91. Election Night With DuBose

Please Join

DuBose Porter

On Election Night

Tuesday, July 20th

At One Of The Following Locations

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Election Watch Party

With DuBose

Hometown Headquarters

(Next to The Courier Herald in Dublin)

9:30 PM

Election Watch Party

With DuBose

Manuel’s

(602 N Highland Ave NE; Atlanta)

Everyone Welcome!

Please call (478) 304-1111 if you have questions.

90. I Know Georgia

I know Georgia has a lot of counties because I have personally visited all 159.

It's not enough for a candidate to say they've called a county. It's not enough for a candidate to say they have a supporter in a county. It's not enough for a candidate to say they know someone in a county.

I have visited every Georgia county in person, at beauty shops, hardware stores, diners, strip malls, and barber shops. I've been out and seen Georgia during this campaign. No other candidate has done that. In fact, people repeatedly tell us they haven't had a visit in 40 years from a Candidate for Governor.

I've been asked why I work this hard to get elected. The answer is simple. Because every county, every voter, every citizen, in every corner, in every inch of this great state, matters to me. That is why I am running for Governor.

I only know how to campaign one way -- with a handshake or a hug.

I'm not running on an apology.

I don't have to tell Georgians I have learned how to listen. Georgians know I have listened for the last 28 years of my public service and will continue to listen as Georgia's next Governor.

Together we can do great things and make our state prosperous. We don't need to go back. We must move forward.

To move forward, I need your help and support. Please vote for me on Tuesday, July 20, in the Democratic Primary for Governor. Thank you.

Kind Regards,

DuBose Porter

To see 2,000 pictures from DuBose Porter's Tour of Georgia click here:

http://www.porterforgeorgia.com/pages/tour

89. Jobs, Education and Rivers

Please take the time to listen to the following audio files. Click the word to hear the clip.

Jobs

Education

Rivers

Please pass this email to your friends and family.

I need your vote on July 20 in the Democratic Primary.

Thank you --

DuBose Porter

88. DuBose on CBS-46

DuBose appeared on CBS-46 yesterday. Click the link below to watch the segment.

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/video/24261010/index.html

87. Middle Georgia Endorsements

Dublin - DuBose Porter, candidate for Governor in 2010, received endorsements from Macon area public officials and other community leaders this week. They Include:

Senate Democratic Leader Robert Brown (D-Macon)
State Representative Nikki Randall (D-Macon)
State Representative David Lucas (D-Macon)
State Representative Bubber Epps (D-Twiggs Co.)
Rick Hutto, Macon City Council

Larry Schlesinger, Macon City Council

Joe Allen, Bibb County Commissioner
Lonzy Edwards, Bibb County Commission

Kathryn Epps, Twiggs County Commission

James Vaughn, Monroe County Commission Chairman
Jim Ham, Monroe County Commissioner
John Wilson, Middle Georgia Environmentalist
Dr. Ty Ivey, dentist and conservationist

Jim Crisp, Theatre Macon

The following statements were issued on why DuBose Porter is the best candidate for Governor:

Senate Democratic Leader Robert Brown said, "DuBose can carry our state forward, black and white, rural and urban, and is the best candidate for Governor of the state of Georgia."

State Representative David Lucas said, "DuBose knows the issues and he knows how to fight for middle Georgia."

Rick Hutto, Macon City Council member, said, "I can't imagine anyone in middle Georgia who would vote for anyone else other than DuBose Porter. I am proud to support DuBose Porter for Governor."

Larry Schlesinger, Macon City Council member, said, "I like his positions on passenger rail. I support his position on education and applaud his concern for economic development. But most importantly, he is a true human being because he talks to you and not at you."

Joe Allen, Bibb County Commissioner, said, "We have not had a Governor south of the gnat-line take up for Macon in a long time. DuBose will do that and I encourage everyone who voted for me to vote for DuBose Porter for Governor."

Lonzy Edwards, Bibb County Commission member, said, "This election is about the future of the state. DuBose is a leader and a visionary. Support him for three reasons, Jobs, jobs and jobs."

Kathryn Epps, Twiggs County Commission member, said, "He walks the walk and talks the talk."

