Bill” or “SB” for “Senate Bill” and then enter the number in the field. It’s fun! Kind of.

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Gov. Sonny Perdue said earlier today he’d like to avoid a special legislative session to reconsider a bill that would give cash-strapped MARTA more control over its main source of revenue.

Well, State Rep. Rashad Taylor, D-Atlanta, has offered the governor another option. The freshman lawmaker today wrote Perdue urging him to issue an executive order to help MARTA. (Click here to view the letter.)

“Because of the House’s failure to pass SB 120, Metro Atlantans are now looking to you for leadership on this issue,” Taylor wrote. “If the law will allow, I urge you to issue an Executive Order suspending the capital reserve restrictions that currently tie MARTA’s hands. If you are unable to do this by Executive Order, I ask that you call a special session of the Legislature so that we can pass legislation that will give MARTA access to its capital reserves… We must do better for the capital city and for the citizens who rely on public transit to work for Georgia’s present and future.”

Taylor, who serves on the House MARTA Oversight Committee, will join other lawmakers tomorrow for a press conference about the issue at 2 p.m at downtown’s Five Points MARTA station.

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Governor Perdue takes questions from reporters after speaking on the floor of the House Friday night.

From the AJC’s Gold Dome Live:

Gov. Sonny Perdue told reporters that his staff met with MARTA officials Tuesday morning in hopes of coming up with a solution to the transit system’s funding problems.

However, it doesn’t sound like he will go along with MARTA’s call for a special session to pass legislation to help the system.

…

The governor mentioned several times that MARTA made no effort to get him involved in passing legislation that would have freed up funding for the system. The bill failed.

“It’s always unfortunate when people who depend on MARTA have their service cut, and I hope they (MARTA) can find a way …. to make it through the end of the year,” the governor said.

In the meantime, Citizens for Progressive Transit, a local grassroots group, is asking its members and other mobility-minded residents to contact Perdue’s office.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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The MARTA board today called for Gov. Sonny Perdue to order state lawmakers back to the Gold Dome to consider legislation that might save the transit agency from implementing drastic service cuts.

MARTA General Manager Bev Scott says unless the General Assembly approves legislation that would ease restrictions on how MARTA spends a one-cent sales tax levied in Atlanta, Fulton County and DeKalb County — its main source of funding — the transit agency faces “Draconian budget cuts” and “Armaggedon.”

Possibly included in those cuts: No service on Fridays. Ariel Hart of the AJC reports decisions would probably be made in June and begin in September.

“Without access to this funding, we will essentially sever a critical economic engine in our state and no doubt send our economy into an even greater hole,” Scott said in a press release. “MARTA is simply requesting access to funding that already exists within our capital budget in order to maintain a reasonable level of service that will get us through the economic tsunami we have all had to deal with.”

State lawmakers bungled a chance to resolve the issue during the legislative session, which ended Friday.

Dave Williams of the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports:

Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley said MARTA’s call for a special session is “premature” because the governor hasn’t seen details of the agency’s financial plight. While MARTA officials put that information together for lawmakers to consider as the bill went through the General Assembly, Brantley said, the governor didn’t receive a similar pitch.

“They didn’t come up and ask for help on the bill to begin with,” he said.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

MARTA’s full press release, which includes talk of fare and parking-rate increases, is posted after the jump.
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Dick Pettys of Insider Advantage reports the halls of the Gold Dome are abuzz with rumors that Gov. Sonny Perdue might use his PAC cash to push a proposed reorganization of the state transportation agencies.

Remember that mysterious Perdue PAC that Gov. Sonny Perdue started in 2007 with almost $800,000 in leftover campaign funds? Remember him explaining only vaguely how he planned to use the money “for educational purposes” and “for influencing public policy?”

He hasn’t spent any of the money yet, but sources on the Capitol’s second floor say he is considering employing it now, if necessary, to get his transportation governance measure through the Legislature.

Sources tell Insider that “all cards are on the table” as the governor ramps up efforts to get the measure through in an acceptable form.

