About That New Welfare Drug Testing Law.....

Recently, Governor Deal signed a law requiring all applicants for welfare in Georgia to first pee in a cup.

As many, including yours truly, pointed out during the legislative debate, Florida already has a similar law which not only did its own study committee recommend against but is currently tied up in appellate court due to that pesky thing called the 4th Amendment (and based on previous rulings, including a seminal one from....where else....Georgia)

Well, it gets better.

Not only is Florida's law probably unconstitutional, as predicted by experts, it not only doesn't work, it actually costs the state money.

Ushered in amid promises that it would save taxpayers money and deter drug users, a Florida law requiring drug tests for people who seek welfare benefits resulted in no direct savings, snared few drug users and had no effect on the number of applications, according to recently released state data.

Since an overwhelming number of applicants have passed the test and the law requires the state to reimburse the costs of the test to anyone who passes, after four months, the program has actually cost taxpayers over $45,000.


Doesn't work. Costs money. Violates the Constitution.

Governor Deal and the rascals managed to hit the bad governance trifecta.

Silliness Of The Day

This is threatening to be a regular feature.

For the record, the only constitutional requirement of the legislature is to pass a budget. If only they'd realize this fact. Instead, every year, they seem intent on proving 40 days is 39 too many.

Sen. John Bulloch (R-Down My Way) wants to allow hunters to use silencers.

A Georgia Senate proposal would end the ban on silencers for hunting firearms. Senate Bill 301 is sponsored by Sen. John Bulloch, who says allowing hunters to use silencers would keep them from disturbing their neighbors

Now in my 30 years of tromping through the south Georgia woods (and I'm sure it's a longer span for Sen. Bulloch), I've yet to encounter a neighbor who complains about the dulcet tones of a .270 Winchester Short Magnum ringing in the crisp autumn air.

I find it hard to believe that the good folks of Sen. Bulloch's home town, Ochlocknee, are a uniquely skittish bunch.

Job Seeking Is A Part Time Task?

Sen. John Albers wants those receiving Unemployment Insurance Benefits to volunteer 24 hours a week or lose their "handout". He would amend current unemployment law to add the following:

The individual has performed at least 24 hours of service per week, either paid or unpaid, for a nonprofit charitable organization.

His justification?

“At the heart of welfare is the notion that government is responsible for the prosperity and success of our lives,” Albers said in a statement. “It is not. Government is responsible for providing the environment and helping people when needed with a 'hand up' and not a 'hand out.'”

I suppose we should give Sen. Albers a break since he's only been in office a little over a year and actually understanding the laws, portions of which have existed for decades, before commencing to tinker would be a terrible burden.

Unemployment Insurance is no hand out. It is exactly what it is named - insurance. Employers pay a relatively modest premium, in the form of a payroll tax, in reality no different than the subsidy they pay on most other forms of insurance (health, disability, etc.), and if the employee is separated through no fault of their own, that employee receives a weekly payment (once again, think of disability plans) for a period of their unemployment.

In exchange, employers benefit from a more stable workforce and through the various human resources functions of the Department of Labor, easy access to that workforce.

In order for the recipient to receive the benefit, they must not only be available for employment but actively seek employment. Actively seeking employment means using the majority of the work week mailing resumes, interviewing and networking.

Now, along comes the seasoned Senator Albers with the notion that actually using the majority of your week to search for work is counterproductive to searching for work. Those lazy lucky ducks would be much better served by squeezing 24 hours of picking up trash in between actually trying to find a job.

I would think the "conservative" approach would be to actually understand the system instead of immediately implementing radical change. And I bet Sen. Albers could accomplish this herculean task of educating himself in less than 24 hours a week.

More From The Bill Heath Files

Yesterday, I mentioned how Republican Senator Bill Heath is not satisfied with having "In God We Trust" as an optional sticker on our license plates. Instead, it should be required! And those heathens that don't like it will have to pay extra for a modesty sticker to shamefully cover up the declaration of worship!