James Vaughn, Monroe County Commissioner, said, "As a county commissioner the challenge has been on how to deal with local government with an adversarial relationship with the state. That will change with DuBose Porter as Governor."

Jim Hamm, Monroe County Commission member, said, "I believe he will work for the entire state of Georgia and would be a great Governor."

John Wilson, Middle Georgia Environmentalist, said, "DuBose Porter has been working on protecting land along the Ocmulgee River for years and no one will be better on the environment than DuBose Porter as Governor."

Dr. Ty Ivey, dentist and conservationist, said, "DuBose is a former board member of the Nature Conservancy which I strongly support. Not only are his credentials on the environment unprecedented but we need his talents to get our state through this tough time."

Jim Crisp, head of the Theatre Macon, said, "DuBose understands the arts and how it impacts economic development. He has sincerity and vision which is why he has my vote."

Editor's Note: State Representative Nikki Randall has come down with the flu and will issue a statement later.


Click the link below to see pictures from the event.

http://www.macon.com/2010/07/13/1194144_a1194105/community-leaders-endorse-porter.html

86. New Poll

A new poll is out, and just what the DuBose Porter campaign knew would happen is happening. Our grassroots campaign is showing up in the numbers at the polls. We have seen this race happen in Georgia before. No one thought Sonny Perdue would win until the day after the election, and that is what will happen with DuBose Porter. Vote your conscience. Vote DuBose! Money does not have to decide this race. Your vote counts. Vote!

Among people who have already voted, DuBose Porter and Thurbert Baker are tied for second place. Both candidates have 16%, while Barnes has 41%. This means DuBose will get into the runoff with Barnes and then go on to victory, but he needs your help. Please forward this email to as many of your friends as possible, and help us make the final push to victory.

To see the poll click here: http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollTrack.aspx?g=9324e281-f4b2-46ab-8e9c-4ce5e0baf34f&x=97348,1

To donate now, click here.

85. The Saxon Heights Story

Saxon Heights Elementary School in
Dublin. Click the link to watch a video from Marie Hooks, Principal of Saxon Heights
Elementary School:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msh99piWl5Y>http://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=Msh99piWl5Y

84. 12 Days

Dear Supporter,

We are 12 days away from the Democratic Primary. This is your chance to help elect a Governor who will make jobs, education, water and transportation a priority. Help me get my message out by making a contribution the campaign today. To donate now, click here.

Below is an article from the Thomasville Times Enterprise. Please pass this article along.

Thanks for your support!

DuBose Porter

July 3, 2010

Power of persuasion (Thomasville Times Enterprise)

http://timesenterprise.com/homepage/x657354259/Power-of-persuasion

Porter says he will ensure entire state has a voice

Mark Lastinger CNHI

THOMASVILLE — House Minority Leader DuBose Porter believes he is a gubernatorial linchpin, a candidate who can hold Georgia’s divergent interests together so the entire state can prosper.

The veteran Democrat lawmaker from Dublin touted his record as consensus builder during a Wednesday Times-Enterprise visit.

“The issues that are facing Georgia in the next decade, really, even now — with regards to water, transportation funding, education funding and public safety, it will matter who is governor and whether the whole state is at the table,” Porter said. “With reapportionment coming up next year, for the first time in Georgia history metro Atlanta will have the majority in the House and Senate. The rest of Georgia needs a governor to balance all the interests out.”

Porter is especially concerned about how metro Atlanta’s growing influence will impact schools across the state. He helped developed the Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding formula for Georgia’s public schools.

“In education funding, for the first time last year, those in the metro area started affecting what is called equalization,” Porter explained. “Equalization was put into the Quality Basic Education funding to balance rural, urban, metro and other parts of the state. When you take away equalization, you start shifting the per-capita money per student away from any student outside of Atlanta.

“For it to be even, we need someone with the 28 years of experience that I have in those areas that are important.”

