Remember, remember, the 2nd of November...
Alright kids, it’s election time again. And I have been just slammed. But before you all go to the polls, I thought you’d appreciate what little time I’ve had to research the candidates on the ballot.
Note this comes with my usual caveat, I’m of no political party, but I don’t well like government getting in my way, which it does all too much on both sides of the aisle. So please take my own opinions of the candidates with your usual grain of salt, those of you that I know read this. ;-) Also, I didn’t bother covering any race involving the school system as we have no kids so I intend to simply not cast a ballot for those races, as well as any opponent on my ballot that is running unopposed, seemed a waste of time. Also, I am using my own sample ballot to do my research, your results may vary. I urge you to check the Secretary of State’s Website to get your own sample ballot to see who you will be voting for and what Amendments are on the ballot sheet.
This marvelous cheat sheet web tool is helpful as well, thank you League of Women Voters.
So without further ado, I give you Georgia’s candidates for 2010, a pretty major election to boot:
Governor
Our governor race is perhaps the one getting the most press, so we’ll cover this one first. The two main opponents to take Sonny Purdue’s seat are Nathan Deal for the Republicans, and Roy Barnes for the Democrats. Let’s go over each.
Deal: I can’t say too much in favor of this man. He’s called “Dirty Deal” and if you begin to look into him and his stances, you’ll first see the many attacks on his financial and ethical conduct. Let’s come back to that. First, he his a long term career politician. As such, we have a clear example of his voting record. During his time under Bush’s administration, he voted along with the majority of the party line as they increased spending and size of government immensely. He votes on the hard line right-wing conservative record. To be honest, I can provide you links and examples, but suffice to say that he’s no different than the far-right talking heads. Pro-life, anti-gay marriage, blah, blah, blah. So if you are a strict conservative voter, you’d think this is your guy. Think again. Allow me to provide you with a link. (See below, re: My Pick.) Now back to Dirty Deal. First up, his tax records. Then, the deals that - while technically legal - allowed his own company to receive excusive government contracts and thus profit off his own service of public office. Sadly, they never made a case of it. Now if you follow the news, you’d have heard he is going belly up with an investment of one of his daughter’s failing business. Despite the hype, it’s a non-issue and actually on the level from what I see. Sad to say, the media sharks TORE HIM a new one. I kind of feel sorry for the family, as best expressed in a letter from the youngest daughter.
End result: He’s NO different from Perdue. Not as corrupt as he’s painted to be, but definitely a career politician that seeks to simply let things coast and keep up the status quo rather than get his hands dirty and really attack the issues facing our state. I simply cannot in good conscience endorse him as a viable candidate.
Barnes: We go from horrid to slightly less repugnant. “King Roy” as he is called was already our Governor. During his term of office, he proceeded to hammer down his liberal ideology down the throats of an uncooperative state congress, he pushed his legislative agenda so hard and so much, that he is the only governor in the history of our state to lose re-election. Partly due to the upset around his desire to change the state flag, partly because his education reform package caused teachers - who bought and paid for him - to loose tenure status. Regardless, this is schmuck is also on record as apologizing for his own time in office. And while I am OK with someone learning from his mistakes, I am equally disgusted with the negative ads he is running as well as the smear against him coming from Deal. I could link you to a lot of stories about the mistakes of Barnes, or how he is simply a talking mouth paid for by the Teachers Unions, but I’d rather keep it clean for now. Suffice to say, Barnes may actually take this election. Not because he is the right candidate… but because the GOP screwed up in nominating Deal over Karen Handel. However, in fairness to Barnes, he was able to really push some solid state reforms through as well as the fact that cannot be ignored - in an era of tax-and-spend liberalism, he is actually a fiscal moderate. He’s pushed for tax cuts, and when you take education off the table, his voting record on taxes and fiscal policy is surprisingly sound. He’s the one we have to thank for the passage of those Tax Holidays we’ve enjoyed in the state before Purdue put the kibosh on it. As well as championing the Homestead Exemption Tax reform policies. So for that, he gets a little less ire from me. However, don’t call him a Blue Dog just yet. Because while he did that for the homeowners, his policies also increased the tax burdens on all Georgia businesses as well as being responsible for our tax hikes in State Sales tax, as well as Excise taxes on Gas, Booze, and Cigarettes. You want to know why we’re no longer one of the cheapest states for Gas? Thank King Roy.
End result: He is a career politician that takes his marching orders by and large from the big-government union reps and party line Democrats with little exception. While he’s not the worst man for the job… I have to admit he’s a better choice than the Dirty Deal.
