After the last election, before the final exit polls came out of the western states, the Republican intelligentsia and punditry began a process of introspective and hand-wringing over a loss which ended being a blowout few on the right expected. (PPP, a Democratic polling group, came closest to predicting [...]]]> Sen. Curt Thompson (D-5th)

After the last election, before the final exit polls came out of the western states, the Republican intelligentsia and punditry began a process of introspective and hand-wringing over a loss which ended being a blowout few on the right expected. (PPP, a Democratic polling group, came closest to predicting the election) After the Republican “autopsy” came was released in March, the moderates in the party called for adopting comprehensive immigration reform, dropping anti-gay legislation and ending the defense of corporate welfare. (Edsall, NYT) A party which had largely dominated the last 3 decades of American politics was suddenly left trying to reconcile lost races with a divided base. As Karl Rove ran to the Fox Polling Room, there could only be one question in his mind… How did this happen?

The Diversifying Electorate—Voting Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2012 (and Other Recent Elections), a report out of the US Census Bureau, shows how demographics voted in the last decade worth of elections- and the implications aren’t good for Republicans. 2 million fewer white voters turned out for the 2012 election than in 2008. This may have been due to low enthusiasm, voter apathy, poor campaign outreach, etc. White males are a core demographic of the Republican voting bloc. For them not to turn up was damaging, but not fatal and can be fixed in upcoming elections. The real issue now for Republicans is that “2012 voting population expansion came primarily from minority voters”.

The Republican Party has long had an image problem when attracting minority voters. For some time, appealing to white, middle-class, evangelicals was enough to win nationwide races thanks to favorable national sentiment, electoral math, and favorable districting. As the nation begins to take a general left-wards tilt and electoral math makes it increasingly difficult to find the 270 votes with states such as Colorado, Virginia, and North Carolina becoming increasingly difficult to win. If not for the gerrymandered House and Senate districts, it is plausible that Democrats would have regained control of the House in 2012.

Republicans cannot afford to remain in stasis. As someone who values an opposing side in the debate and differing opinions, I’m not advocating that the Republican Party drop its principles and become the little Democratic Party. While I may not agree on many of their points, many people out there do. You’re not doing constituents any good by continuing down the path of ideological rigidity at the expense of the party and the moderates who really do desire legitimate representation on the ideas behind small government without the theocratic nature and, frankly, frightening anti-minority stances that have been adopted by the party in the past.

You don’t have to be for big government to win votes. You just have to be for common-sense. Running a platform as a theocratic, evangelical, small government for business but nobody else party has no viable place in the electoral system today, as both the Census report and recent defeats illustrate. As more and more of our underrepresented minority population begins to find its voice at the polls about issues within their communities, Republicans are going to have to make the tough choice. Adapt and understand that not every person out there is going to share your views, especially among growing constituencies that haven’t been part of the Republican outreach efforts, or die a slow death as so many political parties have done before.

The battle between deficit spending versus debt austerity economics has been at the forefront of the last 2 elections. In 2010, the Tea Party movement originated largely out of a fear of excessive government spending and in 2012, the Republicans ran on a platform of reducing spending and government through [...]]]> State Senator Curt Thompson (D-5th)

The battle between deficit spending versus debt austerity economics has been at the forefront of the last 2 elections. In 2010, the Tea Party movement originated largely out of a fear of excessive government spending and in 2012, the Republicans ran on a platform of reducing spending and government through austerity measures. Eurozone countries such as Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Spain have all fallen under the grip of an austerity driven school of economic thought. The main tenant of this push has been a simple idea that when debt reaches 90% of nominal GDP, growth slows or retracts.