Porter’s public education include:

l Former chairman of the Georgia House Education and Higher Education committees

l Sponsored HB 1397, The Salary Protection Act, during the 2010 legislative session to stop teacher furloughs and put a firewall around teacher salaries

l Sponsored HB 1136 during the 2010 session to restore National Board Certification for teachers

l Sponsored post-secondary options legislation to students can learn valuable skills at technical colleges while still in high school

l Voted against increasing class sizes

l Fought against $3 billion in cuts to public education since 2003

l Voted against private school vouchers

l Sponsored legislation creating the HOPE Scholarship, the HOPE Grant and Georgia’s pre-kindergarten program

l Spoke out against the elimination of school nurses

“It all comes down to education,” Porter said. “I know the funding needs to be the same amount per student for everybody to have access to education in Georgia.”

Porter’s plans to end teacher furloughs and other education cuts by getting the Department of Revenue to do a better job of collecting the state sales tax.

“The Department of Revenue is so inept that it’s hard to be sure how much we’re talking about, but it’s somewhere between $500 million and $1 billion,” Porter said. “I introduced legislation during the past two sessions to solve that, but it was buried. It’s going to take a new governor with a new revenue commissioner to fix that.”

Porter said improving Georgia’s educational standing will also impact public safety.

“Budget cuts are reducing the number of law enforcement officers to unsafe levels,” he said. “The growing prison population is becoming financially unsustainable. Our citizens are less safe. Our law enforcement officers are less safe.

“It is much less expensive to educate a child now than to imprison one later.”

Porter’s state water conservation plan is designed to help high-growth areas while preventing interbasin transfers that could adversely affect south Georgia.

“One of the quickest solutions for water is to raise Lake Lanier by two feet, which is basically where it is right now after the recent rains,” he said. “You would impound 25 billion gallons of water.”

Porter has also called for the use of low-flow toilets and other conservation fixtures. One of his primary aim is to fix Atlanta’s crumbling water pipes, which allow up to 25 of the city’s treated water from making it to the Chattahoochee River.

“That would gives us credibility in court (in Georgia’s water rights battle with Alabama and Florida),” Porter said.

Porter said his transportation plan would also benefit the entire state.

“My transportation plan consists of three things,” he said. “First, dedicate the fourth penny of motor fuel sales tax to ‘any transportation purpose.’ This would allow a dedicated revenue stream to leverage federal resources for passenger rail, the money for Local Assistance for Road Paving, and state aid for local governments to use in economic development. Second, we will create regional Transportation-SPLOSTs where counties can join together to meet regional transportation needs. Third, I will put both measures on the ballot in 2011.

“I will bring passenger rail to Georgia. I will provide resources for partnerships to complete the beltline.”

Porter, whose wife Carol is running for lieutenant governor, remains confident about his chances for getting into a primary runoff. Some polls show him running second — although a distant second — to former Gov. Roy Barnes.

“I hope people realize what is at stake and that there is an alternative. That is how and why DuBose Porter wins,” he said.

83. DuBose Porter, Family Cast Early Ballots

DuBose, Carol and their four sons, Stephen, Guyton, Inman and Asa early voted yesterday in Dublin. WSB-TV Channel 2 Atlanta, along with several other news stations, covered the event as the Porter family and supporters walked from the campaign headquarters to the courthouse to cast their ballots for the July 20th Democratic Primary. Please pass this story along and remember to vote for DuBose and Carol in the Democratic Primary on July 20th. Click on the link below to watch the story.

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/24161687/index.html

82. DuBose Porter brings campaign to Columbus

Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July. Below is an article from the Columbus Ledger newspaper that shows our momentum growing. Thanks for your support. Please pass this article along. Elect DuBose Porter. Vote in the Democratic Primary on July 20.

DuBose Porter brings campaign to Columbus (Columbus Ledger)

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2010/07/03/1182926/dubose-porter-brings-campaign.html

By LILY GORDON

Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate DuBose Porter visited a Columbus barbecue restaurant Friday to drum up support for his campaign and talk about what he called “the defining issue in this race” — education.

Moving among a packed room of lunchtime diners at Country’s Barbecue on Mercury Drive, the House minority leader shook hands and answered questions in an effort to set himself apart from former Gov. Roy Barnes and Attorney General Thurbert Baker.

