Press Releases 2002

 

January 4, 2002

January 18, 2002

January 24, 2002: Separation of Church and State, Etc.

January 31, 2002: Week Two

February 7, 2002: State of the State Critique

February 14, 2002

February 15, 2002

February 21, 2002: Options to More Government

March 1, 2002: Paradigm Shift

March 8, 2002: Legislating and Politicking

March 14, 2002: All Politics Are Local

March 22, 2002: Legislative Aide's Perspective

April 4, 2002: Points of Personal Privilege

April 10, 2002

April 15, 2002

April 29, 2002

 

 

January 4, 2002

 

Yvonne White, President Troup County Republican Women (TCRW) and Representative Jeff Brown are please to announce that Congressman Mac Collins will speak at a meeting of the TCRW on Tuesday, January 8, 2002 at 12:00 p.m. at the Taste of Lemon in LaGrange.  All are welcome.

 

The cost for lunch is $9.00.  Reservations must be made by 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 12, 2002.  Call Yvonne White 706-884-4233.  Oletta Aspinwall 706-884-7954 or Evie Cushman 706-884-0261.

 

Congressman Collins is serving his fifth two year term representing the third district.  If the Congressional redistricting map that the Georgia Legislature passed several months ago is upheld by the Appeals court in Washington DC.  Mac will represent half of Troup County for the first time.

 

Mac Collins is a native of Flovilla, Georgia.  He served on their City Council, was Chairman of the Butts County Commission and served two terms in the Georgia State Senate.  He started Collins Trucking at the age of 18. 

 

For more information call Rep. Jeff Brown at 706-884-3232.

 

 

January 18, 2002

 

As we begin the legislative session, I feel democracy in the State of Georgia is very vulnerable.  The following is evidence. 

 

A recent poll indicates that 81% of the polled citizens say the decisions of legislators have little or no relevance to their lives and 68% said that they pay no attention to what the legislature does.  Observers of democracy have long contended that this is a prescription for the demise of democracy. 

 

The second proof statement is that the Democrats have controlled both houses of the legislature as well as the Governor’s office for over 150 years.  This creates fewer checks and balances, a bureaucracy that is only beholden to the Governor and lobbyists who have far too much influence. 

 

Third, state government is being run almost exclusively by Governor Barnes.  Redistricting, the vote on the flag, the Education Reform bill (no involvement of the education community), Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and the water bill are some examples of this. 

 

The Press has characterized some of the above as follows: “the General Assembly is merely performing ceremonial duties”.  Another quote reads:   “the General Assembly has effectively ceased to function as a forum for substantive debate” and “it’s an institution that produces one dimensional solutions to yesterday’s problems”. 

 

Finally money is being contributed in record amounts to the Governor.  He is on track to raise over 15 million dollars; much of it coming from telecommunications companies hoping to influence his decision on the awarding of a two billion dollar telecommunication contract.  Also large sums of money are being donated by highway and school contractors trying to influence his decisions on a billion dollars worth of contracts that will soon be awarded for each. 

 

What can you do if this concerns you?  First, you need to recognize that state government impacts all of us in scores of ways.  For starters, it pays for over two thirds of all of the cost of public education and sets the standards that local districts have to follow.  Also your state taxes pay for much of the State University System,  Technical Colleges, Medicaid, over 100,000 state employees, the state health insurance plan that covers 600,000 Georgians who are either present or retired state workers or present or retired teachers.  Second you need to elect Representatives and Senators who will demand checks and balances.  However, since each of us can only vote for one Representative and one Senator, the fastest way to correct a lot of this is to have a Governor who is not a Democrat.  I offer former Senator Sonny Perdue for your consideration.

 

Against this back drop, the one thing of significance that we did this week was start into the budget as the Governor gave his annual budget speech.  He continues to take credit for a tax cut that we passed four years ago which is being phased in over five years to increase the Homestead Exemption to 50 thousand dollars.  The net of this is that there are no tax decreases in his budget.  Republicans are proposing a one thousand dollar tax credit per child in childcare and a phase out of state income taxes for those over 65.  Governor Barnes quickly said this was fiscally irresponsible, would cost 1.5 billion dollars and would necessitate cutting teacher salaries by 30%.  His reaction is not based on fact and uses scare tactics.  Did it occur to him that working families and the elderly could use such a tax break, that this could stimulate the economy and could be paid for by cutting pork and bloated expenditures? 

 

What we didn’t hear about is where the revenues will come from to continue the growth of government in Georgia despite revenues being down due to the recession, (spending has increased 86% in ten years while we’ve only had a 24% increase in population).  The answer as to where the Governor is getting these monies is primarily from creating almost a billion dollars worth of additional bonded indebtedness.  There are other sources such as the 100 million dollars that he took from the Teacher’s Retirement System Retirement fund. 

 

Call me at 404-656-0177 or e-mail me at jbrown@legis.state.ga.us.

 

 

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, ETC.

January 24, 2002

 

Recently I was in a discussion where several people were stating that this country has been well served by the separation of church and state, but that this separation is now being jeopardized by conservative Christians trying to influence legislation.  My response then and now is that this typical liberal mantra seriously distorts the concept of separation of church and state and, that in point of fact, liberals have been far more successful pushing their agenda then have conservative Christians. 

 

While not an attorney, my understanding of the separation of church and state is basically that it is a constitutional provision prohibiting the making of a law that would interlock official functions of the government with official functions of the church.  Put another way there is to be no government sponsored nor required religion.  Further, the Bill of Rights calls for religious freedom.  I contend that our founding fathers believed in a nation that would be governed with Christian morality.  As examples,   ‘In God we trust’ on our money and ‘one nation under God’ in our pledge were not throw away terms.