The key proponents of this idea, Harvard economists Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff, authored an influential paper which helped shaped this agenda titled Growth in a Time of Debt. (http://www.nber.org/papers/w15639) This paper compiled data from countries at varying debt to GDP ratios to draw a conclusion that when debt eclipsed 90% of GDP, average growth rates of these economies dropped to -.1%. This is the landmark work, the pièce de résistance, which has been cited by everyone from Olli Rhen to Paul Ryan. This was THE SOURCE. It was also wrong.
Thanks to a combination of sloppy excel coding, insufficient or questionably absent data, and a strange weighting system which counted countries with disparate years of information and data as equal during calculations, a team of economists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst have shown that the main thesis of the paper was incorrect. If you rework Reinhart and Rogoff’s data with the correct weighting and coding, not forgetting to include countries such as New Zealand and Canada (who have shown that you can still maintain growth even with high debt rations) the conclusion is turned on its head. Growth doesn’t decline by -.1%, it actually increases by 2.2%.

As much fun as reading through sparring graduate level economics papers is, Stephen Colbert has a great piece on why exactly this is so damning to the conclusions many on the right had been using for the last 2 years. (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/425748/april-23-2013/austerity-s-spreadsheet-error) Austerity, love or hate it, had been winning the war of public opinion. The Eurozone has all but adopted it as status-quo, Washington created its own version with the Sequester, and Paul Krugman had been crying himself to sleep over the crushed dreams of Keynesians everywhere. With this new information now come to light, where do we go from here?

Cutting economic spending isn’t the way to go anymore. It hasn’t worked and now we know why. Too much debt is a bad thing. At some point you hit a ceiling where you cannot continue to function and it’s important to remember that. But cutting everything up to, and including, the kitchen sink, has not worked for Greece, Italy or Spain and there is no reason to think that it is magically going to start doing so here. Indeed, even the fabled Reinhart and Rogoff themselves came out last week in the Financial Times saying that “borrowing to finance productive infrastructure raises long-run potential growth, ultimately pulling debt ratios lower. We have argued this consistently since the outset of the crisis.” (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cca28c2e-b1a4-11e2-9315-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2S8urEvAg)

The first objective of our fiscal policy needs to be creating the jobs and infrastructure necessary to maintain and facilitate long-term economic growth. Investing in education and transportation is vital to insuring productivity as the economic recovery continues. Austerity cannot continue to be the straw man that allows Republicans to cut programs and spending “for the sake of the debt”. If it does, we really will end up like Greece and Spain, but not for the reasons they think.

[I will be hosting a fundraiser from 7:30 PM to 9 PM at PeruMex in Lawrenceville, GA on June 6th. Located at 252 West Pike Street, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046. Hope to see you there!]

This has been a trying week. Even with the apprehension of the Boston bombing “suspects”, I hope everyone will continue to keep the people of Boston and the brave first responders in your prayers as they recover from the heinous acts perpetrated there. Hopefully with a suspect alive the families and [...]]]> Senator Curt Thompson (5th-Tucker)

This has been a trying week. Even with the apprehension of the Boston bombing “suspects”, I hope everyone will continue to keep the people of Boston and the brave first responders in your prayers as they recover from the heinous acts perpetrated there. Hopefully with a suspect alive the families and victims can finally get answers to questions that have been on everyone’s mind for the last week. What happened in Boston last week was a shock to everyone. No amount of preparation and security can prepare us as a nation for the wanton destruction that occurred on Monday. What is important now is how we proceed.

The objective of terrorism is to coerce a population through intimidation and fear. We’ve seen this before with acts such as Oklahoma City, 9/11 and others. To make us change who we are in hopes of becoming a “fortress America” or appeasing those who wish to do us harm. This was one of the great issues of the Cold War when the fear of nuclear obliteration was at the forefront of people’s minds. No amount of legislation or security can stop somebody who is intent to commit these acts and mitigating these dangers, would require society to fundamentally transform into something that wouldn’t resemble the America that any of us grew up in. That personal liberties and values should give up willingly in hopes of being “secure”.

What is important going forward is that this doesn’t happen. You can be angry, upset, unnerved, all those things are normal in the aftermath of an attack such as this. Just don’t let those emotions drive you into sacrificing the liberties and freedoms that make us who we are. People on both sides will try to use this to their political advantage; to squash things like immigration reform (we aren’t doing enough to weed the bad people out…) and ongoing diplomatic efforts with countries such as Pakistan and Russia.