“We need to let voters know there’s a clear choice in the primary between me and Roy Barnes,” Porter said. “I support public education, I’ve turned a school around, I’ve given tools to the teachers in the classroom. I didn’t blame them for the problems. So teachers, educators have a very clear choice this election. Parents have a very clear choice.”

The primary is July 20. Since he announced his candidacy for governor in April 2009, the former member of the House Education Committee and member of the Georgia State House of Representatives has traveled across the state in what he has called a grassroots effort to win over the “real Georgia.”

“I believe in grassroots,” Porter said. “We have been to every county, all 159 counties in this state. ... We’ve been in beauty parlors and barbershops and feed and seed stores, where the real Georgia is.”

Porter gets company

Former state Reps. Jed Harris and Mary Jane Galer as well as current State Rep. Debbie Buckner joined Porter around noon on his Columbus stop-over to show their support for the Dublin, Ga., native.

While at Country’s, Porter addressed other issues including economic development, water, public safety and transportation.

According to his official website, Porter wants to dedicate the fourth penny of the state fuel tax to “any transportation purpose,” create regional transportation SPLOSTs and put both measures on the ballot in 2011.

If elected governor, he said he also plans to seek reauthorization to raise the level of the Buford Dam at Lake Lanier an additional 2 feet, install efficient water fixtures to better conserve water resources and repair leaking pipes carrying treated water to the Chattahoochee River.

Porter’s main goal — and his reason for running for governor — is to improve Georgia’s public education system, he said.

“I have been fighting for education. I fought for national board certified teachers,” Porter said. “I fought for school nurses in the classroom. I fought for small class sizes so teachers can do their job. And that’s the defining issue in this race.”

81. Candidate touts record on education cuts

From the PolitiFact article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on June 28, 2010 titled, "Gubernatorial candidate touts record on education cuts:"

"State education advocacy groups think Porter fought for them. Herb Garrett, executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association, was effusive in a recent e-mail.

''I can say without fear of contradiction that Representative Porter has, in fact, raised numerous objections to the cuts to education,' Garrett said. 'He is among the most knowledgeable candidates on education funding [due to his many years of experience in the General Assembly and on education committees in particular], so he has a keen eye for how the education portion of the budget operates and when those in positions of power are playing games with it. He has called their hand publicly on a number of occasions.''

To read the entire article click here:

http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2010/jun/28/dubose-porter/gubernatorial-candidate-touts-record-education-cut

80. Rally at the State Capitol

Join Us For A Rally

At The State Capitol

For Georgia’s Next Governor

DuBose Porter

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

At 1:00 P.M.

Statewide supporters will meet

in the rotunda

on the second floor of the State

Capitol in Atlanta

at 12:30 P.M.

Everyone welcome.

Hometown supporters will depart

Dublin headquarters at 9:00 A.M.

Please call (478) 290-3039 if you need a ride.

DuBose needs you now.

79. "It all comes down to Education."

DuBose Porter believes you agree.

Teachers need DuBose Porter as their Governor.
* Former Chairman of the GA House Education and Higher Education Committees
* Sponsored HB1397, The Salary Protection Act, in 2010 session to stop teacher furloughs and put a firewall around teacher salaries
* Sponsored HB1136 in 2010 session to restore National Board Certification for teachers
* Sponsored post-secondary options legislation so students can learn valuable skills at technical colleges while still in high school
* Voted against increasing class sizes
* Fought against $3 billion in cuts to public education since 2003
* Voted against private school vouchers
* Sponsored the legislation creating the HOPE Scholarship, the HOPE Grant, and the Pre-Kindergarten Program in Georgia
* Spoke out against elimination of school nurses
* Hails from Dublin, GA. Graduated from Dublin High School.
* Married to Carol Porter and father of 4 boys, one graduated and the rest attending The University of Georgia.

Turn Education Around.
Elect DuBose Porter.
Democratic Primary July 20.

Click here to donate.

78. Porter: Strong Record on Public Education

May 25, 2010 by Dustin
Filed under: Election 2010, State News

Twelve years ago, Saxon Heights Elementary School in Dublin, Georgia, had some of the lowest reading scores in the state.

