Public momentum for a return to fiscal responsibility, limited government, and ethical behavior in government is running full force. Watchdog groups and conservative organizations in Georgia are demanding that it is time for robust legislation on ethics and accountability from our leaders.
State Representative Tommy Smith and state Senator Josh McKoon are offering what could be the most important piece of legislation this session, a comprehensive ethics reform bill. Currently, there is no cap on what lobbyist can spend on gifts for our legislators. Rep. Smith and Sen. McKoon are asking for a $100 cap on such gifts.
The unfortunate part is almost no other representatives or senators are coming forward to sign on to the ethics legislation. What has happened to our righteous Republicans? But keep in mind that this willingness to remain at the special interest trough is most certainly a bipartisan effort.
A recent poll by the Atlanta Journal Constitution revealed that 82 percent of Georgia Republicans support ethics reform, specifically with a cap on lobbyist gifts to legislators. The same poll also shows 72 percent of all Georgians (Republicans and Democrats) support comprehensive ethics reform in Georgia.
The same disease that is ravaging the U.S. Congress, causing them to ignore their constituents, has also infected our state legislature.
House Majority Leader Larry O’Neal, R-Bonaire, offered little hope the ethics bill would get serious consideration. The fact fellow Republicans have not signed on “… would certainly dissuade me,” he said. “It might mean there’s some particular part of it or portion of it that is objectionable or impossible to accomplish,” (AJC, Jan. 25, 2012, “Ethics bill gets cool reception in Ga. House”).
I wonder what the objection might be.
On another very important subject, the light shining on the suspect Transportation Investment Act (TIA) referendum in July is getting brighter every day. Representative Ed Setzler of Cobb County is a member of the House Transportation Committee and he is the first in the legislature to begin admitting the truth about the Act in an AJC editorial (Jan. 23, 2012) entitled “$6.14 billion plan’s fatal flaws.”
Rep. Setzler said lead staff attorneys within the legislature have issued a written opinion that seriously calls into question the constitutionality of the TIA. He points to another flaw of the TIA being counties have no provision to opt out of the regional transportation tax (specifically denoting opposition in Cobb, Cherokee, Fayette and North Fulton), obliterating home rule.
Rep. Setzler also admitted what many of us have been claiming for a long time, saying that the project list does not fulfill the purpose for which the TIA was created: relieving traffic congestion in metro Atlanta.
I have to applaud the courage of the legislators mentioned above. The citizens are getting hoodwinked and those few have chosen to taken a stand. Will you take a stand, email your legislators, fax a letter to Governor Deal?
Lastly, I will address the letter to the editor from Mike King related to district voting. Both Commissioner Allen McCarty and I promised not to support a district voting effort and I can assure you that we will not sway from that pledge.
Steve Brown
Fayette Commissioner, Post 4
CommissionerBrown@fayettecountyga.gov
Peachtree City, Ga.
