James September-October 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 7
Georgia was well-represented at the 2024 Olympics, with
22 athletes from the Peach State competing and bringing home 10 medals in all, four of them gold. If Georgia
was its own country, it would have ranked 21st in the
world for medals! Kudos to all our Olympians, whose
boats are RISING . . .
Be careful where you get your news. An Iranian-backed
fake news website calling itself “Savannah Time” is one
of several faux websites targeting Georgia voters. The site
was identified by Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center and
uses AI tools to plagiarize content and stir controversy
headed into election season. Foreign actors attempting
to meddle in U.S. elections using ever-evolving Artificial
Intelligence to target voters on both sides of the political
divide have election security Sinking . . .
On Fox TV’s August 22 “Hannity” show, Gov. Brian Kemp
flatly declared he is supporting Donald Trump for president, and he is working to elect Republicans “up and
down” the ticket. Trump in turn thanked Kemp “for all
of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so
important to the success of our party and, most importantly, our country. I look forward to working with your
team… .” The peace pipe has been smoked between the
two, and key players making the reconciliation possible
are TV host Sean Hannity, U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham
and Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus. With this
strong display of unity to boost GOP voter turnout,
prospects for a Trump win in Georgia are RISING . . .
Cobb County Superior Court Judge Kellie Hill ruled
that the County Commission maps used in the May 21
primaries are unconstitutional and must be nullified.
This mess began in 2022 when the Democrat-majority
Cobb Commission mapped out its own district county
lines map, ignoring the law giving that responsibility
to the state legislature. The Commission then used its
“new” map for this year’s primary elections, which will
now have to be redone because the Democrat map is
unconstitutional. A costly and time-consuming headache for Cobb taxpayers and voters has the Commission
Democrats Sinking . . .
Drug Enforcement Administration agents made the
largest methamphetamine bust in metro Atlanta history
when they uncovered more than a metric ton of the drug
being smuggled in a shipment of celery. The bust took
place at State Farmers Market in Clayton County, where
agents got a tip about a Mexican cartel using a tractortrailer to transport a large shipment of drugs. While the
celery couldn’t be saved, taking $3 million of meth off the
streets has DEA Atlanta investigators RISING . . .
Since the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission
was restructured in 2017 it has been overseen by Fulton
County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney as the
presiding officer of its three-member hearing panel. But
after a successful seven-year stint McBurney is leaving
the voluntary job, succeeded by Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Brian Rickman. The JQC oversees approximately 1,600 judges, hearing complaints and doling out
punishments as necessary— an integral component in
keeping the state’s judiciary fair and transparent. McBurney leaves with compliments from his peers and hope
that Rickman keeps the JQC RISING . . .
When the Atlanta Beltline was envisioned in the 2000s, it
was meant to eventually include light rail transit, linking
the city along its 22-mile loop. Much to the chagrin of
supporters though, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has
waffled on that part of the plan during his first term in
office, saying he’s skeptical of cost estimates and considering other options like Bus Rapid Transit. That’s not music to the ears of rail transit advocates, who feel Beltline
plans and promises have been left Drifting . . .
The Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) has
some long-standing funding shortfalls, even after a
strong return in 2023. According to the Georgia Public
Policy Foundation, there is “a major risk of unexpected
runaway costs.” It notes the fund experienced returns
substantially below plan expectations in 2016 and 2022,
and there’s no guarantee major losses won’t happen
again. The foundation recommends that state lawmakers
consider major reforms, particularly a more robust debt
payment plan and a modernization of benefits, so the
TRS doesn’t continue Drifting . . .
S E PT E M B E R/O C TO BER 2024
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