Don't Put Us Out Of Business Governor deal 2-14-12

Dear Governor Deal and members of the Georgia Legislature... please don't force thousands of small Georgia businesses to close their doors this year by rushing to pass a flawed piece of
legislation aimed at collecting sales taxes on purchases made online. There is a better way to reach your desired result without destroying an entire industry.Current federal law, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, says that a business does not have to collect sales taxes on mail order, telephone, or Internet purchases except for sales made to residents of any state where that business has a physical presence... or in legal terminology "a physical nexus". Pressure is building... (click to read column)


ADV: If you suffer from indigestion, heartburn, gas, or any other digestive issue... there is a natural enzyme formula that I swear by... click to learn more.

Time To End Open Primaries In Georgia? 2-9-12

A few days ago Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp released a list of recommendations from his Elections Advisory Council for possible changes to state election law. Some valid issues were addressed, but there was one potential election change that wasn't mentioned. What I have in mind would be a hot potato and would get a lot of opposition if legislation were considered, but I firmly believe the time has come.

Unlike many states, Georgia is an open primary state... (click to read column)


ADV: Is war near? Get the latest breaking Middle East news the U.S. media ignores... Spotlight On Israel

Is Emory University Involved In A Partisan Witch Hunt? 12-19-11

Just a few days before Thanksgiving my home office phone rang. Since I didn't recognize the number so I didn't pick up. A couple of minutes later my home phone started ringing... with the call coming from the same unknown area code 404 Atlanta area number, so fearing a family emergency notification of some type I decided to go ahead and answer.

The caller identified himself as David Armstrong, a professor of journalism at Emory University. Maybe my Spidey senses jumped into hyperdrive at this news. However, with most colleges and universities being heavily populated with staff and administrators of the liberal persuasion, it's hard to not be suspicious when someone identifies himself as a college professor and starts asking a lot of personal questions... (click to read column)


ADV: Do you suffer from heartburn, gas, indigestion, or incomplete digestion? I have used AbsorbAid for years to not only get relief but to prevent problems from starting... I encourage you to take a look today: Absorbaid

Why Do They Do It? 10-31-11

The arrest last week of Taylorsville mayor and Bartow County businessman Cary Rhodes on attempted child molestation and related charges shocked many people and created quite a buzz around town. Rhodes is alleged to have traveled up to Chatsworth for a sexual hookup with an underage child he met online. Of course Rhodes is innocent until proven guilty and my comments below have nothing to do with his specific case.

Unfortunately these types of incidents happen all too often, and many times the man arrested had been considered to be an upstanding member of the community prior to the incident. The question many have in the wake of these types of arrests is why would a well-respected man risk losing his family, friends, and freedom in such a reckless way? A couple of years ago I happened to have a conversation with a law enforcement officer who participated in online child molestation cases. We explored the issue and may have come up with some answers. (click to read column)

ADV: If you're still paying huge bucks for expensive and dangerous statin drugs to treat high cholesterol/triglycerides... tthere is an inexpensive natural alternative.

If Not For Those Darn Grocery Coupons 10-17-11

There are two checks I absolutely despise writing each year... my annual subscription renewals for the Cartersville Daily Tribune and the AJC. If it weren't for the coupons in the Sunday editions I probably would have already cancelled both. This isn't a rant about paying for content I can find for free online. No, this is about spending good money for publications that are slanted to the left.I've always voted with my wallet and though it's hard, I try not to do business with any firm that promotes a liberal agenda or donates to liberal candidates. As an example, as long as I live I'll never buy another... (click to read column)


ADV: The Bible tells us the world will be focused on Jerusalem in the Last Days... keep up with the latest breaking Middle East news the American media typically ignores, updated daily at: http://www.SpotlightOnIsrael.com

I'm On Strike! 9-27-11

OK, before my libertarian and conservative friends start bouncing off the wall, I haven't joined a labor union. Frankly, I would panhandle before I would take a job with a unionized company, however I am on strike, and this strike may spread to include other entities. Heck I may just decide to throw in a couple of boycotts (General Motors and Chrysler) while I'm at it.

Since I spend a lot of time working from my home office, I miss out on the daily banter I would normally participate in with coworkers. For me Facebook has filled that void. Over the last couple of years, I have found myself... (click to read column)


If you're taking expensive and dangerous prescription medications for high triglyceride or cholesterol levels... there is a safe natural alternative that will only cost you about $5 a month! Learn more

Has This Ever Happened To You? 9-21-11

Many of you, at some point in your high school or college days, probably participated in a little classroom exercise where your teacher whispered a statement into the ear of the student in the front desk of the first row. That student then whispered the same statement he just heard into the ear of the student sitting behind him. This continues up and down each row until the final student stands and repeats to the class what the statement was.

At that point there will usually be some head shaking, snickering or even outright laughter as students wonder why the words this student just uttered were so different from what was whispered to them. As the statement whispered by the teacher was relayed from person to person it changed slightly each time. After going through the ears and mouths of 20 to 30 individuals, the final statement became very different from the original statement that started it all.

There are many explanations for this phenomenon, but those folks paid the big bucks to study such things typically theorize... (click to read rest of column)

ADV: Tired of flipping you pillow over and over to find the cool side? You need a Chillow. On sale now plus free shipping! Makes a unique Christmas gift.

Is That Charitable Donation Going Where You Think It Is? 9-13-11

Americans are generous people, and each year donate billions of dollars to churches and charities. Have you ever thought about where the dollars you give go and what they are spent on? We all know there are a lot of scam charities out there. I'm sure at some point most of you have received a phone call from the scammers trying to squeeze a few bucks that are supposed to help some bogus firefighter or law enforcement organization. Almost all of the money raised goes into the pockets of the scammers and a few pennies might actually be spent on some charitable purpose, just so they can keep their nonprofit status.

However, there are also problems with some of the major charities. Bloated salaries, fancy offices and only a small percentage of funds raised actually being spent to help people or conduct research are some of the charges leveled against some prominent nonprofits. One example is... (click to read column)

ADV: If you work with wood, even if you're just a homeowner tackling projects like putting down new deckboards... you can a ton of time and money with the Bowrench.

The Front Runner Has No Clothes 9-13-11

Last week I had to unblock MSNBC on my DirecTV receiver... last night I had to unblock CNN and man that was painful, although you have to give CNN props for running a much more fair debate than Brian Williams and the leftists at MSNBC did. Also for CNN to officially align themselves with the Tea Party for the event has to raise the legitimacy of the group in the eyes of some independents and soft Republicans.

If you are a true conservative, this debate has to leave you wondering if Rick Perry is the guy to lead the charge next year. We all knew that Perry was... (click to read column)


ADV: The Middle East is on fire and war looks likely... get breaking news about Israel and her neighbors the mainstream American press usually won't cover at Spotlight On Israel

Did The Pinata Strategy Work?

We all knew it was coming... when you're the last candidate to join the fray and it's your first debate, you're bound to be the target. Fellow candidates and even the questioners were obvious in their attempts to put a few dents in Rick Perry's armor during the MSNBC/Politico event Wednesday night. Perry had a good line that summed it up when he stated he "feels like the pi�ata at the party." So did the attacks work?

I honestly loved... click to read rest of column)


ADV: Get the latest live Georgia Weather information in one click... extended forecasts, interactive radar, hurricane forecasts, real time earthquake data, and more weather stuff than you'll ever find time to look at, all at Weather Georgia

So What Does It All Really Mean? 9-6-11

We're all exposed to a myriad of news stories each day from radio, TV, print and online. However, if you take time to digest and really analyze the impact the news has on your life, then you are in the minority. Hey, I know most people are far too busy to spend their free time on this stuff, so Uncle Chucky is here to rescue you and tell you everything you need to know about what you may have missed or ignored, so you can get back to watching football or reruns of The Walton's.

Hat Sales Are Slow: Last week was qualifying time as candidates threw their hats into the ring for numerous city council and mayor positions up for reelection in... (click to read column)


ADV: There's a natural solution for those of you who suffer from heartburn, sour stomach, indigestion, incomplete digestion, or other digestive issues... learn more

This past week there was a big clash between Georgia's Tea Party-leaning Republicans and the Chamber of Commerce-leaning Republicans. I know we don't all fit into neat little boxes, as I really fall into both groups, but these two sides carry a lot of weight down at the state capitol. In fact, the tug of war between them really has much more impact and affects you more than the battles between Georgia's Democrats and Republicans.

