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THE PERFECT CRIME
Bipartisanship.
Who knew?
You may recall that Doug McKillip, after winning re-election
to the Georgia House of Representatives as a Democrat,
abruptly switched to the Republican Party, just after being
elected to a leadership position by the House Democrats. The
Republicans in the Legislature rewarded McKillip by carving out
a new district for him that jettisons some of the Democratic
area of his old district and pulls in enough turf from Oconee,
Barrow and Jackson counties to create a supposedly safe
Republican district. Of course, this new district has nothing to
do with commonality of interests or the integrity of political
boundaries. Doug's little district is a miniature Frankenstein
of stitched-together parts that only a mad (political) scientist
could love. Word is that Athens-Clarke Republicans don't trust
Doug and that Republicans in Oconee, Barrow and Jackson are
angry at being carved up to accommodate the slick Athens law
yer who newly holds himself out to be one of them.
McKillip's strategy rests on the probably correct assump
tion that a year from now the average voters won't remember
or care how their state representative district was created.
They'll just get lots of campaign literature from that cute, tow
headed Representative who vows to represent them well in the
Legislature, where he holds impressive committee assignments
and is a favorite of the Speaker. Doug will be the "incumbent,''
in the sense that he'll already be a Representative, while any
body running against him won't have
that kind of clout.
Now, you know that local
Democrats will want to take revenge
on Republican Representative Doug
McKillip. To do so, they will have to come up with a candidate
who can appeal to voters in Oconee, Barrow and Jackson while
turning out the Athens Democrats still left in Doug's district.
Meanwhile, local Republicans and those in the other coun
ties will have to make the decision whether to challenge
McKillip in the primary, and they'll have to agree on a candi
date acceptable to Republicans in all four counties.
McKillip will have plenty of money to run against whatever
candidates come out against him, and the more the merrier to
split the vote. Money loves an incumbent and flows into his
pocket without his even having to ask. Every big interest in
the state that can profit from a favorable climate in Atlanta
already has Doug in its budget.
At this point, Doug looks to be unbeatable. He has pulled
off the perfect crime, confident that his powerful friends in
Atlanta will look out for him on that end and that the bother
some formality of voting on this end will be eased by lack of
attention and plenty of money.
So emboldened is Doug at having got away with it that
he's showing off. To impress his new best friends, Doug has
taken it upon himself to redistrict Athens-Clarke County to
make it more fair and balanced for Republicans. As of this
writing, his plan is not public, but he has said that he might
even eliminate our superdistricts while making the town safe
for Republicans. Thus can our new overlord invoke the power
of the Legislature to override local control and rewrite our
charter. There is some slight confusion, because our mayor has
already appointed a committee to effect redistricting, but that
committee appears headed for a confused result that will prac
tically cry out for somebody like Doug to resolve the problems.
Add in a mayor who stands to gain if Doug does away with
the supercommissioners who are her chief opponents and a
daily newspaper absorbed with slashing the editors who could
give it direction and coherence, and the gate to the Classic
City is left ajar for McKillip to ride in.and take control.
Oddly enough, bipartisanship is the only hope for both
Democrats and Republicans. Both should work together to sup
port a Republican candidate against McKillip in the Republican
primary, with Democrats crossing over to vote for the strongest
candidate against McKillip.
It's a longshot, but the place to stop McKillip is the 2012
Republican primary, and it will take a bipartisan effort. Both
Republicans and Democrats in all four counties have a strong
incentive to yet together and make it work, overriding party
and sectional differences. If they can somehow knock Doug
off in the primary, then all can go back to voting for their own
paity candidates m the general election and foi once feet okay
no matter
Bipartisanship. Who knew?
Pete McCommons : •
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:
City Dope 4
Athens News and Views
A project manager is being hired to help move the river district vetting process
forward.
Athens Rising 7
What’s Up in New Development
Can Athens learn to approach urban planning as another of its artistic endeavors?
Grub Notes 9
Jam Session
The Local Jam in Five Points serves breakfast and lunch in a casual atmosphere.
The Reader 13
Things That Went Bump
Jason Zinoman has written a book about scary movies that is valuable for
cinephiles of all kinds.
yysfl©
Threats & Promises 14
Music News and Gossip
Manray finishes debut album 1 Jason Scarboro leaves Dead Confederate!
And more...
Kuroma 17 !
