'This legislation includes tax incentives to create jobs for out-of-work Georgians and for businesses to relocate to Georgia. It would waive startup fees imposed by the state on new businesses, offer tax credits to companies hiring unemployed Georgians and reduce the capital gains tax by up to 50 percent through various trigger mechanisms.

A piece included in the package that I have been pushing for includes an "Angel Investor Tax Credit."

Research proves that 80 percent of new jobs in Georgia are created from small businesses. Angel investors are individuals who write a personal check providing a boost to high-risk, early state entrepreneurial endeavors.

In this current economy, it is extremely difficult for new businesses to find the capital necessary to expand and grow. Angels fill a critical role in financing and many businesses stay open and stay in Georgia because of their participation. To encourage more Angels to invest in Georgia's entrepreneurs, we will provide a tax credit of half of the total investment, up to $50,000.

Twenty-one other states have implemented programs to incentivize Angels and North Carolina's tax credit program along resulted in nearly 700 new jobs with average salaries of over $58,000.

This is bigger than a simple tax credit, however; it is an investment in emerging technologies and a way for Georgia to step up its game as a major player in the bioscience and technology industries - key growth sectors for the future of Georgia's economy.

This targeted approach will lead the way to job creation as Georgia sits as one of the nation's leaders in new discoveries and boasts unmatched research institutions. Georgia has always prided itself in being an innovator and this strategic focus on our intellectual assets will reap rewards. In fact, we've seen it already.

One Georgia company, Internet Security Systems, was saved from closing its doors because of an Angel investor. And a few years later, sold their business for millions to IBM. I believe we can see more success stories just like this if we make this piece of legislation a priority."

Tom Graves is on the right track with this and the JOBS bill is being presented in the Senate by Sen. Chip Rogers. The Governor didn't sign the bill last year.  Who knows where we'd be today if he had?  But Rogers and Graves have worked with the Governor through out the "off season" and they think he's on board this year. 

                  ______

I emailed Adrian Mixson from Hall County Libraries and asked for a timeline of the Clermont Library.  He's scheduled to be on with me on the Wednesday edition of MZS.  Here's what he said:

" 

2007 - I spoke to the Clermont City Council and told them the library board could not build a library that it was up to the county. I did tell them if the county decided to build a library in the city the county would eventually build another one along Jim Hood and said the best location might be Quillian's Corner.

2007 - County purchases park property in Clermont. No one representing the library was present.

May 12, 2008 - Library board chair requests a library in North Hall and a library in Gainesville be placed on the SPLOST.

May - December - I started driving around North Hall attempting to identify parcels the library board could look at to recommend to the county to purchase.

February 24, 2009 - Commissioners Gailey and Bell attended a library board meeting and the minutes indicate the board was told about the property in Clermont but did not say it was anymore than an available piece. Why were we not told the county purchased it for a park and library site? There had been no commission vote.

"County Commissioner Steve Gailey informed the board that the county has purchased property that could be used for the North Hall/Clermont Library. He informed the Board that if the SPLOST initiative passed, the library would be the first project to be built.  He said that the size of the building will depend on the amount of funds available."

March 9 - I wrote a construction grant and asked Commissioner Oliver to sign it. He asked if it obligated the county to anything and I said no. As Nate Rall, Construction Manager for Georgia Public Library Service recently told the TIMES, a county commission can change its mind about location. The grant requires the principal funding agency to sign to indicate it was aware that it had been submitted. Before the grant is awarded the agency also chair also needs to sign a letter to make sure it still plans to construct a library and support the costs of its operation.

I then proceeded in good faith that Commissioner Gailey was correct that the property was available in Clermont and proceeded to get community support for a library construction grant. I also realized everything could change in a year.

March, 2009 - SPLOST referendum package mentions parks for Clermont and a library in North Hall for the county. It did leave one confused as to intentions since it was not part of the Clermont SPLOST..

October 12, 2009 - The Hall County commission wrote the Governor and the legislative delegation requesting support for the grant for a library based in Clermont. It was signed by all 5 commissioners. There still had been no public vote or discussion.

February 8, 2010 - I was requested to attend a commission workshop where the Chairman brought up the Nopone site. I was asked if the library board could meet before the commission's February 11, 2010 meeting.