We saw some skirmishes during the regular session of the state legislature at the first of this year, but the battle this past week between the two groups over...(click to read column)


ADV: Only one website has everything you need about Georgia weather... from current conditions, interactive radar, and longrange forecasts, to hurricane data and live earthquake reports... you need Weather Georgia

Bartow's New One-Armed County Commissioner 8-23-11

Bartow County's next commissioner will have to govern with one arm tied behind his back. How's that for a lead-in to my column? Or perhaps I could use this one? Bartow County's next commissioner will be forced to wear current Commissioner Clarence Brown's shoes for the first two terms. Quite a lot going on locally on the political front in recent days, so stay with me and I'll try to explain this one and some related issues.

While the rumor mill continues to circulate about who is and who isn't running for commissioner next year to replace the retiring Clarence Brown, whoever gets the nod from Bartow voters will be weakened for his or her first four-year term and probably most of the second term if reelected. Think about what the new commissioner will inherit when sworn in at the beginning of 2013...(click to read column)


ADV: Suffer from gas? Heartburn? Indigestion? Sour stomach? Constipation? Food allergies? A simple and inexpensive natural digestive enzyme blend may be the answer to your problems... click to learn more

Weight Gain And Presidential Politics 8-16-11

Throughout the past couple of years there has been some fascinating research concerning weight gain. It seems if you have numerous friends who are overweight, then you are much more likely to put on unwanted pounds than if your friends are of predominantly normal weight.

Numerous theories have been proposed to explain this phenomena, including the idea that we tend to... (click to read column)


ADV: Tired of flipping your pillow to find the cool side? You need a Chillow! On sale plus free shipping at The Chillow Store

Wow! Now That Was A Debate! 8-12-11

Wow! Now That Was A Debate! I know you're all dying to know who won the GOP presidential debate in Iowa Thursday night (more on that down the page), and I have to say this was one of the most enjoyable debates I've ever watched... unfortunately only a very small percentage of Americans viewed this performance and an even smaller number watched the entire show. You guys really, really missed something. Most Americans will only see the highlights, which will skew the perceptions. So here in a nutshell is what happened...

Warning - if you already have a favorite candidate, I doubt I will change your mind and will probably just tick you off, but I'm writing this from the perspective of the average Joe out there who is still trying to figure out who to vote for.

Biggest Brain In The Room Award: Many, like me, have already... (click to read rest of column)

ADV: The American media won't publish much of the real news that happens in the Middle East, but you can get it here at Spotlight On Israel.

It's 1979 All Over Again 8-9-11

It has often been said that history repeats itself. Some of you folks will be too young to remember, but events of the past few months sure make it feel like 1979 all over again to me. Let's take a little trip down memory lane and compare the similarities... (click to read article)


ADV: Are you taking expensive & dangerous prescription medications for high cholesterol/triglycerides? You can safely remove arterial plaque for about $5 per month with a safe natural supplement... read more

Life Shouldn't Be So Complicated 8-2-11

A few days ago I stumbled across a blog written by a woman who was perplexed at how complicated life had become in this day and age. This lady is an educated, high-level executive who deals with some fairly intricate issues in her job, so if things today are much too complex for her, then it is probably like that for many of us.

She started out by saying she voted in almost every election and had always considered herself to be informed about matters facing our nation. For the past few weeks (click to read column)


ADV: Are you taking expensive and dangerous statin drugs to control cholesterol/triglycerides? There is an inexpensive natural alternative. Click to learn more

How To Jump Start Georgia's Economy 7-26-11

This past session of the Georgia legislature saw a major push to implement a tax reform package that would lower income tax rates for individuals and businesses, and in return add a large group of currently untaxed services to the list of things subject to the state sales tax. The proposal would be revenue neutral, meaning the government would still take in the same amount of tax dollars as before. The wheels came off the plan as special interest groups objected to various components (click to read column)


ADV: The absolute best website for keeping up with Georgia's weather... see what you're missing (including our daily weather videocast) WeatherGeorgia.com

You Have More Power Than You Think 7-19-11

If I were to ask you who the most powerful people in the United States are, how would you answer? The president? Congress? The Supreme Court? The real answer is jurors. I am not an attorney and I don't know if I have ever stayed at a Holiday Inn, but there are some things about the American system of justice that many in the legal profession would just prefer you not know... (click to read column)


ADV: If you tired of flipping that hot pillow over to find the cool side, you need a Chillow!

So Many Ideas, So Little Space 7-12-11

From the Casey Anthony trial to the fight over raising America's debt ceiling, there is no way anyone can say this has been a boring summer when it comes to news. It's time to clear out the backlog of column ideas floating around in my head before my brain explodes, so I'll just dump all this stuff on you... (click to read column)



Read the Middle East news the US media usually won't cover at Spotlight On Israel

The News Behind The News 7-5-11

Thanks to technology, many people now complain of information overload, and as busy as we all are, there's little time to devour every piece of news that crosses America's radios, televisions, newspapers and websites. That's too bad.

It's understandable some people feel that way, as a lot of what passes for news is fluff and filler. Yet behind the quick sound bites and headlines that dominate modern news consumption, there is so much news that we seldom see or hear. Journalists are pretty good at giving us the bullet points, but few reporters have enough depth of knowledge of the subjects they cover to give us the why or the backstory.

Here's a quick local example. Last week, local media reported that (click to read column)



* Need to replace the flooring boards on your deck? You need the Duckbill Deck Wrecker!

Hey Marcel, Watch This 6-28-11

Throughout the past couple of weeks I had two older people each ask me if I had seen the "Hey Marcel, Watch This" television commercial. The reason for the question is neither person knew what product was being advertised. If you're... (click to read column)


If you work with wood or build decks, there's an inexpensive tool you'll fall in love with... check out the Bowrench

Downtown Days Of Yore 6-21-11

My wife and I, along with our two sons, spent Father's Day with my parents over in Cedartown. The old downtown area there is currently going through a makeover as set design crews transform Main Street back to the 1960's for the upcoming filming of a movie titled Jayne Mansfield's Car. This is a major production with stars including Billy Bob Thornton, Robert Patrick, Kevin Bacon, Robert Duvall, John Hurt and other familiar names.

We took dad downtown to check out the changes and walk the sidewalks of my and my dad's youth. For every child who grew up there, Cedartown was (click to read column)


FYI: Everything about Georgia Weather you'll ever want or need... and then some.

Is A Major War Eminent? 6-14-11

Our mailman jokingly refers to my house as the Israeli embassy. A telephone repairman was at our house last week and assumed I was Jewish, which I'm not. Others who have passed by our humble abode probably think I'm just nuts. So what is causing all of these people to make such assumptions? (click to read column)


Official factory reconditioned power tools at deep discounts plus free shipping! Reconditioned Tools

What T-SPLOST Is and Why You Should Care 6-7-11

I'm blaming it on the heat. Why else would I sit in front of my computer reading 126 pages of minutes from the first meeting of the Northwest Georgia Regional Transportation Roundtable? Heck, I doubt if the elected officials who actually participated in the meeting read this stuff. I really should have done some of the yard work on my to-do list, but now I know more about T-SPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) than I ever thought I needed to know.

This is a very complicated issue to explain, with lots of government speak and legal mumbo jumbo. Nevertheless, in July 2012, you... (click to read column)


Are you taking expensive medications due to high cholesterol? There is a cheaper and safer way... click here

So How Did Your Local Legislators Score? 5-31-11

It would be hard to find another organization that wields as much influence under the Gold Dome as the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. While legislators don't march in lockstep to do their bidding, when the Chamber makes its position known on a piece of legislation you can be assured your state representative or state senator at least pays attention.

A few days ago the Chamber released its legislative scorecard for the just finished 2011 session of the General Assembly and there were a few local surprises... (click to read column)


Latest local forecast for your county, current conditions, extended forecast discussion, inteactive radar, and our own exclusive daily weather videocast all at Weather Georgia.

Unfortunately, Herman Cain't 5-24-11

Don't get me wrong, I like Herman Cain and even voted for him in the 2004 Republican Primary when he challenged then congressmen Johnny Isakson and Mac Collins for the GOP nomination for an open U.S. Senate seat. Cain finished an impressive second place and almost forced Isakson into a runoff. However, based upon what I've heard from the Herminator the past few days, I have serious doubts that he has what it takes to survive the media gauntlet standing between him and the GOP presidential nomination... (click to read column)

The Middle East is on fire and the U.S. media is not giving you the whole story... be sure to check out Spotlight On Israel everyday for the latest news and analysis.

