tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34330048345293205122024-03-12T20:11:28.890-07:00Skirting PoliticsJan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-64916202980819406902012-11-02T17:06:00.002-07:002012-11-02T17:06:50.267-07:00Snake Oil & Apple Pie - GA Constitutional Amendment #1<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">On Tuesday November 6</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 8px/normal Georgia; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, you will be asked to vote on amending the Georgia Constitution. Anytime you are asked to amend the Constitution bears careful consideration. And by the way, keep one hand on your wallet while you are doing your considering.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The following is the preamble that you will read, when voting on Amendment -1-:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>“Provides for improving student achievement and parental involvement through more public charter school options. </i></b><i>Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of</i><b><i> </i></b><i>local communities.”</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Gosh, reading the statement above, who wouldn’t vote for amendment one?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It’s like voting for Mom and apple pie - but only if your Mom is Carrie, and the witch in Snow White is baking the apple pie.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Below is partial list of others, besides me, who will be </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>voting against </b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">amendment one. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I hope you will join us to defeat this bogus amendment. </span></span></div>
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<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Georgia Association of Educators - GAE </i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Jay Bookman –The Atlanta Journal Constitution</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The Georgia PTA</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>League of Women Voters of GA</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The Atlanta Board of Education</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The Southern Education Foundation</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Professional Association of Georgia Educators - PAGE </i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Thomas Lauth, Dean of the University of Georgia Political Science Department and an expert on the state’s budget,</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>John Barge, Republican State School Superintendent</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Georgia School Board Association</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Georgia School Superintendents Association (GSSA)</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGQ)</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Georgia Retired Educators Association (GREA)</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL)</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Habersham BOE</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>VoteSMART </i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Georgia Music Educators Association - GMEA </i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Clark County BOE</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Georgia Federation of Teachers</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Georgia NAACP</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Houston County school Superintendent Robin Hines,</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The Oconee County School Board</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Georgia Legislative Black Caucus</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Republican GA. Senator, Frank Ginn </i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Southern Christian Leadership Conference</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Rainbow Push Coalition</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The People’s Agenda</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The Coalition of Black Women</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Working Families of GA</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Gwinnett BOE</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Cherokee County BOE</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Columnist Dick Yarbrough</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Butts County School Board Members</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The Reverend Joseph Lowery, Civil Rights Leader</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Michael Thurmond, former State Labor Commissioner</i></span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Attorney Thomas A. Cox – an attorney who legally challenged first charter school commission set up by the legislators. Georgia Supreme Court ruled the commission as unconstitutional.</i></span></span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Prohibits abridging the freedom of speech.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">However, you will not hear from most of these folks as to why they do not support the amendment, because our Attorney General, <b>Sam Olens</b>, put the kibosh on Department of Education or school board involvement in answering questions or explaining the details of this amendment and it’s impact our traditional public school system. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Now <b>Governor Deal</b> has been shouting his support for the amendment to anyone who will listen, and in Gwinnett, he’s strong-arming those who won’t listen. Deal spokesman <b>Brian Robinson</b> said <i>“… the governor is duty bound to tell Georgians where he stands on the most important issues facing the state.”</i> But Sam Olens is saying that elected education officials do not have a duty to inform those who elected them on this same important issue? Got it! “Do as I say, not as I do.” Prominent Atlanta attorney<b>, </b><b>Emmet Bondurant</b>, who is advising the opposition groups, said Olens' letter has “had a chilling effect, making public officials reticent” to do what Bondurant says the law clearly allows.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Because of Olens ruling the Richmond County Board of Education had to withdraw a proposed resolution that stated – <i>“The lack of support for public education sought by those in support of school vouchers, state-approved charter schools, and programs that allow public school funds to be redirected to private schools, serves to deepen inequalities and the promise of opportunity for every able student to achieve the American dream and contribute to the greatness of this country.” </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Too bad, because they really got it right.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">OK, so why are all of these fine folks listed above voting against this amendment, and why is the state so aggressive in trying to silence them. Please note this issue is not really about charter schools, regardless of how sweetly and creatively the amendment question is written.<b> </b>So what is it about then?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It is about Spite and Greed.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">First the spite. The Governor and his band of merry men, wrote this legislation to spit in the eye of the Georgia Supreme Court. The state had tried this Charter School Commission scam once before. It was legally challenged and the court ruled it unconstitutional. So what do the Governor and his merry band of men do? They finagle to change the State Constitution. How clever is that?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Here is what you are voting against</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A special seven-person commission. Commission members would be made up with three appointments from the Governor, two appointments from the President of the Senate and two appointments from the Speaker of the House. We all know, these plum appointments have nothing to do with qualifications; they are usually rewards to donors or repayment for political favors, in other words, it will be a commission “yes men”. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The idea is to set up a </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">parallel charter school system</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">, completely funded by the state. To me this has the stench of the separate but equal school system in days of old.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Aren’t these boys doing the appointing, the same usual suspects who are always harping on less government and local control? </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Well, appointing this commission is the extreme polar opposite of that philosophy. Remember when these boys at Gold Dome wouldn’t pass a bill for alcohol sales on Sunday – because it was a local control issue? So let me get this straight – alcohol is a local control issue, but education, mostly paid for by local property taxes, is not a local issue. As I have pointed out before the Capitol is a logic free zone.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you vote yes to amendment -1- you will handover your voting power to a pack of political appointees. Furthermore, It will be nearly impossible to ever remove this amendment from the constitution, if it is approved. If this amendment passes, the appointed commission would have </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">total control</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> to approve new “special” schools.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>This amendment is NOT about charter schools. <br />
You are NOT voting </b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>FOR or AGAINST</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b> charter schools when you vote.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Everybody got that? If you vote against amendment -1-, charter schools will continue to be part of our school system. They will not be closed, as some inflammatory ads suggest. Really nothing will change. You will still be able to add charter schools just as you have been, complete with an appeals process to the State Board of Education. We have over 100 charter schools already in the system.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Thomas A. Cox</b>, Attorney with Carlock, Copeland & Stair, wrote: <i>the actual language of the Amendment would permit the new appointed commission to conclude, in effect, that a single individual may request a charter, and thus presumably constitutes a “local community.” For example, under the Amendment, an executive of a charter management company, or a real estate developer seeking to profit from approval of a school to cater to residents of his planned gated community, could seek and obtain charter approval, even in the face of overwhelming opposition from local residents, voters and the elected local school board.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Now for the Greed</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The most important thing, however, is to remember this commission is </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">not</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> accountable to the taxpayers. If you are not scared now, you clearly are not paying attention. You can’t vote them out, and you can’t recall them. Moreover, the new state commission would open the door to for-profit charter school management firms, (who are, in my opinion, educational profiteering private companies) with no accountability for the public funds they collect. Private businesses do not have to open their financial records to your concerns about your tax dollars. This shady deal has not played out well in other states. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Now let’s take a look at the economics behind Amendment -1-</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Here are just a few of the untidy economic realities. <b>David Sjoquist</b>, an economics professor at Georgia State University, has been advising and observing lawmakers dealing with financial matters his whole career. He said he doesn’t expect the Legislature to come up with new money for charter schools on top of what’s already budgeted for public education. So more spending, less revenue…hmmm.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The State of Georgia has drastically cut the state education budget over the last several years. We are at a decade low in funding our present system; so hey I got a good idea, let’s add another system. This is known as <i>Gold Dome Math. </i>These cuts are evidenced in our schools now: larger classroom size, shorter school year, teacher furloughs – which are essentially teacher pay cuts - add to this, the fact that the student population is growing while resources are shrinking, not just at the state level, but also at the local level.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>State School Superintendent Barge</b> estimates it will take approximately $430,000,000 over the next five years to fund these <i>new state charter schools</i>. Since these </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">new charter schools will be funded from the existing state education budget, we will be taking more money from our already strapped schools, to fund new schools.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> It is like cutting off one end of the blanket and sewing it to the other end to make it longer. In fact, the amendment will give an extra $ 2,000 for each “state” charter school student, to make up for the loss of local funding because it is a “state” school, and as such will not be eligible for local funds. Another point to keep in mind: <i>these special “state” schools</i> are </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">not</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> mandated to provide transportation, hire accredited teachers, or serve special education students. Sweet.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">OK, so now you are probably thinking who is supporting this amendment?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Well if you liked the TSPLOST, you are just gonna love Amendment -1-. The folks, listed below, fighting to <b>pass</b> this amendment are the usual local suspects. An obscene amount of money has been raised to pass Amendment -1-, but I found it very illuminating that most -about 80% - of these funds are from out of state. How nice to see altruistic good Samaritans from across the country ponying up big bucks, so poor little Georgia kids can have a decent education. How sweet is that? Bless their little hearts.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I’ll just tell you, if you had a psychograph of this list of folks, you could post it on your door for Halloween, and scare away any ghosts or goblins, but probably not blood sucking vampires, as they easily recognize their own.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The Amendment Supporters. Birds of a feather flock together. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(You might call it a cluster flock)</span></i></span></div>
