ExploreMilledgeville.org

In case you ever wondered what Daniel McDonald was up to between May and December of 2010:

Joining the 1 Percenters

Upstart goobernatorial candidate Ray Boyd has announced his intention to run for the state's top administrative position as an independent.
Boyd raised eyebrows last Monday with his inability to fall in line and sign an oath of loyalty to the Republican Party. And this week he's cutting ties and shoving off to run independent.
It sounds like Travis Fain at Lucid Idiocy feels Boyd is going to have a hard time getting the signatures of the 1 percent of total state electors in order to get on the ballot as an independent.

Getting back into the Swing of Things

Update: Gold Dome Live will be holding down the "pair of conference rooms on the second floor" of the present Capitol for the Atlanta paper.
In news of local interest: Republican Ray McKinney and Democrat Regina Thomas have been the first to throw their hats in the ring again to unseat incumbent Dem John Barrow in the 12th District race for Congress.
State Senator Johnny Grant, R-Milledgeville, is the first local incumbent to sign in for the General Assembly--though it is reported that state Representative Rusty Kidd, I-Milledgeville, will run again as an independent, requiring him to file a petition with 5 percent of the 141st District's registered voters, so he will probably not get posted on this link immediately.

One Capital Removed has taken a lot of time off recently to revive and start several new and old part-time projects. Milledgeville's only state politics blog also has been experimenting with emerging Internet technology through its new twitter feed.
Check 1 Capital Removed out on Twitter for more up-to-date information about state matters that might affect the State's Antebellum Capital. I'm going to continue blogging here when issues require more analysis.
But to the point of this post, statewide election season starts today! Candidates for statewide offices from U.S. Senate to Governor to state House of Representatives will qualify at the state Capitol in Atlanta throughout this week.
Check here to learn who is qualifying at the Capitol.
One Capital Removed is still out of the office today (Monday), so any qualifying news will post here before it ends up on your lawn in The Union-Recorder.

Ox Refuses to Implement First Phase of Health Care Reform

From the desk of Insurance Commissioner (and Goobernatorial candidate) John Oxendine:

OXENDINE WILL NOT IMPLEMENT FIRST PHASE OF FEDERAL HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION

Atlanta – Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine announced today that he will not participate in the first phase of recently enacted federal health care legislation which calls for the implementation of a temporary high risk insurance pool in Georgia. In doing so, Oxendine cited that the program could potentially cause taxpayers severe financial hardship.

"I have no confidence in any federal assertion that this so-called temporary program will not burden the taxpayers of Georgia," Oxendine said. "I am concerned that the high risk insurance program will ultimately become the financial responsibility of Georgians at a time when our state is furloughing teachers, laying off employees, and cutting public safety and education funding."

On April 2, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sent a letter to Oxendine asking him to express his interest in participating in the temporary high risk insurance program established by the new health insurance reform law. Oxendine responded that he cannot commit the state to implement this program which is part of a bill he believes the Supreme Court will hold to be unconstitutional, lead to the further expansion of the federal government, and undermine the financial security of our nation.

Sebelius gave Oxendine an April 30 deadline to indicate his intent to participate.

Campaign Contribution Reports are Out

You can look to see who's winning over contributor's hearts and wallets here.

Maybe Baker does stand a chance against the Barnes Machine

Ratcheting up the partisan fervor today, I just received an e-mail from the state House Communications Office informing me that state Rep. Billy Mitchell, D-Stone Mountain, introduced a resolution recognizing Attorney General Thurbert Baker for independence and courage.

"I applaud the Attorney General for his independence," said
Representative Mitchell. "Thurbert Baker has consistently stood up for his beliefs. He deserves great recognition."

Baker has been riding a wave of national media attention appearing on "Hardball with Chris Matthews" and "The Rachel Maddow Show" yesterday to talk about this impeachment thing.
And to add to it, state Rep. Mark Hatfield, R-Waycross, appeared on Fox News yesterday to talk about his end of getting the Baker message to the people.
As I am a firm believer that state politics aren't important to people because they know nothing about them, I think this national exposure may give Georgia's Attorney General a positive bounce in the polls, and I'm sure Georgia Democrats who positively hate the Republican majority are absolutely ready to get behind the man that's standing up to right side of the aisle.
Either way you look at it, this is a whole lot better than some crappy Web animation of a bull hitting a rat out of the Ted (which is where I'll be this Monday for the Home Opener!).