You Mean That's Not Covered? 5-17-11

Insurance is one of those things you pay for with the hope you never have to use it, but in the aftermath of the April 27 tornado outbreak that destroyed or damaged more than 400 homes here in Bartow County, some residents are now discovering that not all of their losses will be covered by their homeowners’ insurance policies... (click to read column)


Get the latest breaking new about Israel & the Middle East that you won't find on traditional U.S. media at Spotlight On Israel

A New Local Highway In Your Future? 5-9-11

This story has been circulating in the media in neighboring counties for almost a month now, but for some reason our elected officials in Bartow County and the cities of Cartersville and Emerson have been quiet, though it potentially involves... (click to read)


Breaking news from Israel and the Midlle East the American media usually won't print... Spotlight On Israel

Are You Paying Attention? 5-3-11

Are You Paying Attention? Sometimes when you look beyond the headlines, you find little nuggets of information that help explain a lot of what we read, view, or hear. So what should we have learned from the heavy dose of breaking news the past few days?

• Timing is everything. Very little in politics happens by accident, especially at the presidential level. So why did President Obama decide to release his birth certificate when he did? The first reason is easy to guess... read entire column here.


Do you suffer from gas, indigestion, heartburn, or incomplete digestion? There's a hard to find product that might just be the answer.

Knee Surgery Seems Like a Trivial Thing Now

The minor knee surgery I underwent last Wednesday may have been routine, but the rest of the day was anything but. I was my surgeon’s last operation that afternoon, and though scheduled for 3 p.m., I wasn’t rolled back to the operating room until about 5:30.

Being a weather junkie, I knew that forecasters were privately very fearful that Wednesday’s predicted tornado outbreak might turn out to be one for the record books and I had posted a warning Tuesday morning on a weather website I own, advising north Georgia residents to make preparations. The dangerous storms ravaging Alabama were expected... (click to read rest of column)


Our environment is filled with toxic substances that we come in contact with every day. You can easily and cheaply remove toxic metals that may have built up in your body with this product.

Your Life Is An Open Book 4-26-11

The words and their meaning are simple and straightforward, and should be vigorously defended by all Americans. I’m referring to the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

So how do state police... click to read rest of column

Tired of flipping your pillow to get to the cool side? You need a Chillow

Did You Pay Attention? 4-18-11

Unlike the majority of Georgians who obviously have better things to do, I’ve closely followed for most of my life the shenanigans that take place under the Gold Dome during the annual general assembly of our state legislature. I track all the behind the scenes machinations and inside politics stuff that would bore most folks to tears. However, each year there are usually two or three issues that will stir up significant interest among the population at large and this year was no exception...

Click to read column

Indigestion? Gas? Heartburn? Incomplete digestion? Read about AbsorbAid

When Old Meets New 4-8-11

Bartow County’s population is almost double what it was when he passed away almost twenty years ago. Though many may recognize his name, which adorns the county administrative and judicial center, most current local residents probably know little of what transpired during Frank Moore’s tenure as Bartow County Commissioner. The 1980s were a tumultuous time in Bartow as county leaders attempted to prepare us for the onslaught of growth they knew was headed our way. Prior to then... (click to read column)

SPONSOR: If you build decks or do remodeling work, you need a Bowrench

Now Is Not The Time 3-29-11

Your friendly state House and Senate members have been playing tax reform poker down at the Gold Dome, and it looks like everyday Georgians may get royally flushed if what some legislators are proposing gets passed into law... read column

Tired of flipping your pillow over to get the cool side? You need The Chillow!

Where Does It Stop? 3-24-11

Where Does It Stop? The constant assault of government on free people never ceases to amaze, especially when it comes to interference in private businesses. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is cracking down on radio stations for what it considers a grievous sin. You’ll never ever in a million years guess what FCC bureaucrats have done.

First a little background… radio stations have public broadcast licenses that are issued by the FCC. Every eight years, a station must file to renew its license. It doesn’t matter that the station owner may have invested millions of dollars in equipment, marketing, and the purchase of the license from the previous owner. If someone or some group can convince the FCC that the station is not... click to read column

This weeks Backroom Report brought to you by Georgia's Weather Center

Census Results Equal Change For Bartow County 3-22-11

The official 2010 Census breakdown for Georgia cities and counties was released last Thursday, and it pretty much verified what many had anticipated. Bartow County grew by 31.8% since 2000 and with a 2010 population of 100,157 we are now larger than Floyd County, which came in with 96,317 residents.

Now before you get your “We’re Number One” giant foam finger out of the attic and start waving it around, there’s a few things about topping the 100,000 number you should be aware of. It seems that once a county’s population passes this magic number... (click to read rest of column)

This week's sponsor: Safely and effectively remove arterial plaque for about $5 a month without dangerous and expensive prescription medications.

Georga Weather Information

Be sure to check out the WeatherGeorgia.com site for anything and everything you could possibly want to know about weather in Georgia including a daily videocast with detailed info you normally won't get on television.

New Web Site With Middle East News 3-15-11

For those of you interested in breaking news from Israel and the Middle East, I've launched a new website called Spotlight On Israel that's updated daily with news you normally won't find on American media. Kind of a Drudge Report for Israel...

I Was A Kindergarten Dropout 3-15-11

It was 1965 and I had been attending kindergarten for about two weeks when it happened. Several of us were playing cowboys and Indians on a steep hillside at the edge of the playground. During our pretend battle I ended up rolling down the hill and somehow my right arm got twisted up under me and I broke both bones in my forearm completely in half.

That got me a couple of days in the hospital and nice big cast that I had to wear for six weeks. Knowing that I was a typical rough and tumble boy, there was no way I could... click to read this column

A New Political Majority In The GOP? 3-8-11

These are interesting times for the political class, as what had been a gradual shift in political philosophy among a significant segment of the population has begun to pick up steam, and is putting some elected officials in a tough spot as they try to reassess exactly what their constituents want these days.

We began to get a real glimpse into this change over the last two years as... click to read column

Cleaning Out The Refrigerator 3-3-11

I've been battling a kidney stone and just haven't really felt like writing, but over the last two weeks so much news has been generated in the Georgia Legislature the political section of my brain is about to explode, so I'm dumping it all on you. I'm listening to Techno music as I write this, so I'm not responsible for what I may say. Hang on!

• Is Chip Up To The Task? Senate Majority Chip Rogers hasn't had as smooth of a ride as he had probably hoped for this session of the General Assembly. When he and fellow Senator Tommie Williams... click to read rest of column

What's In A Name? 3-1-11

A lot of people pass through life without giving much consideration to how the places they live in or pass through got their names. Some are fairly simple, such as Cherokee County being named for the Native American tribe that called northwest Georgia home. Others require a little digging.

Several times over the years during business calls with folks in other parts of the nation, I would be asked the question of whether... click to read rest of column

How Would You Improve Bartow County? 2-22-11

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve asked several of my Bartow County friends what suggestions they have for improving our fair county. Now in all fairness, almost all of the folks I run with are either conservatives or libertarians, so you won’t see any proposals to raise taxes so the commissioner can build a giant county-owned water slide down Ladd’s Mountain, however... click to read rest of column

Three Legged Elephants Are Dysfunctional 2-17-11

Three Legged Elephants Are Dysfunctional - I really had not planned nor had wanted to write another column about Sunday sales of alcohol in Georgia, but you boys and girls of the elephant persuasion under the Gold Dome are causing many of us longtime Republicans considerable heartburn. There now appears to be three sides to this issue, and some scared senators looking for a graceful way to kick this can down the road.

On one side is the Senator Chip Rogers contingent that wants to... click to read rest of column

Yes, There Are Still Gravel Roads 2-15-11

This past Saturday afternoon my wife and I were doing a little genealogy sleuthing between Cedartown and Cave Spring and stopped at Friendship Baptist Church cemetery near the Polk County line. Either by blood or marriage I am related to probably more than half of the folks interred there, but we were focused on the family of my great-grandmother Sarah King Shiflett.

A short distance from the church is... click to read rest of column

A Tale Of Two Counties, Part Three 2-8-11

In my past two columns, we’ve compared Bartow and Floyd counties from historical population numbers to numerous areas in which Floyd has led the northwest Georgia region such as education, media, medical facilities and retail. Now that Bartow has caught up with Floyd County in population and will likely begin building a measurable lead in coming years, Bartow residents and her leadership will be faced... click to read rest of column

A Tale Of Two Counties, Part Two 2-1-11

Last week I took a detailed look at the population numbers for Bartow and Floyd counties from 1870 up to the just released 2010 Census data, and explored why Floyd County became the retail, medical, media and education hub of northwest Georgia instead of Bartow. From the late 1800’s to the late 1900’s Floyd County built... click to read column

A Tale Of Two Counties, Part One 1-28-11

The 2010 Census population numbers are out, and for most folks it makes for a little interesting conversation and that’s about it. However, for Bartow and Floyd counties, the Census figures paint an intriguing tale that leaves open the door to some major changes for area residents as we go forward.

