Fresh Loaf

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.

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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)

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 Engineers have mismanaged the lake (Lanier).”

He accused the corps of allowing water to go downstream “for the purpose of feeding mussels.”

(shakes head, rubs eyes) Mr. Lieutenant Governor, sir, this “man vs. mussels” thing is getting really old. We really must be sure to not leave out those power plants located downstream that are keeping all our lightbulbs aglow.

And state Rep. Carl Rogers, R-Gainesville, doesn’t necessarily agree with Cagle’s assessment of the water shortage situation. From that same article:

“I get to see 30 sky cranes every day,” Rogers said of his regular trips to Atlanta. “Atlanta is using resources. I’m not blaming Atlanta for all of our issues. We just don’t have the water flow that other states have.”

Rogers also called for using the time of reduced levels for dredging on Lanier to make it larger and deeper in selected areas.

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Maybe it was just me, but it seemed that, just below the surface of the usual boosterish rhetoric at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s annual luncheon earlier today was a definite message to the state’s top elected officials to shape up and start showing some real leadership.

In listing the major issues facing the metro area, chamber President Sam Williams told the audience of business leaders gathered in an Omni ballroom that the state had taken a good first step in tackling traffic by forming the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, but more work needs to be done to save the region from suffocating gridlock.

Similarly, he said, Georgia had done well to create 16 water-planning districts across the state, but needs fast action to deal with the ongoing drought.

Williams also praised Georgia for getting rid of a state flag that, with its offensive Confederate battle emblem, “threatened to divide the state.”

In each case, the change he touted was the result of an initiative by Georgia’s previous governor, Roy Barnes. The subtext seemed to be: Sonny, get off your ass and do something — starting with Grady. Both Williams and outgoing chamber Chairman Dick Anderson cited the salvation of the ailing public hospital as a top priority for the metro area.

“If we don’t address this problem,” Williams warned, “the consequences could be extreme for the region.”

(more…)

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Note: Paul Snyder of A. Brown-Olmstead Associates contacted me and clarified some details of the Brain Train. Those notes appear below in bold. 

Tad Leithead remembers his days growing up in Greenwich, Conn., a place where his father could leave the house, hop on a train to New York City, and then simply hoof it a couple of blocks to work. Atlanta has the same situation with workers flocking to its city center — except our metropolis doesn’t have a train, he says.

Leithead, the Atlanta Regional Commission’s chairman of the Transportation and Air Quality Committee, sat on a panel last night at the Commerce Club downtown, fielding questions and hobnobbing with local notables on the topic of the Brain Train, a commuter rail line slated to run from Athens to Atlanta — and eventually to Macon — and hoped to ease the trips for many residents who for so long have lived so far out and driven too damn much. The train would run on existing tracks owned by freight company CSX. The line between Atlanta and Macon would run on Norfolk/Southern right-of-way.

Gwinnett-based developer Emory Morsberger — who throughout the evening mingled and buzzed through the crowd of public officials, media, business types and heavy hitters — told Georgia Trend in a March article that he got the idea for a commuter rail line from arriving late to his daughter’s birthday party and listening to gridlock-addled Little League parents. The idea attracted the attention of universities, cities and businesses, and is now being touted as an added boost to already booming areas and a saving grace for the congested Clifton Corridor, home to Emory University, the Centers for Disease Control and other activity centers devoid of significant transportation options except the automobile.

The panel, which included Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Ed Campbell of SYSTRA Consulting Inc., Carl Rhodenizer of the Georgia Rail Passenger Authority, Michael Robison of the Metro Chamber and former DOT Commissioner Wayne Shackelford, expressed support for the project.

The underlying question in every issue tackling government is money, and panel members were undecided on where exactly they’re going to get the $383 million construction cost for the Athens-to-Atlanta line.

The federal government, according to press materials provided by the Brain Train group, is prepared to kick in 80 percent of the start-up costs. Federal money has not yet been assigned or identified — the 80 percent is a typical amount based on a state 20 percent match. The multimodal passenger terminal downtown — a bus and train hub proposed for downtown’s “gulch” near the CNN Center and Georgia Dome — has current federal and state funding and is estimated to cost $330.8 million overall. The downtown station is expected to be a huge draw for public-private initiatives, and the crowd suggested ideas such as TADs and regional sales taxes to build the project.

So what’s the holdup?
(more…)

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Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle sure knows how to speak out both sides of his mouth. He’s parroted the state line in local interviews that Atlanta’s rampant growth over the years doesn’t factor into the current water shortage. But when Cagle makes a trip south of Macon, where editorial boards have chastised the metro region’s builder-friendly mind-set, the lieutenant governor sings a different tune.

“If we simply manage to catch more of the water that falls from the sky we’ll manage the growth for years to come.”
— Cagle to the Associated Press on Oct. 16

“I think there is a concerted effort to try to create fear among Georgians by stopping growth with the threat of no longer having the water resources.”
— Cagle in an Oct. 17 Capitol Impact article

“We are not in the permitting process in terms of buildings, and we do not intend to be.”
— Cagle tells the AJC on Oct. 25 that the General Assembly will not consider legislation putting the brakes on growth

“Communities have got to begin developing in that concept [not allowing new growth unless there is an adequate water supply]. You have to have conservation, you have to have a reasonable managed growth plan, you have to manage that resource in a responsible way. Nobody wants unbridled growth …”
— Cagle caters to rural beliefs in a Nov. 6 Moultrie Observer article about the drought

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Who would have thought the loyal opposition would be the Republican Lt. Gov.

— flackattack at Tondee’s Tavern on Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle’s apparent opposition to fellow Republican Speaker Glenn Richardson’s risky tax scheme

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After many rounds of Ubongo, we heard that there was going to be a Chocolate Symposium in the reception suite, so we gathered out things and made haste to the chocolate. As we approached the suite, we could smell the chocolate wafting through the air, inviting us to partake in sinful indulgence. They had set up a chocolate fountain with an array of fruits, cakes, and marshmallows on skewers to dip into the gushing chocolate.

— Toots at GayGamer.net on Gaylaxicon, the gay sci-fi convention downtown last weekend

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6. Never honk at anyone. Ever. Seriously. It’s another offense that can get you shot.

— Limerick Gal offers a list of At