Decatur Welcome Rahn Mayo

Thanks to the recent changes brought on by redistricting, we now have a new State Representative. Decatur, let me introduce to you Rahn Mayo.

The most positive endorsement I can give him is that he is a neat dresser. Even if it is an empty suit.

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.

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.”

His recent actions regarding HR1162 – a bad piece of legislation that among other things makes taxation without representation constitutional – is profoundly disappointing.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.






I lifted this photo off of Rep. Rahn Mayo’s Facebook page; it somehow seemed appropriate.

Rahn Mayo’s Birthday is November 11, and it is not too early to be thinking about an appropriate gift.
The qualifying date to run for Office, such as for state legislature, is May 23-25.
The General Primary is July 31 2012.
The General election is November 6, 2012.
In the meantime, I urge you to call and give Rahn the welcome he deserves. 404.656.6372.

A tale of two Bills & a Mosquito

A Tale of Two Bills and A Mosquito

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.

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.

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.

Here’s why it’s very important to care.

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?

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.

Now for the second bill.

Rep. Scott Holcomb’s HR 1335 thoughtfully addresses the flaws in the Republican sponsored bill and is a viable alternative to HR1162.

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.

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.

Yet, HR1335 cannot get a hearing on the floor of the Republican controlled legislature!

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.

What would you ask President Obama?





What would you ask President Obama?

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.

There is a range of ways to get involved with this year’s State of the Union address.

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.

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.

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!

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: 
 
WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU
 
Here’s the full lineup -- all times are ET. 
 
Tuesday

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.
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.


Wednesday Office Hours Schedule

All Day: Josh Earnest, Principal Deputy Press Secretary, answers your questions on Twitter (@jearnest44)
1:00 p.m.: Office Hours with Mark Zuckerman, Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council
3:00 p.m.: Office Hours with Dan Pfeiffer (@pfeiffer44), White House Communications Director


Thursday Office Hours Schedule

10:00 a.m. Veterans: Matt Flavin, White House Director of Veterans and Wounded Warrior Policy
11:00 a.m. LGBT: Miriam Vogel, White House Senior Policy Advisor and Gautam Raghavan, White House Associate Director for Public Engagement
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
1:00 p.m. Seniors: Jeanne Lambrew, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Policy and Nick Papas, Assistant Press Secretary
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
4:00 p.m. Small Business Owners: Christine Koronides, Senior Advisor for Economic Policy, National Economic Council
5:00 p.m. African Americans: Danielle Gray, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy
6:00 p.m. Asian American Pacific Islanders: Chris Lu, Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary
TBD Youth: Administration official to be announced


Friday Office Hours Schedule

11:00 a.m. Foreign Policy: Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting
12:00 p.m. Education: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President for Education Policy
1:00 p.m. Health: Jeanne Lambrew, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Policy and Nick Papas, Assistant Press Secretary
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
3:00 p.m. Consumer Protections: Brian Deese, Deputy Director National Economic Council
4:00 pm The Economy: Jason Furman, Principal Deputy Director National Economic Council
5:00 p.m. Job Opportunities: Portia Wu, Senior Policy Advisor for Mobility and Opportunity Policy
6:00 p.m. Urban Issues: Racquel Russell, Special Assistant to the President for Mobility and Opportunity


Monday January 30

President Obama participates in a Google+ Hangout from the White House