First let’s take a look at some historical data. In 1870... click to read this column

Are Georgia Legislators As Freedom Loving As They Say They Are? 1-22-11

Are Georgia's Republican Legislators As Freedom Loving As They Say They Are? We Georgian's are, by and large, an independent lot. Perhaps it's that Scotts-Irish blood that flows through the veins of many longtime Georgia families. Regardless of where it came from, we are generally distrustful of government and want to be left alone to pursue happiness as we see fit.
Peach State politicians of the Republican persuasion mirror the electorate for the most part as they denounce federal intrusion into our affairs, and preach the cause of individual liberty... but do they practice what they preach?

While our state legislators are... click to read the rest

A Boring Year In Store For Bartow? 1-20-11

Is there any possible way that 2011 can top 2010 for political excitement? Nope! From the GOP takeover of the U.S. House and ouster of Nancy Pelosi as speaker to the brutal Georgia Republican primary that gave us Nathan Deal as our new governor, 2010 was a political classic.

However, even though this is an “off cycle” year, it doesn’t mean that nothing will be going on. While Georgia Department of Transportation board elections aren’t sexy and reapportionment can be as boring as reading "Calculus For Dummies," we would all be wise to pay attention...

click to read the rest of the column

Keep Your Hands Off My Sudafed! 12-1-10

Sometimes Peach State politicians just don’t know where to draw the line between personal liberty and protecting the public interest. Yes, we all know that Georgia (and the nation) has a problem with methamphetamine abuse. It’s also common knowledge that pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, the active ingredient in Sudafed brand nasal decongestant, is one of the key ingredients in the manufacture of meth.

So Georgia’s legislators, in all their wisdom, are contemplating legislation that would even more severely restrict Georgia consumer’s access to Sudafed and any product containing pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. After all, legislation enacted a few years ago making it harder to get Sudafed was so successful in stopping meth production… well it was supposed to have worked. It didn’t.

First a little background… the ephedra plant has been effectively used since antiquity for the treatment of colds, sinus congestion, and hay fever. For many years, ephedra tea was my treatment of first choice. Then the FDA banned it because some diet pill manufacturers were loading up their products with incredibly high doses of ephedrine (the active component in ephedra). At those high levels, ephedrine greatly increases human metabolism and burns off fat. In super high doses it also can cause health complications, especially if the person taking it has an underlying heart condition. It didn’t matter that ephedra worked and was safe when used as intended; the FDA just completely banned it.

Of course many years ago Big Pharma figured out how to make synthetic ephedrine and it was marketed under the brand name Sudafed, before becoming available from numerous companies in its generic form of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. Sudafed and its generic equivalents were cheap and effective. Just a few short years ago, before government overreacted to the meth problem, you could buy a bottle of 300 pseudoephedrine hydrochloride tablets at Costco for around five dollars. That was enough to take care of all the colds, sniffles, allergies, and sinus problems for a family of four for 2 or 3 years. Like I said… cheap and effective!

As methamphetamine abuse began to be a serious problem about 10 years ago, law enforcement personnel and prosecutors pressured state governments to regulate the availability of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. Without this key ingredient, it was anticipated that local meth makers would be put out of business. They weren’t.

For the past five years or so, we honest law abiding Georgian’s who needed a decongestant have been treated as criminals. Sudafed and all products containing even the smallest amount of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride are now kept behind the counter at your local pharmacy and we must show our driver’s license and have our purchase recorded, and purchase quantities are restricted. The prices charged for these products have also now skyrocketed to many times what we paid before the change in the law.

Of course Big Pharma was quick to rebrand an old ineffective decongestant, phenylephrine, as the replacement for pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. Thus you’ll now find Sudafed PE (the PE stands for phenylephrine) and other similar products gracing drugstore shelves. One big problem… almost every medical study to date has found that phenylephrine works no better than a placebo. It’s useless.

Now back to those Georgia meth labs… with pseudoephedrine hydrochloride now much harder to obtain, it was expected that Georgia’s meth labs and dealers would disappear. Instead, massive quantities of illegal pseudoephedrine hydrochloride were smuggled in from Mexico. Realizing the high profit potential of meth, soon the product was being cooked in Mexico and smuggled in as a finished drug. Mexico has also moved to restrict pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, but that hasn’t stopped the flow.

Meth is still everywhere and thousands of Georgians are still having their lives ruined with this addiction. Some Georgia addicts are now cooking small batches of meth for personal use with legally obtained small quantities of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. So once again law enforcement and prosecutors are pressuring our state legislature to make it even harder for Georgians to buy Sudafed and its generic equivalents.

Proposals range from setting up a state monitoring system where all pseudoephedrine hydrochloride purchases are tracked by the state, to making pseudoephedrine hydrochloride a prescription only drug. Of course that would mean what once was a five-dollar purchase would now require an expensive doctor’s visit. If there were effective alternatives to Sudafed I would say fine, but there aren’t.

If our illustrious state legislators decide to make pseudoephedrine hydrochloride almost impossible to buy, then there are some other products they need to add to the bill. Whipped cream in the can (Redi-Whip) is packed with nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. If you press the can nozzle lightly you can get the gas to come out without the whipped cream, making it easy to get a few hits out of a can.

They’ll also need to ban Teflon coated cookware. If you turn your stove on high and set an empty Teflon skillet on it, after a few minutes the Teflon coating will outgas and you can take a few huffs of that and get a buzz. There are numerous plants available at your local garden center that can be dried and smoked, so we’ll need to regulate that too. Some folks have been know to huff automotive Freon, so let’s ban car air conditioners.

Come to think of it your local home improvement store is full of items that can be abused like spray paint, paint strippers, Xylene, PVC solvent, and the list goes on. Heck maybe we need to have law enforcement monitor our gasoline purchases. Wouldn’t want someone sniffing gas fumes.

The bottom line is that government cannot regulate everything into neat little boxes they can control. We saw that with Prohibition and we see it now with marijuana. Why should seventy-seven year old Willie Nelson now face jail time for having a couple of joints on his tour bus? There’s a fine line between protecting personal liberty and oppression, and we keep creeping closer and closer to the latter. Georgia… keep your dang hands off my Sudafed! 12-1-10

This week's Backroom Report brought to you by WeatherGeorgia.com

Georgia's Unemployment Picture Worse, Not Better 11-24-10

This morning all across the Peach State, newspapers, websites, radio and television stations trumpeted the fact that Georgia’s unemployment numbers for October 2010 had improved over the October 2009 rates. While that is technically true, there is much more to the actual numbers and it’s not good.

For Georgia’s economy to show any noticeable improvement, retail spending must increase significantly… and for retail spending to go up, the number of Georgians working must also increase so that more disposable income is available. That’s not happening. The employment picture is actually worse now than it was in October 2009.

What? How can that be? The Georgia statewide unemployment rate in October of last year was 10.2 % and for October 2010 it was down to 9.6%. Yes… but. The real number that matters is not the percentage of people who are considered unemployed. The important number is how many Georgians are employed.

In October 2009 the total number of Georgians working was 4,243,325. In October 2010 the number of Georgians working was down to 4,200,799. For the mathematically challenged out there, this means there were 42,526 fewer Georgians working this October than last October.

The decrease in the unemployment percentages occurred because there are 64,130 fewer people in Georgia’s active workforce this October compared to October 2009. The “active” workforce consists of Georgians currently working plus those actively seeking employment. So these stats imply that a large number of unemployed Georgians have given up looking for work, and this makes the unemployment numbers look better than reality. In fact, many economists believe that when folks who have stopped looking are coupled with the self-employed who have closed their businesses, the real unemployment number is about 8 percentage points higher than the official reported numbers.

When you also consider the fact that many employed residents are working fewer hours than before either due to furlough days or because they previously had fulltime positions but now are working only part-time, then today’s news stories touting improved unemployment numbers lose their shine.

One last factor to consider… in a large number of households these days both the husband and wife work, and budgets are based upon having both salaries available. With a “real” state unemployment rate around 17.6% (9.6% plus the 8% undercount), the percentage of actual households where at least one wage earner is either unemployed or underemployed is probably close to 30%.