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<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Governor Deal – </b>His fingerprints are all over this. Guess who is looking for donors for his 2014 reelection campaign. The “public education for sale” sign is out, and the for-profit school management groups are greedily lining up and lining legislator’s pockets as well.</span></span></li>
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<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>The Constitutional Amendment Publication Board</b>: these are the wonderfully creative and deceptive guys who wrote the preamble to the ballot question. I agree with Jay Bookman who noted that the deceptive wording of the Amendment -1- ballot question is essentially, “<i>Taxpayer-funded advocacy delivered right at the moment of decision making.”</i> Where are you when we need you Mr. Attorney General?</span></span></li>
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<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>ALEC</b> – I believe that stands for -Association of Lunatic Elected Cronies, or you can look it up and see what it really stands for.</span></span></li>
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<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>For-Profit Charter School Management groups,</b> who are already making hefty campaign donations, in anticipation of getting their greedy little hands on the ginormous pot of gold, that would be your education tax dollars folks.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Faith & Freedom Coalition of Georgia</b>. “We are building a coalition of conservative faith-based Georgians to affect the course of elected politics and public policy in Georgia” </span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Georgia Chamber of Commerce – </b>And their 17 lobbyists, who lobbied to pass the legislation for this amendment. Whoever said there is no free lunch, obviously has never been to the Georgia Capitol. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Mark Peevy</b> – Hired Gun, managing the campaign to pass the amendment. He is being paid the paltry sum of $ 5,000 per month. As his claim to fame touts <i>“Coordinated essential collaboration for statewide education policy and legislation initiatives.” </i>You betcha.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Bert Brantley</b>, a consultant for the charter amendment's proponents, he was also the advisor for the T-SPLOST, which made him a natural for this stint. He is the former Director of Communications for Governor Sonny Perdue.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Americans for Prosperity – </b>Founded by the infamous Koch Brothers, no need to say more.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Erick Erickson</b> is a CNN contributor and radio talk show host in Atlanta.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Kyle Wingfield,</b> a columnist for the<i> Atlanta Journal-Constitution.</i> He called the Georgia Supreme Court “misguided” in ruling against the first Georgia Charter School Commission. Well, if anyone would know misguided, it would be Mr. Wingfield.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 11.0px Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>State Representative Ed Lindsey, Chairman of <i>Families for Better Public Schools</i></b>- They have raised, at the last report, close to two million dollars to pass this amendment. Representative Lindsey was the sponsor of the legislation for this amendment. He has raised a lot of money, but has no skin in the game.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 18.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>So let’s look at who does have skin in the game. One thing for sure, not many Georgians. This list is just a list of the largest and the more interesting & repeating donors</i></b>. </span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kvv3xGLjFtQ/UJRb3B_eB4I/AAAAAAAAAM8/Yg8BP9Ew2UI/s1600/Follow+The+Money+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kvv3xGLjFtQ/UJRb3B_eB4I/AAAAAAAAAM8/Yg8BP9Ew2UI/s640/Follow+The+Money+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 603px;">
<!--StartFragment-->
<colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 19309; mso-width-source: userset;" width="528"></col>
<col width="75"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13" width="528">J. C. Huizenga – Huizenga Group<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Michigan</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" width="75" x:num="25000.0">25,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">National Heritage Academies – Michigan </td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="25000.0">25,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">National Alliance for Public Charter Schools –
Washington D.C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="1000.0">1,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Edison Learning, Inc. – Tennessee<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="2000.0">2,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Students First – California </td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="6000.0">6,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Alice Walton – Wal-Mart Heiress Arkansas</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="250000.0">250,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Education Reform Now – New York, NY </td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="6000.0">6,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">K-12, Inc. – Virginia</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="100000.0">100,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Charter Schools USA – Florida</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="50000.0">50,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Davidson Companies – Montana </td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="5000.0">5,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Alice Walton – Arkansas – second gift. </td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="350000.0">350,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Students First<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>- California – second gift</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="250000.0">250,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Doris Fisher – GAP Heiress - San Francisco</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="250000.0">250,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Fred Friess<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>- Jackson, Wyoming</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="10000.0">10,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">J.C. Huizenga – Huizenga Group - Michigan – Second
Gift</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="25000.0">25,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Joseph John Bridy–Hamlin Capital Mgt. – New York, NY</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="25000.0"><u>25,000</u></td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13"><u>SUBTOTAL OUT-OF-STATE MONIES</u></td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="138000.0">138,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></td>
<td class="xl24"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Glen Delk – Attorney & big voucher
supporter<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Atlanta</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="1000.0">1,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Carter & Associates Enterprises<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– Atlanta</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="5000.0">5,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Georgia Chamber of Commerce and their 17 lobbyists
who</td>
<td class="xl24"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Lobbied to pass the legislation for this amendment –
GA</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="10000.0">10,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">John Ward – retired – Atlanta</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="2500.0">2,500</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Tom Cousins – retired – Atlanta</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="20000.0">20,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Bernie Marcus – retired – Atlanta</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="250000.0">250,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Richard Gaby – CEO Peter Island Resorts<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Duluth</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="100000.0"><u>100,000</u></td>
</tr>
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 603px;">
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<colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 19309; mso-width-source: userset;" width="528"></col>
<col width="75"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13" width="528"><u>SUBTOTAL IN-STATE MONIES</u></td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" width="75" x:num="388500.0"><u>388,500</u></td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13"></td>
<td class="xl24"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13"><u>SUBTOTAL ALL OTHER DONATIONS</u></td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="21155.0"><u>21,155</u></td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13"></td>
<td class="xl24"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">GRAND TOTAL ALL DONATIONS – TO DATE</span></u></td>
<td align="right" class="xl24" x:num="1.789655E6"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">1,789,655</span></u></td>
</tr>
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</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So why do they need all these big bucks? Remember all this money was for a six-month campaign to win your vote. You just gotta wonder why?</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">According to campaign disclosures recently filed by <i>Families for Better Public Schools,</i> here are a few of their expenditures. I have noted T-SPLOST connections.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 600px;">
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<colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 19200; mso-width-source: userset;" width="525"></col>
<col width="75"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13" width="525">StoneRidge Group, LLC– Alpharetta,
Campaign mailing</td>
<td align="right" class="xl26" width="75" x:num="299300.0">$299,300 </td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">StoneRidge Group, LLC - Initial payment for facebook
advertising</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="16700.0">16,700</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">StoneRidge Group, LLC – Digital media and creative
design</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="75000.0">75,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">StoneRidge Group, LLC – Campaign materials</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="3151.0">3,151</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">StoneRidge Group, LLC - Campaign yard signs</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="7385.0">7,385</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">StoneRidge Group, LLC – Campaign online advertising</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="26500.0">26,500</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">McLaughlin & Associates –Alexandria Va. –polling
services-(T-SPLOST)</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="66500.0">66,500</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">COMM360 – 57 Waddell St. – (T-SPLOST) Grassroots
staffing</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="59000.0">59,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">COMM360 – 57 Waddell St. – Grassroots staffing</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="45140.0">45,140</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Glendale Strategies – 57 Waddell St. – Strategic
consulting (T-SPLOST)</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="12500.0">12,500</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Glendale Strategies – 57 Waddell St. – Strategic
consulting</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="12500.0">12,500</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Winning Connections –Washington D.C. Direct calling
support</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="400000.0">400,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Aristotle International, Inc. – Washington D.C. –
Campaign Voter IQ</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="15000.0">15,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Voter IQ?