Those who profit off nativism, racial tensions and hatred are playing exactly into what these terrorists wanted. To reshape America into something that doesn’t resemble the melting pot and accepting culture we strive to be. Legislation aiming to make people safer must be carefully examined in the coming months as everyone knows that a long standing principle is not to let a tragedy go to waste.

It is time to rebuild and move forward. The best way to show the resoluteness of our nation is to press forward and show the world that you can try to intimidate, to force us into submission, but that the greatest thing about our nation is the indomitable nature of the people who reside in it. The people of Boston showed that this week.

Dear Senators,

We write to urge your support for passage of comprehensive immigration reform in the 113th Congress.

We [...]]]> April 16, 2013

Dear Senators,

We write to urge your support for passage of comprehensive immigration reform in the 113^th Congress.

We were pleased to see a bipartisan framework introduced in the U.S. Senate as a first step toward bringing our country’s immigration system into the 21^st century. This is a great opportunity for our state and the nation.

The current system is hurting both businesses that are looking to attract workers and families who are striving to build a better life.

When Georgia passed House Bill 87, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Reinforcement Act of 2011, it became a law of unintended consequences.

Our agriculture industry struggled with a sudden labor loss statewide.  As you know, much of Georgia’s agriculture production is the production of crops that are highly mechanized, but that is not the case with blueberries and blackberries and squash.

A federal guest worker program is available to some producers, but H-2A is cumbersome, expensive and overall not the best for producers. Georgia’s vital agricultural industries were forced to watch as millions of dollars in crops rotted in the fields, due in large part to an insufficient workforce.

Meanwhile, many of our companies are having difficulty finding highly skilled workers they need to fill jobs they are generating. Faulty visa programs leave many families divided, and lack of legal status forestalls opportunities for thousands of our students and residents.

HB 87 has left Georgia businesses and families in the dark while portions are litigated in our courts.

Since its founding, America has drawn its strength from immigrants who have come here in search of a better life. Unfortunately, our immigration system has been consumed by politics and not able to find commonsense solutions.

For too long, our nation has failed to address our broken immigration system, leaving states like Georgia to strike out on their own. This makes it harder to attract the best and brightest the world has to offer and leaves an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living within our nation’s borders in a state of uncertainty.

The best interests of our communities, our economy and millions of families are not being served by the status quo. That’s why we are urging Congress to listen to the American people and pass commonsense immigration reform.

State elected officials cannot solve this problem alone. Right now, people and businesses must navigate a patchwork of state and local laws that are burdensome and confusing and serve to divide Georgia – and our country – rather than bring it together.

Congress must work together to answer the call of the American people for a real, lasting and comprehensive solution.

A key part of that proposal must address the reality of millions of undocumented immigrants living and working in our communities that cannot simply be rounded up and made to leave. Doing so would not only be impossible, it would ignore the very significant positive impact immigrants have on our economy. There must be a proposal to provide these undocumented immigrants a legal path to earned citizenship.

Georgia and all its diverse communities are on counting on Congress to put politics aside and work together across party lines to fix our broken immigration system. To do so would honor the immigrants who founded our country, the immigrants who live and work here today, and future generations of immigrants who will keep us strong for years to come.

Signed,

Steve Henson                          Vincent Fort                          Horacena Tate

Democratic Leader                Democratic Whip               Caucus Chair

Later this week, many expect us to see the first detailed proposition for immigration reform from the “gang of 8” committee. While almost everybody agrees at this point on the main issues to be discussed (border, path to citizenship, modernization of process) as the proposal moves through committee, it is important [...]]]> Sen. Curt Thompson (D-5th)

Later this week, many expect us to see the first detailed proposition for immigration reform from the “gang of 8” committee. While almost everybody agrees at this point on the main issues to be discussed (border, path to citizenship, modernization of process) as the proposal moves through committee, it is important to remember that the legislative process is full of ups and downs because one little snag could threaten the whole bill, especially if hardline Republicans have their way. Looking forward, caution has to be taken because what we see in the proposal may end up very different from the final package when it passes. In this vein, remember that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty and it’s going to take everyone’s effort to make sure a balanced, smart approach to immigration reform ends up on President Obama’s desk.