…

The money potentially could be used to launch blast e-mails, run advertising campaigns and generate phone calls to lawmakers both before and after the session ends.

The governor is said to be considering “all means necessary” to get the bill passed and is said to consider this a true “legacy” issue.

Please, we take back what we said about the boat ramps! You’ve done enough, sir!

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Mullet-less leprechaun

Oh, Gov. Sonny Perdue, this is the CUTEST thing you could ever announce on St. Patrick’s Day.

From O’Perdue’s press office:

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement today after meeting with the Honorable Mary Hanafin, Ireland’s Minister for Social and Family Affairs. Earlier today, the Irish government announced that it will place a career consulate general in Atlanta.

“I am pleased to welcome Ireland to the growing community of nations that operate career consulates in Georgia. In 2007, I had the opportunity to visit with the Taoiseach and lay out the reasons why Ireland needed to be in Atlanta. We believe this office will strengthen the economic, educational and cultural bonds between the people of Ireland and Georgia. I want to thank Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the Irish government for their investment in our state and this region.”

Ireland will become the 62nd nation to operate an office in Atlanta. In the last 12 months, Brazil has opened a consulate in Atlanta, and India is in the process of doing the same. In June 2007, Governor Perdue led a state delegation on a trade mission to Europe that began in Dublin, Ireland. The visit culminated in a meeting with Irish government officials, including then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. Additionally, Governor Perdue hosted Irish President Mary McAleese on an official visit in May 2007.

(Photo by Flickr user PhelanRiessen)

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After narrowly passing the state Senate on March 5, Gov. Sonny Perdue’s re-arranging of the deck chairs is scheduled to be debated in the lower chamber perhaps as soon as tomorrow. And whattya know, the members of the lower chamber aren’t taking too much of a shine — that’s Southern-speak for “unhappy with” — to the legislation.

If approved, Senate Bill 200 would create a new transportation agency led by a governor-appointed “secretary” and overseen by an 11-member board. Five board members would be appointed by the governor. The lieutenant governor and House speaker would each appoint three. The legislation would also neuter the Georgia Department of Transportation and turn it into a glorified road maintenance agency. Currently, state lawmakers elect GDOT board members. UPDATE: The AJC today offers dueling guest editorials about the legislation from Senate President Pro Tem Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, and GDOT Board member Brandon Beach.

The whole proposal has some lawmakers flummoxed.

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Sen. Preston Smith

The Ethical Treatment of Human Embryos Act, which passed the state Senate last week, would outlaw the creation of human embryos for the purposes of stem cell research linked to treating Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative neurological disorders.

“I am absolutely opposed to creating embryos to cure a disease.”

— Gov. Sonny Perdue, quoted March 10 by the Associated Press

“Human cloning efforts could possibly lead to embryo farms, shades of movies such as The Island, where humans are cloned for their body parts.”

— Daniel Becker, president of Georgia Right to Life, in a March 10 AJC op-ed

“I don’t believe in the destruction of human life in the interests of science. … I don’t think it was right when Dr. [Josef] Mengele did it.”

— State Sen. Preston Smith, R-Rome, during the Senate debate

“At exactly the time the president of the United States has said he’s putting science above politics, we’re sending the unmistakable message that Georgia is anti-science.”

— State Sen. David Adelman, D-Decatur, during the Senate debate

(Photo courtesy Sen. Preston Smith)

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The site, which lets residents view how stimulus funds are doled out and spent by Georgia agencies, is different than the state Department of Transportation’s, which focuses on people-moving projects and bridges.

Says Gov. Sonny Perdue via press release:

“The accountability website will allow all Georgians to hold their state government responsible for how we spend their tax dollars,” said Governor Perdue. “I want to be able to point to concrete results when my grandchildren ask me how we spent stimulus money.”

Residents can also use the site to report fraud or waste.

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Environmentally-friendly construction product maker GreenTech is coming to Coffee County! And it’s bringing jobs, people! Wonderful, delicious jobs.

