Recent editorials from Georgia newspapers:
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July 25
The Savannah Morning News on Georgia’s gubernatorial race:
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The Republicans finalized their candidate for Georgia’s governor race in Tuesday’s primary runoff, concluding a smelly, ugly, noxious campaign that drew national attention for its abhorrent tone, exaggerated accusations and 11th hour participation from party heroes.
Now comes the ugly part.
The next three months will provide a case study in American political polarization. A white conservative male who believes in the Second Amendment in the broadest sense and immigration reform in its narrowest faces a black liberal female who’s for government-funded everything, from healthcare to education, as well as strict gun control measures and the establishment of sanctuary cities in Georgia.
For those suffering a Casey Cagle-Brian Kemp runoff hangover, fill up on Pedialyte and Tylenol quick. Because as classic rockers Bachman-Turner Overdrive once sang, “You ain’t seen nothing, yet.”
Georgia’s governor race will be among the most active in the country. Out-of-state campaign money is already pouring in. Democratic super-donor George Soros has pledged $1 million to Abrams, and expect Republican heavyweights, such as Sheldon Adelson and the Koch brothers, to keep the coffers of their party’s candidate full.
Political Action Committees will further supplement the candidates’ resources and fund attack ads.
All those dollars will flood our airwaves and favorite internet sites with political ads. And if the spots put together by Cagle and Kemp for their runoff contest made you cringe, you might want to put your TV in storage until Nov. 7.
Polarization and out-of-state influencers will drive these campaigns and broaden the partisan divide. That rhetoric and the candidates’ hardened stances on issues will repel would-be crossover voters better than an agitated skunk.
That will leave Georgia’s independent voters - the shrinking middle - to decide the election.
And neither candidate is in position to mimic basketball great Hakeem Olajuwon and pivot to the middle.
The Democrat is “unapologetically progressive,” making her unpalatable to even those moderate Republicans disgusted by their party candidate’s embrace of President Donald Trump. She’s on record saying she doesn’t need the help of disenfranchised Republicans, instead counting on the hundreds of thousands of African-American voters who typically don’t cast ballots in the governor’s race to turn out and carry her to victory.
The Republican, meanwhile, is a “true conservative” who is off-putting to centrist Democrats concerned about the potential impact of the progressive agenda on the economy. The candidate’s callous, politically incorrect tone does not reflect that of a pragmatic, dignified leader a blue dog Democrat could support.
With little potential of attracting crossover voters, the swing vote goes to the nonpartisan types. That means the winner will be the candidate who can convince swing voters that he or she will grow the economy by attracting new business, building on current Gov. Nathan Deal’s success over the past eight years.
Beyond that, the winner must promote a balance of education, natural resources, criminal justice and immigration ideas to further improve Georgians’ quality of life.
As political strategist James Carville once said, “It’s the economy, stupid,” and the candidates must not lose sight of that once the manure-slinging starts in earnest.
There will be no escaping the rhetoric, and each candidate will work to undermine the public’s trust in the other.
That won’t take much. Abrams has personal financial issues that will make her an easy target when it comes to fiscal responsibility questions. She deftly dodged those in the primary, turning her debts to her advantage - she ran afoul of the tax man, she claims, because she was bailing out family members who had fallen on hard times.
Very relatable, especially in a partisan primary. Beyond her base, though, there are few bleeding hearts when it comes to money management, especially if the manager controls billions in taxpayer dollars.
Her opponent, meanwhile, wears the scars from the scandals - as exaggerated as they may be - unearthed during the primary runoff. It won’t take a late night talk show monologue writer to repeatedly embarrass the Republican nominee.
The race promises to be entertaining, if nothing else. If only the state’s short-term future didn’t hang in the balance.
Online: http://www.savannahnow.com/
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July 22
Valdosta Daily Times says it’s time to legalize the in-state cultivation of marijuana:
As the state expands the list of conditions for which medical cannabis can be prescribed, it is time to legalize in-state cultivation.
It is time to put an end to the cannabis black market in Georgia.
People suffering from late stage cancer, ALS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, sickle cell disease, certain seizure disorders, Crohn’s disease, mitochondrial disease, autism, Tourette’s syndrome, AIDS, Epidermolysis Bullosa, Alzheimer’s, peripheral neuropathy and now chronic unmanageable pain and post-traumatic stress disorder can legally possess and use low levels of medically prescribed cannabis, they just can’t legally buy it.
Even if they drive to one of the states where cultivation and manufacture of the oils are legal, it is still illegal to transport it across state lines.
Frankly, it makes no sense to criminalize medical treatment and this broken system is a huge disservice to patients who need the medication.
The veil of secrecy surrounding medical marijuana treatment in Georgia is unwarranted.
There should be no reason for patients or providers to have to conceal their actions and be forced to behave like criminals.
Selling, using and even cultivating controlled medical marijuana in Georgia has nothing to do with fostering a drug culture and incubating an environment for illegal behavior.
State Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, has pushed legislation to make legally restricted cultivation possible in Georgia. It is time for the House and the Senate to get onboard and we encourage our legislative delegation to help lead the way.
Regulated medical cannabis is not a gateway drug and will not lead to illegal drug use and abuse. Obtaining and using medical marijuana should have no more stigma attached to it than any other medically warranted prescription drug or treatment.
It should not be difficult to find the treatment option for those who need it, and the names of doctors with their contact information should be readily available.
Lawmakers have been moved by the plight of families, especially those with young children, who have either been denied access or have had to go outside of Georgia - creating a great financial burden and risking being charged with a crime - to get treatment that is effective for their serious medical conditions.
Merely legalizing the use for certain conditions has not removed the stigma and now many of the doctors who prescribed cannabis are almost impossible to find, many of them fearing backlash.
Ultimately, the only real way to make treatment more readily available is a change in federal law.
When the U.S. Congress made marijuana a Schedule I, illegal, drug in 1970, it said cannabis had no accepted medical use. The medical community now knows that is not true. Now, almost 50 years later, more than half of U.S. states have legalized the medical use of marijuana.
The public seems to understand medical cannabis is the only effective drug for many patients including some of those who suffer from epilepsy, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease and the negative effects of chemotherapy. These patients should be able to get a prescription for a legal medication that works and not risk running afoul of the law and doctors should be able to openly prescribe the medication without fear of backlash.
When state lawmakers legalized the possession and use of the low-level oils, without allowing cultivation and manufacturing, they effectively created a black market that may be lucrative for suppliers but forces families seeking relief for a suffering child to run afoul of the law.
Lift the stigma, remove the obstacles and change the law and allow patients to get the help they need.
Online: http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/
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