Fresh Loaf

Lawmakers learn from their failures, right?

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle yesterday told a crowd of 400 mobility-minded businesspeople, politicians and lobbyists at a luncheon sponsored by the Get Georgia Moving coalition and the Council For Quality Growth that a regional sales tax for transportation fixes — or T-SPLOST — would be given priority consideration when the General Assembly convenes in January.

The tax would be similar to a local option sales tax and allow Georgians — if the measure passes and is approved as a constitutional referendum on the 2010 ballot — to vote on a list of predetermined projects such as road, rails and bridges. Cagle said stakeholders in the coming weeks needed to reach a consensus for the proposal to be considered at the start of the legislative session.

Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle
(Photo by Joeff Davis)

(more…)

Bookmark It

State Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, gave word this past July that he’d step down as president pro tem of the Senate. And why not? The job isn’t what it used to be back when a neutered Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor had most of his real powers swiped by Johnson. Now that Casey Cagle runs the show, Johnson had become what I once called “Sen. Second-Banana.” So, as Johnson gets ready for his own run for the guv lite’s podium, he’s made room for other folks to climb up a rung.

But don’t get excited. It’s just the usual crowd. Sen. Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, will move up to president pro tem from his gig as Senate majority leader. And Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, the current chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and a rising star in the GOP, will take Williams’ place as majority leader.

Sen. Dan Moody, R-Alpharetta, and Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, will keep their positions as majority caucus chair and majority whip, respectively. Ho hum.

Bookmark It

BUSH: Secretly ordered the recent covert military strike in Pakistan, according to the NY Times, a major detachment from the usual U.S. tactic of using unmanned Predator spy planes to fire at suspected al-Qaeda targets in the country.

MCCAIN: Leads Obama by 18 points in Georgia.

HURRICANE IKE: Barreling toward Houston and Galveston, expected to be a Category 3 when it hits Friday night. Thousands of coastal Texans are evacuating.

CAGLE: Will run for governor in 2010.

THE POACH STATE: Georgia is among the fast-growing states poaching teachers from more economically strapped states, such as Michigan.

EXCELLENCE DEFICIENCY: The Commission for School Board Excellence, formed at the request of the Georgia Board of Education, is recommending that Georgia should have more power to intervene in dysfunctional local school boards such as Clayton’s.

BOBBY COX: Will return next season.

TOUCH AND GO: A Fulton Superior Court judge dismisses a lawsuit by VOTER GA challenging the fraud-proofness of the state’s touch-screen voting machines. VOTER GA’s Garland Favorito says the group may appeal.

CUMBERLAND ISLAND: Will begin tours of its north end, which had previously only been accessible to visitors via a 17-mile hike.

UGA: Will face its first real test of the season as it enters SEC play against Spurrier’s Gamecocks in Columbia Saturday.

Bookmark It

Dick Pettys of InsiderAdvantage brings news that Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, has confirmed that he’ll run for lieutenant governor in 2010 — but only if Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle decides he won’t seek another term in office.

Johnson’s a champion for education — that was one of his pet projects during the last legislative session. Pettys says it looks like universal school choice might be a big part of his ‘10 platform and his strategy in January as well.

He’s also one of the more colorful characters under the Gold Dome. When Gov. George Pataki of New York pulled down Georgia’s old flag in its statehouse because it incorporated the stars and bars, Johnson climbed on the ledge of the third floor in the Capitol to pull down the Empire State’s colors. He’s always good for a quote, was/is an awesome blogger, and underwent one of the coolest extreme makeovers a lawmaker has ever attempted since Joe Lieberman became a Republican. (Come on, you know he is, he’s just too lazy to change the letterhead.)

But he’s also a lawmaker who’ll actually address your questions without trailing off into some “let’s-move-forward-with-solutions” nonsense speech laden with soundbites and canned phrases. You may or may not agree with him all the time, but at least he’s direct. Of course, that’s gotten him into some trouble before.

Plus, he says he reads Fresh Loaf, so we gotta show some love to a reader.

(The senator from the Garden of Good and Evil says he’s a Led Zeppelin fan, hence the rare photo posted to the right. Johnson stood in for Robert Plant during a tour after the famous singer suffered a panther attack.)

Bookmark It

Watch your back, Saxby.

According to a new poll by a D.C.-based polling firm, Jim Martin, a late entry into the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, has taken a decent lead among likely primary voters.

Martin is formerly a longtime state legislator and chairman of the Department of Human Resources, but he’s probably best known outside Atlanta for running for lieutenant governor, a job he lost to Republican Casey Cagle.

The poll, by the Mellman Group, shows Martin leading DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones by 21 percent to 16 percent. The three other Democrats – ex-TV reporter Dale Cardwell, former Congressional staffer Josh Lanier and businessman Rand Knight – were all in the single digits.