From Gov. Sonny Perdue’s offfice:

Governor Sonny Perdue today announced that environmentally-friendly construction product maker GreenTech Manufacturing plans to locate a new facility in Douglas. The company will create 320 jobs and invest more than $20 million in a manufacturing and distribution facility.

…(Ed. This is the part where we skip Perdue’s quote about “moving forward,” “real solutions,” “dynamic synergy,” etc.)

GreenTech Manufacturing has contracted a 103,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution center located on nine acres in Douglas’s Southwest Industrial Park. GreenTech is wholly owned by Gulf Coast Arms, a nonprofit trust incorporated in Texas, whose mission is to foster sustainability and affordability solutions across the country and abroad.

GreenTech uses the innovative Powder Impression Molding (PIM) system to produce stronger-than-steel, lightweight construction products using up to 95 percent recycled materials from single-stream solid waste sources. The result is an environmentally sustainable, efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional construction products such as metal, wood, concrete and fiberglass.

Jobs! Full release after the jump.

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In January, Gov. Sonny Perdue told a banquet room filled with business folk that he had a grand plan to make Georgia more attractive for biotech companies.

The plan: He’d direct his floor leaders to introduce legislation that would grant legal immunity to drug companies whose products were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Wrench, meet plans. The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled the FDA’s stamp of approval doesn’t exempt drug companies from product-negligence lawsuits.

In one of the most important business cases in years, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a drug company is not protected from injury claims in state court merely because the federal government had approved the product and its labeling.

The 6-to-3 ruling went in favor of a Vermont musician, Diana Levine, who was awarded more than $6 million after losing much of her arm following a botched injection of an anti-nausea drug. It was a defeat for the Wyeth pharmaceutical company, which had asked the justices to throw out the award, and by extension other companies that might have pursued Wyeth’s line of argument in similar cases.

…

The key issue before the justices was whether the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of drug labels should pre-empt lawsuits in state courts contending, as Ms. Levine’s did, that the labels did not contain adequate warnings.

UPDATE: Johnny Legal points out in the comments that Perdue could still pursue his plan. After the jump, another opinion from an anonymous friend familiar with legalese.

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For someone who was recently given a pink slip, Gena Evans is chipper.

“If you can’t notice the smile on my face, the best day I’ve had at GDOT was Thursday,” the former Georgia Department of Transportation commissioner says, referring to her ousting last week from the state agency. “I’m very happy to be gone.”

And now that Evans no longer heads one of the state’s most powerful agencies — one that’s facing a drastic restructuring under a controversial plan pushed by Gov. Sonny Perdue — she says she can be frank in her criticism of the department. She speaks lovingly of the employees but paints a grim portrait of a $2 billion agency that’s mired in politics.

Evans, who now earns a paycheck as executive director of the State Road and Tollway Authority, sat down with CL at that agency’s downtown offices looking over the city skyline this afternoon. She talked about Perdue’s grand reorganization plan, the “systemic” problems at GDOT, her occasional thoughts about resigning, and Georgia’s overall transportation landscape. It ain’t pretty and it’s all after the jump.

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Lawmaker and developers should know this about Piedmont Park by now. If you even come close to threatening the city’s most iconic greenspace, you better be prepared for a vocal reaction from its residents and supporters.

That’s why residents near Piedmont Park are keeping their eyes on one of the General Assembly’s proposed solutions to the state’s notorious congestion problem.

House Resolution 206, sponsored by state Rep. Vance Smith, R-Pine Mountain, proposes a statewide one-cent sales tax to fund $25 billion of projects ranging from transit to roads. Included in the legislation is a controversial project: Tunnels underneath the city.

Cue the outrage.

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Maybe Gov. Sonny Perdue, in Washington, D.C. this weekend for the National Governors Association’s winter conference, has the flu. If so, get better and come home soon, sir! We wanna talk to you about this whole might-not-take-some-of-that-stimulus-money thingy.

