About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 2011)
1*M 1*MsRB*Woioh SNOW AND A NEW ADMINISTRATION Every 15 years or so, winter storms wr’l dump snow and ice all over Metro Atlanta. State and local government agencies always seem to be caught unprepared when these storms hit, which means that half of Georgia is usually shut down for a week until the ice melts. That was the case last week as one gov ernor was leaving office and a new governor was on the verge of replacing him. A massive snow storm lashed the northern part of the state and made it impossible for most people to get to the state capitol. Bad weather or not. the Georgia constitu tion and state law require that a new governor take the oath of office on the second Monday in January as the General Assembly convenes for its yearly session. Legislators had no choice but to show up Monday morn ing, during the worst of the winter storm, and get ready to hear the new governor take the oath of office. Most of them made it. Many lawmakers got a room in a downtown hotel so that they would be within walking dis tance of the capitol. State Patrol officers and Department of Natural Resources employees used their vehicles to provide personal taxi service for legislators who needed a lift. You could call it democracy by four-wheel drive. Several minutes after 10 a.m. on Monday, 201 of the 236 members of the Senate and House of Representatives were seated in their respective chambers and able to punch the buttons on their antique desks for the first roll call of the session. They got right down to business as the Senate proceeded with something that had been in the works for sevc^ 1 months: the parliamentary neutering of Lt Gov. Casey Cagle. Many of the Senate's 36 Republicans were miffed at the way Cagle had acted during the emotional debate on a hospital bed tax last session. Cagle's tactics for keeping senators in line had included stripping two of them of their committee chairmanships. Senate Republicans took revenge by imple menting what they euphemistically called a "power-sharing'' agreement. Under this new arrangement, Cagle was stripped of his authority to appoint committee chairmen and members, one of the most significant powers a lieutenant governor has. Cagle was obviously not happy with the new rules, but he and the Senate leaders behaved politely while the vote was taken. The House and Senate had to complete their organizational business quickly, because Nathan Deal needed the House chambers fof his inauguration. The truncated ceremony was a family affair, for the most part. Deal was sworn in by his son, Superior Court Judge Jason Deal, and the governor's daughter, Katie, provided a nicely done rendition of the song "Georgia on My Mind." Deal then delivered an inaugu ral address that was short and to the point. He thinks government could be a tittle smaller, schools aren't performing as welt as they should, and the HOPE scholarship program needs t*j be saved "for future generations." Two days later. Deal provided a few more details about his plans in the "state of the state" speech. He promised the budget would be balanced despite the loss of more than $1 billion in federal stimulus money, and he said he would try to avoid mak ing further cuts in K-12 education. Colleges and technical schools won't be so lucky: Deal proposed slicing nearly $350 million from their budgets over the next 18 months, with most of the cutbacks in student instruction. You might ask: what good will it do to save HOPE scholarships if there are no instructors to teach the students who get them? Those are all questions that will be answered in due time. But first, we've got to get rid of that snow and ice. Tom Crawford Icrawford@gareport com Til* MMUH VNU by TOM TOMORROW the swxmwGS in Ari zona mm m isolate NCU&tT! THERE ARE mo LAMM COMCLU S>C MS TO B£ MAWW: LISTEN TO THIS.' L0U6MMER 6A*E AM IN TERVIEW— A*TO SAIO THAT A IS MIS STO6EST MfttfENCE, MEXT TO SAUL ALMStCt A* STALW-- AMD THAT WS ftURBCROuS RAMFADE MAS INSURED tf ms surooffr for halt* CAM MMUAl loaf* HE HAS TO __ A Upr-WIM6 AMERl- CA-MA1ER' WELL, THAT crtAmocs E*EftrmM6, DOESM*T ITf HIS ACTIONS HAW UTTTAIY 01/- CMSUrtA osam/L mot TO MENTION THE £M- ri*£ s>£M<xRhr THE OUT ARRESTED Ml THREATENING REA. MM MCDERMOTT? THE WOULD-0£ TIDES FOUNDATION KILLER WHO OACNLY COES GLENN RECK AS AN INSPIRATION? Today, more and rnoro people are choosing cremation as a way to honor the memories of those they love Numerous differences can exist among cremation providers, making it difficult Bo choose the right provider foe you and your family. At Bernstein Funeral Home, we are committed to helping all families with compassionate, understanding service. Our years of experience have made us Athens’ respected cremation leader and have given us a unique perspective on what it means to choose cremation. Oar caring staff understands the delicate subtect, as well as the importance for surviving loved one* to have a permanent place to visit, reflect and heal. To accommodate all families, Bernstein offers a range of affordable cremation services that are tailored to each irviivu ■ family's needs. We are available anytime to answer any question* you may have. Call or visit us at usMo.BemsCcmFMneralHome.com to receive more information and a free Dignity Memorial* Personal Planning Guide. Away From Home Protection* 124-Hour Compassion Helpline* Nat* no! Traruferabihry I Bereavement Travel l Personal Planning Services Grief Support I Veterans Benefits I CWd & Grandchild Protection Proud members of the Dignity Memorial* Network. BERNSTEIN FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATION SERVICES 3195 Atlanta Highway i Athens, G/ 30606 l 706-543-7373 uhou BernsumFunerc Home.com Do You Gamble? □ tf so, you may qualify for a research study on gambling behavior. □ Participation will include a telephone screen and one in-person assessment. □ You will be compensated $30 In cash for 3 hours of participation. □ Call (706) 542-5010 for more information. This study is being conducted by the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia. The University of Geonria Now Pre-Leasing Homes for Fall! D e k i e ......... fc.-w. r Jtn S M •’I'... Realty, Inc Property Management 706-548-0580 www.deklerealty.com Sal©* 706-353-0500 M3 n. jackeoii st. atlwM,ga JANUARY 19,2011 • FLAGPOLE.COM 7
