Big Government "Conservatives"
When the 2007 session of the Georgia General Assembly began legislators started seeking input from citizens and taxpayers through a new website called, Georgia Speaks:
As Republican legislators, we try to adhere to conservative principles. Ideas that meet the following criteria will be considered for possible use during the legislative session.It lists the criteria for legislation as the following.
- Will it reduce the size of government?
- Will it strengthen our traditional family structure?
- Will it reduce the tax burden for our citizens?
- Will it increase personal responsibility?
But thus far this legislative session, Republicans are taking a "do as I say, not as I do" attitude towards government and they are unapologetic about it.
At this point in the session we've seen...
- What could be the largest tax increase in Georgia history.
- Healthcare "reform" legislation that would require every individual to prove that have health insurance, failing to do so results in an attachment of wages.
- Legislation that would make it mandatory for sixth grade girls to receive the HPV vaccination.
- State Senators running to Congress to send pork money to fund a project that will do little to relieve traffic issues in the metro area.
- A bill requiring drivers of pick-ups to wear a seat belt.
- Legislation that gives a private entity condemnation powers. You say, "But I thought we voted that kind of thing down in last year's constitutional amendment?" No, you didn't. The constitutional amendment points to general laws as to who has condemnation powers. The legislature, as they just did, can change this at any time.
- A legislature that refuses to allow individuals the choice as to whether they can buy alcohol on Sunday.
- Legislation to give taxing authority to regions for transportation projects.
- The persecution of Genarlow Wilson.
There have been some victories, specifically in education with the passing of vouchers for special needs students and expanding the use of charter schools in the state and SB 5, which delays implementation of the REAL ID Act and some gun legislation.
There has been little in the way of pro-growth and pro-market economic policies, with the exception of killing the minimum wage proposal. What are we to make of a Republican majority that with each passing day is acting like their national counterparts? All I know is that we have a party that is increasing the role of government in our lives here in Georgia through more spending, more taxes and more regulation. Republicans can no longer point their finger at Democrats.
Comments
You left zero-based budgeting off the list of successes.
Posted by: Chris Farris | March 3, 2007 10:57 AM
Thanks for the good news! Haha. Some of us trying!
Here is my press release today:
Conservatives Joining Forces in General Assembly
By Representative Steve Davis
In most of Georgia, the ground is starting to thaw, birds have reappeared in places and legislators under the Gold Dome have reached the halfway point of their annual, 40-day winter session.
This year, conservatives have joined together as a group. The 216 Group has been assembled and we are working on reducing taxes, cutting the size of government, promoting personal responsibility and protecting our freedoms.
For example, the Georgia House has appointed a tax reform committee that will look at revising Georgia’s tax code from top to bottom.
This means everything is on the table from abolishing property taxes and the statewide income tax to enacting a flat tax, a fair tax or a statewide sales tax.
Georgians believe our system of taxation is unfair and want real reform that not only brings balance to taxation, but reduces the overall tax burden at the same time.
According to the Tax Foundation and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Georgia ranked 25th in the nation when it comes to states with the highest state and local tax burden. That is up from the late 1970s when Georgia ranked 32nd or the late 1980s when it ranked 30th.
Instead, Georgia’s tax burden should be moving in the other direction as our population has increased and economy exploded in the past 20 years. More jobs and more revenue for state and local governments should have made it easy for efficient governments to operate without large tax increases.
In addition to cutting taxes, lawmakers are attempting to reduce the size of government with initiatives such as legislation introduced to sunset state departments, agencies and commissions every two years.
A House bill introduced this winter would create a legislative sunset commission to determine if these state entities are meeting performance measures, should be consolidated with other departments or should be eliminated.
That is a bold attempt to reduce the size of government.
A similar effort in Texas, enacted in 1977, has saved the state of Texas more almost $800 million and eliminated 47 agencies and caused 11 more to consolidate.
Perhaps no other piece of legislation moving through the General Assembly this session is garnering more attention than a Senate bill that gives parents and students more options in education. The “Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act” empowers parents with more freedom and personal responsibility by issuing children with special needs a scholarship to attend another private or public school of their choice.
Instead of just sending their child to the nearest public school, parents of disabled children will be empowered to be more involved in their child’s education as they will be notified of this option. They will be given the freedom to attend a school that provides the type of education services that better fits their child’s learning style.
And on another front, to protect our liberty and freedom, lawmakers have introduced a variety of bills to protect our Second Amendment Rights. One bill would allow motorists to keep an unlicensed weapon in a vehicle so they might protect themselves.
Another bill would allow employees to keep licensed weapons locked in their car or truck while at work. The premise is that no employer can bar a worker from exercising their Second Amendment rights – such as bearing firearms in their personal, locked vehicle.
Despite what some may say, there are many Republicans at the Georgia State Capitol, striving to promote the principles of less taxes, reducing the size of government, promoting personal responsibility and enhancing liberty and justice for all.
Representative Steve Davis, a Republican, representing Henry County in the Georgia House of Representatives.
Posted by: Rep Davis | March 3, 2007 11:31 AM
Rep Davis,
I do see an effort of some state-level Republicans to be fiscally conservative and I appreciate the effort. Time will tell if they will be successful.
Republicans at the national level and the local level here in Henry County are miserable failures. Their answer to every conceivable problem is always more spending.
Posted by: Dutch | March 3, 2007 12:56 PM