Tuesday was the governor's deadline to veto or sign bills from the 2010 legislative session. The two schools were included in a list of budget vetoes.
At KSU, Perdue slashed $6.4 million for infrastructure improvements that were to alleviate traffic congestion in the Chastain Road/I-75 interchange and at the university.
"This project is more appropriately evaluated, programmed and funded through the Georgia Department of Transportation," Perdue said in his press release.
The line item for Clarkdale, which was destroyed in the flood last fall, would have funded 20 percent of the cost of reconstruction through the issuance of $2 million in bonds.
"This project was not vetted through the current Department of Education capital outlay process and was not requested by the agency," Perdue writes.
State Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) is far from pleased, and had harsh words for the governor, who was in Cuba on Tuesday to explore trade opportunities.
"The illegal Cuban cigars he's been smoking have done something to his brain cells," said Ehrhart, in reference to the "Cuban junket" Perdue is on this week, "marketing chickens to Castro."
Ehrhart said the KSU funding was to be the keystone that tied KSU's new athletic facilities together with its main campus.
State Rep. Don Parsons (R-east Cobb) said he could understand Perdue vetoing the items if there wasn't money for them. But Parsons said he didn't understand Perdue's reasoning for vetoing simply because they hadn't gone through various state agencies. The legislators in the General Assembly were elected to decide where state funding goes, Parsons said.
In an e-mail to the Journal, Cobb School District spokesman Doug Goodwin said the district is disappointed that Perdue vetoed $2 million that would have assisted with the construction of a new Clarkdale Elementary School.
"Despite the veto, the project to reconstruct Clarkdale will move forward and the children and community will have a new school building exactly as planned and on the same schedule," Goodwin said. "Unfortunately, the veto means additional SPLOST II funds must be designated for the Clarkdale project and, therefore, funding no longer will be available for a few additional construction projects we had hoped to complete using those funds."
Ehrhart accused Perdue of "breathtaking hypocrisy" in pushing for funding to build a new building at the UGA vet school so it could be named after him, a request that didn't go through the state Department of Education.
"Anything for him is OK," Ehrhart said regarding Perdue. "If it's Oaky Woods or any of those deals he does it's OK. Sonny Perdue is on the way out the door, thank goodness. He's a petty child. I don't have any other rational explanation for it. Cobb County does not kowtow to him, therefore he seeks revenge."
Ehrhart believes Perdue's antipathy to Cobb has to do with the fact that it is the home of former Gov. Roy Barnes.
"I think that's a lot of it. He can't see straight when it comes to Roy Barnes," Ehrhart said, adding that he intends to ensure that the UGA building is named after Barnes, not Perdue.
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Not rebuilding Clarkale would be like someone telling you that you couldn't rebuild your home after a natural disaster. When students and teachers become a "family", which is the way the atmosphere at Clarkdale is, you can't just go take away their home. Many of our students lost their houses and their school building. They at least need the security of knowing that Clarkdale still exists and remains strong.
I am disgusted at the comments that refer to donations given to Clarkdale as pity money, and other that state that the students of Clarkdale were absorbed in to other schools population. If you haven't been there and don't know what's going on, then you shouldn't be commenting.
education in Georgia by two decades. The mistakes of our
school board and KSU in no way can justify his egregious
record as our "education" governor. His severe education cuts have
made many educators nostalgic for the comparatively fruitful
days of Roy Barnes. Our schools, students and teachers have
suffered greatly under this administration. If the Republicans
lose ground to the Democrats, they'll both have Sonny to curse
or thank. Regardless, It will take 2 or 3 gubernatorial terms to
repair the damage of these last 8 years.
Local schools have already absorbed the school."
Anonymous is quite mistaken. The Clarkdale students are housed at 2 different schools, but have maintained their own identity, teachers, & principals. Clarkdale Elementary is still in existence in its people, but not in a building together. I agree that turf installation should be at the bottom of any listing of expenditures, but why shouldn't the school be rebuilt? Did the Cobb County School Board not receive insurance money towards the rebuilding of the school? I would hope those funds have not been spent elsewhere...
As taxpayers, we want our money to go to legal residents and law-abiding Americans.
And someone please help Pebblebrook HS, I am not from that area but having seen the pictures of the warn out, mold and rodent infested school, I would think this would be a priority over turf fields!
Local schools have already absorbed the school. Leave it alone and get ALL kids in Cobb county out of trailers.
Must act now!
(You are still able to sue and have them STOP the closure b/c of due process violations.)
6/9 CCSD Board Meeting-Wednesday-come to speak; come to support Public Comments -
7:30 AM sign in to speak
Board Meeting, comments - 8:30 AM
514 Glover St. Marietta, Georgia 30080
(Legal Adoption of the FY2011 Budget at Regular Board Meeting)