GEORGIA WOMEN VOTE!

Dean in Macon This Saturday

2008-07-19T23:35:00.003-04:00

I can't remember the last time the chair of the DNC came to Macon. Howard Dean's scheduled visit on Saturday is further indication that Obama is playing for keeps in Georgia this year. Dean will first be in Savannah, then come to Macon and then on to Atlanta. In addition to the fundraiser the Telegraph mentioned this morning, Dean will be participating in voter registration drives and addressing the DPG state committee on Saturday afternoon. He'll be aboard the "Register for Change" bus. I'm expecting to see an Obama office open in Macon any day now. McCain? Not so much.

There is a fundraising luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in Macon this Saturday, and Dean will attend. Tickets are $250 and all proceeds go to Obama Victory Fund. If you'd like more info, drop me an email at AmyMorton@aol.com. I'll be sending out info as I have it.

This Pretty Much Sums it Up

2008-07-18T16:14:00.001-04:00

H/T to Tina.

Elmo Richardson: Expert on "White Democrats"

2008-07-18T14:25:00.002-04:00

What, exactly, did Bibb County Commissioner Elmo Richardson mean by this comment in the Telegraph yesterday?

But Elmo Richardson, who aside from Bishop is the only other Republican on the Bibb commission, said it's still early to accurately predict how county races might play out in the coming months. He said many Republicans crossed over Tuesday to vote in the sheriff's race, which may partly explain the high number of voters on the Democratic side. More people voted in that race than any other local contest. And in November, Bishop might be positioned to attract white Democrats who won't vote for Obama and will turn instead to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain. (Emphasis mine) "I think Bishop will probably pick up a lot there," Richardson said.

While it's good to know that there is a local expert on the behavior of "white Democrats," if I were Elmo, I wouldn't be holding my breath.

For starters, my skin might be white, but that doesn't make me stupid. The housing market is collapsing around us, people are standing in lines hoping to get their money from failing banks, GM is scrambling to keep the doors open, airlines can't keep planes in the sky, and I'm pumping $4.50 a gallon gas. Seriously, please look back over the terms of Bush I and Bush II and tell me why we should ever again trust Republican economic policy. Not only will "white Democrats" vote for Obama, lots of Republicans will, too. He could be green with purple spots, and it wouldn't matter.

Second, has it occurred to Elmo that lots of "white Democrats" have already voted for Obama? Has Richardson ever been to Iowa? You know, the 97% white state that gave Obama his first victory of the election season? Perhaps Richardson thinks that only Southern "white Democrats" vote based on race, but then he would have to find a reason for Obama's margin of victory in Georgia. Sure, the African American turnout was high here, but Obama dominated his opponents, winning more than 66% of the vote to Clinton's 31%. Looks to me like a significant number white Democrats in Georgia have already voted for Obama, and it would be a mistake to assume that those who voted for Clinton did so because of the color of the candidate's skin.

Finally, if I were Elmo, I wouldn't assume that everyone who votes for McCain will also vote for Bishop. They have little in common other than the "R" behind their name. Most folks I talk with are far less concerned about the Chair's party than about his ability to work well with others, particularly with the City of Macon. On that, Bishop, who on those grounds failed to earn the endorsement of the Telegraph, faces an uphill fight to convince voters that he has changed. And, then there are the numbers. As Matt Barnwell points out, Sam Hart, the Democrat running unopposed in the primary got 8,734 votes to Bishop's 2,620. Bishop's opponent, Theron Ussery has a very strong showing with 1995 votes. Over all, Barnwell points out, "Hart outpaced the entire Republican field in that race nearly two to one." Did it occur to Elmo that no one who crossed over to vote in the sheriff's race had to go on down the ballot and put a mark beside Sam Hart's name in an uncontested race? Plus, if I were Charlie, I wouldn't be relying on the votes of all those Ussery supporters.

Where does this leave us? Charlie Bishop's hopes for re-election are fading faster than a pair of blue jeans dunked in Clorox.