Probably checking to see if you are as stupid as they think.)</td>
<td class="xl25"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">SRCPmedia – Alexandria VA – TV Production costs</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="25000.0">25,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Peachtree Battle Group – ATL (T-SPLOST) Broadcast
& cable media<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="250000.0">250,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">McGuire Woods Consulting – Richmond, VA – Campaign
consulting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="15000.0">15,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Ed Innovation Partners, Watkinsville, GA –
Consulting services<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="25000.0">25,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Holloway Consulting – Atlanta – Resource
Development<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="10000.0">10,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">Franklin Communications – ATL – (T-SPLOST)Radio Ad
production/placement</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="100000.0">100,000</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">McKenna Long & Aldridge –Atlanta – Legal
services</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="17747.0">17,747</td>
</tr>
<tr height="13">
<td class="xl24" height="13">McRae Communications – Atlanta – PR &
Communications (T-SPLOST)</td>
<td align="right" class="xl25" x:num="18500.0">18,500</td>
</tr>
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</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mVcvXRiXkJI/UJReMt8F69I/AAAAAAAAANE/MdWI7meI0j4/s1600/Untitled1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mVcvXRiXkJI/UJReMt8F69I/AAAAAAAAANE/MdWI7meI0j4/s1600/Untitled1.gif" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A big shout out to <i>Families for Better Public Schools</i>. I especially liked your the full page ad in the AJC newspaper, pictures of many happy children, asking voters to support Amendment -1-. I was struck by the remarkable lack of diversity, unless of course you count the puppies and the cow. Presumably, that is the cash cow of the charter school amendment.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">As a rule, people don’t invest, unless they expect those investments to pay off. Amendment one and Amendment two, spring from the same well and are not on the ballot together by accident.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">If it is not about the money, then let’s amend the legislation to read something like this, </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i>“ state charter schools, managed by a for-profit management organization, must allow the company’s financial records to be open and transparent, subject to the same open record laws as traditional public schools and they must submit to an independent outside audit annually.”</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Here’s the thing, public education in Georgia needs improvement, not too many folks would argue with that. I believe every child in Georgia deserves and is entitled to a quality education. I just don’t think educational profiteering, is the answer.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></div>
Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-78717695204881532482012-07-25T11:49:00.000-07:002012-07-25T11:49:19.344-07:00Get to the polls and be Quick about it.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I thought ya’ll might like an update on our darlin'
"Dweeby" Doug McKillip, who was the author of the infamous &
misogynistic HB954. </div>
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<br /></div>
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McKillip is heavily supported by The <i>Georgia Right to
Life</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> group and the Speaker of the House; in
fact, many refer to him as the Speaker's lap dog, which explains
"Dweeby's" annoying and constant yapping.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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I saw many hugs passed between "Dweeby" McKillip
and Dan Becker, President of Georgia Right to Life, during the last legislative
session. Geez, their political coziness makes me queasy and uneasy.</div>
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So, how is "Dweeby" doing in his primary race? </div>
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Well, his Primary opponent, the indomitable Regina Quick, is
smart, funny, hardworking and honest. She also has signed the pledge to limit
lobbyist "gifts" to $100. I guess you could say that would make her
and "Dweeby" polar opposites. </div>
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Regina is doing well with the home folk voters; who
obviously can distinguish between her authenticity and McKillip’s "smoke
and mirrors".</div>
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<br /></div>
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As for Dweeby? Well let's look at the numbers, researched & shared by
a CPA in Athens.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Of the $97,775 McKillip raised since January 2012, a
whopping 94.3% came from outside his district. Or another way to look at it, <u>only
about 5% came from the district</u>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Of the $51,873 that Quick has raised since January 2012,
only 24.8% came from outside the district.</div>
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</div>
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However, most telling is this: of McKillip's
contributors, 91.3% are from outside the district, and they are <u>mostly
legislators, lobbyists, PAC's and Special interests.</u> </div>
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<br /></div>
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By comparison, 21.1% of Quick contributors have come from
outside the district and more importantly <u>- NO lobbyists, NO Pac's,
and No Special Interests! <o:p></o:p></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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I should probably note that some of Regina's<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“outside” funds came from a bipartisan
fundraiser hosted in Atlanta, by John Padgett, Georgia GOP Secretary, others,
and myself. </div>
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The question voters in HD 117 should be asking themselves is
this -</div>
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Who will Doug McKillip will be working for, and beholden to
– IF – he is reelected?</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-54346852526725142072012-05-18T21:30:00.001-07:002012-05-18T21:30:08.069-07:00A Quick Fix for Representative Doug McKillip<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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This past Georgia Legislative session was brutal for women,
children and families.</div>
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</div>
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We saw unemployment benefits cut, so those boys under the
Gold Dome, could continue to give unemployment tax cuts to their business
buddies. Moreover, Georgia families in desperate and immediate need, who apply
for TANF funds, (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) now have to take a
drug test; even though there is NO evidence that this group has high drug use,
in fact recent studies prove otherwise. These bills, however awful, were not
the worst of the worst. The continued dismantling of a woman’s right to control
her body and her healthcare ranked near the top. HB954 authored by
Representative Doug McKillip – “ Dweeby” to those who understand him – was a not
about healthcare, or choice, it was a raw grab for power. He is being
positioned for higher leadership. <u>We cannot allow this to happen</u>. He
must be stopped. Now! </div>
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<br /></div>
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The good news is “Dweeby” Doug McKillip has strong primary
opposition. Her name is Regina Quick. She is an Athens family law attorney and
a Republican. A Democrat cannot win this seat. This seat was drawn for
Republican Representative McKillip, as a “gift” for dumping the Democrats that
elected him in his old district, then switching parties immediately after being
elected. How despicable is that? He has betrayed the voters. He has betrayed
women. He has betrayed the party that supported him and put him in office. How
could anyone trust him? He is dishonest and dangerous.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We also need to give him a gift. A one way ticket back where
he came from.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Please join me, and many others for a meet-and-greet for Ms.
Quick. This is a great opportunity to meet Regina, and most importantly, if so
inclined, make a donation to her campaign. Together we can send a strong bold
message – Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. </div>
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See you on Sunday.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bO61LxHa0C0/T7cg9eJVV9I/AAAAAAAAADY/B0q63rWm81A/s1600/Regina+Invite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bO61LxHa0C0/T7cg9eJVV9I/AAAAAAAAADY/B0q63rWm81A/s640/Regina+Invite.jpg" width="603" /></a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-83840155296969599752012-05-16T16:37:00.001-07:002012-05-16T16:37:32.606-07:00OPPORTUNITY IS KNOCKING. RUN! RUN LIKE YOUR HAIR IS ON FIRE. JUST RUN GIRL, RUN.<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b> <span style="color: maroon;">"A quiet man is a thinking man, a quiet woman is hatching a plan."
</span></b></span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> <br />
While you have not heard much about it, we have lost three gutsy and gracious women legislators to the scurrilous scalpel of redistricting. We owe Kathy Ashe, Stephanie Stuckey Benfield and Elly Dobbs one helluva group hug, and a huge debt of gratitude. Please join me and send them a giant “thank you”, for their leadership, integrity, courage and tenacity. Their presence will be greatly missed in the next legislative session. <br />
<br />
In my opinion, this redistricting action by the GOP, is a grave tactical error on their part. Why? Because these women warriors are no longer constrained by the rules of decorum for elected officials, nor are they now in the minority. What they are now – is well-armed professionals, with insider knowledge of the system, and more importantly, the knowledge of where the <i>bodies are buried</i>. I reckon these boys forgot that old saying; <i>keep your friends close and your enemies closer. </i>In the words of the inimitable Governor Rick Perry “oops”.
</span></span>
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>In the Republican Life Boat, it is Women and Children Last.
</b></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b> <br />
</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Those dear boys under the Gold Dome – God love ‘em, ‘cause who else will? – worked with maniacal determination during redistricting to get rid of these pesky outspoken Democratic women, who were always pointing out the folly and mendacity of these boys. These women consistently served as the firewall against the good ole boys, and their callous disregard for the disadvantaged, and their often heartless legislation crucifying the poor. Any one remember the buzz phrase “Compassionate Conservatism”? What a spectacular example of Orwell’s <i>Doublespeak</i>.
</span></span>
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Will 2012 be the Year of the Woman?
</b></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b> <br />
</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">I sure as Hell hope so! We have not had a year of the woman since 1992. In my humble opinion, that is just too dang long. Do you remember why 1992 was the year of electing women? <i>Quelle horreur!<br />
</i> <br />
It was because in 1992, women all across this county watched the Judge Clarence Thomas hearings in stunned disbelief, as an all male Senate Committee – full of sound and fury, yet signifying nothing – grilled Anita Hill. She endured their inquisition, with intelligence, dignity and courage. She was the epitome of grace under fire.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, women who watched the hearings were on fire! And they expressed their mortally wounded sense of justice and outrage with action. Women ran for office and women won, in unprecedented numbers. Ironically, thanks to Justice Thomas, we gained 24 new women members of Congress. Undoubtedly, that will be the last time we women will ever have reason to give thanks to Justice Thomas.<br />
<br />
Regrettably, I must also point out, that in the 2010 mid-term elections, for the first time in 30 years, we had a decrease in the number of women elected. We lost nearly 80 legislative seats. Ladies, not only are we <u>not</u> moving forward, we are backsliding. We must step up and run for office. We must serve on the frontlines in this Republican <i>War on Women</i>. If not us, who? If not now, when?</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> <br />
</span></span></span>
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: maroon;"><b>You Are the Critical Piece. Yes, That’s Right; I’m Talking to You.
</b></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b> <br />
</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">In any emergency or crisis situation, there is usually a turning point. Such a moment is called <i>critical </i>if it determines the outcome of a situation. <u>You</u> are the critical piece, and you can determine the outcome by getting involved now!<br />
<br />
You can run for office<u>,</u> and<u> you can win</u>. Look around at these guys running things now. How hard can it be? Really? You don’t think you can do better? Really? Dagnabit, if they can run and win, so can you!<br />
<b> <br />
</b>Opportunities abound. Look around, identify a seat, then go for it. City Council, Mayor, County Commissioner, Coroner, Public Service Commission, State House, State Senate, District Attorney, Judicial Seats, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, School board, Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Labor, Secretary of State, State School Superintendent. Just pick one and go for it.<br />
</span></span>
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><u>Here are a few very immediate and very perfect opportunities. There are others.