 

As for liberals being more successful than conservatives please consider: the government approved growth of gambling; abortion rights; prayer in school was banned; not allowing the posting of the Ten Commandments in public buildings; requiring the same fringe benefits for homosexual couples as married couples; the liberalization of sexual mores; removal of ‘blue laws’; the demise of many Christian colleges, etc.  While some of these have been influenced by court decisions it takes activists to pursue such.  Tell me what conservative Christians have done that begins to compare to the foregoing.

 

What conservatives and liberals need to understand is that all of us have a right to try to influence government.  John Adams said it well: “We ought to avow our opinions and defend them with boldness” and “the middle way is no way at all.”  Liberals seem to practice both admonitions of Adams better than conservatives.  Columnist Jim Wooten says of this, “Conservatives make a terrible mistake.  Convinced of media bias, certain that their views will be summarized, characterized and marginalized many choose to walk away, to disengage, to tune out.”

 

Now for etc., LaGrange has a very serious problem with approximately 2,500 of our 11,000 housing units being substandard.  People living in such suffer in many ways including poorer health, lower academic achievement and for that matter spiritually.  I am delighted to see that Ricky Wolfe is spearheading a program called DASH which stands for Dependable, Affordable, Sustainable Housing.  One local executive said DASH was one of the best efforts he has seen.  He added, that for an industry considering where to locate it is far more impressive to see a community recognizing that they have a problem, which all do, and doing something about it than those who say everything is good, which it never is.

 

Last week, I attended a luncheon at the Capitol where Jane Fonda was speaking about reducing teenage pregnancies.  Our area has a very high rate of such pregnancies.  Fortunately there are several significant efforts underway locally to reduce this and some of the key people involved in them were at the luncheon.

 

Apparently the latest theories once again are emphasizing how much cognitive, emotional and social development happens before age four.  This ties to teenage pregnancy because those who advocate this importance are claiming that without proper adult involvement the incidence of problems later on, such as teen pregnancy, is very high.  While I agree with the basic concept, I want to make sure programs such as Georgia Early Learning Initiative (GELI) don’t become yet another massive government program; most of which have been massive failures.  Instead we need to prioritize full scale public and private efforts to reduce teen pregnancies.  No matter how much we spend on GELI, children born to children will have a higher probability of being convicted of a crime, becoming pregnant as a teen and doing poorly in school. 

 

Further, such children are not a lost cause if all does not go well before they enter school.  The former Dean of the Terry School of Business at UGA shared with several of us who serve on the Founding Board of the Georgia Virtual Charter School that the Drew Charter School in East Lake started with 80% of their students reading below grade level.  Within one semester 60% were reading at or above grade level! This is but one of thousands of examples.

 

I still have several slots for pages this session.  All that is required is to be at least 12.  Call me at 404-656-0177 or e-mail me at jbrown@legis.state.ga.us.

 

 

Week Two

January 31, 2002

                                                                                                       

It was a very busy week for visitors which is always good to bring local relevance to the process.  Dr. Art Holbrook along with Dr. Harry McGinnis, a consultant, came here in regard to the recently resurrected West Point Lake Development Authority.  We had 99 members of the LaGrange High School football team and coaches here to be honored for winning the State AAA title.  You would have been proud of them.  Several local bankers were here for a community bankers luncheon.  Also it was Presbyterian Day at the Capitol and Dr. George Sinclair, my minister at First Presbyterian Church LaGrange, came to introduce me as a speaker.  I spoke on legislative issues effecting the elderly.  Also LaGrange City and Chamber members were here for an Economic Development lunch.  The Georgia Industry Association had their annual reception and four local industry representatives attended.  Then Dr. Stuart Gulley of LaGrange College and several of his board members came for a reception at the Carter Center where former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young spoke.  Two of the top management people of Spectrum Stores out of West Point, three pages from LaGrange and Congressman Bob Barr rounded out our visitors this week.  Let me know when you are coming.  

 

As I mentioned earlier, the Governor is doing some interesting financial manipulations to continue the growth of government despite a recession.  One of those was HB1000 which took $416 million dollars that we were supposed to have been spent from general funds for building new classrooms but instead will be paid for with bonds.  Therefore, aside from the principal and interest paid this year the balance of the money, about $400 million, will be available to spend in the upcoming budget.  I voted for this as did all but four House members.  

 

Thursday, for the third time in a year, my wife and I had an opportunity to hear President Bush speak in person.  He reinforced his philosophy of less government, more control at the local level, empowering the family and more personal responsibility.  (I totally support these basic tenets of conservatism.)  In regard to more personal responsibility he reiterated from his State of the Nation a call for each of us to spend 4000 hours (2 years) in public service over our life time.  For more information call toll free 877-USA-CORP or visit www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

Andrew Young made an excellent point that we have basically resolved the black/white issue and  need to be moving on.  He was specifically recommending that we have a similar healing, if you will, between some of the major religions of the world especially given the events of 9/11.  I grow very weary of some blacks who see everything as black and white.  Bear in mind that some profit financially and/or power wise from espousing this largely outdated position.  Correspondingly, I have no time for white bigots who practice their low intelligence brand of hatred. 

 

With revelations of heavy contributions by Enron to Republicans and Democrats, there is a growing movement for campaign finance reform.  I agree action is needed but we must be very careful that we don’t violate constitutional rights. The McCain Feingold legislation will kill off funding to grass roots advocacy organizations who have a right to be heard but it takes money for them to be heard.  With them silent we will be pretty much dependent on the media for our information. I don’t feel very comfortable with that imbalance of liberalism.  (I welcome a debate on this opinion.)