Making the most of the furlough weekend

Milledgeville became the focus point Saturday in the hunt for the Democratic nomination in this year's goobernatorial primary when the Central Georgia Democratic Coalition invited all statewide candidates to speak at a job and career fair on the Georgia College & State University capmus.
I think there is room somewhere in this post to ponder the implications of a group of taxpayer-employed public servants--almost all of whom are undercutting their collective performance in their current positions to spend significant amounts of time applying for a better, higher-paying job--talking to residents of one of the hardest hit areas in the state economy--many of whom were recently subject to state separation letters--about how their brand of Georgia politics is going to get everyone back on their horses and riding.
Well if it worked once, and that is all you can remember, then it might be worth another try.
One notable non-candidate, Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, provided useful information by addressing extensions in federal unemployment benefits, the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and the HOPE grant for gaining an education at one of the state's network of technical and vocational colleges.
But Thurmond also gave what was possibly the most progressive vision of what the recession can be, relating the story of a simple family produce business that paved the road for his climb to public service. He said the recession may make you unable to buy those things that you used to supplement the love you showed family and friends during good times, but it can't prevent you from being the loving person you want to be during these hard times.
"That $120 pair of LeBron James tennis shoes may help you jump one centimeter higher, but it does nothing for your reading comprehension. We can't continue judging our families by what we can buy our children; we must return to judging them by how much we love our children.
"Just because they can lay you off, downsize you and furlough you, doesn't mean they can downsize the love you have for your child."
Master of Ceremonies Quentin T. Howell introduced Thurmond saying the Commissioner was in Milledgeville despite lingering pain from a car accident suffered several days earlier.
Because I'll undoubtedly be rewriting something of this for Tuesday's print edition, I'm going to keep it lite and hopeful this Sunday morning.

Lame Duck or Not, Perdue is Swinging for the Fences

State Representative Rusty Kidd turned me on to this article in the AJC this morning.
It seems Governor Sonny Perdue has some more far-reaching plans to expand power in the Governor's office by proposing a constitutional referendum to allow subsequent governors the ability to appoint the Agriculture, Insurance and Labor commissioners, as well as the state School Superintendent.
The change, should it be adopted by two-thirds majorities in the state House and Senate and a majority of voters in the November election, would go into effect in 2014.
AJC is reporting that the Governor is looking to other states in his decision to move to appointing these state officers.

"Georgia is one of only five states that elect a labor commissioner and one of only nine states to elect its agriculture commissioner. Twelve other states elect an insurance commissioner and 14 vote for state school superintendent."

The measure is being sold as a way of ensuring that commissioners are staying focused on state issues and not out chasing higher offices.
Kidd wonders whether the Governor has the political capital to move forward on a sweeping change like this his last year in office. But he added that House Majority Leader Jerry Keen, R-St. Simons Island, told him he is contemplating the idea of packaging Perdue's proposal with Kidd's proposed constitutional amendment to limit the governor to one six-year term.
Expect to hear more about this in the coming week

Democratic Goobernatorial Debate Tonight

Per Lucid Idiocy and David Poythress:
We wanted to remind you that tonight the Democratic Party of Georgia is hosting the first televised Gubernatorial Debate of the 2010 primary election.

It will be held in Athens at the PJ Auditorium, located in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. Some last minute seats may be available, but you must arrive no later than 6:30 PM to be seated, and the debate begins at 7:00 PM.

For those of you who can't be in Athens tonight, it will be aired live on WNEG-TV (Athens), WGCL-TV (Atlanta) and WALB-TV (Albany). It will air on WRDW-TV (Augusta) at noon on Saturday. WMAZ-TV (Macon) will air it online tonight, as well as on Saturday at 7:00 PM. We encourage you to check your local listings.

Related to the Post Below: Ox is at it Again

At least Oxendine has the courtesy to hit the flashing blue lights when he's cruising around you on Georgia highways.
The Georgia Interblogs are lighting themselves up with this story in yesterday's AJC about Oxendine politicking down and dirty with Congressman Lynn Westmoreland.

From the AJC:

"U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland said Monday that he believes Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine used an investigation into a failed insurance company in an attempt to pressure him to take a low profile in the governor’s race.
...
"Westmoreland said Oxendine never said anything explicit, but the congressman said he felt a message was being sent. He said Oxendine said to him repeatedly that he would try to keep his name from becoming public as a favor."

