Fresh Loaf

On Oct. 14, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the final appeal of Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis. Two days later, the state set Davis’ execution for Oct. 27. The high court’s decision followed a refusal by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute Davis’ sentence, despite evidence someone else committed the crime.

“[T]he death penalty undermines human dignity. Any judicial error in its application is irreversible and irreparable. I therefore solemnly call on the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles to reconsider its position.”

— France’s Secretary of State for Human Rights Rama Yade, in an Oct. 15 statement

“not one, not two, but SEVEN witnesses went back on what they originally said……AND there is no physical evidence / dna???? just goes to show that cats are going to need more than just Obama to help us all.”

— “Professor X,” responding to a post on AllHipHop.com

“I’m not a great fan of the death penalty. I wish of course that none of this had happened, but it has. … The law is the law. It says you kill a police officer, you’re subject to the death penalty.”

— Chatham County District Attorney Spencer Lawton, speaking to the Associated Press

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U.S. Senate Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley released four ads last week blasting Saxby Chambliss, the Republican incumbent.

“Saxby Chambliss spends your money like a drunken sailor — $3 million for golf lessons, $110 million to help Gallo wines and Sunkist advertise… Maybe your money would be safer with a drunken sailor. No offense to drunken sailors.”

— The first of Buckley’s four radio ads

“Have you been to the emergency room lately? Did you bring an interpreter? Thank you. Do you know what a fiscal conservative is? Neither does Saxby.”

— The third Buckley ad, narrated by an angry male

“Who the hell is paying him?/It’s a long list so listen in./Big law lobbyists and big oil, too/He ain’t concerned what’s good for you/Illegal immigrants at my door./Saxby says make room for more.”

— Buckley ad with a military-style cadence

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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“The United States of America stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia. We insist that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected.”
President Bush

“It’s unfortunate that Georgia didn’t plan accordingly for growth over the past couple of decades, and now is trying to rewrite 200 years of history to address their mistakes.”
Will Pinkston, Tennessee gubernatorial aide, on last winter’s Georgia proposal to move the state line with Tennessee a mile north

“They of course had to hang Saddam Hussein for destroying several Shiite villages. But the current Georgian rulers who in one hour simply wiped 10 Ossetian villages from the face of the Earth … are players that have to be protected.”
Russian overlord Vladimir Putin

“We’re not talking about sucking it dry. We’re talking about augmenting some water needs, and as you know, the Tennessee has got plenty of water in it.”
Georgia State Rep. Harry Geisinger, after sponsoring a resolution to study the Tennessee boundary change (more…)

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During the current state legislative session, Rep. James Mills, R-Gainesville, introduced legislation to confiscate the cars of illegal immigrants and protect Georgians from what he calls dangerous animals.

“If you’re going to [live in Georgia as an illegal immigrant], I’d like to send the message, ‘We’re going to take your car.’ If you want to risk that, we’ll take your car.”

– Mills, as quoted in the Gainesville Times on Jan. 15, explaining his car
confiscation bill.

“Iraq, Iran, Irania, Jordan. We don’t know where they’re from.”

– Mills, as quoted in the AJC Feb. 28, on the sources of what he calls Georgia’s “epidemic” of illegal immigration. The bill passed the House that day.

“The following animals are considered to be inherently dangerous to human beings — Kangaroos, wallabies, wallaroos.”

– From House Bill 1376, Mills’ legislation to require owners of certain
marsupials to obtain permits and insurance to keep certain marsupials.

(Photo courtesy of the Georgia House of Representatives)

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U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., recently appeared on national television and showed off how he knows practically nothing about civility or Barack Obama.

“But Obama’s gonna go around meeting everybody so the world will be a better place. ‘Hi, I’m Barack Hussein Obama.’”

— Kingston trots out the oft-repeated scare tactic of equating Barack Obama with a deposed dictator on the Feb. 22 “Real Time with Bill Maher” on HBO.

