Fresh Political Pickins From The Peach State

As today’s Macon Telegraph is reporting: “Describing the stark descent into heavy gun regulation that they say Barack Obama’s presidential administration will seek, National Rifle Association officials came to town Wednesday and backed U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss as a last line of defense for freedom and the Second Amendment.

NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre headlined the rally at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, and speakers didn’t pull any punches as they derided Obama’s repeated promises to protect gun rights as mere electioneering. A crowd of nearly 100 attendees — many of them wearing “I’m a bitter gun owner and I vote” stickers — lapped it up.

“(This election is) the difference between freedom in America and not,” state Sen. Ross Tolleson, R-Perry, said in his introduction.

Chambliss stands between freedom and “the far, far left” that wants to change “the fundamental beliefs in America,” Tolleson said.”

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Change you can believe in is coming to Fort Stewart.

When Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo III spoke to members of the Liberty County community during Wednesday’s Progress Through People Luncheon at the Econo Lodge in Hinesville, he didn’t mince words.

The commanding general of Fort Stewart and the 3rd Infantry Division spoke matter-of-factly about the impending arrival of the 5th Brigade on Fort Stewart. “Between now and 2013, at least 10,000 more people will be pouring in here. It’s real. It’s going to happen,” Cucolo said.

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Things in Athens appear to be on the upswing over the next year, because they all work for the government (i.e., us).

While Georgia’s unemployment rate will rise 2.6 percent next year, Athens’ rate will rise by just 0.2 percent, Rajeev Dhawan, director of the GSU Economic Forecasting Center, estimates in his latest forecast.

Nearly 30 percent of the area’s jobs rely on government, so the state’s financial problems - a roughly $2 billion projected deficit brought on by slowing revenue - are expected to temper job growth, Dhawan said.

Meanwhile, in Savannah, they’ve lost a few jobs.

Metro Savannah lost 2,000 jobs over the past year, the Georgia Department of Labor said Thursday.

Payroll in Bryan, Chatham and Effingham counties totalled 160,400 in October, marking a 1.2 percent decline from the October 2007 workforce of 162,400.

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Oh, goodie. Here’s a thought…how about “zero”?

Georgia drivers should find out in two weeks whether falling gas prices will shave some money off the sales tax on motor fuels.

One of the state’s two taxes on gas, the sales tax is set every six months. Right now, the tax is at 11 cents a gallon, where it was set on Jan. 1. Gov. Sonny Perdue froze an increase of 2.9 cents per gallon that was set to kick in July 1.

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Second verse, same as the first.

The federal appeals court in Atlanta will hear arguments Dec. 9 on whether death row inmate Troy Anthony Davis can continue to challenge his conviction in the killing of a Savannah police officer, a state official said Wednesday.

Why not? Let’s just keep appealing the same thing over and over.

Davis’ lawyers say new evidence proves their client was a victim of mistaken identity.

Prosecutors have said the case is closed. In court hearings, they said some of the affidavits repeat what a jury trial already has heard, while others are irrelevant because they came from witnesses who never testified.

District Attorney Spencer Lawton also said he doubts the new testimony meets the legal standards for a new trial. And while the recantations may seem persuasive to some, Lawton said, “to others of us it invites a suggestion of manipulation, making it very difficult to believe.”

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I thought Mike Sheffield might be the GOP candidate. I’ve heard a lot of them singing his praises. But then I got this email in the mail today:

Please join us in voting for Sara Doyle in the runoff election on December 2 for the Georgia Court of Appeals.

In these difficult times for families and for conservative principles, it has never been more important that we elect the right judges. We have known Sara and practiced law alongside her for many years, and we know her to be the right choice for Georgia families and businesses.

A Mercer law graduate and a partner with the international law firm of Holland Knight, Sara has spent her career defending employers and businesses in litigation. In her fifteen years as a lawyer, she has handled a wide range of cases from trial through the appellate process involving contracts, torts, employment, insurance, real estate, tax, trusts and estates, workers compensation, and liability disputes. Sara has lectured on issues of student discipline and privacy at Georgia School of Law seminars, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, and the Education Law Association’s annual seminar. And Sara has litigated in Federal and State courts–both in and outside of the state of Georgia–giving her a comprehensive understanding of the legal process.