Martin can’t get too comfy, though – 51 percent of those polled were undecided, meaning the July 15 primary is up in the air.

Still, the poll shows upward movement for Martin’s young campaign, which only began March 19. By the end of that month, he’d reported having raised nearly $350,000, so it’s a safe guess that he’ll soon be over the $1 million mark. Only Jones reported raising more – $488,000 – but much of that money had already been spent.

Martin is Chambliss’ worst nightmare because he’s everything Jones is not: a viable general-election candidate whose nomination would open the floodgates on the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s coffers. The Senate Dems hate the incumbent’s guts – not least for smearing Max Cleland and for impersonating Bush’s suppository – and, by most insider accounts, would spend freely to run “Saxby’s a scumbag” TV ads around the clock all fall.

Bookmark It

OBAMA: Clinches the Democratic nomination, gives rousing victory speech to thousands in St. Paul.

DRYEST BEFORE DAWN: State climatologist expects drought will get worse before it gets better.

HIGH ON THE SMOG: Atlanta’s under a code orange smog alert today.

FOR GOV OF COUNTRY: Sonny Perdue hosts a gaggle of GOP governors, many of whom are also VP candidates for John McCain, in Atlanta this week for the Republican Governor’s Association luncheon.

TRAFFIC DESIGNER: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle tells the Cobb Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Club that he’ll unveil a new transportation plan within the next two months.

ANOTHER BEAR HIT: Again on I-75.

GROWING OUR OWN: USA Today profiles Georgia’s ascendant young baseball talent pool.

UMP IRE: High school pitcher and catcher are under investigation after the catcher ducked away from a pitch during a state championship game, allowing it to hit the home plate ump, who had called nine of their teammates out on strikes during the game.

Bookmark It

MYANMAR: More than 100,000 people may be dead, and the junta still won’t let in foreign aid.

THERE’S A BAN KI-MOON RISING: U.N. secretary-general visits Atlanta today.

EXIT STRATEGY: TIME magazine on why it’s hard to imagine Clinton bowing out of this race after more than 20 years of Clintonian dominance.

WILDFIRES: Could spread like themselves again this summer in South Georgia. Sprouting trees are sucking up what little water there is, and even sparks from passing trains have already started small fires.

BRAND SPANKING NEWS: Atlanta-based Spanx sues British company S.P.A.N.K., alleging trademark infringement that could lead to consumer confusion.

CASEY AT THE BAT: Cagle now says he’d allow a Senate vote on Sunday alcohol sales.

CLAYTON BOE: Denies “knowingly and willingly” breaking the law.

RADIOHEAD: Thunderstorms are expected tonight, and you can’t bring umbrellas into Lakewood.

POWERS THAT WILL BE: If new nuclear reactors are added to Vogtle, Georgia Power expects rates to go up $12 a month in 2018.

DIGGING UP DIRT ON MAYOR: Archaeologists are excavating Brunswick mayor’s back yard after ancient pottery shards were discovered, some more than 1,000 years old.

Bookmark It

Let’s begin with a beautiful quote:

“There’s no light switch in the relationship that comes on one day. It’s not like that. We establish relationships — when you work with somebody you develop a mutual respect, it becomes an admiration, and then it develops into deeper feelings than that.”

That was Gov. Sonny Perdue waxing poetic about the magic of amor in a press conference at the Capitol. Standing alongside Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, the governor voiced his support for DOT Commissioner Gena Abraham and said that while surprised by the revelation that she and now-former DOT Board Chairman Mike Evans had begun a relationship, he still thinks she is the right person to reform the state agency.

“I still have absolute confidence in Gena’s ability,” Perdue said when asked by a reporter if he would ask Abraham to resign. “For the last five months she’s been dealing with tremendous change in the DOT. The fact is change is tough and needs to take place. The change she’s talking about is good for the state, good for the public, good for Georgia’s infrastructure, and transportation, and I’m convinced she’s resolved to see that change through.”

Cagle agreed with the governor, saying that he thinks Abraham still has “the fight in her” to lead the dysfunctional agency.

Perdue said that Abraham told him about the relationship on Wednesday while he was in Texas at an energy summit — which was actually a Republican Governors Association conference, but whatever.

“It was a much more distraught Gena Abraham than I’ve seen before,” he said of their conversation. “She’s usually always much more in command of her thoughts and is very disciplined in her approach to solutions. And [their conversation] was very uncharacteristic of that.”

He said that he’s spoken with members of the DOT board and expressed his confidence in the commissioner. Abraham did not offer him her resignation, he said.

When asked if he would still support Abraham if evidence reveals their relationship started earlier than one month ago — the time Evans and Abraham have said they started developing feelings for one another — Perdue effectively dodged the question and said he trusts what he’s been told.

