And he is gonna extend happy hour!
The people of Columbia County have an opportunity to re-elect a terrific legislator: House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ben Harbin.
I live and work in Richmond County, but understand how the economies of both counties are codependent on numerous economic engines.
The Medical College of Georgia recently received millions of dollars from the state budget to expand its dental school and other missions. A great many of those working at the Medical College of Georgia live in Columbia County. However, they spend money in the entire CSRA.
My point is, Ben Harbin as the appropriations chairman has looked out for the entire CSRA when making decisions on how the state's budget is distributed. He has not played the game of taking care of singular interests as far as county lines are concerned. Our economy cannot in that type environment.
If Ben Harbin should not be re-elected, the appropriations chairmanship will be rewarded to someone with seniority in the House of Representatives, not a newly elected representative without experience. Our economy of the CSRA cannot stand that blow.
Please think as you cast your vote. You have an honest, fair, hard-working and effective leader to represent you. What more could you want? Please re-elect Ben Harbin to keep our community strong and prosperous.
Brian T. Leonard, Augusta
Comments
And he is gonna extend happy hour!
I believe in second chances- but ONLY ONE second chance per person!
Honest and fair huh? Is this the same man who for a year dodged his DUI ticket cause he had better things to do than pay a fine or get in front of a judge when called to do so like us? If this is your honest and fair guy, then he should pay the guy he hit during a DUI and pay the fine like everyone else. He placed himself above the law doing this, that makes him a crooked man!
Yes, it's good to have a local guy in a position of power like chairman of the appropriations committee. It'd be even nicer to have an honest and honorable local guy in the same position. If the law doesn't apply to him on this DUI, what other laws don't apply to him?
Brian T. Leonard, you are too much if you believe that crap you wrote. ...hee-hee-hee AND haw-haw-haw ... Ben is out for BEN. Don't be fooled by a specious polilitical ploy.
Mr. Leonard, your values are out of wack. Harbin was not effective in Atlanta for he sided with Richardson of GREAT tax fame, could not work with the Governor, and was less than honest with his voting base. All this when he fed at the trough and drew extra pay for attending committee meetings. Harbin lacks integritty and is not trustworthy based on his behavior. You might well spend your time trying to babysit the Richmond politicos and the various boards and committees that are an embarrassment to the whole area. The voters in Columbia County will take care of Ben without your assistance.
It's not that his case has been continued a couple of times. It's not that he got CHARGED with DUI. It's that his explanation is a day late and a dollar short, and that, my friend Leonard, is unforgivable!
If I could get away with it I would! Nightraider you would to. SOP for politicians. Pick your most favorite person in the world and he/she/it has done something, said somthing innappropriate.
Sometime we've got to wean ourselves from government pork barrell politics. I do not want a representative in Atlanta whose campaign promise is to bring as much bacon to the CSRA as he can. I urge voters to vote for the other guy, not Harbin.
It's who you are! My ex-brother in law got a DUI last April. His court date was June 5th Three months later and this is in Atlanta. So why is Mr. Harbin postponing the court date??? And where does he get the power to do this? Something smells fishy. He must be ready for re-election and he's trying to get on people's good side again. He's not on mine, I don't care who you are if you drive drunk ( allegedly) no matter who you are you pay the price just like us normal tax paying citizens.
We need a stand up guy to represent our area. To overlook abuse of power by elected official so we can get government handout, is no different from those people in big cities who used to love mafia because they got free BBQ and protection. I am confident we would have won funding for the expansion of MCG because the State is focused on increasing Medical training capacity.
Ben Harbin should have taken responsibility for what he did and given up his driver's license. He has allowed his case to be rescheduled many times, not man enough to stand up for what he did. He should be voted out!!
First, DeborahElliott2, Ben didn't hit anyone - he hit a utility pole. However, he DID run over a good friend and supporter of many years at Bell's DUI School when he voted in support of the bill that would have allowed on-line classes - he would not even return a call to one of his oldest friends, Renee Bell, to discuss his vote. Ben has moved on to new friends who give him lousy advice. So. whether it is how to deal forthrightly with his constituents or how to maintain old loyalties, Ben has grown in a direction his old friends are sorry to see. He has forgotten who his true friends are.
Throw the bum out!
You all certainly have formed strong opinions about a situation where you don't have all the facts. (And you don't have the facts because the case has not yet been concluded.) Whatever you think you know about this, consider this question: would he really put himself and his family through all this crap for a year if he had control over going to court and getting it settled? I don't think so. Whatever happened to "innocent until PROVEN guilty"?
We dont know because he keep getting the date moved.
em, you bet your butt he would-----un less he is, GUILTY!
Ben, to the curb boy, to the curb! Take your used car photo from yesterday and do just that. We don't need you!
If he won't stand up and take his punishment for this DUI, I don't trust him to stand up for the people of his district. He is same as some of the others that got the big head after getting into politics, he has gotten above the people that he represents. Same as Brush, Williams and Walker did!!
I am so tired of this innocent until proven guilty crap...If your caught doing something wrong you are guilty. CLOSED!
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