Impertinent Observations (politics)*

Just some quick hits on local and state political doings in no particular order:

After getting an earful from constituents, the Athens-Clarke County Commission backed off of its plan to extinguish one-fifth of the county’s streetlights, instead opting to pull the plug on just a few (of course, the new spending programs that prompted the darkening of our fair city stayed in the budget). So now we will have the same process play itself out over trash pickup in the general services district (I hope that the Commission backs off of this one, as well).

The Transparency in Government page is up over at the Secretary of State’s web site. Check it out.

Current Lt. Governor Casey Cagle is throwing his hat into the ring for the big chair. John Oxendine, already an announced candidate for governor, responded by sending out an email saying, in effect, “c’mon in, the water’s fine.” Thus begins the fruit basket turnover as folks lower in the political pecking order begin positioning themselves for runs at higher office – not that they haven’t been already (which is not a criticism, that is how the process works).

I’m a Paul Broun supporter, but I must admit that the logic behind this one eludes me. I understand that the Democrat will win Clarke County because . . . he is a Democrat and this is Clarke County. Thus, it is a perfectly reasonable strategy for Broun to concentrate his efforts elsewhere. Even so, this looks bad, especially given the way Jim Whitehead snubbed the Athens area through a strategy that became a campaign issue in and of itself. As a practical matter, Broun skipping the forum may make some sense; as a political matter, it emphatically does not (which in turn calls its practical utility into question).

*Apologies to Mr. Fain.

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