It's On!

That's right. Sundown. City Hall. Macon. The second gubernatorial debate in a week will happen in Macon. This one is sponsored by the Democratic Women of Bibb County and is sure to be informative since I will get to ask some questions. :)

Join us, tonight at 6 p.m.

Check back here for updates after the party's over.

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Macon Mayor Reichert Headed to Obama-Biden Meeting

Macon's Mayor, Robert Reichert, will be a little busy tomorrow. He is one of 70 mayors nationwide who have been invited to D.C. to meet with President Obama and Vice President Biden. Nice.

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Millions for Macon

Macon (and Bibb County) is about to get nearly 4 million dollars to rehab blighted housing. This money comes courtesy of the first stimulus package and local leaders are excited, if not all together in agreement-what else is new-about the opportunity the money will bring. the City and the County are working together obtain and then spend this money. Most of the property that will be addressed lies within the city limits of Macon, which is also, lest we forget, also in Bibb County.

This is really good news, yet, at City Council this week, most of the time, and as a result most of the press coverage, was spend talking about the division of about 45K a year in hotel/motel taxes, only to have the matter again tabled, while this good news got very little attention. No wonder people question the capacity of their elected officials!

P.S.: I'm going to be mirroring this site with the new Tondee's site for a while until folks get used to the change.

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Party Like a Rock Star

In 2008, Bibb County voters helped put Democrats in office from the White House to the school board, so the annual holiday party takes on special significance this year. The Bibb County Democratic Party invites you and Democrats from all over Middle Georgia to join in a celebration of our accomplishments on Thursday, December 18, from 7:00 pm at the Ambiance Banquet Facility, 3670 Eisenhower Parkway (across from Macon Mall, next to Circuit City).

Not only did we help the historic election of Barack Obama, but we now have Democrats serving locally in positions formerly held by Republicans, including Chair of the Bibb County Commission, the State House, and the School Board. And all incumbent Democrats were reelected!

Tickets to the event are $20 each, which includes food and drinks. What a deal! For more information, call 747-1000 or visit us here.

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Staton Aide Warns of Election Night "Security Issues"

I don't know whether it's the comparison to Jack Ellis, the idea that an aide (or at least someone with a cecilstaton.com email account) thinks they need to come down from on high to advise local law enforcement regarding possible security risks on election day (implying that local law enforcement is incompetent, living under a rock or both), or the fact that an increased police presence could intimidate some voters- see Florida 2000- but something about this email is just plain wrong. Of course the fact that it comes from the office of Mr. Voter ID himself, Cecil Staton, is enough to make me suspect of the purpose:


From: Zach Johnson [mailto:zach@cecilstaton.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 1:26 PM

To: rick.hutto@macon.ga.us; james.timley@macon.ga.us; larry.schlesinger@macon.ga.us; miriam.paris@macon.ga.us; lauren.benedict@macon.ga.us; lonnie.miley@macon.ga.us; mike.cranford@macon.ga.us; alveno.ross@macon.ga.us; charles.jones@macon.ga.us; nancy.white@macon.ga.us; elaine.lucas@macon.ga.us; ed.defore@macon.ga.us; virgil.watkins@macon.ga.us; tom.ellington@macon.ga.us; erick.erickson@macon.ga.us; keith.moffett@macon.ga.us; sam.henderson@macon.ga.us; andrew.blascovich@macon.ga.us

Subject: Election night issues

Good afternoon,

As a strict precautionary measure I want to bring the possibility of election night issues to your attention. With this being one of the most heavily followed elections in history, I strongly feel that which ever way the election goes the city of Macon could be faced with potential security issues on election night. If you remember, following the election of Mayor Jack Ellis downtown Macon faced substantial celebratory damage and it is my fear that if Obama/McCain wins or loses we could face even greater issues this election. With the City’s recent crime issues, I strongly feel that you all need to huddle with the Mayor, The Chief of Police and well as the Sheriff to put together a contingency plan for potential election night issues. Thank you for your leadership!

