Author Archives: William Perry

About William Perry

Executive Director of Common Cause Georgia

Robocalls Spur Personal Attack by House Leader

Posted on March 27, 2013 by William Perry

Tweet House Majority Leader angrily replies to watchdog’s request for meaningful reform  In a surprising response to a letter sent to ethics committee conferees requesting consideration of amendments and informing members of advocacy calls to voters in their legislative districts, House Majority Leader Larry … Continue reading →

Posted in Georgia Legislation, Lobbying | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Could the Billion Dollar Stadium Get A Billion Dollars in Public Money?

Posted on March 15, 2013 by William Perry

Tweet Believe it or not, there is a good possibility that the Atlanta City Council may vote on the proposed new stadium on Monday. If true, to call such a fast-track vote irresponsible would be a vast understatement. The two … Continue reading →

Posted in New Stadium | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Let the people decide!

Posted on March 11, 2013 by William Perry

Tweet At some point, a conversation we were never allowed to hear, took place between Arthur  Blank and Atlanta’s Mayor, Kasim Reed. A few other conversations we never heard took place between Reed and some city council members. Other quiet … Continue reading →

Posted in New Stadium | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Speaker’s Bill would turn his $17K trip to Europe into a $13K trip – that’s not a gimmick?

Posted on February 25, 2013 by William Perry

Tweet I get accused of not praising the steps the House Leadership has taken toward ethics reform. While I have praised them for offering to restore the rulemaking authority for what use to be known as the State Ethics Commission, requiring … Continue reading →

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Speaker Ralston’s Bad Toupee Bill

Posted on February 8, 2013 by William Perry

Tweet “More of a sun visor than a cap,” is how Georgia House Speaker David Ralston described the Senate’s Rule limiting gifts from lobbyists to $100. He is so critical because of the exceptions the rule allows. He pledged to … Continue reading →

Posted in Georgia Legislation, Government Ethics, Lobbying | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Please Don’t Bluff Mr. Blank

Posted on February 1, 2013 by William Perry

Tweet This week Mayor Kasim Reed reportedly indicated to members of the Atlanta City Council that Arthur Blank implied that the Atlanta Falcons might consider a move to Los Angeles. If Arthur Blank or the Falcons are using a whispered … Continue reading →

Posted in New Stadium | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ralston’s Reform Too Good to Be True

Posted on January 30, 2013 by William Perry

Tweet How wonderful it would be for Georgia’s ethics commission to be able to write rules again. It would be a marvelous thing for lobbyists to lose their ability to give unlimited gifts to government officials in this state. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Georgia Legislation, Government Ethics, Lobbying | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Gift Ban: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Posted on August 14, 2012 by William Perry

Tweet Late last week, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston announced that in response to the overwhelming support for a cap on lobbyist spending, he will propose a “full ban” on lobbyist spending in the 2013 legislative session. I am extremely … Continue reading →

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Editorial: 82% VOTE ‘YES’ for Gift Caps

Posted on August 13, 2012 by William Perry

Tweet Lobbyist Gift Limits and Pledge Supporting Candidates pull off huge victories Georgia is one of only three states that has absolutely no limit on lobbyist gifts to legislators.  If voter sentiment is important to members of the legislature, this … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Lobbying | Leave a comment