Budget Cuts ‘Will Not Be Pretty’

By Tom Sabulis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 2, 2010


A wild turn of events put Rep. Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta) in position to become the highest-ranking woman in Georgia legislative history.

First, House Speaker Glenn Richardson resigned last month after his former wife said he had an affair with a lobbyist. Then, Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter, the interim House speaker, announced he would leave the General Assembly if he lands the job heading the Georgia World Congress Center.

That paved the way for a new leadership team. Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) was nominated to become the next speaker. Jones was chosen as the GOP nominee for speaker pro tem — the No. 2 position in the House. Elections to ratify the new slate will be held Jan. 11, when the 2010 Legislature convenes. Jones talks about her historic nomination and the House’s image problems.

Q: Congratulations. We believe you will become the highest-ranking woman ever in the Georgia Legislature. How does that feel?

A: It feels good. The part I found most significant is that it was not an issue with my caucus. I wasn’t running as a female candidate; it generally didn’t even come up. That’s a good day — when folks just look at you for you and not your gender.

Q: Does it signify anything else for the state? I mean, it’s about time, right?

A: Well, half of Georgia is female. And it confirms to women that, certainly, some of the issues that might be of more concern to them might be on the table. I felt they were before. This is more visible confirmation ... and that matters. Sometimes, what you see does matter to folks.

Q: Will this new session signal changes in the ethics culture, the lobbyist culture, up at the Capitol?

A: Probably so. Certainly, again, I think it is more a visible confirmation, that we’re there to represent the people who elected us all across Georgia. I think that, probably, folks will see and feel more of a recognition that the focus should not be concentrated [on lobbyists], but broadly.

Q: You have a family — four kids. How do you react when you see behavior of colleagues in the House like Glenn Richardson?

A: It’s always a concern to me. Image does matter. It matters to me. Someone asked me, who keeps you accountable? I said, well, among others, my faith, my children. I don’t ever want my children to read something in the newspaper that they would find embarrassing. I will say a vast majority of legislators, on both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, operate with the best interests of the public in mind.

Q: What do you think are the biggest issues you’re going to be facing in this session?

A: No. 1 is the budget. It is going to be a tremendous challenge to balance it and to continue to meet the needs of the state. I’m absolutely confident we can do it, but it will not be pretty. There are consequences when you cut several billion dollars from the budget. I did an analysis for the [Republican] caucus a couple months ago, and the per capita spending in the budget for this fiscal year will be less than the per capita spending a decade ago. And that does not even take into account the inflation factor.

Q: There are just no new sources of revenues?

A: I do not know of a new source of revenue that doesn’t take more money out of people’s pockets, and given that about half of our budget revenue is derived from income tax and roughly half from sales tax, the fact that it’s down 15 percent tells you that people are making less and spending less. We’re a third of the way into the fiscal year and we’re down 15 percent. That will, I think, dominate the entire session.

Q: You’re from the metro Atlanta area. So is Ed Lindsey, the new majority whip. Will this leadership bring new cooperation between the state and city, specifically with MARTA?

A: I don’t know. I’m mindful that MARTA is important to the state and there are many people who rely on MARTA as their primary transportation. And I realize that having transit options is important in a vibrant, busy city. I would think there would be certainly a dialogue to hear what they have to say.

Q: It doesn’t sound like there’s going to be a transportation solution, just more talk about what to do.

A: No, I believe we will continue to make progress on that. There are several options on the table. One is more long-term, in which in years when we have a net positive budget — which, of course, is not this year — we take the fourth penny on gasoline [tax], the fourth penny tax, and devote it to transportation. That’s one solution that’s on the table.

Q: Does that fourth penny exist now?

A: It does exist, but only three of the four [cents] are mandated by the Constitution to go to transportation, to DOT. The fourth penny — I want to say it’s about $250 million — goes to the general budget.

Q: Atlanta has a new mayor, (former state Rep.) Kasim Reed. Do you know him, and what do you think about him?

A: I do. He is bright, talented. My experience with him is that he’s a fiscal conservative and that he works well on both sides of the aisle. I believe he will be a great mayor.

Q: You’ve been fighting for the re-creation of Milton County. Why?

A: Fulton County comprises one-tenth of the state’s population. We’re the ninth most populous state in the union. Fulton is larger in population than six individual states in the union. It is too large and too bloated and too remote from the voters to perform efficiently or adequately to anyone’s satisfaction. With a million people, you just can’t have elected influence in Fulton County. It is not local government, no matter how you define it. And it shows in the poor job that they do throughout the entire county. For example, they spend double per capita on library services than the state average, yet have half the circulation of books and materials per capita.

Q: What’s the status of the effort?

A: The bill is sitting in committee in the House. It would not create Milton County; it would simply allow the state voters to decide if historically created counties could be re-created. As a former Atlanta resident, as a north Fulton resident, I think it would be absolutely the best thing for all. It’s clear that it’s viable for both — what would remain in Fulton and what would become Milton. The per capita property tax revenues and sales tax revenues would be almost equal. We [Milton] would certainly continue to participate in MARTA
and Grady [hospital]; those things should be off the table. Those decisions were made while we were all together, and should continue. But it is about having true local government and doing it more efficiently. And I think it’s time to let the people decide if they want to.

Q: You have a birthday coming up on Jan. 28. What are you wishing for?

A: I’m wishing that I’ll have the wisdom and judgment to do as good a job as I possibly can as pro tem, and that my children will be happy and healthy.

Q: I bet you think I wouldn’t ask you that question if you were a man.

A: That’s right.

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