Do Something!

originally published January 24, 2007

When Sonny Perdue was running for reelection as governor, he left voters with the impression that great things were going to happen if he won a second term in office. Perdue fed that perception by airing numerous TV spots that encouraged voters to suggest items for his “Sonny Do List” of issues that would be resolved in that second four years as governor. The voters obviously felt good about the idea and returned Perdue to the governor’s mansion by giving him 58 percent of their votes. The people of Georgia then sat back and waited for Perdue to announce the policy initiatives he would roll out as state government’s chief executive. They are still waiting, as it happens.

During the week of Jan. 8, Perdue delivered three speeches on three successive days that gave him ample opportunity to outline his vision for a second term: his inaugural speech on Monday, his annual remarks to the Georgia Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, and his more expansive “State of the State” address on Wednesday. What big ideas did Perdue share in all of those speeches? He thinks that motorists who drive above the speed limit should be given a ticket. He believes that “the sun is shining brightly on Georgia.” And he’s gratified that turf grass grown in South Georgia is being used in the next Super Bowl.

It’s worth noting some of the things he didn’t bother to mention. Any Georgian who has driven an automobile recently knows that our roads and highways are getting more congested by the minute. This isn’t a problem confined to inside the perimeter, either. If you try to drive north from Macon on I-75 you’ll bog down in traffic jams as bad as any you’ll see in metro Atlanta. The Department of Transportation estimates that over the next six years, they will run nearly $8 billion short of the money needed to build enough new highways and maintain existing ones to start making a dent in that congestion. What did our governor have to say about this? In the 3,258 words that made up Perdue’s State of the State speech, none of these words were mentioned: traffic, roads, gridlock, congestion, transportation, transit, commuter or rail.

The Atlanta newspapers for the past two weeks have published a series of lengthy articles reporting that at least 115 patients from state psychiatric hospitals have died under suspicious circumstances during the past five years - which is, coincidentally, just about the length of time that Perdue has been in office. You might think this would be a topic of some concern to a governor who includes as one of his goals “a safer Georgia.” But if you search the text of Perdue’s State of the State address, here’s a phrase you will not find: “mental hospitals.”

What was more important to Perdue? Bass fishing. His State of the State speech devoted 165 words to a plan to spend $19 million in the next budget for a “Go Fish Georgia” program where new ramps will be constructed at 15 major rivers and reservoirs capable of hosting large bass tournaments. “We will no longer sit by and watch as tourists drive through Georgia on their way to surrounding states to fish,” Perdue vowed.

What about the fact that Georgia’s schools still rank in the bottom 10 percent on average SAT scores? That wasn’t mentioned. How about the fact that the number of persons without health insurance coverage has increased by an estimated 200,000 in recent years? Nothing to worry about. After all, we’re going to bring more bass fishermen to Georgia.

It’s not a moral shortcoming on Perdue’s part if he doesn’t want to do anything for the next four years. That’s a matter of personal choice. But if he isn’t interested in doing anything as governor, it’s worth asking why he spent so much time and money to win another four years in office. It brings to mind that famous quote by Abraham Lincoln, who was commenting upon the unwillingness of Gen. George McClellan to attack the enemy during the Civil War. “My dear McClellan,” Lincoln wrote, “If you don’t want to use the Army I should like to borrow it for a while.”

In that same spirit of helpfulness, maybe someone could suggest to Perdue that he let someone else borrow state government for awhile. It’s not as if there is nothing that needs to be done.

Tom Crawford

tcrawford@capitolimpact.net