Saturday Stupids

An abbreviated version today as there is business to attend to this evening.

The Last Radio Show Ever

Sometimes a man knows when it's time to stop cuttin bait and even stop fishin.

Please join us for the Last Radio Show Ever!

The final Carp Circles Live!

One more Friday night with the boys!

Tonight from 8-11 on Carp Circles Radio!

I've already told Moe it's no holds barred so get there early because late might be too late. Definitely tune in early for the pre-show and don't fear to stay late for the possible after show dance party!

Live web cam on Yahoo Messenger on username griftdrift.

Choices

Once when I lay whining, my friend told me it was all about choices. I continued to whine about the unfairness of it all and he simply responded I was still making a choice. Even if it was one I considered unpleasant.

On January 31, 2004, Genarlow Wilson chose to enter a hotel room filled with teenage friends, alcohol and possibly drugs. What followed could have been just another mythical teenage party, details relayed in whispers and giggles as the high school students continued towards graduation and life afterwards. But in this modern age of fascination with capturing every moment of life, they brought along a video camera.

If not for the camera sitting in the corner of the room, the entire sordid scene possibly would have been written off as another episode of teenage extravagance and experimentation. Foolish but hardly criminal.

However, forever etched in video were the acts of that night including a 15 year old girl performing oral sex on a line of young men; a procession which included 17 year old Genarlow Wilson.

Georgia Code at the time of the act stated aggravated child molestation included sodomy, i.e. oral touching, with any person under the age of 16. Court transcripts reveal the Wilson jury struggled with the restrictive law but in the end were compelled to convict on the charge. Unknown to the jury and most of the public, due to mandatory sentencing, Wilson would be sent to jail for 10 years.

Following the Wilson conviction, public outrage quickly formed reaching such lofty institutions as ESPN and the New York Times. A poorly written law had snared Genarlow Wilson, amplifying his inital bad choice into consequences which would follow him for the rest of his life. The people of Georgia demanded correction to such an obvious injustice.

On March 30, 2006, Senator Eric Johnson made a choice.

He joined the near unanimous majority in the Georgia legislature in amending the Georgia statutes for aggravated child molestation to include an exception for minors engaged in consensual oral sex. (HB-1059). As amended, if the law had been in effect at the time of Wilson's arrest he would have faced at most a misdemeanor. However, the legislature left one piece of business on the table. The change was not retroactive. Genarlow Wilson would not be freed without further action.

In the Spring of 2007, Eric Johnson faced another choice.

The Republican Party recently swept into power in the Georgia Senate and Johnson was named President Pro Tem; a powerful position which would allow Johnson to shape the session to his caucus's will.

There can be little doubt Senator Johnson was aware of a bill filed by Senator Emmanuel Jones attempting to amend the aggravated child molestation statute once again. The bill proffered would allow any person convicted under the previous law to petition the original presiding judge to overturn the current sentence.

Senator Johnson could have worked behind the scenes tailoring the bill as narrowly as possible to prevent waves of legal manuevers from actual child predators while insuring Wilson received a fair chance at release. It would have certainly made sense as most Georgian's believed the young man's imprisonment unjust.

If Johnson had reservations about the legal technicalities of retroactively unraveling legislation, he could have used this reasoning to defeat the bill in committee or on the floor. Some concerns were legitimate. It certanly would chafe against the bedrock principles of our legislative system to begin forming laws for individuals instead of the whole. But if the law were overly broad, the judicial system could face a nightmare of legal challenges on countless previous convictions.

Sitting on the crux of the choice, Senator Johnson chose a third way.

On February 20, 2007, Senator Johnson rose from his desk to speak on Senator Jones bill. What followed was an excoriation of Wilson and the activities of that long ago New Year's Eve; a rant filled with fabrication and fancy. He painted Wilson as a predator who used a drug filled, alcohol soaked orgy to willifully take advantage of children. He even indicated Wilson had sex with an unconcious minor; an allegation which even the prosecutor disputes. When confronted by a CNN reporter, despite the Wilson jury's acquittal on rape charges, Johnson responded, "It's a rape in my mind".

Eric Johnson certainly faced choices in the last legislative session, arguably none more controversial than Wilson's plight. Instead of choosing the route of quiet leadership, instead of advocacy for legislative restraint, Johnson chose demagoguery.