 

Further, we have laws on the books to stop many of the campaign abuses.  As examples we have one former State Senator serving 42 months in jail, another has been indicted and yet a third paid an $8500 fine.  I must admit that at the same time, I am curious as to how some legislators who arrived here very modestly now drive very expensive cars and wear expensive wardrobes.  You hear stories about some telling contributors that if they want that particular legislator to be more active in the cause of the giver, they need to give more money.  I even heard a comment that one legislator returned a $250 check to the contributor and said, “obviously you don’t understand the influence that I have in the legislative process”.  Sad comment!!!.

 

Call me at 404-656-0177 or e-mail to jbrown@legis.state.ga.us.

 

 

State of the State Critique

February 7, 2002

 

Wednesday Governor Barnes gave his annual State of the State message.  In general he said Georgia is in good shape relative to some states.  I agree.  However, I think he overstates some of the good things and either disregards, minimizes and/or sugar coats some of the problems.

 

I was asked by our Whip to send my thoughts on the speech to him while the speech was being given via Yahoo Messenger through our linked computers.  He wanted this for the response the Republican leadership gave after the State of the State just as the Democrats did following the Presidents State of the Nation speech. What follows are my actual instant messages in italics:

 

He keeps talking about the Homestead exemption increase that We approved several years ago.  The new bonds, one hundred million dollars from the Teacher Retirement System, cuts in vital human services, etc. are how he is achieving some of his claims of our fiscal health vs. other states.

 

After the Governor mentioned that he was proposing that we reduce the unemployment tax, align the state tax with federal taxes to save some taxes and a tax holiday in March and again in August, I wrote the following: We applaud his tax cuts.  Mitchell just had a good quote, to see what the Governor will say next year, listen to what the Republicans are saying this year.  This was prompted by the fact that Republican legislators, for the past several years, have submitted bills calling for tax holidays.  The Governor even went so far as to mention two Democrats who authored this bill.  This was greeted by a chorus of boos.   

 

The Governor then moved in to public education, talking about all the additional monies we’re spending for teacher’s salaries over the last eight years, smaller class sizes, etc.  At that point I typed: “Dangerous ground but do we say given all that has been done for public education, isn’t it about time to see results?  The truth of the matter is that until we have more personal responsibility by students, parents and all school personnel, the improvements will not keep up with all that the taxpayers are spending to try to improve public education.”

 

Afterwards the Governor talked about all of the improvements we’ve made in healthcare welfare such as the Peach Care Program that now covers over 200,000 under age18 plus 550,000 under age 18 who receive healthcare through the Medicaid program.  In this regard I typed: “Where is the fairness in giving 1/3 of all those under 18 in Georgia free healthcare while 1.5 million have no insurance?  The truth is that Medicaid that is $400,000,000 over budget, gives those who pay nothing for it more choices than those who pay for their health insurance and it requires no personal responsibility.  Further, healthcare in Georgia suffers from legislative neglect on one hand and excessive legislative requirements which unnecessarily drive up the cost of healthcare.” 

 

In an earlier article, I reported that following the Republicans proposal for phasing out the state income tax for those over age 65, the Governor quickly retorted that this would cost 1.3 billion dollars and necessitate reducing teacher salaries by 30%.  I told you then that those numbers were erroneous and that he was using scare tactics.  From the Governor’s own Office of Planning and Budget we just received a report that shows our proposal would cost $450,000,000.  The Governor needs to recognize that he’s in a major leadership position and such behavior and inaccuracy is unacceptable.

 

Lack of financial disclosure is becoming an increasing concern of mine.  If our citizens can not believe that their elected officials are voting for what is best for their constituents versus what their contributors want representative government is threatened.  I hear of legislators being consultants which is a payoff for their votes with nothing returned for this consulting except those votes.  Another abuse is having contributors send money to a foundation for exactly the same reason as a consulting arrangement.  Neither practice is required to be reported under our present disclosure laws but could be felony crimes.  One national organization rates Georgia’s disclosure laws among the weakest in the country.  I am working with our leadership to introduce legislative to significantly improve this.  

 

 

February 14, 2002

 

. . . point in the 2002 Legislative Session.  As most predicted, before the session even began, there has been very little accomplished.  The main reason is the legislators do not desire of taking up anything controversial as they prepare to run for re-election in November. 

 

I have previously accused Governor Barnes of legislating by the polls.  This is really two indictments; one is that he is legislating, which he is not supposed to be doing, and secondly much of what he is doing is driven by the polls vs. principal.  Let me site yet three more examples for this latter point. 

 

He began to feel the pressure for some type of sales tax relief.  So in the State of the State address, he introduced a sales tax holiday, which I reported last week it had been a Republican proposal for a number of years.  He even went so far as to have his floor leaders get it engrossed which means it cannot be amended.  As an ?? several years ago the Democrat leadership in the House made it much easier to engross a bill.  I believe that this significantly weakens the debate that is suppose to accompany the consideration of a bill in both a committee as well as on the House floor and for that matter the same two in the Senate.  Basically the sales tax holiday starts with Passover and is exceedingly ambiguous.  Instead of just declaring a true sales tax holiday, he has put in a very watered down list such as sneakers under one hundred dollars, etc.  We believe that it will be a nightmare for the retailers and in the end a very minimal help to the families that we had intended for this to help. 

 

A second example is that in the natural gas area.  Remember that Governor Barnes has a very close relationship with Atlanta Gas Light and the board members of that company and for that matter the law firm that represents them.  If you accompany this with a growing feeling that Atlanta Gas Light who really was the prime motivator for deregulation a couple years ago and who now has benefited while thousands have suffered you begin to understand the dilemma that the Governor is in.  Nonetheless, we anticipate and it’s getting very late in the process that he will introduce some bill that in essence will become welfare gas just to appease the polls which overwhelmingly are looking for some type of relief. 

