Monday, June 20, 2011
Guv'ment Wanna fly first class? Get elected governor.
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Mon, Jun 20, 2011 at 8:56 AM
Next time you walk humiliated through first class, lugging bursting-at-the-seams carry-on bags to your jump seat outside the toilets, keep your eyes open for Gov. Nathan Deal. Via James Salzer:
Two weeks after Gov. Nathan Deal signed a $30 million tax break for Delta, the airline upgraded Deal and his wife to first class — “Diamond” medallion status that the company awards to its most valued customers.
That status includes free upgrades when seats are available, Sky Club membership, bonus miles, priority check-in and boarding, fee waivers and more.
Deal’s spokesman said there was no connection between his signing of the bill and his new medallion status and called the gift a “contribution to the state of Georgia.”
Delta put the combined value of the awards at just under $8,000, well above the $25 gift limit included in the executive order Deal signed that covers ethics for his office and others under his authority.
According to a spokesman, the Deals won't use the perk for vacations. (Like us, the governor and first lady plan to spend their leisure time in Georgia. We recently went in on a lovely timeshare in Zebulon with some folks we met at the shooting range. Email us if you want to visit.)
Might we suggest then that the governor occasionally loan the perk to Clayton County residents, who kissed an estimated $13 million in tax revenue goodbye thanks to the exemption?
Comments (27)
Showing 1-27 of 27
Sure thing. And there's "no connection" between me paying rent and my landlord allowing me to reside on his property. It's just a happy, hush-hush "one hand warshes the other" kinda thing that can in NO WAY be considered a business transaction.
Hey, every one of you who voted for this guy: kill yourselves.
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This is just how republicans work. They step on anybody they can to move up and then shut the door behind them on everyone else. The fact that this idiot, who has been bailed out time and again by his banker friends, could get elected to run this state is amazing... and sad.
It's sorta amazing how quickly the corruption begins these days. So much for 'new job, best behavior' type bullshit. Elected politicians must start licking their chops the second Wednesday in November.
My favorite line & I don't know the spokesman delivered it without winking or giggling: the gift a “contribution to the state of Georgia.”
The tax payers continue to receive rough prison sex with nary a reach around in sight while the politicians continue to receive happy ending after happy ending.
"This is just how republicans work"
Yeah, there's never been any Democrat graft in this state.
Oh Karen, we hardly knew you. Yeah I voted for the Raw Deal in the general election. It's always the lesser of two evils, in'it? I knew this guy was trouble, but....sorry Nad, I'm not going to kill myself over a politician.
What Delta has brought to this state is immeasurable and they deserve some special consideration in their tax structure, but they don't deserve a fuel tax break any more than any other business. Either everybody gets it or nobody gets it on this sort of tax. Make it right Dealy-O. Give back the perk and charge 'em the damn tax...like they listen to me.
"Yeah, there's never been any Democrat graft in this state."
Oh. Well then never mind... if the Democrats in the past broke a law, or took money under the table, or participated in quid pro quo then it is OK for Republicans to do the same. My bad...
Midtowner - Did I say it was OK? Arrest 'em all is my philosophy. It just bugs me when people say Repub = automatic crook because it's just as ridiculous as the reverse.
Nad - approaches but not does not achieve amusing. The Stoner is the best, of course. Would that I could illustrate, I would do a "Types of Liberal" cartoon that would make even Olbermann laugh.
"Would that I could illustrate, I would do a "Types of Liberal" cartoon that would make even Olbermann laugh."
conservative humor is usually flatter and more boring than nebraska. i'd like to see your attempt, if only to have something new to mock
"Conservative humor" is not an oxymoron. PJ O'Rourke..a funny. funny man, and Dennis Miller come to mind.
For my money funniest liberal BS is Jon Stewart and his bastard son Stephen Colbert. Al Franken was a brilliant comedian before he lost his mind.
Here's one for you, most comedians are liberals, yet most dedicated liberals have no sense of humor. Ouch! I feel the incoming already.
pj o'rourke = moderately funny on occasion.
dennis miller = last funny in 1994
you're gonna have to dig deeper.
While I am not saying Democrats are never corrupt there is this nugget from the linked article that sums it up pretty well:
"Perdue’s predecessor, Roy Barnes, banned employees of the executive branch from taking any gifts from lobbyists."
Sums up Roy maybe, not Dems in general.
Dennis Miller is always funny. Mark Steyn is another very funny starboard wing satirist.
""Conservative humor" is not an oxymoron. PJ O'Rourke..a funny. funny man, and Dennis Miller come to mind."
dennis miller was a liberal back when he was funny. he got 9/11 syndrome real bad and that killed his career
o'rourke i'll grant you but that's it. there are very very few funny conservatives.
oh, here's a freebie: mike nelson. you probably don't even know who that is though
"Here's one for you, most comedians are liberals, yet most dedicated liberals have no sense of humor."
can't blame you for not getting it, humor is generally the playground of the intelligent
Is that why you're not funny?
Brother Dave Gardner, funniest man that ever lived. Check him out.
"The sun shines on anybody got sense enough to stand out in it."
Mike Nelson from MST3K? 2nd greatest show that was ever on television? I have nearly every episode on crappy EP VHS tapes. I had no idea he was a conservative until recently and I forgot about him. He moves up near O'Rourke in the hierarchy.
It gets even more difficult to find good musicians that are conservative. The list begins and ends with Josh Homme.
You'd be surprised Edgy. A lot of 'em won't talk about it. The more years you get on you helps, too.
I tried to get into Queens of the Stone Age, even went to see 'em, but it just doesn't click for me. I'll check out his other projects just cause I know you wouldn't steer me wrong.
Dave Gardner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BsYwReuuRM
"Is that why you're not funny?"
yeah. like i said, you generally have to be smart to be funny. that you don't think i'm funny (follow the logical causal chain back to the embedded insult, basically you are dumb)
"It gets even more difficult to find good musicians that are conservative. The list begins and ends with Josh Homme."
he's not even all that conservative. he's pro-choice, for UHC, etc. he's more like one of those desert survivalist types who can be strangely liberal on certain issues
"Mike Nelson from MST3K? 2nd greatest show that was ever on television? I had no idea he was a conservative until recently and I forgot about him."
yeah nelson is pretty conservative. came out in an interview that he was pro judeo-christian values
Corruption in gov't, that's unpossible!
This is pretty small potatoes but should point to the need to have pretty strict anti-corruption rules in place. To wit, former Governor Peterson of NYC: http://www.nyintegrity.org/pubs/2010/12201…
Present perks are just in poor taste given the millions that awaits them as influence-peddl...er um advisors (heck an Amex Centurion gives them airline status across the board).
Georgians deserve the government they vote for, seemingly forever electing many of those against their best interests.
As far as conservative humorists, Glenn Beck is pretty funny satire, no?
"As far as conservative humorists, Glenn Beck is pretty funny satire, no?"
glenn beck isn't satire. he's not exactly sincere but he's not mocking the views he claims to espouse. overwrought mendacious profit-seeking hyperbole is pretty far from satire
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