Martin Ready for Runoff

2008-07-15T21:51:00.000-04:00

Here's Jim Martin with Kyle Bailey. Looks like a runoff with Vernon-and Jim's ready!

Martin in Atlanta

2008-07-15T21:34:00.001-04:00

The one on the left is taken! We're at the Martin event in Atlanta. Wish you were here!

Election Day Nonsense

2008-07-15T19:11:00.001-04:00

It's time Karen Handel realized that she's Secretary of State, not Secretary of the GOP.

I was pretty happy to be sleeping at about seven o'clock this morning, but then the phone rang. Daryl had been to vote and wanted to know why there was a sign at our precinct saying Jim Powell had been found ineligible and that votes for him would not count. Hadn't he gotten a stay?

I called Martin Matheny at the DPG-to whom I give credit for being more awake than me-and asked. Yes, he said, there was a stay, and the signs were in error. Then, I called the Bibb County Board of elections and spoke to Elaine Carr, who had been out making sure all precincts were open. She was unaware of the change but looked at her email and found the notice from Handel. Elaine said she would send out her guys to take down the signs. Bibb County's big, I thought, that'll take some time. Meanwhile voters will be confused and misinformed-something we know Handel is very much opposed to(unless it benefits republicans, of course.).

Sure enough, when I went to vote at 9 am, the sign was still there. I asked one of the poll workers about it, and she said, "he was disqualified." I said,"no, he got a stay and the sign should be removed. Can someone call the board of election to check?" She said, "He is on the ballot." I said, "Yes, I know, but the sign needs to be removed. Can someone call Elaine?" She indicated that someone would call.

I don't know what happened. All I know is that an hour and a half after I called the Board of Elections, the sign was still up. If Handel had to put everyone on the phones to prevent this fiasco, that's what she should've done. There's no excuse for this nonsense.

What a Day!

2008-07-15T18:37:00.000-04:00

We're heading to Atlanta to hang out with Jim Martin and others. With reports that turnout is very low, if you were ever going to go vote, now's the time. You vote really will matter.

In the meantime, let me send out good wishes to Rashad Taylor-who was standing on a corner waving signs with Sen. Fort and Mary Long last I checked, and to Chris Huttman-the far superior candidate in that race. And, let's not forget all the WIN List endorsees. Good luck, ladies! Finally, good wishes to John Lewis who deserves another term.

Can't wait to see the totals.

McCain: Blogs Can Ricochet All Around...

2008-07-14T23:02:00.006-04:00

I know three year olds who know how to get on the Internet, but, according to Think Progress, one man who would be our next President, doesn't even know how to do Email. Hint: he did NOT make the cover of the New Yorker today.

I'm guessing John McCain didn't buy a new I-Phone, either, and I'm thinking he didn't get a Big Tent pass.

But he does appreciate the impact of blogs:

But I do – could I just say, really – I understand the impact of blogs on American politics today and political campaigns. I understand that. And I understand that something appears on one blog, can ricochet all around and get into the evening news, the front page of The New York Times. So, I do pay attention to the blogs.

Those darn ricocheting blogs. He must've learned that when he was "watching" "a google."

Vote for Martin Tomorrow

2008-07-14T22:10:00.005-04:00

Please go to the polls and vote for Jim Martin tomorrow. I've made no secret of either my support for Jim or my fervent hope that Vernon Jones will not become the Democratic nominee for senate. I also think that Matt Towery is right-anything could happen in the senate race tomorrow, and a lot of the variables favor Jones'. If the turnout if low and driven by local races, there's the possibility that Vernon Jones will emerge as the nominee-without a runoff.

That's my nightmare scenario.

Why? When conservative voters are faced with the choice between Republican and Republican-light, they choose Republican every time. Jones' two Bush votes will not merit him the votes of Georgia Republicans. And, if Saxby is willing to use his millions to make a war hero out to be unpatriotic, then what do you think he will do to Jones, a man who has generated enough controversy during his tenure in office to fill many a mail piece? Can you imagine the content of the negative commercials? And, to Jones' assertion that Obama "needs" him on the ticket, I could not disagree more. I think Jones' negatives will be so high by the time Saxby finishes with him, that it will be right-wing 527's, not Jones, photoshopping Obama and Jones together.