There is no such thing as a perfect piece of legislation. One session in any legislature will teach you that. It seems that half our work in this year’s legislature was fixing issues that arose from imperfect legislation in years past. The reason I bring this up is that I don’t want a conflagration when the first draft isn’t exactly what we want. Instead, it is important to channel that into impetus for making a change by contacting your Congressman and Senators. Personally, I feel that the most important things in the legislation include:

A Path to Citizenship- making sure those who strive to become contributing members of society have a chance to.

Modernizing the immigration system- there is not a reason for the multi-decade waits for immigrants that exist currently. The whole process needs to be streamlined, including new support for guest worker visas.

Family Reunification- there needs to be a solution to address the issue of family splits that occur through deportation.

Again, there isn’t going to be a perfect solution to these issues. They are tough, divisive issues, and it is going to take a lot of political courage and willpower to find a compromise that will pass. However, if we work at it, there should be a solution somewhere between the extremes of completely open borders and kicking everyone out that will pass. I encourage everyone to write their representatives and have provided the information to do so below.

Member Name                                            DC Phone            DC Fax  

Senator Saxby Chambliss (R- GA)              202-224-3521     202-224-0103                 http://www.chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email

Senator Johnny Isakson (R- GA)                202-224-3643     202-228-0724                 http://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me

Representative Jack Kingston (R – 01)     202-225-5831     202-226-2269                 https://kingston.house.gov/contactform/default.aspx

Representative Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D – 02)     202-225-3631     202-225-2203     https://bishop.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

Representative Lynn Westmoreland (R – 03)       202-225-5901     202-225-2515                 https://forms.house.gov/westmoreland/webforms/zip_authen.html

Representative Hank Johnson (D – 04)    202-225-1605     202-226-0691     https://hankjohnson.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

Representative John Lewis (D – 05)          202-225-3801     202-225-0351     https://johnlewis.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

Representative Tom Price (R – 06)            202-225-4501     202-225-4656     https://tomprice.house.gov/contact-me

Representative Rob Woodall (R – 07)       202-225-4272     202-225-4696     https://woodall.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

Representative Austin Scott (R – 08)        202-225-6531     202-225-3013                 https://forms.house.gov/austinscott/webforms/zipauthen_contact.shtml

Representative Doug Collins (R – 09)        202-225-9893     202-226-1224     https://dougcollins.house.gov/email-me

Representative Paul C. Broun (R – 10)     202-225-4101     202-226-0776     http://broun.house.gov/contact/zipauth.htm

Representative Phil Gingrey (R – 11)        202-225-2931     202-225-2944                 http://www.house.gov/formgingrey/IMA/issue.htm

Representative John Barrow (D – 12)       202-225-2823     202-225-3377                 https://forms.house.gov/barrow/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

Representative David Scott (D – 13)         202-225-2939     202-225-4628                 https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Sine Die wrapped up Thursday night and it took the better part of Friday to figure out what exactly happened in the final hours. This year’s session was, for the most part, uneventful. Much of the heavy lifting was taken away from the legislature; the hospital bed tax is now administered [...]]]> Senator Curt Thompson (5th-Tucker)

Sine Die wrapped up Thursday night and it took the better part of Friday to figure out what exactly happened in the final hours. This year’s session was, for the most part, uneventful. Much of the heavy lifting was taken away from the legislature; the hospital bed tax is now administered by the Department of Community Health and the Falcon Stadium deal is being brokered by the city of Atlanta. Surprisingly, Gwinnett seems to have escaped unscathed. There were only two seriously contested pieces of legislation- a bill changing how cellular towers would be zoned and how trash collection fees were assessed both failed to gain any traction. Besides that, I’ll attempt to run down what exactly was accomplished, what failed and what to look forward to for the rest of the year. As there are hundreds of bills which were introduced this year, this blog will only look at major, often controversial, pieces of legislation. If there is a certain piece of legislation your trying to track, feel free to email me and I can try to assist you!

