Organize the South

The online version of the Athens Banner-Herald ran an editorial by Jim Thompson. In it, Thompson tells a little bit about Glen Richardson showing up to a meeting of school superintendents to talk about his dumb idea.

For those who don't know, Richardson is proposing to raise taxes by saying he'll lower taxes. Specifically, he wants to eliminate the ad valorem taxes and the income taxes and replace it with an extended sales tax. The result will be higher taxes on more goods and services because the taxes Richardson wants to end bring in more revenue than what he wants to replace them with. The only way to prevent a huge budget shortfall is to raise taxes. Most people understand this. Richardson doesn't.

The Thompson editorial doesn't go into detail about how Richardson's plan went over. I wish it did. Instead, Thompson tells us about a nasty realization. Richardson can destroy the state and there's not much those who don't live in his district can do about it. Aack! There's some truth in the editorial, but only some. We who don't live in Hiram don't get to vote out Richardson. We do get to make noise though (at least until Bush decides the 1st amendment is too inconvenient).

Here's an idea: Get involved. Here are some ideas.

Poor People's Day. The next planning meeting is November 8 at 12:30 at 9 Gammon Ave., Atlanta 30315. There's no website yet, but you can email me at organizerdan at gmail dot com.

Georgia Budget & Policy Institute. They have a great analysis of Richardson's dumb idea. Check it out.

Georgia Rural Urban Summit. Not a huge grassroots group, but the lobbying they do is great. Larry is a gifted political analyst. You can also find links to groups all over Georgia.