This morning JB Powell will be holding a press conference with Ed Gadrix President of Ga Equine Education Project & Robert Akin, VP of Ga Quarterhorse Association to announce support of Horse Racing in Ga.
JB Powell Press Conference Announcing Support for Horse Racing in Georgia
Who:
JB Powell, Democratic Candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture
Ed Gadrix, President of Georgia Equine Education Project
Robert Akin, VP of Georgia Quarterhorse Association
What:
Announcement about support for horse racing and it's economic impact on Georgia’s economy
When:
September 9, 2010 at 10:00 AM
Where:
Chukkar Farm
1140 Liberty Grove Road
Alpharetta, GA 30004
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Lobbying Firm Staffing Black’s Campaign For Agriculture
Presser from the campaign of JB Powell, candidate for Agriculture Commissioner
In the ongoing scandal about Gary Black’s campaign largely being supported by the lobbying firm that employed Black as a lobbyist for over 20 years, today it was discovered that the lobbying firm treasurer, Wayne Christian, is also the treasurer for Gary Black’s campaign.
“A lobbying firm has not just paid Black’s salary during his political campaign, but is also supplying staff for Gary Black’s campaign. This just goes to prove that Black’s election would be putting the fox in charge of the hen house and special interests would be staffing the Department of Agriculture if Black is elected. Georgia farmers and families do not need a lobbyist, they need an advocate for food safety and farmers” said JB Powell, Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture.
Records from the Georgia Ethics Commission and Georgia Agribusiness Council’s tax filings reveal that Wayne Christian is the treasurer for both Gary Black’s campaign and a lobbying firm sheltered from paying taxes by non-profit status despite a majority of expenses incurred for “promoting agribusiness.”
In the ongoing scandal about Gary Black’s campaign largely being supported by the lobbying firm that employed Black as a lobbyist for over 20 years, today it was discovered that the lobbying firm treasurer, Wayne Christian, is also the treasurer for Gary Black’s campaign.
“A lobbying firm has not just paid Black’s salary during his political campaign, but is also supplying staff for Gary Black’s campaign. This just goes to prove that Black’s election would be putting the fox in charge of the hen house and special interests would be staffing the Department of Agriculture if Black is elected. Georgia farmers and families do not need a lobbyist, they need an advocate for food safety and farmers” said JB Powell, Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture.
Records from the Georgia Ethics Commission and Georgia Agribusiness Council’s tax filings reveal that Wayne Christian is the treasurer for both Gary Black’s campaign and a lobbying firm sheltered from paying taxes by non-profit status despite a majority of expenses incurred for “promoting agribusiness.”
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Georgia Federation of Democratic Women (GFDW) Luncheon to be held in Houston County Saturday.
The multi-county Georgia Federation of Democratic Women or (GFDW) led by Kristina Simms, president of the GFDW & veteran Democratic Activist will have their annual luncheon, which will be held in Warner Robins on saturday September 11 at Ryan's Steakhouse, beginning at 12:00 noon.
Candidates Scheduled to appear at the luncheon are:
Labor Commissioner candidate: Darryl Hicks (D-Reynolds)
Lt, Governor candidate: Carol Porter (D-Dublin)
Public Service Commission District 2 candidate: Keith Moffett (D-Macon)
State School Superintendent candidate: Joe Martin (D-Atlanta)
Agriculture Commissioner candidate: J.B. Powell (D-Blythe)
State Representative 145 candidate Fenika Miller (D-Warner Robins)
State Representative 136 candidate Sharon Howard (D-Byron)
Powell, who I learned this morning from his campaign manager Graham Balch will also appear at the GFDW Luncheon on saturday as well.
I will be attending the luncheon as well & hope to have some pics of the meet & greet next week.
No word on whether or not Barnes, Hodges, Sinkfield, or Marshall will be at the meet & greet
Deal Releases "Some" of his Tax Returns Last Week
Nathan Deal released some of his tax returns before the labor day weekend, but it only cosisted the cover pages & not the returns concerning his business dealings.
According to the Associated Press in September 2010, Nathan Deal posted the 1040cover pages of twenty-nine years of his tax returns more than four months after candidate Roy Barnes released 25 years of tax returns and began making a call for any of his gubernatorial opponents to do the same. Deal did not disclose any of the tax filings for the company in which he is a partner, Gainesville Salvage Disposal, which “became the focus of a congressional ethics probe. And tax "schedules" - that would provide more details on things like capital gains and rental income.
The Deal campaign has maintained that the 1040 forms coupled with the financial disclosure forms Deal submitted each year he was in Congress gave the full financial picture, but the Associated Press reported that one of the ethics charges brought against Deal last spring involved a discrepancy between his disclosure forms and his tax returns; the same $75,000 was reported as dividend income on the former, but as wages on the latter.