</u></b></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> <br />
</span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';">State Senator George Hooks, a Democrat from Americus just announced that he is not running for reelection, after 32 years. Currently, his 14th senate district composed of 12 rural west Georgia, is the largest in the state. The district includes Dooly, Macon, Marion, Peach, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Upson and Webster counties and portions of Crawford County.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';">There are also two <u>new open</u> <u>Democratic House seats</u>: <b>HD 94</b> DeKalb/Gwinnett and <b>HD177</b> Valdosta. <br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';">Last, but surely not least, is <b>HD151</b>. Gerald E. Green, who currently holds this seat as Republican, and is a traitorous turncoat. He was elected a Democrat, and then switched parties right after he was elected. This district is 53.5% in Democratic voting strength. Step up; we need a REAL Democrat representing us in this seat. So kick off your heels and put on your boots. Let’s kick his butt back home where it belongs. <br />
<br />
OK Ladies, these are once in a decade opportunities and each offers a great chance with open Democratic seats – that are oh so winnable. Go for it. If you have any questions you just give me a call 678.775.8946.<br />
Qualifying dates for candidates are Wednesday, May 23 – till – <b><u>noon</u></b> on Friday, May 25th. <br />
</span></span>
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>The 2012 Project - there is a village waiting to help you.<br />
</b></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/site/pages/2012Project.php">http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/site/pages/2012Project.php</a></u></span> <br />
</span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> <br />
There are a lot of great resources to support your campaign, but most importantly there is a large network of women, who are standing by, ready to help you. You are not going into this alone. We are sisters in solidarity. As my Momma used to say “Many hands make light work.”<br />
<b> <br />
</b>One resource, <i>The 2012 Project</i> has assembled a faculty of former elected women legislators to share with you the facts about women's under representation and the many benefits of public service. Women who are interested in taking the next step toward candidacy will be connected with leadership institutes, think tanks, campaign training programs and fundraising networks designed to help them succeed in their own states.<br />
<br />
If you just can’t, I mean really <u>can’t</u>, run for office this time, then ask a woman to run. Women need to be asked to run. Or you can volunteer in a campaign of a woman who is running for office – there are never enough volunteers. If you can’t run, helping a woman who is running, to win, is the next best thing. Lastly and most importantly, please give money to a woman running for office. Put your pocketbook where your politics are. <br />
<br />
We must each do our bit, because if we do, we can make our world saner, safer and fairer. Moreover, we can ensure a brighter future, for our children, and our grandchildren, and beyond. <br />
<br />
I leave you with these words from Hillary Rodham Clinton, “I entered this race because I have an old-fashioned conviction: that public service is about helping people solve their problems and live their dreams. I've had every opportunity and blessing in my own life - and I want the same for all Americans. Until that day comes, you will always find me on the front lines of democracy - fighting for the future.”</span></span>Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0101 E Court Square, Decatur, GA 30030, USA33.7748275 -84.296312330.382852500000002 -89.3500233 37.1668025 -79.24260129999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-33096992183194179152012-04-04T17:08:00.000-07:002012-04-04T17:08:45.765-07:00Take two aspirin between your knees and call a legislator in the morning.<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">If you woke up the morning after the 2012 legislative session ended, with a head pounding like you had gulped a half bottle of cheap wine the previous evening, I can explain why. Your headaches and heartaches are compliments of our knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing right-wing darlin's down at the Capitol. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">Once again, these Neanderthals have bopped Georgia women over the head with a club, and dragged them by the hair back into the man cave. Or, as they like call it, "The Gold Dome". That dragging by the hair always creates one heck of a headache.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> But I reckon we ladies should feel real special. Here we are in a bad economic times, Georgia still has one of the highest unemployment rates, with foreclosures to match; yet these boys worried themselves silly about our female plumbing.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">Your private <i>pubic</i> parts are now out in the public domain without a fig leaf. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">Bless their hearts, it seems to me as if these good ole boys have a bad case of vagina envy. Mix that with the fact they are problem-solving adverse, and you get to why we have bills like HB954. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">Sadly, HB954 was passed in the last few minutes of the legislative session. (Remember, I warned you it was the sneakiest day of the session.) The keep-'em-barefoot-and-pregnant <b>men</b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">tality remains oh-so alive and well in Georgia. Makes you proud doesn’t it? </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">But the War-on-Women is no joke or slogan. Unfortunately, it is not even an exaggeration. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> Well folks, we can sit back and say, "Woe is me", or we can stand up straight, square our shoulders, and say not only No, but <b>"Hell No!”</b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><b> </b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><b> </b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">We must channel our anger, frustration and just <u>damn disbelief</u>, into real and overwhelming action. So, first things first. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><b>HB954 –<u> now</u> lies squarely in the hands of Governor Deal. </b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">If he signs it, HB954 will become the law. If he doesn’t sign it, HB954 will be toast. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> We must marshal all our friends, all our family members, our neighbors, our doctors, colleagues and anybody else we can think of, to make an all-out effort to persuade Governor Deal not to sign this terrible bill into law.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">Even if you called the Governor during the session, you need to call again; because this is a very different message. The fate of HB954 is now in Governor Deal's hands</span><span style="color: #993300; font-family: Georgia;">, <u>and his hands only.</u></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><u><o:p></o:p></u></span><br />
<span style="color: #993300; font-family: Georgia;"><u><br />
</u></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">This is our most immediate last hope. So focus once again, right now, like a duck on a June bug, get your "peeps" to call the Governor. Make no mistake, these individual calls are extremely important, and can be very effective. They need to know we are watching and we are politically savvy, not to mention mad as Hell.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">It is important to recognize and remember that the rest of our fine state of Georgia is not representative of what we see up at the Capitol. Goodness, if it was, I would have packed up and been gone a long time ago.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">Georgia’s good ole boy legislators like to treat us voters, and especially women, like mushrooms – keep ‘em in the dark and feed 'em crap. I have, however, been heartened by the number of men who have made calls on our behalf, fathers, husbands, brothers, sons, and others. Moreover, I've received emails and phone calls from all across this state – Albany, Clayton, Gainesville, Athens, Augusta and Savannah to name a few – thanking us for giving them a heads-up about these goings-on at the Capitol. <u>So keep up the good work and keep spreading the word. </u></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><u> </u></span><br />
<span style="color: #993300; font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300; font-family: Georgia;">Call Governor Deal <u>NOW</u> and say – Don’t sign HB 954 into law! <b>404.656.1776.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g-vVSkJpeRY/T3zbDo7UBHI/AAAAAAAAACo/9-cqGOX5yzk/s1600/Deal+Desk.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g-vVSkJpeRY/T3zbDo7UBHI/AAAAAAAAACo/9-cqGOX5yzk/s320/Deal+Desk.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">For bein</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">g such good foot soldiers in this war on women, I offer you this bonus: “Dweeby” Doug McKillip’s cell number. <b>706-340-4102</b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">. Right this minute give him a call too, and "thank him" for giving us that lousy HB954. It will feel soooo good. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">But be sure to call him </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">NOW! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">He'll likely change his number when he learns we have it, him being the skittish </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">paper tiger he is.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">Onward!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div>Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-58442796281965975292012-03-28T10:48:00.000-07:002012-03-28T10:48:35.383-07:00Playing Possum, Spraying Spittle, and the Sneakiest Day<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>672</o:Words> <o:Characters>3836</o:Characters> <o:Company>Jan Selman Politics</o:Company> <o:Lines>31</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>4710</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>11.1539</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotShowRevisions/> <w:DoNotPrintRevisions/> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16.0pt;"><b>It’s not over till the fat lady sings; I maybe humming, but I ain’t singing yet. </b></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><br />
</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;">Despite what you may have heard or read, HB954 is <b>NOT dead</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;">! Thanks to you, however, it is on life-support.<br />
<br />
Readers, you have done an amazing job towards getting us to this point. Thank you very much. Your calls have been having the desired effect and you should be very proud. <br />
<br />
Now we have one final push to cut off the head of this poisonous snake. Tomorrow is the last day of the session; and it is <b><i><u>the</u></i></b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i> <b>sneakiest</b></i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"> day of the session. The stories I could tell you about last-day antics would seem unbelievable. Some are hilarious, and some would scare the pants off of ya. As I write this, you can just bet your bottom dollar that the arm-twisting and horse-trading is at a fevered pitch in the back room, and you can be darn sure not much good will come to us out of it. But I am dead serious about this folks. It is not safe to blink until midnight tomorrow. So prop those eyelids open and remain vigilant.<br />
