Gwinnett Buzz

Yesterday, the Buzz received this release from the Tommy Hunter campaign.  You can visit Tommy’s site here.  It is probably the best Gwinnett campaign site I have seen thusfar in this election cycle.

Hunter Campaign Launches Website

BUFORD, GA Gwinnett County District 4 Commission candidate Tommy Hunter has announced the launch of his campaign web site. By visiting www.tommyhunter2010.com, voters can find information about Tommy’s experience and community involvement, as well as his positions on the major issues facing Gwinnett County. Voters can also find out how to support Tommy’s campaign or volunteer to help Tommy bring responsible leadership and representation back to the County Commission.

Most important to District 4 voters, however, is his straight-forward, common sense commentary on the news of the day including the controversial sanitation plan.

“I am very proud of the effort that went in to making the new site a reality,” Tommy said.  ”The information on the site goes a long way toward explaining how I feel about the issues facing us- for example, how the budget should be handled; how tax rates should be formulated; and my integrated plan to help lessen the impact of the cost of government on our citizens.”

Tommy continued, “Citizens can contact me directly if they have questions about my stance on any issue. I want them to feel free and welcome to contact me.”

Tommy is a staunch conservative and resides in the Buford area with his wife, Judith, and two young children, where he has attended Harmony Baptist Church his entire life.  The website was designed by Shoestring Solutions in Loganville, GA.

There is some activity in the race for Gwinnett County Commission District 4.  Tommy Hunter’s campaign website has gone live.  I really love his blog entry regarding socialized garbage.  It is very refreshing to hear a politician bluntly tell you like it is.  (I promise I posted my blog entry on socialized garbage before reading Tommy’s comments!)  I have read Tommy’s comments on TalkGwinnett! for some time and I have always found him to be a common-sense conservative.  While it is too early to endorse anyone in this race, I like what I read from Tommy Hunter!

Also, in a story I missed a couple of weeks ago, Tim Sullivan, an IT and real estate professional from Buford, has declared his candidacy for the seat.  You can find his campaign website here.  I did see an immediate red flag with Tim.  When I went to his campaign Facebook page, I saw that Mike Beaudreau had left a comment - “Go Tim!!!!!”  If Mike Beaudreau is behind Sullivan in this race (and I do not know that Mike has officially endorsed Tim or not) I saw “Buyer Beware.”  Interestingly, Sullivan kinda looks like Beaudreau!  But let’s wait and hear what Tim has to say on the issues before we label him as a Mike Beaudreau clone.  Only then can we make a decision as to whether he deserves our support for the commission seat.

Let’s not forget that there is another candidate in this race, John Heard.  I look forward to following the campaigns as we move toward the primary this summer.

NOTE (5 March 10) - Thanks to reader dewood who noted in the comments that there are two additional candidates in this race: Gerald Cagle and Ron Silver.

EDIT (2 March 10): I stated below that the audience could not address the commission during the meeting.  I am watching the meeting right now and the audience does have the opportunity to address the board.  The first two speakers are grilling the commissioners - way to go!

Just when you thought it was safe to take your garbage to the curb, there stands the Gwinnett County Commission waiting at the end of your driveway to “help” you take out your garbage.  That’s right - socialized garbage is back. Tomorrow, the board will consider a new version of the ordinance that looks almost identical to the old version.  What does that tell us?  The Gwinnett County Commission did not listen to a word that was said to them - loudly and clearly - at the various meetings and hearings in the last 15 months.  They have effectively brushed you aside and will do exactly what they intended to do all along - micromanage your life!

The most substantial difference between the previous ordinance and the current iteration is of little real importance to the average citizen: Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful will not be administering the program.  Whew!  That makes me feel so much better knowing that someone else will deny my economic freedom and tell me I am not capable of handing my own affairs.  At the end of the day, the county will still mandate that you must have garbage service.  The county will still tell you what company you must have as your garbage hauler.  They will still bill you for the service as part of your tax bill.  The only substantive item that appears to be different is that recycling is not mandatory.  Exactly how is this different than the socialistic program the board attempted to foist upon us last year?  In a nutshell- IT’S NOT!

