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