I will be the first to acknowledge that the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation, along with its constituent members, has just as much right to try to influence government policy as do the rest of us. Even so, the condescension, hyperbole, and disdain exhibited by some ACHF members - admittedly not all – concerning the Kappa Alpha fraternity and its recent demolition of a couple of old houses on Reese Street, an action entirely in accord with existing zoning ordinances by the way, prompts a pointed observation on my part. (See here, here, here, here, here, and here; taking particular note of the rhetoric employed).
ACHF routinely advocates more restrictive historic preservation ordinances, supports hastily-adopted development moratoria, suggests that property owners take less for their holdings, and decries those property owners who do not submit meekly to the organization’s narrow vision. Predictably, these actions have the consequence of increasing the costs and bureaucratic hassles of developing or redeveloping private property. In other words, ACHF is perfectly content to spend other people’s money rather freely. The next time someone from ACHF puts forth such arguments, though, just remember that he or she does so as the direct beneficiary of the taxpayers’ largess.
That is because the ACHF office, located at 489 Prince Avenue, is the property of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, and by that I mean the taxpayers, which leases it to ACHF for the staggering sum of $1 per year – a rate I verified through an inquiry made to Athens-Clarke County’s Central Services Department.*
The current value placed on the property by the Clarke County Board of Tax Assessors is $256,400: $40,000 for the 0.04 acres of land occupied by the building (for the non-mathematically inclined, that works out to a staggering $1 million per acre) and $216,200 for the structure itself (at 1512 square feet, that works out to a pricey $143 per square foot) - rented for the princely sum of one solitary greenback a year. Any guesses as to what the true market rent for a similarly-sized building located on a main thoroughfare into the downtown area is? I don’t know, but I’ll wager that it is significantly more than 8¢ a month.
The point is that whatever money ACHF is not spending on renting its publicly-owned headquarters frees up those funds to lobby the Unified Government to grant its wishes, through either direct expenditures, enacting policies, or otherwise pursuing the organization’s legislative goals. Political science and economics types will immediately recognize this concept as “fungibility.”
It is true that ACHF acts as a “secondary” organization that ostensibly works toward the public good in exchange for its essentially free rent, by performing such services as operating the Athens Welcome Center. It is also true that several other organizations have similar arrangements with the Unified Government, including the Junior League of Athens (Taylor-Grady House), Morton Theatre Corporation (Morton Theatre), and Town & Gown Players (Athens Community Theatre). The conspicuous difference is that these other “secondaries” do not lobby the Commission to curtail the property rights of, and inflate the costs incurred by, their fellow citizens in their attempts to use their own property. More importantly, neither do their members routinely lambaste those with differing opinions or political priorities with gratuitous, ad hominem attacks.
So, how about this as a solution: the Unified Government could either cancel ACHF’s sweetheart lease and charge the group a market-based rent or, better yet, declare the property surplus and put it up for sell, thereby returning it to the property tax digest. To my mind, this proposed solution would constitute a win-win-win situation; the Unified Government cold use the money thus raised to replace whatever services ACHF might no longer provide at the Athens Welcome Center, the ACHF's more radical folks could continue to hector the rest of us to their hearts’ content, and my tax dollars would no longer be subsidizing their tantrum-laden activism.
Any takers?
*Those interested can see the information on the Prince Avenue property from the CVIOG and the Board of Tax Assessors for themselves (the parcel number is 17-1-A1-G-001).
Monday, March 31, 2008
What Price Fungibility?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
GACR Convention - 2008
The theme of this year’s convention is “The Future Is Yours.” Scheduled speakers include Georgia Republican Party Chairman Sue Everhart, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, various Senators and Representatives, some special guests, and candidates for public office (after all, it is an election year).
The convention takes place on Friday and Saturday, 28-29 March, at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta. The conference runs from 6:00 p.m. on Friday until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday
Registration, which is free, includes the Chairman’s Awards Banquet on Friday evening and a buffet lunch on Saturday. If you need a hotel room for Friday night, the cost is $29.
Register for the convention and check out the GACR blog.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Georgia Among Best Managed States
The purpose of this post is mainly to annoy the progressive types here in Athens. That is because whatever problems are identified in local government, consisting of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County and the Clarke County School District (and they are legion), the locals will inevitably trace them back to a paucity of funds from, or attacks on local control by, the evil Republicans who control state government - as opposed to the wanton spending and conspicuous over-regulation that occurs at the local level. From the 10 March edition of the Office of the Governor’s Week in Review:
Georgia Receives Highest Grade in the Southeast; Grade Rises to B+
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Pew Center on the States and Governing Magazine Monday ranked Georgia among the best managed states in the nation in the Grading the States 2008 report. Georgia’s overall grade of B+ is the highest awarded to any state in the Southeast. Governor Sonny Perdue traveled to Washington D.C. today to speak at the luncheon where the results were announced and to share some insights into how he has transformed Georgia’s state government.
“We have made sensible, strategic reforms in Georgia to make government more efficient and more responsive to the needs of our citizens,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “As a result, Georgians are getting better value for their tax dollars and better service from their government, and we will continue to work to surpass every other state and become the best managed state in the nation.”
