Matt Towery:

Putting The Hay Down Where The Goats Can Get To It

By Matt Towery
InsiderAdvantage CEO

(5/9/08) As they used to say, “Let’s put the hay down where the goats can eat it.”

Johnny Isakson would have made a great governor to succeed Sonny Perdue. He has CEO temperament and a love for his state. He brings compromise and bipartisanship to the table.

For all who bemoan the loss of Isakson as a 2010 gubernatorial candidate, they can thank a handful of business leaders who view themselves as above the fray of the Legislature, media, and public. They put Johnny Isakson on an impossible pedestal and created a political whirlwind for him—all with the best of intentions but with the collective political acumen of a fifth grader.

Isakson is miles ahead of them, and though he would never let them know it, he understands that being viewed as the pawn of a handful of Tom Cousins and Bob Woodruff- wannabes is the kiss of death in this state. He decided to stay in the U.S. Senate, where he will flourish in years to come.

Before considering the likely candidates to become the next governor of Georgia, let’s evaluate the current governor. While it is more than popular to rake Sonny Perdue over the coals in private gatherings ranging from the so-called Atlanta business elite to various legislative circles, the fact is that Perdue is growing in stature and power with every week that passes in a “lame duck” administration.

His 63% approval rating from InsiderAdvantage (highest percentage of wining candidates polled in the 2008 presidential contest) suggests that Perdue’s style of management and careful approach to big ticket issues (transportation, for example) have made him a highly effective and respected governor.

But Perdue is still being undermined by longtime bureaucrats and near potentates that he, in many cases, inherited from prior, not-so-friendly-to-the-GOP, administrations.

And it doesn’t stop at Perdue. According to highly placed sources, when House Speaker Glenn Richardson wished to talk to Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Doug Marchand in recent times, his office was rebuffed as many as “four or five” times and Marchand required a written set of issues before they met. Who is the Speaker in this situation and who is the hired help? Don’t worry. InsiderAdvantage just hit his holiness with an Open Records Request related to all the things that smack at the authority—including travel, entertainment, reimbursements, etc. Oh, and the fact that the communications director at the authority is still a protégé and pal of the man Perdue defeated as governor will not deter us.

Trust me. After 40 years around state government I know where the money and good times are to be had. The Ports Authority is ground zero in that regard. I look forward to “King Doug’s” reply. If he comes off of his throne.

As to the World Congress Authority—neither the Falcons nor the World Congress Center could get their story straight on huge escalation fees on suite and club level ticket holders after “Sir Arthur” Blank rode out on his white horse to declare that prices would not rise after a miserable 2007/2008 season. Since we have always felt the World Congress Authority to be a cozy little group (one member has survived both Barnes and Perdue) we felt it time to hit them with a massive open records request as well.

Then there is Georgia’s incredibly shrinking Department of Economic Development. Under former leader Craig Lesser, the place worked on branding, image, and aggressive moves. Now they live in the shadow of a governor who pulls them along as he alone brings true economic growth to the state.

Sonny Perdue could take this column and just wink and nod and tell longtime bureaucrats that “everything’s fine, don’t worry.” After all, they feel they are protected on their boards and authorities with his closest friends.

Here’s the problem. Perdue has nothing to lose and knows as much about state government as anyone. He knows a rank smell when it develops. Just look at the DOT as an example.

We think Perdue will be more than interested in the response from these various entities. In the meantime, we urge the governor to ask Marchand, World Congress head Dan Graveline, and Economic Development head Ken Stewart to exit stage right.

As for potential gubernatorial candidates, we will be polling in the near future to help you get a sense of who's where.