 

The third example is in regard to Mike Tyson of all things.  Is it not strange that the Governor suddenly that he is going to possibly try to revoke the license that Tyson was recently given to have a fight here after the debacle in Las Vegas and the fact that a poll indicated that 73% of Georgians feel this way? 

 

The main thing we did was done on Thursday which was the passage of the supplemental budget.  We are halfway through the 2002 budget year and each year we have to make adjustments because of revenues, unforeseen expenses and one of the largest factors being a funding to the schools once we know what their actual enrollment is for the 2001-02 school year.  I continue to deplore the whole process.  The truth of the matter is, we do not look at what they call the continuation budget which today accounts for over 90% of the sixteen billion dollar plus budget.  As a matter of fact any line item that has been such for five years becomes part on continuation and we don’t look at it again except under very unusual circumstances.  The process, once again, proves the power of the Governor in our whole legislative process.  While it’s supposed to be the House that originates much of this, the truth of the matter is, the Governor presents the legislature a budget which is just ?? basically talks about 10% of the expenses.  All the Appropriations committee spends untold hours looking at it.  They only changed approximately 7% of what the Governor proposed and remember that’s 7% of the 10% or less than 1% of the total budget.  Most of those changes were to protect head projects of key legislators that the Governor had suggested be cut.  A classic example is, the $34,000 expenditure with Easter Seals in Columbus.  Is it a coincidence that two of the most powerful House members reside in Columbus?   Why is it that Columbus should get this help for a charity vs. the thousands of other charities in hundreds of other communities across this state?  Remember these are your tax dollars.

 

There is a growing sentiment in the legislature as well as across the country to help seniors with their prescription bills.  As a matter of fact, we have HB711 that across the board would primarily put across upon the backs of the pharmacists a significant reduction regardless of income.  This prompts two thoughts.  First, whenever a government makes an exemption in taxing in the end it puts the burden on the rest of us who are not exempted unless there is a corresponding expense cut which there seldom is.  I must tell you, it gals me to hear seniors as a case and point, suddenly want to be excused from paying school taxes because they don’t have children in school.  What about the seniors, who for decades past, were paying for the present day seniors kids to be in school? 

 

The second point is that the reality is that a significant number of our older citizens are financially well off and some for the best they’ve ever been in their life because most of their expenses have been eliminated or reduced.  Why should the rest of the tax payers help to underwrite their prescription cost or relieve them of paying school taxes?  Make no mistake, I clearly understand that we have a number of senior citizens who are in dire financial straits.  I believe that we need to continue to protect such that they don’t have to give up their home unless they want to and that they have reasonable medical care.  That said, it’s very different than the proposals for tax relief, help with prescription costs across the board for all regardless of income.  The truth of the matter is the group upon which that burden for additional taxes supports such will fall most heavily are young couples with young children significant percentage of whom are strapped to make ends meet which often involuntarily drives the spouse back to the workplace vs. staying home to raise children where he or she would prefer to be. 

 

 

February 15, 2002

                                                                                                       

I AM OUTRAGED!  On Thursday we voted on the supplemental budget.  This is the eighth time I’ve done it, plus I have voted for seven yearly budgets.  If you have read my weekly columns you recognize that I have not been happy with the process, but why the outrage this time? 

 

The best I can determine is that it was a confluence of events that started by going through the 74- page supplemental budget line by line Wednesday night in preparation for the vote.  In doing so, I noticed that once again West Georgia Technical College wasn’t in the list of technical colleges getting much needed money for capital improvements.  By coincidence I ran into an official of the Department of Adult & Technical Education that oversees our technical colleges.  He reported to me that once again, through an objective evaluation, some of the capitol needs of West Georgia Technical College were at the top of the list.  Nonetheless, projects that are not highly rated for need yet are in districts of powerful legislators are getting funded and West Georgia Technical College is not.

 

This was followed by a luncheon right before the budget vote with people from the Troup-Harris-Coweta Regional Library.  They reported that an expansion of the Coweta facility was desperately needed as determined by an objective evaluation done through a department of the University of Georgia.  However, in the budget process this was replaced by two projects way down the list which happen to be in districts of powerful legislators.

 

At lunch I was talking, as I have done through these columns, about the unfairness of the process.  One board member asked a good question, “what can we do”?  I said there are four things that can be done.  One, I can roll over and vote for the budget.  As a matter of fact I did it one time when there was seven million dollars in it for the Coweta Continuing Education Center.  However, when I do that I really violate my principles and validate a terrible process.  Secondly,  the voters can decide enough is enough and vote for a Republican Legislature and/or Republican Governor.  Yes, the Republicans may do some of this, but the present Republicans Legislators are dedicated to a very different budgeting process.  Certainly if Republicans are in control for decades, as has been going on with the Democrats for over 150 years, abuses may develop with us and if so we will need to be replaced.   

 

The third thing that can happen is that enough citizens of Georgia get exercised about this, and demand that the present legislators and the Governor who control the budget change the process.

I fully recognize that this is a process used by many states and Congress.  Finally, you could vote me out of office and get someone who overtime will play the same game as he/she gains power.  I hope you will do this. 

 

Just because something is prevalent does not make it right. We have ways to objectively determine needs for my above examples and hundreds of other similar decisions instead of the present system of power vs. fairness.  Isn’t it time to change to that?  Remember the people in my district pay the same taxes that people in the other districts pay yet are not getting the same consideration.  Also,  I was elected by the same margin if not a larger margin than the power wielding legislators.  Why should their districts get disproportionate monies?