Our commissioners are thumbing their noses at us.  They are saying we listened and we ignored virtually everything you told us.  Why?  Because we are politcians and we know how to live your life better than you do!  And these are supposed to be five REPUBLICANS, one of whom may want to go to Washington as a Congressman!

Unfortunately, this will ordinance will pass because this commission is not accountable to you.  Two members of the board, District 2 Commissioner Bert Nasuti and District 4 Commissioner Kevin Kenerly, are not running for reelection.  They can vote for the ordinance and not have to worry about facing the music from the voters.  That means there only needs to be one other vote to pass socialized garbage.  If Commission Chairman Charles Bannister has already decided not to seek a third term in 2012, he would be just as unaccountable as Nasuti and Kenerly.  I suspect he will not run again, but only he knows for sure.  The other likely source for the third vote is Mike Beaudreau.  Whether he runs for Congress or not, Beaudreau will likely run for a higher office in 2012 given that his interest in Congressman John Linder’s congressional seat confirms my suspicions that Beaudreau is aiming politically higher than the county commission.  Granted, running for any office from within Gwinnett would force him to face voters in some way should he vote for socialized garbage. However, if his next race is for a different office, that would provide some insulation from voter angst over socialized garbage.  That leaves Shirley Lasseter who likely will run for relection in 2012.  With a third vote coming from Bannister or Beaudreau, Lasseter would be afforded political cover by being able to vote against the ordinance knowing that it will still pass.  (To be fair to Lasseter, the original socialized garbage ordinance was passed before she joined the Commission.  Thus, she may truly be opposed to the measure.)

The board will vote on this unAmerican ordinance tomorrow.  Conveniently, these sessions do not allow the public to address the commission, so you will not have the opportunity to remind the board that their support of socialized garbage is unacceptable.  Ironically, that is very appropriate given that they chose to ignore you when you did have the opportunity to speak.  Who needs Democrats when you have Republicans like this bunch?

While the GOP swept all county government races yesterday, I must wonder if this is the last election we will see such a result?  Yesterday showed that the Democrats are gaining power in Gwinnett.  Are the days where Gwinnett races are over at the end of the Republican primary coming to a close?  How much of this Democrat strength was due to the very long coattails of Barack Obama and how much of it was from a shifting demographic empowering Gwinnett Democrats?  I agree with Gwinnett GOP chairman Gregory Howard that this is a wake-up call for Gwinnett Republicans.  All of us in Gwinnett must get active, involved and aware of our local government.  This is important to protect our property rights as the County Commission decides various issues, but it is even more important in strengthening the party to fight the battles that are likely coming down the road.  As I discussed in my general election endorsement of Mike Beaudreau, we may have issues with the GOP primary winners, but at the end of the day I trust that Charles Bannister, Shirley Lasseter, Bert Nasuti, Mike Beaudreau, and Kevin Kenerly will make more “right” decisions than a Democrat in their seats.

I plan to promote conservative ideals for Gwinnett County in this blog.  However, I would like to do more and would hope my readers would as well.  I know this blog is read by active members of the Gwinnett GOP and I would ask that you respond to this post with suggestions for what myself and others can do as we head into possibly tougher races in 2010.  Whether you approve of his record or not, Barack Obama showed what can happen if people pull together.  We are at the stage in the history of Gwinnett County where we need to pull together and work hard to ensure that Gwinnett remains great and remains a county we want to call home.  If we do not, we may suffer the consequences of Democrat chairman Mike Berlon’s hopes for our county:

If the Democratic party can improve its methods of fundraising, Berlon said, Gwinnett can look forward to a more balanced local government.

As far as outcomes, there is no change in the result of the Gwinnett races this morning.  However, the near final tally in the District 5 school board race between Republican Louise Radloff and Democrat challenger Ravindra Kumar has the margin down to less than 600 votes.  Depending on the status of absentee and early voting ballot counts, this one might not be over and Gwinnett may face the reality that a Democrat has managed to get a toehold in local government.

