The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Inauguration is time to start anew
This week’s inauguration is a reset moment for Georgia.
As it should be. As they all are.
On Monday, former Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, an Athens Republican, will be sworn in as Georgia’s next governor. He eeked out a win this past November in the most expensive and one of the most hotly contested gubernatorial races in Georgia’s history.
Now, it’s time to install Kemp as Georgia’s new chief executive and get on with the business of running this state and setting it up for success.
But first, Kemp must do what the 82 men who assumed this office before him has done — put his hand on a Bible tomorrow and swear to “preserve, protect, and defend” the state’s constitution and the Constitution of the United States.
There is nothing more American than the peaceful transition of power. One elected official cedes all authority to a successor, fulfilling the will of the people. Mostly, we Americans take this for granted. We shouldn’t — not when you understand how differently power and individual freedom can look like across the globe.
I think for that reason I’m a sucker for the solemnity of the moment and the range of possibility ahead when we start anew at inauguration time. I always look forward to what is typically a cease fire between the parties. For a brief moment the political sniping is replaced by selfies and snapshots, as former governors, congressmen, legislators and mayors from both parties gather in a show of unity.
These are rare occasions in today’s politics.
I arrived at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from South Carolina on the first work day of 2011, just in time the witness the state’s last transfer of power to Gov. Nathan Deal, from former Gov. Sonny Perdue. It’s been a quick eight years.
You might recall that a snow storm forced the ceremony inside. That was my welcome to Georgia.
Deal, as the AJC reported then, focused his inauguration remarks on streamlining state government, putting Georgians affected by the Great Recession back to work, improving the state’s transportation infrastructure, winning the water war with Alabama and Florida and fighting the Affordable Care Act, known more widely as Obamacare.
We are a different state now, even though the water case remains unresolved.
The state’s finances have improved. More Georgians are working, yet many say they still don’t feel economically secure.
Georgians are slowly committing to a transportation plan that is globally focused to supplant a patchwork of local transit systems.
Healthcare continues to be a top concern, as it was eight years ago. But the issue today is less framed by Republican resistance to Obamacare.
Monday we will hear from Kemp what he thinks is most important and how he plans to govern.
On the front page of today’s edition of the AJC, politics reporter Greg Bluestein, who covers the governor and has been following Kemp in the lead up to inauguration day, lays out early challenges the governor will face.
What a governor says, who he hires, who he listens to, who he takes money from, how he spends his time will all speak loudly about the kind of governor Brian Kemp intends to be.
Will he play to his conservative base that got him elected? Or will he govern closer to the center in a state that is sharply divided?
I look forward to hearing from newly sworn in Gov. Kemp to get the first official glimpse at what he wants his administration to be.
Every step of the way, the AJC will be there.
As Kemp takes office, the newspaper is committed to:
Vetting the governor’s cabinet and appointees. Good government comes from good people operating transparently and in the interests of the people. The AJC will background Kemp’s hires and appointees so you can understand their qualifications, know their ethical histories and determine if their financial interests could be in ethical conflict with their jobs or appointments.
Understanding the governor’s agenda and watchdogging his promises. As Kemp rolls out his agenda, we will work to explain to you how his proposed solutions will affect you. We will also watchdog his campaign promises, such as his pledge to raise teacher pay by $5,000. Gov. Kemp will have to build a winning coalition among a partisan and geographically fractured General Assembly that will have to be forced to look beyond provincial interests. We will closely watch how Kemp navigates the Legislature to get things done.
Listening to you. What you think the state’s priorities should be matters most. Look for the AJC’s legislative poll later this week. We are asking you about the issues you want to see solved. Polling is expensive, so without you, our subscribers, we would not be able to undertake a scientific measure of attitudes among Georgia voters. This is vital to us shaping our coverage of the governor and state government.
And, as always, we will follow the money flowing into the capitol.
Leading the AJC in covering Kemp is our State and Federal Government and Politics team. It is led by Senior Editor Susan Potter and Assistant Senior Editor James Salzer.
In addition to Bluestein, Maya Prabhu will cover the Georgia Senate and Mark Niesse will cover the Georgia House of Representatives.
Rounding out our core team is Jim Galloway, your Political Insider and the Georgia journalist with the longest track record of covering state politics.
Monday, is a clean slate, for us and for our state government.
We are ready to get to work on your behalf.