The Good:

Hope Technical Grant Funding Expansion-  HB 372 reinstates the old parameters for the HOPE Grant program (this is the HOPE program for two year technical colleges) before the overhaul of the program two years ago. By lowering the GPA requirement from 3.0 to 2.0, we can bring 2500 to 5000 students back into school to learn vocational trades which don’t require the cost and training of a traditional four year degree.

Ethics Reform- Georgia managed to pass an ethics reform passage which should crack down on some of the excessive lobbyist spending and “crony capitalism” in the state. Georgia, unfortunately, has long been regarded as one of the worst states for corruption and transparency. This package limits how much can be spent and on what it can be spent on with a gift cap, along with other disclosure commitments. In the long run, this will probably do little to end the type of cronyism that we’ve seen in the past but it is a good first step and something had to be done.

The Bad:

Fulton County Legislation- one of the major pushes this year was changing how Fulton County is governed. House and Senate Republicans sought to change how appointments, voting districts and many other aspects in Fulton County. Much of this legislation was a blatant political attack by Republicans in Georgia to deny the right of Fulton County to home rule. Even if we don’t like the choices elected officials in Fulton make, no party has the right to completely redraw a system for political benefit. The idea here is to design Fulton to fail so people will be happy to recreate Milton County.

HB 125/SB 160- The immigration fight reared its ugly head this session again. In the last hour of the 2013 session the House reinstated harsh language which the Senate had taken out in committee previously. This language redefines what official secure documents are and who can apply for driver’s licenses in Georgia. Now legal immigrants have to carry obtrusive identification papers such as I94’s and DREAMers will be unable to obtain lawful driving privileges, needlessly endangering themselves and others on the roads.

HB 361/SB 179: This was a comprehensive anti-union bill package which had a second bill with it, HB 362, that died in committee. This bill limits the ability of unions to control membership which will allow for members to collect benefits but then retire from the union before paying dues and conflicts with federal labor laws that are preempting.

HB 246: This bill stripped away the ability of state employees to have an abortion covered under their employer provided healthcare. Now state employees, many of whom haven’t seen a raise thanks to our austerity budget, must cover the procedure out of pocket. This is simply an attack on women’s rights using the cover of our states budget to diffuse debate.

The Ugly:

Refusal to allow debate in the last hour of session: Several important bills were brought up in the last minutes of session and instead of allowing debate, Republican leadership in the Senate simply forced votes on bills which scarcely had been read. This tactic was used to pass SB 160 and the substitute to SB 179 which had harsh anti-labor provisions. This was nothing more than rubberstamping majority party desired bills by forcing bling votes in the last few minutes and I fear that this action may have poisoned the well between any spirit of cooperation between the Democrats and Republicans in the state.

While these were the major agenda items this year, there were hundreds of bills introduced during this session. One of the major items to note is if a bill didn’t pass this session, the door is still open for next year before the election and after. A bill is rarely ever truly dead and we will have our work cut out for us next year as many of the large initiatives will likely be revisited in January 2014.

Over the last year, it has become apparent that the nation has reached a tipping point when it comes to our perception of gay marriage. The latest polling shows a majority of Americans now support gay marriage, a marked shift in 25 years where only 13% of the population supported the [...]]]> Curt Thompson (D-5th)

Over the last year, it has become apparent that the nation has reached a tipping point when it comes to our perception of gay marriage. The latest polling shows a majority of Americans now support gay marriage, a marked shift in 25 years where only 13% of the population supported the right for gays to marry in the United States. (Much more detailed polling information, including the “generational split” can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/support-for-same-sex-marriage-reaches-all-time-high-poll-finds/2013/03/18/86ad3382-8ff7-11e2-9abd-e4c5c9dc5e90_story.html) Last week saw a number of high profile politicians, including Sen. Portman and Hilary Clinton, drop opposition to marriage and voice support for gay marriage on a national level. I understand being skeptical about their timely conversion to appeal to certain voting constituencies. I supported civil unions for a time before I was in support of the right to marriage and I am sure there are politicians who are only saying it because they don’t want to risk alienating votes. Nonetheless, for Senator Portman to risk his standing in the Republican Party shows that The Times They Are A-Changin’, in the words of Bob Dylan.

