Tim Johnston's viewpoint on some of the ballot questions and non-mayoral elections
Tim is a great guy who works with Community Connection and a lot of other important groups. The following is in no way indictative of any official endorsements, but instead one person's opinion and input of whom I have the highest and utmost amount of respect. I hope it enlightens some of you as to the vagaries of some of the judges' races and referenda:
n the non-Commission, non-mayoral nonpartisan races (please note that all opinions are my own and are not on behalf of any organization):
David Sweat (incumbent Superior Court judge) is an outstanding public servant. He is highly intelligent and has impeccable integrity. His entire legal career, he donated immeasurable pro-bono work to nonprofit organizations (including incorporation for Community Connection, Athens Area Homeless Shelter, Rape Crisis Center [now Sexual Assault Center], Project Safe, Georgia Options, and others). He continues to participate actively in volunteer work, including Partners for a Prosperous Athens, a ministers/employers group working to establish routes for former offenders to gain employment upon leaving incarceration, etc. I don't know his challenger or why he's running, but I believe it would be a travesty not to re-elect David Sweat.
Carol Hunstein is one of three incumbent Georgia Supreme Court justices up for re-election. According to several news reports, a right-wing group actively recruited candidates to challenge all three (seeking activist judges who would support extremely conservative causes), and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce joined with them (advocating what they call tort reform), but were only able to field a candidate in this particular race (perhaps not coincidentally the only one where the incumbent is female). Hunstein has received the highest ratings from the bar and other nonpartisan organizations, and has pretty strong support from both Democrats and many leading Republicans.
Her challenger, Mike Wiggins, is drawing support from Christian Coalition-types. Wiggins was a Bush legal adviser, perhaps best known for testifying before a Congressional Committee that Guantanemo Bay prisoners can be held "in perpetuity" at the President's discretion. Wiggins' campaign announcement stated, "Some on the current Supreme Court simply do not reflect the conservative judicial philosophy the vast majority of our citizens embrace, and I am running in large part to bring more balance to the court." Bill Shipp had an informative column about this race (http://onlineathens.com/stories/100806/opinion_20061008058.shtml).
Athens Clarke stuff - bear with me
The only contested School Board seat is District 5, where incumbent Jackie Saindon is not seeking re-election. John Knight (whom I know) and Mildred Lyle (whom I don't know) are running. John is an attorney who has dedicated his professional life to representing the dispossessed, especially people in poverty. He is actively involved in a variety of volunteer work. He has a long list of progressive educational positions. I believe that he would be an outstanding School Board member. Mildred, whom I do not know, is a retiree who was recruited to run by individuals active with the NAACP. I have heard nothing to indicate that she would be anything other than a good Board member, though I would like to learn more (and plan to do so).
The state constitutional amendment to restrict eminent domain will likely pass easily, but I have some concerns about it. It passed because of the Connecticut city that condemned all the homes in a middle class neighborhood so that a high-end developer could put in some sort of luxury shopping and residential community (and pay significantly higher property taxes), the city citing economic development as justification. Unfortunately, in this 'reform' to prevent such from happening here, the General Assembly ignores the most egregious eminent domain problems (private [investor owned] utility companies can condemn your land and you have no recourse whatsoever except to go to court to challenge what they pay you, even if, for example -- and this has happened -- they're building power plants to sell electricity in the competitive out-of-state market). And they throw the baby out with the bath water: this will prevent positive activities for which eminent domain has been used.
For example, here in Athens there have been numerous cases of houses whose owners died intestate (no will) and whose homes legally passed to their heirs, then to their heirs' heirs, and their heirs' heirs' heirs. Someone might be collecting rent, but it is impractable in many cases to identify all the owners. Athens Land Trust has rescued many of these houses in historic (but declining) neighborhoods, and Athens Housing Authority has used its power of eminent domain to clear the titles. As I understand it, they've only done it with approval of known owner(s) who receive the payment with the explicit proviso that if other heirs come forward, those will receive their fair share of the proceeds. The Land Trust then repairs the house and sells it to low- or moderate-income folks (they retain ownership of the land to protect the neighborhoods from over-valuation and gentrification). As I understand it, the proposed constitutional amendment will preclude this kind of pro-community use of governmental condemnation powers, along with its intended purpose of preventing abusive use of those powers.
