John Albers, the leading Republican candidate for State Senate District 56, will announce at the Roswell City Council meeting this evening a new initiative to help North Fulton by promoting a “Contract for Milton County”. The Contract is a pledge for all elected officials, candidates and engaged citizens to sign that commits them to promoting workable solutions to enact and pushing for the creation of Milton County.
HR21, a resolution to begin the process for the creation of Milton County was unable to secure enough votes for passage this year. The winner of the Senate 56 contest will be a pivotal figure in the passage or continued failure of this effort.
Said Albers, “Like so many other North Fulton leaders, I am disappointed in the outcome of HR21, but this temporary setback only refocuses all of the families on North Fulton on the need for committed leadership to make Milton County a reality. Regardless of my personal election, I am pushing forward by providing leadership on this critical issue by starting this Contract for Milton County initiative to build even broader support that will continue on regardless of who wins the election.”
“While other candidates talk about Milton County, I am putting action and commitment behind it and seeking to mobilize even more support to secure passage next year. I support our North Fulton delegation and all their hard to make this a reality. They need our support and focus to keep this issue moving and start separating our services now.”
This contract which can be found and signed online at: www.contractformiltoncounty.com. Several town hall meetings have been scheduled as well as appearance throughout North Fulton to get citizens involved. The Contract for Milton County will be an ongoing call to action to have a more responsive local government that provides quality public services.
“Being a State Senator takes a substantial commitment of time and energy, I make that commitment. I have consistently demonstrated involvement in our community. Once elected, I will work tirelessly to serve the families in North Fulton and make Milton County a reality. I look forward to being North Fulton’s customer service State Senator.”
For additional information, please contact John Albers at john@votealbers.com or (770)280-6061.
I post this only because I think it would be a much cleaner race if King Roy the Rat didn’t run for Georgia Governor.
Press Release from David Poythress:
Last July, I called for former Governor Barnes to rethink his decision to run for Governor. In a Friday radio interview on WGAU (1380AM) in Athens, Democratic Party of Georgia chairwoman Jane Kidd agreed when she said “…for the good of the Party, let’s keep the competition down to as few candidates as possible.”
What’s become clear over the last nine months is that more and more Democrats realize that we need to nominate a candidate who can win in November. Roy Barnes may be the frontrunner, but he cannot beat the Republican nominee.
The points I mentioned last summer hold true today. The state’s teachers haven’t forgiven or forgotten how he insulted them, and they stand ready to enthusiastically vote against him again. The Georgia GOP is so excited about their nominee facing Roy that they have already launched an anti-Barnes website reviving the “King Roy the Rat” image. And, although he claims to be “listening,” Barnes still doesn’t realize that Georgians aren’t buying his reinvention tour.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that he proved he could have a $20 million fundraising lead and all the advantages of being an incumbent and LOSE when he handed the GOP their first keys to the Governor’s office in over 150 years.
The recent polling results show him trailing or even with nearly every Republican candidate, dropping down to the mid-thirties – a far cry from the overwhelming lead in the polls he used to enjoy!
I hope Kidd can convince Barnes to not destroy the Party for the second time in less than a decade. With so many critical issues facing the state and reapportionment looming, the stakes are too high for the Party to take a chance on him again. And he’s brought no new energy or ideas to the campaign so far.
In short, we need a candidate with proven leadership and commonsense solutions to our state’s critical problems. I believe I am the only Democratic candidate with a strong record that can withstand the fierce competition of the General Election.
So let me repeat my sentiment from last summer:
“For the good of the Party, I hope that Roy Barnes realizes that there’s still time for him to change his mind so we can avoid a divisive primary. Ironically, the only sure-fire way to prove that he has changed is for Roy to put Georgia’s needs before his own ambition and stay out of the race for Governor.”
Sam Olens, Republican candidate for Georgia Attorney General, released this statement this morning:
“Today is a terrible day in our country’s history. As your next Attorney General, I will do everything legally and constitutionally possible to fight the federal takeover and implementation of heath care. I would join AG’s from states across the county to file lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of this Leviathan.
“As a State Attorney General is it your constitutional duty to protect the rights of Georgia’s citizens and the sovereignty of the state. This bill contains federal mandates and provisions that are unconstitutional and must be challenged.
“I commend the current AG’s of South Carolina, Florida and Virginia who have taken the lead and I challenge all current state AG’s and AG candidates for this important office to tell the voters what they would do if elected. In Georgia, it will be incumbent on the next AG to lead the fight for future generations.”
STATE SEN. HAWKINS CALLS GRAVES “JOBS BILL” A SHAM, CALLS FOR HONEST CONSERVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO CREATE JOBS
CUMMING, Ga. – Republican candidate for Congress State Sen. Lee Hawkins said Friday that a bill being promoted as a “jobs” bill by State Rep. Tom Graves is a sham and, urged legislators to replace it with Hawkins’ own jobs bill.
“Graves’ so-called jobs bill is a sham,” said Hawkins. “His legislation contains fine print that would only allow it to take effect if there is a budget surplus in the state of Georgia. But he knows full well that today we have more than a billion dollar deficit, and we are years away from having a budget surplus. It won’t create a single job. It’s just another fake gimmick that politicians have used for years to trick voters.”
“Georgians demand real tax cuts and a genuine plan to create jobs. They want genuine conservative leadership and genuine tax cuts.”
