Michael Mills (D) Secretary of State 2010. Michael's remarks from the first fundraiser, September 30, 2009. He outlines a vision for Georgia, why he is running and actions he will take to ensure a "new way to govern" in our state.

Michael's remarks from the first fundraiser, September 30, 2009. He outlines a vision for Georgia, why he is running and actions he will take to ensure a "new way to govern" in our state.

Karen Kemp, Executive Director for Sexual Assault Victim's non-profit and GOP Chairwoman, endorses Democrat Ken Hodges for Attorney General. www.kenhodges.com

David Poythress at the GSRA

Entire OP-ED in the Atlanta Journal Constitution by Jim Marshall

Well, I’ve certainly ruffled some feathers by saying American health care’s third-party payment system suffers from Soviet-style inefficiencies. “Soviet-style,” now that’s cussing by American standards.

I chose the controversial reference to find common ground among Washington partisans embroiled in the health care debate. It’s worked with a few representatives, just not enough. And it has also put me in a position where, as dad used to say, I’ve got some explaining to do. That’s good. If more people understand our third-party payment system disaster, maybe we’ll do something about it.

All Americans would like to improve health care access and cost without harming quality. I certainly would. I’d like to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid and increase the number of insured Americans. “Isn’t bearing added cost worth it?” reform proponents ask rhetorically. “Not with my tax dollars,” opponents reply, often adding “And don’t make my health care costs more expensive. They’re already too high.”

That’s the gist of the battle. Most of the debate is surreal. We largely wrangle over false choices that ignore the central, catastrophic problem with our current health care system. It is not sustainable. It not only bankrupts individuals, it is bankrupting the federal government. No credible financial expert disputes this fact. Analysts predict America will lose its AAA credit rating by 2012. Dramatically lowering federal health care costs is not just required for generational decency, it is fundamentally necessary for national security.

So the question is not whether to reform; it is how to reform. And getting the right answer requires that we understand what got us in such a fix.

Over the past 60 years, America has migrated from a relatively efficient, free-market health care payment system, one in which patients and health care providers directly managed health care costs, to an inefficient, third-party payment system run by health insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. Now most patients and their health care providers have only an indirect role in managing cost. This migration thankfully increased the percentage of Americans with reasonable access to health care. But as basic micro economic theory predicts, the third-party payment system path we chose to achieve this worthy goal has caused a dramatic increase in health care overhead, gross economic inefficiency, explosive cost growth and inevitable waste, fraud and abuse.

Don’t just take my word for it. You can find a thorough, readable description of how our health care system wandered into such a mess by reading David Goldhill’s article in The Atlantic entitled “How American Health Care Killed My Father.” Just search online for the title.

Making the needed payment system reform is very difficult and can only be done slowly. Without some crisis, it will only be legislated as a compromise that also involves expanding access. Instead of maintaining the status quo or moving toward a single-payer health care system, we should begin a migration to a health care system with millions of single payers, one in which most patients are the payers.

Unfortunately, the present House and Senate bills miss the opportunity to begin this critical migration. That’s why I oppose them. If these bills are defeated, then perhaps we can get reform that fundamentally changes the payment system, reform that can simultaneously improve access, maintain (or improve) quality and dramatically reduce costs.

Yes, you read that right. Done correctly, health care reform can actually pay for itself and provide better access and coverage by gradually eliminating the repeated and growing problems with gross waste, fraud and abuse that inevitably plague our third-party payment system. I’m afraid the current House and Senate bills only make things worse by further cementing us to this unwise payment system, adding costs and hastening federal bankruptcy.

In his thoughtful health care address to Congress, President Obama said “I am not the first president to deal with this issue, but I am determined to be the last.” He might indeed be the last, but only if he insists upon reform of our third-party payment system.

