Governor Brian Kemp (Atlanta, Jersey: middle-class, transplants, high crime)

[Born 2 Roll]

On Thursday, January 2nd, 2020, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp sat down for a question-and-answer session with Cobb County's official newspaper of record, the Marietta Daily Journal. Governor Kemp answered questions about the coming 2020 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly which convenes on Monday, January 13, 2020.

Q&A: Gov. Brian Kemp talks budget cuts, education and other legislative priorities (Marietta Daily Journal)

[Born 2 Roll]

With the Georgia General Assembly kicking off its 2020 legislative session on Monday, January 13, 2020, second-year Governor Brian Kemp is looking to take the next step on issues such as targeting gangs and human trafficking as well as following up on his commitment to reform adoption and improve foster care in Georgia.

"Kemp 2020 agenda targets gangs, human trafficking" (Gwinnett Daily Post/Dave Williams/Capitol Beat News Service)

[Born 2 Roll]

Brian Kemp wrote a guest op-ed in the Augusta Chronicle reflecting on his first year as the 83rd Governor of Georgia...

"Column: Georgia enjoyed a truly historic year in 2019" (The Augusta Chronicle)

[Born 2 Roll]

ATLANTA (AP) — Even though he wasn't on the ballot, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has been painfully bruised by the 2020 elections.

Governor Kemp under fire after US Senate losses (WGXA-TV Macon)

[Born 2 Roll]

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp has been counted out before — when he launched a long-shot bid for a long-held Democratic state Senate seat, after he lost his first statewide bid for office, from the moment he entered the 2018 governor's race against a better-financed GOP opponent.

But never has he faced the political bind he's in now, squeezed from both sides of the ideological divide by political forces he's unable to contain or corral...

... Coming off a string of GOP defeats in high-profile contests, Kemp's political position may be more perilous than it ever has before. But in an interview Monday with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the governor had a message for his rivals: Don't count him out.

Gov. Brian Kemp on 'distractions' in Senate runoffs and his 2022 chances (The Gainesville Times/Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Governor Kemp under fire after US Senate losses (WGXA-TV Macon)

This annoys me. And I know there’s the Republican equivalent so it’s not one-sided.

‘"Gov. Kemp, you're next. See you in 2022," the Democratic Governors Association tweeted Wednesday as the upset victories of Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the Georgia Senate races came to light.’

If we stop and wonder why there is so much partisan politics, especially now with social media, there’s the answer.

While not perfect, Kemp has done a better job for Georgia in 2020 than the media darling Cuomo has done for NY.

The latter finally realized he couldn’t keep the state shut down forever, and despite record infections there (no more “flattening the curve”) announced he’s opening up NY.

NY has 2x the population of GA and has a projected deficit of $16-17B. States are required by law to balance their budget.

Georgia had to make far fewer cuts and won’t have to resort to budget trickery or tax increases.

Newsom in CA is facing a potential recall and there are already over 1 million signatures calling for it.

Luckily we have 20 more months to go before the election. A lot can happen and a lot can be forgotten.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by markjames68

This annoys me. And I know there’s the Republican equivalent so it’s not one-sided.

‘"Gov. Kemp, you're next. See you in 2022," the Democratic Governors Association tweeted Wednesday as the upset victories of Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the Georgia Senate races came to light.’

If we stop and wonder why there is so much partisan politics, especially now with social media, there’s the answer.

While not perfect, Kemp has done a better job for Georgia in 2020 than the media darling Cuomo has done for NY.

The latter finally realized he couldn’t keep the state shut down forever, and despite record infections there (no more “flattening the curve”) announced he’s opening up NY.

NY has 2x the population of GA and has a projected deficit of $16-17B. States are required by law to balance their budget.

Georgia had to make far fewer cuts and won’t have to resort to budget trickery or tax increases.

Newsom in CA is facing a potential recall and there are already over 1 million signatures calling for it.

Luckily we have 20 more months to go before the election. A lot can happen and a lot can be forgotten.

Yeah, I didn’t really like that tweet from the DGA either. I know that they most likely sent that tweet before the tragic events at the U.S. Capitol later that day, but that tweet really did not age well considering what happened several hours after that.

