‘Right Track’ Versus ‘Transformative Leadership’
This week’s Courier Herald column:
“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” – Yogi Berra
Georgians are at a fork in the road. For the past eight years, Georgians have had the same Governor, the same Lieutenant Governor, and the same Speaker of the House. They are all Republicans. Only one of them, Speaker David Ralston, will (most likely) have the same office in the Capitol next year.
On the Republican side, there will be change even if the incumbent party holds power. Brian Kemp isn’t Nathan Deal, and Geoff Duncan isn’t Casey Cagle. They have, however, been part of the team that has controlled and shaped Georgia’s government over the past eight years. Kemp’s office as Georgia’s Secretary of State is across the hall from Governor Deal, and Duncan has served upstairs as a member of Georgia’s State House.
As such, it’s time to look back as we prepare to look forward and turn the page.
The record over the past eight years has been one of rebuilding Georgia’s economy and adding new industries to diversify our economic base. When Governor Deal took over, there was less than two days’ cash on hand in the state’s coffers.
Unemployment was at record highs. Banks were failing at the fastest rate in the nation. Delta Airlines, our state’s largest private employer, was emerging from bankruptcy. Real estate values were plummeting, gutting metro Atlanta’s industry of growth. They were dark days.
Many demanded across the board tax increases. Governor Deal and his Republican team tried a different approach. There was across the board belt tightening. Teachers and state employees were furloughed. The choice would have been to otherwise raise taxes on Georgians that were facing record unemployment and foreclosure rates not seen since the Depression.
Georgians were having to make do with less. Our state Government did too.
There was, however, a plan. A film industry that had taken root in Georgia was incentivized with tax credits. Today, the industry injects $2.7 Billion in direct spending here with a $9.5 Billion estimated economic impact. Roughly 30,000 people are now directly employed by production companies, with wages well above the state average.
Georgia has also focused on the technology industry, and is filling up new towers in mid-town with high wage jobs across I-75 from Georgia Tech. Atlanta’s northern suburbs house many tech related firms. Columbus continues to anchor the Fin-Tech industry with TSYS, and Augusta is balancing out the footprint with the Army’s new Cyber Command.
To our south, the Port of Savannah is years ahead of deepening the harbor thanks to state leaders committing to provide funds while the federal government dithered. As the economy improved, Georgia also made a broad commitment to the state’s infrastructure. The fourth fastest growing state in the country is no longer last in per capita road spending, courtesy of a $1 Billion per year annual increase in transportation investment.
Education, the largest part of the state’s budget, has not been left behind. As the economy improved, half or more of the state’s year over year revenue growth was dedicated to Georgia’s K-12 programs. The result is that Georgia’s archaic Quality Basic Education funding formula was fully met this year. This while Georgia has spent the last eight years increasing options for Georgia’s students via charter schools and private scholarships.
Eight years ago many would have scoffed if a politician promised exactly what has been delivered. A growing, thriving state that has made significant investments in education and transportation, while cutting income taxes for the first time in state history.
Georgia also hasn’t had a problem passing balanced budgets or doing “one-time” budget maneuvers like most other states. In fact, that two days’ cash on hand has turned into over $2.5 Billion in the state’s rainy day fund.
That’s the experience the Republican team is putting on the table. The Democrats, instead, are offering the slogan of “transformative leadership”.
We have economic growth, fully funded education, continued investment in infrastructure, a AAA bond rating, one of the lowest tax burdens in the nation, and a billions in the bank.
One side wants to continue this progress. One wants to “transform” it. Georgians are at a fork in this road, with very different paths. Choose wisely.
About Author
Charlie
Founder of GeorgiaPol.com; Now weekly columnist Very interested in Georgia and Georginas. Interest in politics is waning daily.
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If Kemp’s resume is any indication, he would be ‘transformative too’. Transforming this state into incompetence and intolerance like some of our deep south neighbors.
As evidenced in the argument itself: “Brian Kemp isn’t Nathan Deal.”