 
This week the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on California’s Proposition 8 as well as on the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. At the center of the issue in both cases is how states and the federal government view marriage and what legally constitutes marriage in the United States. This isn’t the on the idea of religious marriage, but the legal definition of marriage which confers certain benefits upon a couple (taxes, inheritance, visitation). I’m hopeful that the Supreme Court doesn’t issue a backwards ruling on the civil liberties that all Americans should enjoy and instead either implements a 50 state solution which clarifies certain issues that are currently present or, at a minimum, allows for states which issue civil unions to marry gays. There is no use in this split definition. If it walks and talks like a duck, lets now play stupid and pretend it’s not a duck. A decision overturning DOMA shortly after its inception would not be without precedent. You can look back to the ruling in Loving v. Virginia where the Supreme Court overturned previous rulings in favor of what were once unthinkable civil liberties. Nowadays, you’d have to look long and hard to find someone vocally opposed to interracial marriage and society hasn’t collapsed yet either.

 
If the ruling goes the other way though, you can thank a stacked court which is still in a legal and judicial mindset of previous decades thanks to how appointments have become even more politicized in recent years. Court nominees are subject to political gamesmanship revolving around current political battles more than ever. Caitlin Halligan, an appointee for the US Court of Appeals had to withdraw her name from consideration this week after Senate Republicans filibustered the nomination over the gun control debate. This type of gamesmanship was never intended to be used to influence the court and simply serves as further proof that filibuster rules must be seriously addressed in the Senate.

 
Regardless of the outcome of these cases, gay marriage continues to enjoy growing support. Those who would stick their heads in the sand now enjoy enviable comparisons to those who stood against school integration and interracial marriage. I understand being religiously opposed to gay marriage, but personal views on the issue should stand apart from deciding if legal, civil rights that many of us enjoy today should be allowed for gay members of society. I hope Justice Roberts and the other members of the court take that into consideration this week.

I hope everyone enjoyed February as much as I did. I can never quite get enough semi-freezing rain, dark afternoons and state political drama. But alas, February is over and crossover day draws neigh. (Crossover day is the 30th day of the Legislative Session, in which a bill which hasn’t cleared [...]]]> Sen. Curt Thompson (D-5th)

I hope everyone enjoyed February as much as I did. I can never quite get enough semi-freezing rain, dark afternoons and state political drama. But alas, February is over and crossover day draws neigh. (Crossover day is the 30th day of the Legislative Session, in which a bill which hasn’t cleared either the House or Senate chamber is dead) With the deadlines for action drawing close, I’ll try to provide an update with what the Legislature has accomplished and the issues that will be dealt with in the upcoming weeks. Of course, there is a huge gulf between how busy we are and how little we actually accomplish it seems. Last Friday was a perfect example as the House was convened all day but refused to look at a budgetary bill that was due to come back to the Senate later in the afternoon.
I’m glad to announce that Senate Bill 116, which would provide additional protections for pedestrians and bicyclists by increasing the penalty for vehicular homicide, passed the Judicial Committee and is now before Rules. By increasing the penalty in a vehicular homicide hopefully we can cut down on the reckless actions some drivers take around others who use the roads and crosswalks. I hope that this bill will be presented to the Senate floor before crossover. Another bill lowering the permissible blood alcohol content of boaters has passed the Senate and aims to prevent the kinds of tragic accidents we saw over the past two years in boating accidents on Lake Lanier and elsewhere in the state. Senate Bill 80 has also been moving along, which would prevent outsourcing on a state level. This bill would ensure that the state spends your taxpayer dollars on workers in the USA.
Unfortunately, with the good comes the bad. House Republicans have been pushing an anti-union agenda parroting the movements we’ve seen in other states. HB 361 would limit the ability of workers to organize in Georgia. In a state where unions aren’t considered powerful, this is a blatant attempt to create a straw man for problems in other sectors of our economy. Scapegoating unions and further limiting the ability of workers to rally together is something I stand opposed to. Another issue has been the obstinacies of Republican leadership against considering all possible options in dealing with our state budget issues. By not considering additional revenue we see a disconnect in which ideology limits the ability of us to effectively govern. If we aren’t willing to invest in our state, you can’t expect the services to be of the quality other states that are.
Next week promises to be especially hectic as many bills will be rushed through the Senate to try and clear the 30 day deadline. I’ll try to keep everyone updated on Facebook, Twitter and other social media, so be sure to keep an eye on issues important to you and let me know how you feel!