Not surprisingly, this ain't Heath's first rodeo in wielding the power of government for righteousness and the preservation of modesty lest the bedrock of our country crumble!

In 2004, he tried to outlaw genital piercing. But for women only.

Amendment sponsor Rep. Bill Heath, R-Bremen, was slack-jawed when told after the vote that some adults seek the piercings...."What? I've never seen such a thing," Heath said. "I, uh, I wouldn't approve of anyone doing it. I don't think that's an appropriate thing to be doing."

The original bill outlawed female genital mutilation; a particularly heinous ritualistic practice usually performed on young girls. Heath  tacked on an amendment outlawing genital piercing even if it was a voluntary action of adult women on their own bodies.

Heath's zealotry to make sure the government appropriately enforced his version of sanctity for all things hoo-hah derailed the entire bill.

Ultimately, with some girl power from both sides of the Capitol and both sides of the aisle, the bill passed. History does not record if on this second try, Heath was unable to lift himself from the fainting couch to save the Republic once again.

Douglasville Public Snitch Program?

We're still three or so months away from the scoundrels returning to the Gold Dome but Douglasville is wasting no time in advocating new "we must fix this!" legislation. In response to the terrible death of Bobby Tillman at a teenage house party, the wise ones of Douglas County want a state law to make sure the police gets advance notice of house parties.

How you might ask? Punish neighbors who don't dial 911 if they see obviously ill-intentioned youth clogging the well manicured streets? Instead of neighborhood watch are they going to get funds to start a neighborhood snitch program? Punish kids who show up to anything that doesn't involved a bouncy castle and pony rides?

Well, they aren't really sure.

Toward that end, Douglasville officials are considering a resolution that would urge state lawmakers to pass legislation to help give police advance notice about teen house parties. City Manager Bill Osborne said he doesn't know exactly what form such a law would take, but is hopeful state lawmakers can come up with a proposal.

Give the legislature an idea (involving more police power no less!) and let them work out the details. Now there's a rabbit hole lined with trouble making.

Good Morning Douglasville!

You write one thing in 2 years about Genarlow Wilson and you wake up an entire county's online community.

Welcome Douglasville readers! Since some of you are speculating about my political persuasions, personal pursuits and possible pickles, I thought I would clear a few things up.

I've never met D.A. McDade - inside or outside a courtroom.

I've been called a liberal so many times, I habitually check to see if the ghost of JFK is standing behind me. I don't mind and if it provides you comfort, so be it.

I would think that an elected official using evidence from a criminal trial in an attempt to steer favorable legislation would bother liberals, conservatives and everything in between. Maybe I'm wrong. Feel free to check out the entire back story as you make your own decision.

I do enjoy a drink. I do enjoy gambling. If you assume this makes my life miserable, I will assume you are Baptist who deeply desires to do the same. At least, openly.

Finally, I have no beef with Douglas County. I enjoy traveling your auto auction lined thoroughfares. And I always politely tip my cap to your radar totin' revenue collectors as they take their rest in the shade of the overpasses.

My Morning Wooten

Let us dance one more time. I love it when Jim whines about transportation.

Propose a transportation sales tax increase, as Georgia legislators have done, and the visionaries spending other peoples’ money start planning monuments, and costly ones at that. Cobb County commissioners have given the county’s transportation director authority to try to sell a 14-mile light-rail line, projected to cost at least $2 billion, running from the Galleria to Town Center near Kennesaw. Please. Fix the bottlenecks. Make traffic move. Put the money where it produces the greatest benefit to the most people.

In other words, lay down more pavement on the widest section of the entire interstate system.

The Best Of The Drifts - Earnest Dan Weber

Originally published April 19, 2007

The Lifeline Of Hope

For complete background on the Genarlow Wilson case please see this Atlanta Magazine article.

A few moons ago, my friend Wilson Smith asked me if I believed the issues taken up by the General Assembly were predetermined. I answered it is the nature of politics that those in power make the rules and there is little the minority can do. After seeing Wilson's face turn slightly ashen, I offered a lifeline of hope that there will be times when a brave legislator steps forward to do what is right instead of what is convenient..