There may be more fallout from Evans’ and Abraham’s relationship. Earlier in the press conference the AJC’s Ariel Hart asked the governor if rumors that a private investigator’s discovery had triggered Evans’ announcement. Perdue laughed and said he hadn’t heard about such a thing. Before Cagle left the briefing, she asked him if he had convinced Evans to resign. He chuckled and made a swift exit. Whatever the case, on Monday we find out whether Abraham stays or goes.

(Photo by Thomas Wheatley)

Bookmark It

Just as political junkies were busy swapping predictions about the 2010 governor’s race – Is Johnny really getting in? Will Richardson stay out? – our unpredictable state Insurance Commissioner jumps in with both feet. Republican John Oxendine tells Insider Advantage that he’ll make a formal announcement in a few weeks.

Isn’t it a bit early to actually declare one’s candidacy for a race that’s two years off? It would be, unless one’s main goal is to spook Sen. Johnny Isakson into backing off from a run, says one GOP strategist we spoke to. While Isakson would be considered the man to beat in the GOP primary, he’s also a fairly cautious pol. You would be, too, if you had a cushy Senate seat in your back pocket.

Oxendine may be something of a political maverick who hasn’t made a lot of friends within his party, but he’s got a formidable donor base in the insurance industry that can help him bridge the name-recognition gap. And although he began his time in office as something of a buffoon known for wrecking state vehicles, Oxendine has lately earned points by criticizing some of the less consumer-friendly measures coming out of the Statehouse.

What this means for the rumored candidacies of fellow Republicans, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland or Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, remains to be seen.

If Isakson does decide to run for the Governor’s Mansion, then stand back as the political dominoes begin to fall. We’ve heard that GOP Congressmen Jack Kingston of Savannah and Phil Gingrey of Marietta might be interested in moving up to the Senate. Gov. Purdue, too, would be available to run.

And among the Democrats? Too soon to guess, but whoever it is better have the full backing of the party. Says one Dem insider: “The only way for us to get back in the game is to have a unified ticket that everyone can get behind.”

Bookmark It

The Senate introduced a constitutional amendment yesterday that should be news to Georgians pining for a little public-transit push. If it passes through the General Assembly, the Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle-backed resolution would allow counties to partner up with others and levy a 1-cent sales tax for transportation projects. Voters would be presented with the project and the tax’s sunset date, and then given the choice if they want to pursue it. According to the resolution, 80 percent of the tax revenue would go to the counties. That other 20 percent? It goes to the state for mass transit projects and general transportation funds.

At first glance, this is good news for Atlanta. Now it comes down to what projects are proposed. That is, of course, if it even makes it out of the General Assembly.

Sources have said that with the DOT in disrepair, Gov. Sonny Perdue is hesitant to toss any more cash at the state agency. Legislators I’ve spoken with have said it’s possible we’ll just see a whole lot of debatin’. Cross your fingers and hope that Perdue gets caught in traffic while he goes hunting real estate. Maybe then he’ll see how dire a situation we have.

Bookmark It

The members of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee wasted no time this morning passing a resolution in support of the statewide comprehensive water plan. The matter’s slated to be scheduled tomorrow in the chamber’s Rules Committee and heard first thing at the start of the session.

Reps. Brian Thomas, Doug McKillip and Debbie Buckner voted against the resolution and plan to file a minority report to ensure it’ll see debate on the floor of the House. McKillip said the amount of power the plan delegates to the state’s executive branch concerns him.

Sources also said Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle has the ability to push the plan in Senate tomorrow.

Bookmark It

Huh? Who cares, run with it!

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, speaking with the Marietta Daily-Journal in a sit-down interview on Monday:

“I believe with the same amount of funding that exists today for transportation that we could do 30 percent more projects if we become focused and create efficiencies,” he said.

A funding mechanism he would like to consider for transportation is a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, as the SPLOST has worked effectively for education, he said.

“I don’t view that as a tax increase. I view that as putting a proposal before the voters and allowing them to choose how they want to spend it,” he said.

Cagle’s comments are some of the first glimpses as to how the General Assembly may approach the touchy issue of transportation funding when the legislative session starts in January. His preferred method steps in line with what the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and many public transportation advocates have been suggesting: a regional tax that will allow the people who pony up the cash to have a large say in what happens, transportation-wise, with their money. The other ideas bandied about include a statewide tax or an increased gasoline tax.

Bookmark It

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle continued blaming Mother Nature and mussels for the drought, and while he may be correct in that regard — we can’t control the weather, and the Corps’ mandatory releases, while important to sustain marine life downstream, have accelerated the dropping levels of Lake Lanier — he’s wrong when he says development doesn’t play a part in water shortage. There’s concern about it in Colorado, and those people know water shortages.

From an article in the Gainesville Times about Cagle’s speech yesterday morning to the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce:

“We’re not in this (water) crisis because of growth,” Cagle said. “We’re in this situation for two reasons. One, we’re in the worst drought in our state’s history. Secondly, the Corps of