Thursday, December 24, 2009
30. DuBose Porter family says Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
A Merry Christmas and holiday season and a Happy New Year to you all. Thank you to all our many friends and supporters who have wished us a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Remember to keep the troops who are away from home this season in your thoughts and prayers. And add those to your list who do not have the support of family and friends. Tonight is the candlelight service at our church and it is always one of the most beautiful and moving services of the year for our family. DuBose, Carol and our sons, Stephen, Guyton, Inman, and Asa, wish you all a Merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you in the new year.
(P.S. If you did not receive an emailed Christmas card like the one above to your email address, it is because you have not yet signed up to get our campaign updates. Please click here and sign up for updates. We want to make sure we reach all of our supporters and those whom we hope will soon be supporters in the new year. Thank you and have a Merry Christmas and holiday season. )
Thursday, December 17, 2009
29. New hope with David Ralston expected.
AJC 10:52 am December 17, 2009, by Aaron Gould Sheinin
Update 12:39 p.m: David Ralston wins!
I would like to be the first to say I believe the elected Republican Caucus made the right decision between the two men up for the Speaker position today in their Georgia House caucus. Rep. Ralston has publically stated he would like to see the hawk system abolished and that is a day I have been fighting to see for six years. It may be the beginning of a bipartisian effort to bring Georgia back to the people. We think it was the right one and we offer congratulations to Rep. Ralston. - House Minority Leader DuBose Porter
Update 12:39 p.m: David Ralston wins!
I would like to be the first to say I believe the elected Republican Caucus made the right decision between the two men up for the Speaker position today in their Georgia House caucus. Rep. Ralston has publically stated he would like to see the hawk system abolished and that is a day I have been fighting to see for six years. It may be the beginning of a bipartisian effort to bring Georgia back to the people. We think it was the right one and we offer congratulations to Rep. Ralston. - House Minority Leader DuBose Porter
Letter from David Ralston
by Erick on December 15, 2009 Dear Friends:
In less than 48 hours, we will meet to choose the Republican candidate for Speaker. We face a challenging decision in a political climate that has changed rapidly in just a few short weeks.
Reform of our House rules and improvements in our ethics laws have suddenly become very fashionable topics. I am not a “johnny-come-lately” to this discussion. I spoke out loud and clear for change when it wasn’t front page news.
I do believe we must embrace change at this moment. Ours should be a Caucus of inclusion and openness. Every member should be treated with respect and valued for their input. Strong leaders should not feel threatened by good ideas and must be willing to give credit where it is due.
Let me remind you, I advocated a year ago for abolishing the “hawk” system. I stood up for changes that would abolish Rules Committee substitutes and curtailing the use of rules that limit the ability to offer amendments and restrict floor debate.
I know I have the commitment and I hope I have the credibility to enact these and other needed internal reforms.
There is a growing clamor for ethics reform. We, as Republicans, can and must lead the way on this issue. Many good and useful ideas have been offered in the past few days. However, this is a serious issue and I, for one, do not think a 6-day caucus campaign is the appropriate way to develop a sensible and solid plan. If you honor me with your nomination on Thursday, we will get to work on putting together a legislative package with input from all of you that we as the Republican caucus can unify around come session.
We cannot legislate good behavior. However, we can lead by example. I will set specific rules for the Speaker’s office: lobbyists will not be permitted past the reception room without an appointment; the office will not be used as a private dining room; the office will be open to members and their constituents; and, I will meet regularly with the news media.
As I have said before and will say again and again: we must embrace the newness of the day or be perished to political irrelevance.
As always, please call me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
David Ralston
In less than 48 hours, we will meet to choose the Republican candidate for Speaker. We face a challenging decision in a political climate that has changed rapidly in just a few short weeks.
Reform of our House rules and improvements in our ethics laws have suddenly become very fashionable topics. I am not a “johnny-come-lately” to this discussion. I spoke out loud and clear for change when it wasn’t front page news.
I do believe we must embrace change at this moment. Ours should be a Caucus of inclusion and openness. Every member should be treated with respect and valued for their input. Strong leaders should not feel threatened by good ideas and must be willing to give credit where it is due.
Let me remind you, I advocated a year ago for abolishing the “hawk” system. I stood up for changes that would abolish Rules Committee substitutes and curtailing the use of rules that limit the ability to offer amendments and restrict floor debate.
I know I have the commitment and I hope I have the credibility to enact these and other needed internal reforms.
There is a growing clamor for ethics reform. We, as Republicans, can and must lead the way on this issue. Many good and useful ideas have been offered in the past few days. However, this is a serious issue and I, for one, do not think a 6-day caucus campaign is the appropriate way to develop a sensible and solid plan. If you honor me with your nomination on Thursday, we will get to work on putting together a legislative package with input from all of you that we as the Republican caucus can unify around come session.
We cannot legislate good behavior. However, we can lead by example. I will set specific rules for the Speaker’s office: lobbyists will not be permitted past the reception room without an appointment; the office will not be used as a private dining room; the office will be open to members and their constituents; and, I will meet regularly with the news media.
As I have said before and will say again and again: we must embrace the newness of the day or be perished to political irrelevance.