As you can tell by the fact that you're reading this here, Oxendine didn't keep his word.

Barnes Polling Neck and Neck with Ox and Handel

Oh yeah! Don't forget Nathan Deal--I always do.
Polling people Rasmussen Reports just released this polling information about a survey pitting former Governor Roy Barnes against the top three Republican frontrunners in this year's goobernatorial election.
Barnes comes out on top by razor-thin margins in all but the Ox contest in which he is down by two percentage points. No candidate pulled a majority in any of the races except if you match Ox up against Attorney General Thurbert Baker.
Baker is running a distant second to Barnes in polling for the Democratic nomination.
Read the full report here.

Hit the Ground Rolling

I had two conversations with freshman legislator Rusty Kidd today.
Kidd called to say that he and state Senator Johnny Grant, R-Milledgeville, met again Tuesday with the Governor and the heads of several state agencies that have facilities in Milledgeville to discuss ways of coordinating budget cuts so as to not heap punishment on any one Georgia community, i.e. Milledgeville.
But we also talked about the legislation for which Kidd has wasted no time putting in the hopper.
I've got to hand it to him, he's addressing some serious issues in this first batch of proposed legislation.
Kidd tackles the en vogue issue of ethics reform in House Bill 919, which saddles legislators with the onus of reporting expenditures made on them by lobbyists and anyone else who is providing them with gifts, meals, rides, etc that total over $100.
Kidd also put forth two proposals for raising additional revenues to meet the challenge of Georgia's budget crunch. House Bill 915 would change the definition of taxable nonresident to include entertainers who make more than $5,000 during any given year in the Peach State, and H.B. 918 would add two cents to the state sales tax, and provide for an automatic repealer once state revenue collections are equal to or greater than state revenues for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006.
The grandest piece of legislation would constitutionally amend the way we elect our governor.
House Resolution 1090 would put forth a voter referendum to change the governor's term from a four- to a six-year term and cancel out a sitting governor's ability to succeed them-self.
Kidd said he got the idea to propose H.R. 1090 following a discussion with the late Tom Murphy, long-time Democratic Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, who told him that the worst piece of legislation he saw pass through the House let a governor repeat himself.
Overall, Kidd said these were all things that he has thought about during his almost four decades-long involvement in Georgia politics. With initial proposals like these, especially, potentially unpopular ones like the proposal to raise taxes, I can't wait to see what he'll think of next.

New Year's Reading

Having started One Capital Removed on a whim almost a year ago in January 2009, I thought it appropriate to recognize the New Year with some dispatch of subconscious ramblings proofed on excessive intake of ham sausage biscuits and other fine holiday fare.
Fighting the desire to recap the year by organizing it into top-ten lists, I’ve decided instead to focus on the future and write down some predictions and promises to provide readers and haters alike some kind of objective yard stick with which to judge One Capital Removed during the next 360.

To start on the positive side—because there’s not much positive to talk about looking ahead from this vantage point—Baldwin County has about the best representation on all levels of government that it could hope to have moving forward. From the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. to City Hall on Hancock Street, local electors can be confidant that there are many good men and women working hard to help this community achieve its best possible tomorrow.

The next year will challenge all of those people and I expect to be writing about many of their efforts throughout 2010. Not all of its going to be good, and not all of it bad. Let’s hope everyone respects the gravity of the situation at hand and decides to put their best efforts toward making the hard decisions that will put Milledgeville-Baldwin County on a road to success in its third century of being.

Before we begin blocking out everything else to focus on the Goobernatorial throw down destined for our July and November ballots, let’s remember that Milledgeville City Council’s first order of business will be to recruit and put in place a professional city administrator per the 2006 revision of its City Charter.
Whoever the majority of City Council puts in place to be the city’s second professional executive will have the benefit of not being the first person to take that seat, but the challenge of maintaining momentum toward efficient and effective city government. Milledgeville has a number of dedicated employees who will help make that transition a smooth one, let’s give them the leadership they need to make this city the best possible place to live.

Both the City of Milledgeville and Baldwin County will be subject to the immense pressure of maintaining a balanced budget throughout the ongoing economic recession (I mean it in how we’re going to look at this time in the future, not its academic definition).

