DHS teacher Chris Billingsley reports in…

Today was the last day for Georgia Close Up.  The students spent the morning meeting major players at the capital.

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Ariel Hart has a nice cover story in this morning’s AJC about the different metrics being used by political talkers to demonstrate how Atlanta is either getting fat or screwed in the distribution of Federal Stimulus funding.

As Hart points out, those in Atlanta  – who want more money – use the “For every thousand dollars metro Atlanta contributes to the economy, so far it’s getting back $1.37 from the stimulus road fund. The rest of the state is getting $2.02.” argument.

“How outrageous!!” cry the cultured urbanites.

The smaller cities and rural areas – who also want more money – roll their collective eyes and counter with this argument – summarized by Hart – “metro Atlanta is getting $66.81 per person in the area, while the rest of the state is getting $56.06.”

Not knowing which money-grubbers to trust, Hart turns to the economists, which surprisingly, are also of two minds.

So with few options remaining, the tired and intrepid reporter turns to the great-decider himself, Sonny Perdue, who’s spokesman rolls his eyes in his excellency’s absence and utters “If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that you can find an economist to say anything,”

And like a Turgenev short story, Hart’s article concludes without the closure we all seek.  We don’t discover who the real purveyor of truth is, or what it is about economists that makes them “say anything.”  It just is.

Knowing my unfulfilled desire to see Governor Sonny Perdue visit the city of Decatur, Creative Loafing’s Thomas Wheatley forwards a press release from the Governor’s Office stating that Perdue will be joining Falcon’s quarterback Matt Ryan and a bunch of other dirty birds in Decatur tomorrow to sign the Student Health and Physical Education Act.

“But is it really Decatur?” you ask.

“Of course not.” I reply.

We’re talking Greater Decatur.   Specifically, Glenhaven Elementary down on Austin Drive in 30032.

But hey, he’ll be close!  Perhaps Sonny will want to swing by for a little lunch on his way back to the capitol.  Trust me, we’re not as mean and/or share-the-wealthish as we sound in an internet forum.  We can talk about family values!  Decaturites can’t get enough of that crap!  We even take the time out of our self-mandated busy days to bike our kids to school!  How freakin’ crazy is that?!

For some reason the Georgia legislature thought that if it didn’t deal with MARTA’s shortfall, the problem would just resolve itself.  Or they just didn’t think that public transit was all that important to a world-class city’s standing or its residents.  Silly legislature.

Now that same legislative body is reaping the rewards of their inability to do anything that anyone cares about.

Unlike say our dysfunctional GDOT and its kingdom of ever-widening, neglected pavement, transit systems can just flip the switch and shut down.  (Stupid politically inflexible transit!  Why can’t you just accept your neglect like everybody else?!) And then a lot of impassioned, teary-eyed transit advocates and fat-cats with a stake in the image of this city gets majorly POed.

Its already happening.  No one can stop talking about MARTA’s call yesterday for a special legislative session to free up capitol improvement funding to cover the drop in sales tax revenue.  But according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the governor thinks MARTA is being a bit hasty.

Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley said MARTA’s call for a special session is “premature” because the governor hasn’t seen details of the agency’s financial plight. While MARTA officials put that information together for lawmakers to consider as the bill went through the General Assembly, Brantley said, the governor didn’t receive a similar pitch.

“They didn’t come up and ask for help on the bill to begin with,” he said. Scott said MARTA’s board will decide in early June specifically how to carry out the planned service cuts.

I’m beginning to get the feeling that this is all going to end up with the Governor driving a MARTA train.  Hey, I can dream, can’t I?

Carl points out that Mayor Bill Floyd’s recent comments on his blog regarding the Governor’s scapegoat tactics dealing with cutting the Homestead Tax Relief Grant have made it into the AJC.  (I’m guessing he posted and submitted to the AJC at the same time, but the AJC is just getting around to it?)

With all the exposure its gotten, here, on Peach Pundit (thanks to Decaturguy) and at the AJC, I’ve gotta think that Sonny’s read it by now.  So, then why hasn’t he RSVPed to our open forum yet?!  I need closure!

And no “Will not attend due to political suicide” is not a checkbox option.

Not surprisingly, Mayor Floyd shares my exasperation with the governor for blaming local governments as he unceremoniously slashed our homeowner tax relief grants in order to soften the blow of his $2 billion budget shortfall.

