The exemptions for ages 62 and over for state income tax purposes are great for me and my husband, as we get closer to that age, but it puts a strain on the younger workers. We have a situation in Georgia that is much like the Appalachian Mountain area, where the government lures wealthier retirees to the community with tax breaks with the poor getting poorer and poorer. I am sorry Demonbeck, but I just do not share your optimism. I will vote Republican, and take my tax breaks when I get 62 even if it means my son and other young people cannot make a decent living in this state. I

Yeah, my numbers are out of my head. But everybody else makes up numbers and mine are closer to reality than our Tourism numbers in Bibb County!

Georgia has the 2nd most fiscally conservative budget process in the nation to Utah. We just came out of a recession and Republicans were in control for the first time ever. It does take a little time to catch up from the hole we were in.

If things remain as is, you’ll find that the coming General Assembly will be looking very seriously at revenues and spending habits of the state and its agencies/departments.

You nailed it! When jobs are lost, when there is uncertainty over wars and when people perceive that they are not BEING REPRESENTED by their leaders, the pendulum turns toward change. We do not have fiscal responsibility in the state capitol and we do not have fiscal responsibility on a federal level, and we never will. The Libertariun candidate that ran for Senator in Georgia in 2004 was so correct when he talked about the fact that it was almost too late to turn things around.

We are good at regulating everything from seat belt laws to smoking in public, but ask your leadership to cut the spending and lower taxes and you get the same spin. We have balanced the budget, and we are doing the best we can. Unfortunately the best we can is not cutting the mustard. This state will get as liberal as Illinois, and it is just a matter of time. But not before all of the fat cats make their money and build homes in gated communities away from the commoners.

Sorry to be a pessimist, but I cannot tell a lie.

I don’t vote either party line … but between the point that Steve makes about the GOP being “country club” and the comment Demonbeck made to Sen. Stanton about the GOP pushing Christian demagoguery … is the GOP more fractious than it lets on?

I think it is obvious that the Democrats hold together a tenuous coalition. I just wondered how pronounced it was at in the GOP.

First of all, the Presidential race was not only the ballot in the July 20 2004 general primary which was for the numbers I quoted above. That was decided on March 2, 2004 in a seperate Presidential Preferance Primary. Even if it had been on July20, George Bush did not have opposition.

The only top ticket race in that year was the Senate Primary between Isakson, Collins and Cain. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed to me like the Cagle-Reed race would have generated more attention this year than the Senate race. Or maybe it shows the inability of the Religious Right to get out the vote.

Maybe there is nothing to it, but if I were a Republican I’d be somewhat concerned about the dropoff in numbers.

However, at the state and local levels, “rumors of the Democratic Party’s demise have been greatly exaggerated”. I have family throughout the rural southern half of the state… and although they are die-hard conservative they mostly LIKE Mark Taylor, don’t care for either Reed OR Cagle, and strongly dislike the perceived “country club” wing of the Georgia GOP.

Now, you put Cythnia McKinney on the ballot, and statewide voters are going to take a giant crap all over her. However, a moderate white boy is still a contender for any statewide spot on the ballot… Democrat or not. Over the past few years we’ve seen a pretty strong backlash against 150+ years of one-party rule. However, don’t let that fool you into thinking that we’re a one-party state in the other direction now. That kind of complacency and arrogance is already causing the GOP some problems.

The national statistcs show that the country is starting to lean a little more to the left.
It’s a constant swing back and forth and it’s now the dems time.

But there were things that I thought were “interesting.” 48,000 people voted against the incumbent governor for a candidate with no advertising (and the “Mainstream Media” and GOP telling everyone Perdue was running unopposed) Is it reasonable to assume those 48,000 people vote for Taylor or “skip it” in the Fall? *Probably* not. But there are probably some flaggers who feel that they need to make a statement no matter the who the “other guy” is.

You’ll see the 2008 primary will have more R’s than D’s and turnout will be much higher.