I support Casey Cagle for Governor
Election 2018, Letters to Editor July 23, 2018
On July 24th – it is vitally important that we cast our ballots for a strong leader who is prepared to be our state’s next CEO. As your state Senator, I want you to know that I’m 100% behind Casey Cagle for governor. I have served with him for 8 years in the Senate now and I am confident that he is the best choice on the ballot.
Casey is a proven, consistent leader who has always delivered for our state – as well as our community and North Georgia. Due to his leadership as Lt. Governor, Georgia has been named the number one state to do business for five straight years, and we’ve added nearly 700,000 jobs and 40,000 new businesses. This year, Casey was the leader who fought to deliver the largest tax cut in Georgia history.
Casey has also led to advance nationally renowned education reform measures – including the Charter Systems Act, College and Career Academy Network, and GA CATT apprenticeship program – which have been integral in transforming Georgia’s one-size-fits-all education system into a revolutionary model that puts students first. Not every student needs to get a four year liberal arts degree to be successful, and Casey is leading to prioritize workforce development so that all Georgia’s students graduate from high school with post-secondary experience or technical training that gives them the skills to attain rewarding careers.
Casey has stood up for our conservative principles his entire career. He has led to outlaw and defund sanctuary cities in Georgia, expand gun rights (earning him an A+ rating from the NRA), protect innocent life (earning him the Champion for Life award from the Georgia Life Alliance), and reform our adoption/foster care system to give faith-based organizations more opportunities to help children find loving homes.
Please join me in supporting Casey Cagle and voting to elect him as our next Governor on July 24th. I have been honored to serve as your Senator and I look forward to working with the next Governor to continue the progress we have made.
Steve Gooch
State Senator
District 51
Kemp trumps Cagle : I see your Governor and I raise you a President
Election 2018, Politics July 18, 2018
Blue Ridge, Ga. – What has come down to a battle of endorsements over the last two weeks has played out with some big name backers. Secretary of State Brian Kemp landed perhaps the largest endorsement of all as President Donald Trump tweeted out his support of the Georgia gubernatorial hopeful.
Kemp’s campaign announced recently the backing of several Republican opponents from the May Primary. Among those to officially announce their support were Michael Williams, Clay Tippins, and Hunter Hill.
Opponent in the gubernatorial runoff, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, was unable to receive any backing from Republican challengers that were faced earlier this year.
Cagle did however land some big name endorsements recently as he continues his campaign. While holding the title of the only Georgia candidate in the governor’s race to be backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), Cagle drove this message home as the President Elect of the NRA, retired Lt. Colonel Oliver North, hit the trail with Cagle to show his personal support of the candidate.
Cagle’s big name endorsements didn’t stop there. Earlier this week current Georgia Governor Nathan Deal also personally endorsed Cagle to be his replacement.
Although it seemed that the cards had become stacked in Cagle’s favor, Kemp showed his final hand and delivered a fourth ace by officially getting an endorsement from the President of the United States Donald Trump.
With less than a week left in the runoff, it seems that Cagle will be unable to top Kemp’s latest move.
Follow FetchYourNews for the latest election information and Cagle’s thoughts on Kemp’s latest round of endorsements.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
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Georgia Can’t Trust A Liar Like Geoff Duncan – Details on Geoff Duncan’s Lies
Featured, Politics July 16, 2018
Geoff Duncan is lying about David Shafer. Every day, he is pushing a new lie to try and deceive Georgia Republicans. Don’t be fooled — Duncan will say and do anything to get elected. See below why we can’t trust a liar like Geoff Duncan.
Lie #1
Duncan maliciously lies, saying Shafer is being sued for conspiracy.
THE TRUTH:
The newspaper headline in the Duncan advertisement (“Candidate accused of conspiracy in CEO’s ouster”) refers to a lawsuit filed against another candidate, former gubernatorial candidate Clay Tippins.
Shafer is not named as a defendant or accused of wrongdoing in the Tippins lawsuit. In fact, David Shafer has never been named as defendant in any lawsuit.
Lie #2
Duncan lies by accusing David Shafer of not paying taxes.
THE TRUTH:
Shafer’s tax dispute was resolved in his favor and the tax lien issued against him was marked “issued in error and withdrawn.”
Lie #3
Duncan lies, claiming Shafer used political power to end an ethics investigation.
THE TRUTH:
David Shafer was completely exonerated by a two month, bipartisan ethics investigation.
Shafer cooperated fully. He sat for two interviews and produced 10 years of email and telephone records.