I know that they didn’t mean anything violent by that tweet that was sent before the violent mob riot unfolded at the U.S. Capitol.

But the tweet (whose wording probably was ill-advised before the Capitol mob riot later in the day, but seems even more like a poor choice of words in the aftermath of that terrible event) ended up being a message that sounded even more pointed than they might would have liked.

But I’m not necessarily surprised by that kind of tweet being sent by the DGA before the world seemed to change after the Capitol riot.

The country (including and particularly our national politics) has been in an environment of escalating rhetoric and language over the last several years, particularly with the tone that has been set at the top.

After seeing what can happen when inflammatory language and rhetoric goes entirely too far, maybe there can at least start to be a concerted effort to turn down the temperature of our discourse.

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Yeah, I didn’t really like that tweet from the DGA either. I know that they most likely sent that tweet before the tragic events at the U.S. Capitol later that day, but that tweet really did not age well considering what happened several hours after that.

I know that they didn’t mean anything violent by that tweet that was sent before the violent mob riot unfolded at the U.S. Capitol.

But the tweet (whose wording probably was ill-advised before the Capitol mob riot later in the day, but seems even more like a poor choice of words in the aftermath of that terrible event) ended up being a message that sounded even more pointed than they might would have liked.

But I’m not necessarily surprised by that kind of tweet being sent by the DGA before the world seemed to change after the Capitol riot.

The country (including and particularly our national politics) has been in an environment of escalating rhetoric and language over the last several years, particularly with the tone that has been set at the top.

After seeing what can happen when inflammatory language and rhetoric goes entirely too far, maybe there can at least start to be a concerted effort to turn down the temperature of our discourse.

My hope is that we return to some level of sanity and decorum under Biden. I still maintain that had he run in 2016 he could have won, or possibly could have changed who won the Republican primary.

It’s time to clamp down on both sides. Stop the hateful rhetoric and focus on recovery. I’m not that naive that I expect unity, but at least we need to turn the burner down from high to simmer.

To paraphrase Lincoln’s 1858 speech,

"A country divided against itself, cannot stand."

[Born 2 Roll]

Governor Kemp to deliver 2021 State of the State Address

Later today (on Thursday, January 14th), Governor Brian Kemp will deliver the 2021 State of the State Address before the Georgia General Assembly at 11am.

Attendance will be strictly limited to legislators and media. The State of the State Address will be carried live on Georgia Public Broadcasting at gpb.org.

[midgeorgiaman]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Governor Kemp to deliver 2021 State of the State Address

Later today (on Thursday, January 14th), Governor Brian Kemp will deliver the 2021 State of the State Address before the Georgia General Assembly at 11am.

Attendance will be strictly limited to legislators and media. The State of the State Address will be carried live on Georgia Public Broadcasting at gpb.org.

Just watched it. I think there were a lot of great things there. While I have disagreed with the Governor on many things, one thing I will commend him for is preparing Georgia for the financial fallout from COVID. Georgia is indeed in an enviable position when it comes to our present budget unlike states who did not make adjustments early on.

The education part was spot on and not withholding funding from districts where students may not be engaged with school in the present situation is good for local communities and assisting our schools in being ready for "normal" whenever we get there.

The focus on rural broadband is good for the entire state of course the devil is in the details on this one.

While I am still not a fan of the Governor's state mandate that local COVID restrictions cannot be imposed when needed (flies in the face of conservative values of government at the lowest level), I will concede that there was no easy answer there. Opening up Georgia did not go as I would have done it, but however it was done would have caught grief. I agree that our businesses were given a fighting chance where in other states, they are begging for help from a dysfunctional federal government.

I would have liked to have heard more details on the criminal justice piece. The comments seemed surface level on that part today.

The typical political tone was there with a decidedly conservative bend, but it was standard and not overpowering so no issues with that.

The speech today reminded me of a common-sense Governor Deal type speech. We all know that what is said and what the true priorities in the legislature are can differ, but there were some good things there.

My two cents today--now let's see what happens under the Dome...