Rep Sam Watson & SW Georgia Delegation Rebuke Gurtler Over Disaster Relief
The main bill during Georgia’s Special Session meeting of the General Assembly was one to approve $270 million in relief following Hurricane Michael. This was the state’s portion of disaster relief to qualify for federal disaster funds. It passed the House almost unanimously. Almost. There was one no vote, that of Rep Matt Gurtler from Tiger, Georgia.
Tiger, in Rabun County, is about as far apart from Seminole County – where the storm first crossed into Georgia – as Gurtler is from the prevailing views of his caucus. Think opposite corners.
Representative Sam Watson of Moultrie, Chairman of the Small Business Development Committee, isn’t amused with Gurlter’s vote, nor his preening over his “principled” stand. In fact, he’s drafted a letter to the editor sent to newpapers in Gurtler’s district not only questioning his vote, but calling him a liar over statements Gurtler made while grandstanding his position.
You can read the full letter sent to GeorgiaPol.com here.
19 legislators from Southwest Georgia signed Watson’s letter. Senators and Representatives, Republicans and Democrats, would like the good people of northeast Georgia to better understand who they have sent to work with them to solve Georgia’s problems.
Most legislators would like to solve problems. One seems to just want to make a point. And a host of other Representatives would like the people of Rabun, Towns, Union, and White counties to understand that the person they send to Atlanta to work for them stands alone on an island, unwilling and now likely unable to work with others on behalf of those who he is supposed to represent.
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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Wondering how Watson feels about expanding Medicaid…….does he really care about the plight of fellow Georgians or just those who donate to his campaign?
This is a threadjack. Stay on topic or be gone.
Threadjacking? What is this, 1984?
Every one of those signatures on that letter is guilty of behaving in the exact same manner. None of those people give a damn about their “fellow Georgians”.
Boom, roasted.
Boom, blocked.
Warning to others: don’t be an ass to the moderators. Your ability to post here is a privilege, not a right.
Super petty, Charlie. Shouldn’t the moderators moderate their tantrums?
The post had nothing to do with Medicaid expansion nor were there preceding comments resulting in a thread leading toward Medicaid.
Indypendant should’ve have made his comment in the open thread Morning Reads. Here’s hoping Indy returns.
duplicate comment deleted.
Whoa. I know you are upset your team lost, but…
This vote and others similar to this are the reason I could not and did not support Representative Gurtler in the May primary. In my opinion they serve the best interests of no one.
Who got your vote in the general election?
I’m glad the legislators saw fit to call Gurtler out on the shortsightedness he calls principle.
I resisted the urge to become the 48th viewer of his ‘preening’ video.
What exactly is your problem with Charlie and his ‘friends’ calling out a fellow legislator for being an obstructionist and a moral idiot?
To your last point, Jody Hice is my US rep for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean I have to be satisfied with his actions just because the majority considers him worthy.
“What exactly is your problem with Charlie and his ‘friends’ calling out a fellow legislator for being an obstructionist and a moral idiot?”
What did he obstruct and why is fiscal conservatism now an idiot’s errand?
I was a little bored and a little curious, so I watched enough of the video to get the point. If I understood correctly, Gurtler essentially said that the agencies charged with distributing the appropriations would be picking winners and losers. Thus, his “interference” with the “free market” complaint.
But it also seemed that he just wanted more oversight, so the legislature could pick the winners and losers. As when he chose to pick Delta as a winner, before he picked Delta as a loser. He did some gymnastics to explain that the recent Delta tax break was for all companies using jet fuel, but his logic and explanations were as clear as mud.
And he rested his argument against helping economic recovery in devastated sectors upon an ideal (impractical) libertarian principle.
If he honestly believed in that principle, and stuck to it, I don’t know what government spending he would ever vote for. Maybe he doesn’t vote for any, I don’t know.
But if your lofty (imaginary) ideals ever get in the way of the best way to help people, it’s time to examine how lofty (out of touch) those ideals are.
More status quo wagon circling. Didn’t Ralston and Co try to primary a couple of ‘not team players’ to no avail? They all certainly love their boy’s club.
Bad enough someone can’t have a different opinion on a non issue (and yes, a single no vote is as non issue as it gets) without the status quo tinkling on a person’s demeanor. When the GOP gets serious about ‘solving Georgia’s problems’ through government handouts (which this is, even by GOP standards), we citizens will take them serious.
Until then, petty politics still rule the roost at the GD.
It will be interesting to see Gurtler apply his principles when it comes time to vote on the government picks winners and losers side of government handouts for high-speed internet access in his district.