One question that crossed my mind was does the DPG Democratic party of Georgia or the Democratic Caucus in general, offer any help or assistance to our rural house & senate candidates for the General Assembly?
This year all over rural Georgia, (north, middle & south), we have planty of contested races for State Senate & State House.
But will or have any rural candidates have gotten assistance from the Party or the Democratic Caucus as a whole.
The party do not interfere with races withg more than one democrat running, so let's get that out of the way. Some candidates have ssid that they will get assistance from the party for his or her perspective races.
Two candidates in particular have said & their names will not be mentioned here said that the House Democratic Caucus have told them that they needed to raise $10,000 to as much as $12,000 for their races & do phone banking to raise money for their campaigns. I guess its to show them (DPG, Democratic Caucus) that they are serious about their perspective races & these areas are very hard to raise that kind of cash, especially for a democrat.
Another candidate said she was promised help for her race but have not seen anything from the DPG or the House Caucus in her bid to unseat an incumbent republican.
Going back a couple of years ago, I know some candidates didn't receive any help from Democrats at all, one even putting up $40,000 of her own money in a bid to win a seat to the Georgia Legislature. She did well, but had she had some assistance from the party, she might have won that seat.
One candidate in particular said something that hits the nail right on the head:
Its all about "Money"! And this person goes on to say part of it is that they want you to show them you're serious about it (the campaign) and can you raise money, but then too the question comes from potential donors, how much help have you gotten from the party? If the answer is none, then they don't want to help etther, figuring you must not be a very good bet. I agree with that statement 100% If any potential donors see that you're not getting any help from the State Party, that person will NOT give 10 cents to a person's campaign.
Its hard for newcomers to the political scene to get their feet off the ground if he or she are running for State Rep or State Senator. The Party should do everything it can to assist those candidates, even the ones who have ran before.
Some candidates have said that they were promised help but at the end of the day, didn't see SQUAT!!!
This has got to change if democrats expect to gain seats in the House & Senate as to just competing in districts that are either lean democrats that are represented by a republican or in districts that democrats rule. they have got to make a play for swing districts & districts that slightly lean republican if they ever want to close the Gap with the GOP.
Let me use Chuck Pardue for example: He wants to run for the State Senate 23 seat, but he missed the qualifying deadline so he is now trying to get on the ballot as a independent. (I Blame this on J.B. Powell who should have told perspective candidates like Pardue that he was going to run for Agriculture Commissioner, so they would have had time to make it to Atlanta to qualify instead of picking a guy who doesn't live in the district (L. Baxter Garvin), but at the end of the day I still like Powell.
But back to Pardue, he is getting "some" support from the DPG in paid cavassers to the district for one day of training & that's it. He got his son & daughter going out gathering signatures as well as other volunteers helping out up in SD 23. This is what I call dedication & committment. If the DPG were to send folks over there throughout the rest of the month, he'll have the signatures needed to get on the ballot. He needs 3,958 or 5% of voters signatures. I say right now Pardue will get those signatures. Let's step it up DPG.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Is it now time for a Middle-Class Flat Tax?
Baxk in 2007 Harold Ford Jr made such a proposal that would help Average Americans.
And with the Bush Tax Cuts set to expire, it maybe time for congress & the president to seriously look into implementing Ford's idea:
The Middle Class Flat Tax
Here's what Ford wrote in regards to the tax in 2007:
We ended the last century with America's economic might at its zenith, with Americans at their most optimistic, and with nearly all who endeavored to make the most of their opportunities and talents getting ahead in life. John F. Kennedy's declaration that a rising tide will lift all boats was alive and well.
Middle-class Americans generate little or no national savings. We've had four straight years of rising productivity and falling incomes. Many Americans are earning less, while the costs of a middle-class life have soared: In the last five years, college costs are up 50 percent, health care up 73 percent, and gasoline more than 100 percent. Rising housing costs have driven people farther and farther from their work.
These trends undermine our way of life because middle-class strength and growth represent the backbone of American life.
Our national political discussion about how to grow the middle class often becomes just that, a political discussion punctuated by harsh talk of "class warfare." In fact, class warfare is under way -- as billionaire Warren Buffet is fond of saying -- and the middle is not winning.
To address the challenges of the middle class, Democrats should advance an agenda that aims to do something loftier than just repeal the Bush tax cuts on millionaires. It should boost incentives for average Americans to increase savings and investments, and help them participate more fully in the upside of economic growth.
Toward that end, here are a few ideas that will help more people share in the rewards of the modern economy:
Middle-class flat tax: This is simple and fair: no middle-class family with an income of under $150,000 should ever pay an effective tax rate of more than 10 percent. If what they owe after calculating their taxes is more than 10 percent of their income, they won't have to pay a dime above 10 percent. If they owe less than 10 percent, they pay the lesser amount.
