Why Mayor Floyd Supports Sam Olens For Attorney General
Decatur Metro | July 12, 2010Over the weekend, cubalibre noted this in a comment…
Looking over the sites for the candidates for Attorney General, I noticed that on Sam Olens’ site, Bill Floyd, Mayor of Decatur, is listed under Olens’ “Endorsements” by city officials. Really? The mayor of Decatur supports a candidate for AG who’s already indicated that he’s going to join the AGs who are filing suit against the federal gov’t over the healthcare that passed? I’m very curious about this.
Here’s the press release that Olens put out vowing to challenge health care reform.
I contacted Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd about the endorsement. Here is his response…
I have been a supporter of Sam Olen’s from the beginning. His leadership as chair of the ARC was extremely beneficial for all of us who live in this region. His support of the Metro Atlanta Mayors Association (MAMA) is without question, one of the things that gave the mayors organization statue in the ARC and provided us as mayors, the opportunity to participate in the discussion and decision making process of key issues such as transportation , land use and water. The detail of how his leadership and support benefited all cities, and Decatur in particular, is lengthy and I won’t elaborate, but that is the basis for my support.
Honestly, I am not well versed on the health care issue and therefore can not comment on the validity, or lack of it, of any suit against “health care reform”. But in today’s environment it is short sighted to let a position on one issue drive support for a particular candidate. This will lead, in my opinion, to disappointment. My decision to support Sam is based on character and record.
Latest from Decaturish
Does our Mayor plan on voting in the Republican primary for Olens? If so, did you ask who he supports for Governor? Thank you.
Mr. Olens is an intolerant religious zealot whose crowning achievement is his fight against affordable health insurance for georgians. what a guy.
The mayor is right. Are we supposed to have an Obamacare litmus test for Georgia AG? Most of his duties as AG would have little, if anything, to do with a suit against Obamacare. In any event, those suits are proceeding, whether or not Georgia joins them. So what is the difference?
Not saying this guy is otherwise qualified, just that a decision to file suit to challenge Obamacare should hardly be disqualifying.
And Olen’s did a great job securing county money for nonprofits in Cobb, but that doesn’t mean I support 99% of his ideology.
Sam Olens is touting an endorsement from Project 9.12 today. Fighting health care reform (and calling it a “government takeover” on his website, which it isn’t) is going to be expensive for this state, and ultimately futile.
It just boils down this way- people can talk about conservatives in this city all they want, but quick trip to the Secretary of State’s website and a quick look at how votes break down will show that 80% or more of Decatur consistently votes Democratic Party- has for decades. If Mayor Floyd is choosing to use the weight of the office we gave him to support the views of candidates who opinions do not reflect the views of the majority of his constituents, then perhaps, in couple of years, he should no longer have constituents. I think Private Citizen Floyd can do whatever the hell he wants. Mayor Floyd should be more discrete.
And just in case any Decatur liberals don’t know what Project 9.12 is Nellie, it is a right wing, Glen Beck group – 9 principles, 12 Values.
http://www.the912project.com/
Thanks, us Decatur liberals don’t know much about principles and values.
I know you and I disagree about the merits of Obamacare and the lawsuits against it, but set that aside. It does sound to me like you do think this issue is a litmus test, such that Floyd has no business endorsing this guy, regardless of what else he’s done.
Also, of course this city is heavily democratic. But how do you know they support this particular legislation at the same rate? That may well be correct, but is not clear to me. Keep in mind that even the bill that was passed was a mile away from what Obama campaigned on and first suggested (i.e., he had opposed an individual mandate, wanted a public option, etc).
Not really. I just think the lawsuits are going to be a massive drain on state resources- only 14 states have joined the suits when last I looked and constitutional law experts give them little chance to succeed. I think an attorney general candidate who makes this the top priority on his issues list might be playing politics these days and playing to very particular group; seems like dragging taxpayer dollars into a fruitless lawsuit might need a little more consideration. Ken Cuccinelli in Virginia probably really believes in his suit, but he also ordered universities in Virginia to remove language that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation from all their policy manuals, too.