 

Three other points about the present budget process.  The Governor and legislature look at less than 10% of the budget.  In turn the legislature only changes 7% of the Governor’s budget so truly it is his budget.  Finally we now have bonded indebtedness of $6,073,000,000 yes, that’s billion!  This does not  include over one billion dollars of bonds we just approved!

 

Call me at (404) 656-0177 or e-mail me at jbrown@legis.state.ga.us

 

 

OPTIONS TO MORE GOVERNMENT

February 21, 2002

 

Government, at all levels, is growing larger and more intrusive. Democrats, feel that this is advantageous whereas most Republicans do not.  I believe there are a number of options other than government doing it.  This would include privatizing, not doing certain things, devolution which basically means if government has to do it, get it to the lowest level of government to increase accountability.  Also if there was increased personal responsibility, a lot of what governments are doing today would be unnecessary.  In reality, much of the involvement of government in health care fits into this category.  Finally, volunteer programs could do a lot of what government does. 

 

During this session we’ve had several notable examples of volunteering.  Pfizer, a manufacturer of prescription drugs, has a Share Card program for seniors who are making less than $24,000 as a couple or $18,000 as an individual (this is two times the federal poverty level).  By calling 800-717-6005, which I actually did, people can quickly see whether or not they qualify.  If they do, they will be sent a free Share Card.  They will take this to participating pharmacies, of which there are many all over the country, and pay only $15 for each 30 days supply of the drugs manufactured by Pfizer that they take.  Several other pharmaceutical companies have similar programs but Pfizer truly is leading the way.

 

This week I attended a lunch sponsored by Georgia Partnership for Caring Foundation.   This organization provides drugs, physician care and dental care to a group of people who fall between the cracks.  Basically I am talking about low income people who are working but do not have private or government health insurance. For those who feel they might qualify contact 800-809-7276.  I was pleased to see that we have participating pharmacists, dentists and physicians in the LaGrange area; however, I was concerned that the list was not more expansive.  As Luke says, “to whom much has been given, much is expected”.  That said, I understand that many in varying ways are indeed helping those who are less fortunate which really reinforces the basic thesis of this article.

 

President George W. Bush is making a push for faith based initiatives.  I’m pleased to say that one of my committees heard a resolution to put this on the ballot in September, which would allow the state of Georgia to fund such.  It passed the committee but, the author is now trying to get the 120 votes necessary to pass this on to the Senate.  I believe that churches do a tremendous amount of effective volunteer work and that they should have equal footing with secular programs. Both should be measured in regard to their effectiveness.  When it’s all said and done the churches and more importantly their members offer the best opportunity for us to help those in need and to reduce the intrusion of government into our lives and our pocketbooks. 

 

A good example of not doing something is to stop most of the programs for minorities and to replace them with aggressive prosecution of any discrimination.  There is a very insightful book entitled “Creating Equal” written by Ward Connerly, a black executive in California State government.  He makes the telling point that many of these well intentioned programs are having counter productive efforts.  No question that back in the 1950s and 1960s, civil rights legislation was very much needed, but now the courts are increasingly ruling that a lot of these laws  are unconstitutional since they result in reverse discrimination. 

 

Last week, we were off Friday and this week we will be off Thursday and Friday.  In both cases we had next to no advance notice of this.  For some of our legislators this creates a hardship.  This is a deliberate effort to extend the session until we have heard from the courts in regard to redistricting.  The Governor wants to avoid, at all cost, the need to call a special session because it would draw attention, once again, to the atrocious job he did with the maps last fall.  There was utter disregard for communities of interest, voter confusion, one man one vote, etc.

 

Call me at 404-656-0177 or e-mailjbrown@legis.state.ga.us

 

 

PARADIGM SHIFT

March 1, 2002

                                                                                                       

Paradigm is defined as a pattern or model.  Therefore, when you have a paradigm shift you are changing your pattern or model.  This week I want to talk about a paradigm shift that is going on within the Republican party nationally, and especially in Georgia.  This could accelerate the Republicans taking over the legislature and/or governorship. 

 

This paradigm shift got a boost last year in Georgia when former Speaker Newt Gingrich spoke to our caucus.  He said that if we really expect to be the majority party that over a period of time, we’re going to have to do an outreach to minorities and especially blacks.  He reminded us that during the Civil War there was a Republican President who demanded that slavery cease.  Also, Republicans lead the fight for Civil rights legislation and welfare reform.  Meanwhile in 2001, it was white male Democrats who used blacks to try to stay in power through redistricting.

 

Suddenly this week, there were three events that indicate that we are listening to Newt and are working hard to do what he suggested.  At our Caucus meeting on Monday, we had a black candidate for a legislative seat address us.  He, in essence, reinforced what Newt had said, and made a very telling point that typical Republican behavior is to give up the black voters since traditionally 90+% vote for Democrats.  He also said that the Republican message is far more appropriate for emerging minorities than the Democrat message and that we need to tell it.  Further, he said that we need to be involved in minority communities.  In regard to this last point, I remember a black legislator telling me that the reason blacks vote for blacks is because they see them being involved in their community and don’t see the whites.  While that is plausible, it does not address the phenomenon of a white Democrat running against a white Republican.  Generally, the Democrat will get 90+% of the vote also.

 

The second thing that happened is that another Republican black candidate for a Georgia House seat had a fund raiser and over 70 blacks attended. Finally, the state Republican party, focusing on Newt’s message, had a rally for minorities with over 350 blacks in attendance. 

 

Already a fair percentage of higher income blacks are Republicans.  This further proves that segregation is often more a matter of economics than skin color.  Nonetheless, Republican inclusion must reach down the economic ladder.  Compassionate Conservatives must convince those who aspire that less government, lower taxes, free enterprise, and more personal responsibility are more advantageous than the Democrats history of the opposite, and that accumulatively these principles enhance family values.