Permanent capital-gains tax cuts: Long-term capital gains tax rates now are between 5 percent and 15 percent. The rates are progressive: People in or below the 15 percent personal income tax bracket (which applies to married couples making $60,000) get the lower capital-gains rate. We should lower the capital-gains tax even further for people making up to $100,000 a year, provided they hold the asset for up to five years. Thus your tax would be 4 percent if you hold the asset for three years, 3 percent if you hold it for five years. This sliding scale for taxing capital gains will encourage investment and increase savings for a majority of Americans.
Cut corporate tax rates to 30 percent: America has one of the developed world's highest corporate tax rates. Let's change that by lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 to 30 percent -- with an even lower rate for new knowledge-based industries in energy technology, biotechnology and other science-rich sectors. We should follow House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel's lead and cut the corporate tax rates from 35 percent to 30.5 percent.
All these proposals would be paid for by eliminating inefficient tax loopholes and wasteful corporate subsidies. We can also pay for it by modernizing the financing of Social Security and Medicare.
Let's strike a new covenant with millionaire Social Security recipients so those who don't need the benefits can go without them in exchange for favorable tax treatment on their long-term investments.
America is at its best when we are optimistic and focused on the future. In a 21st century global economy there will always be people who make spectacular sums of money. We should not impose impediments or penalties on people who do well. Instead, we should expand the opportunity for all Americans to benefit from the hope and promise of the 21st century economy. That's the American way.
I say its time for a total overhaul of our Tax System.
Harold Ford, Jr. is former chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council & congressman from Tennessee
And with the Bush Tax Cuts set to expire, it maybe time for congress & the president to seriously look into implementing Ford's idea:
The Middle Class Flat Tax
Here's what Ford wrote in regards to the tax in 2007:
We ended the last century with America's economic might at its zenith, with Americans at their most optimistic, and with nearly all who endeavored to make the most of their opportunities and talents getting ahead in life. John F. Kennedy's declaration that a rising tide will lift all boats was alive and well.
Middle-class Americans generate little or no national savings. We've had four straight years of rising productivity and falling incomes. Many Americans are earning less, while the costs of a middle-class life have soared: In the last five years, college costs are up 50 percent, health care up 73 percent, and gasoline more than 100 percent. Rising housing costs have driven people farther and farther from their work.
These trends undermine our way of life because middle-class strength and growth represent the backbone of American life.
Our national political discussion about how to grow the middle class often becomes just that, a political discussion punctuated by harsh talk of "class warfare." In fact, class warfare is under way -- as billionaire Warren Buffet is fond of saying -- and the middle is not winning.
To address the challenges of the middle class, Democrats should advance an agenda that aims to do something loftier than just repeal the Bush tax cuts on millionaires. It should boost incentives for average Americans to increase savings and investments, and help them participate more fully in the upside of economic growth.
Toward that end, here are a few ideas that will help more people share in the rewards of the modern economy:
Middle-class flat tax: This is simple and fair: no middle-class family with an income of under $150,000 should ever pay an effective tax rate of more than 10 percent. If what they owe after calculating their taxes is more than 10 percent of their income, they won't have to pay a dime above 10 percent. If they owe less than 10 percent, they pay the lesser amount.
Permanent capital-gains tax cuts: Long-term capital gains tax rates now are between 5 percent and 15 percent. The rates are progressive: People in or below the 15 percent personal income tax bracket (which applies to married couples making $60,000) get the lower capital-gains rate. We should lower the capital-gains tax even further for people making up to $100,000 a year, provided they hold the asset for up to five years. Thus your tax would be 4 percent if you hold the asset for three years, 3 percent if you hold it for five years. This sliding scale for taxing capital gains will encourage investment and increase savings for a majority of Americans.
Cut corporate tax rates to 30 percent: America has one of the developed world's highest corporate tax rates. Let's change that by lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 to 30 percent -- with an even lower rate for new knowledge-based industries in energy technology, biotechnology and other science-rich sectors. We should follow House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel's lead and cut the corporate tax rates from 35 percent to 30.5 percent.
All these proposals would be paid for by eliminating inefficient tax loopholes and wasteful corporate subsidies. We can also pay for it by modernizing the financing of Social Security and Medicare.
Let's strike a new covenant with millionaire Social Security recipients so those who don't need the benefits can go without them in exchange for favorable tax treatment on their long-term investments.