The independent counsel hired by the Ethics Committee to investigate the complaint determined that the allegations had been “fabricated” and were “politically motivated.”
Lie #4
Duncan falsely accuses Shafer of getting rich as a State Senator.
THE TRUTH:
David Shafer has worked his entire life. He opened his first bank account at age 8 with money saved from mowing lawns. He worked as a church janitor at age 13 and a restaurant busboy at age 16. He worked his way through college as a department store sales clerk. After college, he earned his real estate license and invested in real estate and he has invested in and started numerous businesses. Shafer is proud of his business success.
Georgia Can’t Trust A Liar Like Geoff Duncan.
Sign up now for more updates at Deceptive Duncan
Cagle campaign brings out the big guns
Election 2018, Politics July 16, 2018
Lt. Colonel Oliver North was met by large crowds as he hit the campaign trail supporting Casey Cagle in becoming Georgia’s next Governor.
Gainesville, Ga. – “There’s only one candidate who’s been endorsed. There’s only one candidate for Governor’s office who actually meets the standard of what we need and that’s Casey Cagle,” retired Lt. Colonel Oliver North enthusiastically spoke to the large crowd gathered in Gainesville, Ga. this weekend.
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle has been the center of controversy for several weeks after the release of a secret recording in which Cagle speaks candidly to former gubernatorial candidate Clay Tippins about politics over policy.
Regardless of this recent smear on Cagle’s bid to be Georgia’s next Governor, one fact remains and cannot be disputed, Cagle is the only candidate for governor in Ga. to receive the coveted endorsement from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
With this point being perhaps one of the largest differences between Cagle and his opponent, Brian Kemp, Cagle’s campaign decided it was time to bring out the “big guns”.
President elect of the NRA, North, hit the campaign trail with Cagle on July 14 making three stops across the state to share with constituents why Cagle is the only candidate that will uphold the values of the NRA.
“I’m here because there is only one candidate for governor who has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association,” North said explaining his stance on Georgia’s heated gubernatorial race.
According to North, Cagle has “sterling record as supporter of the Second Amendment”. North went on to say that Cagle “is going to make sure that your gun rights and others are going to be defended when he’s in office as your Governor.”
Doting on Cagle’s record of fighting for the rights of gun owners in Ga., North also brought attention to Cagle’s support of firearms manufacturing and the jobs that have created in this field.
“He’s created the best, pushed through the best legislation, I think, in the country for giving you the right to defend yourselves,” North was met with cheers from the large crowd as he presented Cagle’s record on the Second Amendment.
North added, “I’m just reassured by what he’s already done, and what he’s committed to do.”
Constituents also got a peek into the private life of North as he shared personal stories of how the fight to defend the Second Amendment hits close to home threatening a long standing family tradition.
Casey Cagle with wife Nita stand beside North as he addresses the crowd.
North, grandfather to 17 grandchildren, shared this tradition, “I get to give them a present. The only present I get to give them. Everything else comes from Betsy (wife) and me.”
This present given by North when each child turns 14 is a box containing three items, a Bible, a map and compass, and a 20 gauge shotgun.
North labels each box with “There are three things in this box that you have got to learn how to use, and if you do learn to use all three things, you’ll never go hungry, you’ll never be lost and you need fear nothing, but you have to learn to use all three.”
Each child is then told to read Proverbs, one Proverb per day for a month. After this task is completed and understood, North teaches the children how to use the compass and map. The final item that the child can then master is the use of the shotgun.
North told of how each child must learn to take apart, put together and clean the firearm before they can tackle the task of learning to shoot.
A bonding experience for a grandfather and a grandchild, one which his family holds dear, North joked, “The kids call me by my first name…Colonel.”
But according to North this tradition is threatened and he pointed to the fact that a couple of states have already passed laws where it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to possess or purchase a firearm.
Speaking of Virginia, the Lt. Colonel’s current state of residence, North said, “If that happens in Virginia, you know where I’m moving? I’m moving right here.”
North concluded his endorsement with a request, “I want each one of you, if you would please, go out and find a family member and a co-worker and a neighbor and a friend. So now you’re talking four of each one that you know that’s not here today and get them to the polls on the 24th of July so that this man….”.
Upon saying this North turned to Cagle and was drowned out by cheers from the audience.
Cagle briefly shared his thoughts on North’s personal endorsement: “I just value, not only what he has done in his life but also what he is doing by standing up for the Second Amendment.”
Referring to North as a good friend and speaking of the encouragement that North has given him, Cagle simply added, “This man is a real patriot.”