Look, we just can't let this happen. We have another choice. In fact we have several other choices, but Jim is the one who has the depth of experience and the ability to bring to the table the resources necessary to defeat Chambliss. Martin can be senator #60. That's huge. Please, go vote for Martin tomorrow!

Ussery Scores Telegraph Endorsement

2008-07-13T21:49:00.004-04:00

It's something when the primary challenger beats out the incumbent for the endorsement of the local newspaper. That's exactly what happened today when the Telegraph gave the nod to Republican Theron Ussery in the Bibb Commission Chair race. Theron hasn't raised a lot of money in his effort to oust Bibb Commission Chair Charlie Bishop. If he had raised enough money to effectively communicate with voters, I think Bishop would really be sweating Tuesday's primary. Bishop's inability to work well with others was apparently what swayed the editorial board.

Ussery is certainly the better candidate, but he did not run the stronger campaign, so I suspect that Bishop will prevail on Tuesday. Regardless, Sam Hart has an excellent opportunity to win in November. Everyone I talk with is ready for leadership that puts the well being of this community ahead of ego.

The Phone

2008-07-12T18:34:00.002-04:00

Yes, the robocalls have started, and I have to say that so far none have been nasty. First up this morning was Dale Cardwell, and as robocalls go, this one was pretty well done. He started with a women talking, introducing him, saying that he was going to talk about something he had been working on for years as an investigative reporter. I thought, here we go, he's going to smack Vernon. No such luck, he hit the PAC thing, left out his opponents names and stayed clean. Good call.

Then, I heard for the second time from Bill Lucas, and while there was some push back at the incumbent sheriff, it was not too bad.

We have had actual live calls from Steve Leeds and Tony Center, state committee members who are running for DNC posts.

I suspect that there will be more calls over the next few days.

Oh, Thank God

2008-07-12T17:29:00.006-04:00

No fried food? Organic? 50% of the plate must be fruits and veggies? And include three of the following five colors: purple, red, white, yellow and green? Had the DNCC finally gone over the left edge? Were they really writing off the South? I was worried. Honestly, when I read these "rules" for convention food vendors-made famous by none other than The New York Times, my first thought was that the DNC might as well go ahead and set up a booth offering $400 haircuts. (Sorry, John. You know I love ya'.) The idea that these were the requirements for any food served at the convention reeked of, oh, I don't know, elitism, Big Brother, Nanny State, all things out of touch-all things laughable. If we had done this, I'm pretty sure the RNCC would've had a fish fry at a shooting range to celebrate. Fortunately, this week , the DNCC host committee finally put the kibosh on the rumor, dubbing it a "frivolous food fight."

What's the truth? The DNCC is allowing vendors to voluntarily serve designated "Lean N' Green meal options. To be so designated, the food item must meet the above listed requirements. So, rest easy. We will have no trouble keeping our cholesterol levels up while in Denver.

DPG Has Standing to Challenge Voter ID Law

2008-07-11T13:58:00.003-04:00

Today, the Democratic Party of Georgia was found to have standing to bring the Voter ID lawsuit, and Judge Campbell also found that the Plaintiff's petition was not subject to dismissal for failure to provide verification. While the press may be focused on the fact that Judge Campbell declined to grant the requested TRO for the primary, it is the finding on the issue of standing that should give hope to all those in Georgia who want to protect the fundamental right to vote. Past suits on this matter in Georgia have ultimately failed because the plaintiff(s)were found not to have standing. You can read the decision here.

