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Nathan Deal’s sound bite lately is that he is the “True Conservative” in the Georgia Republican race for Governor. A close look at his record in Congress says otherwise.

On April 10, 1995 Nathan Deal switched from the Democrat party to the Republican Party citing his fiscal conservatism and desire for limited government. Then Nathan Deal participated in the largest era ever of Republican drunken spending and expansion of government.

In 2001 he voted for $26.5 Billion for the “No Child Left Behind Act”.

In 2002 he voted for $100 Billion in farm subsidies (HR2646), another $16.6 Billion on welfare programs (HR4737), and another $350 Billion on Medicare Part D.

In 2007, he voted for $23 Billion for the “Head Start Program” and he voted for another expansion of Medicare (HR6331).

Nathan Deal puts his own interests ahead of yours. According to the U.S. House Office of Congressional Ethics, Deal attempted to interfere with the Georgia Dept. of Revenue as they considered revising the inspection program for salvage vehicles. Deal is joint owner of Gainesville Salvage & Disposal and participated in the Salvage Inspection Program from 1990 to August 2009.

His reasons, he says, for doing so is that using private inspectors would lead to unsafe vehicles on our roads. However, the DoR Commissioner asserts the inspector’s only role was to grant titles to salvaged cars “with a limited examination of the physical vehicle itself, to make proper title assessments” thus; their position was named ‘Salvage Title Inspectors’. This makes Deal’s excuse implausible.

In short, the DoR attempted to reduce the size and cost to the taxpayer and Rep. Deal sought to stop it. Although Deal was later cleared of violating any House ethics rules, the incident clearly reeks of impropriety and shows his lack of commitment to reducing the size of government.

In yet another ethics investigation Deal allegedly used gubernatorial campaign funds to pay more than $19,000 in legal fees for the above mentioned investigation. Certainly his contributors expected their donations would actually be used for his campaign, not to mention that not doing so is illegal.

Nathan Deal’s final selfish act was to announce resigning from his Congressional seat effective March 8, 2010 to focus on the Governor’s race (and in all likelihood to avoid the above mentioned ethics investigation). He didn’t seem to care he’d be giving up a vote against the massive health care legislation just two weeks later. At the time, every vote counted and it remained a tight race right up until the day of the vote when Bart Stupak and his ilk caved. Of course, Deal delayed his resignation but not without being inundated with calls from all over America asking him to stay and vote no on health care.

Nathan Deal proudly touts his Georgia Right To Life endorsement now, but just to set the records straight, he wasn’t always Pro-Life. In 1993 he voted for an Abortion Counseling Bill (HR 670) that provided over $500 million dollars in grants to family planning organizations including Planned Parenthood.

Nathan Deal’s record clearly shows he is certainly not a “True Conservative” so don’t expect that, as Governor of Georgia, he would do things any differently, namely spending your money and increasing the size of government.

(UPDATE): Apparently I’m ot the only one making the argument that Nathan Deal is not a true conservative. From this July 25th Washington Examiner article :

After attacking Handel’s abortion record, Deal is facing questions of his own 1993 vote as a Democrat in Congress to authorize $500 million in funding for Planned Parenthood.

…

University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said Deal’s 17-year-old vote weakens his argument that he’s the only true conservative. “Nathan”s out there saying there are chinks in my opponent’s armor, well look, now there’s a chink in his armor as well,” Bullock said.

(Emphasis mine.)

Hannity had a segment on his show tonight with Newt Gingrich whereby they discussed the NAACP allegations that the Tea Party is racist and also the newly discovered Breibart video of admitted racist Shirley Sherrod (formerly) of the USDA.

Newt’s suggestion for moving past all the talk of racism was for the local Tea Party members to reach out to local chapters of the NAACP in order to discuss things that matter to both groups such as jobs and the economy. This, he said, would give the black community a chance to see for themselves that they really have much more in common with the Tea Party than they realize.

Even when Sean made the astute argument that the NAACP claims were based on falsehoods, such as the “N-word” incident that never happened on Capitol Hill, and the fact there is simply is no evidence of racism in the Tea Party, Newt still insisted that, at the local level, it would be helpful for the Tea Party to reach out to the NAACP.

This is the flaw of Newt Gingrinch.

He would reach out to members of Congress who vehemently oppose our principles, who will lie, cheat, steal, and say anything to get their way.

Newt does not understand that the Progressives have no desire, nor will they ever, compromise in their thirst for power, their demand for a European Social Democracy, or their disgust for our Constitution.

