Georgia

Georgia’s Democrats
by Phoebe C. Flynn

           State Overview: Georgia has grown in leaps and bounds in the past 20 years. Its population increased by 1 million people between 1990 – 1996, making it the 10th largest state, and the 4th fastest growing State in the nation. This increase has been mainly due to the booming population of its capital, Atlanta. Although once primarily an agricultural state, Georgia has experienced tremendous growth in manufacturing and service related industries, particularly in the last decade.
Politically, Georgia has always been a Democratic stronghold, with an uninterrupted succession of Democratic governors since 1872, including current Governor Roy Barnes, and with a Democratic majority in both houses Georgia’s State Legislature. On a national level, however, it has evolved into what is called a marginal state – that is, support is now evenly split between the Democrats and Republicans, making for very close and contentious elections. In 1992, Clinton won Georgia by just 13,000; Dole’s victory in 1996 was an equally slim 27,000 votes. Elections for state offices are similarly close. They have one Democratic Senator in office, and the only area in which they do not hold a majority is in the House of Representatives; of the State’s 11 Representatives to the House, only 3 are Democrats.   Georgia has thirteen electoral college votes.
           Political Philosophy & Institution of Policy: The Democratic Party of Georgia follows the moderate philosophy of the DNC – opposed to excess spending, tough on crime, dedicated to welfare reform and the provision of job opportunities, and determined to improve healthcare. On a local level, educational improvements, infrastructure development and business expansion are a priority for Georgia’s Democratic Party.
           Among the most popular and successful educational initiatives of Georgia Democrats, instituted under ex-Governor Zell Miller, is the HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) Scholarship Program. Under this program, lottery funds dedicated to education provide scholarships to all high-school graduates with a “B” average who choose to attend an in-state University or Regional College. In 1996, 97% of all incoming freshmen to the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech were HOPE Scholars.
           In addition to third-level education opportunities, Georgia Democrats have used state lottery funds to provide computers and related technology to each of Georgia’s 1,800 schools, as well as designating $24 million to go towards school safety equipment, like metal detectors and cameras. In order to ensure the continued use of lottery funds for these programs, a referendum was placed on the November, 1998 election ballot, which easily achieved majority support. Even without the lottery funds, funding for education is one of the State’s primary expenditures. Each year since 1993 has seen the State Legislature pass salary raises of 6% for teachers, in a continuing effort to bring their teachers salaries up to the national average. A voluntary pre-Kindergarten program for all four-year olds began in 1993, and is one of the most successful in the country. Reading programs, after-school programs, and programs geared at combating adult illiteracy have all been instituted, and special schools for consistently disruptive students have been established which allow teachers to better focus their attention on the rest of their students, instead of just the disciplinary problems.
            Democrats in Georgia have instituted tough anti-crime measures, in keeping with the “two strikes and you’re out” sentencing policy nationwide. Prison construction has been a priority for the past decade, with the number of prison beds increasing by 60% since 1991. In 1996 legislature passed a bill allowing the state to contract with private companies to take over the running of these prisons, resulting in substantial savings to the taxpayers. Prison inmates are required to work, and prison benefits such as cable television, weight-lifting equipment and telephone privileges have been removed or curtailed.   Victim’s Rights are a major consideration in the Democrat’s policies on crime. For example, any person convicted of criminal property damage in Georgia is now responsible for restitution directly to the victim. Similarly, the parent, spouse, employer, or insurer of a substance abuser is now able to sue the dealer/supplier of the illegal drugs.
            In the area of family law, the definition of criminal battery has been expanded to include violence between current or past family members, and makes a second or subsequent charge a felony. Georgia Democrats are also tracking down on “dead-beat” parents, passing legislation that requires businesses to report all new hires in an effort to track down delinquent parents; in addition, child support payments are now deducted from unemployment checks, and dead-beat parents risk losing their professional licenses if they do not provide support.
As required by the national Welfare Reform Bill, the welfare system in Georgia has been overhauled in the past few years. Emphasizing personal responsibility and the importance of work, welfare recipients are permitted to remain on the welfare rolls for only four years. Programs such as PEACH (Positive Employment and Community Help) and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) Stressing Personal Responsibility provide cash assistance while providing education and training leading to employment.
           Georgia has the sixth lowest state taxes in the country. In 1998, Democrats passed the second largest tax cut in the state’s history, cutting income tax by 15%, and the 2-year phasing out of the sales tax on food was completed, resulting in a tax cut of $500 million. Total tax cuts for the State over the last 10 years total over $900 million.
           Concern for the environment has led the Democrats to pass legislation aimed at preserving 100,000 acres of Georgia woodland, protecting and maintaining Georgia’s rivers, the privatization of faulty city sewer systems that violate environmental standards, and committing to the use of recycled printing and writing paper by state agencies.
            The fiscally conservative, socially moderate policies that the Democrats have put into place in Georgia epitomize the direction in which the Democratic National Committee during the Clinton presidency has taken. This will undoubtedly make the State an important one for Democrats in the 2000 Presidential Election.