Martin Matheny, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Georgia, said:

"We are pleased that the issue of standing is now settled. The ruling on the request for the temporary restraining order is disappointing but not totally unexpected. We knew this was a short time frame to bring this action. We look forward to the court's full consideration of this matter as the lawsuit moves forward. The Democratic Party of Georgia will continue to fight to protect the Georgia Constitution and to make sure that every Georgia voter has the a chance to vote in November."

Can We Talk?

2008-07-09T13:27:00.003-04:00

Should the Democratic Party of Georgia be involved in candidate recruitment efforts, or not? There has been a lot of buzz on the blogs, on the ground and among donors about the need for the DPG to do a better job of candidate recruitment. (I agree, by the way, that the effort needs to be better organized and ongoing.) There has also been a lot of complaining about the perception that the DPG actively recruited a candidate into the senate race, and the Party was left in the position of defending allegations-that proved to be false-about their advocacy for a particular candidate in that contested primary. I'm not trying to re-ignite that fight, but this opens up a serious question.

If the Party actively recruits candidates, how do we do that and then say, "well, sorry, if you have primary opposition, you are on your own?" It's not a piece of cake to run for office, and in case no one noticed, there is not a long line of qualified candidates banging down the doors. How do we get folks to run and then abandon them when someone else qualifies?

The question is, how does the Party balance the need to recruit with the need to remain neutral in primaries? Is that even possible?

Talk among yourselves...

McCain Jumps the Track

2008-07-08T17:08:00.002-04:00

This man could be our next President:

Smack!

2008-07-08T16:13:00.003-04:00

Ouch. According to the AJC, here's Obama's personal response to Vernon Jones appropriating his image without permission:

"I do not endorse him; I have not endorsed him," Obama said Tuesday in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He put my picture on his literature, without asking me. Now I will tell you in the southside of Chicago,
and I'm assuming here in Georgia, those kinds of things aren't uncommon. It's a
little less common to do when you're a U.S. Senate candidate when presumably the scrutiny is a little higher."Obama, who was in metro Atlanta for two fund-raisers and a town hall meeting in Powder Springs said he thinks he met Jones at a previous campaign event."I think he may have to come to an event of ours a while back," Obama said. "The reason I think I may have met him is I know somebody told me as I was shaking his hand that he had taken pride in voting for George Bush twice."

I think that's a very presidential way of saying, "Jones did not have permission to use my picture. No I have not endorsed him and do not endorse him. This is small time political trick, and a U.S. Senate candidate should know better. By the way, did ya'll know Vernon voted for Bush twice?"

America's Convention: DNCC Press Call

2008-07-07T12:32:00.005-04:00

I just hung up the phone from the press call regarding the decision to move the 4th day of the DNCC to INVESCO to allow more than 75,000 people to participate. DNC chairman, Gov. Howard Dean said, "Obama does not view this as his convention; it's America's convention." Dean said that opening up the last day of the convention to as many people as possible was consistent with the message and vision of the Obama campaign and with Dean's own philosophy. Dean stressed that this is an historic event, something that has never been done before, and in keeping with the historic nature of this convention.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius also joined the call and stressed that nothing better symbolizes the new face of the Democratic Party than hosting this convention in the Mountain West-a place that was once a Republican stronghold that is now becoming more Democratic. Gov. Sebelius also pointed out that people are enthusiastic about the convention and about Obama's nomination. For example, instead of the 10,000 volunteers the committee sought to recruit, more than 22,000 people have responded to the call for volunteers.

If you read the NYT article today, then you know that there are concern about paying for this change. Because of the long primary season, fundraising for the convention has been a bit late getting started. Gov. Dean and the Obama campaign representative, Anita Dunn brushed aside those concerns, saying that the DNCC is within budget and that the Obama campaign will assist the committee with raising the needed funds for the convention.

In a moment of levity, a reporter asked Gov. Dean whether Republicans and Independent voters would be included in the 75K ticketed guests who would witness Obama's acceptance speech. Dean quipped that there would be "good videos" and then stammered through a response about priority being given to people, especially those in western states, who have worked long and hard for Obama. Gov. Sebelius cut in (thankfully) and said that many Republicans and Independent voters are now Democrats as a result of this historic primary, and that they would certainly be among those witnessing Obama accepting the nomination.