As I followed the debate in the Senate on Amendments 1 and 1a to House Bill 197, I felt my own lifeline of optimism slipping away.

Sen. Emanuel Jones rose to present Amendment 1. The law would allow judicial review of any convictions within the last five years which would have been rendered moot if last year's change to Georgia's aggravated child molestation statue, the so called "Romeo and Juliet" provision, had been in effect. Although the name was not mentioned, the unspoken beneficiary of the amendment would be Genarlow Wilson, sentenced under the old law to the mandatory minimum of 1o years for having consensual oral sex with a 15 year old girl when he was 17. If the act had occured after July 1st, 2006, Wilson would have at most been charged with a misdemeanor.

Frustration was evident on Jones' face. He had worked diligently the entire session to tailor legislation which would provide justice for Wilson. Faced with waves of objection, including specious accusations of freeing hoardes of sexual predators, Jones finally presented an amendment constructed so narrowly it would affect only 91 convictions. All would require judicial review specifically defined to address the change in the statute. No amnesty for molestors. No free pass out of prison for predators. Simply, a chance for the original judge to review the case and determine if justice was truly done.

Jones' reward for his dogged work? First, Judiciary Chair Preston Smith rose to praise Jones for his hard work, receive reciprocal praise for his own assistance on the amendment, then matter of factly state despite all this hard work, the bill would not pass constitutional muster. Then, Erick Johnson rose to continue his tales of loosed predators, victims repeatedly traumatized and lawmakers interfering with the actions of juries and judges.

Democrats rose to defend the amendment. A second amendment was proffered to address the constitutional question. Attempts were made to part the lace of fear and deceit so carefully woven by their Republican opponents.

All political theater. All staged so the Republicans could act tough on crime and Democrats could be on record as trying to save a young man from a travesty of justice. It was apparent to all the Jones amendment was dead before it was born. Snuffed by a powerful committee chair, the President Pro Tem and their colleagues.

I felt the cautious optimism I offered Wilson seep away. I was actually witnessing the fait accompli I had warned was the norm. It mattered not that a life would remain in ruins; that a young man would rot in jail branded with the scarlet letter of "sexual offender" for the rest of his life. Despite the so-called stately manner of the Senate, this august body's continued claims of reason, on this day, only politics mattered.

Then another Senator rose to speak.

Sen. Dan Weber, Republican from Dekalb County.

Sen. Weber defended the constitutionality of the amendments. Politely, but mercilessly, he questioned members of his own party on the specific statutes and exclusions. In the tortuous manner of Senate debate, Weber expressed to his colleagues that he believed the amendment was passable. That it was good law.

Jones amendment failed 32-19. The fait accompli done. Genarlow Wilson still incarcerated with little further hope.

As the camera panned the Senate chamber, I noticed one rather lengthy arm raised in support of the amendment. It was the prodigious appendage of Sen. Dan Weber.

It was a small act, probably lost in the maelstrom of the last days of an overlong session. But as I told Wilson, it is on the smallest stands where we must latch our belief that all is not pre-ordained. Although I weep at the travesty which was executed in the Senate on April 17th, one man's vote forces me to once again grasp at the lifeline of hope.

The Best Of The Drifts - The First Hate

Originally published January 25, 2007

In Which I Hate On Everyone

I have a terrible temper. I was talking with a friend about it just the other day. She also has a terrible temper. We both laughed as we discussed having to consciously control our urges to fly off the handle. The one thing we didn't talk about is the slow burn. You sort of snicker at a comment. Then you think about it later. Pretty soon the thought consumes all others. You only suffer the final blow up if the situation which lit the fuse continues.

When the Milton County / Vincent Fort kerfluffle began, I approached it with cold logic attempting to bypass the racial rhetoric to address what I believe to be the actual problem. I didn't know at the time but the fuse was lit. Now I'm madder than a baby with a loaded diaper. I pretty much want to drag all the combatants into a room and give everyone a swift kick in the ass.

So here we go...