This means almost one of every three families has seen a significant reduction in available income. It’s no wonder the home foreclosure rate in Georgia is one of the worst in the nation.

Many families that haven’t been impacted by unemployment are paying off debts and also increasing their cash reserves. That’s a significant chunk of disposable income not flowing into store cash registers. With the election out of the way, perhaps some now feel the GOP takeover of the U.S. House will put the brakes on Federal spending, and that might encourage a few to pull out their wallets and catch up on some overdue purchases. Let’s hope so… otherwise 2011 could be a very dreary year. 11-24-10


This week's Backroom Report brought to you by SpotlightOnIsrael.com

Switch Now And/Or Pay Later? 11-9-10

While the State Senate was playing around with rules changes to “redistribute” certain powers from Lt. Governor Casey Cagle to the Senate leadership team, the post-election excitement in the Georgia House involved three longtime Democrat State Representatives switching to the Republican Party. While it made perfect sense for one of them, the motivations behind the other two need a little exploring.

As the GOP approached a majority in the House back in 2004, several Democrat State Reps got off their donkeys and hitched a ride on the big elephant. With Georgia electing its first Republican Governor in almost 130 years just two years prior, along with the GOP also grabbing control of the State Senate, some Democrats (especially those in areas trending Republican) saw a party switch as an opportunity to cash in on their seniority.

After all, this new GOP House majority would need some longtime legislators to help navigate the new corridors of power, and the GOP needed to pad its numbers to get an absolute majority… so deals were cut. However, south Georgia was still home of the Blue Dog and many otherwise conservative Democrats were unsure if they could be reelected under a new banner, so they stayed put.

Now anyone who’s worked the halls of the Gold Dome knows it’s hard to get anything done when you’re not a member of the majority party. So for 20-year incumbent Democrat Alan Powell of Hart County, his switch to the GOP Monday was a no-brainer. Powell had been unopposed in the Democrat Primary, and no Republican challenged him in the General Election.

Meanwhile, Nathan Deal and the other statewide Republican candidates mopped the floor with the Democrats November 2nd in Powell’s legislative district, which includes parts of Franklin, Hart, and Madison Counties in NE Georgia. With legislative districts being redrawn in 2011, Powell knew if there were still a “D” after his name, his seat would be carved up to the point he could not win again against a GOP candidate. For Powell this was self-preservation with the added benefit of having a seat at the table after 6 years in the wilderness.

For the two South Georgia Democrats switching parties, 28-year incumbent Gerald Greene and 36-year incumbent Bob Hanner, the change to the GOP this week raised a few eyebrows. After having been key players in Tom Murphy’s reign as House Speaker, I know the last six years on the outside looking in have been tough. From that standpoint, they’ll at least now have a seat at the table.

However from a re-election viewpoint, the joint change in party allegiance doesn’t quite add up. In the general areas represented by these two men (side by side adjoining districts), Roy Barnes and Nathan Deal ran virtually neck and neck. These counties contain significant numbers of black voters loyal to the Democrat Party, and there are still a lot of Blue Dog whites around. Most of the local elected officials there are also Democrats.

With the large population gains made in the northern third of the state over the past decade, reapportionment will mean fewer South Georgia based legislative seats come election time in 2012. The state house districts south of the gnat line will have to expand in territory when redrawn in order to contain the estimated 54,000 people that will be required per district (as opposed to the roughly 45,000 per district required now).

If only one of the two gentlemen had switched to the GOP, it’s possible a Republican leaning district could have been created for him, with the remaining area carved into either a majority black or black influenced safe Democrat seat.

Perhaps we still don’t know the whole story and maybe one of these guys plans to retire if his new district layout is unfavorable. If not, these two longtime neighbors could quickly become enemies as they fight to get favorable district boundaries.

For some of you who read this, there is also the issue of whether or not it’s ethical to even change party allegiance right after an election. The argument can be made that you should stay on the horse you rode in on. If you feel the need to change, then do it in an election year right after the legislative sessions ends and before qualifying starts.

However, with reapportionment happening in 2011… waiting until 2012 to make a change would be too late. Voters are pretty good at smelling a rat. If these three legislators’ constituents feel these guys are still representing the interests of their districts after the party switches, then they’ll be on solid ground. If any of them are seen as opportunists, look for challenges from possibly the left and the right.

There are a handful of other white Democrat state reps, such as Rick Crawford of Polk County and Barbara Reece of Chattooga County, who now find their political futures in jeopardy. The bottom line is the Georgia Democrat Party is on life support... these party jumpers and next year’s redistricting are only going to make it worse. 11-9-10

This week's Backroom Report brought to you by ChillowStore.com

What Happens Next In Georgia? 11-4-10

What Happens Next In Georgia? Republicans in Georgia swept all statewide offices, plus picked up a net gain of two more seats in the State House and one more in the State Senate, maintaining significant GOP majorities in both chambers. It would seem on the surface that things wouldn’t change much here in the Peach State… but you would be wrong.

Replacing Democrat Thurbert Baker with Republican Sam Olens in the Attorney General’s office is significant. With state and congressional redistricting taking place next year, Olens will provide legal cover against Obama’s Justice Department as Republicans draw new maps and possibly tweak other election laws. Additionally, unlike Baker, Olens will be willing to champion Republican causes such as the fight to declare parts of ObamaCare unconstitutional and also defend tough new anti-illegal immigration legislation expected to be passed next year by the state legislature.

Georgians probably won’t see much change on the surface with the selection of Republican Gary Black to replace long-long-longtime Democrat Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin. Black, much younger and more pro-active than Irvin, will hopefully move to modernize the agency. Additionally, his election will help to break down some of the final rural Democrat strongholds in South Georgia. Many of the farmers there are Blue Dog Democrats by tradition, but in the current political climate and with Black having such an important role in the potential success of their agricultural businesses, these southern conservatives may move quickly to the GOP, helping change their local county political landscapes. There are quite a few sheriffs, district attorneys, and county commissioners down there who should be Republican instead of Democrat.

I’ll give props here to outgoing Democrat Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, who has done a decent job in very trying economic times. Don’t expect many immediate changes from incoming Republican commish Mark Butler, who will have to learn the ropes and also begin to carefully sift through Labor Department personnel… all of whom have been hired by and supervised by Democrat Labor Commissioners. He’ll be looking over his shoulder for a while.

Outgoing Republican State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine has left some mighty big shoes to fill. Despite The Ox’s gubernatorial failure and his ethics problems, he was a master at walking the tightrope between being pro-insurance company and pro-consumer. Occasionally he would slap the insurance industry on behalf of consumers, generate a few positive headlines, and then lean on that same industry for campaign contributions. Oxendine was also very effective at generating free media, which greatly enhanced his statewide name ID. Incoming Republican Ralph Hudgins should do an adequate job, but I don’t see anything earth shattering here.

It appears with the re-election of Republican Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, that no significant changes are in store among the State Senate leadership team. The same generally holds true for the State House, although a couple of new faces will move up the ranks to fill spots vacated by retirements. Cagle and Republican House Speaker David Ralston seem to have a decent working relationship and I fully expect that to continue. (Note: The GOP senate caucus held 11-5-10 resulted in some of Cagle's powers being reassigned to a committee of senators)

The big change will occur as Republican Nathan Deal replaces Republican Sonny Perdue as governor. Perdue’s nature was to be a manager. He rarely pushed any major legislative agenda of his own, and acted more like a referee between house and senate, or starred in the role of dad who quietly shot down some legislative ideas he deemed too aggressive. Perdue was very hesitant to deal with some issues such as illegal immigration or tax & budget reform. While in Congress, Deal was very conservative on these issues and others that Sonny was lukewarm on including gun rights… and I think Deal may be a little more likely to play ball here.

Deal has a long relationship with both Cagle and Ralston, each of who lived in Deal’s congressional district. These three know the public (especially the Tea Party) is paying close attention right now to the goings on under the Gold Dome. They will need to quickly throw out some conservative manna, while minimizing what will be a very tough budget year. Expect to see a lot of the upcoming legislative agenda agreed to in principal by the three before the session starts in early January.

The real intrigue will be reapportionment. I truly hope that Cagle and Ralston will agree to handle this in a separate legislative session to take place this coming summer or fall if census data is ready. Otherwise the regular legislative agenda will be mired in backroom deals. You support my bill and I’ll help get your district redrawn the way you want.