Well, I agree we don’t need to spend money suing, since other states already have. The budget is very tight, and this is one place (of many) to save money.
But we don’t agree the suit is fruitless. Even if the states lose, it will be all but offocial that we’ve discarded one of the primary limitations on the power of the federal government. If it can force me to buy health insurance, it can do anything.
Sorry if this is thread-jacking, but couldn’t that also be said of car insurance? ” If it can force me to buy car insurance, it can force me to do anything”? Mandatory car insurance protects people hit by drivers who can’t afford to pay damages. Plus protects the driver. Mandatory health insurance protects health providers and facilities who treat people who can’t afford to pay the treatment costs. Plus protects the patient.
No.
First, the federal government doesn’t require car insurance. That’s state government, which isn’t bound by the same constitutional limits.
Second, you only have to buy car insurance if you drive a car. It’s a condition on the exercise of a privilege — i.e., licensed driving. For health insurance, under Obamacare, I have to buy it no matter what. If I don’t, I get socked with a masive tax.
I don’t agree with the mandate without a ROBUST PUBLIC OPTION (I hate that phrase, really, but it’s the vernacular) and price controls.
“Price controls?” Are you serious? Have you ever cracked open an Economics book?
The primary criticism leveled against price controls is that by keeping prices artificially low, demand is increased to the point where supply can not keep up, leading to shortages in the price-controlled product.[7] Shortages, in turn, lead to black markets where prices for the same good exceed those of an uncontrolled market.[7] Furthermore, once controls are removed, prices will immediately increase, which can temporarily shock the economic system.[7]
A classic example of how price controls cause shortages was during the Arab oil embargo between October 19, 1973 and March 17, 1974. Long lines of cars and trucks quickly appeared at retail gas stations in the U.S. and some stations closed [8] because of a shortage of fuel at the low price set by the U.S. Cost of Living Council. The fixed price was below what the market would otherwise bear and, as a result, the inventory disappeared. It made no difference whether prices were voluntarily or involuntarily posted below the market clearing price. Scarcity resulted in either case. Price controls fail to achieve their proximate aim, which is to reduce prices paid by retail consumers, but such controls do manage to reduce supply.[9]
More:
http://mises.org/daily/3025
Please tell me you were joking.
So if the public option is in place and we have price control on health care then there will be a health insurance black market? Are you joking?
Seems pretty unlikely, also the supply side does a good deal of tinkering with the supply in order to influence the price–it’s not automatic or as inherent in the system as you make it sound.
response to Naaman –
Yes – exactly. There will certainly be a black market of sorts. Those who can afford it will go out of market (out of country if the feds are strict enough) to get the health care they want/need. It’s done extensively in existing “socialized” systems right now. It will only lead to increasing disparity be haves/nots. Haves follow their wallets to the best care, and have nots are stuck in a broken, restricted system. NHS anyone?? Ironically, it will accelerate the huge boon in health care vacations to latin/south America. Just you wait and see….market forces are *always* more powerful than restrictive governments.
Darn you for sucking me back into these silly conversations…
George, So then–and now–people flee this present system to get better health care, but when our system becomes socialized they will flee even more–that is, those that can afford it. The nagging question here is what sort of systems, in other markets and other countries, are people fleeing to? I believe they are socialized health care systems.
It doesn’t follow that if our system cuts the influence of insurance companies and doctors and becomes socialized suddenly people will need to go to other socialized systems for treatment. Will there be a perpetual shifting of citizens from country to country to country? Sounds kind of silly if socialized medicine is so bad or even detrimental.
There are alternative options in countries w/socialized health care, at least there was in Spain about 8 years ago! Mys husband had a medical emergency that required a hospital visit. The inn keeper at our bed and breakfast insisted on driving us himself to a private hospital. The inn keeper told us that the government run health system was sub-standard and we would be waiting forever to see a doctor – if we saw one at all. So, while not black market, it certainly was an option for anyone who could afford it.
A mile away, BTW? You mean a slow boat ride across the ocean way?
You’re really going to continue to refer to the health care bill as “Obamacare?” Just wondering.