Who am I voting for? John Monds actually. The Libertarian candidate is a fiscal conservative, social moderate, and a total underdog for the election. I cannot in good conscience vote for either major party candidate. I just won’t do it. So Monds gets my vote of no confidence in the current political climate. However, if Monds somehow gets enough of a vote (I’m hoping for 20%), it would force a runoff. In which case, I will hold my nose and vote Barnes. On Peach Pundit, you will find the best written argument against Nathan Deal than any I could possibly write. I hope that convinces you, if nothing else, to vote for anyone but Deal.
Lt. Governor
Despite the lack of attention, the role of Lt. Governor is actually very important for our day to day governmental operations. We are among the few states that elect our Lt. Governor separate from the Governor race, thus allowing us more freedom to decide on our leadership. Our current two candidates are:
Casey Cagle: Alright, the current Republican incumbent he stands a large chance of winning without even trying, based on anti-democrat sentiment alone. Which is sad, because those that track our local government feel he is just doing nothing with the position. Additionally, if you want to do some digging, you’ll see a lot of the ethical much slung on Deal splashes over to Cagle as well. So much so, that many Republicans are instead endorsing Carol Porter.
Carol Porter: Ms. Porter is the wife of House Minority Leader Duboise Porter. You may recall him from the failed attempt to run at Governor this past primary. She has never held public office, but has been a business owner of Middle Georgia local paper for two decades. But she has been the talk of the political enthusiasts for some time for having a sound mind for public policy that had, up until recently, only been employed via supporting her husband’s campaigns. Her main rally call for this race? Ethics. And rightfully so it seems from what I see in Cagle.
Who am I voting for? Carol Porter, hands down. The AJC, of all things, summarized this race incredibly well. One of the better sites covering local politics makes another clear point: let’s face it, Deal is likely to win. If Deal wins and Cagle wins, that’s too much power in Hall County, GA. That alone should help you vote for Porter with a clear conscience if you’re a Republican. And if you’re a Democrat, you’d have voted for her anyway. ;-)
Senator
One of our Senate seats is technically “up for grabs” though albeit in name only. In all honesty, I don’t see Isakson not retaining his seat for another term considering the political climate being what it is. With that said, let’s look at the big two:
Isakson: Our current Senator is actually not that bad a guy. Unlike a lot of politicians in the office, he really is in this game to represent his base. He works pretty hard and champions the efforts of Georgia and such. My problem with him is that he champions rural Georgia moreso than where I live. Petty, I know, but the fact remain this geriatric is just a tad out of touch with the world, and I was honestly hoping some young spitfire would oust him out of his seat in the primary. But as it is, he isn’t bad. I’ve written him a number of times, and his staff has always responded and handled my concerns well. Unlike his co-Georgian senator, what makes me actually like Isakson is the fact that he votes based on his own ideals and that isn’t always in line with the GOP. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not so much, as I am not fond of a lot of his more religious views. But at least it could be a lot worse, we could have been dealing with Saxby….wait. That’s right, he ended up winning his seat, the bastard. OK, ok, I digress.
Thurmond: So who is Mike Thurmond? Name sound familiar, right? Well, that’s due in part to his long and well recorded record in public service dating back 20+ years. He currently serves as our Commissioner of Labor for the State. Are you among the people in the breadline at the DoL? Were you a beneficiary of the new Georgia Works program? You think our state employment is a lot of red tape? Yep, Thurmond is the guy you either love or hate. Personally, I think he has bounced around public office so much I find respecting him based on service to be a bit hollow. When not in public office, he was lecturing at UGA. I can’t find any record of him interacting beyond the world of government or academia. Which, and no offense, is really out of touch with my own daily experiences. But, he’s a popular underdog in this race and I do respect him for really doing what he can to help, despite the fact that I think he is in politics because he doesn’t know how to do anything else but talk BS.
Who am I voting for? Isakson. While old as hell, he’s still has done a fair enough job in the Senate seat. I just hope next time someone younger and more reactive wins out the primary. Or maybe he’ll see the light and retire soon.
US Representative
Well folks, I don’t know what district you’re in, but for me, I have a doozy:
Hank Johnson: Our good old Democratic Incumbent is a partisan party-line enforcer. When he first got into the office, he took my letters, responded civilly and graciously, and I was OK with him. As the years have gone by he has gotten more and more of a joke, to the point where he even made the statement wondering if Guam would capsize if too many troops were on one side. That’s right. An island. Capsizing. Do I need to go on?
