Fresh Loaf

The Commies may have bested us in the space race, but state Rep. Tim Bearden will be damned — damned, I say — if he’ll let them drill for oil first.

Yesterday, a House Energy Subcommittee convened to hear House Resolution 32, a piece of legislation penned by the Republican lawmaker from Douglasville that urges Gov. Sonny Perdue to begin leasing land off Georgia’s coast so private companies could dri— oops, sorry, “explore” — for oil and natural gas.

The bill’s message is one near and dear to many lawmakers’ — as well as some citizens’ — hearts.

There are some hurdles, however. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar recently pulled the reins on a push to drill offshore. And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says any oil tapped from the outer continental shelf wouldn’t make an impact until 2030.

That’s not stopping other countries from drilling, Bearden said.

“China is drilling off the coast of Cuba,” he told his colleagues.

Well, maybe not. China isn’t drilling off Cuba’s coast. At least not just yet.

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State Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, along with Democratic state Reps. Debbie Buckner of Junction City and Stephanie Stuckey-Benfield of Decatur, was one of the few voices during last year’s legislative session to criticize the Linger Longer project on Jekyll Island, a historic state park.

The op-ed below by Chapman is the first in three that the senator says will lay out the case for increased examination of the Jekyll Island Authority, the Governor-appointed state agency that oversees the park, and the idea of “selling off” state land to the private sector. In closing, he says he’s requested the state conduct an audit of the authority’s activities during the last three years.

Chapman admits it may seem strange for a senator to write a series of articles about the topic, but:

in the case of Jekyll Island State Park, there are issues involved which demand the attention of elected officials who have been given the honor to serve the public good. Transparency and accountability in government, responsible management of publicly-owned assets, and respect for the public trust are all wrapped within the Jekyll issue, as is the principle of eminent domain, not in the traditional form but in an upside down way with the taking of publicly-owned land and using it for private profit—a kind of eminent domain in reverse.

Senator, the Internetz are yours. Below and after the jump is Chapman’s full editorial:

Last year, when the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) granted a rent reduction of some $10 million to hotel developer Trammell Crow (TC) to replace the Buccaneer Resort, there were many who saw it as a sweetheart deal. Now the authority is spreading the love.

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In an op-ed distributed today, Republican State Sen. Jeff Chapman of Brunswick — an ardent supporter of Jekyll Island under the Gold Dome — says even though Linger Longer has drastically scaled back its redevelopment plan for the state park, the matter is far from settled.

On October 6th, Linger Longer Communities revealed its revised plan for a Jekyll Island town center. The new plan, at first glance, suggests a town center much different than the over-sized and condo-dense beach village in Linger Longer’s original proposal, and closer to what many Georgians have been calling for over the past year. While the town center question may be decided in the public’s favor, the long-term future of Georgia’s only coastal state park, unfortunately, is far from secure.

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SARAH PALIN: The NY Times examines her governing style, which includes hiring several high school friends to high-paying state jobs for which they had no relevant experience.

BEAR MARKET TO FLEA MARKET: The Lehman Brothers investment bank announces it will file for bankruptcy, and despite the possibly market-soothing buyout of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, the Dow drops 300 points.

FALCONS: Can’t overcome early deficit to the Bucs despite a near-comeback in the fourth quarter.

LAWYER MILLOY: The Falcons’ star safety was arrested on charges of DUI and speeding early this morning. No word yet on whether he will represent himself.

GALVESTON: Rendered a wasteland by Ike, with packs of stray dogs and loose steer wandering the sewage-strewn streets. Hurricane hold-outs now want off the island after lack of power and water has made it almost uninhabitable.

CUTBACKS: State lawmakers, judiciary and the governor’s office say they’ll cut back on their budgets in addition to upcoming state budget cuts made necessary by the colossal statewide shortfall.

QUORUM: The revamped Clayton school board can now move forward with official business after reaching a quorum by recruiting two former candidates for board seats.

DOG CALLS 911: To report owner’s seizure.

LANIER: Not filling back up anytime soon.

LINGERING: Linger Longer Communities says it’s making progress on plans for its Jekyll Island redevelopment, but navigating the environmental laws and public input may be bogging down the process.

UGA: Drops to No. 3 despite staying undefeated, but still has four top-10 teams on its schedule, all SEC foes.

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Ben Porter, the Macon-area developer who’s weathered a fair share of controversy as chairman of the Jekyll Island Authority, has been replaced by Bob Krueger, a telecommunications executive and current board member. (His bio follows after the jump.) According the the authority’s website, Porter’s term would’ve expired in September 2010.

Porter’s term as chairman has been stormy, to say the least. Linger Longer LLC, the development company behind Reynolds Plantation, envisioned a “town center” project replete with hotels, condos and streetscape designs intended to revamp the state park. Residents throughout the state loudly voiced their disapproval of the proposal, saying it would block public access to one of the park’s most popular beaches and make a visit to the island getaway too expensive for the average Georgian. What resulted was a statewide grassroots movement to fight the plan that ultimately sent the developer back to the drawing board.

I’ve got calls in with the governor’s office to find out more details. More to come.

CLARIFICATION: Perdue’s in China, so we must likely won’t hear from his office. Some folks at the authority did offer some clarification, however. Porter’s term as chairman has ended, but he remains on the authority’s board. The chairman serves for one year; Porter’s stepping down is part of a routine transition, the authority says.

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