Yes. For one thing, it’s one word, not three. Easier to type.
DEM, couldn’t reply to your comment above, so I’ll do it here. The massive tax that you will be socked with for not having health insurance will be $695 a year or 2.5 percent of income, whichever is higher. Not that I’m condoning it, but the law specifically says that no criminal action or liens can be imposed on people who don’t pay the fine. It’s not really enforced–pay it if you want to, or don’t.
The mandate is there to bring healthy people into the pool, which keeps average costs down and also ensures that people aren’t riding free on the system by letting society pay when they get in a car accident, have a massive heart attack, get diagnosed with cancer, or encounter other unforseen medical issues etc.
It’s a condition on the exercise of a privilege (or some would say, a right) — i.e., access to health care.
We’ll have to disagree on the enforceability of the tax. Mark my words — they will do everything possible to collect it. Rememeber when the AMT was passed to tax but a few millionaries? How’s that working out now?
Wow. Saw this and did a little Google search and it seems that our Mayor Floyd may be a Republican.
Not only has Mayor Floyd endorsed Olens, but he’s endorsed Casey Cagle for Lt. Governor as well:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=127422004224
It’s one thing to endorse Olens, it is another thing to endorse both Olens and Cagle. What could be the possible reasons for endorsing Cagle? Are there ANY Democrats Mayor Floyd has endorsed?
Mayor Floyd has got some splainin’ to do.
Being a proud liberal, I am surprised too. But I have to say that Mayor Floyd carries out his mayoral duties well, whatever his political leanings. No one walks the streets of Decatur, attends school functions (even participating in student theatrical numbers), and officiates at Decatur events like Mayor Floyd. And he certainly hangs out with a number of left-leaning Decatur political figures. Actually, it’s interesting, despite the attempts of some to paint the southside as liberal and diverse and the northside as rich, conservative and prejudiced, our local politics are all mixed up when it comes to liberals and conservatives, Democrat and Republicans. Just look at some of the pictures of the election night parties. It seems to be more about Decatur Establishment or not.
Yes he does.
How dare he leave the herd and think, act, or endorse independent of the Party.
Mr. Cagle was a big hit with DHS students when he visited with them last spring.
Not the children!
I would’ve liked that the Mayor’s response included more about Sam’s unique suitabilty for fulfilling the duties of Attorney General rather than the fact that city mayors owe him a favor.
Must say I’m surprised by the general mindset of those who seem to blindly support (or think our mayor should blindly support) a candidate or oppose a candidate just because there is a (D) or a (R) next to their name. Regardless of which political party I think I’m more closely aligned with in my philosophy I’m open-mined enough to appreciate/recognize that both parties have good and bad politicians. I think Mayor Floyd is free to support whoever he thinks is best for the job. Glad to see he is supporting who he thinks is best not just blindly throwing his name behind the person’s party affiliation. As Karass stated, there isn’t a more visible and in my opinion approachable Decatur politician out there.
That’s actually his job. The mayor position largely ceremonial; being “out there” is a main part of the job.
No litmus test. Seems the mayor was open with endorsements.
Apparently his litmus test is only endorsing Republicans, since I can’t find any Democrats he has endorsed.
Regardless of who is in what party, I’ve always dreamt of a time come voting day that you would only see names on a ballot. If people actualy had to know who a candidate was / how they vote on issues rather than just a name and party affiliation I think many elections would turn out very different. Much to the benefit of the populace.
I like this idea. Of course it would mean that many folks wouldn’t know who to vote for since they might not know anything about a lot of the candidates. Non-big ticket positions might get a lof of no response votes. Perhaps that’s better than folks just voting for whatever Democrat or Republican? Perhaps each candidate could have a 250 character (not words!) space under their name on the ballot to summarize their positions? Jingoism would fluorish!
while many may not know who to vote for, they are ignoring their own responsibility. I can’t see how someone can live somewhere and not pay attention to how their elected officials respond and vote to items directly affecting the citizens of that area.