Is there any instance, since taking the House in 2006 and the White House in 2008, when the Democrats/Progressives have EVER reached out to the Republican Party for an honest discussion or debate?

The answer is No. NEVER.

Whomever our next President is should consider returning the favor. But over and over again, Newt has proven that he would still reach across the aisle. And that is why I would NEVER vote for Newt Gingrich for President.

I am a federal employee. I was hired by the FAA in 1989 after (5 years in the US Navy) as an Air Traffic Controller (ATC). I currently work in an administrative capacity for a small group of about 25 technicians who travel all throughout the southeastern US region maintaining and repairing equipment vital to the function of the national airway system. This includes systems such as communication, radar, and navigational equipment that keep our nations commercial air carriers in the sky and allow ATC to do their job.

As part of my job, about a year ago I was issued a government credit card (GSA MasterCard) so that we may make real-time purchases used with money our organization has been allotted as part of the annual budget of the whole DOT/FAA.

Generally, I average between 4-6 purchases a month for very specialized purchases, such as tools or electronic test equipment, but sometimes also things like GPS navigation units and trailer hitches for our government vehicles, and occasionally even things like specialty sized envelopes and other unique office supplies that we made need. All items are only allowed to be purchased via a multilevel approval process. In other words, if I don’t have all the right signatures, I will get fired for using this credit card.

Recently, I made an authorized purchase from the GSA Global Supply (General Services Administration) for items that one of my technicians needed.

GSA Global Supply™ provides easy and flexible requisition-based ordering for access to approximately 400,000 tools, office supplies, computer products , safety gear, cleaning products and other items.

As with any website, I was required to open an online account and issued a user ID and password, just like with any website from which you might make a purchase. What I did not realize was that when I registered on the site I was automatically signed up to receive their annual GSA catalog of products. Kind of like a Sears catalog but not quite as big.

Today, along with probably tens of thousands of other government credit card holders, I received my first shiny brand new 2010 GSA Global Supply catalog… VIA PRIORITY USPS MAIL! They even had the audacity to include a packing slip that stated that I actually ordered it, which I did not, excepting the fact that I simply registered on their website.

Now, just to be clear on my outrage, GSA sent me and thousands of other government and military credit card holders who have made purchases from their website , VIA EXPENSIVE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE PRIORITY MAIL, a physical catalog that has all of the same items in it as their website has, that I did not conscientiously request.

The mailing label did not state a specific amount that was paid for the postage but according to USPS.gov, the rate for a priority mail 12-1/2″ x 9-1/2″ envelope is $4.90 EACH… to potentially tens of thousands of government credit card holders. Even if this went to only 10,000 other purchasers, that is still nearly half a million dollars… IN POSTAGE!

I immediately called the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Inspector General’s office and spent about 25 minutes on the phone filing a complaint. With that complaint I provided my full name and contact information even though I am not required to do so. Many of the tips they receive are anonymous.

The reason I am sharing this with you is not to toot my own horn. It is simply to let you know that there are at least some federal employees who are holding people accountable for your tax dollars. As a Tea Party protester who has objected strenuously to the lack of fiscal responsibility, I have a duty to act when I have the opportunity to do so when it comes to our tax dollars. Even though I’m a government employee, I pay taxes too and am equally as outraged as you are to see waste.

I’ll keep you updated if and when I learn of any results from the GAO investigation.

Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will file a lawsuit.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott posted this press release sometime after midnight on his official website:

Following the passage of the health care legislation, the Texas Attorney General provided the following statement:

“The federal health care legislation passed tonight violates the United States Constitution and unconstitutionally infringes upon Texans’ individual liberties. To protect all Texans’ constitutional rights, preserve the constitutional framework intended by our nation’s founders, and defend our state from further infringement by the federal government, the State of Texas and other states will legally challenge the federal health care legislation.”

Greg Abbott
Attorney General of Texas

And from Reuters:

“Republican attorneys general in 11 states warned that lawsuits will be filed to stop the federal government overstepping its constitutional powers and usurping states’ sovereignty.

States are concerned the burden of providing healthcare will fall on them without enough federal support.

Ten of the attorneys general plan to band together in a collective lawsuit on behalf of Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.

and…

“Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter signed a bill on Wednesday allowing the state’s attorney general to file a lawsuit opposing federal healthcare legislation that would require individuals to buy medical insurance.

I just spoke to the office of Georgia AG Thurbert Baker and the woman said that no action is being taken in the matter of a suit over the health care bill. Frankly, she sounded like she could care less about what I thought. She did, however, say that they were making a note of the calls they were receiving on the issue.