In the span of one year, Senator Johnson converted from a supporter of justice for those who would suffer Genarlow Wilson's fate to fiery apostle delivering a message of deserved punishment against a boy he now viewed as a monstrous evil waiting to once again be released upon the children of Georgia.

All choices are backed by reason. Of the choices surrounding the Genarlow Wilson affair, we know the reasoning for all except one.

What caused Senator Eric Johnson to appeal to our most base human instincts, the fear of the overpowering sexual monster, in an effort to keep a young man who is no apparent threat to society imprisoned?

It is a question which deserves to be answered.

Hometown News

We need to expand The Blotter.

A man who was found sleeping at the end of a movie in the Moultrie Stadium Cinemas asked to see the parts of the movie he missed. ~The Moultrie Observer

Well, why wouldn't he?

The Usual Blather

Dana Blankenhorn's latest link screed on Georgia.

At this point I honestly don't know whether to be complimented or insulted. Maybe both?

Maybe this will make more sense in the morning.

Lies

Since Genarlow Wilson is back in the news today I thought I would refresh some memories on a particularly grotesque political aspect of the case. I recently received an email referencing a previous Op-Ed piece written by Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson. In the screed, Johnson states the following:

A young girl charged them with rape. The police arrested them. A district attorney chose to prosecute them. A grand jury decided to indict them. And a jury convicted them.

Lie. Genarlow Wilson was acquitted of rape. He was convicted on a tragically poorly written statute which painted the jury into a corner. A law so heinous in its injustice it was almost immediately changed by Senator Johnson and the rest of the Georgia General Assembly.

Myths become ingrained in our consciousness because they appeal to some primordial need to interpret reality in ways we can comprehend. For this reason they are incredibly difficult to defeat. But by God as long as there is space to write, the fight against the continued husbanding of this one will continue.

For a more detailed explanation of the laws involved you can read here.

Genarlow Wilson Bail Hearing Denied

A Douglas Superior Court Judge has cancelled the bail hearing for Genarlow Wilson.

"As the court has no authority to grant an appeal bond in this case, there is no need for an evidentiary hearing on the defendant's eligibility for a bond," Emerson wrote in his three-page order. "The motion for bond is dismissed. "The hearing scheduled for July 5, 2007, is therefore cancelled."

Okay legal eagles, why does the superior court in the original sentencing jurisdiction not have the authority to grant bond? The sad fact is the entire legal profession in Georgia is developing a black eye from the continued use of legal arcana to keep a young man who is clearly no threat to society in jail.

Internet Radio Day Of Silence

As a young man I had dreams of owning a radio station. My fondest desire was to sit behind the microphone late in the evening playing whatever I fancied. Forget program directors. Forget the pressure of format. If I wanted to play the entire "Tales From Topographic Oceans" by God I would.

On January 23, 2001, a small part of that dream came true. Technology finally progressed to where boyhood dreams were available at the touch of an FTP client.

I began Carp Circles Radio.

In 2003, the rest of my dream was realized when I began broadcasting live. Along with my partner in crime Hollywood, Carp Circles Live was born.

For over six years my little corner of the radio universe played an eclectic mix of rock, country, hip-hop and soul non-stop 24 hours a day. The music never stopped.

Until now.

Today is the Internet Radio Day Of Silence.

Since the beginning, the record labels in conjunction with big corporate radio such as Clear Channel fought hard against the new competition. Now they have wielded the mighty power of mammon to convince the Copyright Royalty Board to pass royalty rates which would force internet radio stations to pay royalties far beyond those which have applied to "regular radio" for generations.

The change will go into effect on July 15 and will be retroactive to January 1st. Unless action is taken, it will doom practically all internet radio.

So if you are non-VIP listener and tune into my little joint today you will hear PSAs and testimonials from other broadcasters. The music will return tomorrow. As for how long the music will continue to play? Stay tuned.

UPDATE: The following is the letter I just sent to Representative Hank Johnson. Please feel free to use it as a template as you contact your own representatives.

Rep. Johnson, thank you for your time.

I am resident of the 4th and I am also an internet radio broadcaster. You may not be aware of the issue but the Copyright Royalty Board has enacted new regulations regarding internet radio. On July 15th, a royalty increase of 300% on all internet broadcast will take effect. The new rates will be retroactive to January 1, 2007 and will devestate all internet radio.