Best regards,
Zach Johnson

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Georgia Sheriff's Race Goes National

Making the case that even Republicans in red states are grabbing for Obama's coattails, this San Francisco Chronicle piece by Chip Johnson references our sheriff's race right here in the heart of Georgia, my sister's dinner party in North Carolina and your's truly. Here's a bit:

While some angry voters have chanted Obama's middle name, "Hussein," as an insult at Republican rallies, local candidates on the Nov. 4 ballot are using his well-known name on their campaign signs, mailers and Web sites to improve their chances of winning.The tactic has been seen in races from the Bay Area, which is serious Obama country, to Georgia, where a law-and-order Republican for sheriff in the liberal enclave of Macon is using the name as a political prop.

Macon, where we have more churches than restaurants, "liberal enclave." Ha! Tongue-in-cheek, I'm sure.

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GOP Candidate in Georgia Invokes Obama's Name

When a Republican candidate in the middle of Red Georgia invokes Obama's name in his ads, you know that the Obama Tsunami will likely not leave the South untouched. In a half page, full color ad in Sunday's Telegraph (not cheap beans), Scotty Shepherd (R), who is running for Sheriff of Bibb County against incumbent Jerry Modena (D), had a photo and endorsement from Bill Lucas (Modena's Democratic Primary challenger) that said, in part:

"I am voting for Senator Obama, the Democratic candidate for President in this election. I would like you to vote for my friend, Scotty Shepherd, the Republican candidate for Sheriff of Bibb County."

Could Shepherd (R) now be required to file with the FEC since his paid advertisement included an endorsement for Sen. Obama? Perhaps. It matters not that the endorsement is attributed to Lucas. The issue is who paid for the ad. I understand that Lucas has done robo-calls for Shepherd, and I don't know if he invokes Obama's name in the calls, if so...even more money has been spent.

Back to the point. While this strategy is interesting, I doubt it will work. Voters are choosing between Modena and Shepherd, not Modena and Obama. The last Georgia candidate I recall using Obama's name in an ad without permission was Vernon Jones. That strategy did not go well for Jones, and I suspect Shepherd will get a similar result. Let me make a prediction: Modena will defeat Scotty Shepherd by at least as wide a margin as he did in 2004, back when Scotty claimed to be a Democrat. In that race, Modena got more than 70% of the vote. This one is SO over.

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A First for U.S. Senate Campaign in Georgia

I've done some checking, and near as I can tell, this has never been done before in a U.S. Senate Campaign in Georgia. Tomorrow evening, the Martin Campaign is coordinating a statewide "Virtual Town Hall" event for women. Women attending the event will have an opportunity to ask questions of the candidate, unscripted, in real time, and the media is invited to participate.

This Virtual Town Hall Meeting will also be streamed live. Follow this link. Only those attending one of several parties around the state will be able to ask questions of Jim, but everyone can watch the live stream. And, lucky you in Middle Georgia, Lauren Benedict is hosting one of the parties at her home, and YOU are invited to attend. Here's the info:

Media Advisory: October 13, 2008
Contacts: Lauren Benedict - (478) 973-0630, llbenedict@bostonlawmacon.com , or
Amy Morton – (478) 747-7450 amymorton@aol.com

Middle Georgia Women to Participate in “Virtual Town Hall” With Jim Martin

Macon, Ga. – Women from around Middle Georgia will participate in a virtual town hall on Tuesday, October 14th with Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Jim Martin. Supporters and undecided voters will gather at the home of Lauren Benedict Tuesday evening at 6:30 to call in and ask Martin Questions about the issues on their minds.

The gathering is free and open to the press.

WHO: Democratic and undecided women; Jim Martin, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.

WHAT: Virtual Town Hall, participants will call in to Martin’s campaign headquarters for an open question and answer session.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 14th, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: 360-A Vista Circle
Macon Georgia 31204

PARKING: Please, park in the blank or unnumbered spaces.

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Let's Listen to Palin

MACON WOMEN WAIT TO HEAR PALIN’S SPEECH

ATLANTA – A group of Macon women will gather together tonight to watch Gov. Sarah Palin address the Republican National Convention. The diverse group will include women who are Hillary Clinton supporters, Republicans and some who have never been involved in the political process before.