So, I called Gov. Perdue’s office and the woman there said it would be up to the AG to make the decision. I find that hard to believe that the Governor would not have a say in the matter.

I encourage all Georgians to call the offices of AG Thurbert Baker and Governor Perdue and let their thoughts be known and then ask others to do the same.

Attorney General: 404-656-3300

Governor Perdue: 404-656-1776

UPDATED 3/23/2010

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue posted this letter yesterday again asking Attorney General Thurbert Baker to join in the States law suits declaring Obamacare as unconstitutional. In part it reads:

“I am today renewing my December request to the Attorney General that he join other states in reviewing the constitutionality of this travesty. My office has already begun to review any and all legal options to challenge this legislation.

…

“Since this bill has such a significant impact on future state budgets, it is imperative that current candidates for elected office publicly state their plans to either support the Obama-Pelosi legislation or fight for the people of Georgia.”

Baker is a Democrat running for GA governor and this exposes him as unwilling to uphold the law; no doubt the Constitution which is the HIGHEST law of the land.

I hope the GA GOP will make every effort to expose Baker for his unwillingness to protect the citizens of Georgia from this federal breach of the Constitution. He is the highest law enforcer in the state and yet refuses to do so to protect his socialist agenda.

Tea Party Patriots is already in the process of planning another surge on Capitol Hill this Saturday called Operation Urgent Care. The tentative plans to meet Saturday March 20th at 10am at the East Lawn of the Capitol (East Capitol Circle, same side of the Capitol as the Supreme Court Building).

. From their email today:

“Many people are emailing us requesting we be available in DC on Saturday, March 20.  For that reason we will be back in DC on Capitol Hill Saturday, March 20 at 10:00 am, we are asking for those who can come to DC, to come back. We will have a brief rally and then divide up to go walk the halls of Congress.  Before the House vote on government takeover of health care in November, there are lots of government health care advocates walking the halls of Congress keeping track of how the Congressmen would vote. We are asking you to do the same. You are the ordinary citizen not a lobbyist or other special interest. They are elected to represent you.  They need to be reminded one last time who you are and why you do not want this bill to pass.”

So far I haven’t seen anything on their official website yet but more details are expected tomorrow and they do have a website set up where you can RSVP for Saturday.

This weekend may be our last chance to have our voices heard and I believe it’s crucial that every able body that can get to DC on Saturday should try and do so. Can you imagine if 100,000 people or more showed up the impact it would have on the vote, which will likely be on Sunday?

I’m planning on leaving Georgia Friday after work and driving back immediately on Saturday afternoon. It will be a long, tiresome, 10 hour drive and I will spend money that I really can’t afford. But, my 5th great grandfather, William Cotanch of Sussex County, NJ, fought in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, and spent that horrible winter with the American Army at Valley Forge, so I figure I’ve got it easy compared to him.

I hope at least of few other Patriots will consider making this one last sacrifice to try and stop this takeover.

UPDATE:

Via The Other McCain Featured speakers at the Washington, D.C. Rally on Saturday will include:

Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann (MN)
Congressman Tom Price (GA)
Congressman Joe Wilson (SC)
Actor & Conservative John Voight
Dr. Milton Wolf, Barack Obama’s second cousin who opposes Obamacare
Colin Hanna, Let Freedom Ring
Jim Martin, 60 Plus
Phil Kerpen, Americans for Prosperity
Andrew Langer, Institute for Liberty
Kathryn Serkes, Doctor Patient Medical Association
Mark Skoda, Memphis Tea Party
Amy Kremer, Tea Party Express
Jennifer Hulsey, American Grassroots Coalition
FreedomWorks Representative
Ben Cunningham, Founder of the Tennessee Tax Revolt

Conservative radio host and blogger Dana Loesch just tweeted that she just received a memo dated today written by Doug Thornell, one of Pelosi’s aides, in preparation for the massive rallies taking place tomorrow. Dana highlights the relevant absurd parts:

“As many of you have read, tomorrow, Tuesday, March 16, 2010, tens of thousands of conservative and Tea Party activists will be on the Hill as part of what they are dubbing a “Surge Against Obamacare.” Rick Scott, a multimillionaire investor and former hospital executive, is helping to lead the grassroots effort along with a number of other groups on the right like Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks.”

This is obviously a blatant lie. I’ve been a Tea Party protester since the very first one last February and I’ve never even heard of Rick Scott. But wait. It get’s better:

Many of the conservative activists are not opposing the actual provisions in the bill, but are instead reacting to a caricature of the reform bill presented by right-wing media outlets.