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
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Kemp Chooses the High Road After Cagle Fires False Runoff Attacks
Feature News, FYNTV, News, Politics, State & National June 7, 2018
Exclusive Interview this morning on FYNtv.com with Candidate for Governor Brian Kemp, and where he stands on the attacks of the Cagle Campaign, against him.
Join us on #GMFTO every weekday starting at 8AM! We will be featuring Fetch Your News FYNTV.com TV personality #BKP and his political opinion, and #AnythingGoes ! Have a question, comment, or want to be on the show? Call or text 706-889-9700 !
Cagle attacks Kemp in ad saying he owes millions
Election 2018, Politics May 31, 2018
BLUE RIDGE, Ga. – “Brian Kemp. Incompetent. Untrustworthy.” Lt. Governor Casey Cagle takes aim at Secretary of State Brian Kemp as Georgia’s Gubernatorial Race heats up in a runoff between the two candidates.
Kemp does not deny his involvement in the company in question, Hart AgStrong, but contends that Cagle is distorting the facts to present a false representation of Kemp’s values and abilities.
“Desperate politicians like Casey Cagle say the dumbest, most ignorant things when they see power and prestige slipping through their fingers,” Ryan Mahoney, Campaign Manager for Brian Kemp, stated about the new ad.
Hart AgStrong began operations as a small canola crushing facility in Bowersville, Ga., in 2009. In 2014 the company expanded and built a second plant in Kentucky.
According to an article from The Progressive Farmer this move to Kentucky was met with the company receiving a $450,000 tax incentive for job creation from the Kentucky Business Investment Program.
The article goes on to say, “More than three years later, Hart AgStrong’s license to buy grain directly from farmers has been suspended in Kentucky because the small crushing company still owes farmers roughly $2.5 million on what they were supposed to receive on last year’s crop that was delivered to the Trenton crush facility.”
Kemp remains steadfast in the fact that he is merely an investor in Hart AgStrong, as well as several other small companies, and has never been involved in the company’s day-to-day operations.
According to a press release from Kemp’s campaign, “Since investing in Hart AgStrong, the company has experienced highs and lows – just like many small businesses through Georgia.”
There is acknowledgement that these debts are due and Hart AgStrong’s CFO wrote letters to farmers in 2016 explaining issues causing the delayed payments. The letter apologized and stated that the company was working to correct the situation.
As of March 2017, farmers had still not received restitution.
The ad released by Cagle further stated that Kemp was in default on $700,000 in loans that he and other investors personally guaranteed.
According to an article on Politically Georgia two lawsuits have been filed in this matter. Mattaniah Limited Partnership, a Florida-based investment firm, said in a federal lawsuit that it loaned nearly $280,000 to Hart AgStrong in April 2014. The borrowers failed to pay a quarterly payment in September 2015 and have been in default since December 2015.
A second complaint was filed by RLP Investments in Stephens County Superior Court. The company claims to have loaned $500,000 to Kemp and a business partner in 2016, and is seeking repayment of the full amount plus interest.
According to the Kemp campaign one of these suits has recently been settled.
“Brian Kemp started his first business over thirty years ago with a pick-up truck and a shovel. Since then, he has invested in start-ups throughout our state that have created jobs for hundreds of hardworking Georgians,” Kemp Campaign manager Mahoney says of Kemp’s record.
Mahoney adds, “While Kemp was contributing to the local economy, Casey Cagle was flying high on state airplanes, cruising around to campaign events with his state car and State Trooper, and billing taxpayers for his extravagant lifestyle.”
Cagle’s Campaign manager Scott Binkley says, “Brian Kemp can’t run on his record during his two decades as a politician and he can’t run on his record in business, so he’s built a campaign on gimmicks.”
“He can get away with recklessly destroying his daughters’ dating prospects,” Binkley said expanding on the need in airing the new ad, “but we can’t let him get away with hiding his career of incompetence from Georgia voters. We’re going to set the record straight on InKempetence.”
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
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FYNTV.com Georgia State House Representative District 8 Debate
Community, Election, Election 2018, FYNTV, Politics, State & National May 15, 2018
Georgia State House Representative District 8 Debate with the Incumbent Matt Gurtler vs. Candidate Mickey Cummings.
Join us on Good Morning from the Office every weekday starting at 8AM! We will be featuring Fetch Your News FYNTV.com TV personality BKP and his political opinion, and anything goes!
Have a question, comment, or want to be on the show? Call or text 706-889-9700.