Am I the only person that loved Mayor Floyd’s rationale? He’s the mayor – and the basis for his endorsement of this candidate was his support for local government influence on transportation, land use, water, etc. as part of the ARC. i.e. issues dear to a mayor. Sounds about right to me.
And frankly, the notion that he should either toe a D party line, or support state candidates based on Federal/national issues that are driving the 24hour news cycle, is disappointing. I would love to see Decatur’s citizens be more tolerant, informed, and/or focused than this.
OK, point taken, but it’s not me who is pushing “Federal/national issues that are driving the 24hour news cycle.”
It is Sam Olens who is pushing fighting “Obamacare,” getting tough on illegal immigration, and bragging about how he allowed prayer and “taking on the ACLU” in his own campaign ads.
http://www.youtube.com/SamOlens
Those are the issues he is basing his campaign on and if Mayor Floyd is going to associate himself with very conservative politicians like Olens and Cagle, then he certainly owes us an explanation.
And if Floyd is a Republican, he should let the people of Decatur know and not hide from it if that is the way he believes.
That reply below was for you, sorry about that. And one other thing:
“if Mayor Floyd is going to associate himself with very conservative politicians like Olens and Cagle, then he certainly owes us an explanation.”
He did provide an explanation.
Based on some of the comments in this thread, I wouldn’t blame Floyd one bit for hiding his political party leanings or opinion on national hot button issues, if that were what he’s doing. Neither of those two subject areas are germane to his duties as a city commissioner. From the Decatur website:
“Duties of the Commissioners
The City Commissioners determine the policies of the City and enact the local laws necessary for the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare. They provide leadership in identifying community needs and developing programs to meet community objectives. They oversee the delivery of services to citizens and are responsible for adoption of an annual budget and the levying of taxes necessary to finance local government operations.
The City Commissioners appoint the members of a number of boards and commissions who carry out responsibilities specified by state law, the City charter, and local ordinances, including the Decatur Housing Authority, Zoning Board of Appeals, Decatur Parking Authority, Downtown Development Authority, Planning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, Greenspace Commission and Waste Management Advisory Board.
The City Commission appoints Municipal Court Judges and the City Attorney. The four judges are Edward E. Carriere, Jr., Viviane Ernestes, Robert Leitch, and Rhathelia Stroud. The City Attorney is Bryan Downs.”
Nowhere in there does it say our commissioners need to be prototypical Decaturites, in all their Prius-with-Obama-sticker glory.
Really, Russ, come on. People elect people whose values and ethics and points of view reflect their own. You are being purposely disingenuous.
I think a lot of people are simply shocked to find Floyd’s viewpoints are different than what they had believed or wrongly assumed- for years in many cases. They have a right to be annoyed. They have a right to process this and talk it our without being accused of being narrow minded. They have right to be irritated Floyd is using his position as mayor to associate their hometown with not one but two candidates whose politics don’t reflect the values of the majority of the community. They also have a right to vote him out next election.
Don’t get me wrong – I fully understand that people’s tribalism overwhelms their rationality. But it still disappoints when it happens. When we evaluate our city leadership on the culture war du jour, rather than competency, we become part of the problem.
I think a lot of people are simply shocked to find Floyd’s viewpoints are different than what they had believed or wrongly assumed- for years in many cases.
___________________
What viewpoint did you assume he had that you now know he doesn’t? Floyd said he did not base his endorsement on anything about the health care issue, which he knows little about.
I should add: the fact that Floyd knows little about the bill makes him just like almost every Congressman who voted for its 2,000 plus unread pages.
I am not saying those are my reactions; I am saying that’s what I am seeing among others and that they have the right to talk to out. My reaction is mostly that of the marginalized- visceral and base- does Mayor Floyd really have to jump on that teabaggin’ bandwagon, dragging Decatur with him? Not saying it’s logical or even how I will feel after I mull this with friends here, but I could have dealt with Olens without the Cagle thrown in- which btw, Floyd has not addressed.
FOLLOW UP, DM!
DM, if you do follow-up, I still would like to know who he intends to vote for in the Governors race. Seems like all the Republicans are running on media talking points. I’ll like to know who the Mayor knows and likes.