Liz Carter: This lady is a spitfire. She was an underdog in the primary, and has little to no hope of winning our district’s vote, as the overwhelming majority of voters in my district will just vote the party line, which in this case is Democrat. But despite that, she’s hopeful that enough Democrats will wake up and vote independent as they are likely tired of our district being the goddamn laughing stock of Congress (historic hint, we somehow elected Cynthia “Slaps-Security-Guards” McKinney before Hank). Oh, and did I mention that’s she LGBT Friendly far more than Hank? That’s my kind of Conservative. Pro-business, small government, and stay the hell out of my bedroom. Even one of my blogs likes her.
Who am I voting for? As if it isn’t obvious, Carter FTW. I seriously hope she pulls the biggest upset in local politics history on this one. Please, dear powers that be, please capsize Hank.
Secretary of State
Our elected office of Secretary of State is relatively non-partisan. Their role is mainly to handle the bulk of the paperwork that goes through the state office. Some of it, such as handling our elections as well as corporate filings, are crucial to the success of our state. The efficiency of this office is crucial to luring corporations and startups, thus increasing job prospects in our bleak economy.
Brian Kemp: He’s the current incumbent in this race, and since taking over from Karen Handel (who left early in her unsuccessful bid as Governor), had been doing great. In my job, I work with the SoS office a lot. So he really hasn’t had a full term of office to prove himself. Thus far, however, he has made good on every promise he’s made. However, he’s far from perfect. He ran a bit too much of a negative campaign during the primaries to keep his job. Despite that, he’s been solid in my book. If fiscal responsibility is your thing, I’d say Kemp is your guy. However, if you are of the belief that illegal citizens should have some say over our country’s electoral process, you may be better off voting Democrat like you usually do. He’s the one that really pressed for showing legal ID at the polls, something I approve of whole-heartedly.
Georganna Sinkfield: Who is she? She’s the state Rep. for Georgia’s 60th district and has had zero background in the corporate sector. She is challenging the incumbent based solely on wanting to inject social partisanship to an office that really has little to do with politicos. She has no real hope of winning, so I won’t even bother.
Who am I voting for? Kemp. The AJC’s fair summary of this race is outlined here.
Attorney General
The job of the AG is to represent the State’s legal interests, plain and simple. It is a very critical job that seriously doesn’t get enough attention outside the legal world. But since I AM in the legal world, I got the opportunity to really look at these two candidates closely. But before I do, let me just say that EITHER candidate will be worlds better than Thurbert Baker. This man… was just a terrible partisan AG and has not served the will of the people of Georgia, but instead served his own party, currently in the minority here. Just awful. Thank goodness he failed in his run for Governor.
Ken Hodges: Running to keep the democratic seat left by Baker is Ken Hodges, a former DA for Daughterty County, GA. If you are politically savvy, and let’s be frank if you’re reading far into my piece here you’re more using my findings as a jumping off point I hope, you may recall that the AJC uncovered some dirt on our potential candidate from about a decade ago. The link I attached summarizes in far more detail than you need, and then some more, suffice to say he was bit too pro-active and overstepped the bounds of the law - allegedly abusing his power, though unproven. I would also mention that he lacks the leadership skills for the job, and even the political action groups of his own party fails to support him entirely. In short, he is a partisan attorney DA of South Georgia with airs of improving his governmental station in life.
Sam Olens: OK, this is where my clear bias kicks in. In the name of fairness, I need to inform you that I’ve met and spoken with Mr. Olens personally. He is a really down to earth guy. He is the Chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, he was responsible for fixing the horribly broken Atlanta Regional Commission, and leading the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce among many other local examples of successful leadership. I think this PBA Profile does a great job of summing up his accomplishments. In addition to this, he has a long track record as a civil litigator in his own private practice (Hodges attacks him as being a politician and not a litigator. But Hodges’ attack rings hollow as the bulk of the AG Office is civil litigation, not criminal, as almost all of his experience comes from the side of a criminal prosecutor). When I spoke with him through my firm, he outlines a clear plan of action for the AG office and I truly believe he is the right man for the job.
Who am I voting for? Olens, hands down. Between Hodges and the Libertarian candidate, I am just hoping to avoid a runoff, as the AG needs to be up and running as soon as possible.
Commissioner of Agriculture
While I do live in the only metropolitan area in the state, you can’t be ignorant of the fact that our state is predominantly rural, and this very dependant on a strong Commissioner of Agriculture to defend the interests of the bulk of our state’s income, exports, and financial interests. I am going to break format from this point and just discuss the race. Gary Black is the Republican candidate, with JB Powell running as the Democrat. To put it simply, Black worked as a lobbyist for Georgia Agribusiness as well as being a farmer in his own right and Powell is a State Senator. For a position dealing with the farming community as well as regulating everything in our state from eggs to pet food, I think Black has more of the chops for the job. Again, the AJC does a good summary.