<br />
Now, is the time for a big push. We cannot lose ground! "Dweeby" McKillip has had a fit and fallen in it. He is whining like a three year-old, that his bill is being ambushed. And his puppeteer, the ever dangerous Dan Becker, the President of Georgia Right to Life, is foaming at the mouth and spraying spittle with every word, so keep your hankie handy.<br />
<br />
Here is Mr. Becker’s mantra. Taken directly off of the Georgia Right to Life web site. (bolded mine)<br />
<br />
<i>It is the principle that all human life has God given, <b>constitutionally</b></i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i> recognized value. The idea is simple yet bold. Ultimately, it may provide a direct challenge to the central holding of Roe v Wade, the landmark decision that made abortion legal in the United States. <b>Personhood</b></i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i> will restore respect and effective legal protection for all human beings, including the unborn. It encompasses the threat of emerging issues, such as cloning, embryo experimentation and euthanasia. "The prolife movement must mature beyond the singular goal of 'saving babies' and engage our current culture of death", says Georgia Right to Life President Daniel Becker. </i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
<br />
Boy howdy, every time I read this I have nightmares for weeks – real weeks, not "Dweeby" weeks.<br />
<br />
I know that your dialing finger is complaining about being over-worked lately, so promise it a vacation <b>– </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"><u>starting Friday</u>. Meanwhile, we need to make more calls. We are too close to victory and just as close to defeat. We cannot let this slip away now. You have done an excellent job of spreading the word through your networks. I have received calls from folks all over this state – Valdosta, Augusta, Calhoun, Clayton, Albany, Athens (especially Athens), plus many others hometowns, from folks who are expressing both outrage at HB954, as well as thanks for getting the word out. Many had no idea about HB954 and its unconscionable implications, until they heard from you. So, please stay vigilant and keep up the good work.<br />
<br />
"Dweeby" and Becker are thinking that because HB954 is being referred to as dead (I call it playing possum), and that Speaker Ralston has not (yet) appointed a conference committee, that we all will wipe our hands, pat ourselves on the back and say "job well done". And that's when they will "pull a sneaky". Well, think again bubba, because all along they have under-estimated us and think of us as politically naïve. Now, we may not be savvy cigar smoking, backroom deal making politicos, but we ain’t stupid.<br />
<br />
While they are still in the stuck in the "barefoot and pregnant" <b>men</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;">tality mode, we have moved on, to stiletto heels and contraception. And we ain’t goin' back. They really just can’t seem to figure this out. Perhaps they need to get out of the man cave a little more often.<br />
<br />
So rev up your dialing finger again good folks: Make just three simple calls.<br />
<br />
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle 404.656.5030<br />
<br />
Senator Tommy Williams 404.656.0089<br />
<br />
Governor Nathan Deal 404.656.1776 <br />
<br />
Here is your message:<br />
<br />
<b>Do not let Speaker Ralston bully you and the Senate on HB954.</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"> There is a link at the bottom of the email if you would like a longer explanation about why this is the message. Of course you can just say whatever you are comfortable with saying.<br />
<br />
And, if your dialing finger is holding up, give your your Senator a call too. The link to find your Senator <span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://sos.ga.gov/MVP2/logon.aspx">http://sos.ga.gov/MVP2/logon.aspx</a><br />
</u></span><br />
Hang in there! And remember, no blinking.<br />
<br />
Onward!<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-government/abortion-bill-skids-to-1399907.html">http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-government/abortion-bill-skids-to-1399907.html</a></u></span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <!--[endif]--></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-18136369359894072332012-03-25T16:53:00.002-07:002012-03-25T17:02:22.769-07:00Power to Women - Call To Action – Defeat HB954 Tomorrow - March 26th<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">NOW IS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH. <br />
HB954 WILL BE VOTED ON TOMORROW. </span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">MONDAY, MARCH 2</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">6TH– WE NEED YOU!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
<b>First</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;">, watch this short, powerful video! It will explain, far better than I can, the seriousness of the situation we are facing. The Georgia relevance is explained below.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt;"><u><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU2BZN_GRhI&feature=youtube_gdata_player">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU2BZN_GRhI&feature=youtube_gdata_player</a></u></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><u><br />
</u><br />
Here is a bulleted primer on the issue we are facing. Bullets seem appropriate since this is a war, a war-on-women.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;">The national agenda for the Republican Party is to overturn <br />
Roe v. Wade. This is no surprise to anyone who has been awake during the last decade. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;">Unless we act, this Draconian Agenda will be accomplished by chipping away at women’s reproductive rights, and putting <b>man</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;">dated restrictive measures into effect in each state – as we have been witnessing here in Georgia over the last several years. Also, look at what has happened recently in Idaho, Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi and other places. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;">Specific to Georgia –<b> and</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"> <b>this is important boys and girls</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"> – the GOP goal is to get a constitutional majority, so they can implement a constitutional amendment like the one you just witnessed in the video above. Make no mistake; we are a heartbeat away from this reality with tomorrow’s vote.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;">Towards the goal of getting to that constitutional majority, they have recruited, enticed, and cut amazing deals, (think, sold soul to the Devil) in order to get enough Democrats to turncoat to their side – Our good buddy, “Dweeby” Doug McKillip, author of HB954, is a shining example – elected as a Democrat, he switched parties to the GOP right off the bat. Even a blind pig could spot that he's soulless. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;">To further ensure that they will achieve their goal of a constitutional majority they have skillfully used the redistricting process. You can review how this happened at my blog:</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://decatur.patch.com/blog_posts/redistricting-why-women-should-care-2">http://decatur.patch.com/blog_posts/redistricting-why-women-should-care-2</a><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"> and<b> also here at </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://decatur.patch.com/blog_posts/the-good-ole-boys-133-women-47">http://decatur.patch.com/blog_posts/the-good-ole-boys-133-women-47</a> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;">HB954 is not about abortion, reproductive rights of women, etc. It is about authoritarian control over women and women's health. Pass HB954, I say, over my dead body! Which, by the way, is a viable option under HB954.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -9.0pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"><b>Tomorrow is the turning point. If you have never come down to the Capitol to lobby your legislators, tomorrow is the day to do it! Take a vacation day, call in sick, find child care, use your lunch hour, do whatever it takes, just please do your best to show up. You can bet your ovaries the Right-to-Life women will show up. We</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"><b> <u>must</u></b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"><b> overwhelm them. </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -9.0pt; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"><b>How will we be able to explain to our daughters, granddaughters, and great-grandaughters how this happened under our watch?<br />
<br />
Action steps</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">: please take these steps, <u>even if you are able to show up.</u></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><ol start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">Forward this email to everyone you can: friends, family, colleagues, book clubs, sorority, fraternity, and neighbors. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">Post this on your facebook page. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">Twitter about this. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">If you blog, blog about it. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">Call your friends and carpool to the Capitol. I find MARTA the best way. You can drive to any MARTA station and park for free. Georgia State is the MARTA station exit for the Capitol.</span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"><b>THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP – THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL:<br />
</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">Make three short and easy phone calls:<br />
<br />
1) Call your senator, if you need help finding your Senator here is a link: <u><a href="http://sos.ga.gov/MVP2/logon.aspx">http://sos.ga.gov/MVP2/logon.aspx</a><o:p></o:p></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"><u><br />
</u>2) Call Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and tell him you are strongly against HB954 -<b> 404.656.5030<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
3) Call Governor Deal and tell him, if HB 954 passes, <u>He must not sign it into law</u>. <b>404.656.1776 <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">Do not be shy about making these calls. No one will question you. This is a numbers game. They are simply keeping a list of those for and those against. At the end of the day we need the “ those against” list to be the longest.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"><b>LOGISTICS FOR TOMORROW:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">We will gather in the hall just outside the Governor’s office at 11:00 to go over strategy and get prepared.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">I will get to the Capitol around 9AM to start organizing materials. If you get there early and you want to help, text or </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">call me on my cell 678.775.8946;</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"> you can also call Krista Brewer on her cell 404-314-6468. This will be the best way to locate where we are at <u>that</u> moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">I will have badges <u>with our message</u> for everyone. I will also have </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">100 around-the-neck badges</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"> with the graphic below for the first 100 who show up</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">, and other stickers for everyone else</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;">Onward. I will see you there tomorrow!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0V-4C6jmFus/T2-q00NNTFI/AAAAAAAAACY/6i_cyRtXKfw/s1600/Political+Bullying_final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0V-4C6jmFus/T2-q00NNTFI/AAAAAAAAACY/6i_cyRtXKfw/s320/Political+Bullying_final.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