To the Atlanta Legislative Caucus, Fulton County Commission, Atlanta City Council, etal:

Do you ever step back and ask yourself if what you are doing is actually serving the people? I would love to ask about serving the region, but hell let's start with the small steps. It is your history of not showing no willingness to come to the table that led to the formation of the city of Sandy Springs. We all now reap the fruit from that poison tree. Your mule headed intransigence has led every separatists group in the metro area to believe brinksmanship is the only tactic in discussing resource and revenue issues. Constituents questioning your wisdom on appropriating their tax dollars is not inherently racist. Even when the constituents are, God forbid, white. Blood on the walls? A chair race that could throw us back to the dark ages of fire hoses and police dogs? There is a proud history of leadership in this city, this county, this region. Somehow that leadership has lost its way in the past ten years. The current leaders better find that way again or someone will come along and show them the way out the door.

To North Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett and all the other enclaves outside downtown:

Your whine is showing with your cheese. You bitch about lack of services and high taxes. Well, I have visited your shangra-la of the ways thing should be. What I didn't see were houses burning to the foundation because all the fire trucks are in south Fulton. What I didn't see was little old ladies dying in the gutter because all the defibrillators are in south Fulton. What I did see were plenty of sidewalks and fairly good roads (adding more lanes as we speak). What I did see was uncontrolled sprawl with strip malls devouring the remaining trees. What I did see were new cities, these havens of good service, immediately deciding to waste money trying to shut down porn kings and forcing businesses in good standing to reapply for licenses via new onerous bureaucratic processes.

It is your history, stretching from Cobb County's proposal to require residence identification before boarding the county transit system to Gwinnett County's stupid refusal to allow MARTA access while the DOT continues to slap down new lanes on I-85, which created the black eyes you now suffer. You want to enjoy all the benefits of Atlanta, from Grady's trauma center where your 16 year old is treated after wrapping the new SUV around a tree to Chastain where you can chatter your way through quiet acoustic melodies, but God knows don't actually associate yourself with being Atlanta. The only people in this world who still believe you can have all the chocolate without the bellyache are three year olds. Grow up.

To the national media, blogs, etal:

You don't know us. You think you do but you don't. Here's some things to help you. While adults were throwing rocks at children in Boston, Atlanta and surrounding counties were quietly using busing and minority to majority programs to peacefully integrate schools. While African-Americans in such citadels of enlightenment as Detroit continue to try to push a single toe into the pool of economic growth, Atlanta has one of the fastest growing African-American middle classes in the country. Yet, you will take the easy way out by painting us as a bunch of gun-totin', Confederate flag wavin', banjo pickin' stump jumpers who probably need another good burning by General Sherman. My grandma had a saying. Sweep around your own stoop before spitting snuff on someone else's. Well, y'all out there in the "cultured" part of the world just keep on with your preaching. My stoop is swept and my mouth is full of chaw.

2007 and we still have to go through this crap. Shame on us all.

The Best Of The Drifts - The Porn King Goes To Court

Originally published 1-3-07

The Porn Wars: Love Shack Gets Little Love

It's all about paint. Attorneys for both Love Shack owner John Cornetta and Fulton County plumbed the depths of analogy in an effort to clarify District Court Judge James Thrash 12-20-06 contempt order. Analogies were necessary due to the wording of the order which commanded the Love Shack reduce its adult inventory to less than a "significant amount".

The crux of all arguments lay in those peculiar words.

Fulton County Attorney Steve Rosenberg stated that the Love Shack had not complied with the order and offered as evidence The Love Shacks own affidavit which stated the store still contained 2312 adult DVDs and 1647 sex toys. He compared this to his time in criminal prosecution where a police report stated a residence had a significant amount of drugs. For example, a significant amount could be "40 hits of crack". The argument The Love Shack put forward in its brief is the inventory had been reduced by a "significant portion" not a "significant amount". He pointed out Judge Thrash had not used this term and that in context, as with the crack in the drug arrest, a significant amount still existed.