I don't know anything about the fishing & hunting amendment.
I think that the car tag amendment has to do with the "gratuities" clause of the state Constitution (state money can't be "given" to private entities, so someone could theoretically sue to prevent specialty tag revenues from being "given" to appropriate nonprofit organizations). In any case, it's worthy of support.
The property tax exemption for planes restored by veterans organizations "for educational purposes" seems like a non-issue (are local governments taxing these now?), but what do I know.
I support the property tax exemption for charitable organizations' businesses where the profits go exclusively to the organizations' charitable work (the Hawthorne thrift store operated Salvation Army is one). There's the potential for abuse (bogus nonprofits set up to operate businesses ostensibly for their mission, but paying huge salaries to the scam artists who set them up), but there are other ways to go after those (especially through the IRS).
It'll pass over-whelmingly, but I don't like the 100% property tax exemption for seniors. Some of the wealthiest people I know are seniors and live in multi-million dollar mansions, and I think it would be outrageous to exempt their homes from property taxes.
I do support the public safety widow/er killed in the line of duty homestead exemption (though I would prefer other means of supporting them).
I also support the surviving, un-remarried spouse retaining the same homestead exemption (this affects relatively small numbers, e.g. if the house is in my name and I have a particular exemption and I die, my wife retains that exemption without going through the process again -- historic preservation, age, etc.).
The redevelopment tax zones (a.k.a. TADs, Tax Abatement Districts) provide a tool for cleaning up brownfields for redevelopment, improving infrastructure, etc. for blighted areas. There is a potential for abuse, but the Commission would have to approve each on an individual basis, and there are provisions for public participation, so I think this is a good thing.
The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for schools definitely should be supported. It provides needed support for school infrastructure (buildings, technology, etc.), and our schools need more. Forty percent of local sales taxes (in Athens) are paid by nonresidents, which helps offset some of our lost local property taxes from people who live in surrounding counties but work in Athens.
As I said, these are my opinions. I hope they're of some help
n the non-Commission, non-mayoral nonpartisan races (please note that all opinions are my own and are not on behalf of any organization):
David Sweat (incumbent Superior Court judge) is an outstanding public servant. He is highly intelligent and has impeccable integrity. His entire legal career, he donated immeasurable pro-bono work to nonprofit organizations (including incorporation for Community Connection, Athens Area Homeless Shelter, Rape Crisis Center [now Sexual Assault Center], Project Safe, Georgia Options, and others). He continues to participate actively in volunteer work, including Partners for a Prosperous Athens, a ministers/employers group working to establish routes for former offenders to gain employment upon leaving incarceration, etc. I don't know his challenger or why he's running, but I believe it would be a travesty not to re-elect David Sweat.
Carol Hunstein is one of three incumbent Georgia Supreme Court justices up for re-election. According to several news reports, a right-wing group actively recruited candidates to challenge all three (seeking activist judges who would support extremely conservative causes), and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce joined with them (advocating what they call tort reform), but were only able to field a candidate in this particular race (perhaps not coincidentally the only one where the incumbent is female). Hunstein has received the highest ratings from the bar and other nonpartisan organizations, and has pretty strong support from both Democrats and many leading Republicans.
Her challenger, Mike Wiggins, is drawing support from Christian Coalition-types. Wiggins was a Bush legal adviser, perhaps best known for testifying before a Congressional Committee that Guantanemo Bay prisoners can be held "in perpetuity" at the President's discretion. Wiggins' campaign announcement stated, "Some on the current Supreme Court simply do not reflect the conservative judicial philosophy the vast majority of our citizens embrace, and I am running in large part to bring more balance to the court." Bill Shipp had an informative column about this race (http://onlineathens.com/stories/100806/opinion_20061008058.shtml).