America is at its best when we are optimistic and focused on the future. In a 21st century global economy there will always be people who make spectacular sums of money. We should not impose impediments or penalties on people who do well. Instead, we should expand the opportunity for all Americans to benefit from the hope and promise of the 21st century economy. That's the American way.
I say its time for a total overhaul of our Tax System.
Harold Ford, Jr. is former chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council & congressman from Tennessee
Candidate Spotlight: Dan King (D-Dublin) HD 143
Over in Laurens County, there is a race going on to replace outgoing State Rep DuBose Porter as representative for HD 143. One of those candidates is rural democrat Dan King, a moderately conservative democrat who is a attorney & a U.S. Army Veteran serving in the Gulf War & a graduate of the U.S. Military at West Point & served an additional 8 yrs in the Georgia National Guard,
He was highly decorated both on active duty and for his service in the National Guard.
Some of his biggest issues are:
Education: (where he supports more local control of schools),
The State Budget: (where he will not support unnecessary spending on pet projects and programs that funnel money away from these crucial efforts, and will not support tax increases that further burden our state’s hard working families)
Public Safety
Jobs & Economy
King is a father of three & committed husband & where faith plays a huge role in his family where he and his family are active members of First Baptist Church of Dublin where he currently serves on the Finance Committee. Dan spent two weeks in Africa last summer working to construct facilities at a Bible college established to train pastors to evangelize their own populations. Giving time to help others is an important component of Dan's faith, and a value he has tried to pass on to his children. As State Representative, Dan King says he will bring these Georgia values with him to the State Capitol and be a strong voice for pro-life, pro-family policies.
Hmmmm............ This is my kind of democrat.
He goes up aginst Claudia Graham, Mitch Warnock & Pablo Santamaria in the democratic primary.
His website is www.votedanking.com
Prominent Africans Endorse Roy Barnes for Governor
Press release from the Barnes Campaign:
Three prominent political and civic leaders will endorse former Governor Roy Barnes’ election efforts today in a 10 a.m. press conference on the Capitol steps.
Ambassador Andrew Young, former Mayor Shirley Franklin, and business leader Brooke Jackson-Edmond joined the efforts to elect Barnes in the July 20 primary election. Barnes, they said, has the ability to restore Georgia to its position of leadership in the South.
“Roy Barnes is the best qualified to tackle the problems of employment, education, transportation and restoring confidence in government. The people need a strong voice with unique talents to bring growth and prosperity back to Georgia,” Young said.
Former Mayor Franklin said that after conversations with Barnes she was confident he could begin to restore Georgia’s system of education. “He learned in his term of Governor that education works best when government and teachers work together for the good of children. In fact, I applaud his plan to put a classroom teacher in the Governor’s Office to advise on practical solutions to complex problems. The teacher’s voice will be heard. Unless we want to continue business as usual we should all unite behind Roy to restore Georgia.”
Jackson-Edmond, the daughter of former Mayor Maynard Jackson and a small business principal, said she was saddened by the number of people who have lost their jobs and families in distress. “We can’t take another four years of the same,” she said. “Roy cares about helping our children, senior citizens and the unemployed. Roy has the courage and intellect to tackle the tough problems. With Roy, there won’t be any on-the-job training. We can’t afford to wait to train a new governor for the job.”
Jackson-Edmond said Barnes’ greatest asset could be his political courage. “My father admired Roy’s courage to do the right thing, even when it cost him votes.”
##
Three prominent political and civic leaders will endorse former Governor Roy Barnes’ election efforts today in a 10 a.m. press conference on the Capitol steps.
Ambassador Andrew Young, former Mayor Shirley Franklin, and business leader Brooke Jackson-Edmond joined the efforts to elect Barnes in the July 20 primary election. Barnes, they said, has the ability to restore Georgia to its position of leadership in the South.
“Roy Barnes is the best qualified to tackle the problems of employment, education, transportation and restoring confidence in government. The people need a strong voice with unique talents to bring growth and prosperity back to Georgia,” Young said.
Former Mayor Franklin said that after conversations with Barnes she was confident he could begin to restore Georgia’s system of education. “He learned in his term of Governor that education works best when government and teachers work together for the good of children. In fact, I applaud his plan to put a classroom teacher in the Governor’s Office to advise on practical solutions to complex problems. The teacher’s voice will be heard. Unless we want to continue business as usual we should all unite behind Roy to restore Georgia.”
Jackson-Edmond, the daughter of former Mayor Maynard Jackson and a small business principal, said she was saddened by the number of people who have lost their jobs and families in distress. “We can’t take another four years of the same,” she said. “Roy cares about helping our children, senior citizens and the unemployed. Roy has the courage and intellect to tackle the tough problems. With Roy, there won’t be any on-the-job training. We can’t afford to wait to train a new governor for the job.”