From the Huffington Post’s frontpage (photo by Charles Dharapak of the Associated Press):

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Flanked by the Gold Dome’s top pachyderms, Gov. Sonny Perdue yesterday gave residents another peek at his plan to overhaul the state’s transportation agencies.

From Dave Williams at the Atlanta Business Chronicle:

Perdue unveiled plans Thursday to introduce legislation merging two transportation agencies created by former Gov. Roy Barnes into a new organization that essentially would take over the main planning and funding duties of the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The DOT would maintain its operations and maintenance functions and could compete with private highway contractors for road-building projects.

The State Transportation Authority would consist of 11 members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House. Its board would make policy decisions that now are the responsibility of the 13-member DOT board, which has one member representing each of Georgia’s congressional districts.

The bill, which is still being drafted, is expected to be longer than the Bible. Perdue told reporters he won’t support either the state Senate or House’s proposals to increase transportation funding until they tend to his reorganization effort.

(Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

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This afternoon, Gov. Perdue announced he had some good news and some bad news.

First the bad news: The latest state revenue figures have come in and they indicate Georgia will be bringing in nearly half a billion dollars less than previously thought.

Next, the good news: Although it breaks his heart to do it, Sonny will refrain from vetoing the Legislature’s efforts to honor the Homeowner Tax Relief Grant one last time. This means Georgia homeowners will not be forced to shell out another $200 to $300 to cover a $428 million gap in last year’s property tax collections. Perdue sincerely wanted to put the screws to taxpayers, but the Obama stimulus bill has robbed the old Scrooge of any decent excuse he may have thought he had to stiff us.

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A down-on-his-luck actor from Houston County, Ga. will be a special guest at the Macon Film Festival tomorrow night, sending a clear message to struggling thespians everywhere that hard work and dedication can make all your dreams come true.

George Ervin “Sonny” Perdue, who’s struggled for years seeking fame in Hollywood, will be recognized at the event alongside a small-town football coach.

Upon his arrival in Macon, Mr. Perdue will be greeted by Mayor Robert Reichert.

From a press release from the city:

(Macon, Ga.) Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue will attend Opening Night of the 4th Annual Macon Film & Video Festival (MAGA) at the Grand Opera House on Wednesday, February 18. Governor Perdue will join Executive Producer pass-holders at the private Meet & Greet at 5 pm with UGA coaching legend Vince Dooley prior to the screening of the film, “Vince Dooley: The Other Side of Football.”

Perdue spends most of his time in a Fulton County bungalow. CL, a tireless supporter of the arts, is very proud of Mr. Perdue and his acceptance by decadent filmmakers. May he go on to star in a reality show or enjoy a serene retirement near Oaky Woods.

(I couldn’t resist a chance to post a blingee of Sonny.)

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Gov. Sonny Perdue, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glenn Richardson today announced their appointments to the group that will play a vital role in determining just how much water the state has and how to best manage the resource.

We’re still going through the list, which we’ve posted after the jump. If you know any of these men and women, feel free to give ‘em a shout out.

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In case you haven’t been following the news, Georgia cities and counties are mighty pissed at Gov. Sonny Perdue because he cut a homeowner property-tax credit from the state budgets for the next, uhm, forever. Perdue says these Roy Barnes-created grants cost the state $428 million each year and haven’t lowered property taxes as they were originally intended.

Yesterday, Perdue told a group of county commissioners as such. Insider Advantage’s Dick Pettys was in attendance and captured the reactions of some county commissioner-folk.

Lamar Paris, sole commissioner of Union County, said, “We’re just all going to have to go through and just cut the guts out of our county government …”

Wow, that’s a good quote. Very telling, kind of ominous, sounds like … WAIT! Holy shit. Lamar Paris is the sole commissioner of Union County? Brothers and sisters to the north, we will save you from this dictator!