There are also quite a few senators and representatives who are at least toying with the idea of a run for congress in 2012. Georgia stands to pick up at least one additional seat, plus with a little creativity one and possibly two of the five congressional seats that will be held by Democrats this coming year may be reconfigured to make them possible GOP pickups in 2012. (Sanford Bishop, you are in the middle of the bulls eye)

Additionally, with population gains over the last ten years primarily occurring in the northern half of the state, South Georgia will lose legislatives seats. This means existing districts in the north, especially around the metro Atlanta doughnut, will shrink in territory and new districts moved from points south will be slid into resulting gaps. There is already heavy lobbying going on from people interested in running for these new open seats that will be created.

Finally, the Georgia Democrat Party is on life support. With no statewide office holders remaining, their farm team for higher statewide office has been gutted. Plus of their five remaining congressmen, none appear to have the necessary skills to possibly challenge for a U.S. Senate seat or governorship in the future. Where will future Democrat candidates for statewide office come from?

The Democrats remaining in the state legislature generally fall into one of two groups… liberal urban blacks or liberal to moderate urban whites, with a few moderate rural ones thrown in for good measure. Not good in a conservative majority state. Even some of the moderates, like State Rep. Alan Powell from NE Georgia, have hinted they may switch to the GOP. Redistricting next year has the potential to even further decrease the number of Democrat legislators. The national Democrat Party will pretty much write Georgia off for the foreseeable future.

After all of my observations and predictions above, there is one thing I can guarantee. The legislative sessions for the next two years will be dominated by the state budget. While job losses and business closings may have leveled off, things aren’t improving much economically. Plus, the legislature and governor had a few budgetary tricks to help us through the past two years that won’t be available this time. Buckle up and enjoy the ride! 11-4-10

This week's Backroom Report brought to you by PinwormAnswers.com

What Happens Next Nationally? 11-3-10

So all you conservative types flooded the polls Tuesday and elected a GOP majority in the U.S. House, picked up several U.S. Senate seats, a bunch of governorships, and took away Democrat control of quite a few state legislative chambers. Not a bad night, as American voters served President Obama with a political restraining order. Guess you can now you can go back to watching American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, and college football? Wrong!

Hey, we all lead busy lives and have tons of business, personal, and family things to attend to do… plus we’re all sick of politics. Guess what? Politics better become a daily part of your life for the next several years, or all the gains realized Tuesday will fade away and we may never get another chance to correct the fundamental problems facing the good ol’ USA.

First up? All eyes turn to Washington DC quickly, as Democrats will probably call a lame duck session to address the expiring Bush tax cuts. Employers and accountants across the nation are paralyzed… waiting on a resolution to this issue so they can set up their payroll databases for the coming year.

Obama knows he has a serious public relations problem here. The majority of Americans along with quite a few Democrat Senators and House members want to at least extend the Bush cuts and many want to make them permanent. This goes completely against Obama’s class warfare mantra.

If nothing is done before Christmas, then the new GOP House majority will vote to extend of all of the Bush cuts as soon as they are sworn into office, force Democrats in the Senate to tag along, and call Obama’s hand to either sign something he is adamantly opposed to or veto the entire measure and give the GOP another huge boost of support from the folks.

Word is leaking out that Obama will try to convince Pelosi and Reid to push through a lame duck vote this month to either extend the cuts for lower income earners only, or permanently extend the lower income cuts and temporarily extend the rest of the cuts for one or two years. If accomplished, when Republicans take control in January, they would then be faced with either accepting that and moving on, or they would find themselves with extending cuts for just the upper middle class and rich as their only plan of attack. This would leave Obama in a position of strength to push back against the evil rich.

Also the president’s blue ribbon panel that is looking at how to deal with the national debt will report in a few weeks. It is widely expected that various tax increase measures will be suggested. This is where the rubber will hit the road for the new Tea Party backed house and senate members. The president will call for bi-partisanship, but will these newcomers budge? To date, Obama’s definition of bipartisanship has meant he reluctantly talks to the Republicans and tells them what he wants. The real pressure now should be on Obama to do the compromising.

Republicans must rebrand themselves from the “party of no”, to the “party of know”. The GOP "knows" how to cut spending. The GOP "knows" how to modernize the U.S. tax code and reduce the burden on Americans. The GOP "knows" how to create jobs. The GOP "knows" how to fix our healthcare system.

Another sector to watch is the Middle East. Obama has continued to quietly but firmly push Israel toward a peace deal that is extremely favorable to the Palestinians and that would harm Israel’s ability to protect itself. There is some intelligence coming out of the region suggesting the U.S. may be prepared to hit Iran’s nuclear facilities in return for Israel making major concessions on a peace agreement. Of note, the U.S. has dramatically increased its military presence in the Persian Gulf region in the past few weeks, and is forward deploying significant stockpiles of munitions.

A major peace deal or a U.S. strike on Iran shortly after our election would suck the air out of media coverage of the new Republican majority in Congress, and push Obama back into the spotlight in a powerful way. Supposedly a new round of meetings between the Obama administration, Israel, and the Palestinians has been secretly scheduled for January.

It's no secret that Obama would have been better off if the Republicans had also captured a majority in the Senate. Then he could point fingers at the GOP on Capitol Hill for stopping his plans “to help Americans”. Now the Democrat majority senate leadership is stuck in a tough spot… either they back Obama and run the risk of losing even more seats in 2012, or they try to compromise with the GOP House and leave Obama weakened. Senate Democrats will be in a tough place come the 2012 elections. Of the thirty-three senate terms expiring, twenty-one Democrat senators will be up for reelection, along with two Democrat leaning independents, and only ten Republicans. About a dozen of the Democrats are considered at least moderately vulnerable.

The other side of story is how much impact the newly elected Republican House members will have in the early days of 2011. Will they make waves or will they let the current house leadership team run the show? Many of these freshmen were elected because of Tea Party support, and you know the wrath of 1776 will come down on the newbies’ heads if they stray from the “cut spending/lower taxes” script.

Then we have the start this week of the one thing we probably all wish would not rear its head for a while… the 2012 presidential campaign is now underway. The establishment insiders will trot out Mitt Romney, Haley Barbour, Tim Pawlenty and possibly a couple of others, while the Tea Party folks will push several potential candidates, including Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and Bobby Jindal. Other names like Mitch Daniels and Rick Perry are also being floated.

The real danger is that these presidential hopefuls and their proxies will unintentionally cause some serious breaks in the unity of the new Republican house and senate caucuses. If the GOP establishment throws its weight behind another moderate Republican like they have done in the past with John McCain, Bob Dole, or George H. W. Bush… then you can fully expect Tea Party supporters and many conservative Republicans to look for a third party alternative.

Also interesting is that during this Democrat election meltdown, a potential Democrat challenger to Obama, Hillary Clinton, stayed overseas and out of the spotlight. Best to let Obama absorb the blame for the Democrats’ humiliation, while she remains untarnished and above the fray. If Obama’s popularity remains below forty percent for an extended period, look for Hillary to resign her Secretary of State post within a few months and begin laying the groundwork for a primary challenge.

So the question is, was this past Tuesday our modern day 1776… the beginning of the Second American Revolution? Or was it just another election? We won’t the answer to this for several years, but the question can only be answered by you. 11-3-10

This week's Backroom Report brought to you by EDTADirect.com

Which GA Candidate Was Just Hit With 10 Ethics Fines? 10-28-10

Regardless of where we fall on the political spectrum, all Georgians should agree that our candidates for public office should be honest and ethical in their dealings. However one candidate apparently feels he is above the law and can do as he pleases without consequences.

Georgia law is clear that any candidate for public office must file various campaign disclosures by specific dates. The public interest is served and protected by knowing who is donating to the candidate’s campaign and what the candidate is doing with the money he raises.

In the heat of a campaign, I can understand an innocent slip up. However, when the candidate has been late filing his disclosures seven times over a three-year period and has failed to file three other disclosures, then it’s more than just being distracted by the election. It’s a reflection on the character of the candidate.

Democrat State Senate candidate Tracy Bennett has challenged Republican State Senator Bill Heath of District 31 three consecutive elections… 2006, 2008, and now 2010. In each of the first two elections, Bennett was humiliated at the polls by Heath’s landslide victories.

Now Bennett is asking for your vote yet again… but he doesn’t deserve it. In a letter to Mr. Bennett dated today (October 28, 2010) from the State Ethics Commission, Bennett is being ordered to immediately pay ten separate fines for his late filings, and to also file the three missing disclosure reports.