Georgia Democratic Party, 2010 Statewide Elections

Back in 2007, I almost left the democratic party to become an independent because I thought democrats were too weak & afraid to put a fight to the republicans who took charge of the General Assembly. After the 2002 elections, I saw a lot of rural democrats either retire or switch parties after Sonny Perdue won in 2002. You would think after having been in power for over 130+ Yrs the democratic party would have been in better shape to regroup & mount a comeback, but I was wrong. There were hardly any county democratic party chapters here in rural georgia. (Here in Macon Co. we have a chapter, but it's not active.) But there are still some rural counties that do not have party chapters at all (Candler, Chattahoochee, Crawford, Stewart, Miller, Echols, Clay, Dooly, Montgomery Co. & others) for example. You would think after decades of being in power that the party would have developed a deep bench of democratic prospects to compete for statewide, or local races. I didn't realize how bad in shape the party was. Then you had those party switchers who only switched just to keep what they had. Issues like the confederate flag, teachers & you combined the 9/11 attacks on the world trade center it was the perfect storm for every single democrat to have their asses handed to them. I wonder had Barnes not changed the flag, would he have still won re-election? Who knows. Would have Max Cleland won his re-election as well against Saxby Chambliss? Who Knows.

After the 2002 elections, democrats completely lost Rural Georgia, which was a bastion of Conervative Democrats that left the party & started voting republican. Like here in my home county, I know plenty of males who are still registered democrats (conservative), but they started to vote republican after the 2002 elections. I asked a couple of them why did they leave the democratic party? They told me they are still registered democrats, but only vote republican because they haven't had a chance to vote for a democrat who reflect their values, which is fiscally conservative, strong family values, a believer in the second amandment, god & faith, & a strong supporter for the "other Georgia" ( meaning rural georgia).

But these men may come back home in 2010. But it will depend who the liberal democrats, especially in the metro atlanta area, who will ultimately determined the nominee as well as african-americans, who make up about 45% of the voters in the democratic primary. There are no liberal democrats in this race, although most think Roy Barnes maybe the closest thing to a liberal (or progressive), whatever you want to call it. David Poythress, DuBose Porter, Carl Camon are what I call center-right democrats. Thurbert Baker, in my mind is the only truly conervative democrat in the field judging by his stance toward crime, especially the bill he helped passed along with then Gov. Zell Miller, the "two strikes you out law". I not that familiar with Baker, who has maintained a strong relationship with Zell Miller since Miller left politics back in 2004. I had a lady ask me back in August, what if Zell Miller endorses Thurbert Baker for governor? I told this lady that Baker would probably become the frontrunner to win the democratic nomination regardless who's in the race. An endorsement by Miller for Baker would play well among white male voters, especially here in rural Georgia & with Black Voters playing a major role in deciding who the nominee would be, he would be the favorite. Baker has ran a very-low key campaigm thus far & has raised tons of money thus far, but a large number of voters are not sure who he is. But if Miller were to endorse a candidate for governor, you would think it would be either Baker, Porter, or Poythress given the relationship between the men in the past.

Another to watch out for is Sam Nunn. Nunn, early last week, endorsed Ken Hodges for State Attoeney General. Depending how the situation involving him & Phoebe Putney Hospital, if he comes out of that unscathed, he possibly will become the democratic nominee in the 2010 General Election. You have to think Sam Nunn had to know about that Phoebe Situation before he threw his support behind Hodges. But what impact will Nunn have on the governor's race? My thinking is, if he got involved in the primary, he would throw his support behind DuBose Porter for governor, since they live 60-70 miles apart & Porter once worked for Nunn when Nunn was still a senator. Or he could get behind David Poythress someone he has known for Years.

And there is Michael Thurmond. He was thought to be gunning for Lt. Governor on a ticket with Roy Barnes. But I always thought Thurmond had his eyes on the governor's seat & not a seat for Lt. Governor. But once Thurbert Baker announced his candidacy, that dream was over. Had Thurmond gotten in, Roy Barnes probably would have stayed on the side lines, in my opinion. I suspect Thurmond will remain neutral in this race unless it goes to a runoff.

Democrats still don't have a candidate for Lt. Governor, which is ridiculous. The thinking among dems that the Senate would be controlled by the republicans & that if a democrat is elected to Lt. Governor, they would do the same thing to him or her like they did to Marl Taylor & that is to strip away all the powers & responsibiliies of the Lt. Governor. I don't think that would happen. Mark Taylor had burned alot of bridges in his time at that position, mostly with GOP members in that chamber. So once they got control of that chamber, you knew that was going to happen.