The mayor is in China until next week, but still replied to your follow-ups. He says he won’t pick a governor favorite until after the run-off, and will discuss his Cagle pick later in the summer.
So the Mayor is a closet Republican and he’s hobnobbing with the commies, too? This doesn’t look good.
Charges of Floyd dragging Decatur “teabaggin”? Seriously??
What next, an NAACP charge of racism to go with it?
These kinds of silly accusations get out of hand very quickly don’t they.
What Olens has done locally as well as the way he has acted locally seem contrary to his AD campaign ads portrait.
Sea change in attitudes, crabbiness, pandering, a sudden on-set of douchiness, forgot about the FM side of the dial?
Hey! wha’ happ’n?
Brad, I think you’re right on about this. Within the region, he is known as a moderate and consensus builder, who is willing to participate in discussions affecting more than just his home county (a rare trait among some of our other representatives). But his first ad for his campaign highlights something completely different. You can see the AJC column about it here (http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/07/10/the-religious-subtext-in-a-republican-fight-over-prayer/).
I really couldn’t care less who our Mayor endorses. Decatur is a fantastic place to live, and as long as it stays that way I’m happy to have the guy in office.
Having helped create this tempest in our little teapot, let me just say this: Regardless of whether you believe “Obamacare” is right for the country, the plain & simple fact is that any lawsuit challenging its constitutionality– which has already been deemed solid by legal experts with way more intellectual creds than I have– is going to cost BUNDLES. We ain’t got it. And if the next AG does go so far as to file, if you think this cost won’t affect the rest of us, I’ve got an igloo in South Florida you can have for a song. While Mayor Floyd is absolutely entitled to personally endorse whomever he pleases according to his conscience, let’s remember that little adage about being known by the company you keep (something Olens would do well to remember, too, before he decides to become a panderer extrordinaire to the extreme right just to get elected). I can’t argue with the fact that the City is as, or more, well-run as most in Georgia, but I also don’t think the Mayor carries out his duties in a vacuum (there are other commissioners who run it with him). Someone above pointed out, quite correctly, that one shouldn’t base one’s endorsement based upon one issue. While that’s true, the way I read it is, before publicly endorsing a person for high political office, the very least someone can do is know more about what s/he stands for than on the one issue that Mayor Floyd cites as his reason for giving his (and Decatur’s, by association, whether you like it or not) thumbs-up to Olens. If Mayor Floyd, by association, is going to keep company with conservative extremists whose actions could have a detrimental effect on his constituents (not to mention the entire State), he can expect to have it called into question by them– the majority of whom, as has already been pointed out, are way on the other end of the political spectrum, and the majority of whom did NOT choose to throw their city’s endorsement behind someone who represents the opposite of what they support. Someone else also pointed out that Floyd the Mayor giving an endorsement is very different from Floyd the private citizen doing it; the former brings with it the implication that the City as a whole shares the Mayor’s endorsement. Personally, I found the whole thing discomfitting, and as the commentary indicates, I’m not the only one.
Finally, and most important: the Attorney General is, in effect, the State’s prosecutor– his job is to enforce Georgia’s laws (civil and criminal, but by a large majority, criminal) in court. I would rather have an AG who has actually prosecuted criminal cases, which Olens has not. The fact that he’s traditionally not been known as an extremist idealogue isn’t comforting, since he obviously feels the need to cloak himself in those colors to get elected. Like Dave Chappell said [and I'm paraphrasing], “If you’re going to wear a whore’s uniform, you shouldn’t complain when people take you for the real thing.”
yeah, what cupcake said
cuba, there is an article in the Daily Report today on Olens if you get that in your office.
I’m glad to learn the state treasury is so flush these days.
I’m sure Georgia will fund it’s legal obligations to indigent defense —before burning taxpayer money on a duplicative attack against a ratified amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
I agree!
A leader should take into account his constituency’s opinion on important matters. That’s why Obama humbly listened to the majority of Americans who were opposed to his radical, unconstitutional health care program and decided not to force it through congress before he lost his very brief filibuster-proof majority.