Mr. Rosenberg stated, "It's as if you ordered them to paint a house black and they painted it deep charcoal gray and then we disagreed if it was black. In this case they painted the house pink".

Mr. Cornetta's attorney Louis Sirkin countered that if the judge had ordered his client to paint something a deep red this is what would have been done. However it is as if the judge ordered something painted red and now both sides were arguing if it is truly red. He argued that his client had made a good faith effort to comply with a vague court order. As evidence he presented county and city ordinances that ranged from the City of Atlanta requiring less than 25% of floor sales to Warner Robins requiring less than 50% of sales in a 90 day rolling period. Mr. Sirkin stated his client had chosen what he felt was the most restrictive parameters and attempted to comply.

In the end, Judge Thrash was not moved. Apparently, he saw pink where The Love Shack attorneys saw gray. He stated in his ruling that he had deliberately used the term "significant amount" in order to prevent Mr. Cornetta from manipulating his inventory in an effort to comply. He went on to say he could not see how "anybody would see compliance" given the amount of adult material remaining. He specified his intent was number of items, not percentage or portion.

He ruled The Love Shack in contempt and ordered compliance by 3:00pm tomorrow. The Love Shack could comply by reducing its inventory under a "significant amount" or closing its doors. Until that time the business would be fined $1000 per day retroactively to 12-21-06 . He also stated his ruling would terminate at 12:01am on 1-5-07 at which point Johns Creek would have jurisdiction. He added the ruling and fine would be suspended if The Love Shack complied by the deadline.

Mr. Sirkin asked for clarification of "significant amount" and Judge Thrash replied "anything more than a few".

Fulton Attorney Rosenberg claimed victory although his side did not reach the goal of closure. He concluded the ruling to mean The Love Shack was operating without a license. This would prevent any kind of "grandfathering" once Johns Creek ordinances began enforcement.

On 1-2-07, Johns Creek passed new ordinances including a highly restrictive adult ordinance that includes any business to wait 20 days for approval. The new ordinance goes into effect at 12:01am, 1-5-07.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Cornetta also claimed victory. He stated he was still in business and not in jail. When asked about the fine, Mr. Cornetta stated he was "ready to pay out of my pocket right now". When confronted about the amount of the fine which would have exceeded $10,000, Mr. Cornetta pulled out a roll of $100 bills and a black American Express card. He explained that a person had to "spend $300,000 a year" just to maintain such an item. He said $13,000 did not bother him as he had spent more on his wife on New Year's Eve. He was quick to clarify he did not want to make light of the money and his real purpose in this was to fight for what is right. He also claimed to have previously turned down a deal from the Fulton D.A. stating "let me go to jail".

Cornetta also plans to increase his inventory. Now that he is in contempt and with no hard limit on his inventory, his immediate plans are to increase inventory back to 25%. However, he stated he and his attorneys are discussing multiple strategies.

For now, The Love Shack remains open. D.A Rosenberg was unclear if Fulton County will attempt another closure tomorrow at 3:00pm but indicated something would happen. In the meantime, Johns Creek's new ordinance goes into effect in less than 30 hours. When asked if this new chapter in the saga would send everything back to square one, Rosenberg shrugged and smiled.

As for Cornetta, he says, "If Johns Creek comes an arrests me, where are they going to put me? (newly elected Johns Creek Mayor) Mike Bodker's apartment?"

Can You Identify This Sign?

Can you identify the above traffic sign?

Hey, Sen. Jack Murphy. There's a reason our traffic signs come in so many wonderful shapes and colors. There's also a reason we test based on those shapes and colors.

Safety issue, my hind end. Pandering at its finest. As Tyler correctly notes, with the beast called the budget lurking in the bushes, we are wasting time with this nonsense. Shame.

Mary Margaret Oliver Is An Idiot

Despite the obvious desire for beer and the sunglasses, I don't think I'm too frightening. A little shady perhaps, but frightening? Apparently Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver thinks so.

Have you read the blogs? There’s a negativity and a hate-mongering that’s frightening to me.