“Your staff made me take it off. (Laughs) It was too controversial. Actually, I don’t know who that person is, but tell her I’m with her 100 percent. I usually do, it depends.”

— Kingston responds to a viewer e-mail on Maher’s show asking why Kingston wasn’t wearing a flag pin after he chided Obama for not wearing one.

“I will wear one and I have worn one. But I’m not making a statement about it.”

— Kingston speaking to MSNBC’s Dan Abrams about his lapel-decorating habits on Feb. 28.

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(Photo by Joeff Davis)

CL liveblogged the Super Tuesday primaries at Manuel’s Tavern and queried the bold-faced names in attendance. To view the night’s commentary, click here.

“I think it’d be pretty amazing to see McCain running against Obama. I think they both want to move the country forward.”

– Emory Morsberger, a former Republican state representative and leading advocate of the Brain Train

“It’s an exciting night for the Democrats. I’m a strong Hillary person. I’m excited to see such a strong turnout for Obama. I just hope the enthusiasm carries … over until November. I think [Obama’s] a fresh face and an inspirational voice that people have chosen at this time. …”

– State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur

“I’m looking for a job. I offered my services to the Hillary people and they didn’t want me, so I voted for Obama.”

– Former state Rep. Doug Teper

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(photo by Joeff Davis)

Last week former President Jimmy Carter spoke at “Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant,” a conference at the Georgia World Congress Center of Baptists who are upset with the right-wing politics of the Southern Baptist Convention.

“We Americans need to realize there is no special correlation between freedom and liberty and our own faith. Because the three largest democracies on earth are India, Hindu, the United States of America, Christians, and Indonesia, Islamic.”

— Carter, Jan 30.

“I continue to be concerned as to at least some participants’ motives for this event.”

— Southern Baptist Convention president Frank Page, as quoted by the Associated Press Jan. 29. He refused to participate in the event, calling it a “left-wing liberal smokescreen.”

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Editorial boards of Georgia newspapers outside metro Atlanta have harshly criticized the recently passed statewide water plan.

“Georgia lawmakers have wasted an opportunity to craft an elegant statewide water plan that would have required fewer fixes in the future.”

— Savannah Morning News, Jan. 22.

“In this instance [Gov. Sonny Perdue, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and state House Speaker Glenn Richardson], were peddling the statewide water plan, which is going up for legislative endorsement on a very, very fast track despite almost every written opinion about declaring it to be an insult to both common sense and Mother Nature.”

— Rome News-Tribune, Jan. 18

“What actually has been sliced, however, is the influence of the 143 counties outside the 16-county metro Atlanta region when it comes to how water will be allocated within Georgia.”

— Albany Herald, Jan. 20

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Atlanta City Councilwoman Felicia Moore introduced legislation calling for council oversight of the city’s involvement in the Atlanta Housing Authority’s plans to demolish public housing.

“[This] ordinance is to make sure in the future it’s clear by code there’s an understanding the Council is the governing authority of the City . . . ”
— Moore, as quoted in Atlanta Progressive News Jan. 7

“We respectfully submit that, because of the legally mandated autonomous operation of the AHA, these items of legislation are beyond the City’s authority and purview.”
— Attorney Sharon Gay, of McKenna Long & Aldridge, in a Jan. 14 letter to Atlanta City Council

“This is a blatant, purposeful media campaign to discredit me because they don’t like this legislation.”
— Moore, as quoted in the AJC, in response to a comment by AHA spokesman Rick White alleging that Moore worries demolishing public housing in her council district would move her supporters out of her district

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Bloggers and community bulletin-board contributors are increasingly voicing frustration with Mayor Shirley Franklin’s leadership.

“And to think that our mayor has the time to write a letter on behalf of Michael Vick, but can’t be bothered to address the problems with Chief Pennington and his department.”

— PETERK30310, commenting on the Yahoo! group Capitol View Homeowner’s Forum Dec. 22. Mayor Franklin wrote a letter asking the judge in the Michael Vick case to grant the former Falcons star leniency.