Hunter Hill visits Ellijay
Election 2018 May 4, 2018
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Continuing his campaign for Governor, Hunter Hill made a stop in Ellijay on May 2 to speak with local citizens about his plans for the office if elected.
Hill spoke to local citizens over breakfast at Mike’s Ellijay Restaurant on Highway 282.
Arriving at 8 a.m., Governor Candidate Hunter Hill steps off his bus to meet citizens at Mike’s Ellijay Restaurant.
Hill is a former Army Ranger who has been in the State Senate for five years now. After resigning his seat in August to run for Governor, Hill has been focusing on his vision for Georgia and spreading that message to rally voters. Today, he spoke with citizens in Ellijay about the ideals for “less government, less taxes, and more freedom.”
With “career politicians,” as Hill noted, in office, it is an undermining of our values as a nation. He called out those politicians saying they were not even willing to risk their next election to uphold their oath.
Focusing more specifically on the recent issue of sanctuary cities. Adamantly against the topic, Hill said, “If a city or county in this state were to claim itself a sanctuary city, they would not receive a nickel of state funding.”
After his speech, Hunter Hill paused to answer questions from citizens attending his breakfast meet and greet.
His second point on his vision for the office reiterated his opinions and intention to eliminate the state income tax. With bordering states already without an income tax, the competitive disadvantage is hurting our state, according to Hill. He went on to say replacing the income tax with a consumption tax setup would alleviate the tax burden from honest Georgians and redistribute that to everyone including visitors to the state and even those making money in illegal ways. Hill stated, “A broad-based consumption tax allows us to have more people that we’re bringing money in from, which allows us to do so at lower rates.”
On a personal note, Hill mentioned his faith pushed him to focus not only on the points of pro-life, pro-second amendment, and also religious liberty. FYN asked Hill if he would be seeking a “Faith Restoration Act” in his first year to which he replied, “Very good chance of that, yeah.”
Hill did confirm that he wanted to pursue faith-based adoption as a part of it saying, “We’ve got to protect our faith-based adoption agencies. We’ve just got to do it. A lot of the reasons that faith-based adoption agencies get involved is to be helpful in congruence with their faith. If you don’t protect their ability to do it in congruence with their faith, then they will just stop doing it altogether.”
Meeting with Gilmer residents for breakfast allowed Hunter Hill a chance to meet and speak with local citizens about issues and his vision for the Governor’s Office.
Protecting people of faith and their ability to live and work based on that faith was a focus of Hill’s speech about the governor’s office, but also on his words about his future view of the state. He noted after winning on key policy issues aligned with our values and principals, he wanted to remind senators and house members of the values and principals that they were elected for, providing a singular vision to move forward under.
“Fighting for the people of Georgia” is what he says his focus is as Hill says he sees polls with him ahead of Kemp and closing in on Cagle. Separating himself, Hill says he’s not the career politician like Cagle and is very different than Kemp on issues like the income tax and limited government. But when comparing, Hill said he wanted to focus on his campaign and his vision to protect liberties and endorsements like the Georgia Right to Life to be a different candidate.
While most of those present were already Hill supporters like retired Gilmer county citizen, George Winn, who said he’s been a Hill supporter “all the way.” Based upon his stances as a military, Christian conservative who is a believable and trustworthy conservative.
Others like Ken Bailey find themselves supporting Hill as the best candidate. Following the campaign because “Hunter is not a politician. He is a fresh, young face and not a part of the established system, which needs to be broken up I think. I think he’s got good ideas. We don’t need to have a state income tax, that puts a handicap on us.” Bailey went on to say that he liked some of the other candidates and even knew some personally, but felt Hill was the best choice.
He also commented his appreciation of the choice in the election. With fine candidates available, Bailey said its great to not have to pick the best of a bad selection.
Hill continues his bus tour across Georgia with his final stop at the Cobb GOP Headquarters in Marietta on Saturday afternoon, May 2.
Casey Cagle’s Reprehensible Acts, The Michael Williams Press Conference that missed the Target
Featured, Politics July 18, 2017
“The Die Has Been Cast”
Swing and a miss, strike two. State Senator Michael Williams now has two strikes against him with the media in his quest to be the next Governor of Georgia.
Williams’ first strike was at the State GOP convention when he announced in a speech that a member from Lt. Governor Casey Cagle’s campaign team approached him backstage and offered him a deal to get out of the Governor’s race. In his speech at the GOP convention Williams claimed in front of 1500 people that he was offered the Chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee if he would get out of the race. He never named the individual with Cagle’s team who made the offer in the backroom deal. An accusation with no name leaving the media hanging. Strike one.