My Vote Goes to: Black ftw.
Commissioner of Insurance
Alright then, this race is similar to the AG. The former Commissioner, Republican John Oxendine, was also HORRIBLE at his job and also failed to get nominated in the gubernatorial race. Both candidates of the major parties are offering very different positions on how to tackle the job. Our options are Democratic nominee Mary Squires, and Republican Ralph Hudgins. This article sums up their differences fairly well. In a nutshell, it’s up to you to decide and vote along with your ideology.
My Vote Goes to: Hudgins. Anyone is better than Oxendine though, so I’m OK with either person.
Commissioner of Labor
You recall me talking about Mike Thurmond? Well, his seat is up for grabs with him running against Isakson. The role of the position has been given a lot of press lately due to our recession. This is the position at the help of our job program and unemployment benefits. It is been run by the democratic party going back to the days of early Zell Miller. Trying to keep the seat is Democrat Darryl Hicks, with a strong candidate in opposition in Republican Mark Butler. While the position has nothing to do with new jobs, it does regulate the DoL, which many friends I know are currently dependant upon. So with that in mind, you can put your politics aside at the door. I’ll sum it up like this: Hicks has a background with AGL (Atlanta Gas Light) as well as the Fulton County Commission whereas Butler was formerly the Appropriations vice chairman overseeing the budget for the Department of Labor and former chairman of the Labor subcommittee for the Ga. General Assembly. Who sounds more qualified to you?
My Vote Goes to: Butler.
Public Service Commissioner
So this is largely a regulatory gig, but since my job involves dealing with the Commission on a regular basis, more so than any other state agency really, I just asked around the firm to see who’s the best for the job. The general consensus was that Moffett had the best qualifications for the job and was well acquainted with the firm. So this vote is mainly for my continued employment. Please feel free to support him as well.
State Representative, 85th District
My district, bring the Emory/Decatur area, is represented by Democratic State Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield. I could tell you about her opposition, but it’s really not necessary. She has been a responsive and mindful representative, and has answered all my letters and even supported fiscally sound bills that have been through the House. I have no problems with her, so I’m voting to keep her in office.
DA, Stone Mtn. District Court
I will make this short. Ms. Constance Heard is a bit tarnished. Whereas Mr. James’ legal record is clean. I vote James.
The Judgeship Elections
Combining these ballots into one talking point. The role of judgeship demands consistency, so I would advice backing the incumbents, which other than one exception (Nahamias) are running unopposed. Nahamias comes highly endorsed here at the firm. As for the open slots on the Courts, I’ve heard nothing but good things about Chris McFadden for Court of Appeals and Courtney Johnson for the Stn. Mtn. Judicial Circuit Seat. Sorry, but believe it or not, other than Google Searches for their campaign websites, not much can be found on judges unless they go bad.
Proposed Constitutional Amendments & Statewide Referendum
OK, dear readers, this is the part that gets glossed over the most at the ballot box, but has a PERMANENT and long reaching effect FAR beyond the temporary positions we put in power. So I made sure to do some serious homework on this. And lo and behold, I found a brilliant summary of the Amendments from a State Rep. here in Georgia. It is very well worded and goes into detail for each and every Amendment Proposal, outlining the Pros, Cons, and how that Rep. will vote. I could not have done better if I tried.
Please Click Here and Read It.
I’ll wait for you to read it first…. All done? Good. Now I generally agree with him almost across the board. Here’s my take:
How Will I Vote? NO on Amendment No. 1. I disagree with Stacy on this due to Ga. Courts’ current position is more favorable to NDA negotiation and leverage as it is now. YES on Amendment No. 2-4. Not Voting on Amendment No. 5 as it’s only for 2 Ga. Counties and I have no clue as to its effects on them. And YES to the Referendum, for the reasons listed.
DeKalb County Special Election
If you read it on the ballot, you may be asking yourself, “Huh? What the hell does that mean?” I’ll translate it for you:
This is the five-year extension of the Property Tax Assessment Freeze that saves you money on your DeKalb County property taxes. The current freeze is set to expire at the end of the 2011 tax year. This renewal will last through 2016.
So vote YES unless you want to be paying more money. Your welcome.
And that’s the ballgame everyone. Please be sure to make time and go to the ballot box next Tuesday! This is a crucial election, and please be sure to have your voice counted. I hope this has been some manner of help to some of you. It certainly was a Herculean Task for me. ;-)
Take care and Rock the Vote!
