Georgia News(Week 2) - GA Secretary of State's use of Ads Contested

Democratic Georgia Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Cathy Cox's ads concerning financial fraud and investor protection are coming under fire this week, according to the article. Many Republicans are opposed to Cox's use of the ads, as they argue that the ads are solely for Cox's political gain, and are not aimed to help investors, especially given the fact that many of the ads are directed at the African-American community, expected to be a prevalent force in the upcoming gubernatorial election. Cox recently began a $500,000 radio campaign about the topic in question a few weeks ago, sparking a debate that stems back to a year ago, with the controversy surrounding Cox's $4.5 million TV, radio, and newspaper campaign about the same topic. Detractors were also bothered by the fact that Cox's prior TV ads provided her with more exposure than incumbent Sonny Perdue and Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, another gubernatorial candidate. I find Cox's campaign to be a very smart political move, whether she acknowledges it or not. By reaching out to African-Americans and giving them investment support, Cox is showing her support for the African-American community, and thus improving her image and gaining more African-American support, support that is predicted to be very prominent in the upcoming gubernatorial election. Whether her strategy pays off or not, however, remains to be seen.

Link: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/0905/28metcox.html?cxntnid=amn092805e

Georgia News(Week 2) - Representative's Immunity Claim Denied

Rep. David Graves was denied his immunity claim by a Cobb County judge yesterday. Graves claimed that since he was at an alleged meeting "tantamount to a committee meeting," his DUI arrest is against the Georgia state constitution provision preventing a lawmaker from being arrested during sessions of the General Assembly or other meetings. Graves was arrested and charged with DUI after being stopped at a police roadblock after leaving the meeting in question. Gary Jones, the prosecutor in the case, argued that "'just because [Graves was] having dinner with other politicians doesn't make it a committee meeting.'" Judge Irma P. Glover agreed, citing a lack of evidence of proving that the gathering was an official committee meeting. Graves' case seems somewhat suspicious here, as it is unlikely that an official committee meeting would involve the consumption of alcohol. While a reasonable defense, especially in its citing of a provision of the Georgia state constitution, the basis of Graves' argument, the "official committee meeting," is suspicious in itself, thus affecting the credibility of his entire argument, and most likely leading to the refusal of immunity.

Link: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/0905/27graves.html?cxntnid=amn092705e

Georgia News(Week 2) - Georgia Governor Faces Political Backlash

This article details the political backlash that Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is facing after deciding to close schools in order to save fuel in the wake of hurricane Katrina. According to the article, Democrats plan "to remind Georgians of [Perdue's] decision...when he faces re-election next year." Many, however, doubt that voters will remember Purdue's decision come election time November 2006, an eternity of time, politically. Democrats took this opportunity to comment on Purdue's administration, citing his school closing decision as an example of his "shoot first, think about the consequences mentality." Others argue, however, that it is better for Perdue to "overreact than underreact," given the slow government response to hurricane Katrina. Many Georgians are opposed to the school closings simply for reasons of convenience, as closing the schools, according to the article, leads to two extra days of daycare costs, showing that Purdue "didn't take into account the family needs of parents and students." I find Purdue's decision, while controversial, appropriate, as drastic measures need to be taken in drastic times. Closing schools, while costly to parents, will also save Georgians money in the future on gas. It's also highly unlikely, as the article also states, that voters will remember this decision come election time, which is over a year away.

Link : http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atlanta/0905/26perdue.html

Georgia News4-Water Fight

Metro Atlanta recently received clearance to use Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River to fulfill its water needs for 10-20 years. This Federal Appeals court decision is part of a battle between Alabama, Florida and Georgia that stems back to 1990, concerning which state gets to use the river, as each has economic interests vested in the waterways. The court ruling sends the case to Alabama, giving Georgia the possible chance to use "up to 50 percent more water out of the lake and river." The results of this victory are not immediate, however, as it could take at least two years before Metro Atlanta can use the awarded water supply. This case can affect interstate relations, as a ruling in favor of either state involved could worsen relations between the states. This case seems to have no clear ending in result, as least for the next couple of years.

Link: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0905/20water.html

Georgia News2-Paper Trail for Votes

This article details a proposal in Georgia calling for a "receipt" that voters can view after partaking in touch screen voting. After a voter makes his choices, a paper receipt will be printed and will come out under a glass screen, allowing the voter to see his choices and verify if they are correct. If correct, the voter presses a button to confirm this and the receipt disappears to be kept for records if the need arises for a recount. The call for this security measure arises from the concerns of "computer security experts" that the machines used for e-voting can be tampered with, thus affecting voting outcomes. Many voters were also concerned that they had no proof that their votes were being tallied in the right manner. Governor Sonny Perdue, along with other state leaders, has endorsed this proposal. Many also oppose this new system, however, citing past voting fraud problems involving paper. This issue has much relevance to the 2000 presidential election debacle, involving suspicious voting methods and countless recounts. While this method seems somewhat reliable, it is not without its flaws, as the paper records could still be tampered with, leading to the possibility of more fraud. A more reliable method mentioned in the article suggested counting the paper receipts as official tallies. Each method mentioned, while reliable in its own right, is still open to some form of voter fraud, as many methods of voting, old and new, are.

Link: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0905/21papervote.html

Georgia News1

After state senator and former majority leader in the state senate Charles Walker was convicted of fraud in June, Ed Tarver from Augusta was selected in a special election to fill the empty seat. Receiving 8, 074 votes, Tarver gained the victory over two former state representatives: Ben Allen and George Brown. Allen, defeated by Tarver, was not surprised that Tarver won, stating that "the message that [Tarver] brought forth was [what] people wanted to hear." According to the article, Tarver focused on a message detailing his experience working on economic development. This is an interesting situation, mainly because the senatorial seat was vacated because of a conviction, something that does not happen often. Another surprising aspect is Tarver's margin of victory over his opponents, as his opponents only had 3,814 and 838 votes, respectively.

Link: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0905/21augusta.html

Georgia News3-ID Req at Polls-Unconstitutional?

This article tells of the controversy surrounding Georgia's requirement that voters show "government-issued photo ID" at the polls. A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of two African-American voters in Georgia on the grounds that the ID requirement "poses a 'unique burden'" on voters, and thus violates the US Constitution, as well as the Georgia state constitution. The law has become a racial issue, however, as the bill is charged with being discriminatory "'against minorites, the elderly, the poor and the disabled.'" Georgia's requirement differs from that of other states, as other states allow non-government-issued IDs such as payroll checks and Social Security cards. Opponents of the bill argue that the $20 requirement to obtain an ID card, as well as the travel costs involved (since only "56 of Georgia's 159 counties offer the cards at Department of Driver Services offices)" violate the 24th Amendment, outlawing poll taxes. Opponents feel that African-Americans are mainly affected, since they are "'less affluent than whites and three times less likely to own or have access to a motor vehicle than whites,' according to the lawsuit." This is an interesting case, as the racial and constitutional implications surrounding the bill have lifted the issue to the attention of federal courts. This case has the makings of a great Supreme Court case. Whether or not it makes it there remains to be seen.

Link: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0905/19voterid.html