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</div>Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-62548176489590152182012-03-21T14:29:00.000-07:002012-03-21T14:29:56.996-07:00"It's time for women to stop being politely angry." - Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>610</o:Words> <o:Characters>3479</o:Characters> <o:Company>Jan Selman Politics</o:Company> <o:Lines>28</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>6</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>4272</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>11.1539</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotShowRevisions/> <w:DoNotPrintRevisions/> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now I gotta tell ya, when a group of old white guys start worrying themselves into a fit about my inner workings, it makes the hair on the back of my neck go up. And Monday it was standing at attention, and quivering.<br />
<br />
I gotta admit, however, Monday’s Senate hearing on HB954 was educational in many ways. Just like an IRS tax audit can be educational. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;">A fine example of a teachable moment was when the ever fussy & dweeby Representative Doug McKillip tried his darndest to explain the new McKillip Math of “our weeks” and “their weeks” to his fellow committee members. At one point, I could swear I saw steam coming off his pointy little head.<br />
<br />
Nearest as I could make it out, Dweeby figures that conception begins the moment the sperm is released and starts frantically searching for an egg, like a sugar crazed four-year-old on Easter morning. <br />
<br />
Now this is important, because the clock starts ticking at that precise moment towards the 20-week HB954 deadline limit, for a legal abortion and the criminalization of doctors.<br />
<br />
As McKillip screeched on, my mind began to ponder Dweeby’s "personhood" moment, or as I call it, “Sperm Finds Egg Theory.” I would think that precise sperm-egg moment would be pretty darn hard to pinpoint. It seems reasonable to think that really only the sperm knows for sure, and he ain’t talking. Smoking a cigarette maybe, but definitely not talking to anybody but McKillip. <br />
<br />
All during Dweeby’s testimony and even during questioning of the panel of medical and legal experts, the terms "our weeks" and "their weeks" continued to stump them all. His fellow committee members sitting around the table never did get it. Throughout the meeting, they would continually ask Dweeby, “Now, are we talking about ‘their weeks’ or ‘our weeks?’” It was all pretty weak, if you ask me.<br />
<br />
Gosh darn it, you just can’t make this stuff up. It was like listening to that old baseball comedy routine<i>, Who's on First </i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;">– only not funny.<br />
<br />
Now all this talk about "their weeks" and "our weeks" made me a tad nervous. I'm thinking we had better start guarding the weeks we have left, or we will find them stripped away along with all our other reproductive stuff. So gird “your weeks” ladies, especially if you see Dweeby McKillip coming your way. I think we should all tear a page out of our calendars and send it to McKillip and tell him we want our weeks back. <br />
<br />
During Dweeby’s testimony and convoluted explanation of ours versus theirs weeks, I glanced over at the medical and legal experts who were waiting to testify; they had that astonished wide-eyed disbelieving look of those uninitiated in the political process. You see that with newbies, bless their hearts.<br />
<br />
When it was their turn at the microphone, they each explained how in the medical & legal field, contraception and pregnancy is calibrated to real math. Now I gotta say real math (although not my strong suit) has been working pretty darn well for sometime now - for most folks, that is. However, it is just not precise enough for the minutiae-obsessed Dweeby. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
As is the usual course of action under the gold dome (a widely recognized logic free zone), these good ole boys, ever fact averse, totally discounted the compelling testimony of the medical and legal experts and gave Dweeby his votes, or at least the Chairman said they did. We will really never know, it being a voice vote, and Chairman Unterman denied a call for a confirming hand vote. Even the politically astute were wide-eyed at this blatant example of Georgia democracy in action.<br />
<br />
Jay Bookman of the AJC has written an excellent accounting of Monday's meeting. <a href="http://bit.ly/GByeNk">http://bit.ly/GByeNk</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;">As is his habit, he brings insight and clarity to this six-hour debacle. Read it and weep. I suggest you print it out and stick it in your calendar under July; then take it out and read it just before you go to the polls to vote in the primary. That ought to get the hair on your neck up and your dander too. Moreover, it should put you in the right frame of mind to pull that lever.<br />
<br />
As they say, one picture is worth a thousand words; however, HB954 seems worthy of at least 2,000 words, so I have included two photos for your review and an editorial graphic.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>12</o:Words> <o:Characters>71</o:Characters> <o:Company>Jan Selman Politics</o:Company> <o:Lines>1</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>1</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>87</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>11.1539</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotShowRevisions/> <w:DoNotPrintRevisions/> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt;">Dweeby McKillip at the hearing - in near fetal position - trying to cipher out his new "weak" math on paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment--><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hq78O3THHh0/T2o9_zMhs7I/AAAAAAAAACA/IUfW5czvnnI/s1600/McKillickfetal-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hq78O3THHh0/T2o9_zMhs7I/AAAAAAAAACA/IUfW5czvnnI/s320/McKillickfetal-1.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 19px;">Classic Dweeby, as he resorts to counting on his fingers or as I call it, Dweeby's digit math.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sns0Wo_Rg9U/T2o_MuscZbI/AAAAAAAAACI/LkmhqPHKc0o/s1600/McKillickdigitmath-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sns0Wo_Rg9U/T2o_MuscZbI/AAAAAAAAACI/LkmhqPHKc0o/s320/McKillickdigitmath-2.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 19px;"><br />
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</span></div><!--EndFragment-->Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-83816636355471085602012-03-18T22:19:00.001-07:002012-03-18T22:21:20.306-07:00Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And boy howdy, have we been scorned.<div style="font: 10.0px 'Lucida Grande'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Lucida Grande'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
If you believe that current healthcare options should be available for women to discuss with their physicians; that women’s access and choices should not be legislated – especially by good ole white boys in suits – and that medical decisions should be made between a woman, her family & her doctor, please take action now!<br />
<br />
<b>Tomorrow these options may disappear like barbecue at State House dinner.<br />
</b><br />
<b>Monday, March 19 at 2:30 PM </b>the <i><u>Georgia Senate Health and Human Services Committee</u></i> will meet to vote on <b>HB954</b> in <b>Capitol Room 450 – 2:30 to 4:30 PM</b>. <br />
<br />
I urge everyone who is opposed to this bill to come to the Capitol for a show of force. These legislators claim they only hear from the <i>Right to Life folks</i>. I suggest they are just tone deaf to the other side. <br />
<br />
Please wear all black, the color of mourning, as in we are gonna mourn these guys when we vote them out in the fall.<br />
<br />
<b>Please share this email with all your friends, colleagues, neighbors, and family members. You can also share on facebook and twitter.<br />
</b> </span></span> </div><div align="CENTER"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
<b>WE CAN NOT ALLOW THIS TO GO UNCHALLENGED. </b></span></span> </div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
<br />
It is critical to remember this miso<b>gyn</b>istic Bill has already cleared the House. If it passes the Senate, it will go to Governor Deal to sign into law. Now he is a leaning toward signing it (<u>pay attention here, this is important),</u> because it will help the signers of the Bill get re-elected this fall. <br />
<br />
So women’s rights are being stripped away, not for a deeply held belief or conviction, or that they think the cause is just and true, but because it will – they erroneously believe – help with re-election of these darlings, and even propel one to a Congressional seat. My Goodness, these boys are just drunk with power and out of control. I, for one ain’t for sitting back and letting them get away with it, without putting up a ruckus.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>TAKE ACTION******* TAKE ACTION******* TAKE ACTION******* TAKE ACTION********* TAKE ACTION<br />
</b><br />
If you cannot come to the Capitol tomorrow, or even if you can, we need the <u>phones to ring off the hook. </u> <br />
<br />
1) First thing in the morning, call the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Members because they <u>will not </u>have time to read <br />
read emails before they vote.<br />
<br />
2) Tell them you strongly oppose HB954 and you want them to vote against the Bill. Or, if you want to use language they will be sure to understand, just tell them – Vote no on HB954, ‘cause that dog won’t hunt.<br />
<br />
<b>Committee Members<br />
</b>Unterman, Renee S (404) 463-1368<br />
Chairman<br />
<br />
Carter, Buddy (404) 656-5109<br />
Vice Chairman<br />
<br />
Goggans, Greg (404) 463-5263<br />
Secretary<br />
<br />
Shafer, David (404) 656-0048<br />
Ex-Officio<br />
<br />
Paris, Miriam (404) 656-5035<br />
Democrat Member<br />
<br />
Wilkinson, John (404) 463-5257<br />
Member<br />
<br />
3) Call <u>your own Senator</u>. If the committee passes this as expected, it will then go to the Senate floor for a vote. This is where <br />
your Senator will come in.<br />
<br />
4) <b>NOW THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT</b>: Be sure you call the Lt. Governor, Casey Cagle, he is the Big Kahuna of the Senate. 404.656.5030<br />
<br />
5) Here is the link to find your Senator: <span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://sos.ga.gov/MVP2/logon.aspx">http://sos.ga.gov/MVP2/logon.aspx</a><br />
</u></span> After you fill out the name, county and DOB, click to next page. Near the bottom of that page is the link to your Senator.<br />
<br />
6) Call him or her and ask them to oppose HB954. Be sure to let them know you are in their district. <br />
<u><br />
</u>Here is the link if you want to read HB954 <span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://1.usa.gov/FQe5b2">http://1.usa.gov/FQe5b2</a><br />
</u></span><u><br />
</u><b>In a nut shell, HB954 would remove the right of the woman and her family to make a decision about medical care and criminalizes medical professionals. <br />
</b><br />
Other implications of HB954<br />
<br />
Women will be <u>forced to carry a stillborn pregnancy</u> to term.<br />