Rep. Johnson, we the internet radio community are not asking for special treatment but simply a level playing field. Large corporate radio broadcasters have used their influence to protect a monopoly they have enjoyed for generations. Any assistance you can provide on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

For more information please see http://www.savenetradio.org/.

And once again thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oconee Goat Rodeo

Just when you think the Democrats are the dysfunctional children and the Republicans are the good little children all lined up in the church pew along comes the Oconee County Republican Party.

Yesterday JMac reports that for reasons unknown the Oconee Repubs are endorsing Jim Whitehead over Paul Broun in the July 17th runoff. Not odd if you are a betting man and want to lay some skin on the serious favorite. Very odd if you note Oconee County carried water to the tune of 50% for Broun in the special election.

Now, Peach Pundit reports the endorsement is being retracted.

I blame the heat. There is much weirdness in the air, bubba. Stay tuned.

More On Immigration

I was immigration before immigration was cool. I guess I am just a little full of myself today.

But given it is, as Dick Williams put it, "the issue that sucks all the oxygen out of the room", I decided to do a little dumpster diving in my archives. So here are some old chestnuts you might enjoy cracking.

Immigration. The Next Welfare Reform?
Illegals Don't Pay Taxes, Right?
Oh, And What About That Wall?
Deport Them! Or Not.

Gutierrez On Immigration

I'm starting to get a little tired of the immigration debate. It is rapidly becoming the purview of demagogues and cause junkies. Instead of firing off another metaphor laced screed, I'm going to take the lazy bloggy way out and refer instead to what has already been said. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois) on yesterday's Meet The Press eloquently summed up my own beliefs on this topic.

It isn’t amnesty. What it is is a pathway to legalization. We have an immigration system that is broken, that’s a nightmare. It’s a nightmare for American citizens. We saw the specialist missing in Iraq, Jimenez, from Massachusetts. His wife is being deported. That’s how broken our system is, that those that are on the front line, defending us in the war against terrorism and in Iraq are having their wives deported from the United States of America...Look, it’s a broken system, but I think what we say is, “What are you going to do with the 12 million people?” If you listen to Pat this morning, we have had the most aggressive enforcement in the last 30 years in our interior enforcement, 160,000 people deported this past year. At that rate, it would take us 65 years to rid this nation of all the undocumented workers. It’s not realistic, it’s not humane. It isn’t practical to our national security, or does it secure our economy. The fact is we create, in the United States, this vibrant economy, 400,000 low skill jobs a year, but there’re only 5,000 visas. We eed new workers to keep our economy vibrant and strong.

On yesterday's Georgia Gang, Dick Williams and Phil Kent poo-pooed Stephanie Ramage's assertion that those who would scream "amnesty" are for deportation as a strawman. It certainly had a whiff of hay, but only because the anti-amnesty brigades steadfastly refuse to offer any concrete idea of how they would deal with the 12 million people already here.

We need solutions, not rhetoric and scaremongering. Some people, including President Bush, are attempting to find a way. Others only believe in walls.

Me! Me! Me!

I'm not much for self-promotion. A fault which at times leads me to roll pennies for beer money. But Creative Loafing is taking votes for its annual Best Of issue. So what the hell.



VOTE FOR ME! ME! ME!



No back to your regularly scheduled snark.

10th District Wrap Up

Some final thoughts on the recent 10 district special election.

Three yards and a cloud of dust is not the most exciting offense, but it did allow the Sooner teams of the 80s to regularly beat opponents by 70 points.

Much was made of the Democrats not mustering 30% and Paul Broun's "surprise" second place finish. Meta issues such as immigration and Iraq were thrown around like garments at a swingers convention. All the while, the bobbleheads mostly ignored the historical trend that voters are hard-wired to vote for those they know.

It's how you win a county commission race. It's how you win a mayor's race. Heck, it's how you get elected dog catcher if that mythical position still exist in some Thorton Wilder bubble of reality. In other words, it was always about the ground game.