 

In my opinion, the foregoing is far more consequential that what we’ve accomplished in 27 days of being in session.  Very few bills have passed the Senate and House and await the Governor’s signature.  Most will come in a flurry at the end which, given our plan of being in session only two days over the next two weeks, could be early April.  The way a bill looks now is often vastly different by the time the Governor signs it.  Regardless, the prospect of much of significance emerging remains remote as most predicted at the start.

 

Call me at 404/656-0177 or email at jbrown@legis.state.ga.us.   

 

 

LEGISLATING & POLITICKING

March 8, 2002

 

While we were not in session Monday through Wednesday, Tuesday afternoon the Human Relations & Aging Sub-Committee on Seniors Prescription Drugs that I chair met with approximately 40 people discussing this vital issue.  Also later Tuesday afternoon and much of Wednesday I was in committee or sub-committee meetings where we passed a total of 14 bills. When we’re not in session but are attending to committee matters we do get paid $128.00 to cover expenses.  Most of us have very few of those days during the course of the year. However, there are some who use a significant number of them and therefore make substantially more than the $16,200 we earn per year as legislators. I believe there should be a cap of approximately 20 such days so we truly continue as “citizen legislators.”

 

We have a parliamentary process called a Discharge Petition which upon the signature of 120 of our 180 members moves a bill out of a committee where its being held captive.  We have several such petitions being circulated right now.  One of them is in regard to a bill to create an Airport Authority vs. the City of Atlanta continuing to manage the airport.  Obviously, the reports of massive abuses by Mayors Campbell and  Jackson are key to why 87% of the public believes that there should be an authority with the City of Atlanta as a participant but not the sole manager of the airports as now. 

 

We plan to publicize on www.thinkmajority.com. the names of the House members  who sign the discharge petition.  I encourage you, if this is something that you feel strongly about, to go to that website and see whether or not House members that you have an interest in are supporting such a discharge petition.  As far as I’m concerned it’s much like a vote.

 

Although we quickly drafted a bill against the desecration of the dead in the wake of the Tri-State Crematory discovery, the legislation fails to address any of the past wrongs.  Before the Tri-State Crematory problems were discovered, the legislature exempted Tri-State from state licensing due to the owner’s mother using her power as Chairman of the Walker County Democratic Party. As Governor Barnes expands the number of state agencies directed by his appointees, most of whom are campaign supporters, necessary regulation and licensing standards decrease.

 

An audit dated January 24^th, 2002 was done for the Georgia State Board of Education regarding  the Georgia Quality Core Curriculum.  A quick perusal of this revealed some disturbing findings such as the standards being unclear, failure to clearly articulate across grade levels, not aligning with national standards and lacking rigor.  Personally I believe that we should have state standards but they apparently need to be a lot better than they are now.  Despite over 200 pages in the Governor’s Education Reform bill, which passed two years ago, there was nothing about curriculum; another reason why  some of us continue to believe that his bill had little to do with true education reform. 

               

If you’ve been reading my articles you understand that I am concerned with how we deliver mental health, mental retardation and substance abuse services.  Locally this is done through Pathways.  I have been working with a number of people locally and at the state level on this.  This week I arranged for Dr. John Mauldin to give input to one of three House members who will be on a conference committee to make final changes to a major bill regarding this delivery.  John is unusually well qualified to do such because he has been a provider, employee of Pathways and now on their board. 

 

Politics makes for strange bedfellows.  Several years ago John ran against me but we are friends and I respect his expertise.  Another example is that four years ago I ran against Rep. Bob Irvin for Minority Leader.  Now I support him for the U.S. Senate.

 

Call me at 404-656-0177 or e-mail to jbrown@legislstate.ga.us

 

 

ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL

March 14, 2002

 

While we were not in session the week of March 11, 2002 (still waiting to hear from the judges in regard to redistricting maps) many of you communicated by e-mail, fax and phone.

 

One of the themes of these messages is that the Governor and a few powerful members of the legislature are making cuts in some very vital areas and you oppose such.  One of those cuts is the media budget for our schools.  Overall I think what we’re doing with our K-12 expenditures in the 2003 budget (starts July 1, 2002), as it stands right now, is a direct contradiction to the stated intent of the Governor’s education reform efforts for the past three years and the general recognition by many in the legislature that we need to do a much better job in our public education system.  It reminds me of the saying that your actions speak so loud that I cannot hear your words.

 

While they are cutting vital areas, three powerful legislators are still taking care of their districts to the detriment of the rest of Georgia.  Three such projects totaling of $37 million were reported by the press.  Certainly we need more nurses but spending $19 million to build more classrooms in Thomasville isnt going to help much. The $10.6 million that Representative Terry Coleman, who happens to chair the House Appropriations Committee, is trying to get to expand the Georgia Aviation Technical College could be done for three million dollars in LaGrange.  There are efforts underway with West Georgia Technical College, retired Delta Captain Joe Fagundes and Delta Airlines for a far more effective program addressing the shortage of airplane mechanics.  As long as we allow power to over rule effectiveness, we will misuse tax revenues and get a poorer return on our expenditures. 

 

Work has been progressing on a compromise between the Senate and the House on the Supplemental Budget.  Some of the above projects are sticking points because Senators have their pet projects and we can not do both.  My expectation is that there will suddenly be an agreement, when very few are around, and it will appear on our desk for a vote.  This will keep interested parties from being able to marshal any efforts to prevent some of the inevitable cuts.  One thing you can count on is that some of these large pork barrel projects will happen.     