Only three states received a higher grade than Georgia's B+, and four other states received the same grade as Georgia. The national average among the 50 states was an overall grade of B-. Thirteen states earned grades above the national average and 19 states were below the national average.
Georgia’s overall grade was determined by averaging the state’s score in each of four categories: “Money” B+, “People” A-, “Infrastructure” B, and “Information” B+. Georgia’s previous overall grade was a B in 2005, the most recent year the study was conducted. This year’s study is the fourth in the series.
The 2008 report emphasized the value and impact of improvements made by the Governor’s Commission for a New Georgia, an initiative Governor Perdue launched shortly after being sworn-in as Governor in 2003. The commission is made up of private sector business and community leaders who offer a fresh perspective on how to make government more efficient and effective.
See the Pew Center on the States, Governing, and the Commission for a New Georgia.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Goodbye, Farewell and Amen*
Mike Huckabee pledged his supporters that he would stay in the GOP presidential contest until such time as a candidate secured the number of delegates required to clinch the nomination.
True to his word, the Governor bowed out gracefully last night when rival John McCain reached the requisite 1191 delegates. Even so, considering the comparative paucity of staff and funds with which Huckabee waged his campaign, he achieved stunning results. In conceding, Huckabee proved himself a team player, vowing to support McCain, the Republican Party, and GOP candidates for the US House of Representatives and Senate.
I think that too many wannabe pundits wrote Huckabee off as simply the “evangelical” candidate, ignoring his positions on a wide range of issues. As the editors of the Dallas Morning News noted in their recent endorsement:
. . . Mr. Huckabee, 52, should be a top leader in tomorrow's Republican Party. His good-natured approach to politics – "I'm a conservative; I'm just not mad about it," as he likes to say – is quite appealing after years of scorched-earth tactics from both parties. He's a pragmatist more concerned with effective government than with bowing to ideological litmus tests. For example, he has proven himself willing to violate anti-tax dogma to undertake investment in infrastructure for the sake of long-term prosperity.
Mr. Huckabee also is good on the environment, contending that the future of the conservative movement depends on embracing conservation and stewardship of the natural world. And he's a compassionate conservative especially in tune with middle-class anxieties in a globalizing economy.
Though I may differ with McCain on a number of high-profile issues, I think that he is a far better choice than either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton (hardy a surprise, I know). And with that, I will set presidential politics aside for a while. More about that and the veep sweepstakes later.
*Apologies to the 4077th.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Upcoming UGACR Speakers
The UGA College Republicans have an impressive slate of speakers scheduled for the remainder of the semester. They include:
Secretary of State Karen Handel discussing Georgia’s voter identification requirements on 05 March
Congressman John Linder talking about FairTax: The Truth on 19 March (though it has nothing to do with the UGACRs per sé, in a related event Neal Boortz will be hosting a free FairTax webinar on 06 March).
Tenth district incumbent congressman Paul Broun and challenger Barry Fleming will debate on 03 May.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Public School Accreditation Follies
Here I go again, citing statistics from the Georgia Department of Education concerning per pupil expenditures, graduation rates, and AYP progress. The context this time is the potential revocation of the Clayton County School District’s SACS accreditation. This story keeps getting bigger and bigger; as the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Secretary of State have all become involved.
But what would losing accreditation mean? I realize that it may cost some students their eligibility for HOPE scholarships and such (through no fault of their own - which would really suck), but does a loss of accreditation mean anything objective insofar as the quality of instruction or academic performance of a school district are concerned. I maintain that it does not.
The reason I can make this claim is quite simple, as the following numbers will reveal:
State of Georgia
FY 2007 per pupil expenditure $8428.05
2006-2007 graduation rate 72.3%
2007 AYP 82.2%
Clayton County School District
FY 2007 per pupil expenditure $7453.37 (11.56% below state average)
2006-2007 graduation rate 71.8% (0.07% (below state average)
2007 AYP 67.8% (17.52% below state average)
Clarke County School District
FY 2007 per pupil expenditure $10,746.94 (27.51% above state average)
2006-2007 graduation rate 58.4% (19.23% below state average)
2007 AYP 57.9% (29.56% below state average)
Thus, the Clayton County School District, which outperforms its Classic City counterpart by a substantial margin and at considerably less cost, may lose its accreditation due entirely to non-academic misteps, while the chronically underperforming Clarke County School District remains in good standing.*
Can someone tell me just what in Hades is wrong with this picture? Such a distorted situation merely brings to mind my earlier comments as to what a meaningless concept public school accreditation really is. I fully understand that accreditation has no demonstrable relation to the academic performance of a given school district’s students – and that is precisely my point.
*You may have heard talk of a Cedar Shoals High School parent filing a formal protest with SACS, but that concerns a specific personnel matter and has nothing to do with student achievement. I know nothing about the specific issue other than what media has told me. For those interested, see here and here.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Huckabee Donation Drive
The Hucakbee for President campaign has a donation drive scheduled for Thursday, 28 February. The purpose of the drive is to fatten the coffers as we head into the GOP primaries slated for Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont next Tuesday.