Williams’ press conference last Thursday at the Capitol was strike two.
Williams sent out an invite last Wednesday announcing a press conference he would be holding at the Capitol Thursday afternoon. The invitation stated he would be revealing the reprehensible acts of Lt. Governor Casey Cagle.
The press conference was scheduled for 2PM and Williams was 30 minutes late. The press conference only lasted twelve minutes. I attended this press conference and from memory the only thing I got out of it was ‘campaign Casey, a member of Casey Cagle’s team, offered him a committee chairmanship to get out of the race. Angered that Cagle may have out maneuvered him on minimum wage for Sheriff deputies, Willams directly asked Cagle to get out of the race and something about “tying shoes”.
The media pressed Williams to give the name of who from Cagle’s team offered him the chairmanship. Williams’ only response was, ‘not at this time.’ I asked him the final question of the press conference, “did you not say that it was a member of Cagle’s team?” Williams said, “correct.” And I asked, “and you’re not prepared to give us who that is”? Williams: “no”. Williams then told everyone to have a nice day and walked off taking no more questions.
Williams held up a copy of SB 254 entitled: Minimum annual salary for each deputy appointed by each Sheriff; provide; Local Law Enforcement Officer Compensation Commission.
Senators Greg Kirk and Josh McKoon co-sponsored the bill along with Williams. Williams claims that Cagle is the reason the bill went nowhere during the past legislative session. Maybe Williams thought this would be his strongest campaign issue. This could show he is the true friend of law enforcement in the campaign.
In May Cagle announced along with Greg Kirk the Compensation of Police and Sheriffs Task Force. Statement released by the Lt. Governor’s office, “The service and dedication of our law enforcement officials is nothing short of heroic,” said Lt. Governor Cagle. “We must make every effort to ensure local compensation packages are both competitive and fair to those who protect and serve. COPS will help local governments identify ways to maximize their support for the men and women who bravely protect our communities and neighborhoods.”
Kirk, one of Williams’ co-sponsors gone and with the other Josh McKoon running for Secretary of State he may not have any backup concerning his claim that Cagle killed the bill.
Recently Cagle commented about a possible sheriff deputy minimum wage. He has not gone into any detail though.
This week is the Sheriffs’ Association’s Summer Conference where each candidate will get a chance to address the Association.
Brian Kemp, Hunter Hill, Michael Williams and Casey Cagle will have their chance to make their pitch. You can forget this week which one is the true conservative, cause this week all you will hear is ‘I am the true friend of law enforcement’, {no} ‘I’m the true friend of law enforcement,’ {no} ……
My suspicion is that the Sheriffs’ Association will support whomever they think will be best able to get something done for them when it comes to minimum wage for deputies. If that turns out to be Cagle then that may mean Williams has been totally out maneuvered on the issue and SB 254 could turn out to be, as a campaign issue for Williams, no more than good initiative/poor judgment.
You can understand Williams’ frustration. If Cagle gets almost every Sheriff in the state to actively campaign for him that is big. Really big. Maybe that is the ‘reprehensible’ act.
But, Williams’ shoe tying comment directed toward Casey Cagle was a ‘low blow’ no pun intended. Williams experienced several personal attacks especially during his first State Senate race. The rumors are already flying and emails being sent concerning Williams’ past. Maybe Williams’ comment was a subtle warning not to go personal. It’s disappointing this early in the campaign that things are taking a dirty turn rather than staying focused on the issues.
The voters of Georgia may want to hear about issues like casino gambling, rural economic development, tax reform, healthcare, infrastructure…… not who can tie their own shoes.
I feel Williams’ gets one more strike with the media. I can only speak for myself. If he calls another press conference I will attend. Williams has to make good on his claims of reprehensible acts by Cagle soon or that will be strike three and he will lose his credibility. It’s a long time until election day and Williams will need the media to take him serious to help get his message out.
Kemp and Hill have not commented on the Williams’ attacks of Casey Cagle. They both seem to be able to keep their campaigns focused on the issues and not the dirt for the time being. Odds are they will have to join the mud pit before the race is over.
Michael Williams was the first Georgia politician holding a state office to support Donald Trump for President. Williams is attempting to run a Donald Trump-style campaign. There’s only one problem, he is not Donald Trump.
Trump never held public office. He had no legislative voting track record. He could run against Washington D.C. and the Media.