Marie Hooks, the principal, asked me if I could help.

Rather than telling Marie what her teachers should be doing in their classrooms, I asked Marie what her teachers needed. Marie needed assistance in securing technology in the classroom, lowering class sizes, and increasing parental participation to 100 percent. I was able to help her achieve those goals.

The next year, Saxon Heights made Adequate Yearly Progress for the first time. Because we worked together, Saxon Heights is now one of the top Title I elementary schools in Georgia.

Our teachers are expected to produce miracles. Instead of blaming them, I will give our valuable educators the tools to succeed in the classroom.

Public education is at stake in this election.

We can do what Saxon Heights did with every school in this state. This will be my priority as your next Governor.

Share on Facebook

http://galiberal.com/

77. DuBose Porter on Public Education

Twelve years ago Saxon Heights Elementary School in Dublin, Georgia had some of the lowest reading scores in the state.

Marie Hooks, the principal, asked me if I could help.

Marie needed assistance in securing technology in the classroom, lowering class sizes and increasing parental participation to 100 percent. I was able to help her achieve those goals.

The next year Saxon Heights made Adequate Yearly Progress for the first time. Because we worked together, Saxon Heights is now one of the top Title I elementary schools in Georgia.

Our teachers are expected to produce miracles. Instead of blaming them, I will give our valuable educators the tools to succeed in the classroom.

Public education is at stake in this election.

We can do what Saxon Heights did with every school in this state. This will be my priority as your next Governor. But I need help and financial support. Please contribute to my campaign by going to www.porterforgeorgia.com. Click on the donate button and follow the steps.

Thank you.

76. How 28 Can Become 82

Your 28 can make
DuBose Porter
Georgia's 82nd Governor.

In honor of DuBose's 28 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, we ask that you contribute $2,800, $280, or $28 today.

To donate, click here.

Thank you!
Team DuBose

75. Qualifying at the Capitol

I will be officially qualifying to run for Governor at 11:00 am on Monday, April 26^th at the State Capitol. Joining me will be my wife of 26 years, Carol Porter, who will be qualifying for Lt. Governor.

Since I announced in April of 2009, I have been traveling this state, meeting you and listening to your concerns. This experience has truly been a blessing. Thank you for all your prayers and support along the way.

As we enter the election season I need your continued help more than ever. I am the only candidate with the experience and background who can unite this state.

We must make education, transportation, water and public safety a priority.

As Governor, I will bring leadership to the State Capitol. We can make Georgia a prosperous state again.

I need your vote on July 20^th in the Democratic Primary. Thank you.

74. The next step in Georgia's water policy.

Time to Take the Next Step to Secure Georgia’s Water Future (LaGrange Daily News)

By Sen. Jeff Chapman, (R- Brunswick) and Rep. Dubose Porter, (D-Dublin), candidates for Governor of Georgia.

March 20, 2010

We offer our joint congratulations to Gov. Sonny Perdue for his successfully starting a new Culture of Conservation in Georgia with passage of the Water Stewardship Act.

This bill contains a number of important water conservation ideas that have been proposed by the Georgia Water Coalition since its founding, eight years ago. Despite support from us, and many other legislators, these ideas have been routinely rejected until the recent court decision by federal Judge Paul Magnuson limiting the volume of water that can be taken from Lake Lanier without new federal legislation. That decision forced Georgia to action that should have been state policy for years.

We are proud to thank the Georgia Water Coalition, a broad-based coalition of 175 statewide and local organizations, churches and businesses that has steadily worked for these much-needed measures. As candidates for governor and as working members of the Georgia General Assembly, we are glad to offer our bipartisan support to their important work for our state’s future.

We also have each co-sponsored legislation that is the critical next step in creating the Culture of Conservation, necessary for our future prosperity in Georgia. Following the governor’s excellent example, we have joined many other legislators to introduce identical bills in both the House (HB1301) and Senate (SB462). This legislation, the River Basin Protection Act, establishes a needed and reasonable system to strengthen existing regulations on the transfer of water from one river basin to another. This regulation is vital to the integrity of local and regional water supplies, to serve industry and development all across our great state, and to protect the water quality and the good fishing in our rivers.

