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THEY CAN
RUN OFF
BUT THEY CAN’T
HIDE OUT
LOCAL RUNOFF CANDIDATES WILL FACE EACH
OTHER AND THE ATHENS NEWS MEDIA
IN TWO BACK-TO-BACK
POLITICAL DEBATES
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28
BEGINNING AT 7pm SHARP AND ENDING PROMPTLY AT 9pm
AT THE MELTING POINT DOWNTOWN
AND BROADCAST LIVE ON WGAU-AM 1340
The first hour, features candidates for
- ACC Commision District 9:
Kelly Girtz and Alvin Sheats.
The second hour features
. candidates for Mayor:
incumbent Heidi Davison and
challenger Charlie Maddox.
Get in on the live action as representatives
from The Athens Banner-Herald, The Red &
Black, Flagpole, WBKZ, WGAU and WUGA
question the candidates.
SUBMIT “POLITICAL DEBATE”
VO 11D ATTN: JASON WINDERS, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
lUUn ATHENS BANNER-HERALD
QUESTIONS 1 PRESS PLACE, ATHENS, GA 30601
TO: OR BY EMAIL TO JASON.WINDERS@ONUNEATHENS.COM
CITY PAGES
continued from page 5
group will up its efforts to educate the public,
holding more meetings with groups like realtors
and schoolteachers. “One way is to take groups
that have broad impacts and try to educate them
so that they can spread the word," she says.
“A lot of good things happen in Athens in
terms of historic preservation, but there's still
not this overwhelming preservation ethic in
Athens," Kissane says. “I don't know that you
would say that people in Athens expect, when
someone buys a historic building, for that build
ing to be preserved. I don't see the outrage when
things like the College Avenue school gets torn
down."
"Just like with any advocacy movement, there
are misconceptions," she says. "People tend to
focus on the extremes of that movement and
then miss some of the meaning, and I think
that's true of preservation."
John Huie iphuie@speedfactory.nel
Capitol Impact
Lucky and Good
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good,
as the old saying goes. But it's best of all when
you can be lucky AND good, as Gov. Sonny Perdue
discovered on election day. It would be hard to
find a politician who has received more strokes
of good fortune than our incumbent governor. I'd
be tempted to say that "lucky" was his middle
name if I didn't already know it was "Ervin."
Perdue was first elected four years ago be
cause his opponent had angered so many dif
ferent groups that they were going to vote for
anyone who wasn't named "Roy Barnes." This
time around. Perdue was blessed with an op
ponent, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, who made some of
the dumbest mistakes you could make and ran
the most incompetent statewide campaign in the
state's history (on top of running out of money
about three months before election day).
The state was mired in a horrible economic
recession during Perdue's first two years in office,
but had reversed course into a prosperous up
swing by the time his fourth year rolled around—
just in time for him to run up a surplus and give
teachers a nice pay raise. In the weeks leading
up to election day, the state's newspapers ran
numerous stories about the lucrative land deals
involving Perdue and rich developers, as well as
legislation that Perdue signed to give himself a
$100,000 tax break. In other states, those front
page exposes would have killed a candidate's
chances at winning. In Georgia, the stories never
gained any traction and the voters gave Perdue a
58 percent victory. With the kind of luck, I could
go to Las Vegas and be a rich man by tomorrow.
Still, you have to give Perdue credit. He
raised huge pots of money from corporate big
wigs; he avoided controversial issues during his
first term and didn't make the voters mad; and
he ran a disciplined campaign that stayed on
message all the way. It's good to be lucky, but it
also helps to make the right decisions. The final
tally was a resounding vindication for Perdue as
he won reelection and humiliated one of his old
est political enemies at the same time. It doesn't
necessarily mean that he's going to accomplish
very much during his second term, however.
While Perdue was able to stonewall questions
about his real estate dealings, the media focus
on those activities won't go away, especially the
circumstances surrounding the sale of the Oaky
Woods wildlife area in Houston County to a group
of developers. Reporters are going to keep inves
tigating that transaction, which could raise some
embarrassing questions that the governor may
finally be forced to answer.
Perdue will also be hampered by the fact
that the 2010 race for governor has already got
ten underway. House Speaker Glenn Richardson
and newly elected Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle are
already fighting for strategic advantage in the
Republican primary four years hence. They don't
really care what Perdue's agenda is anymore—
they have their own issues to push and those
will take top priority in the upcoming legislative
sessions.
Less than a week after Perdue's reelection,
Richardson and the House Republican leaders
were already talking openly about plans for a
comprehensive revision of the state's tax system
that would eliminate the personal income tax.
That would be the most radical change in the
state's tax structure since Herman Talmadge
implemented the first statewide sales tax in the
1950s. Richardson was asked by reporters if he
had even bothered to discuss this earthshaking
proposal vnth Perdue, since it could have rather
a dramatic effect on future state budgets. "I
haven't spoken to the governor," Richardson said,
in a tone cf voice that indicated he clearly didn't
care whether Perdue liked the idea or not.
Other Republicans like Hep. Bob Smith of
Watkinsville and Sen. Eric Johnson of Savannah
are already referring to Perdue as a lame duck
governor, before he has even been sworn in to
his second term. When people from your own
party are using that phrase, it's not a good sign.
Perdue might as well plan to take a lot of long
vacations over the next four years. It looks like
he's going to have plenty of time for them.
Tom Crawford tcraAlord@capilolimpact nel
Hiioptj Me.
/ ACC ANIMAL CONTROL
45 Bcavnrdarn Rd . • 706-6 5 3- 3540
32 Dogs Received
31 Dogs Placed
0 Adopube Cars Euthanized
Sweet, quiet young
Rome grl maed with
something smaller
(Hound?). Cute,
humble and
submissive. Loves
snuggling softly dose
to people and melting
into a puddle of
puppy for a bdlyrub.
Very cool looking Boxer/Pit
mix. He looks exactly like a
Boxer except for hts beautiful
stnped bnndte and white cool
Big, happy, friendly fdta who
will need a yard or a regular
running partner.
GEM of a German Shepherd. Smart,
trained, eager to please and so handsome.
His previous owners are moving (where
do all the people GO who move where
dogs can't go?) and report that he b great
with Igds of all ages and cats! Their loss.
Th<s loving girl has an
injured back leg but
she’s trying not to
complain. Malamute
mix with blonde/ash
colored coat and
white face Sweet.
11/09/06 -11/15/06 • ATHENS AREA HUMANE SOCIETY
ACC ANIMAL CONTROL - » 18 Total Cats Received
7 Cats Placed
6 FLAGP0LE.C0M • NOVEMBER 22.2006
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