Over on his blog (I still think its awesome that the mayor has a blog. “where else?”, I ask you), Mayor Floyd chastises Perdue for his tendency to lunge for a scapegoat (local governments!) instead of admit his own administration’s errors, and invites the Governor to a forum in Decatur to explain this “divisive approach”.

Unfortunately for us, the governor would never agree to something like that. Aside from the fact that there is little political upside, it would be quite difficult to explain these indefensible statements, which could only be made by someone who sat so high upon their ivory tower that they could conveniently ignore every protest shouted up at them.

But we can dream. Hey… maybe Sonny inherited the Marty McFly gene and if we dare whisper a single word, all rationality and thought of self-preservation goes out the window.

Chicken?

So you’ve probably already heard about the state’s billion dollar deficit, yeah? What with the sagging economy and…

“Local governments!”

Whoa. That was weird. Here I am trying to rationally explain the reasons for the state’s bad math and suddenly someone brings up local governments. Odd.

Where was I? Oh yes…so like many states, we have this massive deficit…thanks in part to overly optimistic projections. What to do?

“Local government spending is out of control!”

What the…? Now hold on just a minute! I’m trying to discuss a very important issue here and you keep attempting to distract me by shouting things about local government spending! What’s your problem?

“Local governments are spending ALL of your money!!”

Dude! Get your hands out of my face! I’m trying to explain what happened to Homeowners Tax Relief Grant money that we usually see in the form of a tax credit on our property tax bill and you’re all up in my business! Look I even brought along a pile of money as a prop to represent the HTRG money…hey…where’d it go? I could’ve sworn it was here a minute ago…

Governor Perdue! Stop! Bring that back here! What!? Yes, I know you’re short on cash, but couldn’t you try tightening your own belt before stealing my pile of money in broad daylight!? Sir! Sir?!

Hmm…you would’ve thought that the fact that the bills were multi-colored would have tipped him off that they were fake. Oh well, I guess I shouldn’t question him…he is the professional.

Good luck sir! Spend it wisely!

I informed no one in particular in a previous post that I would keep everyone up to date about Dunwoody’s incorporation, not only because our mayor has stated that he expects DeKalb County property taxes to rise as a result, but also because they are all part of our fair county.

Apparently reports on the Dunwoody city bill’s death had been greatly exaggerated earlier this year, because it is now through both the House and Senate and hanging out on the Governor’s desk. And even though Sonny has his issues with city incorporation, he says to the AJC,

“I issued a warning a couple of years ago about all the creation of cities,” Perdue said Wednesday. “I think the cows are out of the barn on that. I think Dunwoody needs to be treated like all the others that are there. Frankly, if the … Legislature sees fit to pass that, then I will see fit to bless that as well.”

At least Sonny had better composure than Representative Jill Chambers.

Yikes.

Anywho….it looks like DeKalb citizens within the proposed boundaries of a city of Dunwoody will vote yay! or nay! on July 15th.

The recent controversy surrounding Sonny Perdue’s “pray for rain” vigil on the Capitol steps Tuesday has been played out for centuries. Nay! Millennia! The scene below from the Greek comedy, The Clouds, proves it.

From The Clouds by Aristophanes

STREPSIADES

But by the Earth! is our father, Zeus, the Olympian, not a god?

SOCRATES

Zeus! what Zeus! Are you mad? There is no Zeus.

STREPSIADES

What are you saying now? Who causes the rain to fall? Answer me that Read the rest of this entry »

It seems that many Atlanta area bloggers echo my sentiments of last week and are severely annoyed by Sonny’s rain-o-thon today. It’s been national news all morning. CNN TV and .com reported on it this morning. In fact, CNN.com had a live feed up on its homepage earlier!

Radical Georgia Moderate is so irradiated by the photo op that he’s expectorating!

Pecanne Log wonders if her bumper-sticker touting conservative neighbor will join the fray at the Capitol.

Fresh Loaf cops my “Sonny’s Rain Dance” post title (unintentionally) and is skeptical about the timing of the event (with showers in tomorrow’s forecast)

DriftGrift is going to the chapel…I mean the Capitol…and promises a report later…[Later: DriftGrift's report of freaks at the Capitol]

I love it when Georgia makes the national news, don’t you?