It takes a whole heap of stupidity to get me to agree with Peach Pundit's resident clown.

A Question For Chairman Ehrhart

Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Land of Nodding Know-nothingness) is piping up on Peach Pundit again, proudly bragging about the latest twist of the screws to MARTA.

I have a question for you Chair Ehrhart.

How do you justify spending my tax money laying down an infinite number of lanes on I-75 at Windy Hill, but spending Cobb Countian's tax money on a transit system that they use daily to commute, attend Falcons games, etc. etc. etc. is not justified?

Kafka Would Cry

Wendy Whitaker is the poster child for Georgia's byzantine Sex Offender laws.While Genarlow Wilson's very public case fixed one flaw in the system, Whitaker, recently featured in the a Economist article, is still lost in a legal maze only a legislature guided by goodness but not wisdom could design.

Whitaker is a registered sex offender due to her untimely fellating of a classmate during a break at school. At the time, she was 17 and the "victim" was 15. A Creative Loafing story in 2006 detailed the hardships resulting from the scarlet letter.

Now, she's been arrested again.

No, she has not returned to her fellating ways. She failed to notify her local Sheriff's office of a change of address - a change mandated by recent additions severely limiting where registered sex offenders can alight.

Creative Loafing's Scott Henry has the details.

In Whitaker’s case, because it was her husband’s name, not hers, on their home mortgage, she was allowed to return to her house — after living with relatives in a rural trailer park — only due to a temporary court injunction....But this past Monday, police in Columbia County arrested Whitaker at her mother’s house, charging her with failing to register a new address. If convicted, she faces a 10- to 30-year prison sentence under Georgia law. Last year, a bill to reduce the penalty for failure to register passed the state Senate, but Keen was able to kill it in the House...At this writing, Whitaker remains in jail, unable to make her $10,000 bail.

Regular readers know it takes an exceptional circumstance for this site to take a position of advocacy. This is one.

If someone sets up a defense fund for Wendy Whitaker, I'll pass along the details. Hell, I'll likely contribute.

My Morning Wooten

Ugh

That act of child cruelty has drawn the attention of Georgia State Sen. Ralph Hudgins (R-Hull), who has introduced legislation to limit the number of embryos that fertility clinics can implant. The limit would be three for women over 40 and two for younger women. It should be passed into law.

Once again, a conservative who routinely calls for government restraint in our lives except if the lives happen to be a woman and her doctor. Then, it's katie-bar-the-door.

Much will be said about the practicalities of this nonsense - particularly the expense and danger of requiring multiple treatments - but I want to talk about the bigger picture.

I understand that my ability to buy beer on Sunday and a woman's health are on astronomically different levels, but given the "liquor on sunday bill" failed once again yesterday and is now followed up by this weird, mean piece of legislation, I want anyone who still thinks the Republicans in this state believe government should stay out of our lives to raise their hands.

Half Ass City

We are a half ass city.

Like a teenager with self-esteem issues, Atlanta tends to half ass its way through everything.

We built and built and built while half-assing infrastructure until the sewers told us to pony up $4 billion or they would spew sludge into the streets.

We half-assed on transportation and ended up with the most incomplete, dysfunctional transit system of any major city in the country.

But most glaringly, in 1996, exposed to the world, we half-assed the Olympics and when something went wrong, the press handed our half-ass back to us on an ink-stained platter.

And we're about to do it again.

For years people of many stripes, myself included, have promoted the idea of a casino at Underground. Despite the whines of the moralists, it would solve many problems. It would give the ubiquitous conventioneers a place to wander. It would bring god knows how much revenue to a city strapped for cash. Most importantly, it would finally lance the boil of a city subsidized entertainment district that only entertains as a frightening freak show.

But instead of changing the state law which prevents casino gambling, Atlanta is exploring using a loophole in the lottery law which allows video gambling machines -and not even those poor pitiful video poker machines, but some half-ass lottery spewing chimera.