On reflection, it's pretty easy to understand how Whitehead beat his closest opponent by 25 points. Of course, he was always the prohibitive favorite but while the bobbleheads talked about the impact of of Charlie Norwood's widow's endorsement, most ignored the fact that she also gave him the keys to the machine. A machine which Rep. Norwood solidified and added to through six congressional terms. In 2006, despite the ugly electoral mood of "throw all the bastards out", Norwood won the 10th by 36 points.

Broun on the other hand seemed to have everything against him. He's not the best speaker in the world. He has a history of losing elections and nobody likes a loser. Most importantly, he faced oppposition from a well financed Democrat (Marlow) and an Iraq war veteran with an endorsement from the Athens Banner-Herald (Pulliam). So how did he do it?

His daddy. But not how you probably think. Many in the pundit class like to snicker and insinuate the voters confused Broun, Jr. with his daddy Broun, Sr., one of the most powerful Democratic State Senators of all time. But that's the easy way out and not at all fair to the voters of such Broun strongholds as Oconee County. Sure, they knew his daddy and that means a lot. But it also means that Paul Broun, Jr. already had home field advantage in an important swing area. Why would people walk the hot streets of Watkinsville for a stranger when a familiar face stood right before them?

So all is right in the world. Republicans pulled 70% in a 70% Republican district. Old school politics and old school names still matter. Most of us, yours truly included, tended to focus on issues too large while ignoring the fact voters tend to not care what we think. And Dan Marino never did find a ground game and the Dolphins never won a Super Bowl in the 80s.

A post script. It would be easy to attack Jane Kidd and the new regime in the DPG for another disastrous loss, but it's too early for that. The new team is still getting its feet wet and lord knows the poor things were hampered by their own bylaws which prevented supporting a single candidate over other Democrats. Bless their hearts, those Dems truly do believe in loving all.

So, when the Republican bobbleheads start gloating about Democrats still being out of touch and Democrat bobbleheads start demanding change (again), take time to pause and remember only time will tell if Jane Kidd is Moses leading the children out of the desert or Pizarro leading would be conquerers deeper into the fetid swamps of the Amazon seeking mythical cities of gold.

Headin South

There ain't much going on up here now that Jacobs has shown his true colors and the Democrats got spanked again. Besides, there's land matters to attend to at the old homestead.

Of course this means I will have to drive through what I now refer to as the Steve Davis Memorial Abomination aka the Hudson Bridge interchange. It's a wonder of happiness to residents of Henry County. For this rest of us on I-75? Doom and apocalypse.

I'm considering starting driving tours through the infernal labryinth for the pave over everything crowd.

More Hometown News

I promise my hometown really isn't so weird. Okay, it's a small southern town, so it is pretty weird.

Police recently tasered a man in the Wal-Mart. Note the address.

A Moultrie man was apprehended Monday afternoon after he was allegedly seen knocking items off shelves at Wal-Mart then was uncooperative with officers...Johnny Lee Collins Jr., 33, of 180 Trailer Park Road, was charged Monday with obstruction and disorderly conduct.

Feel free to hum the banjo tune from "Deliverance" with just a hint of Caribbean backbeat while reading the story.

Happy Belated Blogiversary

Happy belated blogiversary to State of Sunshine.

I've been buried in Georgia politics lately but it's still a daily read. Bang up job guys!

Quote Of The Day: Jacobs Edition

Democratic Party of Georgia Communications Director Martin Matheny on challenging newly minted Republican Mike Jacobs in the house 80th:

"We should be able to put a Democrat in that seat for the first time in four years."

Better to break clean than let things linger. I'm not sure there's any linger left between Jacobs and the DPG.

Will Hinton Interviews Mike Jacobs

You can download it here.

"I will respond to direct questions with direct answers".

Hey Mike. Nothing against Will, but I am neither a friend nor a constituent, but I'm pretty sure I would give you a fair shake. So how about it? There are still questions unanswered and I've got a list. You game?

DPG Responds To Jacobs Switch

From Democratic Party of Georgia Communications Director Martin Matheny:

"Frankly, I’m glad we don’t have to apologize for this guy anymore. Mike Jacobs has consistently voted with Republicans to slash children’s health care and protect the predatory lenders that have bankrupted countless Georgia families. He’s never fought for Georgia’s families and we’re glad to see him go."