 

I have been pleased to see what appears to be a good working relationship among the county commissioners and the city councils of LaGrange, Hogansville and West Point.  Given the strained relationships during HB489 negotiations this is great progress. Nonetheless, they did come together and resolved most of the issues.  There is one unresolved issue that concerns me.  These elected bodies need to get together in public and  aggressively work on a resolution of what is a fair division among the cities and county in regard to the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST).  If I’m not mistaken, this is approximately an $8 million item so the consequences are quite large.  If this isn’t resolved by the end of the year the LOST will go away which could result in property taxes being raised.  However, at that time another option could be to put on the ballot a HOST (Homestead Option Sales Tax).  In theory, a HOST sounds good because it could lower some property taxes.  However, this sales tax has been a real problem in certain areas.  One of the effects is that it becomes a very onerous tax on businesses which means that the retention of good businesses is jeopardized and the recruitment of new businesses is seriously hampered.  As a member of the Industrial Development Authority and the Hi Tech Task Force, and most importantly as a citizen who wants to see smart growth for Troup County, I believe HOST would not help us achieve that goal. 

 

For HOST to be put on the ballot local legislation would have to be introduced with at least two of the three Representatives of Troup County (Brown, Epps, Smith) sponsoring it.  My policy has consistently been to sponsor such if the majority of the elected officials who are calling for local legislation want it.  However, in this case this would mean that a majority of the County Commissioners and a majority of each city council would have to vote for this legislation.  If one or more did not I would not support it. 

 

You may contact Representative Jeff Brown at 404-656-0177 or e-mail at jbrown@legis.state.ga.us

 

 

Legislative Aide’s Perspective

March 22, 2002

 

Representative Brown offered me the opportunity to express my thoughts as a legislative aide this week, and I jumped at the opportunity.  What follows are my views alone.

 

After two days of session this week, the House of Representatives adjourned until the following Monday since the legislative leadership continues to stall until the reapportionment maps return from the courts.  Nevertheless, for me, a legislative aide to Representative Brown, this week was hardly different from a typical week as I focused on constituent issues.  I spend much of my time each week attempting to answer questions, provide support and aid, or drafting information for constituents with concerns.  For example, I have lately received several emails from students regarding Representative Brown's position on issues. I also typically receive numerous calls in support or opposition to legislation that sometimes require a response.

 

On a daily basis, I also draft letters, research legislation, attend committee meetings, and generally assist Representative Brown in filtering information.  I attempt to ease Representative Brown's job significantly and allow him to focus on the specifics of the legislation, meetings, and more complicated constituent issues.  While I have learned over the past two years that numerous representatives hardly glance at legislation before they vote to support it, I am proud of the fact that Representative Brown is concerned about each bill.  He reads the press, letters about legislation, and interest group information regularly so that he may cast an informed vote.  In order to make this possible, I often research issues, rules of procedure, and information that I steadily file throughout the session on specific bills and resolutions.

 

I also particularly enjoy one of the more unique aspects of this position.  At the start of the session, I spent a week researching the history of Georgia, Atlanta, the state capitol and legislative process to prepare a detailed tour of the GA General Assembly for student groups that visit.  I have provided a number of tours this year. I hope that the experience for students not only provides the academic benefit of how state government functions, but also reminds them that as they grow and begin to vote, they ought to take an active interest in government and get to know their representatives because government affects each person. I hope that more schools take the time to visit the capitol in the future. 

 

The office here is always busy with visitors and lobbyists, and it is impossible to work a single day without learning a tremendous amount about government processes.  In particular it seems clear that our state government has fallen into an inertia of democratic party initiative that, aside from rarely being efficient or productive, is also driving fiscal irresponsibility and out-of-control privileges to powerful legislators.  Yet, the worst effect seems to be the lack of initiative to provide good solutions to real problems (healthcare, natural gas prices, and education to name a few).  While so many representatives are worried about keeping their jobs, legislation that might be unpopular to some constituents or interest groups but that could correct some of Georgia's serious problems is completely neglected. 

 

My name is Elizabeth Montgomery.  I was a 2000 graduate of LaGrange High School, and am now a sophomore at Emory University studying political science and economics.  I work in the legislature Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from eight to five.

 

You can contact Representative Brown with questions at 404/656-0177 or jbrown@legis.state.ga.us.

 

 

POINTS OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE

April 4, 2002

 

I, like many, have become so exasperated with our schedule over the last eight months that I decided to request a point of personal privilege which is available during the first part of each legislative day and is limited to one minute.  The following is what I intended to say: 

 

AFellow Representatives, you now know, or will for sure by midnight on day forty, how the voters of this state will feel when they vote following redistricting - TOTALLY DISREGARDED!  We, like they, have been pawns to achieve the wishes of a few. 

 

In my eight years as a legislator, I have seen terrible time management in the House.  The two special sessions last fall were even worse and the 2002 session beyond comprehension!  NO REGARD for our time, our families and that most of us have full time jobs at home.

 

Now with only three days left (most likely will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday during the week of April 8th) we will consider scores of bills, vote on the 2003 budget and vote on many conference committee reports; most of this will occur in a 14 hour session Friday.   TOTAL DISREGARD FOR SOUND LEGISLATIVE CONSIDERATION!  We wonder why Georgia has massive problems almost across the board and why we pass bad legislation.  Ladies and gentlemen there are alternatives.  Thank you.@

 

As it turns out one of the representatives had just recently lost his father and this was his first day back.  He used a point of personal privilege to thank a number of us for our wishes of sympathy.  Therefore, I felt it was not an appropriate time to give the above.  