I will give due credit to Deal, but part of his success was his veto of religious liberty bills, and putting business interests (like Delta) before stupid NRA political stunts. Also part of his success was the compassion – clearly shared and empowered by his wife as well- that aligned good budgeting, good policy, and criminal justice reform.
Kemp has been trending on the opposite direction on all these issues.
If you come to a fork in the road, and the choice on the right is a U-turn, but the other choice at least goes forward, I think the choice is obvious.
Just the national attention on this race has already made a Kemp a national laughingstock as he has no answers as to why he is denying people the right to vote.
It doesn’t matter how much fear mongering you wish to use over electing a Democrat as Governor; she will not have even half of the power to rule as the incompetent Kemp would given the guaranteed Republican majority in the legislature. The fear that an avowed Trumpista upon crowning himself King of Georgia by overseeing his own election (without the means of a true audit) could do much more harm in the long run is a much more valid one. Wait and see what happens to that vaunted movie biz when a RFRA is passed and signed, we will continue the march toward separate but unequal schools, we don’t need no stinkin’ ethics…
One-party rule in Georgia has never been good for the state’s citizens even when the tribe in charge wore blue, no, especially when they ruled. But as I’ve said before, pretty much the same good ol’ boys have stayed in power regardless of the transition to red. I still hold with many conservative values like a limited government for example, however when the Republican Party will not check up a demagogue as President just because he is ostensibly of their party then I no longer have a use for that party. The facts given to us for more than 8 years that Brian Kemp exceeded his Peter Principle pinnacle as Secretary of State only makes it easier. I will be voting for a Democrat for Governor for the first time in 52 years of voting. I will also vote against any Republican who doesn’t disavow the Trump regime.
Well, judging by what I just saw at early voting, no one is gonna be disavowing the Trump regime any time soon!
How is it you know how people are voting?
It’s amazing that he has some kind of x-ray vision and can read who people are going to vote for at the lines for the polls. Or maybe it’s the whole GOP thing where if white people are voting it has to be good news for them while if POC are voting then there’s voting fraud going on.
Like I posted. I heard a few talking in the parking lot after they voted!
How insecure does one have to be to constantly reinforce their beliefs with such sketchy observations.
You’re the one getting upset, not me! Lolololol!
On your fictional second trip.
Good column, Charlie. I see the usual suspects are booing from the peanut gallery, but that’s to be expected when reality appears. Don’t let it get you down. The fact that the libs’ vitriol has free reign on here these days, attacking (and in most cases running off) moderates and conservatives, speaks volumes. They only yell for “moderator!” when a few too many conservatives show up. Hang in there, and let us know how things are coming along with our neighbors in S Georgia recovering from the storm.
Ya’ know, there were a couple of days here recently when there weren’t TrumpTrolls around, and there were actual civilized discussions about issues. But with you and the other trolls around who do nothing but hurl insults and never add anything to a real discussion, it does ruin the whole neighborhood.
So you can live in your made up fantasy about who is running off moderates and conservatives because apparently reality is just to difficult to accept.
I think the childish, lying, bullying “Conservatives” posting vitriol here daily speaks volumes.
Bullying by conservatives …this coming from the liberal mob inciters is comical!
Thanks Andrew! Have you been sitting in some of Titanic’s deck chairs with Caroline?
This place should be re-named GeorgiaHack.
This whole post would make sense if Deal was running for re-election. Still, I don’t really see any basic policy breakdowns. Bringing up the whole tax cut issue is pretty disingenuous since that was a direct response to federal tax policy.
You’re right — Kemp isn’t Deal. We are getting a change in leadership regardless. One option takes us farther to the right but is not necessarily more conservative. The other option would bring us a different party, but not necessarily much of a change in moderate, reasonable, leadership. Simply, not all players on the same team play at the same level. Deal and Abrams are starters and Kemp is a bench warmer. Plus, of the two, Abrams is more likely to work with Republicans. Kemp, with the “us vs them” gambit appears content to sideline anyone who doesn’t have an R after their name, regardless of what they bring to the table. Some of us are leery of extremes in either direction and have no party affiliation or loyalty. If the only argument for Kemp is that he is a Republican, and it sounds like that is the case, then I’ll take a pass.