I’d like to go ahead and state for the record that I OPPOSE THE ACTUAL BILL and not whatever it is they think the media has caricaturized it to be. If the media has influenced anyone about it, then everyone would love this Bill based on the way they’ve praised and supported it.

I called the author of this memo just now and left him a polite voice mail asking him to please go back and make the necessary corrections – that Rick Scott (whoever that is…) has nothing to do with the Tea Party movement, and that we do, in fact, oppose the actual bill.

His office phone number is (202)-225-0247 and his cell phone is (202)-579-0333 if you would like to do the same.

Hell hath no fury like that of a voter scorned.

Apparently, the grassroots arm of the Scott Brown campaign known as the “Brown Brigade” didn’t take too kindly to criticisms of Representative Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) when he called Scott Browns campaign “a joke”.

In response, they’ve begun a coordinated effort to unseat Kennedy by throwing their newly acquired activism skills behind the opposing Republican candidate John J Loughlin III, a three-term RI state representative. Hmmm, sound familiar?

Using the Brown Brigade social networking website, a new group was created toward this effort which signed up 16 recruits on the just the first day:

“So Patrick Kennedy thinks he can call Scott Browns campaign a “joke”? Republican John J. Loughlin is a strong candidate opposing Kennedy in Rhode Island. High level Scott Brown advisers are running his campaign.”

And, it seems Professor William A. Jacobson of Legal Insurrection notoriety (and a Rhode Island native) enjoyed his time chronicling the Scott Brown campaign so much that he, too, has made a commitment to help send “Patches” Kennedy packing.

“In the wake of the victory by Scott Brown, I wondered what my next project(s) would be at this blog, What Should I Do After The Election? Now I know: Patrick Kennedy must go.”

Professor Jacobson points us toward a recent poll saying Kennedy could be vulnerable. And, the Professor’s insights into the arrogance and nasty demeanor of Rep. Kennedy should compel us all to work to return this Congressional seat to the people rather allowing it to become another “Kennedy Seat”.

Additionally, so excited to hear of Professor Jacobson new project, the awesome boyz over at HillBuzz.com are also driven to drive the last remaining Kennedy from office:

“Can you even imagine it? A United States Congress with NO KENNEDYS in it? A dream whose time has come. Change we can believe in!

Heh. It looks to me like the joke is on Patrick.

Apparently, Martha Coakley, the Democratic candidate in the upcoming Massachusetts special election to fill Ted Kennedy’s senate seat, is in it to save our souls.

In a speech she gave on November 13, 2009 to the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization  (GBIO) she opined the following :

“I think it’s a part of all of our responsibilities in civic life to do a little bit of that saving of souls, too, and some of these questions are about what Washington can and should do about leveling the playing field and making things fairer for folks.”

She begins speaking at 3:20 in the video clip by dutifully slamming the wealthy corporations who got bailed out at taxpayers expense with no strings attached and follows with the above quote at the 5:13 mark.

She then goes on to blame all the evil, predatory banks for all of the foreclosures because people didn’t understand what they were getting into. Next, she talks about the great health insurance system in MA that she admits costs too much, but in the next breath she says she’ll support the (expensive) public option if she goes to Washington.

Lastly, $100 million for a jobs creation program, money for gov’t student loans, and lower credit card interest rates are all on her to-do list when she gets elected. All in the name of “leveling the playing field” and the “saving of souls”.

My soul is fine. I’d rather she save my money.

You can donate to Scott Brown here.

Update: Get involved through the national phone bank. People all across the country can contact Brad at brad@brownforussenate.com or call 509-595-4683 to have information emailed to you to get you started phone banking for Scott Brown.

Update II: I’ve posted a shorter clip on YouTube of Coakley’s money quote here.

I’ll tell you what, I think the main reason Chuck Devore has done as well as he has so far is precisely because of his ability to utilize social networking and new media.

My sister and brother both live in Sacramento I discovered DeVore’s Facebook page via their feeds when his campaign was just getting off the ground. I’ve been contributing ever since as I am able to do so.

Now, Devore has developed an iPhone app!  It tells you all about him and his campaign, including events and the latest news, his bio, photos and videos, even his twitter feed.

I haven’t played with it too much yet, but you can create your own account and input information about yourself and there is a survey asking if you’d like to volunteer or put up a yard sign or donate.