“No, I’m talking about her failure to run basic functions of a major city government. Things like roads, traffic lights, issuing permits, crime, and cleanliness . . . Shirley doesn’t have time to bother with such trivialities. She’s on vacation. It’s someone else’s job. She has checked out and is waiting for the next mayor to take over.”

— Blogger decaturguy at the Atlanta Publics Affairs blog Dec. 28

“Maybe instead of supporting common criminals, she can write letters and speak out on more important issues such as police corruption, the Atlanta Housing Authority Fiasco, the Beltline’s effect on low income residents, or Grady.”

— Blogger A Mad Democrat Dec. 14

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As we look forward to more awkward utterances in the coming year, we reflect on some of the more memorable moments of the most eloquent orator of them all, Gov. Sonny Perdue.

“Think of it this way … It really helps you plan ahead for the rest of your life — buying on Saturday, rather than Sunday. Time management.”

— Perdue, referring to Sunday alcohol sales, on Q100’s “The Bert Show,” on Jan. 17, 2007

“My goal is to turn Georgia into a fisherman’s paradise.”

— The governor during his State of the State address on Jan. 10, 2007

“I’m here today to appeal to you and to all Georgians and all people who believe in the power of prayer to ask God to shower our state, our region, our nation with the blessings of water.”

— Perdue’s call to prayer for rain on the Capitol steps on Nov. 13

Sources: the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Union Recorder, CNN.com

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Duluth, Ga., created a MySpace account this month to entice young people to comment on the suburb’s plan for development through 2030. As of press time, Duluth has 10 friends.

“I’m a tattoo freak! And a MetalHead. I live in Duluth with my 2 cats & my partner of 5 years, Lee. He hates MySpace so don’t expect to find him in my Friends List. Just look in my pics for the one that Looks like Opie Taylor.”
– Demon Dawg, one of Duluth’s MySpace friends

“I HAVE 3 401 k ACCOUNTS AND A BUNCH OF Roth IRA..s. I. M not bragging i..m just being humble.”
– John, one of Duluth’s MySpace friends

“I have no addictions to any substance that I know of. I don’t abuse alcohol, I have never used illegal drugs of any kind, and to be frank for a moment I didn’t face many of the adolescence challenges that face our high school students today regarding hormonal urges.”
– AliAkbar.net, one of Duluth’s MySpace friends

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Has metro Atlanta’s growth and development had any effect on the metro region’s water shortage? It depends who you ask.

“Absolutely not!”

— State House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s response when CL Senior Editor John Sugg asked him on Nov. 18, “Do you think development has contributed to the water problems?”

“In Atlanta, for example, the model shows that between 59.9 and 132.8 billion gallons of groundwater infiltration may have been lost in 1997 compared to 15 years earlier. That is enough water to supply the average daily household needs of between 1.5 and 3.6 million people per year.

— Page 8 from “Paving Our Way to Water Shortages,” a 2002 study by Smart Growth America, the Natural Resources Defense Council and American Rivers on the amount of groundwater lost because of development

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After CL Senior Writer Mara Shalhoup reported Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory was to plead guilty to federal charges resulting from his co-leadership of the Black Mafia Family cocaine ring, comments began to pour in to Fresh Loaf.

“What happened to ‘DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR’ so now Big Meech is now ‘LIL MEECH’…”
– ‘Muhammed’

“Fuck coward ass niggas like Muhammed. I bet you wouldn’t say that shit to Meech’s face.”
– ‘Ziploc Moe’

“u cant be mad at meech unless he snitch.”
– ‘abdul-aziz’

“. . . for u ignant coccsuccas, pleading guilty DOES NOT mean u working with dem faggitz. . .”
– ‘Crystle Boeckman’

“How did I know this thread would be full of illiterate morons spouting about the ‘code’.

“Meech is a criminal who made millions from the misery of others and led an organization responsible for murder of innocent people.”
– ‘Dale’

“I’d rather live in a neighborhood with a bunch of Meechs then most people- who lack character and integrity.”
– ‘Sayword’

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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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