Fresh Loaf

The House’s statewide sales-tax transportation bill doesn’t have the votes to pass, says the chamber’s Transportation Chairman Vance Smith. InsiderAdvantage’s got the report here. Smith, a Republican state representative from Pine Mountain, says he’s reworked a proposal that sounds eerily similar to the state Senate’s proposal that would allow one or more counties to band together and let voters decide on a sales-tax increase. Smith’s idea is based on districts in the state, however.

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If you’re the kind of guy or gal who enjoys watching grown men and women act like petty schoolchildren, you’ll want to be at the Capitol today. A political popularity and pissing contest starts at 10 a.m. or 30 minutes after the end of the state House’s session, whichever comes first. You guessed it — it’s the DOT board elections! There are a lot of background details and salacious gossip to get caught up on, but if you just wanna jump into it, here are some basic details:

State House Speaker Glenn Richardson — no wait, I wanna use this photo — is very angry that DOT Board Chairman — and probable distant relative of Huey Lewis — Mike Evans didn’t side with him and vote for state Rep. Vance Smith for the transportation agency’s commissioner job that opened up when Harold Linnenkohl announced his retirement late last year. Evans instead voted for Gov. Sonny Perdue’s pick, former Georgia Building Authority boss Gena Abraham. She’s the state’s first female transportation chief and supposedly a management wiz. Richardson, still smarting from all this, has been trying to get other state representatives to oust Evans when the caucus elections are held throughout the day tomorrow. No word yet on whether they’ll be secret ballot, heads-up-seven-up or what. His ultimate goal: get his picks on the DOT board, then — allegedly! — boot Abraham out of the top slot.

Oh, and the other guy Richardson wants out? Raybon Anderson. Who does King Glenn want in his place? Former Rep. Stacey Reece, R-Gainesville. He was caught in some shenanigans in 2006 involving lobbyists and his wedding shower.

Jesus, I feel like I just wrote a gossip column. Now go back and reread all that crap and don’t tell me that while, yes, it sure does makes for some Gold-Dome drama, it’s also slightly depressing. Back-slapping, back-stabbing, backroom-politickin’ bullshitake mushrooms. It’s like a Hollywood movie, only everyone’s not attractive. And the reason the kerfuffle is getting so much press is because no one really knows what’s going to happen. If the state House had some brains they’d sell advertising on tomorrow’s webcast. I’m sure they’ll have a healthy viewership.

But so be it. They gotta cast the votes anyway and at least it makes for good reading on what would be an otherwise mundane subject. Human faces and emotions illustrating the political process. Might even be a fistfight. We’ll see.

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