A succint summary of the Teilhet email. It appears this is a divorce which will never be termed amicable. 2008 in the 80th should be quite a hoot.

Democrats Begin To Respond To The Jacobs Switch

The activists blogs are already chumming the waters.

Now, Rep. Rob Teilhet (D-40) jumps into the fray.

The following is an unedited copy of an email sent from Teihet to Jacobs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mike,

It is with great interest that I read your blog postthis morning, announcing your decision to become amember of the Republican Party. It is of course, a disappointment.

I am reminded of the time last summer in the days before the primary election when you sought to switch your support from Cathy Cox to Mark Taylor. I remember thinking then, as I find myself thinking again today, of how awful it must be to be someone whose only core value is expediency and whose thoughts are only of the very next political calculation that may advance their self-interest.

I am afraid your statement omitted some important points, so I thought I might remind you so that you can make your constituents aware of them.

You've made no mention of your support for cuts to Georgia's Peachcare for Kids program, which helps provide health insurance coverage to children of working families. Your vote for HB 340 would have allowed thousands of children to be denied health insurance coverage arbitrarily by an unaccountable bureaucrat, and to have their dental and vision coverage removed altogether.

You've also not mentioned your support for this year's ghoulish and predatory payday lending legislation. You voted this year, by supporting HB 163, to allow payday lenders to charge up to 395 percent interest rates and to provide de facto amnesty for those loan sharks that broke the law for the better part of the last century by offering these loans despite the fact that they were clearly illegal under Georgia law.

You also omitted from your message to constituents your support in the Judiciary Committee for several measures that would limit the applicability of the Open Records Act and make public documents more difficult to obtain. Most heinous was your support for requiring open records requests to be made inwriting. You supported this despite uncontested testimony in committee that the bill would have allowed government to require a citizen to identify themselves and state the reason they wanted certain records in writing before having their request for public information processed. Public documents belong to the public, and should be made available without requiring a citizen to be subjected to aggravation or even political retribution for requesting them. Feigning a commitment to open government while you seek to undermine it through your work in the legislature, is one of the oldest and worst parlor tricks in politics. Such duplicity creates fertile ground for the cynicism that makes good public service more difficult.

Further eroding any credentials you may think you have as an advocate for open government and individual liberty has been your unabashed support for Glenn Richardson as Speaker. Mr. Richardson has, each and every year that he has been Speaker, sought to limit public debate in the House by gutting the ability of legislators to offer amendments to bills both on the floor and in committee. Mr. Richardson has also sought to limit the Open Records Act to allow secret government negotiations affecting millions in taxpayer dollars with private business.

Mr. Richardson has also used his power, won with the aid and support of legislators like yourself, to pursue new limits on women's reproductive freedom each year and repeatedly stifled ethics legislation that would eliminate or at least reduce the lavishing of expensive gifts on legislators by registered lobbyists.

Your support for Mr. Richardson as Speaker has also enabled the blockage of any meaningful legislation dealing with transportation and traffic congestion. Your constituents will have plenty of time to contemplate the many faces of Mike Jacobs as they continue to sit in ever worsening traffic without any meaningful plan for relief.

Your message also suggests support for Mr. Richarson's tax plan, which depending on which version you support would increase current sales taxes by more than 25% and levy billions in new sales taxes on needed everyday goods and services such as groceries and doctors visits. Your statement of a belief in fiscal restraint, when combined with your willingness to support a plan to tax everything that moves, raises additional questions about your basic credibility.

One of the things about public service that can be most disheartening is watching the effect that politics can have on individuals who are not anchored in principle. Such individuals become, over time, unmoored and willing to sell anything for the right price.

It is a sad but important reminder to all public officials that you must always remember why you ran for office in the first place, and stay connected to values larger than your own gratification and self-interest.

I am requesting a return of my past contributions to your campaign efforts, which were funded overwhelmingly by Democrats who hoped for the best from you. They got something less, and we all deserve a refund.

I look forward to your unvarnished answer and direct response to my refund request.

Good luck.

Rob
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strong words. But I would advise Rep. Teilhet to not expect answers any time soon. Mr. Jacobs has not returned my queries regarding the timing of his announcement. Despite an attempt to splash all over the potential good news for Democrats in the 10th race with his very public switch, Mr. Jacobs has suddenly gone very quiet.