Baldwin County will give us our first glimpse of the hard decisions to be faced by local governments in this second year of economic malaise when it begins putting together its budget three months ahead of schedule.
Just before the end of the calendar year, Baldwin County Commission voted to shorten Fiscal Year 2010 by three months, ending March 31, and begin budgeting a nine-month ‘tween’ year before moving to a calendar year-fiscal year. This paper change will allow the county to allocate a larger portion of its 2009 property tax levy to paying off debt obligations.
County Finance Director Linda Zarkowsky said in an interview at the time the change was proposed that Baldwin County has spent their revenue entire shortfall reserve and this accounting change allows them a one-time opportunity to effectively erase their debt. But the use of all those property tax dollars will put all county departments, including the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, on a budgetary tight rope, with no room for unexpected occurrences or growth.

The City of Milledgeville has seemingly yet-to-be affected by shrinking revenue collections. City coffers benefited from several renegotiated contracts with Baldwin County during the last round of service delivery agreements, freeing city funds and guarding against any immediate need to raise the millage rate. Milledgeville even created new revenue streams by raising the local hotel/motel tax and renegotiating the city’s contract with the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
But no one knows the depth of the current economic crisis, and any forecasts culled from the national media don’t figure in the decimation of the local state employment base and the outsourcing of the community’s manufacturing base to cheaper locations across the hemisphere and globe.

Don’t expect the Georgia General Assembly to be any help in balancing these shaky city and county spending guesstimations, or even in providing a level footing from which to make them.

Whether singled out for individual bloodletting, or cut across the board with the rest of the state, Milledgeville will have to bear more of the brunt of the state budget crisis. State employees I’ve talked to say the recent budget cuts announced by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities have equated to as many as 12 furlough days for some employees. And with Mens and Bostick state prisons on the Department of Corrections list of non-enduring facilities, the pendulum will always swing low in Baldwin County as legislators look for places to cut down to the bone.


I expect state legislators will not only hold the line on any new taxes and/or expanded bureaucracy, but look for more ways of making Georgia business friendly by sweetening the pot with whatever kind of tax incentive/break they can think up.
Presumptive Speaker of the House David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, has already gone on record saying the Georgia General Assembly will not raise taxes (in an election year, even) to get out of this mess, and that leaves only one other course of action: Cutting the budget proportionate to the decline in revenues.
Revenue collections in November 2009 were down $230,664,000 or 16.2 percent from November 2008 figures, and year-to-date collections were down 15.4 percent. And don’t forget that the current spending plan benefited from large sums of federal dollars in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or stimulus plan.
So as we commentators repeatedly punch leads with some play on ‘It’s all about the budget,’ it is all about the budget, the same way it is every year, but more so this year than any time in any living person’s memory.

Unless there are any other Gov. Roy Barnes-era tax rebates left on the books, I can’t imagine the General Assembly will pass anything that could possibly be perceived as a tax increase, unless it comes in the form of a Constitutional Amendment approved by voters in a ballot referendum this November.
After years of flirting with the idea, a referendum may be the way that legislators finally consummate new transportation funding. For at least the last two years the debate has been between a statewide penny sales tax and allowing groups of cities/counties to band together to levy a penny sales tax to fund improvements in their neck of the woods. The referendum, which I think is only necessary for the regional plan, would allow legislators to return home from Atlanta saying that it is in voters’ hands to do what must be done.

On the other side of the ledger, I think legislators will continue to look at the way property taxes are assessed and levied. Don’t think legislators won’t upset the apple cart just because the state’s coffers are drying up.
But property tax reform really should be rallied around as an openness in government type issue; if you’re going to tie tax assessments to fair market value, then I feel those assessments really should reflect what homes and cars are selling for in this economy.
Again, this will make local governments out to be the villains, because they will then be forced to jack the millage rate up through the roof of that house you just bought at January 2010 fair market value.
I think the rumors about axing the inventory tax will grow louder. But I don’t expect legislators to come together on a way of allowing local governments to take more control of sales tax collection—just sounds too complicated.