Left on Lanier correctly notes, "If Atlanta is going to pursue gambling as a correction to budget issues, then it’s best to make it hardcore. Attract big money gamblers by providing live poker with live dealers, pit bosses, additional security, the whole works. Over time, we could add the fountains and lighting and attractions, and become a mini-Las Vegas- complete with police presence and a general sense of well-being in the city center".

But I doubt we will. We won't because we don't understand the concept of all-in. We'd rather cautiously play a little here and a little there - never making that breath gasping push. And every poker player of any skill knows the inevitable result of this strategy - no money left and out of the game.

Where Dragons Be

There are normally two impulses which cause a poltician to light on a particular perch.

The most common urge is politics. It is a safe place to land because it is the familiar and it is also about winning. Winning at politics means advancing a cause for some sort of gain and the gain all desire is re-election.

Less common is the ideological urge. Ideology is a precarious roost for politicians for it requires standing on principle. It can lead a particular species of ideologue called the "spending hawk" to vote against that needless contract even though it will cost the home folks the latest, greatest government doo-dad. When the home folks don't get their doo-dads, they sometimes opt to hire a new doo-dad getter.

But there is a third, very rare synaptic firing which may guide politicians into lands where dragons be. Insanity.

Sen. Seth Harp (R-Midland) wants to address the current budget crisis by merging Historically Black Colleges & Universities.

Merging Historically Black Colleges such as Savannah State University and Albany State College with nearby white-majority schools, Armstrong Atlantic State University and Darton College, will save our taxpayers and the state a significant amount of money.

So on which branch did this particular hawk alight?

Given the recent history of African Americans voting somewhere north of 80% for Democrats, it is hard to imagine a move to eliminate the legacy of their schools as a ploy to gain votes. So it ain't political.

Republicans claim to be the party of accountability. In fact, they frequently argue we should move beyond race and make judgments solely on merit. Yet, nowhere in Harp's proposal is there the idea of viewing all schools and then eliminating based on performance. So it ain't about principle.

Sen. Harp's only get one landing place left.

Perhaps, on waking in the morning, cleared of fever dreams, he will reverse course and seek one of the branches of the political tree he so eagerly swooped past.

(P.S. Sen. Harp, as some of your colleagues can attest, I'm always open to someone explaining to me why I'm the one perched in the crazy tree. Feel free to drop me a line)

Random Scene From Lawmakers

Sen. Eric Johnson continuing an interview with Lawmakers while a choir in the background sings the National Anthem.

We anxiously await comments from Rep. Jack Kingston's office on this shocking turn of events.

The Saga Of The Underpants

Atlanta City Council member C.T. Martin wants to ban baggy pants.

Exposed boxer shorts and thongs would be illegal in any public place in Atlanta if the City Council approves a proposed amendment to the city's indecency laws.

Let's ignore for a moment it will never pass a constitutional test. Let's ignore for a moment the overtaxed police force is currently trying to prevent the city from returning to its O.K. Corral ways of the past.

Think of the the effect on the economy! What would happen to those places frequented by the working man. Places where gentlemen who no longer have the assets to provide support to the rear of their Wrangler's calmly sip their beverages in the comfort of a non-judgemental public viewing of partial nudity. Places where butt-crack is expected, nay required!

My God! Lenny's might have to shut its doors!

Can someone please think of the plumbers? For God's sake will anyone think of the plumbers?

h/t: Cracker Squire

Screw You Poor Defendants!

Amendment VI; U.S. Constitution:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

In 2003, Georgia created a state-wide public defender system because the old county run system was so horrid it repeatedly lost constitutional challenges. Now in 2008, our esteemed legislators choose to slash the already paltry $35.4 million public defense budget by $2 million.

We increase our overall budget by $1.5 billion yet continue to shortchange the criminal justice system. A decision which could once again lead us down the road to ongoing cost from more overturned verdicts.

The federal constitution is quite clear on this issue. Criminal trials are matters for the states and the states are required to provide an adequate defense to those requiring the assistance. No ifs, ands or buts. When will the idiots get it through their heads that an ounce of prevention now will prevent monstrous cost headaches later?