Note this comes with my usual caveat, I’m of no political party, but I don’t well like government getting in my way, which it does all too much on both sides of the aisle. So please take my own opinions of the candidates with your usual grain of salt, those of you that I know read this. ;-) Also, I didn’t bother covering any race involving the school system as we have no kids so I intend to simply not cast a ballot for those races, as well as any opponent on my ballot that is running unopposed, seemed a waste of time. Also, I am using my own sample ballot to do my research, your results may vary. I urge you to check the Secretary of State’s Website to get your own sample ballot to see who you will be voting for and what Amendments are on the ballot sheet.
This marvelous cheat sheet web tool is helpful as well, thank you League of Women Voters.
So without further ado, I give you Georgia’s candidates for 2010, a pretty major election to boot:
Governor
Our governor race is perhaps the one getting the most press, so we’ll cover this one first. The two main opponents to take Sonny Purdue’s seat are Nathan Deal for the Republicans, and Roy Barnes for the Democrats. Let’s go over each.
Deal: I can’t say too much in favor of this man. He’s called “Dirty Deal” and if you begin to look into him and his stances, you’ll first see the many attacks on his financial and ethical conduct. Let’s come back to that. First, he his a long term career politician. As such, we have a clear example of his voting record. During his time under Bush’s administration, he voted along with the majority of the party line as they increased spending and size of government immensely. He votes on the hard line right-wing conservative record. To be honest, I can provide you links and examples, but suffice to say that he’s no different than the far-right talking heads. Pro-life, anti-gay marriage, blah, blah, blah. So if you are a strict conservative voter, you’d think this is your guy. Think again. Allow me to provide you with a link. (See below, re: My Pick.) Now back to Dirty Deal. First up, his tax records. Then, the deals that - while technically legal - allowed his own company to receive excusive government contracts and thus profit off his own service of public office. Sadly, they never made a case of it. Now if you follow the news, you’d have heard he is going belly up with an investment of one of his daughter’s failing business. Despite the hype, it’s a non-issue and actually on the level from what I see. Sad to say, the media sharks TORE HIM a new one. I kind of feel sorry for the family, as best expressed in a letter from the youngest daughter.
End result: He’s NO different from Perdue. Not as corrupt as he’s painted to be, but definitely a career politician that seeks to simply let things coast and keep up the status quo rather than get his hands dirty and really attack the issues facing our state. I simply cannot in good conscience endorse him as a viable candidate.
Barnes: We go from horrid to slightly less repugnant. “King Roy” as he is called was already our Governor. During his term of office, he proceeded to hammer down his liberal ideology down the throats of an uncooperative state congress, he pushed his legislative agenda so hard and so much, that he is the only governor in the history of our state to lose re-election. Partly due to the upset around his desire to change the state flag, partly because his education reform package caused teachers - who bought and paid for him - to loose tenure status. Regardless, this is schmuck is also on record as apologizing for his own time in office. And while I am OK with someone learning from his mistakes, I am equally disgusted with the negative ads he is running as well as the smear against him coming from Deal. I could link you to a lot of stories about the mistakes of Barnes, or how he is simply a talking mouth paid for by the Teachers Unions, but I’d rather keep it clean for now. Suffice to say, Barnes may actually take this election. Not because he is the right candidate… but because the GOP screwed up in nominating Deal over Karen Handel. However, in fairness to Barnes, he was able to really push some solid state reforms through as well as the fact that cannot be ignored - in an era of tax-and-spend liberalism, he is actually a fiscal moderate. He’s pushed for tax cuts, and when you take education off the table, his voting record on taxes and fiscal policy is surprisingly sound. He’s the one we have to thank for the passage of those Tax Holidays we’ve enjoyed in the state before Purdue put the kibosh on it. As well as championing the Homestead Exemption Tax reform policies. So for that, he gets a little less ire from me. However, don’t call him a Blue Dog just yet. Because while he did that for the homeowners, his policies also increased the tax burdens on all Georgia businesses as well as being responsible for our tax hikes in State Sales tax, as well as Excise taxes on Gas, Booze, and Cigarettes. You want to know why we’re no longer one of the cheapest states for Gas? Thank King Roy.
End result: He is a career politician that takes his marching orders by and large from the big-government union reps and party line Democrats with little exception. While he’s not the worst man for the job… I have to admit he’s a better choice than the Dirty Deal.