Jackson-Edmond said Barnes’ greatest asset could be his political courage. “My father admired Roy’s courage to do the right thing, even when it cost him votes.”
##
After 41 Years, Tommy Irvin Will be Stepping Down as Agriculture Commissioner after the Elections
Georgia politicians come and go, but for more than four decades Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin has remained.
He's a walking 6-foot-5-inch storybook of Southern farming and politics. He was born to sharecroppers who bartered for what they couldn't produce, yet he regulated the massive industrial farms that make Georgia agriculture a $7 billion industry. The 80-year-old remained a loyal Democrat even as his party fractured over civil rights and Republicans swept into power.
Appointed by a segregationist governor, Irvin's career flowed easily into a new political era. He will finally step down in January after nearly 42 years in office, making him Georgia's longest-serving agriculture commissioner and among the longest-serving statewide officials in the nation.
"If you've been in office as long as I have, you're old news," said Irvin, who decided to step down because of a combination of age and the effects of Parkinson's disease. The illness sometimes leaves him unable to speak above a whisper.
Irvin was first appointed agriculture commissioner by Gov. Lester Maddox in 1969 after the Democratic incumbent quit the party and joined President Richard Nixon's Republican administration. A local newspaper editorial advised Irvin to just keep the seat warm.
Instead, he won the next election in 1970 and repeated that feat nine more times. Supporters praised Irvin for supporting campaigns to eradicate the boll weevil that once ate entire cotton fields, controlling livestock diseases like heart cholera in pigs and serving as a tireless salesmen for Georgia agriculture.
But his last years were marred by two serious outbreaks of salmonella poisoning, including a 2009 outbreak that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more. The contamination was traced to a peanut processing plant in Blakely. Inspectors for Irvin's department found only minor violations there, but a federal team identified roaches, mold, a leaking roof and other sanitation problems.
In a recent interview, Irvin was unsure if any food producers had reported positive tests for salmonella under a new law he personally championed. And he was stumped when asked to describe the biggest shifts in farming during his tenure.
"I'm not sure," he said.
Waterloo peanut farmer Don Register, 71, questioned whether Irvin should have stayed in the job. He faults Irvin's department for failing to prevent the salmonella outbreak, a scare that Register said brought the value of peanuts down from $550 per ton to around $425.
"The demand, it just fell flat," Register said. "The business just about stopped completely."
Three candidates are competing for Irvin's seat. Republican Gary Black, a beef farmer and past president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, ran against Irvin in 2006 but lost. He took about 40 percent of the vote, and had roughly $220,000 in campaign funds by late March. His opponent in a July 20 primary will be GOP candidate Darwin Carter, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture official who had nearly $600 in cash on hand.
Democrat J.B. Powell recently left his state Senate seat to run for Irvin's job. He has not yet been required to disclose his fundraising. Irvin has not endorsed anyone in the race, although Democratic leaders expect he will be offering financial support to the party.
Regardless of who wins the next election, the departure of Irvin will mark a generational shift.
Irvin was raised by sharecroppers and grew his own cotton patch as a child. When his father died in a sawmill accident, Irvin dropped out of school at age 15 to help provide for his family. His mom remarried, but Irvin stayed in the lumber business.
"The kinds of farms that I talked about when I was a lad do not exist in Georgia or anywhere else that I know of," Irvin said.
Elected a state lawmaker, he caught the eye of Lester Maddox, a politician infamous for closing his Atlanta restaurant rather than serve black customers. Maddox was elected governor, and Irvin became his executive assistant. Maddox appointed Irvin to become the state's next agriculture commissioner when the incumbent, Phil Campbell, quit the Democratic Party.
"He was never a racist, but he was a staunch segregationist," Irvin said of Maddox. "And it's hard for some people to understand the difference."
Zippy Duvall, president of the Georgia Farm Bureau, credits Irvin with advocating for more agriculture research, opening up new markets overseas and controlling the pests that severely curtailed the state's cotton industry.
"He has fought hard to make sure we control any diseases that might cross the state lines and has spent a lifetime doing that," Duvall said.
During his tenure, Irvin opened a trade bureau in Brussels and led an agriculture delegation to Cuba in 2000 in the hopes of boosting trade for Georgia, the nation's largest poultry producer. He met Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. He plans to make a similar trip to Cuba this summer.
"The meat of choice here is white meat," said Irvin, who thinks a trade embargo against Cuba should be lifted. "The meat of choice in Cuba is dark meat. And chicken has both."
He's ruled out working as a lobbyist after leaving office. He recently asked his Baptist pastor for advice on what to do after leaving state service.
