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ANTI-TEA PARTY VS. TEA PARTY
The battle over the T-SPL0ST election date
during this special legislative session has
been described as a showdown between the
anti-tax Tea Party and the various chambers
of commerce who supported the transporta
tion tax. That analysis was accurate as far as
it went but does not give enough credit to
another major player: the state's local govern
ments, which are represented by the ACCG
(Association County Commissioners of Georgia)
and the GMA (Georgia Municipal Association).
ACCG and GMA lobbyists worked against the
deal that was nearly made to move the date
of the transportation tax referendum from the
July 31 primary to the November general
election. The Tea Party appeared for
a while to be successful in their
demand that the T-SPL0ST vote
could only be moved if all future
tax votes were also held in con
junction with general elections.
Tea Party members figured that
such a move would make it easier
for them to campaign against
the passage of local tax increases.
Local governments prefer to hold
their tax votes on other dates, however,
and their lobbyists worked the capitol hall
ways effectively to shoot down that Tea Party
compromise.
With the Legislature's Democratic caucuses
becoming politically powerless in the face of
strong Republican majorities, ACCG and GMA
have essentially stepped into the breach to
become the "anti-Tea Party" group at the capi
tol. It's a role they were playing before the
Tea Parties were even formed. Four years ago,
when Speaker Glenn Richardson and his House
colleagues were trying to pass a "GREAT" tax
plan that would have stripped local govern
ments of their ability to collect tax revenues,
ACCG and GMA helped stop that initiative, too
(and earned the undying hatred of Richardson,
who's no longer a legislator).
One thing working in their favor is the
fact that a growing number of legislators
served in city or county governments before
being elected to the General Assembly. Many
of these lawmakers decided to run for the
Legislature after Richardson nearly succeeded
in passing the "GREAT" tax bill. Sen. Steve
Gooch (R-Dahlonega) is a former county
commissioner, as are Sen. Jim Butterworth
(R-Cornelia) and Sen. Rick Jeffares (R-Locust
Grove). Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville)
worked as a county manager before he was
elected to the Senate. Sen. Charlie Bethel
(R-Dalton) is a former city councilman, while
Sen. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) and Sen. Jesse
Stone (R-Waynesboro) are former mayors.
Over in the House, Rep. Lynne Riley
(R-Johns Creek), Rep. Jan Tankersley
(R-Brooklet) and Rep. Lee Anderson
(R-Grovetown) were county com
missioners before running for the
General Assembly. Rep. Susan
Holmes (R-Monticello) and Rep.
Jay Powell (R-Camilla) were once
the mayors of the cities they
represent. Other former may
ors include Rep. John Meadows
(R-Calhoun) and Rep. Brett Harrell
(R-Snellville). Rep. Matt Hatchett
(R-Dublin) and Rep. Katie Dempsey
(R-Rome) were once city council members.
"They understand how local government
works, and they understand inter-govern
mental relationships," said an ACCG lobbyist.
"When you put an idea out there, they can
think it through to reality."
That sounds about right. County commis
sioners and mayors know that many of their
constituents will expect to have roads paved,
schools built and parks opened. The only way
local governments can pay for such things
is by collecting taxes—-and sometimes a tax
increase is required.
If the fight over the T-SPLOST election date
should be renewed in the regular session next
January, you can bet that both the Tea Party
and the anti-Tea Party will be right there in
the middle of it.
Tom Crawford lcrawford@gareport.com
THIS MOklH WORD by TOM TOMORROW
OKAY, LISTEN CLOSELY.*
TM FROM THE YEAR
2011/ AND I'VE COME
TO WARN YOU--YOUR
ENTIRE PROFESSION IS
DOOMED!
WITHIN 15 YEARS, THE
NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY
WILL BE RAVAGED BY
THE INTERNET.' THE VERY
NOTION OF BEING PAID
FOR ANY CONTENT—LET
Alone CARTOONS—
WILL SEEM QUAINT AND
ARCHAIC.*
THAT'S TERRIBLE, FUTURE
me; WHAT CAN I DO
TO PREPARE NOW FOR
THE FORTHCOMING CAR
TOON APOCALYPSE?
I GUESS YOU COULD TRY
TO SELL MORE T-SHIRTS
OR SOMETHING...OH, AND
THERE'S GONNA BE THIS
THING CALLED THE IPAD,
THAT SOME PEOPLE THINK
MIGHT HELP SOMEHOW...
But as For what you can
DO IN I9R5...HMMMM...
6 FLAGPOLE.COM AUGUST 31, 2011
"TeM Y«MoRM©20H ...www.thismodemworld.com...twitter.com/tomtomonrow