“Firewall,” meaning a must-win situation, has become a popular term this campaign season. This upcoming group of contests probably amounts to that for Governor Huckabee, as John McCain can virtually assure himself of the Republican nomination with a good showing. Even so, Huckabee has vowed to remain in the campaign until such time as McCain has the nomination mathematically locked up.
Besides which, I think that it is good to have someone through which the party's base can put McCain on notice regarding his leftward tendencies - and having Huckabee draw protest votes may serve McCain well in the end by forcing him back toward the center on a few high-profile issues (or perhaps not).
Regardless, Huckabee is calling on McCain to participate in a “Lincoln-Douglas” style debate prior to next week’s primaries, though the latter has refused. Even if I find McCain’s position annoying, which I do, as a practical matter he is entirely correct to dodge any tête-à-tête with his nearest rival. McCain occupies the commanding position with regard to delegates and is the presumptive nominee; he has nothing to gain and much to lose by debating Huckabee at this point – so he is not going to do so.
Finally, thanks again to Jamey Loftin for letting us use the “Moose Room” at the Locos Grill and Pub on Barnett Shoals Road to view primary returns on Super (Duper) Tuesday. Check out the picture of Nathan and Avery in the Banner-Herald.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Fat Lady Cometh
Regarding the Huckabee presidential campaign, a couple of weeks ago I noted that “The fat lady has yet to sing and she will not do so for a while, but she is warming up.” Indeed. Our corpulent songstress is waiting in the wings and may make an appearance quite soon - and by that I mean after the primaries coming up in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont on 04 March.
In yesterday’s Washington primary, John McCain leads with 49% of the vote, Huckabee places second with 22%, and (strangely enough) Mitt Romney places third with 20% (the most recent vote counts I saw were incomplete).
In yesterday’s Wisconsin primary, McCain took 55% of the vote, with Huckabee taking 37%, and Ron Paul taking 5%.
Regardless of the particular state involved, the turnout in Republican caucuses and primaries is trending downward due to the fact that McCain’s nomination is all but assured. Even so, McCain continues to rack up delegates out of proportion to his vote totals.
Speaking of which, though this editorial in The New Republic concerns the need for Democrats to reform their delegate selection process (and perhaps avoid a convention debacle in Denver), they note that the GOP would do well to heed their advice as well.
I cannot help but agree. Some delegate allocation oddities come immediately to mind: McCain edged Huckabee in South Carolina by a narrow margin (33% to 30 % as I recall), but took about 80% of the state’s delegates; in Washington, about half of the state’s delegates were awarded on the basis of caucuses held on 09 February and about half were awarded on the basis of yesterday’s primary; and here in the Peach State, delegates were distributed by a combination of congressional district and statewide results.
And don’t even get me started on “superdelegates.”
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Georgia GOP Announces District Winners
The following is verbatim from yesterday's Georgia Republican Party press release regarding congressional district winners for the state's recent presidential preference primary:
The Georgia Republican Party today announced winners of the February 5th Presidential Preference Primary by Congressional District. The results are below:
| District | Winner |
| 1st Congressional District | Senator John McCain |
| 2nd Congressional District | Senator John McCain |
| 3rd Congressional District | Governor Mike Huckabee |
| 4th Congressional District | Governor Mitt Romney |
| 5th Congressional District | Senator John McCain |
| 6th Congressional District | Governor Mitt Romney |
| 7th Congressional District | Governor Mike Huckabee |
| 8th Congressional District | Governor Mike Huckabee |
| 9th Congressional District | Governor Mike Huckabee |
| 10th Congressional District | Governor Mike Huckabee |
| 11th Congressional District | Governor Mike Huckabee |
| 12th Congressional District | Senator John McCain |
| 13th Congressional District | Governor Mike Huckabee |
Georgia Code requires that delegates pledge that they will support the candidate they are bound to “until the candidate is either nominated by such convention or receives less than 35 percent of the votes for nomination by such convention during any balloting, or until the candidate releases the delegates from such pledge. No delegate shall be required to vote for such candidate after two convention nominating ballots have been completed.” (21-2-196) “Any delegate to a national convention whose presidential candidate withdraws after being entitled to delegate votes pursuant to this article shall be an unpledged delegate to the national convention.” (21-2-197).
Friday, February 15, 2008
Secretaries of State Coming to Athens
Four former Secretaries of State are coming to the Classic Center on Thursday, 27 March, for “The Report of the Secretaries of State: Bipartisan Advice to the Next President,” the sixteenth such symposium on foreign policy issues.
The event is co-hosted by the Southern Center for International Studies and the UGA School of Law’s Dean Rusk Center. Participants include:
Henry Kissinger (Nixon/Ford)
James Baker III (Bush 41)
Warren Christopher (Clinton)
Madeleine Albright (Clinton)
The roundtable discussion will be moderated by Terence Smith of PBS’ The Newshour with Jim Lehrer.