“We don’t know anything about Gov. Palin, so we want to hear what she says tonight,” explained Amy Morton, host of the gathering. “If she wants to be a heart-beat away from the presidency, we need to know who she is.”

The women plan to meet tonight at 8 pm at:

The home of Amy Morton
109 Carriage Way
Macon, GA 31210

The media is invited to attend and attendees will be available for comment.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Trell Thomas at 404-759-1635, tthomas@georgiaforchange.com

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Brand New Front Page Poster: Joni Woolf

Please welcome Macon's own Joni Woolf to the front page of Georgia Women Vote. I could not be more excited! Joni is a writer, editor and has blazed more trails for women than the rest of us combined. For years, Macon was Joni's home, but recently, she moved back to her beautifully renovated farm house in Schley County. I was privileged to spend July the 4th on the farm with Joni and some of her friends and family. The day included children, teenagers, bbq ribs, dogs and rooster and croquet. During her tenure in Macon, Joni served was one of the founders of Macon Magazine, served on planning and zoning, worked tirelessly for the Tubman Museum and back before women were allowed to be members of the Chamber of Commerce started a separate organization just for women business owners.

This year, Joni Woolf had been chosen to introduce Sen. Edwards at the JJ Dinner-before he suspended his campaign. She wrote the most eloquent introduction, and I have posted a portion of it below, just to give you a hint of what's in store from Ms. Woolf.

The first time I ever heard John Edwards speak—several years ago in Macon—he talked about growing up poor, and the hardships that his family endured as they struggled to put bread on the table, pay the rent, clothe the children. And I thought, “He’s one of us. He has been poor, and he knows how that feels to a child.” Like John, I grew up poor in rural South Georgia, where there was never quite enough of anything. But we were rich in promise: our parents assured us that life would be better for us, and they worked night and day to be sure that happened.

And it did. Their struggles, their sacrifices, their long days of sweat—and sometimes tears—guaranteed my generation a better life. And so we assumed, as our lives got slowly better, that OUR children would enjoy the prosperity that the United States was experiencing. It has not happened. Ever since the Reagan years, when greed became something to be proud of, the middle class has been in decline. My children—and YOURS—are struggling much as my parents’ generation did, just to keep food on the table. They are desperate for something, SOMEONE, to inspire hope in the future—not just their own—but the future of our beloved country which is becoming a country of the very rich, with a rapidly declining middle class—a country without a moral compass, without a president who has the integrity to face the harsh realities of our time....

Welcome, Joni! We look forward to your view from South Georgia!

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Sam Hart Set to Make Major Campaign Announcement

Sam Hart, the Democratic nominee for County Commission Chair will make a major campaign announcement tomorrow morning, August 5th at 9 a.m. at the campaign headquarters located at 486 Poplar Street in Macon. You are invited to attend. For more information call Gisele Harris at 478-254-2899.

I can't tell you what it is , but it's big. Really big. Stay tuned!

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Martin Finds His Grassroots in Macon

Much has been written and even more muttered about the Martin campaign neglecting the grassroots and instead focusing on funding television advertising. Well, it looks like Martin is finding his grassroots in Macon, again, just like he did in the run-off for the Lt. Gov. nomination. (For those of you who do not remember the history, Martin defeated Greg Hecht in the run-off for Lt. Gov. in 2006. Bibb County went for Hecht in the primary but for Martin in the run-off.)
With the union endorsement now in his pocket, my good friends Terrell Hill and Henry Gallimore are helping to put together an old fashioned "bring the family" fish fry for Jim in Macon this Saturday. Let me just say that their involvement in this event is very significant. It's NOT a fundraiser; it's good old fashioned grassroots campaigning, and I am now betting Jim carries Bibb in the run-off.

Here are the details.

Come Meet Jim Martin

Democrat for U.S. Senate

Family Fish Fry

Saturday, August 2nd

4-7 p.m.