It was too late of a realization to save anyone from running for office in 2008, but after a whole year of hard times it amazes me that people still want to run for office. These last two years in Milledgeville have afforded me more opportunities than I would have liked to observe people on the campaign trail. And on the state level, 2010 will be the biggest year yet.
I expect that the New Year will not be replete without several more political scandals ala November-December 2009.
Expect to hear more about Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine’s lavish, campaign donor-financed Oscar vacations and former state Senator Eric Johnson’s hand in the dismissal of the ethics complaint filed against former state House Speaker Glenn Richardson. House Minority Leader Dubose Porter will say more things about how everyone in the Capitol knew about these things, but was too honor bound by the culture of corruption to do anything about it.
Georgia Democrats won’t be able to capitalize on these revelations as they have a long history of using leadership to their advantage under The Gold Dome.
David Poythress will continue to ram home the point that Democrats aren’t communists.
I hope more candidates will create their own spin-offs of Perdue’s King Roy commercial. But try as they might, I think that name recognition alone will give Barnes the Democratic nomination. Though I hope to hear more from small town mayor Carl Camon and Attorney General Thurbert Baker.
I’m going to play it safe and go with former Secretary of State Karen Handel on the Republican ticket. Scandal seems to follow the Ox like a pack of buzzards; I perceive Nathan Deal and Eric Johnson as too closely associated with disgraced Republican leadership; and the rest of the candidates—Republican and Democrat—who remain in elected office won’t be able to make up the funding gap.

And one final thought on partisan politics in the Peach State:
There is no way I think that Georgia and the state’s Republican Party won’t benefit from the 2010 U.S. Census.
The U.S. Census Bureau recently published the final set of population figures completed before the 2010 Census, and Georgia grew by 1,642,758 people between April 2000 and July 2009.
According to sources far more credible than I, Georgia is one of eight states that will gain a Congressman in the next round of redistricting. Inside the Peach State, that will mean a process of the Republican Party drawing strange shapes on a map of Georgia and state Senator Johnny Grant explaining to me how and why Baldwin County is being cut up into three U.S. Congressional Districts.

And the Most Pressing Issue (why I’m putting it toward the bottom), the U.S. Department of Justice will observe Central State Hospital again this month and release its verdict on whether or not the State of Georgia is in substantial compliance with Justice Department recommendations and findings in reference to violations of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act.
This is particularly embarrassing for the State of Georgia as it was defendant in the landmark Olmstead Decision that led the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm the right of persons with disabilities to receive the care they need in their own communities.
This will be a particularly tight rope for Georgia as the violations affect more areas of the state’s mental health system than just its ability to reintegrate consumers back into their home communities; there are documented deficiencies in treatment and the physical conditions of the state’s network of regional hospitals.
New admissions to Central State Hospital recently were suspended because of concerns with the physical environment at the aging state mental health facility. And the entire system has long been accused of poor and improper administration of care.
Recommendations could include hiring more staff, renovating aging facilities, creating new ones and reengineering a network of community mental health resources statewide, and all at a time when Georgia doesn’t have available funds to do any one of those things.
To cut to plain English, Georgia is fighting to retain state control of its entire mental health system. The federal government is one step from coming to Georgia and mandating improvements without consideration of other areas of state responsibility.
How Milledgeville makes it through that will be one of 2010’s stories of the year.

Because there is always more than one.

As I said above, Twenty-ten is a make or break time for the City of Milledgeville, Baldwin County and the entire State of Georgia. I would need a whole other blog to begin understanding why this could be said of the nation and the world at large.
But my hopes for humanity are the same as my hopes for the community I call home.
Let’s all take a moment to calmly assess the situation at hand; don’t solely look at the danger and cost of what lies ahead, but think about the opportunities to improve our situation and how we will define our communities in this century, not just in the next decade.
(Mot—the shortened form of Bon Mot, or a witty remark—is the first new word I learned in the New Year.)

Even in the last week, I talked with city residents who want to throw an artistic coat of paint on the downtown commercial district. Their ambition that Milledgeville be another cultural jewel of Middle Georgia should most certainly align with the aspirations of the artists behind the Creative Expressions, Crazy W Creations and the now-defunct Wyndham Quinn galleries that opened in the last few years. And the state’s Public Liberal Arts University must help lead the way by continuing to showcase young and emerging artists.
The State of Georgia’s investment in Milledgeville’s Municipal Wireless Broadband Network puts this community at the forefront of modern communications technology. We must look at this as a challenge to blaze a new way forward in the next century.
Milledgeville Community Connections: Digital Bridges…Bringing People Together debuted last year and will be opening its John S. and James L. Knight Foundation-funded digital innovation center in downtown this month; I encourage anyone who has any ideas about how technology can be used to change the way do things to become a part of this platform for reimagining Milledgeville.
And I am always inspired by the residents who work to remind everyone that natural beauty is one of the things that make Baldwin County such a great place to live. Let all of us, both young and old, work to make the physical appearance of this community match the image that we carry in our hearts and minds.