Who am I voting for? John Monds actually. The Libertarian candidate is a fiscal conservative, social moderate, and a total underdog for the election. I cannot in good conscience vote for either major party candidate. I just won’t do it. So Monds gets my vote of no confidence in the current political climate. However, if Monds somehow gets enough of a vote (I’m hoping for 20%), it would force a runoff. In which case, I will hold my nose and vote Barnes. On Peach Pundit, you will find the best written argument against Nathan Deal than any I could possibly write. I hope that convinces you, if nothing else, to vote for anyone but Deal.
Lt. Governor
Despite the lack of attention, the role of Lt. Governor is actually very important for our day to day governmental operations. We are among the few states that elect our Lt. Governor separate from the Governor race, thus allowing us more freedom to decide on our leadership. Our current two candidates are:
Casey Cagle: Alright, the current Republican incumbent he stands a large chance of winning without even trying, based on anti-democrat sentiment alone. Which is sad, because those that track our local government feel he is just doing nothing with the position. Additionally, if you want to do some digging, you’ll see a lot of the ethical much slung on Deal splashes over to Cagle as well. So much so, that many Republicans are instead endorsing Carol Porter.
Carol Porter: Ms. Porter is the wife of House Minority Leader Duboise Porter. You may recall him from the failed attempt to run at Governor this past primary. She has never held public office, but has been a business owner of Middle Georgia local paper for two decades. But she has been the talk of the political enthusiasts for some time for having a sound mind for public policy that had, up until recently, only been employed via supporting her husband’s campaigns. Her main rally call for this race? Ethics. And rightfully so it seems from what I see in Cagle.
Who am I voting for? Carol Porter, hands down. The AJC, of all things, summarized this race incredibly well. One of the better sites covering local politics makes another clear point: let’s face it, Deal is likely to win. If Deal wins and Cagle wins, that’s too much power in Hall County, GA. That alone should help you vote for Porter with a clear conscience if you’re a Republican. And if you’re a Democrat, you’d have voted for her anyway. ;-)
Senator
One of our Senate seats is technically “up for grabs” though albeit in name only. In all honesty, I don’t see Isakson not retaining his seat for another term considering the political climate being what it is. With that said, let’s look at the big two:
Isakson: Our current Senator is actually not that bad a guy. Unlike a lot of politicians in the office, he really is in this game to represent his base. He works pretty hard and champions the efforts of Georgia and such. My problem with him is that he champions rural Georgia moreso than where I live. Petty, I know, but the fact remain this geriatric is just a tad out of touch with the world, and I was honestly hoping some young spitfire would oust him out of his seat in the primary. But as it is, he isn’t bad. I’ve written him a number of times, and his staff has always responded and handled my concerns well. Unlike his co-Georgian senator, what makes me actually like Isakson is the fact that he votes based on his own ideals and that isn’t always in line with the GOP. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not so much, as I am not fond of a lot of his more religious views. But at least it could be a lot worse, we could have been dealing with Saxby….wait. That’s right, he ended up winning his seat, the bastard. OK, ok, I digress.
Thurmond: So who is Mike Thurmond? Name sound familiar, right? Well, that’s due in part to his long and well recorded record in public service dating back 20+ years. He currently serves as our Commissioner of Labor for the State. Are you among the people in the breadline at the DoL? Were you a beneficiary of the new Georgia Works program? You think our state employment is a lot of red tape? Yep, Thurmond is the guy you either love or hate. Personally, I think he has bounced around public office so much I find respecting him based on service to be a bit hollow. When not in public office, he was lecturing at UGA. I can’t find any record of him interacting beyond the world of government or academia. Which, and no offense, is really out of touch with my own daily experiences. But, he’s a popular underdog in this race and I do respect him for really doing what he can to help, despite the fact that I think he is in politics because he doesn’t know how to do anything else but talk BS.
Who am I voting for? Isakson. While old as hell, he’s still has done a fair enough job in the Senate seat. I just hope next time someone younger and more reactive wins out the primary. Or maybe he’ll see the light and retire soon.
US Representative
Well folks, I don’t know what district you’re in, but for me, I have a doozy:
Hank Johnson: Our good old Democratic Incumbent is a partisan party-line enforcer. When he first got into the office, he took my letters, responded civilly and graciously, and I was OK with him. As the years have gone by he has gotten more and more of a joke, to the point where he even made the statement wondering if Guam would capsize if too many troops were on one side. That’s right. An island. Capsizing. Do I need to go on?