Williams has a State Senate voting record. During his first two years in the State Senate his voting record looks like he was working well with the Republican Establishment. His third year looks more like someone preparing to run for governor.
I am not questioning Williams’ conservative credentials, just the direction his campaign is headed. If you going to demand Casey Cagle get out of the race, it’s time to give the reason why with the facts.
Warming Up for the Home Stretch
Politics, State & National March 12, 2018
By: Sen. Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega)
Week nine had a slower pace when compared to the legislating marathon of the last few weeks. The Senate passed 11 pieces of legislation this week and held several committee meetings to hear bills, most of which originated in the House. Now that we are passed the Crossover Day mark and through Legislative Day 32, we have hit the home stretch leading up to Sine Die.
Of the 11 pieces of legislation passed this week, the most significant was House Bill 683, which is the supplemental appropriations budget for the 2018 Fiscal Year. The amended version of the House bill was passed by the Senate on Monday and signed into law by Governor Deal on Friday. While we may have completed the budget process for the 2018 Fiscal Year, we wasted no time getting to work on the 2019 Fiscal Year budget. During week nine, the Senate Appropriations Committee held subcommittee hearings where state agencies, organizations and institutions presented their budget requests. In addition to my role as the Senate Majority Whip, I serve as the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation. It is always beneficial and important to hear how we can improve transportation in the state by allocating necessary funds.
Of the bills passed on the Senate floor this week, I believe House Bill 354 will have the biggest impact on transportation. The bill reconstitutes the Georgia International and Maritime Trade Center Authority (GIMTCA) as a public corporation and an instrumentality of the state. Located in Savannah, where the Port of Savannah continues to grow by the year, GIMTCA aims to bring increased economic growth to the state’s import and export markets.
I am also happy to announce that House Bill 159, the “Adoption Bill,” was signed into law by Governor Deal on Monday. HB 159 is a much needed update to Georgia’s adoption laws and is the first of its kind in nearly 30 years. The bill will allow more children in foster care to be adopted into caring homes, extend the list of family members who can undertake legal guardianship and give parents in difficult situations more options to provide the best opportunities possible for their child.
In addition to this week’s action in the Senate, two of the three bills I sponsored to expand broadband access in rural Georgia saw movement in the House. Senate Bill 232, or the Facilitating Internet Broadband Rural Expansion (FIBRE) Act, and Senate Bill 426, the Broadband Infrastructure Leads to Development (BILD) Act, each received their second reading and have been assigned to committee. SB 232 has been assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee and SB 426 has been assigned to the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee. The third piece of this rural broadband package – Senate Bill 402 or the Achieving Connectivity Everywhere (ACE) Act – received its second reading on Crossover Day and has also been assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee for further review. I am confident that each of these bills will continue through the legislative process in the coming weeks and provide a solid starting point for broadband expansion.
Though the pace may have slowed this week, it is going to pick back up first thing Monday morning. There are only eight legislative days remaining and still much work to be done as our time winds down under the Gold Dome. Thank you for the continued opportunity to serve as your Senator, I will be sure to stay in touch as we wrap up the 2018 session. If you ever have any questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office. We are always here to help in any way we can.
PRIEST ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR SUPERIOR COURT
Election, Election 2018, News March 9, 2018
(Ellijay, Ga) Appalachian Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge, Mary Elizabeth Priest, announced her recent qualification for and intent to run for the Superior Court bench in the May 2018 nonpartisan General Election. Ellijay has been her home for thirty years.
The Superior Courts handle civil matters, including family and domestic litigation, criminal cases ranging from traffic violations to felonies, as well as transfers and appeals from Magistrate Court and Probate Court. In our Appalachian Circuit, Superior Court Judges are responsible for dockets and jury trials in Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens Counties.
Mary Beth is a graduate of Gilmer High School and North Georgia College and State University. Before
attending law school, she served as a case manager and investigator for the Pickens County Department
of Family and Children Services. She later received her Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Georgia State
University. She began her legal career as an associate attorney at Downey & Cleveland, in Marietta, in
2006. In 2010, she joined the law firm Clark & Clark, in Ellijay, where she practiced complex civil litigation.
Priest said, “It has been a great honor to serve on the bench for the past two years. One of my goals has
been to build a bridge between our community and our court system. I am proud of the progress we have
made in that regard. Being a judge is an enormous responsibility that I take very seriously. I ask the
people of the Appalachian Circuit to trust me with their vote. If they do, I will continue to work hard for
our community with the same commitment to efficiency, impartiality, fairness, and responsibility that I
have had since my first day on the bench.”
