Organize the South

There chutzpah and then there's politician chutzpah. Rep. Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons) has gone beyond even politician chutzpah in his blathering support of Rep. Glenn Richardson's stupid idea to raise taxes (called the GREAT tax).

Keen is a ardent supporter of tax reform. Of course, when elected officials (especially ones who live in areas more than 90% white and with household incomes 25% than the rest of Georgia) talk about tax reform it's best to grab one's wallet and load the shotgun. Keen wants to eliminate the state personal income tax. Since the income tax is one of the fairest taxes available, ending it effectively shifts payment burden to lower income people. (You can learn more about taxes at www.nontrivialpursuits.org, but I recommend the printer friendly version since they don't know much about web design.) In short, Keen wants to make sure he and his rich neighbors hand their tax bill over to us. No thank you, Mr. Keen.

None of this, however, is an example of chutzpah. It's just an example of conservative politics. Keen's chutzpay is on display in an article on the 11alive website. Towards the end of the article Keen begins talking about why the idea should be on the ballot. He says:

"there is no more local control than having the local taxpayers and citizens be able to weigh in. And whether you agree or disagree with the plan, I cannot imagine an elected official at any level who would stand up and say, 'I don't want the citizens of my city and county to have the ability to vote and choose.'"

Why chutzpah? Because I remember 2005 when the same Rep. Keen told the people of Georgia to go jump in a lake. The issue then was the living wage bill and HB 59 which made it illegal for local governments to give contractual preferences to companies that pay living wages (i.e. not increase poverty). Rep. Keen voted for the bill. He apparently believed it better for the legislature to decide how local government should run and that local taxpayers and citizens should NOT to weigh in. Who else would know better about how Atlanta contracts should be given out then someone living in St. Simons?

Right now the only question is whether Keen is a liar or hypocrite. Rep. Keen please repeat this sentence: I don't want the citizens of my city and county to have the ability to vote and choose.