On the state level, it now appears that Saxby Chambliss will be forced into a runoff for the U.S. Senate.  If so, turnout will be key in the December 2 runoff.  Democrats across the state are energized with the Obama victory so Republicans cannot stay at home and allow Democrat Jim Martin to come from behind and take away the Georgia Senate seat from the GOP.  Gwinnett as a base of conservative Republican votes must turn out big for Saxby.

With nearly all precincts reporting, Commission Chairman Charles Bannister and District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau have easily won reelection.  In school board races, District 1 board member Carol Boyce and District 3 board member Mary Kay Murphy both won fairly easy victories.  In School Board District 5 things appear to be a bit closer, but Louse Radloff appears headed to victory over Democrat challenger Ravindra Kuma.  Tom Lawler will hold onto his position as Superior Court Clerk.

However, not all incumbents fared well.  In a poor move by Gwinnett voters, Richard Winegarden will fall to Karen Beyers, a candidate who had no judicial experience coming into this election.

In the SPLOST vote, Gwinnett voters extended the 1-cent sales taxes by nearly 20,000 votes.

On a state level, Saxby Chambliss thankfully was relected to the United States Senate.  This was important to keeping enough Republicans in the Senate to maintain the threat of a filibuster against any extremely liberal legislation from Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and their ilk.  Congressman John Linder, who represents a large portion of the county, defeated Doug Heckman handily. All three Georgia constitutional amendments appear likely to pass, though Amendments 2 and 3 are a little tight with about 10% of the precincts still out.  I supported, with some concerns, Amendments 2 and 3 and am glad to see them gain approval.  However, I am disappointed to see Amendment 1 pass with its promise of placing additional funding responsibility for local schools on taxpayers throughout the state.  Amendment 2 was very important to providing the funding needed for the TADs that Gwinnett voters approved in the primary in July.

Thus, overall, a positive night for Gwinnett amidst a sad night for America overall.  Hopefully, as Republican conservatives seek to take back our national party and win back the voters that the big spending GOP of the last six years have allowed to flock to Barack Obama, Gwinnett and it’s strong conservative base can play a role in this effort.  Winning back the wayward center right voters is so critical to protecting the freedoms and values that America holds dear and that are sure to be threatened by the liberal Democrats starting in January.

Apparently, lines at Gwinnett polling places were much shorter than one might have thought given the massive waits of last week.  I voted absentee and turned my ballot in at the electioncs office Saturday morning (if you have not done it this way, I cannot recomment it highly enough…not a minute of wait involved!) and was glad when I passed my polling place this morning and saw cars parked everywhere, even out on the road.  However, waits of six hours did not materialize and reports are that things went fairly smoothly.

Be sure to check into the Gwinnett Buzz all night for the latest on Gwinnett election results (with a few bits on state and national races thrown in for flavor!).  Check the Buzz Tweets on the right hand side or you can follow me directly on Twitter for my commentary as tonight’s events unfold.  As big results are solified, look for new posts that provide my analysis of what they mean for Gwinnett.

The Gwinnett Buzz - your Gwinnett election night headquarters!

I had not paid a lot of attention to the Gwinnett Superior Court race but I received robocalls from both sides so I wound up looking at the candidates a little more closely.  (I really hate to admit that the robocalls got my attention because I abhor those obnoxious intrusions that candidates rudely unleash on voters.)  I don’t have a really strong opinion on this race but one thing struck me as I poked around the Internet for more information.  After a short time, I could see which candidate was the clear choice.

Superior Court is the highest profile local court in Georgia.  This court is where life and death decisions literally can be made.  This court is where the guilt of violent criminals is adjudicated.  While all courts are serious, Superior Court is particularly serious because of the cases that are heard within.  As such, what should we expect of a Superior Court judge?  First and foremost, fairness.  Not everyone defending themselves in court is guilty or liable and fairness is paramount to ensure that an injustice is not done.  Second, experience.  Because of the grave nature of many of the issues in this court, a judge should have extensive judicial experience and a strong understanding of the law.  This is not amateur hour.