“This legislation is like so much of what comes from Washington politicians from both parties. It’s time for real conservative tax cuts, not more fake legislation designed to get people elected to office. “
“We need tax cuts, this year, to spur job creation, not years from now,” said Hawkins. Hawkins has led and is supporting an alternative jobs bill of tax cuts that would take immediate effect in fiscal year 2010 and would spur immediate creation of jobs. Hawkins bill, which is starting in the State House as HB 1204, will help employers begin creating jobs immediately. Hawkins will be the Senate sponsor.
Hawkins, a candidate for Georgia’s Ninth district congressional seat, further stated that last year he had supported the 2009 Senate version of the JOBS bill. “It was very different from what later passed the House, but neither 2009 version contained the $500 million surplus requirement.”
John Albers, the leading Republican candidate for State Senate District 56, was the ONLY State Senate candidate to attend a legislative committee meeting and education session regarding House Resolution 21 (Re-Creation of Milton County). North Fulton mayors, city council members and community activists packed the room.
Said Albers, “Putting politics aside, it is deeply concerning others running for the same office I seek did not make the time to attend this important session. The families of North Fulton have suffered from a lack of quality services from Fulton County for years and have my complete support. I will dedicate myself and time to re-create Milton County so our citizens can be best served.”
“Chairman Eaves of the Fulton County Commission presented his case for keeping Fulton united, but it failed quickly when Representatives Willard, Jones and Geisinger pointed out the decades of poor service and continuing mismanagement. North Fulton Mayors and Commissioner Lynne Riley set the record straight on how the North Fulton cities are better governing locally and decades of poor service from Fulton continue to loom. Senator Dan Moody also echoed the call for Milton County and as your next Senator; I’ll continue his bold leadership. I continue to hope for success this session with a positive vote and referendum. However, if not, I’ll lead a parallel process beginning immediately; to begin systematically separating key services including a separate North Fulton school district. Measures such as these will provide a quick impact until such time as we have a new Milton County and Milton County School system.”
“Being a State Senator takes a substantial commitment of time and energy, I make that commitment. I have consistently demonstrated involvement in our community. Once elected, I will work tirelessly to serve the families in North Fulton and make Milton County a reality. I look forward to being North Fulton’s customer service State Senator.”
For additional information, please contact John Albers at john@votealbers.com or (770)280-6061. www.votealbers.com
Georgia House Ways and Means and Appropriations chairs just introduced bills, amending the sales and use tax. They are really just spot holder bills at the moment, but they could be considering an affiliate tax at some point. We’ll continue to track.
If you are a Georgia affiliate marketer, there are 2 ways to prepare: register with the PMA so we can keep in contact with you regarding progress, and join the Georgia Google group.
The following is a message from Travis Hopkins from Overstock.com. Several states have adopted and are trying to adopt what we are calling an advertising tax. I DO NOT bring this to your attention so you can have a ready made bill in the state of Georgia. I bring it to your attention because if this type of bill were to be introduced in the state of Georgia, I would take up the cause and fight it with everything I have. I am an affiliate marketing manager. My customers are merchants and their customers are affiliates, some of whom live in Georgia. The advertising tax in New York has devastated the incomes of many stay at home internet savvy affiliates because merchants no longer wish to work with them.
January 25, 2010
Dear Affiliate:
Overstock.com values your advertising efforts on our behalf, and we hope to be in a position to continue our business connection for years to come. However, we are writing to inform you the Colorado state
legislature has introduced a bill which puts our continued relationship in jeopardy. HB 1193 (Concerning the Collection of Sales and Use Taxes on Sales Made by Out‐of‐State Retailers) was introduced on January 22, 2010. We are told the bill is moving quickly. This bill is modeled on a bill first passed in New York. The legislation attempts to establish responsibility for collection of sales tax for out‐of‐state retailers if those out‐of‐state retailers use Colorado‐based affiliate advertisers. We believe such bills are not only harmful to business, but unconstitutional and contrary decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court.
More importantly, if HB 1193 passes, Overstock.com will have to sever relationships with Colorado Affiliates before the bill becomes law. We have done this in each state where such legislation has passed: New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island.However, in at least 3 states last year, the voices of local affiliate advertisers were heard. They pointed out that such legislation was unconstitutional, would be bad for local business and would not increase state revenues. Those bills were either not passed or vetoed by informed governors.
You may want to make your voice heard on the matter. Currently, we have information that the bill is on the agenda of the House Appropriations Committee for hearing Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at
8:30AM. It is uncertain if the Committee will hear public comment at the meeting, but they may, and you may want to attend the hearing. If you cannot, but would like to voice your opinion, you may do so by contacting the bill’s sponsor Rep. Jack Pommer (jack.pommer.house@state.co.us; (303) 866‐2780) or your local legislator.
Again, Overstock.com values your work, and we are confident that, like other states recently examining and rejecting this legislation, Colorado will also see that this bill is bad for business and bad for Colorado.
Respectfully,
Jonathan E. Johnson III
President
Overstock.com, Inc.
We just bought a house in Willow Springs and I was shocked to find out we don’t have automated garbage collection in Roswell. I have a brochure from CWS and a website for Roswell Recycles, but I have to buy my own cans??? I’m sorry but from my days as a PR guy in the solid waste and recycling industry, I can’t believe Roswell still has guys getting out of the truck and throwing garbage cans into the back.
Not that I want to rile up the homeowner’s association before I actually move in, but I would like to have the discussion. I can’t believe some of the crappy discount store garbage cans I saw on the street this week.
I’d like to hear from anyone on their opinions about this topic.