This is absolutely awesome and I just love how outside the box he thinks.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/devore4ca/id347078127?mt=8

On Tuesday morning, January 5^th at 9:00 a.m., while most of us are working and unable to attend, the Henry County Board of Commissioners will hold a meeting to vote on a $14 million resolution to construct, operate and maintain a “community-owned” Fiber Optic Broadband Network. In other words, they want to become an Internet Service Provider and they want you to pay for it.

Chairman B.J. Mathis touts this as a cost-saving measure that would rid our schools and other county government offices of the data-connectivity costs of doing business with private sector providers such as AT&T and Charter.

In addition, the County owned fiber network would, says the BOC, also have the capability to serve small and large businesses in Henry County, where there are currently no direct fiber options available to our business community.

But history shows that municipally owned telecommunications systems ultimately become a ball and chain to their taxpayers. This will be no different in Henry County and will leave taxpayers on the hook for years to come.

Misuse of The Stimulus Act

Just to be clear, the $14 million price tag is a conservative estimate according to the feasibility study commissioned by the BOC in September. And, they say the project to lay 180 miles of fiber optic lines over a two year period will be paid for using funds from the Stimulus Act, but not before they illegally put taxpayers on the hook for it with bonded debt first.

The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act set aside $7.2 billion to bridge the digital divide and provide poor citizens with online access. It is intended for projects that establish broadband service for the first time to “unserved” area and to enhance services in “under-served” rural areas. Henry County is neither of those.

In a related op-ed that ran in March of 2009 in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Philadelphia city councilman Frank Rizzo warned this of municipal broadband experiments:

“If federal policymakers now allow the stimulus funds to be used on highly experimental and speculative taxpayer-financed municipal networks – particularly where there already is broadband service and where the municipal networks thereby face daunting economics – they will be inviting the kind of pork and waste that President Obama has forsworn.”

He should know. After running 30% over budget on a 2005 project, Philadelphia had struggled to get their system in place while the private sector forged ahead with innovation; in three short years the entire project was out of date. A group of private investors completed the project with the help of some non-profit organizations.

And, just in case the BOC hasn’t been paying attention to the Tea Party protests, the stimulus spending is borrowed and printed money that our children and grandchildren will be burdened with repaying. So, why don’t we just not spend it to begin with, instead of pretending that it’s free money given to us by the federal government.

Track Record of Failure

According to a March 2009 policy paper by Americans For Prosperity (AFP) titled “Municipal Broadband’s Record of Failure” the results of recent projects that have already been undertaken, almost without exception, have been overwhelmingly negative.

In addition to Philadelphia, similar projects in Chicago and Houston have failed because private internet service providers were already effectively serving the area. And, says AFP, smaller cities, too, have made the mistake of underestimating telecommunications cost and competition.

• Lompoc, CA signed up only 281 customers for their municipally owned wireless network after estimating they’d need at least 4,000 to break even. In the mean time the taxpayers are having to subsidize its operation.
• Ashland, OR incurred a $15.5 million dollar deficit when it folded its cable TV business.
• St. Cloud, FL taxpayers opted to pay higher fees to private providers rather than put up with government mismanagement of their wireless network.

Apparently, Chairman Mathis thinks things would be different here in Henry County.

Free Market Competition

Right out of the box there simply will not be enough subscribers (residential and business) to pay for the network because high quality, low cost, free market services are already available in this area. These include Clear, AT&T, Charter, and Comcast to name a few.

While these companies continue to innovate, develop and upgrade equipment and services to meet consumer needs, I don’t see any of them rushing into Henry County to lay fiber optic cable. The Henry BOC, however, claims a supposed demand exists for it simply because one Fortune 500 company decided they couldn’t locate here without it.

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a non-partisan think tank whose mission is to formulate and promote public policies to advance technological innovation and productivity, in March of 2009 had this to say about municipal broadband projects (page 17):

“The promise of affordable, ubiquitous fiber broadband service and the potential economic development opportunities that come with it are so enticing that a number of cities are considering the municipal fiber route. But despite the promises of municipal fiber, the actual success rate of these community fiber projects has been lukewarm at best and in many cases a failure at worst.”

They go on to say DSL and cable technologies have yet to reach their ceiling performance, which when increased incrementally based on market demands, is more cost-efficient.

So, as I see it, if the county can’t keep up with these innovations it makes them a poor competitors. But, if the investments are made, the cost of sustaining this massive project will necessarily need to be subsidized with other tax dollars. This might be in the form of higher water or other utility costs or another rise in property, sales, or some other tax. That, by definition, is a form of wealth distribution.

This project will start out in debt and remain that way indefinitely. I urge all Henry County citizens to contact the Board of Commissioners and voice their opposition to this wasteful experiment.