We particularly wish to commend Rep. Tom McCall and Sen. Jim Butterworth, both from the Upper Savannah River basin, for their initiative in leading as sponsors of these bills. Each bill now has many additional co-sponsors, and we look forward to seeing the governor put his power behind these bills to get them passed so he can also sign them into law.

The passage of the Water Stewardship Act and the River Basin Protection Act send unmistakable messages to all people who live downstream, in Georgia as well as those in Alabama and Florida, that Georgia is dead serious about protecting and fairly sharing its abundant water resources. When this happens, Georgians will have truly accomplished a solid step forward this year for the conservation and the future of our state water resources.

State Sen. Jeff Chapman, R- Brunswick, and State Rep. Dubose Porter, D-Dublin, are candidates for governor of Georgia.

To read the online story, click here.

73. Get on the bus with DuBose.

Pictures from Dublin St. Patrick's Parade 2010.

72. DuBose supports the rally for higher education.

To view the video from the rally, click here.

71. UGA Chapel Debate

Correction: The Democrats will debate at 6 p.m. and the Republicans will debate at 8 p.m.

70. DuBose Porter: Firewall around education.

From the GAE Legislative Hotline 2010:

Day 25

HB 1397- Quality Basic Education Act—“Salary Protection Act”

Sponsored by Rep. DuBose Porter (D- Dublin) and others

This bill adds a new Code section to the existing Quality Basic Education Act. The new section provides the following:

- No state funds provided for salaries for school personnel shall be transferred by any local board of education for any other purposes; and

- In the event of a budget shortfall, SALARIES for SCHOOL SYSTEM PERSONNEL SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO PRORATION AND SCHOOL SYSTEM PERSONNEL SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO FURLOUGHS.

Several members of the Georgia Legislature understand the importance of our public school personnel. In one way or another, several members of the Georgia Legislature have demonstrated their willingness to work with our organization to protect the interests of Georgia’s children by taking care of Georgia educators.

This bill takes care of Georgia’s educators!

The intent of this legislation is to protect public school personnel from further cuts. The revenue numbers have not been good for over a year now, however, this bill prioritizes educators and the extra sacrifices that they make. From assisting a child who has forgotten their lunch/lunch money to providing paper and extra pens/pencils so Georgia’s children are prepared in class. We applaud Rep. Porter and others for working with GAE and offering to carry this legislation to help support public school educators across Georgia. Take the time to thank Rep. Porter for sponsoring such a strong advocacy bill for educators.

69. DuBose and Carol Porter on CNN.

A few photos from the trip to CNN.

DuBose and Carol with Mykal Kristopher-Frierson.

Carol and DuBose are interviewed by Don Lemon on "Weekend Primetime."

A behind-the-scenes look just before the show!

Carol and DuBose pose for a quick photo in front of the iconic CNN sign in Atlanta.

Watch the video below from CNN on Saturday, March 13, 2010

68. DuBose Porter: Revenue Department still not ready to give you your money.

Tom Crawford wrote an article explaining the problem with the cheaters who take your paid sales tax money and keep it for themselves instead of returning it to you (we used that article in blog #62). An excerpt follows:

CRAWFORD / Lawmakers should go where the money is http://www.charltoncountyherald.com/articles/2010/02/16/opinion/editorials/doc4b7abcc8cfbbe844297319.txtBy Tom Crawford

Georgia loses buckets of tax dollars every year because of retailers who charge the sales tax on their customers but keep the money rather than send it to the revenue department. This problem is well known to lawmakers and revenue officials, but they haven’t done much to deal with it.

A pilot program in Hall County uncovered the fact that nearly 1,000 businesses in that county do not have sales tax numbers, which means they are not reporting their sales tax collections to the state. There are several hundred businesses that do not have a business license from their local government.

House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin) and his Democratic colleagues have been trying in vain for more than a year to pass legislation that would crack down on these renegade businesses who are cheating the state of sales tax proceeds.