After running for office three times, Tracy Bennett knows the law. The question is, why does he keep breaking it? 10-28-10

A copy of the letter from the State Ethics Commission to Mr. Bennett is available at http://www.backroomreport.com/

This week's Backroom Report brought to you by RemoveMetals.com

Whither The Libertarians? 10-25-10

The United States, since its inception, has been dominated by a two party system. Meanwhile, Americans continually express their desire for more political choices. Yes, there are numerous groups around the fringes of the political landscape, such as the Green Party on the left and the Constitution Party on the right. However, just like The Rent Is Too Damn High Party in New York, these third parties are really just novelties that give the media types something to play around with for fun.

There is one party that occasionally rises from its slumber to say it’s for real… and that is the Libertarians. For over three decades, Americans have been promised that the Libertarians were an up and coming organization that would give the Democrats and Republicans a run for their money, but as far as election victories go, other than a smattering of local wins, it seldom happens. Most Libertarian candidates routinely pull single digits on Election Day.

The gubernatorial election in Georgia this year would seem to be fertile ground for a Libertarian surprise. High numbers of voters are holding their collective nose and choosing between Republican Nathan Deal and Democrat Roy Barnes. Polling data shows the negatives on these two to be extremely high. So why aren’t Georgians flocking to Libertarian John Monds?

For me, Monds has not been impressive on the stump… but more importantly he occasionally throws out sound bites that remind Bible Belt voters of why they choose to not be Libertarians.

The real problem with the Libertarian party is that its platform is theoretical. The Libertarian philosophy of pure and absolute freedom to do as one wants as long as he or she doesn’t infringe on the rights of others to live their lives as they choose would seem on its surface to play right into the mindset of a nation that by and large wants government to get the heck out of the way. However, voters again and again reject the LP’s and stay with the tried and true left/right environment we all despise. So I ask why?

So many variables play into why folks make the election choices they do… religion, race, culture, tradition, income level, and geography are but a few of the reasons. The bottom line is that very few Americans have a consistent, well thought out, philosophy on life… and this reflects itself as we make contradictory choices in our politics.

When it comes to abortion, homosexuality, and other hot moral issues, many Democrats tend to side with the Libertarian mantra of freedom to choose without government interference. While many Republicans believe that any society must have a system of laws that uphold the moral underpinnings of said society… and in the case of the United States that means upholding our Judeo-Christian culture.

On the flip side, many Democrats want the government to heavily regulate private business, while Republicans lean toward the Libertarian belief in letting the free market decide business winners and losers. Democrats want a huge taxpayer funded social welfare safety net, while Republicans agree with Libertarians that it’s wrong for government to take money by force from those who have earned it and then let faceless bureaucrats give that money to others.

The answer to our conundrum is that the Libertarians find themselves in no man’s land. Democrats tend to agree with a decent portion of Libertarian philosophy, but the part they disagree with are deal breakers they cannot accept. Likewise Republicans line up closely with a very sizeable part of the Libertarian platform… even more so than Democrats. However those few issues where Republicans tend to disagree are on hot button topics like abortion, homosexual rights, legalizing marijuana, and illegal immigration.

Over the past 10 to 20 years we have seen more and more Libertarian ideas incorporated into the Republican mindset, and this is verified by the fact that Libertarians tend to take more votes away from Republican candidates than Democrats. So we now have the classic situation whereby more and more people are agreeing with significant portions of Libertarian thought, but instead of becoming Libertarians, they become Republicans and are gradually changing the GOP.

The struggling GOP has been reinvigorated by the Tea Party movement and is poised for significant gains next Tuesday and again in 2012. If rank and file Republicans can once and for all rid their party of the remnants of the old Eastern Establishment moderate GOP faction that has controlled the purse strings and hierarchy forever, then perhaps America may truly have a real choice in future elections instead of having to chose between socialism (Democrats) and socialism lite (Republicans). This would relegate the Libertarians to perennial fringe party status.

However, if the GOP falls back into its version of the big government mindset we saw under George W. Bush and his father, then all bets are off. Either another strong third party will rise up or the Libertarians will compromise just enough to sway over many conservatives.

There are some in the Libertarian Party who realize the party cannot grow unless it opens the door a little in two key areas and that is now being reflected in the party’s official platform. First is abortion… it is possible to be pro-life and be Libertarian. If one believes that life begins at conception, then ending that life through abortion is infringing on the rights of that life by another and the government has a vested interest in protecting that life.

The second is illegal immigration. Libertarians envision a world without nations… a world without borders, where man is free to move freely and live where and how he wants. Again, that sounds great in theory, but is not practical in real life. The fact is we have over 200 nations, and most of the world’s population is not sophisticated enough to live in a truly free world.

To turn the Libertarian mindset back on itself, let me ask this question. If men are free to associate with whom they wish, should they not be free to form associations with others and create nations, states, and cities whereby they can govern themselves as they wish?

The bottom line is that with a just a little compromise on these and a couple of other issues, the Libertarians could be positioned to pick up the pieces if the Republicans blow this chance they are being given. The Libertarian Party is so close to still be so far away. So whither the Libertarians? 10-25-10

This week's Backroom Report brought to you by BowrenchDirect.com

Time For This Politician To Be Ejected From Game 10-20-10

It’s the 9th inning of game 7 of the World Series and his team is trailing 5 to 3. As pitcher he has one goal… get three outs and give his team one final at bat to stage a dramatic come from behind win. The odds are long and his arm has grown tired.

He’s been here before… winning the 7th game of the World Series several years ago, then retiring after blowing his World Series start four years later. Now seeking to regain his lost glory, he trots onto the field one last time.

He struggles against the first batter, but escapes on a ground out. Batter number two quickly drops a bloop single and takes first. Number three strokes one and now the pitcher faces runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. He quickly gets behind 3-1 against the next batter and in desperation decides to do something he knows he shouldn’t do… he throws an illegal spitball. Strike two! No one noticed, so he does it again. Strike three!

Inside he knows the only way he can get that final out is to keep throwing spitballs, but he’s afraid the fans and umpire are catching on. On the first pitch, he gets a warning from the ump. His next “clean” pitch goes in the dirt, as does the next one. He knows he can’t win without playing dirty.

The pitcher loads up the next pitch and the ump stops play. He’s busted and his career ends in shame and disgrace. He ducks into the locker room, but as he leaves the stadium a reporter asks him about the spitballs. Without apology for his actions he points his finger at the opposing team and says, “they don’t play fair and they get upset over this?”

This week 11 Alive television reporter Jon Shirek busted Roy Barnes, Democrat candidate for governor, for an ad in which his campaign doctored up film footage with fake voices to make it look like his opponent Nathan Deal was getting screamed at by reporters for ducking their questions.

Shirek was there when Deal was filmed leaving an auditorium after a debate, so when he saw that same footage in Barnes’ television commercial but with "extra audio" added he immediately smelled a rat. In his TV report Shirek played the original film footage and the doctored footage from Barnes. What Barnes did was as clear as glass and shameless.

Though we all say we don’t like it, we’ve come to accept the fact that campaigns will take liberties and twist things a little or leave out important facts in their campaign advertising. However, this action from Roy Barnes has crossed the line. Don’t take my word for it; watch Shirek’s report here:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid34619011001?bctid=642032959001

It’s no secret Nathan Deal is not my ideal pick for governor, and many Georgian’s see this election as choosing between the lesser of two evils. After seeing Jon Shirek’s new report, it’s plain as day that Roy Barnes does not deserve another term in office. He cheated and got caught, and his only defense is to say everybody cheats. (Barnes response in another story here:

http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=159017&catid=40

Barnes’ arrogance was part of his undoing in his election defeat of 2002, and that arrogance has reared its ugly head again. 10-20-10

This week's Backroom Report brought to you by WeatherGeorgia.com

Erick Erickson = FAIL: Backroom Report 10-15-10

He’s the guru of PeachPundit.com and RedState.com, but in this instance Erick Erickson is guru of being wrong! Erick and I agree that Casey Cagle has not been a good lieutenant governor for Georgia. We both hoped someone would mount a serious challenge against Cagle in the Republican Primary this past summer, but that never materialized.

So now we have four choices facing us on Election Day: (1) Vote for Cagle, (2) Vote for Democrat Carol Porter, (3) Vote for the Libertarian candidate, or (4) Just skip the Lt. Governor race. As a staunch conservative, you would think Erick would choose either 1,3, or 4. Nope, he has just declared that he is voting for Democrat Carol Porter. How shortsighted, and totally, completely, insanely wrong… wrong… wrong.