Women with cancer may find that their doctor will not perform an abortion in order for her to receive life-saving treatment.<br />
Women and families could be forced to endure unthinkable pain by being forced to carry to term a pregnancy where there is a lethal fetal anomaly.<br />
HB 954 would place a ban on abortions after 20 weeks. Most fetal anonolomies are diagnosed between 24 - 26 weeks. <u>This bill will force women and families to make decisions to terminate before they have an accurate diagnosis.<br />
</u>Doctors will be charged with a <u>criminal abortion</u> <u>felony</u> with a possible 10 year sentence for performing medical care they are licensed and trained to do.<br />
Doctors will not be allowed to do what they consider to be in the best interest of their patient.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">I leave you with these words by Joan Kirner at Women Into Power Conference, Adelaide, October 1994; "There is no such thing as being non-political. Just by making a decision to stay out of politics you are making the decision to allow others to shape politics and exert power over you. And if you are alienated from the current political system, then just by staying out of it you do nothing to change it, you simply entrench it."<br />
</span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
See you tomorrow.<br />
</span></span>Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-30822827798933738622012-03-13T07:26:00.000-07:002012-03-13T07:26:57.840-07:00Wisconsin Voter Photo ID Law Struck Down - It is powerful and compellingThe League of Women Voters of WI filed a lawsuit challenging one of the nation’s most restrictive photo ID laws based on the Wisconsin state constitution. Today the 9th circuit court of WI struck down the law with a permanent injunction. The court’s decision is attached.<br />
<br />
Excerpt: <br />
<br />
“Without question, where it exists, voter fraud corrupts elections and undermines our form of government. The legislature and governor may certainly take aggressive action to prevent its occurrence. But voter fraud is no more poisonous to our democracy than voter suppression. Indeed, they are two heads on the same monster.<br />
<br />
A government that undermines the very foundation of its existence – the<br />
people’s inherent, pre-constitutional right to vote – imperils its legitimacy as a government by the people, for the people, and especially of the people. It sows the seeds for its own demise as a democratic institution. “<br />
<br />
Here is the Wisconsin decision:<br />
<br />
http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/League_of_Women_Voters_v__Walker_SJ_decision.pdfJan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-45842378240239882032012-03-07T22:23:00.001-08:002012-03-07T22:26:30.163-08:00Today is International Women's Day.<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-size: 16px;">We aren’t in Kansas any more. </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #262626;"> <br />
Today, if Dorothy were to encounter men with no brains, no hearts and no courage, she wouldn’t be in Oz. She’d be in Congress!<br />
<br />
<br />
If the recent spate of sinister and fact-averse legislation, put forth by our misguided misogynistic legislators, in their ongoing and escalating war on women – in Georgia and across the nation – has made you frustrated, angry, bewildered, beleaguered, sad, unbelieving, wounded, miserable, dismayed, discouraged, grumpy, repulsed, worried, victimized, annoyed, cross, exasperated, fuming, dispirited, furious, irascible, irate, maddened, offended, outraged, riled, wrathful and feeling like the only fireplug at the dog show; well then - have I got an opportunity for you! <br />
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It’s opportunity to raise that big clear voice of yours and speak truth to power. We must demonstrate our strength, as we did with The Komen Foundation and Rush Limbaugh. </span>We must send the message loud and clear. We will not stand down. We will stand up. We will not go back. We will fight back. We will not be powered down. We will power up.<br />
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See you Monday at the Capitol.<br />
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<div align="CENTER"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><span style="color: #993300;"><b><i>"Walk in My Shoes, Hear Our Voice"<br />
</i></b>Circle Around the Georgia State Capitol<br />
<b>Monday, March 12, 2012<br />
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM<br />
</b></span><span style="color: #262626;"> </span></span></span></span> </div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><span style="color: #262626;"> <br />
<b><u>Stand With Us:<br />
</u></b>o ACLU of Georgia<br />
o Atlanta Women's Medical Center<br />
o Feminist Women's Health Center<br />
o Georgia Equality<br />
o Georgia Rural Urban Summit<br />
o Georgia WAND<br />
o Georgia Women for a Change<br />
o League of Women Voters of Georgia<br />
o MoveOn<br />
o National Association of Social Workers - Georgia Chapter<br />
o Planned Parenthood Southeast<br />
o Sistersong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective<br />
o Spark Reproductive Justice Now!<br />
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Stand with us for women's health and lives -- for freedom, equality, justice, and human dignity for all. Join us for a peaceful, but not silent, single file walk around the Gold Dome. Our voices will no longer be silent or ignored.<br />
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<b><u>Organizing Principle:<br />
</u></b>We are here today to reclaim our voices. We are rejecting legislation that is being considered, or has passed, that does not comply with the following principles for all of Georgia’s women:<br />
- to determine when and whether to have children,<br />
- to have a healthy pregnancy;<br />
- to become a parent and parent with dignity, and<br />
- to have safe and healthy relationships and families.<br />
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<b><u>Logistics:<br />
</u></b>11 am – Meet Up at Central Presbyterian Church Exterior Courtyard -201 Washington St. SW; Atlanta, GA 30303<br />
MARTA is the best way to arrive. Exit at the Georgia State Station. If you drive there is plenty of parking at the Underground Deck – but it is a bit pricey, carpools encouraged.<br />
11:30 am to 1 pm – Walk the Sidewalk in a Single File Line<br />
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Bring a sign sized no more than your body’s width. Suggested Messages (or be creative).<br />
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· Trust Georgia’s Women<br />
· I Trust Georgia’s Women<br />
· We are the 51%<br />
· I Trust the 51%<br />
· I am [fill in name] and I can be Trusted.<br />
· Trust Georgia’s [fill in women who need a voice] - such as Trust Georgia’s Black Women, Trust Georgia’s Immigrant Women, Trust Georgia’s Lesbians, Trust Georgia’s Moms, etc.<br />
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Many politicians now openly support a denial of basic health care for women or the reversal of essential women's rights. With the 2012 elections looming this year, the culture war seems to deliver a new insult to women's dignity every day.<br />
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This has got to stop. We know that efforts to restrict reproduction, sexual, and parenting freedoms are often linked to other forms of discrimination which we oppose. <br />
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We need our elected officials to respect and protect women's individual autonomy and right of conscience. Women, men, and all communities need accurate medical information and access to affordable health care. <br />
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www.HearOurVoice.org - 404-907-0272 - GAwalkcoalition@gmail.com<br />
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<u>Grab a friend or two and come on down Monday.<br />
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<div align="CENTER"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></span> </div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></span>Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-91739300191050057692012-03-04T23:25:00.000-08:002012-03-04T23:25:08.805-08:00National Women's History Month - March 3 2012Women's History Month Day 3<br />
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Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Talbot Busbee<br />
Died March 3, 2012 <br />
She was Georgia's First Lady 1975-1983 <br />
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Mary Beth Talbot was born in Ruston, LA, February 16, 1927. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in biological sciences.<br />
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She married George Busbee in 1949.Their marriage lasted until his death July 16, 2004.<br />
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As First Lady, she actively promoted volunteerism throughout the state. She led by example and was very active in numerous cultural & health related charities and activities, including being instrumental in establishing the first Ronald McDonald House in Atlanta.<br />
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Additionally, She was a 40 year breast cancer survivor. She authored two cookbooks, was the honorary chair of "Save The Fox " Campaign, and she was Albany's 1975 "Woman of the Year".<br />
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RIPJan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-63731217404770669052012-02-09T19:41:00.000-08:002012-02-09T19:41:03.998-08:00Decatur Welcome Rahn MayoThanks to the recent changes brought on by redistricting, we now have a new State Representative. Decatur, let me introduce to you Rahn Mayo.<br />
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The most positive endorsement I can give him is that he is a neat dresser. Even if it is an empty suit.<br />
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To be honest, Representative Mayo does have some accolades and acknowledgements, including last year when Creative Loafing presented him with their Golden Sleaze Award, in part for accepting $500 from a school voucher lobbyist.<br />
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This is what Project Vote Smart had to say about Rahn on their website: “Rahn Mayo refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.”<br />
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His recent actions regarding HR1162 – a bad piece of legislation that among other things makes taxation without representation constitutional – is profoundly disappointing. <br />
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For context, I have written a companion piece to this post on the details of HR 1162 and the much better alternative, HR1335. http://wwwskirtingpolitics.blogspot.com/2012/02/tale-of-two-bills-mosquito.html<br />
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Rep. Mayo is a DeKalb County Democrat, yet he was notably absent from the House Democratic Caucus Press Conference on HR1335. Why? Because he refused to stand with his fellow Democrats on this important issue.<br />
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Now I don’t believe you always have to vote along party lines, but this is no ordinary vote. This is a vote that would profoundly change the Constitution of Georgia, and which requires a two-thirds vote of each chamber. That makes his desertion especially disturbing considering the proportional differences in party lines.<br />
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Yesterday, he cast his vote for the Republican sponsored HR1162. Not only did he cast his vote in favor of HR1162, he went to the well and argued on behalf of it. <br />