February 10, 2010 - called library board meeting. My recommendation to the board was to vote to support the county commission's decision. I basically believe the county had conversations about the North Hall library and never involved the library board. Following is lifted right from the minutes:

"Carlyle Cox made a motion to support the Hall County Commission in its decision on where to place the North Hall library including the more centralized Nopone road site. Elizabeth Zamora seconded the motion.  The motion was approved with Board members Cox, Zamora, Anderson, Mecum, Magana, Rucker and Colston voting in favor and Freeman, Edwards and Noble against. "

February 24, 2010 - Regular Library Board meeting where none of the members who voted to support the county motioned to re-entertain the February 10, 2010 vote.

February 25, 2010 - The Hall County Commission voted 4-1 to officially place the library at Nopone.

Let me know what you think by emailing martha@marthazoller.com

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Here's a couple of additional views on the Health Care Reform Bill and the Slaughter Amendment:

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/peter-roff/2010/03/16/house-democrats-healthcare-reform-plans-are-unconstitutional.html#read_more

Here's what my friend Peter Roff wrote about it, follow the link above for the whole story

"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her allies, in an effort to be clever, have overstepped their constitutional bounds. The plan they have put forward for getting Senate-passed healthcare legislation through the House is, according to one prominent constitutional scholar, "unconstitutional." Writing in Monday's Wall Street Journal, Michael McConnell, the former federal appellate judge who is now director of the prestigious Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School, explains that the path Pelosi and company have staked out to move the bill to the finish line doesn't pass the smell test.

To become law--hence eligible for amendment via reconciliation--the Senate health-care bill must actually be signed into law. The Constitution speaks directly to how that is done. According to Article I, Section 7, in order for a "Bill" to "become a Law," it "shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate" and be "presented to the President of the United States" for signature or veto. Unless a bill actually has "passed" both Houses, it cannot be presented to the president and cannot become a law."

CNS News Reports about the committee and the Stupak Amendment:

See full story: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/62818

"The House Budget Committee voted 19-17 Monday night against recommending that the Stupak-Pitts Amendment be included in the health-care reconciliation bill that the full House is likely to consider later this week. The amendment would ban funding of abortion through federally subsidized health care plans, reports CNSNews.com Editor in Chief Terry Jeffrey.

While debating the Stupak-Pitts Amendment in the committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said "Holding up this bill to play politics on the abortion issue is emphatically not a pro-life stance," she said.

Three Budget Committee Democrats voted to recommend that the Rules Committee include the Stupak-Pitts Amendment in the final version of the bill. They were Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D.-Ohio), Rep. Marion Berry (D-Ark.) and Rep. Jim Langevin (R.I.). One Republican, Rep. Scott Garrett (N.J.), did not vote on the amendment. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) introduced the amendment in the committee. The Senate health-care bill, Jordan said, "represents the largest threat to innocent human life since Roe v. Wade was decided by the Supreme Court."

See full story: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/62818

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And finally, my friend, Erick Erickson, the best blogger there is will be adding some much needed balance and perspective to CNN with John King.  Hooray for Erick!

Here's the press release from CNN:

For Release:  March 16, 2010

Erick Erickson Joins CNN's Roster of Political Contributors

Erickson to Appear Regularly on John King, USA, beginning March 22

Prominent conservative commentator and RedState.com editor Erick Erickson will join CNN as a political contributor, it was announced today by Sam Feist, CNN political director and vice president of Washington-based programming.  Erickson will appear weeknights on John King, USA, which launches Monday, March 22, as well as provide perspective and commentary to other programs across the network. 

 "I grew up in Dubai and then in rural Louisiana as an obsessive news junkie. CNN was the only place to go for nonstop news," said Erickson.  "Joining CNN is like coming home and being in Atlanta makes the decision right for me and my family."

"Erick's a perfect fit for John King, USA, because not only is he an agenda-setter whose words are closely watched in Washington but as a person who still lives in small-town America, Erick is in touch with the very people John hopes to reach," said Feist. "With Erick's exceptional knowledge of politics as well as his role as a conservative opinion leader, he will add an important voice to CNN's ideologically diverse group of political contributors."

Erick Erickson currently serves as editor-in-chief of RedState.com, a property of Eagle Publishing, Inc. Under his leadership, RedState.comhas become the preeminent right of center community online. Prior to leading RedState.com, Erickson practiced law for six years and managed a number of political campaigns, and he currently serves as a member of the Macon, Georgia city council. He studied political science and history earning a bachelor's degree at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Erickson also earned his juris doctorate from Mercer's Walter F. George School of Law.  

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world's most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.