Judge Priest was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal in 2016 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Roger Bradley. In addition to being involved with and frequently speaking at local civil- organizations, she initiated and helped coach the Gilmer High School Mock Trial Team’s inaugural season this year. As an adopted child born into foster care, she has also done outreach for adoption agencies as a strong advocate for foster and adopted children.
Her husband, Jeremy, owns and operates a scrap metal recycling company as well as a plumbing company, and they live in Ellijay with their two children. Her father, Mike Williams, and mother, Lorie Stanley Williams originally of Stanley Creek in Fannin County, also live in Ellijay.
Short Takes – “Omnibus”
Opinion March 26, 2018
Omnibus is an ominous word. I once thought it was a double-decker bus in England. Now, whenever I see the word attached to a spending bill, I automatically know somebody is going to get a double decker screwing and it’s not politicians. Under the circumstances of the Omnibus Spending Bill cobbled together in a few days by four “bipartisan” senators who rank as the ttititual leaders of the corrupt “establishment, I thinks we may be in trouble. Politicians create the problem, then tell us they’ll solve the problems if only we re-elect them to office…BS!
I rather like the idea of a successful novice businessman seizing hold of the political machine, applying the tactics of business management (sales and profit) to its management style, firing heads who don’t understand the process and re-establishing the tenants of competent leadership. Apart from Trump, one or two other such successful leaders without prior experience, have revealed themselves. First time Senator David Perdue of Georgia and Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas come immediately to mind. But, I drift from my course.
It’s not the deficit spending that bothers me. Deficit spending is good, to a point, for stimulating an economy. As our money is simply fiat money anyway, no longer backed by any tangible asset, like gold, it presents no problem for government simply to print more. That’s what has been done since the 1970’s. It’s all a phony economy manipulated by phony politicians who have no business being there if we are to Make America Great Again.
What irks me most is giving some level of victory to the obstructionist Marxist Democrat Party, when they have already lost all except the media and their whining voice. They don’t even deserve to be in congress. They lost everything in three consecutive national elections including the empowerment of their chosen Queen, Hillary Clinton. To still pander to the Democrat party’s demands is to insult Americans everywhere, including the President.
More to the issue of Conservatives, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, stand as the finest examples of corrupt political leadership,. They are the complete antithesis of honest government. They are of the “swamp.” The just passed Omnibus spending bill, reluctantly signed by President Trump, is their baby. It’s a hodge-poge of idiocy, spending tax payer funds on projects that only invigorate Democrat politicians.
The irritating glee and euphoria shown by Sen. Chuckie Schemer and the Democrats dimming light, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, should be enough to alarm Conservatives everywhere. When we stop gagging, we should turn our undivided attention to removing these RiNO’s, and many others, from office. Every incumbent Republican congressman, without at least an 80% Conservative voting record, should be challenged and removed from office.
The Senate is still locked up by a Senate rules change authored by once crazy Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, a staunch and rabid Progressive, to keep Republicans from winning any votes. It’s the filibuster rule that ensures a stacked deck against the opposition and allows the Majority Leader to change between a majority vote (51) to a super majority vote (60), when it suits his him. It’s still in play and McConnell doesn’t use it. Hence, the Omnibus spending bill, an unread 2000 page document, yet another trick to keep the “deep state” alive,. That’s the epitome of corruption, not the hallmark of statesmanship. I’m sick at heart with the Republican Party. They keep begging for money to support conservatives against those rascally Democrats. They’ll not get another dime until I see America Made Great Again.
Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em!
Fetch Your News Interviews 2018 Candidate for Georgia Governor Clay Tippins
Election, Election 2018, Politics March 21, 2018
BKP interviews Navy Seal, Business Executive, and 2018 Candidate for Georgia Governor Clay Tippins on Fetch Your News FYNTV.com. Tippins talks about if elected: cutting taxes, fixing schools, creating jobs, building roads, and protecting freedom.
Short Takes – The Truth About the FBI
Opinion March 19, 2018
This FBI business has to be settled once and for all. Senator Ben Cordon (D) said Trumps actions showed a “lack of respect for the independence of the FBI! This over the firing of FBI Deputy Director Andy McCabe, and soon, others. McCabe himself whined that his dismissal was “Trumps War on the FBI.” It won’t fly with honest people.
So, the question must be asked, who has the right to watch the watchers, if not the President? Congress doesn’t because constitutionally the FBI is not, nor has ever been chartered by law, and given a mission statement that defines the guidelines that delineate, as the US Constitutions does, the limits of its official government power.