And you’re right, of course, that associations are important. That’s why Obama’s been so careful about not keeping company with criminals (Blago), Marxists (Ayers), and racists (Wright).
That’s why we no longer support Obama, right? Right??
Of course, I’ve probably ticked off a bunch of the angry mob. I don’t usually like to link local and national issues. And I have been trying not to rile the reactionary hornets, even when its this dang easy. But doesn’t this example illustrate the dangers of linking too many of the wrong issues together, and coming to exactly the wrong conclusions?
FSM forbid a political conservative have a few good ideas for Decatur. Don’t you know he’s a…a…a…Republican! (Gasp!)
George, loved your comment. Best Ive seen in quite a while.
Oh, Georgie-Porgie-Puddin’-N-Pie! You lost me (and your credibility) at the invocation of Ayers, et al. I don’t know about “Blago”, but Obama merely served on a board LONG ago with Bill Ayers (they were NEVER friends– and Obama was about 8 yrs old when Bill was doing his radical crap). Further, he did at least have the stones to rebuke and repudiate Jeremiah Wright’s vituperation. I don’t see mainstream Repubes rebuking the teabaggers for their racist rantings– no, they hop right on that bandwagon (to borrow a phrase from Nell) so they can get the votes of the lunatic fringe that are more and more making up their “base”. As for the healthcare legislation, I’d agree that what got passed wasn’t ideal, but if you’d get your talking points somewhere else besides Faux News, you’d understand that the majority of Americans DID and DO want healthcare reform– the Party of No (in case I need to spell it out, the GOP) made sure that they took care of their insurance industry cronies by eliminating most of the things (including a public option) that people wanted. Blaming Obama alone for what ended up in that healthcare bill is just being willfully obtuse.
I think you mistake a justified curiosity about who the Mayor is endorsing for an across-the-board unwillingness to acknowledge that there are people from all across the spectrum here. Whether you like it or not, the majority are…gasp…PROGRESSIVES!!!! It’s perfectly logical for us to question why the Mayor would place what’s tantamount to the City’s imprimatur onto the campaign of someone whose values don’t represent the majority’s. I mean, c’mon– if Sonny Perdue endorsed, say, Thurbert Baker, you lot would be crapping gold bricks.
As his name suggest, Floyd should be demoted to town barber.
Hey… hey… hey … Andy, you think Oppie needs a haircut? Oooooo
You rock, Brad.
I agree with Mayor Floyd on the point of Olens being very good for regionalism in the ATL metro area- he has been a trailblazer for an OTP county joining forces with ITP area to promote solutions that will enhance the entire metro area. However, I am disappointed in two things with Olens- 1) that he chose the office of AG to pursue a state gov’t leadership role, and 2) the tone of his campaign pandering, which is not in line with his actual past leadersip (see comments of Brad and JC above). Seems like his experiences leading ARC could have vaulted him to a much better suited role in state gov’t where he could continue to promote and grow regionalism, vs waste $ on frivolous lawsuit already funded by others. And it is highly discouraging to see a moderate republican who I previously respected (high praise from my usual pro-Dem support) fall into the hole believing in the lowest common denominator of his potential constituants.
Pandering to conservative extremists. How can this candidate be seen as a consensus builder? That is not a position I want any part of!
I LOVE Bill Floyd right now. Love Love LOVE! And it’s not because of one particular candidate or another. It’s because he endorses as his conscience dictates, not as some party affiliation requires. Shows he’s an independent thinker who will do what is right for Bill Floyd and what is right for Decatur. I’m voting for Bill 7 or 8 times in the next election.
I think this says something wonderful about Decatur: We are different, we are complex, we are interesting. But we’re not what they say we are – we’re not just a bunch of crazy hippies, political radicals and one-issue voters. It gives me hope. Maybe we are a truly diverse community after all.
We’re a wonderful complicated mess. We’re perfect.
i do like the complicated mess idea- variety is good. but in case you were thinking Floyd was endorsing outside his party affiliation, that is not the case.
Now, your last paragraph, I can totally agree with.