The Exercise of Vital Powers

The General Assembly had one of the longest sessions on record this year as they tried to figure out how to balance the bloated Perdue/Cagle/Richardson budget. They increased fees, placed a large tax on those of us with private health insurance, and furloughed teachers.

And apparently suckled at the trough that is the 800lb Federal Pork Machine.

Problem is, the Federal Pork Machine didn’t come through. Apparently, at $13T in debt, Congress is finally realizing that its credit cards are getting maxed out.

From the AJC:

Gov. Sonny Perdue ordered already slimmed-down Georgia agencies this week to take another 4 percent spending cut starting in August because the state’s new budget relies on federal stimulus money that may never come.
…
Perdue and lawmakers approved a budget for this fiscal year, which began July 1, that counted on about $375 million in extra federal Medicaid stimulus money. About 30 states wrote the the extra money for Medicaid, which provides health care to the poor and disabled,  into their budget plans.

Only one candidate for Governor has executive-level experience cutting the budget of a state agency by meaningful amounts. One just increased the budget, the other fed the Federal Pork Machine for his 20+ years in DC.

First poll out that doesn’t have Oxendine in the run-off (943 people, 3% MOE taken July 13th)

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Georgia finds Deal and Handel each earning 25% support. State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, the early leader in the Republican race, runs a close third with 20% of the vote.

Clearly the majority of those polled don’t read Peach Pundit:

Deal, who resigned from the House to run for governor just after he voted against the health care bill, is viewed Very Favorably by 22% of the state’s GOP Primary voters and Very Unfavorably by eight percent (8%). One-in-five (21%) don’t know enough about him to venture any kind of opinion.

For Handel, Very Favorables are 19% and Very Unfavorables are seven percent (7%). Sixteen percent (16%) have no opinion of her.

Seventeen percent (17%) have a Very Favorable opinion of Oxendine, while 13% view him Very Unfavorably. Eleven percent (11%) have no opinion of the longtime insurance commissioner.

Other tid bits:

Perdue has a 71% approval rating amoung the Republicans polled. Men favor Deal, women favor Handel and only 7% approve of President Obama.

Word on the street is that Casey Cagle is looking to run for Governor. That means Georgia will need a new Lieutenant Governor.

While it might be premature (he hasn’t announced) I’m endorsing one of the strongest fiscal conservatives in the General Assembly: Senator David Shafer.

Senator Shafer is a tireless champion for the taxpayer. He has opposed tax increases, even when the Republicans proposed them! He has led the charge on both zero based budgeting and spending limitation. His zero based budgeting bill passed both the Senate and House this year, and his idea to return budgetary surpluses was incorporated into Senate Resolution 20, and at least one version of the Speaker’s tax reform initiative.

Most big thinkers are not effective lawmakers, but David is the kind of guy who both thinks outside the box and knows how to translate ideas into law. Tapping the Tennessee River to secure a long term supply of water for North Georgia, creating a privately funded Umbilical Cord Blood Bank to save postnatal tissues and encourage nonembryonic stem cell research and deregulating cable and telecommunications to improve customer choice are among his many initiatives.

David is talking with financial backers and I have no doubt that he can raise the money to be the effective. He is one of the top GOP fundraisers in the state, with a large network of donors and plenty of political IOUs from the candidates and elected officials he has helped.

He is the type of candidate who can bring the various factions of the Georgia Republican Party together. He was an early and strong backer of both Casey Cagle for Lieutenant Governor and Karen Handel for Secretary of State, he will be able to work with the next Governor, no matter who that might be.

If you agree with me that David Shafer would make a great Lieutenant Governor, drop David an email david at vote david dot com and encourage him to run.

Despite public sentiment, Sundays likely to stay dry for now | ajc.com

Chris Farris, chairman of the Liberty Caucus, sees Sunday sales as a free-market issue that matches basic Republican principles.

“Its not only a no-brainer for the caucus, it should really be a non-brainer for a Legislature that is controlled by a party that supposedly espouses the free market,” Farris said.

While several members of his caucus who oppose the bill are counted among the Senate leadership, Farris said it appears that Perdue — a religious conservative who doesnt drink — is the stumbling block. Perdue all but threatened to veto the bill, saying Georgians should show better “time management” if they want to purchase alcoholic beverages by buying them on other days of the week.

“The Senate saw no reason to pass a bill the governor was going to veto and irritate one faction of the [Republican] party without getting any benefit for the other faction, the free-market side,” Farris said.

Still, he said hes not giving up.

“My hope is it will get a hearing in committee this year,” Farris said. “The RLC is going to press for that.”

Democracy is a two-way street. The citizens have as much responsibility for our self government as the people we elect. – Senator Eric Johnson.

With the news that the Governor might veto one or both budgets over the lack of spending on this pet projects, I felt compelled to dig out the way-back machine and bring you this link.

Kudos to both Lt. Governor Cagle and Speaker Richardson for devising a tax-cut that is offset by spending. After Sine Die we need to send you to Washington to teach that to your federal brethren.

The AJC is reporting:

Georgia homeowners would get a $100 property tax cut under a budget agreement reached Tuesday night by state House and Senate leaders….

House leaders proposed the tax cut after they reached an impasse with Senate leaders on the midyear budget for fiscal 2007, which ends June 30. Strong state tax collections have given lawmakers extra budget dollars this year.

Members of the House said senators had portrayed them as big spenders because they had tried to include projects such as museum funding and Perdue’s “Go Fish Georgia” fishing tourism program in the budget.

The Senate gutted the midyear budget of those projects, and the two sides did not appear near a deal when they began negotiations Tuesday.

The House budget negotiators counterproposed with the tax cut, and the Senate accepted.
(Budget deal gives residents tax break | ajc.com)

Travis Fain has a good explanation as to why this is being done via a property tax refund here

Mr. Speaker: I know this compromise probably doesn’t make you popular with your caucus right now. I know $100 isn’t a massive windfall to taxpayers upon which you can ride to re-election next year. However you did the right thing.

Lt. Gov. Cagle: Thank you for sticking to your guns and not backing down. The press was salivating at the prospect of an internal GOP fight and I’m sure there was pressure to compromise to make this unpleasantness go away.

Next up is the FY2008 Budget which will also contain pork. Stay tuned to Georgia Porkbusters for more.

HB94 must now be approved by both bodies (a formality) and then is on to the Governor for signature

I agree with the concept that the site is pouring gasoline on an already roaring fire. I build that site last night on a whim. Took me about 3.5 hours. Most of the images are blatently stolen from the Pork Busters website and I’ve yet to hear back on them about permission.

Alas, Jason decided to release a bit early (thus getting the credit the bastard!!!!), and now the site is public. Oh well.

The Legislature reassembles today, and the only matter of importance is the state of budget-oriented tensions between House Speaker Glenn Richardson and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.

Blogger Jason Pye figures the fire could use a little more gasoline. He’s got a new web site, still being tweaked, called Georgia Porkbusters.(Just in time for the resumption of hostilities | Political Insider)

I’ve been made a contributor on Peach Pundit. My first post takes on the AJC’s assumption that the Senate Leadership is behind this effort.

Its not the Senate pulling the strings | Peach Pundit

Rallying the GOP troops for a fight over the budget | Political Insider

Republicans are taking this state House-Senate budget fight to lengths we never saw under Democrats.

Participants in the state Capitol tussle are bringing in outsiders. They’re bringing in The Base.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Georgia is urging its associates to e-mail letters of support to members of the Senate. And if said enthusiasts want to send House Republicans a message, they can do that, too.

Things are starting to heat up in the session and we still haven’t finished the figging project at work.