There are 3 to 4 people I think should take a stab at that seat held by current Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle. I would like to see a woman run for that seat, like for instance State Rep. Debbie Buckner (D-Junction City) or Amy Carter (D-Valdosta). Former State Senators like Michael Meyer von Bremen (D-Albany), or Floyd Griffin, Jr (D-Milledgeville). Maybe Tim Golden (D-Valdosta), who would possibly be the strongest challenger to Cagle, or one of the current candidates for governor, which is highly unlikely, although there are some people who think maybe Carl Camon, who is the current mayor of Ray City should drop down to run for Lt Governor. At a recent event I attended over in Houston County, some of the people there thought he would make a fine governor, but with the log jam at governor, he would be a better fit at Lt. Governor. Maybe, but someone needs to get the ball movin' at that particular race.

Hopefully 2010 will be the year democrats finally break through & find strong candidates for State Senate & State House seats. If they don't someone will be held responsible & that person will be Jane Kidd, the current Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Georgia.

Well I'm off to Atlanta & plan to be back tomorrow evening.

Election Day is almost Here!

I'm late today so lets get to it:

Tommorrow is election day & there are some hotly contested races for Mayor of Atlanta, Special Election for House District 141 seat formerly held by longtime Democrat Bobby Parham who resigned to take a seat on the Georgia DOT, as well as citycouncil races.

`First in the Race for Mayor of Atlanta, you have former State Senator Kasim Reed (D), CityCouncil President Lisa Borders (D), Mary Norwood (I) & Jesse Spikes. Right as this moment Mary Norwood is leading the back & is on the verge of winning the election without a runoff. But the Democratic Party of Georgia has gotten into this race & accuse Norwood of being a "republican". If elected she would be the first white mayor of Atlanta since 1974. In my opinion she pulls it out on election night. If she doesn't she will have a hard time winning in the runoff against either Lisa Borders or Kasim Reed.

Then you have a special election for House District 141 seat which comprises Baldwin & a portion of Putnam County. It features Democrat Darrell Black, Independent E. Culver "Rusty" Kidd, & republicans Casey Tucker & Angela Gheesling-McCommon. This race to too difficult to call, but since it went for Barack Obama & Jim Martin in 2008, you have to think Darrell Black is the favorite to win. I say its possible that both Darrell Black & Rusty Kidd goes to a runoff for that seat. But im supporting Darrell Black in his bid to become the next representative for HD 141.

Next you have races for citycouncil going on this year, over in Montezuma (Macon Co.) you have three incumbents fighting for their political lives Roy Barker, Frank Lester & Charles Glover going up against challengers Tarsha Riley, Bobby Lewis, Carl Peaster & Francisco Alvarez. There are signs for Rilet, Lewis, Peaster posted all over town, at local businesses as banners on people front porches. There is a anti-incumbent feel going on over in montezuma. I would predict a house cleaning of the incumbents, but I say two of the three incumbents will be defeated on election night. Down in Leesburg, you have Richard Bush trying to fend off a challenge from Jeff Sexton, a libertarian & founder of SWGA Politics. Sexton would become the first Libertarian to be elected to the Leesburg CityCouncil. Leesburg is a fast growing city & needs someone like Jeff to help guide it in the right direction & up in Butler (Taylor County), Jay Stalnaker, (better known as rural dem to folks on Tondees Tavern & Peach Pundit) is trying to win a seat on the Butler CityCouncil against Incumbent Glenn Harris. I'm rooting for Jay to win that seat & bring much needed changes like growth to the city of Butler & surrounding areas.

And over in Warner Robins, you have Chuck Chalk, Cilfford Holmes, & Chuck Shaheen running for mayor of Warner Robins to replace Donald Waler, who committed suicide last month. Walker's wife came out & endorsed Chalk for mayor just last week & it maybe the game changer in the election. The race is wide open. It's anyone's guess on who's going to win that race. I'll put my money on Shaheen to win, but it may go to a runoff as well. We'll find out tuesday night.