I know this is a couple of days late, and it is surely a couple of topics short, but I hope it’ll help us all get attuned to the year ahead. Please keep me in the loop of the things you are interested in, and invite me to things that you think are important and underappreciated in the Milledgeville-Baldwin community.
Wishing you the best in the New Year,
Daniel McDonald

Not Keeping You Waiting Until the New Year

I feel tears wellin' up cold and deep inside.
Karen Handel has resigned her post as Secretary of State.
Below is the letter she sent out to County Election Officials yesterday.

Dear County Elections Colleagues:

After much thought, discussion, and prayer, I have decided to resign as Secretary of State by the end of the year, so that I can focus 100% of my effort and attention on my campaign for Governor. This was an extraordinarily difficult decision for me - both personally and professionally. However, I make this decision with great clarity and no regrets, knowing that it is the right decision for all concerned.

Serving as Secretary of State has been a truly extraordinary opportunity matched only by the opportunity to serve with you to ensure that Georgia's elections are conducted with the highest degree of efficiency, integrity and accuracy. Over the past three years, the administration of elections has improved significantly -- thanks to your commitment and willingness to embrace change, technology, and a higher level of accountability.

You accomplished what no one (even some of you yourselves!) thought was possible ... administering the 2008 Presidential Elections without significant issues. Yet you did it! Your confidence in yourselves and the competency with which you do your jobs have reached a new level.

I am so very proud of you and all that you have accomplished.

You are no doubt wondering what happens next. The Governor will appoint an interim Secretary of State. The next Secretary of State will take over knowing that there is a strong team of county elections officials ready for a continued partnership.

Finally, I want to personally thank each of you for your commitment to the people of Georgia -- and for your efforts on my behalf over these past three years. I know that the successes of this Agency have little to do with me and everything to do with you. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been part of your team!

Regards,

Karen

I know this thought is completely anathema to political ambition, so I'll only say it once. I've never understood how we support people who abdicate their responsibilities to chase after the next best thing. How much will be wasted (momentum, time, taxpayer dollars), changing horses midstream?
Thanks to our tipsters for forwarding this e-mail.

Elected Officials ReThinking Ethics

The AP has this about Secretary of State Karen Handel and state Rep. Rob Teilhet, a Smyrna Democrat who's running for the Attorney General seat come November, offering proposals to make the state Ethics Commission "responsible for overseeing complaints against legislators. Currently, lawmakers police themselves in Georgia."
Not really much to that link, but in talking with E. Culver "Rusty" Kidd this morning about his plans and concerns for the next session, he said he'd like to see legislators become responsible for reporting all the gifts, meals and in-kind expenditures such as plane rides, etc. that they receive from lobbyists.
I'm sure there'll be several ethics changes proposed throughout the session. Be watchful.

Some poll from some group says someone is ahead of someone else

A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted last week says that the 2010 goobernatorial match up could look a lot like this cartoon predicts it will.
Who'd a thunk that the two largest names in the race would lead polls one year before an election?

Team Oxendine Aspires to Ironic Internet Fame

You can't make this stuff up!

"When I walk through the front door of the Governor's Mansion, the people walk with me"*

Gubernatorial candidate Carl Camon stopped by the State's Antebellum Capital Saturday for the Twin Lakes Library System's annual book sale.
Pushing an education-heavy platform, he made an appearance as Carl Camon the author and presented Milledgeville's library system with several copies of his book "Poetic Infinity".
Camon said he wrote the 100 poems that make up the collection in 100 days as he was traveling and acting as Ray City's Mayor.
"I think it was divine intervention," he said. "I would wake up at two in the morning while traveling on a plane or train and just get out a napkin or piece of paper and jot down what I was thinking. And after 100 days it just stopped.
"I think [the book] can give the people of Georgia an opportunity to learn more about me."
I was happy to have the opportunity to learn more about Camon at this event as I'll be learning more about several of the Democratic Candidates at tonight's Democratic Meet, Greet and Eat, which will be hosted at Rock Eagle by a new consortium of Democrats from the eight-county area surrounding Baldwin County in Middle Georgia.
As I said above, Camon said education will make up a majority of his platform for governor. And to push the point, he said that once elected this "active educator"said he would like to teach one day in each of the state's 159 counties.
"I want to make sure I see first hand what's going on in our school systems," he said.

* At the top is one of the better soundbite quotes Camon gave me during Saturday's interview.