Back in January after the whole “Fiscal Cliff” debacle in Washington, I wrote about how we’d face the exact same man-made problems later in the year, unless Congress found a way to resolve its ideological issues relating to cooperation and work on reducing the deficit. Well, it didn’t happen. As surprising [...]]]> Sen. Curt Thompson (D-5th)

Back in January after the whole “Fiscal Cliff” debacle in Washington, I wrote about how we’d face the exact same man-made problems later in the year, unless Congress found a way to resolve its ideological issues relating to cooperation and work on reducing the deficit. Well, it didn’t happen. As surprising as it may be, we’re now standing on the precipice of yet another budgetary showdown over the exact same thing. Well, at least the cable networks are happy.
The Sequester is a bipartisan agreement entered into last year to force both sides to the table in the Budget Control Act of 2011 if the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction failed to reach a compromise. It was comprised of a series of cuts that would be so broad and encompassing that Republicans and Democrats would have to negotiate lest their respective gold geese end up on the chopping block. It was designed to be unpalatable, unforgiving, and to make sure that lawmakers found a way to fund our commitments to our defense and social obligations while reducing the deficit. These cuts didn’t just spring up overnight, but have been years in the making after the failure of the super committee. This means Congress now has to work together with the President to find a solution. Now, it may seem obvious that the best way to do this would be moderate revenue increases coupled with trimming parts of the budget, but that would make too much sense. Instead of going the moderate route (something our Congressional Republican Caucus is rarely accused of) it is back to the “no new tax” song and dance that’s become so commonplace. Of course, if you’re unwilling to raise taxes, you have to be willing to cut programs. If you’re unwilling to cut defense programs… well, then you’ve kind of run out of options.
Republicans in Congress are out of options. That is why they’ve kicked the can down the road twice now and will likely do it again. At this point, there is very little left to cut that isn’t defense spending or critical obligations and programs. The “pork” that the Right is quick to demonize is an extremely small amount of the budget and is almost statistically irrelevant in the face of these cuts. That’s not to say that there isn’t pork spending programs which couldn’t be done away with. I’m sure there are and I’m sure we’ve got programs in Gwinnett County that don’t seem like “pork”, but ask people in Alabama or California and they might disagree.
We need to find a solution this week. There has to be a compromise which balances both new sources of revenue with spending cuts. President Obama has been forced into a constant campaign cycle, much like Ronald Reagan, because Republicans refuse to work with him on a plan and criticize any plan he puts forward. Republicans have refused to look at anything but social programs. Nothing will be acceptable to them but President Obama adopting their plan. Until they decide to start governing by looking at corporate tax loopholes and the need to invest in our population (smart growth in education, transportation and, gasp, defense) it’ll be what it is. Act childish if you want but if Congress chooses to balk and let the Sequester go through, expect the repercussions to come down on your heads. Contributing to this monthly man-made crisis cycle that we’re growing accustomed to isn’t going to win you an election in 2014.

Once granted, this exemption is automatically renewed each year as long as they continually occupy the home under the same ownership.

The home must be your [...]]]> Fulton Homestead Exemption

HB 170

A homestead exemption is a reduction in homeowners’ property taxes. To qualify, the homeowner must apply for this exemption on or before April 1.

Once granted, this exemption is automatically renewed each year as long as they continually occupy the home under the same ownership.