Now another reporter, Jay Jones of the Rockdale Citizen, has published another story that shows the the reality that Georgia's elected Republican leadership and Georgia's Republican appointed Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham are refusing to give you back your money:

Excerpts follow from:

Porter says collect taxes in a new way (Rockdale Citizen)
CONYERS — Democratic candidate for Georgia governor DuBose Porter said his proposal to collect sales taxes from “cheaters” could reap millions for the strapped state budget and questioned why current state leaders have failed to act on it rather than offer new cuts.
Reporter: Jay Jones
Email Address: jay.jones@rockdalecitizen.com

State Rep. DuBose Porter, D-Dublin, speaks to the Bar Association of Rockdale County on Friday. The 28-year legislator is running for governor in the Democratic primary.

CONYERS — Democratic candidate for Georgia governor DuBose Porter said his proposal to collect sales taxes from “cheaters” could reap millions for the strapped state budget and questioned why current state leaders have failed to act on it rather than offer new cuts...
“I say before we start cutting education and raising taxes, let’s get what we should get from the cheaters,” Porter said. “This would be a GPS system telling you who’s cheating.”
As the state minority leader in the Georgia House, Porter, D-Dublin, got a pilot project done in Hall and Lowndes counties last year that showed that a quarter of all business license-holders had not paid sales taxes. The proposal is now in the General Assembly as House Bill 1137.
Porter added the state’s Department of Revenue had been against the proposal. “Either they are incompetent, hiding something or protecting somebody. I don’t know,” he said.
 Porter said the proposal could also help counties in finding businesses that have a sales tax certificate but not a business license.
In an editorial to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Department of Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham discounted Porter’s amount of $1 billion lost from cheaters. Also, Graham countered that part of Porter’s proposal that would allow counties to privatize tax collections would expose a businesses’ tax records.
Porter said during Friday’s luncheon that the Department of Revenue under its current system is unable to account for sales tax collections that exceed what was designated for the counties in local sales tax revenue receipts. Now, any unaccounted sales tax received is put into the state’s treasury. Porter said that while the state gets its 4 percent of sales tax, the counties with their 1 percent sales taxes are the ones that suffer from the loss of unaccounted tax revenue...

To read the whole story click here:

http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/newtonhome/headlines/86734157.html

_______________________

DuBose Porter, Governor 2010

Getting your money back for you.

67. DuBose and Carol Porter on Fox and Friends

66. Cuts to education short sighted.

As a past Chairman of Education and past Chairman of Higher Education DuBose Porter knows that to take education where it needs to be it will take the power and the will of the governor’s office. It is also possible to do the opposite with education with the power and will of the Governor's office and that is what Georgia is now experiencing. Perdue’s recommended cuts to education will continue to decrease the earning power of Georgia’s future citizens. United States jobs of the future will only go to those well educated enough to take them. Many of those jobs will be created by those whose minds where enriched and nurtured in academic settings provided in colleges and universities. Cutting education will result in lost wages and earning power for our state's citizens for decades to come. It is extremely short sighted to cut Georgia’s future income potential by such draconian measures.

A list of proposed cuts from the article Colleges outline massive cuts to help balance state budget By Aaron Gould Sheinin The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 5:42 p.m. Monday, March 1, 2010:

University of Georgia
Cut: $58.9 million
Positions eliminated: 1,418
Other: Reduce incoming freshman body by about a third; eliminate 4-H; reduce support for Veterinarian Medical Teaching Hospital by 66 percent
Georgia Institute of Technology
Cut: $38.07 million
Positions eliminated: 452
Other: Decrease admissions by 20 percent; eliminate 150-200 research positions; increase student-faculty ratio to 24-1
Georgia State University
Cut: $34.12 million
Positions eliminated: 622
Other: Reduce freshmen and transfers by 1,000; close Brookhaven campus; eliminate 396 course sections; close Fiscal Research Center and Capitol Hill Child Enrichment Center; eliminate Georgia Health Policy Center
Medical College of Georgia
Cut: $25.57 million
Positions eliminated: 63
Other: Accept 155 fewer students
Kennesaw State University
Cut: $14.12 million
Positions eliminated: 224
Other: Reduce freshmen and transfers by 10 percent; eliminate Center for Excellence in Teaching and select degree programs in education, business, humanities and social studies
Clayton State University
Cut: $4.19 million
Positions eliminated: 24
Other: Reduce 168 course sections
Georgia Gwinnett College
Cut: $2.66 million
Positions eliminated: 32
Other: Cap enrollment at 3,000, affecting 2,000 students; delay nursing program
Atlanta Metropolitan College
Cut: $1.37 million
Positions eliminated: 5
Other: Eliminate 38 course offerings; eliminate local match for transportation project
Georgia Perimeter College
Cut $9.92 million
Positions eliminated: 50
Other: Eliminate programs affecting 4,748 students

