Roy Barnes on abortion, guns and spending

Courtesy of Roy Barnes

Over a month ago on September 23, as I was preparing candidate profiles for the gubernatorial candidates, I submitted several questions to the Roy Barnes campaign along with a request for the rights to use a photo of Mr. Barnes to accompany the article. Although I called and emailed the campaign several times, there was no response so I finally published the article.

Finally, two days ago, I received response from the Barnes campaign. In order to fully educate the electorate, I will pass along what new information I received. Additionally, I have also received permission to use the photo that accompanies this article. You can read the full candidate profile of Barnes here.

To read the rest of this article please click the link below:
http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/exclusive-roy-barnes-on-abortion-guns-and-spending

Is Roy Barnes’ rape shield ad true?

Nathan Deal

Roy Barnes recently released one of the most scandalous television ads of this year’s Georgia elections. The ad accuses Republican candidate Nathan Deal of attempting to weaken Georgia’s rape shield law. The ad alleges that, under the law, rape victims would have had to “take the stand” to prove that they “didn’t deserve to be raped.”

To read the rest of this article, please click the link below:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5943578/roy_barnes_rape_shield_ad.html?cat=8

Election myth: Does the GOP want to ship jobs overseas?

The unemployment line

The third common myth being spread by Democrats this election season is that Republicans want to send American jobs to other countries. This is an obvious exaggeration. No politician of either party would want to send his or her constituents’ jobs out of their district and to another country. You don’t get re-elected that way and, above all else, most politicians want to get re-elected.

The question then becomes how best to preserve American jobs. President Obama and the Democrats believe that companies who move jobs to other countries should be punished through higher taxes or the elimination of tax breaks. A bill currently stalled in the senate purports to do just that.

To read the rest of this article, please click the link below:
http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/election-myth-does-the-gop-want-to-ship-jobs-overseas

Election myth: Does the GOP want to privatize Social Security?

A second myth being propagated by Democrats this election season is that Republicans want to privatize Social Security. The basis for this rumor is Rep. Paul Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future, although it can probably be traced back to President Bush’s attempt to reform Social Security in 2005. Neither plan involves the privatization of Social Security.

The root of the problem is that Social Security is broke. The Social Security trust fund into which Social Security (FICA) taxes are paid into is filled with federal bonds, essentially promises to repay or IOUs. Social Security taxes are not invested on the worker’s behalf by the government. Instead, current FICA revenues are used to pay current benefits.

To read the rest of this article, please click the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/election-myth-does-the-gop-want-to-privatize-social-security

Budget cuts threaten Georgia parks

Canoeing with my son at Hard Labor Creek State Park

An often overlooked aspect of the national financial crisis and the subsequent political emergency is the impact on Georgia’s state parks. As tax revenues dropped in the wake of the financial collapse, Governor Sonny Perdue and the General Assembly slashed the Department of Natural Resources parks budget by almost forty percent, from $27.4 million to $16.8 million.

To read the rest of this article, please go to:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5942978/budget_cuts_threaten_georgia_parks.html?cat=9

Election myths: Does the GOP favor a 23% sales tax?

The Fair Tax would eliminate the IRS entirely.

In the absence of being able to brag about their own accomplishments since 2006 when they took over Congress, the Democrats have taken to attacking their Republican opponents. When possible, these attacks focus on personal issues in an attempt to distract voters from the failures of the Democratic economic policies. When personal issues are not in evidence, there are three common charges made by Democrats (and cited by Dick Morris in a blog a few weeks ago). In my next few articles, I plan to address these charges individually.

The first common Democratic charge is that Republican candidates favor creating a new national sales tax at a 23% rate. Many Georgians will recognize the basis of this charge immediately since it is rooted in the Fair Tax proposed by Georgia congressman John Linder and radio talk show host Neal Boortz.

To read the rest of this article, please click the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/election-myth-does-the-gop-favor-a-23-sales-tax

A streetcar undesired

Streetcars, like this one in San Jose, may soon be a common sight in Atlanta... at least on a two and a half mile stretch of Atlanta.

Much to the chagrin of Atlanta area commuters like me, Atlanta will be getting a new streetcar line rather than improving the capacity of the metro area’s roads. Officials from Atlanta and the US Department of Transportation this week announced the grant of $47 million in federal funds to build the streetcar line. The grant will be matched by $20 million in local money.

To read the rest of this article, please go to:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5926230/a_streetcar_named_undesired.html?cat=9

Three Georgia Dems face possible upsets

Sanford Bishop (D-2) has seen his lead over Mike Keown steadily erode.

Georgia’s delegation to the US House of Representatives currently holds thirteen seats. In the current Congress, the delegation is made up of seven Republicans and six Democrats. As the tide of the campaign turns against the Democrats, many observers are predicting unprecedented losses – up to 99 seats in the House – for the Democrats. It looks as though some Democrats of the Georgia delegation may also join the ranks of unemployed politicians.

To read the rest of this article, please click the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/three-georgia-dems-face-possible-upsets

Meet the candidates: Georgia Lt. Governor

The office of Georgia Lieutenant Governor is roughly equivalent to that of Vice President. The Georgia Constitution of 1945 created the office. However, unlike the vice presidency, the Lt. Governor is determined through a separate election from the Governor. It is possible for the Lt. Governor and the Governor to be of different parties. The Lt. Governor serves a four-year term and is not term limited.

The Lt. Governor exercises executive power if the Governor is temporarily incapacitated. If the Governor dies or cannot serve out his term, the Lt. Governor assumes the office of Governor for the remainder of the term.

To read the rest of this article, please click the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/carroll-county-elections-2010-in-atlanta/meet-the-candidates-georgia-lt-governor

Coping with Obamacare’s price increases

If you have received your open 2011 enrollment package for your company’s health care benefits, like me you may have experienced some sticker shock this year. With the passage of the health care reform law, many Americans are finding that their health insurance premiums are going up and that their benefits are going down.

To make the most of your health insurance dollars, take a little extra time this year and examine all the alternatives that your company offers. One of the first things to consider is whether you and your family use your health insurance a lot or a little. If you rarely go to the doctor or get prescriptions filled, then you probably don’t need the most expensive plan with all the bells and whistles. For people who rarely use their insurance, a high deductible plan might save money.

Major medical plans typically have a deductible and many do not include copayments. This means that you will be responsible for paying your health insurance costs until you meet the deductible. For example, if your plan includes a $1,000 deductible, you will have to pay the first $1,000 of medical expenses for the year. After the deductible, these plans usually pay a set percentage, usually 80-90% of the medical bill. This leaves the employee to pay the remaining 10-20%. This is called coinsurance.

To read the rest of this article, please click the link below:
http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/coping-with-obamacare-s-price-increases

Read Part 2 here:

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/coping-with-obamacare-s-price-increases-part-2

Photo credit:
jscreationzs’s portfolio is:
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1152