ATLANTA, GA –A dozen
leaders of various organizations plus many other concerned citizens gathered at
the Capitol today and made a personal call for House Speaker, David Ralston, to
resign his seat. A complaint with evidence of three separate ethics related
concerns was delivered to Governor Nathan Deal.
The leaders contended
that the Speaker’s House procedures are dictatorial and subvert the principles
of a representative democracy. They asserted that all decisions as to what
bills are heard and which bills can be voted to move to the floor are made in
secrecy and not by votes from their elected representatives. They further
lamented that bills can be gutted, supplemented, modified or limited for debate
without a floor vote or permission from the authors.
Secondly, the leaders
contended that the Speaker and some Representatives flood certain House races
with money to elect candidates who will accept the established dictatorship.
Records of a 2012 primary show the Speaker’s $5000 and $27,000 from
legislators, helped create a 5:1 spending advantage for a candidate who raised
93% of his funds from legislators, corporations and PACs. His challenger, a
minister, raised 96% of his money from individuals. The leaders cited such
funding as conflicts of interest that undermine the will of the people in the
districts.
Finally, the leaders
insisted that the Speaker and some Representatives conducted a politically
motivated, false attack on a bill introduced by Rep. Sam Moore with intent to
destroy his reelection chances. Records proved that the Speaker and some of the
same Representatives are funding Moore’s previous primary opponent, who is
running for that seat again. Legislators contributed over $17,000 of the
$30,000 total for his opponent, who raised only about $800 from in district
individuals. Moore has refused to take cash from corporations, PACs, lobbyists
or legislators.
To disprove the Speaker’s claim that one of
Moore’s previous bills to remove loitering laws would have jeopardized
children, three separate child protection statutes and current loitering laws
were explained. The leaders contend the Speaker had to know that the legal
premise of his claim was false since he was a criminal defense attorney who
represented several child molesters in high profile cases.
Georgia
ranks as America’s most politically corrupt state. Its ethics commission was
recently found liable for a $700,000 judgment in the first of several wrongful
termination suits by employees who were involved in investigating Gov. Deal.
Source: PRESS RELEASE,
Tuesday April 29, 2014, Contact: Garland Favorito, (404) 664-4044. See Link below for a video of the Press
Conference presentation.
http://gataxpayers.org/gtu/?p=265
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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