(Other colleges are to receive cuts but are not included in the list.)


To read the entire article http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/colleges-outline-massive-cuts-339971.html


To join college students protesting the cuts

http://www.petitiononline.com/georgia1/petition.html

65. Carol Porter announces for Lt. Governor.

"My wife, Carol, announced she is running for Lt. Governor of the state of Georgia today. Over the last several weeks, there has been a viral movement to draft Carol for Lt. Governor that has taken on a life of its own. There truly is no one more qualified or who knows the issues better. Carol is an awesome person and would make an awesome Lt. Governor. She announced this morning at 11a.m. and as of 6:00p.m. today, google shows there have been 123 stories generated on her announcement. It seems Georgia is finding out what I have already known, Carol is a wonderful person to have on your side. While we are running as a team with the same message, we are going to be running separate campaigns. Carol is just getting up her campaign, but to see her campaign blogsite go to www.carolporter4ga.com"- DuBose Porter

64. DuBose Porter: Faith welcome in governor's race.

Editorial: Talk of faith welcome in governor's race (Athens Banner Herald)
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/021910/opi_564750365.shtml

Athens Banner-Herald
Published Friday, February 19, 2010
Buzz up!

Certainly, there's a healthy amount of political calculation behind state Rep. DuBose Porter's recent prominent mention of his Christian faith on the gubernatorial campaign trail. Porter, a statehouse veteran vying with a raft of fellow Democrats looking to carry their party's banner into this year's governor's race, undoubtedly understands that conservative Christian voters played a major role in bringing the Republican Party to dominance in the state legislature.
Before proceeding further, it's important to note that this editorial should in no way be construed as an endorsement of Porter's candidacy. If or when this newspaper makes an endorsement in the governor's race, that endorsement will be based on a wide range of information about candidates' positions on issues, and on other factors.
It is, though, worth noting the possible implications of Porter's strategy of making religion an issue in a statewide political contest. On a personal level, a candidate's views on religion can provide some real insight into the moral and ethical framework he or she purports to bring into the public arena. On a political level, Porter's strategy of talking about his faith brings home the important message that a spiritual point of reference on the issues of the day need not necessarily be ceded as the exclusive province of a single political party.
Porter made that point bluntly at a gathering of the Georgia Christian Alliance earlier this month, which he attended along with most of the Republican field in the gubernatorial race. "I am tired of people saying that you can't be a Christian and a Democrat," he said. "Because I am. My faith is important to me, it's important to my family. ... Pray for me. And pray that God's will be done in this election. I believe that to my very core."
More recently, in an interview with local political blogger and regular Banner-Herald columnist Johnathan McGinty, Porter said, "Democrats have been portrayed in the national media as Godless. Democrats are not Godless. I have yet to go to a Democratic meeting that has not opened with a prayer. ... We as Democrats believe economic justice and civil rights will be helped by a strong education system and through job creation. Is this because we believe 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'? I think so. Is that a religious influence? It probably is."
Again not discounting the political calculation in Porter's profession of faith, the statements outlined here portray him as a man seriously committed to that faith. Given that apparent commitment, Porter's approach to the governor's race might serve as a template, both now and into the future, for other Democratic candidates who are also seriously committed to their faith.
In a political environment where Republican and Democratic candidates talk freely about their faith and its role in their lives, it's possible that, over time, that faith will become a yardstick by which voters can judge a candidate's personal fitness for office, rather than his or her political fitness to hold a position of public trust.
Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Friday, February 19, 2010