Fresh Loaf

This has been a long day, as you can tell. Now we’re greeted to this news from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Sen. Judson Hill, R-Marietta, and Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, want to amend the state Constitution to “protect Georgia’s citizens from being forced into government-run health care.”

Here’s what Hill said in a press release:

“Our country was founded on individual freedom and liberty. Today we’re proposing a Constitutional Amendment that ensures every Georgian the freedom to accept or reject any health care or health insurance plan. The Amendment would also prohibit any government from punishing an individual or business that does not participate in such health plans. Passage of this Amendment is the best way to protect Georgians from the Democrat led Congress’ attempt to socialize healthcare through their ‘public option’ health care mandate.”

But when pressed by reporters about their plan at a press conference this afternoon, Hill and Rogers made clear they hadn’t really thought through the proposal.

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Tonight anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 people will converge upon the Georgia Capitol to shake their fists and dangle their rage-filled tea bags in protest over nanny-state, big-spending guvmint!

Notables expected to bask in the spotlight — or face possible jeers — include America’s Most Noble Human Sean Hannity, former U.S. Rep. Dick Armey of Texas, a country singer, and this guy who wants you to know about the dangers of the approaching digital TV signal conversion. State lawmakers include Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger, and Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers of Woodstock.

And it looks like the $25,000 fete will create confusion for motorists.

“The Tea Party at the Capitol combined with Braves traffic could possibly create a traffic nightmare,” said Paul Marshall, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

Marshall advises using MARTA if going to either event, and he urged Braves fans traveling by car to take the Fulton Street exit off the Downtown Connector to avoid the area surrounding the Capitol, where he said the Hannity event “could draw thousands.”

Yes, MARTA, the same public transit system that many of the GOP honchos who are attending or contributing to tonight’s event kissed off during the legislative session.

If you do decide to drive to the protest on the metro region’s heavily subsidized road system, be prepared for gridlock. The AJC quotes Marshall as saying the worst traffic will be during rush hour and at approximately 11 p.m. CBS Atlanta has a list of road closures. Central Atlanta Progress and the Georgia Building Authority have maps of nearby parking lots.

MARTA, however, will be your best bet. Check out Citizens for Progressive Transit’s A-TRAIN trip planner for the best route to and from public transportation.

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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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Let it first be said: The state Department of Audits and Accounting produces quality reports about government waste and efficiency, the kind that provide for fascinating reading. That is, if you’re into policy and government review. The scathing criticism you are about to read is not directed at the department, but at government accounting as a whole, and at politicians who think simply “putting the facts out there” leads to any kind of progress or transparency.

That being said, fans of open government might first be pleased and then pissed off with a new state website that launched yesterday and which is maintained by the department. That site, “Open Georgia: Transparency in Government,” allows users to search employee salaries and view how much our elected overlords doled out to professional service vendors during the last two fiscal years. The site, the brainchild of state Sens. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock and Chip Pearson, R-Dawsonville, met the Jan. 2009 launch date set by Gov. Sonny Perdue.

But judging from its contents, the governor should’ve given them some more time.

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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.

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