If that amount was from active wages for Deal, it would have exceeded the $25,830 cap on outside income imposed onmembers of Congress. The Associated Press did report that the cover pages showed Deal‟s income rose steadily since he began serving in
elected office. Between 1981 and 2009, Deal‟s income increased by more than $1.95 million; Deal was a member of the House for more than half of that time.
11 Alive: “Deal Left Out A Lot”: In a September 3, 2010 news broadcast on WXIA, 11 Alive interviewed Decatur tax accountant Mark Podhorzer about the “tax information” released by Nathan Deal.
Podhorzer agreed, “Deal left out a lot.” He stated that “Barnes is pretty much completely transparent and Nathan Deal is pretty cloudy. There is no transparency there other than his income by major categories, but there's no backup to any of those categories.” Podhorzer added that the tax returns released last spring by Roy Barnes gave a “complete picture of Roy Barnes‟ career [and] his income situation
According to the Associated Press in September 2010, Nathan Deal posted the 1040cover pages of twenty-nine years of his tax returns more than four months after candidate Roy Barnes released 25 years of tax returns and began making a call for any of his gubernatorial opponents to do the same. Deal did not disclose any of the tax filings for the company in which he is a partner, Gainesville Salvage Disposal, which “became the focus of a congressional ethics probe. And tax "schedules" - that would provide more details on things like capital gains and rental income.
The Deal campaign has maintained that the 1040 forms coupled with the financial disclosure forms Deal submitted each year he was in Congress gave the full financial picture, but the Associated Press reported that one of the ethics charges brought against Deal last spring involved a discrepancy between his disclosure forms and his tax returns; the same $75,000 was reported as dividend income on the former, but as wages on the latter.
If that amount was from active wages for Deal, it would have exceeded the $25,830 cap on outside income imposed onmembers of Congress. The Associated Press did report that the cover pages showed Deal‟s income rose steadily since he began serving in
elected office. Between 1981 and 2009, Deal‟s income increased by more than $1.95 million; Deal was a member of the House for more than half of that time.
11 Alive: “Deal Left Out A Lot”: In a September 3, 2010 news broadcast on WXIA, 11 Alive interviewed Decatur tax accountant Mark Podhorzer about the “tax information” released by Nathan Deal.
Podhorzer agreed, “Deal left out a lot.” He stated that “Barnes is pretty much completely transparent and Nathan Deal is pretty cloudy. There is no transparency there other than his income by major categories, but there's no backup to any of those categories.” Podhorzer added that the tax returns released last spring by Roy Barnes gave a “complete picture of Roy Barnes‟ career [and] his income situation
Barnes has serious Doubts about the of new Healthcare Law
The Columbus Ledger Enquirer
Roy Barnes says the new federal health reform law backed by fellow Democrats could be “financially devastating” for Georgia unless officials in Washington figure out a way to help states cope with a staggering jump in Medicaid costs.
Barnes, the Democrat running to reclaim the governor’s mansion, also blasted both political parties and President Barack Obama for failing to win bipartisan support for a law more Americans could get behind.
“I consider it to be the greatest failure, modern failure, of political leadership in my lifetime,” Barnes said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
“Everybody recognized ‘we’ve got to do something here,’ but there was such partisanship on it.”
Barnes blamed Democrats for failing to explain the plan better and Republicans for not delivering reasonable alternatives. But he said ultimately the buck stops with Obama, as it did with him during his one term as governor.
“Listen, I made mistakes. I pushed some things that I should’ve reached a better consensus on,” Barnes said. “He did the same thing. He’ll learn.”
Republicans have wasted no opportunity to link Barnes to Obama, who has seen his approval ratings sag in recent months. Polls show Obama’s popularity in Georgia is well behind the national average. The Republican Governors Association is running a tough new television ad in Georgia suggesting the two men share the same arrogant leadership style.
Barnes’ Republican opponent, Nathan Deal, has said he opposes the Obama-backed health law. He delayed his departure from Congress to vote against the bill, stepping down in March immediately after casting a “no” vote on the measure.
At a recent candidate forum sponsored by the state’s medical association, Deal assailed the health care law by saying it would place unbearable strains on already cash-strapped states like Georgia.
For Barnes, the health care law presents a tricky political balancing act. On the one hand, he must not alienate Democrats who back the law and make up the base of his political support. But he also needs to appeal to independents, and even moderate Republicans, who are deeply suspicious of the law and see it as a form of government intrusion.
Barnes said there are some things in the sweeping law he likes, such as prohibiting insurance carriers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical problems as well as allowing parents to keep children on their insurance coverage up to age 26. Barnes also said he would immediately accept money to create an insurance pool for high-risk individuals. Republican Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine has refused to set up a state pool, meaning federal officials will operate one in Georgia.
But Barnes said — like Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue — that he worries the plan’s expansion of Medicaid in 2014 to cover more of the state’s estimated 1.7 million uninsured will leave Georgia on the hook for “staggering costs.”