As always, please call me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
David Ralston
28. New Speaker to be named.
The following video speaks of the culture of corruption. Will the elected Republicans nominate someone with a clean slate? Will they stop the hawks (blog 19)? Will they open up your government to you?
Also it mentions harsh budget cuts to come, so remember, if the elected Republican leadership in question had let HB356, a bill DuBose Porter co-sponsored, out of committee during the 2009 session, Georgia could have found an extra $1 billion for our budget without raising taxes. Alabama already did it.
Georgia would have had no state furloughs and would not have needed to raise property taxes, had these elected Republicans not killed HB356, the "point of sale"(see blogs 15, 17, 18.)
DuBose Porter went to the well to fight for you and for HB356 and to keep the Homestead Tax Exemption Grant to help get our middle class through this financial crisis. Our people cannot afford another tax. Georgia has more unemployed than the population of Atlanta. Many can barely afford to hold on to their homes now and in last year's session, Georgia's elected Republicans voted in the largest single property tax increase in Georgia history.
Will this level of doublespeak and corruption continue with the new Speaker?( Who had not been picked when this blog was written. This sentence and the preceding sentence added on 1-5-10 to clarify.))
Updated: Wednesday, 16 Dec 2009, 5:22 PM EST
Also it mentions harsh budget cuts to come, so remember, if the elected Republican leadership in question had let HB356, a bill DuBose Porter co-sponsored, out of committee during the 2009 session, Georgia could have found an extra $1 billion for our budget without raising taxes. Alabama already did it.
Georgia would have had no state furloughs and would not have needed to raise property taxes, had these elected Republicans not killed HB356, the "point of sale"(see blogs 15, 17, 18.)
DuBose Porter went to the well to fight for you and for HB356 and to keep the Homestead Tax Exemption Grant to help get our middle class through this financial crisis. Our people cannot afford another tax. Georgia has more unemployed than the population of Atlanta. Many can barely afford to hold on to their homes now and in last year's session, Georgia's elected Republicans voted in the largest single property tax increase in Georgia history.
Will this level of doublespeak and corruption continue with the new Speaker?( Who had not been picked when this blog was written. This sentence and the preceding sentence added on 1-5-10 to clarify.))
House GOP Prepares to Nominate Speaker
Updated: Wednesday, 16 Dec 2009, 5:22 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 16 Dec 2009, 5:22 PM EST
Edited By: Leigha Baugham | myfoxatlanta.com
reported by Paul Yates
DuBose Porter has been fighting for you
and will continue to do so as Georgia's governor.
Vote for DuBose July 20 , 2010.
Put your voice back in your government.
27. Help Georgians get their voice back.
Many people around the state do not receive Atlanta news. They have asked us to post videos regarding their politics here. Of a random sample on the street 8 in 10 had not heard the Speaker of the Georgia House had to step down, nor that their voice had been taken from politics with the Hawk system. (See blog 19 below to learn more on how the hawk system led to the largest threat to representative government in America.)
TeamDuBose asks you to help us engage the voters of Georgia. Tell your friends what is happening to their government.
A side note beware: as these elected Republicans scramble to deflect from the culture of corruption that has taken away representative government in Georgia they have had success in finding writers to list the past sins of the Democrats as well. However, these articles fail to mention that DuBose Porter ran against the Speaker of his own party to give government's voice back to the people. DuBose fights for you. A vote for DuBose is a vote for you. Vote for DuBose July 20, 2010, and take your government back.
The video below, by Fox 5 Dale Russell: i-team: Richardson Cover-up also speaks of the election for the new speaker which will take place today.
House Republicans to Select New Speaker
House republicans will meet under the "Gold Dome" Thursday to select new leadership.
Keep coming back to the TeamDuBose blog for more video and news updates. And share with your neighbors what is happening in Georgia. Pass the word if you want your voice back in your government.
TeamDuBose asks you to help us engage the voters of Georgia. Tell your friends what is happening to their government.
A side note beware: as these elected Republicans scramble to deflect from the culture of corruption that has taken away representative government in Georgia they have had success in finding writers to list the past sins of the Democrats as well. However, these articles fail to mention that DuBose Porter ran against the Speaker of his own party to give government's voice back to the people. DuBose fights for you. A vote for DuBose is a vote for you. Vote for DuBose July 20, 2010, and take your government back.
The video below, by Fox 5 Dale Russell: i-team: Richardson Cover-up also speaks of the election for the new speaker which will take place today.
House Republicans to Select New Speaker
House republicans will meet under the "Gold Dome" Thursday to select new leadership.
Keep coming back to the TeamDuBose blog for more video and news updates. And share with your neighbors what is happening in Georgia. Pass the word if you want your voice back in your government.
A vote for DuBose is a vote for you.
Vote for DuBose for Georgia's governor July 20, 2010
and take your government back.
Monday, December 14, 2009
26. Tonight's DuBose Porter BBQ Details
Kevin Baggett shows off one grill's worth of the boston butts to be later chipped for tonight's event at the Civitan Fairgrounds in Dublin, Georgia
The marquee in front of the fairgrounds will show you where you need to be tonight. For more details scroll down to the blog below, and then come on out and join us.