Obama Throws Open the Doors!

2008-07-07T09:59:00.005-04:00

This is very, very cool. Obama is moving the last night of the convention to INVESCO Mile High Stadium where he will accept the nomination in front of more than 75K people. Top that, John McCain. Here's the press release:

DEMOCRATS THROW OPEN DOORS OF CONVENTION,OBAMA TO ACCEPT PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION ONCLOSING NIGHT OF 2008 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTIONIN FRONT OF A CROWD OF MORE THAN 75,000
Final Day of Convention Program to Move to Denver's INVESCO Field at Mile HighDENVER - Breaking the mold of traditional political Conventions, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today announced that Senator Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination for President of the United States at Denver's INVESCO Field at Mile High. INVESCO Field can accommodate more than 75,000 people and will be the site of the 2008 Democratic Convention's final day of programming on Thursday, August 28, 2008."The Democratic Party is nominating a true change candidate this August, and it is only fitting that we make some big changes in how we put on the Convention," said Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). "Senator Obama's candidacy has generated an enormous amount of excitement and interest, not only in the Democratic Party but also in the 2008 Convention. By bringing the last night of the Convention out to the people, we will be able to showcase Barack Obama's positive, people-centered vision for our country in a big way.""Barack Obama's campaign for change has inspired millions of Americans and brought people into the political process who might never have been involved," said Convention Co-Chair Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius! . "This change in the Convention program will allow thousands of first -time participants a chance to take part. I can't think of a better Convention finale for our nominee who has made reaching out to voters a hallmark of his campaign.""When we said we wanted to 'bring down the walls,' open up this Convention like never before and truly speak to the American people, we meant it," said Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the DNCC. "On August 28, we will offer grassroots Democrats, who have turned out in record numbers this year, the opportunity to witness history shoulder to shoulder with thousands of Americans standing up for the change our country desperately needs." "Senator Obama and the DNCC have truly brought the community into the Convention," said Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. "This decision will enable thousands of residents from Colorado, the Rocky Mountain West and across the nation to witness history first hand. What a way to fire up our grassroots activists as we head into the fall campaign."Primetime ! Convention activities Monday, August 25 through Wednesday, August 27 will continue to be held at the Pepsi Center. The final day of the Convention on Thursday, August 28, including the nomination acceptance speech of Senator Barack Obama, will be held at INVESCO Field at Mile High, also located in downtown Denver. Daytime Convention events, including meetings of the Democratic caucuses and councils will continue to be held at the Colorado Convention Center.The DNCC announced today that a special block of "Community" credentials will be reserved for Colorado residents for Thursday night's program at INVESCO Field. Details about how to sign up and receive a "Community Credential" for the last night of the Convention will be released in the coming weeks."This is the type of Convention people will want to experience together with family, friends and neighbors, and we hope this move enables thousands of Americans to come together, experience history and put Senator Obama on the path to victory in November," Daughtry added.

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About the DNCC: The 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee is the official arm of the Democratic National Committee responsible for planning and organizing the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. www.demconvention.com To unsubscribe from our mailing list or to refer additional e-mail addresses, please direct all inquiries to DNCCPress@demconvention.com .Paid for by 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee, Inc. www.demconvention.com Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Bush's Birthday Bash

2008-07-06T14:20:00.002-04:00

That's right, today is President Bush's 62nd birthday, and all he wants for his last (thank God) birthday while in office, is for you to send $62.00 to the RNC. I don't think so.

Instead, I'm celebrate by sending a $62 contribution to the DNC, and I am encouraging YOU to donate as well -- $62, or $6.20, or even $620 -- to the DNC, the DCCC, the DSCC -- or even to the Democratic Party of Georgia.

According to Mooncat over at Left in Alabama, this is a bargain-a gift now helps make sure that next year this time John McCain is not celebrating his 73 birthday in the White House.