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But guess what? HR1162 failed by 10 votes. Now poor ole Rahn must be feeling kinda low, as in low down, so perhaps a few welcoming calls would help. And it might help in the days ahead, because it ain’t over yet. HR1162 will be back up for a reconsideration vote before you can say turncoat.<br />
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When I questioned Representative Mayo at the Capitol about his actions, he was vague and evasive. To be fair, I asked Rep. Mayo to send me his justification for abandoning his constituents and his Democratic colleagues, and I would include it in this post. The blank space below is where I would have inserted Rep. Mayo’s justification comments. If only he had bothered to provide them. <br />
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I lifted this photo off of Rep. Rahn Mayo’s Facebook page; it somehow seemed appropriate.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JzQIBiG42SU/TzSQLRv2frI/AAAAAAAAAB0/CRS_cz5GXYA/s1600/292778_2348591604214_1532792693_32562114_1148684_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JzQIBiG42SU/TzSQLRv2frI/AAAAAAAAAB0/CRS_cz5GXYA/s320/292778_2348591604214_1532792693_32562114_1148684_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Rahn Mayo’s Birthday is November 11, and it is not too early to be thinking about an appropriate gift.<br />
The qualifying date to run for Office, such as for state legislature, is May 23-25. <br />
The General Primary is July 31 2012.<br />
The General election is November 6, 2012.<br />
In the meantime, I urge you to call and give Rahn the welcome he deserves. 404.656.6372.Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-23476675822424729982012-02-08T21:23:00.000-08:002012-02-08T21:23:01.340-08:00A tale of two Bills & a MosquitoA Tale of Two Bills and A Mosquito<br />
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Down at the Georgia State Capitol there are two bills relating to education in Georgia. These two bills came about in response to last year’s Georgia Supreme Court ruling, declaring unconstitutional the Georgia Charter School Commission (GCSC) and its authority to approve and fund charter schools over the objections of local schools boards. It is important to point out that both bills give the state the right to create charter schools. <br />
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First, I should make my bias known. I support charter schools and live in a city that has a pretty darn good charter school system. And it is safe to say that one reason folks move to Decatur is for our schools. And I see nothing wrong with exploring new ideas and options to improve Georgia’s educational system. Providing a quality education to our children is one of the most important responsibilities we have as parents, and as a society.<br />
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This ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court was viewed as a set-back for the 16 state-approved charter schools recommended by the GCSC. So the Republicans authored HR1162 and are sponsoring it in the current legislative session as a means to override the court’s decision. If HR1162 passes as it is, it will most certainly end up back in court, continuing our trend of spending more taxpayer money in courtrooms rather than classrooms.<br />
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Here’s why it’s very important to care.<br />
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One glaring flaw with HR1162 is that it makes taxation without representation constitutional. HR1162 will give state officials power to move money from public schools districts into “special schools”. The proposed amendment will enable political appointees to override the decisions of local school boards and local voters, and re-direct local tax funds to any “special school” that the state creates or designates. Please note – charter schools are only one type of “special school”. How many other “special schools” can there be? Are homes with home-schooled students “special schools too”? “Special schools” are not clearly defined, but left open to interpretation. So where does it end?<br />
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I am deeply concerned about HR1162. At issue here is a proposed state constitutional amendment. Anytime you are about to change the constitution, it begs prudence and the need to look at all angles closely, not just in the legislation itself, but also the motivation behind the legislation, something that is always as elusive as that mosquito in the bedroom at night.<br />
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Now for the second bill.<br />
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Rep. Scott Holcomb’s HR 1335 thoughtfully addresses the flaws in the Republican sponsored bill and is a viable alternative to HR1162.<br />
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HR 1335 stays out of the murky territory of “special schools” and focuses only on charter schools. Additionally, HR1135 puts charter schools squarely within the Constitution, removing any doubt about the state’s support of this educational option. This clarity will help with Race to the Top initiatives and with the attraction of support from foundations. It also reaffirms the state’s role in education policy. <br />
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Most importantly, HR1335 limits funding of state-created charter schools to state-provided funds, thereby removing the risk of a power-grab or financial grab from local taxpayers.<br />
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Yet, HR1335 cannot get a hearing on the floor of the Republican controlled legislature!<br />
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Granted, in my county, the current DeKalb School Board may not be a shining example of good stewardship, but it is critical to remember – we have the power to vote them out and replace them, or even recall them. This is not control I am eager to hand over to the state.Jan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433004834529320512.post-67330601288110685872012-01-24T11:37:00.000-08:002012-01-24T11:37:34.188-08:00What would you ask President Obama?<br />
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What would you ask President Obama?<br />
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President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address at 9:00 p.m. ET. During that speech, he’ll lay out his vision for an America where hard work and responsibility are rewarded, where everyone does their fair share, and where everyone is held accountable for what they do.<br />
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There is a range of ways to get involved with this year’s State of the Union address.<br />
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Immediately following the President’s speech on Tuesday, be sure to stay tuned to WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU for a live panel featuring senior White House advisors answering your questions about the speech. Then, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, a group of policy experts and advisors to the President will sit down for Office Hours on Twitter -- discussing the issues that matter to you and your community.<br />
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Finally, on Monday, January 30, President Obama will join the conversation in a special Google+ Hangout, a live multi-person video chat, from the White House.<br />
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Participating in the Hangout is easy -- just visit the White House YouTube channel to submit your questions and vote for your favorites between now and January 28. A few participants will be chosen to join the President in the Google+ Hangout to ask their questions of the President live!<br />
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Check out WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU to learn more about watching the enhanced State of the Union online and all the ways you can ask questions this week: <br />
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WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU<br />
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Here’s the full lineup -- all times are ET. <br />
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Tuesday <br />
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9:00 p.m.: Watch the enhanced version of the speech that features graphics, data and stats that highlight the issues the President is discussing on WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU. Use the Twitter hashtag #SOTU to discuss the speech live.<br />
10:00 p.m.: Immediately following the speech, pose your questions to a live panel at the White House. Senior advisors will answer your questions about the President’s address submitted via Twitter (use #WHChat and #SOTU), Facebook, Google+, and an in-person audience of Tweetup participants.<br />
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Wednesday Office Hours Schedule <br />
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All Day: Josh Earnest, Principal Deputy Press Secretary, answers your questions on Twitter (@jearnest44)<br />
1:00 p.m.: Office Hours with Mark Zuckerman, Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council<br />
3:00 p.m.: Office Hours with Dan Pfeiffer (@pfeiffer44), White House Communications Director<br />
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Thursday Office Hours Schedule <br />
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10:00 a.m. Veterans: Matt Flavin, White House Director of Veterans and Wounded Warrior Policy<br />
11:00 a.m. LGBT: Miriam Vogel, White House Senior Policy Advisor and Gautam Raghavan, White House Associate Director for Public Engagement<br />
12:00 p.m. Women: Racquel Russell, Special Assistant to the President for Mobility and Opportunity and Avra Siegel, White House Deputy Executive Director for the Council on Women and Girls<br />
1:00 p.m. Seniors: Jeanne Lambrew, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Policy and Nick Papas, Assistant Press Secretary<br />
2:00 p.m. Latinos: Felicia Escobar, White House Senior Policy Advisor, Julie Rodriguez, White House Associate Director of Public Engagement and Luis Miranda, White House Director of Hispanic Media<br />
4:00 p.m. Small Business Owners: Christine Koronides, Senior Advisor for Economic Policy, National Economic Council<br />
5:00 p.m. African Americans: Danielle Gray, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy<br />
6:00 p.m. Asian American Pacific Islanders: Chris Lu, Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary<br />
TBD Youth: Administration official to be announced<br />
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Friday Office Hours Schedule <br />
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11:00 a.m. Foreign Policy: Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting<br />
12:00 p.m. Education: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President for Education Policy<br />
1:00 p.m. Health: Jeanne Lambrew, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Policy and Nick Papas, Assistant Press Secretary<br />
2:00 p.m. Energy: Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change and Dan Utech, Deputy Director for Energy Policy<br />
3:00 p.m. Consumer Protections: Brian Deese, Deputy Director National Economic Council<br />
4:00 pm The Economy: Jason Furman, Principal Deputy Director National Economic Council<br />
5:00 p.m. Job Opportunities: Portia Wu, Senior Policy Advisor for Mobility and Opportunity Policy<br />
6:00 p.m. Urban Issues: Racquel Russell, Special Assistant to the President for Mobility and Opportunity<br />
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Monday January 30<br />
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President Obama participates in a Google+ Hangout from the White HouseJan Selman Skirting Politicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970834399670311430noreply@blogger.com0