Congress has long refused to establish the FBI by law.
When Teddy Roosevelt was President he first proposed such an agency to combat logging thieves (railroads) from stripping lands in Oregon and the Congress refused to go along. Teddy, consequently, set one up by presidential fiat. The social justice crowd hate discussing that point because it was then, and is now, a bureau of centralized political power located within the executive branch. The copied paragraph below reveals our Congress, long ago also feared a Russian style secret police force:
“In early 1908, Attorney General Bonaparte wrote to Congress asking for the legal authority (and budget funds) to create a “permanent detective force” under the DOJ. Congress rebelled, denouncing it as a plan to create an American okhrana. Democrat Joseph Sherley wrote that “spying on men and prying into what would ordinarily be considered their private affairs” went against “American ideas of government”; Rep. George Waldo, a New York Republican, said the proposed FBI was a “great blow to freedom and to free institutions if there should arise in this country any such great central secret-service bureau as there is in Russia.”….. And “Roosevelt, in his characteristic dynamic fashion, asserted that the plunderers of the public domain would be prosecuted and brought to justice.”… Mark Ames: The FBI Has No Legal Charter But Lots of Kompromat, nakedcapitalism.com.
In the 1970’s, seventy years after the FBI’s founding, there was revived talk in Washington about creating a legal charter for the FBI. Politicians labored over the political ramifications of legitimizing an extralegal secret police agency to become legal with a defined mission statement. Congress wanted to draft a charter of limits of the FBI’s power because J. Edgar Hoover, also scared the hell out of ‘em. He made the FBI so essential to protecting the National Governments safety that they ignored, indeed acquiesced to Hoovers unctuous demands that allowed him to sweep even more investigative power under his wing. He also had real ‘dossiers’ on them! Oh, the humanity! A source for this information can be found in the archives of the New York Times’ under “Draft of Charter for F.B.I.
So, here we are nearly fifty years later and the very thing earlier politicians feared has come to pass. The existing but unchartered apparatus of a police state, infected at the highest echelons of the DoJ and the FBI by the Democrats who corrupted them, has
attempted a coup against the US Government that failed, and are now complaining that President Trump has dangerously exposed them for doing their jobs. That would have worked under a Hillary Clinton presidency and America’s march into totalitarism and a one world government would have soon been realized.
But, now that Trumps is the President and the FBI’s corrupted coup leaders are being exposed for what they are, the Democrat party is gnashing its teeth, rending its garments and wailing at their failed opportunity to oust the usurper, Donald Trump. The results of their crumpling, well oiled machine of political protection has been exposed, and unless changed by Congress and given a legal charter, the FBI is now all Trumps machine to wield as he needs. Democrats cannot palliate their involvement.
But. I’ll wager for the next hundred years, the FBI will behave like the model agency it was intended to be and faith, trust and belief in their honestly and integrity will return. We can only hope. That’s why we can never allow Liberals and Progressives, to ever hold power in a free state again.
Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution s the way. Now, go get ‘em!
Dawson County Sheriff Jeff Johnson Accuses FetchYourNews.com of Misleading the Community
News, Politics March 19, 2018
Dawson County Georgia Sheriff Jeff Johnson, accuses Fetch Your News of “implying that the requested additional yearly funds could have been used to fund a CAD System” on his Facebook Social Media page. He also explains in his post on social media to “Consider the Source”. We are interviewing the reporter who covered the story in this segment on FYNtv.com.
To read the Full stories covered by our reporter, click the links below:
Headley: Sheriff’s budget increase close to $1 million
Sheriff’s lawsuit against the county heads to court
Sheriff vs. Dawson County heads to courtroom
What next in Sheriff Johnson vs. Dawson County?
Sheriff, county fail to reach budget agreement
Judge rules against sheriff’s lawsuit against county
Sheriff had nearly $400,000 left in his 2017 budget when he sued the Board of Commissioners
BKP Interviews Georgia House Speaker David Ralston
State & National February 13, 2018
On FYN TV, BKP interviews Georgia’s District-7 Representative Speaker of the House (R-Blue Ridge) David Ralston, as they discuss President Trump’s aggressive plan for 1.5 trillion dollar infrastructure investment that was presented and highlighted at a meeting for Republican leaders including Ralston, Monday at the White House. Speaker David Ralston comments on what that means for Georgia.
Pictured below: Speaker of the House for Georgia District 7 David Ralston at this past weekends Infrastructure Meeting at the White House with Republican leaders and President Donald Trump.