The U.S. Constitution is on life support and our republic is hanging by a thread. 2010 is America’s last chance to begin the process of restoring the nation and rescuing it from the clutches of the liberal/progressive/socialists. That means that every single Democrat candidate in the United States from school board, to county commission, to state legislature, to Congress needs to have a giant political target on their back… even the moderate Democrats.

We are engaged in the opening stages of the Second American Revolution and this is war. We must think like military strategists. Every action, regardless of how small, has an impact in the overall scheme of things. We must work to cut off the Democrat’s money sources. We must defeat their rising star candidates before they can become established. We must demoralize their supporters. We must turn the word “Democrat” into such a vile thing that any person with half a brain would think long and hard before running for office under that banner. This is why Carol Porter must be defeated.

Erickson, in defense of his decision to support Porter, cites 2002 when Republicans gained control of the Georgia State Senate for the first time since Reconstruction. Holding a majority, the GOP boys rewrote the Senate rules and stripped Democrat Lt. Governor Mark Taylor of his power. Republican Senate Majority Leader Eric Johnson became the defacto Lt. Governor and did a great job guiding the upper chamber. Once Republican Casey Cagle was elected Lt. Governor in 2006, the senate voted to return those powers that had been stripped away from the office.

Erick, this is not 2002 and Carol Porter is not greasy Mark Taylor. Imagine if Porter wins the election and those “evil” conservative Republican male senators vote to take away all of the power of Georgia’s first elected female Lt. Governor. They will have just alienated the majority of women voters across the state and will have made a political rock star out of Porter. You would soon hear calls for Porter to run for Congress or against Saxby Chambliss for U.S. Senate.

No, we need a clean sweep by the GOP of all of the statewide offices. In doing so we will severely weaken the Democrats bench team, making it tough for them to put forward credible candidates for congress, U.S. Senate, and statewide office. Having no elected officials will also make it tough for the national Democrat Party to use Georgia as a fundraising source or to build support here for their presidential candidates.

In 2012 we accelerate the task of replacing moderate or squishy Republicans with true constitutional conservative Republicans in state primaries nationwide… a job that will continue in 2014 when Cagle comes up for reelection again (if he chooses to do so). However 2010 there is only one goal… defeat every Democrat by the largest margins possible. We must kick the legs out from under Barack Obama and make Nov. 2nd a crushing defeat for liberalism in America.

Erick, a vote for Carol Porter is like having a one-night stand just to get back at your former girlfriend. It may make you feel good for a while until you find out a few days later that you knocked her up. Now you’ve got a problem that’s not going away anytime soon. 10-15-10

This week's Backroom Report brought to you by SpotlightOnIsrael.com

Divided We Fail! 10-8-10

Over the last several days I’ve had some political discussions about the Georgia governor’s race with folks who really don’t like Deal or Barnes, and will not vote Libertarian. A couple of them were leaning toward Barnes because they thought having stalemate…a divided state government, would be a good thing. (Republicans in control of the State House and Senate with Democrat Barnes as governor.) I strongly disagree!

They each mentioned 1994 when the GOP took control of Congress and forced Democrat President Bill Clinton to move back toward the center. Other than welfare reform not much got accomplished over the next six years. The theory is if they’re fighting each other and getting nothing done, then they aren’t screwing us over. Folks, divided government at the federal level is an entirely different creature than having it at the state level.

At the federal level divided government is more policy driven. It’s truly conservative versus liberal, at least in the talking points and spin that gets bantered about. All the key hot button issues come up… abortion, gun control, gay marriage, tax cuts, deficit spending, etc. After a while it’s nauseating.

However at the state level, while there would of course be some policy differences, that wouldn’t be where the real action would be. Barnes is slick enough to know that on controversial issues like abortion, gay rights, guns, etc. he can only pander to the left at election time and then not touch these things once elected.

No, the real action in Georgia would be local and it would be ugly. Though out of power since 2004, the old Democrat machine in Georgia still has a substantial network of key players in business, law, politics, civic organizations, education… you name it… leftover from the previous 130 years of Democrat control.

With Roy Barnes in the governor’s mansion, the main focus would be on resurrecting that old network. Barnes would dole out plum political appointments to various state boards and agencies… carefully putting members of the old Democrat network back in play… especially focusing on appointing Democrats from areas represented by Republicans in the State House and Senate. That means fault lines would erupt all over the state, from the local chambers of commerce, to civic and community groups, and even to some larger churches.

Georgia was very fortunate that one party (Republicans) controlled both the executive and legislative branches during this severe recession. Even though Georgia faced some of the worst unemployment and foreclosure numbers in the nation, our state government is in much better shape financially than the majority of other states. We’ve even been able to maintain our AAA bond rating.

Painful choices and cuts had to be made, but with a governor and legislative majority from the same party there was no showboating, no grandstanding, just quiet hard work that paid off handsomely. Unlike the divided government we see in California, where they can’t even adopt a budget and the state has been paying for things with IOU’s.

I could list a hundred reasons why Democrat Roy Barnes should not be elected this year, but I’ll give you two. Deal has a longstanding positive relationship with Lt. Governor Casey Cagle (R) and House Speaker David Ralston (R). With Republican Nathan Deal we’ll have a smooth and efficient state government, and just as importantly we’ll have a “quiet” next four years. 10-8-10

This week's Backroom Report brought to you by ChillowStore.com

Media Bias Raising Its Head In Georgia? 9-28-10

Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but media bias can sometimes be not so obvious… and to me this seems like one of those times. Earlier this week the Macon Telegraph conducted an online poll that by its very wording implied that Republican nominee for governor Nathan Deal had done something wrong.

Anyone paying attention knows that Deal invested a large sum of money a few years ago into a new sporting goods business launched by his daughter and her husband. Deal also personally guaranteed their business loan, which was in excess of $2 million.

The business failed and Deal’s daughter and son-in-law filed bankruptcy… leaving Deal holding the bag. Deal could have played games and tried to finagle his way out of the debt, but he manned up and pledged to pay every dollar owed. He even placed his own personal residence on the market to help generate the dollars necessary to retire the debt.

The majority of new businesses fail within the first 5 years, and in this current economic meltdown the odds of failure are even higher. This is what business people do… take chances. And Deal took a chance on his daughter’s business. If she had succeeded, the Democrats and their media allies wouldn’t be praising Nathan Deal for helping his daughter, but now that she has failed they are quick to make it seem Deal did something wrong.

The Macon Telegraph poll was titled, “Who Will Depart First?” and under the heading in smaller print said, “Who is likely to go first?” The three choices were Nathan Deal, UGA head coach Mark Richt, and Bishop Eddie Long.

Of course with UGA’s football record at 1 & 3, and with all 3 losses coming in SEC conference games, Mark Richt is under the gun. Some fans are calling for his head on a platter. Nothing new here… this is how the sports world works. Bashing players and head coaches is part of the game. Depending on how the rest of the season goes, Richt could get a new lease on life or he could be out the door before the end of November. Putting Richt in the Macon Telegraph poll was fair.

Bishop Eddie Long came under fire last week after four young men came forward claiming that Long had abused them sexually and each filed civil suits seeking damages. Now Long is a high profile target with deep pockets, so one has to immediately view these suits with some cynicism. The media is always quick to pounce on Christian ministers, so no surprise the Telegraph would include Long in the poll, though I think that is unfortunate since Long is innocent of the charges unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Now on to Nathan Deal… The very wording of the Telegraph poll implies that Deal has done something wrong and may be forced from the November ballot. First, Deal has done nothing illegal or immoral nor has he been accused of such. The worst thing you could say is that he made a bad business investment, but most business people have done the same… many more than once. You could also say that maybe his business judgment was clouded by the fact that this was his daughter’s business… but again, how many parents have done things to help their kids that in hindsight weren’t such good ideas?

Secondly, under state election law a nominee for office cannot withdraw from a race and be replaced by another pick from the party once there are 60 days or less remaining before the election. Deal is the Republican nominee and nothing other than his death will change that.

In an e-mail exchange with Macon Telegraph editorial page editor Charles E. Richardson, he stated, “We were neither trying to deceive or be dishonest. We know the rules of the election. We did not imply that Nathan Deal could step down. Rather, the poll was simply about three individuals who have been in the news for all the wrong reasons, Deal because of his financial business, Mark Richt for having a losing season so far, and Bishop Eddie Long who is being sued in Atlanta by four men who say he lured them for sex. I think you are reading way too much into this morning's poll.”

So you be the judge. Am I reading too much into the poll or was this irresponsible journalism five weeks before Election Day (with advance voting already taking place)? 9-28-10

This week's Backroom Report brought to you by PinwormAnswers.com