 

Bill Shipp, who’s one of the more veteran observers of the political process in Georgia and generally supportive of the Democrats, had the following to say:  “They are killing time while waiting for the federal courts to return a verdict on the most bazaar set of redistricting maps ever devised by a sitting legislative body in a civilized world.”  In my opinion, Mr. Shipp is dead on in regard to why we are stretching this out, and his comments about the redistricting are very consistent with what I’ve been saying every since we started into this process last August.  By the way, we are now being told that we may hear from the Appeals Court in Washington by Friday, April 5, 2002. 

 

One of our representatives used a personal point of privilege on Wednesday to announce that he was leaving the legislature.  His main reasons were that two full-time positions (being a legislator and a partner in a law firm) is hurting his business and denying him time with his family.  We have lost a number of good legislators for this reason.  Please don’t underestimate what we all lose when experienced legislators with a genuine desire to serve and who are effective and principled  leave the legislature.  Basically this further tilts the power to the executive branch of government and to the bureaucrats and lobbyists.

 

By the time the 2003/2004 session convenes in January 2003 following an election for all 236 House and Senate seats, I estimate we will have a turnover of over 35%!  Some will retire who possess the aforementioned qualities.  Despite a constitutional limit of 40 days in session and untold hours required beyond that, the leadership could do a vastly superior job of better time management.  This would allow each of us a better balance and therefore some legislators would stay.

 

 

 April 10, 2002

 

Obviously in the last week of the session, lots goes on.  It is still too early to tell the final outcome of many things.  Since the media usually does a good job at this, I’ll not wait until the final resolution of things but instead give a summary of what I feel are key actions of the 2002 legislative session in a later release. 

 

A couple of very exciting things did happen this week in relationship to the sub-committee that I have asked to chair looking at prescription drugs for seniors.  As I mentioned earlier, we had a meeting with the Governor and he was very attentive.  Yesterday one of his key aids in the health care area came to see me and had the following to report:

 

HiCare becomes Georgia Care.  It will continue to be through the area agency on Aging PHR.

 

1.                    There is three hundred and fifty thousand dollars of funding.  See line __ of page forty four of the tracking document on the conference committee report on the 2003 budget.  Fifty thousand of this will be used to hire a state wide coordinator.  Twenty five thousand will go to each of the AAA offices to hire a local coordinator.

 

2.                    Pharmica.  This is the group of pharmaceutical manufactures working in regard to dollars and cooperation. 

 

3.                    There will be some monies made available although it’s unclear where since the above fully accounts for the three hundred and fifty thousand dollars for software for Medbank. 

 

4.                    There is a separate line item in the same budget page __ line __ to fund officers of Perry and Thomasville. 

 

5.                    Supposedly there are two more offices that will be coming out of the indigent care trust fund.  When I talked to Thomlinson out of OPB he recalled that but said it’s not specifically shown.

6.                    Allen is working with Wayne who is Lobbyist for the pharmacist.  They’re setting up a network of volunteer pharmacists. 

 

7.                    There will be a 1-800 number for Georgia Care which I would assume is the same as her HiCare right now. 

 

8.                    The Governor will have a press conference within the next week or so and those of us on the sub-committee will be invited.

 

We have had three hearings so far that have been attended by most of the large pharmaceutical manufactures, the Pharmacist Association, chain drug stores, Georgia Hospital Association, Medical Association of Georgia, various volunteer efforts, etc.  I have run this a lot differently than the typical sub-committee.  First, I have said that we are really in essence a committee of the whole so that everybody is literally and figuratively at the table.  Secondly, we are trying to operate on a consensus coalition basis.  This has been very successfully used in Montana and in North Dakota to resolve some very touchy issues.  Basically each person comes to the table as a stake holder in while sharing that expertise and, if you will that bias, there has to, in an appropriate time, come together for the greater good.  Quite frankly I think the public is growing weary of blue ribbon committees that spend a lot of time investigating and very little time getting anything done.

 

The second significant announcement is that the seven largest pharmaceutical companies have come together to develop a ‘Together Card’ which will mean instead of someone having to fill out a whole host of forms, there will be one form to fill out and it will determine whether they get free drugs or whether they get discounted drugs.  Further, there is no charge for the card.  There will be lots of publicity given to this so everyone will be encouraged to participate.  Most of the determination of the discount or free drugs will be based on income levels.   Also, whether the drugs are provided for in one of these programs and also is somewhat determined by the specific drug.

 

This is a very significant step forward in a huge problem that many of our seniors have.  Basically they’ve got to almost choose between medicine and housing and/or food, not a fair choice to have to make after working most of your life.  This is because when Medicare came into being, there was not a provision for prescription drugs. 

 

Now with the above actions, we are able to give significant relief through the cooperation of the pharmaceutical companies, pharmacists and volunteer organizations facilitated by small monies from the government.  This, I believe, is a model for a lot more that we need to see in regard to how we solve problems instead of massive government involvement that usually doesn’t work very well and cost tax payers significant monies.

 

 

April 15, 2002

 

The longest legislative session since 1885 ended at 3:45 p.m.  Friday versus the normal midnight Sine Die.  There were approximately 90 bills that could have been voted on including one to allow LaGrange to establish a gas authority that died.  Why?  Speaker Tom Murphy was going to a dedication service for a building named in his honor.  Welcome to Georgia Politics!

 

We did pass some needed legislation that hopefully in the madness of the last day will indeed help alleviate the problems as we intended.  Specifically, I am thinking of natural gas deregulation, predatory lending and how we deliver mental health mental retardation and substance abuse services. 

 

Earlier we passed good legislation creating two sales tax holidays, funding the third year of an eight year plan for increasing homestead exemptions and providing for drivers license renewals over the internet.  The examples I have cited in these two paragraphs were joint efforts by Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate and the Legislature and the Governor’s office.  This is good for Georgia.