Veto hits home

Gov. Sonny Perdue really stirred things up last week when he vetoed 41 bills that had been passed in the last session of the Georgia General Assembly.

In all, the governor took $130 million in construction projects and other spending out of the budget, which had been approved by both houses of the legislature.

Items ranged from $40 million for improvements to Peachtree Street in Atlanta to a $10,000 per year pay raise for the sheriff of Burke County. Perdue's veto pen was clearly bipartisan because many of the projects he axed were in GOP legislative districts. Included in that list was continued funding for the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in Augusta, which was a favorite project of Republican Ben Harbin, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Republicans complain that the vetoes were payback for overriding the governor's veto of legislation that included a $142 million property tax rebate. Perdue had criticized the tax cut and there was some name-calling and back biting between the governor's office and the legislative leadership during and after the legislative session.

From what we hear, it may not be over. Perdue is not up for re-election but all the members of the House and Senate are. They count on those local projects to keep their constituents happy, and many aren't happy right now. We can look for more fireworks next January when the legislature reconvenes in Atlanta.

In the meantime, Sheriff Greg Coursey and his colleague Sheriff Gary Hutchins of neighboring Jefferson County will have to get along without the pay raise sponsored by Senator J.B. Powell and passed by the legislature. We can only speculate whether they fell victim to partisan political payback or just got caught up in the broad sweep of the governor's veto pen. Either way, wait 'til next year.