Liz Carter: This lady is a spitfire. She was an underdog in the primary, and has little to no hope of winning our district’s vote, as the overwhelming majority of voters in my district will just vote the party line, which in this case is Democrat. But despite that, she’s hopeful that enough Democrats will wake up and vote independent as they are likely tired of our district being the goddamn laughing stock of Congress (historic hint, we somehow elected Cynthia “Slaps-Security-Guards” McKinney before Hank). Oh, and did I mention that’s she LGBT Friendly far more than Hank? That’s my kind of Conservative. Pro-business, small government, and stay the hell out of my bedroom. Even one of my blogs likes her.
Who am I voting for? As if it isn’t obvious, Carter FTW. I seriously hope she pulls the biggest upset in local politics history on this one. Please, dear powers that be, please capsize Hank.
Secretary of State
Our elected office of Secretary of State is relatively non-partisan. Their role is mainly to handle the bulk of the paperwork that goes through the state office. Some of it, such as handling our elections as well as corporate filings, are crucial to the success of our state. The efficiency of this office is crucial to luring corporations and startups, thus increasing job prospects in our bleak economy.
Brian Kemp: He’s the current incumbent in this race, and since taking over from Karen Handel (who left early in her unsuccessful bid as Governor), had been doing great. In my job, I work with the SoS office a lot. So he really hasn’t had a full term of office to prove himself. Thus far, however, he has made good on every promise he’s made. However, he’s far from perfect. He ran a bit too much of a negative campaign during the primaries to keep his job. Despite that, he’s been solid in my book. If fiscal responsibility is your thing, I’d say Kemp is your guy. However, if you are of the belief that illegal citizens should have some say over our country’s electoral process, you may be better off voting Democrat like you usually do. He’s the one that really pressed for showing legal ID at the polls, something I approve of whole-heartedly.
Georganna Sinkfield: Who is she? She’s the state Rep. for Georgia’s 60th district and has had zero background in the corporate sector. She is challenging the incumbent based solely on wanting to inject social partisanship to an office that really has little to do with politicos. She has no real hope of winning, so I won’t even bother.
Who am I voting for? Kemp. The AJC’s fair summary of this race is outlined here.
Attorney General
The job of the AG is to represent the State’s legal interests, plain and simple. It is a very critical job that seriously doesn’t get enough attention outside the legal world. But since I AM in the legal world, I got the opportunity to really look at these two candidates closely. But before I do, let me just say that EITHER candidate will be worlds better than Thurbert Baker. This man… was just a terrible partisan AG and has not served the will of the people of Georgia, but instead served his own party, currently in the minority here. Just awful. Thank goodness he failed in his run for Governor.
Ken Hodges: Running to keep the democratic seat left by Baker is Ken Hodges, a former DA for Daughterty County, GA. If you are politically savvy, and let’s be frank if you’re reading far into my piece here you’re more using my findings as a jumping off point I hope, you may recall that the AJC uncovered some dirt on our potential candidate from about a decade ago. The link I attached summarizes in far more detail than you need, and then some more, suffice to say he was bit too pro-active and overstepped the bounds of the law - allegedly abusing his power, though unproven. I would also mention that he lacks the leadership skills for the job, and even the political action groups of his own party fails to support him entirely. In short, he is a partisan attorney DA of South Georgia with airs of improving his governmental station in life.
Sam Olens: OK, this is where my clear bias kicks in. In the name of fairness, I need to inform you that I’ve met and spoken with Mr. Olens personally. He is a really down to earth guy. He is the Chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, he was responsible for fixing the horribly broken Atlanta Regional Commission, and leading the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce among many other local examples of successful leadership. I think this PBA Profile does a great job of summing up his accomplishments. In addition to this, he has a long track record as a civil litigator in his own private practice (Hodges attacks him as being a politician and not a litigator. But Hodges’ attack rings hollow as the bulk of the AG Office is civil litigation, not criminal, as almost all of his experience comes from the side of a criminal prosecutor). When I spoke with him through my firm, he outlines a clear plan of action for the AG office and I truly believe he is the right man for the job.
Who am I voting for? Olens, hands down. Between Hodges and the Libertarian candidate, I am just hoping to avoid a runoff, as the AG needs to be up and running as soon as possible.
Commissioner of Agriculture
While I do live in the only metropolitan area in the state, you can’t be ignorant of the fact that our state is predominantly rural, and this very dependant on a strong Commissioner of Agriculture to defend the interests of the bulk of our state’s income, exports, and financial interests. I am going to break format from this point and just discuss the race. Gary Black is the Republican candidate, with JB Powell running as the Democrat. To put it simply, Black worked as a lobbyist for Georgia Agribusiness as well as being a farmer in his own right and Powell is a State Senator. For a position dealing with the farming community as well as regulating everything in our state from eggs to pet food, I think Black has more of the chops for the job. Again, the AJC does a good summary.