Guest Blog from Georgia Congressional Candidate

2008-07-03T13:54:00.004-04:00

I am glad to post guest blogs from candidates, so if you are running for office, and would like to post here, send your post to me at amymorton@aol.com. I will post it as you send it. Please welcome to the conversation Doug Heckman, who is running for Congress in Georgia's 7th district:

My name is Doug Heckman, and I am running for U.S. Congress in Georgia’s 7th District. My district includes Gwinnett, Walton, and Barrow Counties, as well as small parts of Newton and Forsyth Counties. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Amy Morton for permitting me to appear on her blog.

Allow me to briefly introduce myself. My wife Pat and I have lived in Gwinnett County for 17 years with our three children. Our family is active at Simpsonwood United Methodist Church. I am a Colonel in the US Army Reserves and a Green Beret; I served in Afghanistan from 2001-2002 and in Iraq from 2006-2007. Additionally, I have an MBA from Duke and have worked in the financial services industry for 20 years. My proven track record of success with my family, military, and business endeavors shows how effective I will be as your Congressman.

Today, I will discuss two issues: the No Child Left Behind Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. I will begin with No Child Left Behind.

Education is the silver bullet for so many of our nation’s problems. Our efforts to build a “land of opportunity” can succeed only if our public schools give every child the chance to realize his or her potential. Furthermore, our country’s status as an economic and military power rests on our students’ ability to keep pace with students from every other country. Therefore, our national government must make it the highest priority to help states improve public education.

Our national government must help state governments fully fund our public schools, but the NCLB Act has never been adequately funded. This year’s federal budget for NCLB is $24.5 billion—which sounds impressive until you consider that the Gwinnett County Public Schools alone operate on nearly $2 billion each year. The law requires schools to set benchmarks for improvement like never before, but schools are given no additional funds to help make this happen. Only the very poorest schools receive any federal money at all through “Title I” funds. This situation fails students, hurts teachers’ and administrators’ morale, and makes unreasonably difficult each school’s task of achieving its required “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP).

Many groups of professional educators have submitted plans to improve the NCLB Act, including the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the Aspen Institute, and the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Congress needs to pay attention to what large groups of experts say about education legislation. For instance, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) says it “has long championed the principles underlying the No Child Left Behind Act” but criticizes the Act for sticking to a flawed AYP formula and failing to support educators. The AFT says that the $70.9 billion “short-changed” to the Act since 2002 would help solve many of the Act’s problems. Other organizations offer different criticisms and solutions, but here is the bottom line: Congress must fully fund whatever reforms it passes, or the promise of opportunity will remain un-kept for many students.

On to the next topic: FISA. When the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) became law in 1978, our legislators knew they were exploring territory well beyond our Founding Fathers’ imaginations. The challenge, our legislators knew, would be to safeguard our country in a new age of electronic communications while guaranteeing the civil liberties we had come to cherish over the past two centuries. Legal experts now agree that President George W. Bush crossed the line in 2005 when he authorized surveillance not allowed either by FISA or by Congress’s post-September 11 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF). This year, Congress is considering the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, a bill designed to prevent this sort of executive overreach from happening in the future.

I believe Congress should pass this bill for several reasons. This bill clarifies what kinds of surveillance are legal and what court procedures must be followed for the National Security Agency to obtain warrants for surveillance. This bill ensures—as Senator Obama said recently—that “somebody's watching the watchers.” At the same time, it ensures that the NSA can efficiently obtain surveillance and keep America secure.

I also support provisions in this bill which would grant legal immunity to telecommunications companies that unwittingly broke the law when they cooperated with the President’s surveillance programs. These companies should have been more careful in their compliance, but it is now clear that they may not have been reasonably expected to know the President’s programs were probably against the law (as evaluated by most legal scholars, but not all). Our Congress should focus on preventing future mistakes, not punishing past ones committed under questionable circumstances. The FISA Amendments Act of 2008 upholds that focus.