Sara is a devoted wife and mother. She married her college sweetheart, Jay Doyle, almost 16 years ago, and they are the proud parents of Mary Donovan. The Doyles attend Lutheran Redeemer Church in Atlanta. The life challenges of balancing her career, a marriage, and raising their daughter give Sara a sense of purpose and keep her focused on the trials that every family faces.

She has pledged that Georgia’s families will be the foundation of every decision she makes on the Court of Appeals, that every life is protected, and that justice is served.

As lawyers who have been fighting for Republican principles our entire careers, we urge you to join us in voting for Sara.

It was signed by Anne Lewis, Frank Strickland, Robert Highsmith, and Mike Bowers.

Of course, I already voted for Sara.

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Yes, much like Georgia Tech graduates taking over the International Space Station, the end is nigh from an economic standpoint as well for Georgia, at least according to Dr. Rajeev Dhawan, director of the Economic Forecasting Center at the Robinson College of Business of Georgia State University (thankfully, not Georgia Tech).

In the Forecast of Georgia and Atlanta (November 2008) report published Nov. 19, Dhawan said Georgia’s economic picture has gone from bad to worse recently, as job losses mount, bankruptcy rates increase and home prices continue to depreciate. According to Dhawan, the prognosis for the coming year is just as bleak as weak corporate spending brings with it a flood of layoffs looming on the horizon before giving way to a tepid recovery in 2010.

Dhawan said the intensity of the job losses over the last few months has been more severe than expected.

“Since our forecast in August, job growth has been substantially downgraded,” he said. “So far this year, we have lost almost 41,100 jobs and job losses are expected to continue at this heavy rate for the next quarter as we lose another 34,000 jobs.”

The situation is so bad that meetings at the highest levels of Georgia government have been convened to discuss the situation. Of course, our cameras were there.

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You’ll want to pay attention to this site as the runoff progresses.

It’s tracking turnout, etc. Right now it looks like Saxby is on course to re-election.

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There are a lot of easy to explain reasons why Barack Obama probably won’t come to Georgia to campaign on behalf of his newest best friend, Jim Martin.  (I say newest because former Senate opponent and DeKalb county CEO Vernon Jones is still taking great pains to point out that Jim Martin voted for John Edwards in the Georgia Presidential Preference Primary, even though Edwards had already dropped out of the race).

Obama is, as he should be, building his team to manage the country through a set of unprecedented crisis.  In addition, he may not want to unnecessarily risk capital on a race that is probably a loser for his side.   The contrarian in me tells me there is one possible other good reason:  Obama doesn’t want Jim Martin in the Senate.

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Tommie Williams will be President Pro Tempore. Chip Rogers will be Majority Leader. Mitch Seabaugh, Dan Moody, and Judson Hill will stay in their current spots. Bill Cowsert will be Caucus Secretary.

The full release from the Lt. Governor’s Office is below the fold.

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Wonderful.

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Erick, man, get these people in order!

Bibb County commissioners Tuesday reauthorized their part of the service delivery strategy indefinitely, but the city of Macon seemed unlikely to agree with their action.

That sets up an uncertain scenario as Bibb County, Macon and Payne City have until Dec. 31 to approve the same proposed outline that says who will provide what services to residents and at what cost. Failure to submit an agreement to the state results in the loss of grant eligibility.

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Looks like City of Montezuma is in the process of pulling out of the Macon County Development Authority unless the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) can help clarify the requirements for the City and industrial utility customers, such as Allens, Inc., regarding the payment of large sewer construction loans.

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Yes, Atlanta and its homeless can rejoice because more of these meters are coming to the streets! As you may recall from past posts, the Wizards of Genius in this city believe that placing yellow meters on the city streets where the money inserted will directly fund homeless programs will result in (1) a groundswell of people rushing to pump their money into the devices and (2) homeless people ceasing their criminal panhandling activities.

Of course, the idea hasn’t worked in other cities where it’s been tried. But don’t worry, Atlanta is famous for not learning from the mistakes of others!

The new donation meters will be placed near the Fox Theatre, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, the Westin Peachtree Plaza and in parts of Buckhead, the Luckie-Marietta Street district and Peachtree Center.

I wonder how the first batch of meters worked out?

A task force involved with the campaign said it will say how much money has been collected from the meters in March.

March?!?! How about telling us now! But then we’d know four months ahead of schedule how the program was a big waste of money, right?

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