My Vote Goes to: Black ftw.
Commissioner of Insurance
Alright then, this race is similar to the AG. The former Commissioner, Republican John Oxendine, was also HORRIBLE at his job and also failed to get nominated in the gubernatorial race. Both candidates of the major parties are offering very different positions on how to tackle the job. Our options are Democratic nominee Mary Squires, and Republican Ralph Hudgins. This article sums up their differences fairly well. In a nutshell, it’s up to you to decide and vote along with your ideology.
My Vote Goes to: Hudgins. Anyone is better than Oxendine though, so I’m OK with either person.
Commissioner of Labor
You recall me talking about Mike Thurmond? Well, his seat is up for grabs with him running against Isakson. The role of the position has been given a lot of press lately due to our recession. This is the position at the help of our job program and unemployment benefits. It is been run by the democratic party going back to the days of early Zell Miller. Trying to keep the seat is Democrat Darryl Hicks, with a strong candidate in opposition in Republican Mark Butler. While the position has nothing to do with new jobs, it does regulate the DoL, which many friends I know are currently dependant upon. So with that in mind, you can put your politics aside at the door. I’ll sum it up like this: Hicks has a background with AGL (Atlanta Gas Light) as well as the Fulton County Commission whereas Butler was formerly the Appropriations vice chairman overseeing the budget for the Department of Labor and former chairman of the Labor subcommittee for the Ga. General Assembly. Who sounds more qualified to you?
My Vote Goes to: Butler.
Public Service Commissioner
So this is largely a regulatory gig, but since my job involves dealing with the Commission on a regular basis, more so than any other state agency really, I just asked around the firm to see who’s the best for the job. The general consensus was that Moffett had the best qualifications for the job and was well acquainted with the firm. So this vote is mainly for my continued employment. Please feel free to support him as well.
State Representative, 85th District
My district, bring the Emory/Decatur area, is represented by Democratic State Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield. I could tell you about her opposition, but it’s really not necessary. She has been a responsive and mindful representative, and has answered all my letters and even supported fiscally sound bills that have been through the House. I have no problems with her, so I’m voting to keep her in office.
DA, Stone Mtn. District Court
I will make this short. Ms. Constance Heard is a bit tarnished. Whereas Mr. James’ legal record is clean. I vote James.
The Judgeship Elections
Combining these ballots into one talking point. The role of judgeship demands consistency, so I would advice backing the incumbents, which other than one exception (Nahamias) are running unopposed. Nahamias comes highly endorsed here at the firm. As for the open slots on the Courts, I’ve heard nothing but good things about Chris McFadden for Court of Appeals and Courtney Johnson for the Stn. Mtn. Judicial Circuit Seat. Sorry, but believe it or not, other than Google Searches for their campaign websites, not much can be found on judges unless they go bad.
Proposed Constitutional Amendments & Statewide Referendum
OK, dear readers, this is the part that gets glossed over the most at the ballot box, but has a PERMANENT and long reaching effect FAR beyond the temporary positions we put in power. So I made sure to do some serious homework on this. And lo and behold, I found a brilliant summary of the Amendments from a State Rep. here in Georgia. It is very well worded and goes into detail for each and every Amendment Proposal, outlining the Pros, Cons, and how that Rep. will vote. I could not have done better if I tried.
Please Click Here and Read It.
I’ll wait for you to read it first…. All done? Good. Now I generally agree with him almost across the board. Here’s my take:
How Will I Vote? NO on Amendment No. 1. I disagree with Stacy on this due to Ga. Courts’ current position is more favorable to NDA negotiation and leverage as it is now. YES on Amendment No. 2-4. Not Voting on Amendment No. 5 as it’s only for 2 Ga. Counties and I have no clue as to its effects on them. And YES to the Referendum, for the reasons listed.
DeKalb County Special Election
If you read it on the ballot, you may be asking yourself, “Huh? What the hell does that mean?” I’ll translate it for you:
This is the five-year extension of the Property Tax Assessment Freeze that saves you money on your DeKalb County property taxes. The current freeze is set to expire at the end of the 2011 tax year. This renewal will last through 2016.
So vote YES unless you want to be paying more money. Your welcome.
And that’s the ballgame everyone. Please be sure to make time and go to the ballot box next Tuesday! This is a crucial election, and please be sure to have your voice counted. I hope this has been some manner of help to some of you. It certainly was a Herculean Task for me. ;-)
Take care and Rock the Vote!