Challenger Karen Beyers lists no judicial experience on her website.  Judge Richard Winegarden has over 25 years of judicial experience.  There are numerous allegations of personality flaws for Judge Winegarden including being rude to those in his court and not efficiently managing his calendar.  In fact, these seem to be Beyers’ primary reasons why she should be elected.  (Frankly, all the blog and message board chatter seems too much “Inside Baseball” to me with bickering between those in the legal profession of those who have had cases heard in Judge Winegarden’s courtroom.  Who knows what the truth is!)  While I do not condone being rude, what is more important is whether the judge is honest and fair.  Beside,s being rude is such a subjective thing.  As for calendar management, it is easy to make an allegation on the surface but there legitimate reasons for such things that typical politicking chooses to ignore.  As in court, there are two sides to every story so I cannot get too upset over a judge’s schedule based on a campaign claim.  In summary. given Beyers’ lack of judicial experience, she needs to have a better arguments than these.

Finally, if there were any doubt remaining as to which candidate to back in this race, one key endorsement seals the deal.  District Attorney Danny Porter has endorsed Judge Winegarden.  Porter’s many years of service to law and justice in Gwinnett County commands respect and his backing of Judge Richard Winegarden make me confident that that I have endorsed the better candidate.

The Gwinnett commission races in the general election are really not all that exciting.  Despite shifts in the county’s demographics in recent years, Gwinnett is still a primarily Republican county.  Thus, I do not expect the two Republican incumbents to have much trouble regaining their seats.  Nevertheless, the Buzz is a blog that takes a stand, whether popular or not, so I would like to make formal endorsements in both the Commission Chairman and District 3 Commissioner races.

Commission Chairman

The Gwinnett Buzz endorses Republican Chairman Charles Bannister to retain his seat as head of the Gwinnett County Commission. The Buzz was a supporter of Chairman Bannister during this summer’s primaries and nothing has happened to weaken this backing.  Mr. Bannister has done an adequate job as Chairman these last fours years and has earned the chance to continue in this role.  He has placed an emphasis on tax cuts, a position that will be welcome as we face the risk of the increased federal taxation in the coming years.

Commission District 3

The Gwinnett Buzz endorses Republican Commissioner Mike Beaudreau to retain his seat on the Gwinnett County Commission. Now, if you are a long time reader of the Buzz and followed the often intense primary campaign in July, you know that I was a strong supporter of challenger Doug Stacks.  As such, you may be stunned to see me endorsing the very candidate about whom I wrote several harsh critiques.  If so, neither you nor my friends in the Stacks campaign should worry.  I would still back Doug  today if he were in the race.  My positions on land use and property rights have wavered not at all.  However, our time to defeat Mike was in July.

The District 3 voters spoke loud and clear that they preferred Beaudreau to Stacks.  I don’t like that, but I can accept that.  I endorse Commission Beaudreau out of political practicality. First, Mike is a known quantity.  Whether we agree with him or not, we know where he stands and we know what to expect.  Democrat challenger Earn Herndon of Dacula is quite the opposite - an unknown.  Given the track record of the Democrat Party, I would expect that Herndon’s positions on land use and property rights are likely similar to those held by Beaudreau, if no worse!  Second, Mr. Beaudreau is a good person.  Setting politics aside, he is active in his church and community.  Having spoke with him in the past, I can attest that has an approachable personality.  In this day and age of self-serving, arrogant politicians in a sea of political bitterness, such traits count for something.  Finally, there is the practical reality that we do not want to allow the Democrats to gain even a single seat on the Gwinnett County Commission.  We need to stave off massive increases both in our property taxes and in the size of county government as long as possible.

Thus, all of these reasons points to a single logical conclusion.  Endorse the Republican and support the party.  That does not mean that you nor the Buzz should not remain vigilant and hold Commissioner Beaudreau accountable for his votes in the upcoming term.  This does not mean that you nor the Buzz, if Beaudreau does not change his positions, should not strongly consider any primary opponents in 2012 should Mike run again.  However, if on no other day than November 4, 2008, Mike Beaudreau deserves your vote and the Buzz urges you to support the incumbent Republcan commissioner.