“I hate to agree with Gov. Perdue, but I agree that this is one place that I think could be very financially devastating to the state until we get this ironed out,” Barnes told The AP.
Barnes said current state Medicaid spending of roughly $2 billion could more than double to $5 billion once the federal government reduces matching rates back to more traditional levels.
The federal government and the state share the costs of Medicaid.
The federal government will pay 100 percent of costs for covering newly eligible individuals through 2016, under the law. But federal officials are also under pressure to cut the deficit, and Barnes said there will be tremendous pressure in Washington to have states pitch in.
He predicted governors would band together to create fixes to the law that would make it more manageable for state budgets.
Barnes also said that while he disagrees with Perdue’s decision to sue to overturn the health law, he wouldn’t pull the plug on the legal action if elected governor.
“If the state takes a position then you have to stick with the position,” he said.
He added, however, that he believes the lawsuit will be unsuccessful.
Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker refused Perdue’s request to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the health law, saying he believed a challenge lacked legal merit. Perdue named an outside counsel, who is working for free, to file the lawsuit along with a number of other states challenging the law.
Roy Barnes says the new federal health reform law backed by fellow Democrats could be “financially devastating” for Georgia unless officials in Washington figure out a way to help states cope with a staggering jump in Medicaid costs.
Barnes, the Democrat running to reclaim the governor’s mansion, also blasted both political parties and President Barack Obama for failing to win bipartisan support for a law more Americans could get behind.
“I consider it to be the greatest failure, modern failure, of political leadership in my lifetime,” Barnes said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
“Everybody recognized ‘we’ve got to do something here,’ but there was such partisanship on it.”
Barnes blamed Democrats for failing to explain the plan better and Republicans for not delivering reasonable alternatives. But he said ultimately the buck stops with Obama, as it did with him during his one term as governor.
“Listen, I made mistakes. I pushed some things that I should’ve reached a better consensus on,” Barnes said. “He did the same thing. He’ll learn.”
Republicans have wasted no opportunity to link Barnes to Obama, who has seen his approval ratings sag in recent months. Polls show Obama’s popularity in Georgia is well behind the national average. The Republican Governors Association is running a tough new television ad in Georgia suggesting the two men share the same arrogant leadership style.
Barnes’ Republican opponent, Nathan Deal, has said he opposes the Obama-backed health law. He delayed his departure from Congress to vote against the bill, stepping down in March immediately after casting a “no” vote on the measure.
At a recent candidate forum sponsored by the state’s medical association, Deal assailed the health care law by saying it would place unbearable strains on already cash-strapped states like Georgia.
For Barnes, the health care law presents a tricky political balancing act. On the one hand, he must not alienate Democrats who back the law and make up the base of his political support. But he also needs to appeal to independents, and even moderate Republicans, who are deeply suspicious of the law and see it as a form of government intrusion.
Barnes said there are some things in the sweeping law he likes, such as prohibiting insurance carriers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical problems as well as allowing parents to keep children on their insurance coverage up to age 26. Barnes also said he would immediately accept money to create an insurance pool for high-risk individuals. Republican Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine has refused to set up a state pool, meaning federal officials will operate one in Georgia.
But Barnes said — like Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue — that he worries the plan’s expansion of Medicaid in 2014 to cover more of the state’s estimated 1.7 million uninsured will leave Georgia on the hook for “staggering costs.”
“I hate to agree with Gov. Perdue, but I agree that this is one place that I think could be very financially devastating to the state until we get this ironed out,” Barnes told The AP.
Barnes said current state Medicaid spending of roughly $2 billion could more than double to $5 billion once the federal government reduces matching rates back to more traditional levels.
The federal government and the state share the costs of Medicaid.
The federal government will pay 100 percent of costs for covering newly eligible individuals through 2016, under the law. But federal officials are also under pressure to cut the deficit, and Barnes said there will be tremendous pressure in Washington to have states pitch in.
He predicted governors would band together to create fixes to the law that would make it more manageable for state budgets.
Barnes also said that while he disagrees with Perdue’s decision to sue to overturn the health law, he wouldn’t pull the plug on the legal action if elected governor.
“If the state takes a position then you have to stick with the position,” he said.
He added, however, that he believes the lawsuit will be unsuccessful.
Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker refused Perdue’s request to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the health law, saying he believed a challenge lacked legal merit. Perdue named an outside counsel, who is working for free, to file the lawsuit along with a number of other states challenging the law.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
If LeMario Brown, the 40-year-old moderate Democrat, pecan farmer, and Fort Valley City Councilman/Mayor Pro-Tem, officially enters the 202... -
Former State Senator and potential '26 gubernatorial candidate Jen Jordan Tift County Board of Education member Pat McKinnon State Rep... -
Because they run weak candidates who simply do not align with the culture, values, hopes, aspirations, concerns and worries of rural folks. ...