He's a walking 6-foot-5-inch storybook of Southern farming and politics. He was born to sharecroppers who bartered for what they couldn't produce, yet he regulated the massive industrial farms that make Georgia agriculture a $7 billion industry. The 80-year-old remained a loyal Democrat even as his party fractured over civil rights and Republicans swept into power.
Appointed by a segregationist governor, Irvin's career flowed easily into a new political era. He will finally step down in January after nearly 42 years in office, making him Georgia's longest-serving agriculture commissioner and among the longest-serving statewide officials in the nation.
"If you've been in office as long as I have, you're old news," said Irvin, who decided to step down because of a combination of age and the effects of Parkinson's disease. The illness sometimes leaves him unable to speak above a whisper.
Irvin was first appointed agriculture commissioner by Gov. Lester Maddox in 1969 after the Democratic incumbent quit the party and joined President Richard Nixon's Republican administration. A local newspaper editorial advised Irvin to just keep the seat warm.
Instead, he won the next election in 1970 and repeated that feat nine more times. Supporters praised Irvin for supporting campaigns to eradicate the boll weevil that once ate entire cotton fields, controlling livestock diseases like heart cholera in pigs and serving as a tireless salesmen for Georgia agriculture.
But his last years were marred by two serious outbreaks of salmonella poisoning, including a 2009 outbreak that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more. The contamination was traced to a peanut processing plant in Blakely. Inspectors for Irvin's department found only minor violations there, but a federal team identified roaches, mold, a leaking roof and other sanitation problems.
In a recent interview, Irvin was unsure if any food producers had reported positive tests for salmonella under a new law he personally championed. And he was stumped when asked to describe the biggest shifts in farming during his tenure.
"I'm not sure," he said.
Waterloo peanut farmer Don Register, 71, questioned whether Irvin should have stayed in the job. He faults Irvin's department for failing to prevent the salmonella outbreak, a scare that Register said brought the value of peanuts down from $550 per ton to around $425.
"The demand, it just fell flat," Register said. "The business just about stopped completely."
Three candidates are competing for Irvin's seat. Republican Gary Black, a beef farmer and past president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, ran against Irvin in 2006 but lost. He took about 40 percent of the vote, and had roughly $220,000 in campaign funds by late March. His opponent in a July 20 primary will be GOP candidate Darwin Carter, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture official who had nearly $600 in cash on hand.
Democrat J.B. Powell recently left his state Senate seat to run for Irvin's job. He has not yet been required to disclose his fundraising. Irvin has not endorsed anyone in the race, although Democratic leaders expect he will be offering financial support to the party.
Regardless of who wins the next election, the departure of Irvin will mark a generational shift.
Irvin was raised by sharecroppers and grew his own cotton patch as a child. When his father died in a sawmill accident, Irvin dropped out of school at age 15 to help provide for his family. His mom remarried, but Irvin stayed in the lumber business.
"The kinds of farms that I talked about when I was a lad do not exist in Georgia or anywhere else that I know of," Irvin said.
Elected a state lawmaker, he caught the eye of Lester Maddox, a politician infamous for closing his Atlanta restaurant rather than serve black customers. Maddox was elected governor, and Irvin became his executive assistant. Maddox appointed Irvin to become the state's next agriculture commissioner when the incumbent, Phil Campbell, quit the Democratic Party.
"He was never a racist, but he was a staunch segregationist," Irvin said of Maddox. "And it's hard for some people to understand the difference."
Zippy Duvall, president of the Georgia Farm Bureau, credits Irvin with advocating for more agriculture research, opening up new markets overseas and controlling the pests that severely curtailed the state's cotton industry.
"He has fought hard to make sure we control any diseases that might cross the state lines and has spent a lifetime doing that," Duvall said.
During his tenure, Irvin opened a trade bureau in Brussels and led an agriculture delegation to Cuba in 2000 in the hopes of boosting trade for Georgia, the nation's largest poultry producer. He met Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. He plans to make a similar trip to Cuba this summer.
"The meat of choice here is white meat," said Irvin, who thinks a trade embargo against Cuba should be lifted. "The meat of choice in Cuba is dark meat. And chicken has both."
He's ruled out working as a lobbyist after leaving office. He recently asked his Baptist pastor for advice on what to do after leaving state service.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
Every election season brings a fresh batch of names, new voices, and plenty of talk about who’s stepping up to lead Georgia next. But anybod... -
Every election cycle, Georgia politics serves up a matchup that tells you more about the state of a party than the candidates themselves. In... -
Every election cycle, folks get caught up in the noise who’s trending, who’s tweeting, who’s throwing elbows. But under the Gold Dome, real ...