2. Hawks In The House, Puppets in The Senate

On Monday, April 12, 2010, the AJC reported that Sen. Preston Smith (R-Rome) “unleashed a tirade at Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle” who, through his enforcers, “had stripped Smith of his chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, for his failure to support HB 307…”

The news stories that followed focused on the GOP fight over whether or not HB 307 is a tax increase and the resulting antics. We should not let the fight over what is obviously a tax increase distract us from the real story; Georgia’s entire form of representative government has been undone at the hands of two men, Glenn Richardson and Casey Cagle.

With the Hawk system, Glenn Richardson and his enforcers could go into any committee, without having read the bill or having heard one word of testimony, and vote to change the outcome of the legislation.

Casey Cagle uses his enforcers to threaten chairmen and members to change their votes. If two-thirds of Republicans relent to the threats, all other Republicans must go along with the vote, even if it is not in the best interest of their constituencies.

Because of the Hawks and the “Puppets” Georgians have not had true representative government. Taking away the fundamental principle of one person, one vote has allowed the culture of corruption to take hold under the Gold Dome. As your Lt. Governor, I will fight the culture of corruption and put your voice back in your government.

Click here to read full AJC story on one example of the corrupting of the voting system.