The home must be your legal residence for all purposes including the registration of your vehicles and the filing of your income tax.

You cannot file for homestead exemption on rental property, vacant land or on more than one property. In addition to the basic homestead exemption there are additional exemptions for residents age 62 and older and/or disabled and disabled veterans. Exemptions must be applied for in person.

Proposed changes to Fulton County Homestead Exemption

• House Bill 170 would raise the Fulton County Homestead Exemption from $30,000 to $60,000, phased in over two years.

• While this increase in the tax threshold may seem to be appealing, it means a $48 million cut in services to the residents of Fulton County.

• The service cuts areas could include:

• Libraries
• Senior Centers
• Grady Hospital
• Youth programs
• Nature Centers
• And, HB 170 puts health care centers at risk.

• HB 170 has sweeping financial implications for Fulton County, including:
  • A reduction in health insurance premiums for county employees;
  • Jeopardizing the construction and completion of 5 new libraries and their associated bonds;
  • 34 existing libraries would experience reduction in hours of operation, supplies and personnel;
  • Jeopardizing the cost of elections;
  • Within 12 months would create a $114 million financial gap for the county, a $143.3 million gap in 2014 and a $178 million financial gap by 2016;
  • The county’s financial gaps would shift program burdens to cities and would likely mean wholesale elimination of some programs;
  • The county’s financial gaps would create a ripple effect across businesses and industries, including hotels and motels;
  • The county would no longer be able to meet its financial responsibilities to Grady Hospital, the metro Atlanta regions’ premier Level 1 Trauma Center. A financial strain to accommodate additional patients would be felt by other hospitals, such as Piedmont and Northside;
  • People would lose jobs.
  • Unlike other metro Atlanta counties, Fulton County has not raised its millage rate since 1991.
  • Fulton County is in sound financial health.

HB 170 is irresponsible and would put handcuffs on county administrators and its citizens.

• If passed, the measure would allow the state to reach down into a county government and that impact would be felt in neighboring counties
• The General Assembly would be imposing its will on duly elected county commissioners,
• HB 170 and companion bills are being rushed through the political system without appropriate public comment because the measure cannot withstand public scrutiny.
• Local matters should be determined by locally elected officials.

[Downloadable Version]

Revise Fulton County Personnel Board and Merit System

HB 172

HB 172 revises Section 6 of the Fulton County Personnel Board and the Fulton County Merit System of Personnel Administration by seizing control of the merit system and forcing all new and existing employees who change jobs/job title to be at-will employees. Employees would subsequently lose collective bargaining rights.

Fundamentally Changes the Employee Merit System

• Under the current merit system, Fulton County personnel managers must show cause to fire employees.

• Most county employees, except for top administrators, department heads and their deputies, are protected by the merit system.

• The bill applies to those who work for the county government and includes public safety employees, such as fire fighters and sheriffs.

• HB 170 would mean anyone who receives a pay raise or a job reassignment, as well as new hires, to become unprotected “at-will” employees.

• The merit system is considered very important to a lot of county employees because it protects whistle-blowers and workers falsely accused of violations.

• It also means the people performing the important public services Fulton County residents rely on (who are dedicated public servants and not cronies or patronage hires) to become at risk for dismissal without a grievance process.

• Fulton County’s merit system protects both the employer and the employee through a Personnel Board grievance process designed to hear all facts of dispute.

National GOP Model of Anti-Employee Reforms

• Republicans are in the thrall of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the Goldwater Institute.

• Goldwater’s Mark Flatten says the ”sweeping civil service reforms” are necessary because it’s too difficult to fire “unruly, inept and ineffective state workers.” Flatten and others typically cite an investigation, conducted by none other than the Goldwater Institute, to bolster claims.

• Similar legislation was passed in Arizona – just like the “model” immigration law Georgia copied from Arizona, which landed Georgia in court.

• Passing this legislation would take Fulton County back to the era of Boss Tweed. The whole reason we have merit jobs in the first place is so competent civil servants cannot be replaced with political supporters. That is not good government.

[Downloadable Version]