Today, Thursday, January 14, 2021, the Governor, Representatives from the Georgia Senate and the Judicial Branch, joined the members in the House of Representatives to discuss the current state of our State. Usually everyone is in the chamber but everything has been scaled down.
I finally have some time to give my thoughts on the Governor’s Speech. Overall the Governor paints a rosy picture. There is nothing wrong in projecting optimism but not speech not based in reality is unacceptable.
Let me start with what were some good parts of the speech:
1) He sent his condolences to all the Georgians who lost their lives to COVID19
2) He also praised the health professionals, essentials workers and EMS for their commitment during this pandemic
3) Also, the cuts to Education will be restored (by the way we knew cuts were not necessary in 2020)
Here is where we part way on the reality we are facing in Georgia
COVID19
1. The Governor spoke of COVID19 in the past tense, here is the reality. Georgia has lost 15 hospitals since 2010, including 9 rural hospitals. Georgia Republicans also voted to allow the Governor to move forward with a healthcare plan that gut essential services for Georgians with preexisting conditions and removed 60,000 people from the state’s Medicaid plan during a global pandemic. They have refused to expand Medicaid, pass a Law that allows Employers to take zero responsibility for employees who contract COVID19, who they did not provide the necessary supplies to keep them safe.
COVID19 cases are rising drastically daily, our available Hospital Bed capacity is at 95% and we have 11,975 people dead. Georgia has the worst vaccination rate in the nation at 1,346 per 100,000 residents.
DOL (Department of Labor)
The Governor didn’t mention the dismal failure of the Department of Labor under Mark Butler. DOL has been unresponsive to people who have lost their jobs due to COVID19. We have thousands of people facing evictions, lacking money for food, medicine and utilities.
Small business leaders are struggling or closed. Right now, economic aid and job relief is at stake.
ElectionReforms
The Governor has said he is looking “Election Reform”. Let me be clear, he is using “conspiracy theories and lies” by Republicans who are taking orders from Trump meant to suppress Georgia voters so he can advocate for changes to our no excuse “Absentee Voting”.
The Republican Secretary of State has said there has been NO VOTER FRAUD
Three RECOUNTS has shown NO VOTER FRAUD
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation audit has shown NO VOTER FRAUD
Numerous Voter Challenges has shown NO VOTER FRAUD
Making voting harder in a pandemic shows that the Republicans in our State cannot win on their ideas and policies to serve the people so they will cheat (suppress) the VOTE
There was No Voter Fraud in the 2020 General Elections