Athens Clarke stuff - bear with me
The only contested School Board seat is District 5, where incumbent Jackie Saindon is not seeking re-election. John Knight (whom I know) and Mildred Lyle (whom I don't know) are running. John is an attorney who has dedicated his professional life to representing the dispossessed, especially people in poverty. He is actively involved in a variety of volunteer work. He has a long list of progressive educational positions. I believe that he would be an outstanding School Board member. Mildred, whom I do not know, is a retiree who was recruited to run by individuals active with the NAACP. I have heard nothing to indicate that she would be anything other than a good Board member, though I would like to learn more (and plan to do so).
The state constitutional amendment to restrict eminent domain will likely pass easily, but I have some concerns about it. It passed because of the Connecticut city that condemned all the homes in a middle class neighborhood so that a high-end developer could put in some sort of luxury shopping and residential community (and pay significantly higher property taxes), the city citing economic development as justification. Unfortunately, in this 'reform' to prevent such from happening here, the General Assembly ignores the most egregious eminent domain problems (private [investor owned] utility companies can condemn your land and you have no recourse whatsoever except to go to court to challenge what they pay you, even if, for example -- and this has happened -- they're building power plants to sell electricity in the competitive out-of-state market). And they throw the baby out with the bath water: this will prevent positive activities for which eminent domain has been used.
For example, here in Athens there have been numerous cases of houses whose owners died intestate (no will) and whose homes legally passed to their heirs, then to their heirs' heirs, and their heirs' heirs' heirs. Someone might be collecting rent, but it is impractable in many cases to identify all the owners. Athens Land Trust has rescued many of these houses in historic (but declining) neighborhoods, and Athens Housing Authority has used its power of eminent domain to clear the titles. As I understand it, they've only done it with approval of known owner(s) who receive the payment with the explicit proviso that if other heirs come forward, those will receive their fair share of the proceeds. The Land Trust then repairs the house and sells it to low- or moderate-income folks (they retain ownership of the land to protect the neighborhoods from over-valuation and gentrification). As I understand it, the proposed constitutional amendment will preclude this kind of pro-community use of governmental condemnation powers, along with its intended purpose of preventing abusive use of those powers.
I don't know anything about the fishing & hunting amendment.
I think that the car tag amendment has to do with the "gratuities" clause of the state Constitution (state money can't be "given" to private entities, so someone could theoretically sue to prevent specialty tag revenues from being "given" to appropriate nonprofit organizations). In any case, it's worthy of support.
The property tax exemption for planes restored by veterans organizations "for educational purposes" seems like a non-issue (are local governments taxing these now?), but what do I know.
I support the property tax exemption for charitable organizations' businesses where the profits go exclusively to the organizations' charitable work (the Hawthorne thrift store operated Salvation Army is one). There's the potential for abuse (bogus nonprofits set up to operate businesses ostensibly for their mission, but paying huge salaries to the scam artists who set them up), but there are other ways to go after those (especially through the IRS).
It'll pass over-whelmingly, but I don't like the 100% property tax exemption for seniors. Some of the wealthiest people I know are seniors and live in multi-million dollar mansions, and I think it would be outrageous to exempt their homes from property taxes.
I do support the public safety widow/er killed in the line of duty homestead exemption (though I would prefer other means of supporting them).
I also support the surviving, un-remarried spouse retaining the same homestead exemption (this affects relatively small numbers, e.g. if the house is in my name and I have a particular exemption and I die, my wife retains that exemption without going through the process again -- historic preservation, age, etc.).
The redevelopment tax zones (a.k.a. TADs, Tax Abatement Districts) provide a tool for cleaning up brownfields for redevelopment, improving infrastructure, etc. for blighted areas. There is a potential for abuse, but the Commission would have to approve each on an individual basis, and there are provisions for public participation, so I think this is a good thing.
The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for schools definitely should be supported. It provides needed support for school infrastructure (buildings, technology, etc.), and our schools need more. Forty percent of local sales taxes (in Athens) are paid by nonresidents, which helps offset some of our lost local property taxes from people who live in surrounding counties but work in Athens.
As I said, these are my opinions. I hope they're of some help
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