2593 Hwy 257 South, Dublin, Georgia 31021
Take I-16, Get off Exit 49
(you'll see Love's Gas station)
turn left from Atlanta or right from Savannah
and keep on going it is past Fred's and right before Best Buy
Sunday, December 13, 2009
24. Teacher ( and state employee) Furloughs did not have to happen.
A press release from DuBose Porter that went out July 23, 2009 follows:
Dublin -- Teacher furloughs are bad for Georgia’s students, but with the current economic woes you may think there is no choice. Think again. Last session, DuBose Porter (D-Dublin), and candidate for governor in 2010, co-sponsored HB 356, which allows for the collection of sales tax at the point of sale, thus allowing local governments to collect their own, as well as the state's sales taxes, instead of the Department of Revenue. Had this bill been allowed out of committee by the Republican leadership it would have brought in an additional 1 billion dollars in revenue without raising taxes or fees. It was not like this was an experimental or untried idea. Alabama has already passed a similar bill which, when implemented, brought them an additional 1 billion dollars without raising taxes.
HB 356 enables local control, something Republicans ran on and then promptly ran from. The death of the Point of Sales bill is just the latest in a line of bad economic choices that the Republican leadership has allowed due to its adversarial relationship with local governments and its willingness to cut education. Local communities, not the state, would do a much more efficient job of collecting sales taxes. The Department of Revenue, by their own admission leaves millions of uncollected taxes on the table every year.
Acting as a watchdog, local governments could catch tax cheats in their own communities. Local governments would also get revenue much faster under this plan. Disbursement of sales tax revenue would get to local governments the same month it is collected, giving them and the state not only more funds, but faster access to funds they need to continue providing critical services to our citizens.
So why didn’t the Republican leadership pass HB 356 out of committee? Furloughs and across the board cuts are the status quo. They require no new thinking nor innovation. They take no work to implement, nor complex strategies to fund. There is no real accountability to the politician as responsibility for the cuts gets passed on to the agencies. For lack of a better word, they are easy. Georgia does not deserve, nor can she afford the easy way out. We have had over a year to identify the problem. It is time for politicians to quit bemoaning the obvious, get to work and start offering solutions. HB 356 is a solution.
The Elected Republican Leadership in Georgia cut 1.6 billion dollars to education when we had money. It should come as no surprise that furloughing teachers was one of the first places they would go. When they allowed the Point of Sales bill to die in committee this Republican leadership showed once again- education is not their priority. If it is yours, now is the time to stand up for Georgia’s future by calling for a special session to push for the passage of HB356, allowing for the work necessary to prevent furloughs to teachers and other state employees.
Dublin -- Teacher furloughs are bad for Georgia’s students, but with the current economic woes you may think there is no choice. Think again. Last session, DuBose Porter (D-Dublin), and candidate for governor in 2010, co-sponsored HB 356, which allows for the collection of sales tax at the point of sale, thus allowing local governments to collect their own, as well as the state's sales taxes, instead of the Department of Revenue. Had this bill been allowed out of committee by the Republican leadership it would have brought in an additional 1 billion dollars in revenue without raising taxes or fees. It was not like this was an experimental or untried idea. Alabama has already passed a similar bill which, when implemented, brought them an additional 1 billion dollars without raising taxes.
HB 356 enables local control, something Republicans ran on and then promptly ran from. The death of the Point of Sales bill is just the latest in a line of bad economic choices that the Republican leadership has allowed due to its adversarial relationship with local governments and its willingness to cut education. Local communities, not the state, would do a much more efficient job of collecting sales taxes. The Department of Revenue, by their own admission leaves millions of uncollected taxes on the table every year.
Acting as a watchdog, local governments could catch tax cheats in their own communities. Local governments would also get revenue much faster under this plan. Disbursement of sales tax revenue would get to local governments the same month it is collected, giving them and the state not only more funds, but faster access to funds they need to continue providing critical services to our citizens.
So why didn’t the Republican leadership pass HB 356 out of committee? Furloughs and across the board cuts are the status quo. They require no new thinking nor innovation. They take no work to implement, nor complex strategies to fund. There is no real accountability to the politician as responsibility for the cuts gets passed on to the agencies. For lack of a better word, they are easy. Georgia does not deserve, nor can she afford the easy way out. We have had over a year to identify the problem. It is time for politicians to quit bemoaning the obvious, get to work and start offering solutions. HB 356 is a solution.
The Elected Republican Leadership in Georgia cut 1.6 billion dollars to education when we had money. It should come as no surprise that furloughing teachers was one of the first places they would go. When they allowed the Point of Sales bill to die in committee this Republican leadership showed once again- education is not their priority. If it is yours, now is the time to stand up for Georgia’s future by calling for a special session to push for the passage of HB356, allowing for the work necessary to prevent furloughs to teachers and other state employees.
***************************************
The special session did not happen. HB356 did not pass.
State employees were furloughed.
State employees were furloughed.
Vote to create the Georgia that will attract jobs and industry.
Vote for DuBose Porter. Ready to work for you.
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