The City of Macon

The County of Bibb

The City of Payne

Several years ago I captured this picture at a hearing in Macon's City Council Chambers.  This past session of our State of Georgia General Assembly we all witnessed our Senators of the Bibb Delegation and our Representatives of the Bibb Delegation develope two different schemes to consolidate the City of Macon, Bibb County and Payne City into one new organization with the ultimate goal of financial savings in the future.

As our general assembly for 2011 will soon complete their work we are most likely not any closer to allowing "We The People" the opportunity to vote on this issue because each side can not agree on several items.  From my point of view the issue of partisan elections is the main stumbling block just ahead of the new "Mayor" having greater responsibility regarding appointments to various boards and/or authorities.

If the partisan elections were producing excellent results then I would be the first to support them.  As it is, Macon Georgia and/or Bibb County continues to be the source of citizens for the growth of Houston, Jones, Monroe, Crawford and other Middle Georgia Counties.  The 2010 Census supports this fact.

Then, I recently observed the President of Macon's City Council discussing the need to have new Wards approved prior to the 2010 Primary Elections so that the Voters could be more appropriately represented in the upcoming City Countil/Mayor elections.  She indicated that because Macon is one of very few cities in Georgia with Partisan Elections that the redrawing of the voting Districts in Macon was essential and had to be completed and approved by the Federal Government before June 6, 2011.

So here we have two different levels of duly elected representives looking out for the welfare of Macon, Georgia who appear to be at odds.  Several indicate that for the future good of Macon we need to continue Partisan Elections while the other indicates that because of these Partisan Elections it is imperative to have the redrawn districts approved by June 6th.   I would suggest that if everything is so fine for Macon today that we should continue Partisan Elections.  But everyone knows that is not the case. 

I also realize that Macon cannot change to Non-Partisan Elections this election cycle.  The Laws need to be changed.  The President of Macon's City Council is aware of this and surely supports the current scheme or she would have supported the Georgia House of Representatives Plan to Consolidate Macon/Bibb/Payne (MBP).

The bottom line to all of this is that our current group of duly elected leaders appears to have not received the message:  "No New Taxes."

The People of Macon have spoken, just as the People of Georgia and also the People of the United States of America have spoken.

All levels of Government must accept the mandate of "We The People," and learn very fast that we need to be fiscally responsible now.  Not 2012, or 2013, 2014, 2015 or 2016.  Today is the day we all need to commence being fiscally responsible if we have not already done so.