What Is Goin’ On?

It was just one of those days. This conversation with Jane Kidd, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia didn’t start out like I expected. My bad.

I am just tired of hearing day after day example after example of the total breach of the public trust by the Republican Party. Sorry, but these guys just don’t have any philosophy of government other than power make right. When they are in the majority, they just don’t care what anyone thinks, including the American public.

I am dealing with the news this week that the Republican child, Kevin Martin, who is Chairman of the FCC, together with his Republican cohorts, is going to ignore 100% of the imput by the public and approve further consolidation of the media in this country into the control of the very few. (It just passed.)

Everyone ought to be disgusted that they are actually debating in Congress giving corporations, the phone companies, immunity from being sued for breaking the law! The only reason they are considering that is because it was the Bush White House that broke the law with them!

It galls me even more to think there are Republicans out there who think this is just fine. Please, give them your rights, but let me keep mine! Barry Goldwater would throw up and he knew what being a Republican really meant, which isn’t something this new breed of power hungry, corrupt, hypocritical, hoodlums knows anything about. The don’t govern, they don’t attempt to govern, they pillage.

Example: An acquaintance of mine told me yesterday that he received a “Dear John” letter from Governor Purdue because he raised a question about the propriety of scheduling a press conference to announce a decision by the board on which he serves, before the board even met to consider the proposal! This is essentially the same thing our dear Governor and Tommie Williams did earlier this year when they removed Sally Bethea from the DNR Board. These boards aren’t there to rubber stamp what the Governor wants. They are there to exercise a degree of independence about what is good or not good for the people of Georgia. It isn’t just that any particular board may “kiss up” to the Governor, and do his bidding (like the Jekyll Island Authority), it is that they cannot even tolerate being asked a question!

Think that is too strong? Wake up everybody! The legislature convenes in less than 3 weeks. Jane and I discussed the probability that the ‘08 legislature is going to be one of the most contentious, and that may be saying a lot. It is going to be contentious because the Republican leadership’s idea of solving problems is that you agree with them and you vote for their proposition. Anything less than that, and you are simply ignored.

When it comes to the issues of water, property tax reform and many others, are the Republican leaders going to welcome imput from the Democrats (who happen to actually represent some Georgians) or experts who may have a different opinion? Probably not, because they have already decided they want and they believe they are right. So why bother with the opinion of others.

Are they going to protect the people of Georgia in resolving the water issue or are they going to mask their true motives and do what ever it takes make sure development in Atlanta continues? Are they going to try and gut the property tax base at the expense of every city and county in this state, because most of these guys own a lot of real estate? Are they going to ever do anything about the tort reform travesty of ‘05 when they declared that Emergency Room physicians couldn’t be sued if they negligently killed you?

Okay, enough! I will shut up and you can listen to the interview which didn’t dwell on this point nearly as long as I have in this post. I refuse to remember the $100,000 tax break Governor Perdue had snuck (or is it sneaked) into a legislative bill.

Enough!

2008 is the year! Throw the bums out!

And don’t forget that Hillary and Obama and Edwards are expected to be in Atlanta on January 30, 2008 for the Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner at the World Congress Center. Get your tickets and see the next President of the United States.

If there is someone out there that would like to respond to any of these remarks, just send me an email and we will arrange an interview and you can make your case.