Central City Park

off Walnut Street

Macon, Georgia

ADMISSION IS FREE

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Dean in Macon This Saturday

I can't remember the last time the chair of the DNC came to Macon. Howard Dean's scheduled visit on Saturday is further indication that Obama is playing for keeps in Georgia this year. Dean will first be in Savannah, then come to Macon and then on to Atlanta. In addition to the fundraiser the Telegraph mentioned this morning, Dean will be participating in voter registration drives and addressing the DPG state committee on Saturday afternoon. He'll be aboard the "Register for Change" bus. I'm expecting to see an Obama office open in Macon any day now. McCain? Not so much.

There is a fundraising luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in Macon this Saturday, and Dean will attend. Tickets are $250 and all proceeds go to Obama Victory Fund. If you'd like more info, drop me an email at AmyMorton@aol.com. I'll be sending out info as I have it.

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Important Disaster Information for Macon

Macon Councilwomen Lauren Benedict asked that I post the following announcement from Macon-Bibb Emergency Management/Homeland Security:


If you had damages from the recent tornado in Macon / Bibb County, you may be eligible for assistance. If you have immediate disaster-caused emergency basic needs, call 1-866-GET – INFO (1-866-438-4636) or visit the American Red Cross Service Center currently located at 1200 Riverside Drive between the hours of 10:00 am and 6:00 pm (noon to 6:00 pm Sunday).

If you need any other type of assistance from the tornado, please call Macon / Bibb County EMA at 478-751-7214. EMA will be operating from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday, 1 pm to 5 pm on Sunday, and 9 am to 5 Pm on Monday.

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Macon DPG Fundraiser Postponed

Because Macon was so hard-hit by the tornado, the Democratic Party of Georgia has postponed the fundraiser that was to occur at my office this evening at 5:30 p.m. They did send out a notice on Tuesday morning. The event will be rescheduled in the near future, and I hope that when it is, you will be able to attend. Personally, I think that it is a showing of class to postpone this event that was scheduled in a community where so much destruction occurred. Good decision.

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State Money Slashed for Georgia Sports and Music Halls of Fame

I am hearing that , based on the supplemental budget passed within the last few days, the state allocation for the budgets of the Georgia Sports and Music Halls of Fame will be cut in half. Both are located in Macon and get zero love from the Atlanta legislative delegations. They are at the heart of the museum district in Macon, and if they ceased to exist, that would be a huge blow to downtown. In that same area of town, we already have the struggling Georgia Children's Museum and the large, unfinished new Tubman. How did this funding cut fly under the radar? What did our local delegation do to try to stop it? I understand that the final vote it tomorrow, and that the budget is pretty much veto-proof.

Update:

I understand that the Senate Appropriations Committee partially restored funding (that the House cut) to the Sports Hall of Fame & the Music Hall of Fame budgets. Both museums will be an issue in the budget conference.

The most effective thing we can do is to call the Senate & House budget conferees. Senate budget conferees are Sen. Eric Johnson, Sen. Tommie Williams and Sen. Jack Hill. House budget conferees are Rep. Jerry Keen, Rep. Ben Harbin and Rep. Mark Burkhalter.

(I look at this list and see no Middle Georgia names. I think that may not bode well for restoration of funding, especially when there are bigger fish to fry-like trauma care.)

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Poll: Should Macon Become a "City of Ethics"?

There seems to be a little disagreement over whether Macon City Council should pass the resolution that will make us eligible to become a GMA-designated City of Ethics. This entails, among other steps, establishing a local ethics panel to review complaints and take action if merited. Some council members are just a bit reluctant. What do you think we should do?

Opinion Polls & Market Research

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Maconite Honored With Murphy Lifetime Achievement Award

Last night, Joni Woolf, who lived in Macon for more than forty years, received a Speaker Thomas Murphy Lifetime Achievement Award from the Democratic Party of Georgia. This was the first year the award named for Mr. Speaker was given, and one Georgia Democrat from each congressional district was chosen for this honor. Joni Woolf was selected because of her groundbreaking work both in politics and in the community. Let me just say that one day, I aspire to have a resume' like hers. She has been involved in founding and supporting organization after organization that lift people up-most often women and minorities.