I would like to reiterate my thanks to Amy Morton for hosting me and to her subscribers for reading my blog entry. I also invite you all to help me prepare for the task of serving as your Congressman. It is critically important for a Congressman to represent the interests of his constituents; therefore, I hope you will visit my website (www.dougheckman.com), learn about me, and contact me with your ideas and concerns (Doug@DougHeckman.com). Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you in the coming weeks.

The Party's Throwing a Party

2008-07-02T22:53:00.004-04:00

And you thought politics was about blog chatter....actually, it's about this:

From Bibb County Party Chair, Steve Allen

The Bibb County Democratic Party, in cooperation with the Democratic Party of Georgia, is opening a headquarters at 428 Second Street in downtown Macon. That's near Cherry Street and directly across from the SunTrust Bank. Everyone is invited to attend the open house on the evening of July 4 (which is also First Friday in Macon) between 5:00 and 8:00 pm. We will be inviting local candidates and will serve refreshments.The telephone number for the Party is 478/747-1000.

I'm there: Party with the Party on the 4th. An aside-it's pretty cool to read the words "Bibb County Democratic Party," "Democratic Party of Georgia" and "cooperation" in the same sentence.

"State-Directed" Schools

2008-07-02T00:45:00.006-04:00

Kathy Cox is acting like Georgia just won a prize. We most assuredly did not. Georgia is one of six states selected by the U.S. Department of Education to pilot a program allowing "differentiated accountability" under the No Child Left Behind Act. Touted and "freedom" and "flexibility," the devil is, as always in the details.

1. Not one dime. Local school systems have been told that this grand prize comes with not one extra dollar. Never mind that most local boards just signed off on their budgets for next year, and that no one has yet determined whether this program will cost districts additional money-how can it not-and if so, how much.

2. Not on our time table. When Cox (who, as we know from the CRCT mess, just loves to spring surprises on local school districts) applied for this program in May of 2008, she told the U.S. DOE that the earliest Georgia could implement the program would be the 2009-2010 school year. Now, because a condition of being a pilot project was implementation this year (2008-2009), school districts across the state learned just today that they will be expected to make changes most do not yet understand. Never mind that most school districts have very few 12 month staff positions. When you're saddled with 1.6 billion in cuts, you can't afford many 12 month positions. Who, exactly, is going to stop putting out the daily fires to sort this out? Implementation is going to be chaotic, at best.

3. Just say "no" to local control. Talk about loss of local control, Cox's plan includes the creation of "State-Directed Schools." Here's the exact language from Cox's proposal as submitted to the DOE:

State-Directed Status (NI-5 or higher)
All schools in Needs Improvement year 5 or higher will receive a State-Directed status label which involves an immediate loss of local governance and other additional consequences as determined by the GaDOE in each school’s required state directed contract.

I don't know about you, but Cox seems to be having substantial trouble with the tasks currently on her plate. I'm not sure she needs to be taking over local schools and removing authority from locally elected boards of education and locally hired superintendents. I laughed when I read the AJC explanation that this was not really taking over local schools since local boards would still get to make all non-academic decisions. Read: Local boards will get to figure out how to pay for what the State requires them to do. And, that's change, how?

4. Delay, Delay. Because of Cox's rush to accept this "prize," Cox has made it nearly impossible for local schools systems to begin their school years as planned. Cox does not plan to inform local school systems which schools will be "State-Directed" until July 21-25, just a couple of weeks before most school systems are slated to start. Expect Cox to use this as an excuse to further her argument that schools should start later this year (to give her time to clean up her CRCT mess.)

5. The Holy Grail of Charter Schools. Read the report, or at least the comparison of how things are now, and how they will be under this plan. Cox has taken this opportunity to embed becoming a Charter School as one of a few limited options schools that need improvement are forced to choose between.

So, though I am no fan of NCLB, I am also no fan of trying to turn a battleship on a dime in rough waters. Cox was right in her first submission to the U.S. DOE-we needed a year to implement these changes successfully, not the mere weeks we now have. And, you can't fix broken schools by sending a monitor down from Atlanta or by having the state take over the school. Only leadership that is out of touch with the realities of local school districts could think such a plan is a good idea.