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Travis Fain, one of The Macon Telegraph’s best muckrakers who also blogs at the hilarious Lucid Idiocy, has parachuted into Atlanta for the legislative session. Fain ran into some Houston County bigwigs and asked why they think Perdue took out a $21 million loan last September.

Today I spoke to one man who I consider just about as plugged into the business establishment in the Warner Robins area as you can be. And he said he’s talked to everyone he can think of, and can’t get a whisper of fact about what that loan was for.

Since taking office, the governor has both managed the state and his two agribusinesses. Last month, the AJC reported Perdue secured the loan for his two agribusinesses on pretty extraordinary circumstances just as credit markets were tanking. He’s declined to tell the public why he took out the loan or how he plans to repay it.

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Remember the AJC’s story about Gov. Sonny Perdue’s $21 million loan? He borrowed the cash from a small bank in Perry, Ga., for his two agricultural businesses, which, unlike previous governors, he’s opted to continue running while he also manages a state of 9 MILLION PEOPLE. Repayment of the loan, the article said, is due in March.

Perdue’s office told the AJC that he wouldn’t disclose the specifics of the loan. The Athens Banner-Herald’s editorial board has laid down the funk on Perdue for his tightlipped behavior.

Retrospective, you say? I love retrospectives!

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Seems like every few months, another Georgia legislator lets it be known that he (so far, only men, I believe) is launching a blog. But, almost always, after the initial flurry of posts, they seem to get busy with other things and months go by without new updates. So far, the only lawmaker who seems to have stuck with it is dyspeptic Rep. Steve Davis, R-McDonough, whose blog is a good argument for why some thoughts should remain private.

Teilhet verite

Now comes Rep. Rob Teilhet, D-Smyrna, who takes things one step further by offering a video blog — or “vlog,” for you old-timers — titled “Inside Georgia.” He’s got one installment up so far and it’s … OK. It’s very casual, apparently unscripted and filmed in a couple of takes in the Teilhet household with kids crying and banging stuff in the background. In about four-and-a-half minutes, he tells us he wants to concentrate on a consumer-protection bill to crack down on high-interest “instant tax rebates” offered by tax-preparation companies and other lenders. Also, he thinks the Legislature should be looking out for very small businesses. And that’s about it. You do, however, get to see his kitchen and home office.

What I want to know is, Who’s holding the camera? His wife, the former Heather Hedrick, is communications director for Gov. Sonny Perdue, so she should know her way around a camera, but is she allowed to assist her husband in his political endeavors? There’s a rumor that they had twins on purpose so one could be raised as a Democrat and the other as a Republican. (OK, so I made up that last bit.)

We’ll be checking in on Teilhet’s website for the frequent posts we expect to follow, right?

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The Georgia Association of Rail Passengers has called for Gov. Sonny Perdue to restore funding for the Atlanta-Griffin commuter rail line that’s been earmarked for federal dollars and which the governor said he’d support during last year’s gas shortage. U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., has already scolded Perdue for not funding the line.

Passenger rail advocates are calling on the Georgia General Assembly to approve $15 million in funding for Atlanta-Griffin commuter rail line, despite Governor Sonny Perdue’s failure to include the money in his budget.

“It’s extremely unfortunate that the Governor went back on his promise to fund the Atlanta-Griffin line,” said Steve Vogel, president of the Georgia Association of Railroad Passengers (GARP).  “It also was a big mistake.”

The federal government has $87 million set aside for the rail project, but it’s been stalled for years by state government inaction.  The Georgia Department of Transportation has asked for $15 million to get the project moving again.

Rest of the release is after the jump.
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Gov. Sonny Perdue on President Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony:

“Today’s inauguration of President Obama marks yet another peaceful transition of power in our nation’s great history. Mary and I were honored to attend today’s ceremony and our prayers are with President and Mrs. Obama as they take on this awesome responsibility. Georgia looks forward to continuing to work closely with the incoming administration as we address our softening economy and the impact it is having on our citizens. I also want to thank President Bush for his service to our country and for his support and friendship during his time in the White House.”

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