The award was, of course public, but another drama played out behind the scenes on Tuesday. The Democratic Party of Georgia is not the only organization that recognized her talents. On Tuesday, the Edwards Campaign selected Joni Woolf to introduce the Senator at the JJ Dinner. Of course, that was when Edwards was still coming to JJ and still in the race for President. She wrote a powerful introduction that captures, better than I can, why so many of us spent the last year doing all we could to to help John and Elizabeth Edwards. Of course, this speech was never given, and I'm sad about that, but it says so much about her, and so much about him, I asked that she allow me to publish it here:

The first time I ever heard John Edwards speak—several years ago in Macon—he talked about growing up poor, and the hardships that his family endured as they struggled to put bread on the table, pay the rent, clothe the children. And I thought, “He’s one of us. He has been poor, and he knows how that feels to a child.” Like John, I grew up poor in rural South Georgia, where there was never quite enough of anything. But we were rich in promise: our parents assured us that life would be better for us, and they worked night and day to be sure that happened.

And it did. Their struggles, their sacrifices, their long days of sweat—and sometimes tears—guaranteed my generation a better life. And so we assumed, as our lives got slowly better, that OUR children would enjoy the prosperity that the United States was experiencing. It has not happened. Ever since the Reagan years, when greed became something to be proud of, the middle class has been in decline. My children—and YOURS—are struggling much as my parents’ generation did, just to keep food on the table. They are desperate for something, SOMEONE, to inspire hope in the future—not just their own—but the future of our beloved country which is becoming a country of the very rich, with a rapidly declining middle class—a country without a moral compass, without a president who has the integrity to face the harsh realities of our time, and to tell the truth.

Last fall, I took my granddaughter to see John Edwards when he spoke at Georgia Southwestern University in Americus. She came away believing that here was a candidate who cared about her and her dreams for the future, a candidate who had been where she and many of her friends are, a candidate who offers a better way…a way that promises attention will be paid to the millions of Americans who are hanging on by fragile threads, Americans who have been betrayed by a system that increasingly rewards the greedy. She will vote for the first time this November. And she will vote for the candidate who must be our party’s nominee--John Edwards--because she has studied his platform, and knows he is the candidate who has stayed focused on the issues, and whose vision for a better America will be fulfilled in our time.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am deeply honored to present the next President of our beloved country—JOHN EDWARDS!

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No, I Won't Supply Office Space for Hillary Clinton

Okay, anyone who can read and has a computer knows that I have spent much of the last year volunteering for John Edwards. I have raised money. I have knocked on doors. I went to freakin' freezing Iowa for God's sake. So, why have I today for the second time in two weeks gotten a call from the Clinton campaign asking if I would provide office space for their Macon operation? Today, the lady-who was perfectly nice-said she'd called Lauren Benedict before she called me. I take it that didn't work out, probably because I clearly remember Lauren also trudging through that frozen Iowa tundra. Isn't this one of the 100 million dollar campaigns? I know Hillary was in New York for a fundraiser last night. Can they not use some of that change to RENT space? Perhaps she can call Rupert for a loan.

As long as John Edwards chooses to stay in this race, I've got his back in Macon. So, thanks but no thanks, I can't supply office space for his OPPONENT.

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This is Going to Read Like One of Those Sappy AT&T Commercials...

So, I have a new Blackberry Curve, and I've been an AT&T customer since 100 years ago. I lost the case for the brand new phone. See, the case is important because this is a smart phone, and it knows when it's in its case. Besides, I was inadvertently dialing places like Australia. So, after lunch today, I went to the AT&T store on Northside Drive to buy a new case. Turns out, they didn't have any of the cases like the one that came with the phone. And, then, one of those remarkable little things that sort of restores your faith in human nature happened-the sales person, who apparently also has a Curve, gave me his case. "No," I said, "you don't have to do that." "Sure," he said, "I don't ever use it." We went back and forth like that for a minute before he insisted and I walked out of the store with his case. I swear to God I was not being a difficult whiny customer-he just did it.

And, so, many thanks Bret Standfield, AT&T sales consultant extraordinaire. You deserve a promotion-and, I've told your boss.

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