Francisco Responds to Freeman Comment

2008-06-30T23:09:00.005-04:00

A while back, a comment from "Angela" was posted on this blog on the post "Speaking of Allen Freeman." The poster claimed to be Angela Freeman, Rep. Allen Freeman's wife. Of course, because of the vagaries of blog world, there is no easy way for me to know whether or not it was actually Angela Freeman who posted the comment. You can read the original post and the comment here. In the comment, some pretty specific allegations were made about Bubber Epps, Freeman's primary opponent. Regardless of the exactly identity of the poster, Elizabeth Francisco, who was the Twiggs County attorney at the time of the alleged events, took exception to the content of that comment and called me last week. Francisco said the allegations in the comment were inaccurate and asked for an opportunity to respond. Here's her response exactly as it was provided to me:

I read the allegations of Angela Freeman on GEORIGA WOMEN VOTE concerning James "Bubber" Epps' actions while Chairman of the Twiggs County Commission. I was the Twiggs County Attorney for a period of about 13 years both preceding, during and after Mr. Epps's service on the board. One of the major functions of the Commissioners of "Roads and Revenues" of Twiggs County during the entire period of my tenure was the maintenance of dirt roads in the county and attempts to get as much of the road system as possible paved. It was the major concern that citizens would bring to the Commission meetings, and the major function of each and every Commissioner during my tenure. Contracts for paving were handled by sealed bids, opened in public meetings, with contracts granted to the lowest bidder. Based on my memory, Mr. Epps never participated in the determination of the contractor on any project in which a company with which he was associated had presented a sealed bid or was involved. Monies received from any Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) were spent in accordance with the intended purposes set out in the referendum authorizing the tax, and were audited every year by independent auditors in accordance with Georgia law. I understand and appreciate that Ms. Freeman supports her husband. However, the insinuation in Ms. Freeman's letter, unsupported by specifics, that Mr. Epps did something shady while a Twiggs County Commissioner is precisely the type of negative campaign rhetoric that voters, particularly women voters, have become sick and tired of . Let the conversation be about what knowledge, experience, skills, and proposals for the future each of the candidates for an office brings to the table, not more of this nonsense.

Elizabeth R. Francisco

He Did NOT Say That!

2008-06-30T22:54:00.004-04:00

"I like to touch people because they don't forget me when I touch them." That's what Vernon Jones said as he came over to shake my hand at a political forum in Macon tonight. That sound you heard was my jaw hitting the floor.

I kid you not. If there's anyone out there who does not get why this statement was a shocker, refer you to the AJC's endorsement in this race.

Georgia Representative's Letters to the Editor Banned

2008-06-28T23:26:00.003-04:00

According to the Telegraph, until further notice, letters from Rep. Allen Freeman (R), Macon, are not welcome on the "Viewpoints" page. Why? Because he misled the newspaper and the public by claiming as his own work a canned letter prepared by Calypso Communications, a public relations firm representing a biofuel company, Green Earth Fuels of Houston, Texas-an industry Freeman, as chair of a study committee on biofuels, is supposed to be objectively evaluating-not shilling for. By the way, according to information on the company website, in October of 2007, Green Earth hired Calypso to help package and position the company for a public offering in the next twelve months. These "media kits" and contacts with elected officials are part of that marketing strategy. Why Freeman allowed himself to be used this way is a great question and one that deserves more attention. You have to ask yourself why a Georgia politician was willing to front for this Texas company.

FYI, Freeman's letter actually ran twelve days ago, and I suspected that it was copied as soon as I read it. Anyone who read it would've suspected the same thing. Fifteen minutes of googling confirmed by suspicions. I wrote about it here and provided the Telegraph a copy of my research on that same day. Phil Dodson responded to me by saying that the paper had taken steps to make sure that it did not happen again. I guess now we know what those steps were.