Going in Debt to Sound Luxurious
Local musician Hank Sullivant celebrates the the vinyl release of Psychopomp.
CITY DOPE
... .4
ZUMM ZUMM
15
CITY PAGES
....5
TURQUOISE JEEP ....
16
CAPITOL IMPACT
...6
KUROMA
17
ATHENS RISING
...J
THE CALENDAR!
18
AN EVEN TRADE
.. .8
BULLETIN BOARD. ..
24
GR'JB NOTES
...9
ART AROUND TOWN ..
25
PERSPECTIVES 2011 ...
...10
COMICS
26
MOVIE DOPE
...12
REALITY CHECK
27
1 THE READER
.13
CLASSIFIEDS
28
TIG NOTARO
.14
WORLD VIEW
30
THREATS & PROMISES ..
1
...14
EVERYDAY PEOPLE...
* .31
■ EDITOR & PUBLISHER Pete McCommons
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COUNCIL
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24
FRIDAY, AUGUST 26
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
MONDAY, AUGUST 29
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30
LOCATED ON
TH( GROUNDS Of
Eat Drink. Listen Closely.
I TUESDAY, AUGUST 23
$5 Admi
Comedy Befitting of a Gentleman & Scholar featuring
PAUL GALLOIS
TJ YOUNG, DREW DICKERSON, JESSE ROSOFF,
MAH GILBERT, CRAIG HOELZER, ED BURMILA,
WALKER SMITH AND CHRIS PATTON
$5 admission
(THURSDAY, AUGUST 25
SEVEN HANDLE CIRCUS
JOHN KING BAND
Tickets $5 adv • $8 at the door
Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation Series
PRESERVATION MAHERS
FEATURING mark McDonald
Free Admission • Open to the Public • Begins at 6pm
Terrapin Bluegrass Series featuring
NORTH GEORGIA
BLUEGRASS BAND
$5 Admission • $2 Terrapin Pints All Night!
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31
Van Morrison Birthday Celebration with
W THE VAN MORRISON
& TRIBUTE
FEATURING GREG HESTER
$7 adv. • $10 at the door
UPCOMING EVENTS
9.1
9.2
9.6
9.8
9.9
THE SOLSTICE SISTERS
THE 5PUTZ
STRING THEORY
MARK MAXWELL GROUP
GRAINS OF SAND
9.13 JP& THE GILBERTS
9.14 DYRTY BIRDS WITH DANNY HUCHENS
i ERIC CARTER
916 SONS Of SAILORS
9.17 THE ORKIDS. THE BEAUVILLES
9.20 HIGH STRUNG STRING BAND
9.22 ADAM KLEIN & THE WILD FIRES.
UTTli COUNTRY GIANTS
9.23 THE HIGHBALLS
9 25 MEAT PUPPETS, HAYRIDE
9.26 SNARKY PUPPY
9.27 HOMEGROWN REVIVAL
JONATHAN BYRD
9.28 GEOFF ACHISON& THE SOULDIGGERS
930 SAINT FRANCIS, VON GREY,
JOSH DANIELS
10.2 MARTIN SEXTON, CHRIS TRAPPER
10.7 TIM REYNOLDS 4 TR3
10.14 CHICKASAW MUDD PUPPIES,
BURNING ANGELS
11.3 JARON AND THE LONG ROAD TO LOVE.
JOE FIRSTMAN
11.6 SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN IOUR WITH ED
ROLAND AND KEVIN GRIf FtN
11.11 STEWART & WINFIELD
11.12 TIM MILLER BAND
11.16 CHARUE HUNTER
11.19 JORMA KAUKONEN
295 E. DOUGHERTY ST., ATHENS. GA
706.254.6909
FOR TICKETS & SHOWTIMES WWW.MELTINGPOINTATHENSvCOM
OR CALL THE BOX OFFICE 706.254.6909
SEPTEMBER 2 @ TERRAPIN BREWERY
DEL YEAH! featuring
DEL McCOURY BAND
CORNMEAL, DREW EMMITT &
DANNY BARNES, DAVID MAYFIELD
PARADE, WELFARE LINERS
$20 adv. • $25 at the door • $50 VIP
rmm
PRESENTS
AUGUST 27 @40 WATT
KEVIN KINNEY
CD RELEASE PARTY
THE HEAP, SOME DARK HOLLER
$20 adv. • $25 at the door
AUGUST 24, 2011 -FLAGPOLE.COM 3
