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And so, you know, they point to things like that and they also point to issues, you know, point to things that, you know, hey, other states have hired elected officials and former politicians to lead colleges or universities. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 19-1 voice vote on March 30. Founder and partner in an agricultural trading company,[4] Perdue served from 2012 to 2017 on the Governors' Council of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C.[3][5] He is the second secretary of agriculture from the Deep South; the first was Mike Espy of Mississippi, who served under President Bill Clinton from January 1993 to December 1994. Secretary Perdue did nothing wrong when he complied with his ethics agreement and followed the advice of career ethics officers at USDA (at considerable personal expense) to restructure his trusts.. Perdue led Ossoff in the . You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. Thanks for listening. The terms of two of those members expired at the beginning of January, and Gov. Why are we still talking about this, then? Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures showed 21,101 people visited the Perry facility in fiscal 2015, which ended June 30. The new law saved Perdue $100,000 in state taxes. After the sale, the huge boiler on the property was sold for approximately $500,000, easily covering the cost of the purchase even if the rest of the land had been valueless. Citing export losses from Trumps trade war with China, the USDA lavished mainly huge soybean, hog, and cotton farmers with $28 billion in 2018 and 2019more than double the price tag of President Barack Obamas 2009 auto bailout. Across the state, teachers have found themselves caught in a conservative battle to ban divisive topics from classrooms, which Republican lawmakers define as a various list of ideas regarding race. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." Steve Fennessy: So that's not something you can just push aside because you don't like what one of their family members is doing. She currently produces the Georgia Today and Battleground: Ballot Box shows. The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. He left in June. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. USDA argues that the reorganization Perdue laid out in his 2017 ethics agreement was intended to separate the secretary from two agribusinesses in particular: grain merchandiser AGrowStar LLC and grain marketer Pro Ag Products, both of which were also owned by Perdue Business Holdings before they were sold to outside buyers. What is it about this job that appeals to him? Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Enlivened by these bald lies, and perhaps feeling a competitive spark, Perdue replied that Trump is the embodiment of the amazing spirit that built this country. He sounded quite satisfied after a year spent campaigning for his boss while inflicting lasting damage to poor people and food-system workers during a deadly pandemic that the administration did so very little to control. Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. Perdue will begin his duties as the 14th chancellor on April 1, according to a press release from USG. As governor from 2003 until 2011, he celebrated the states legacy of chattel slaverysigning 2009 legislation making April Confederate History and Heritage Month, honoring the more than 90,000 brave men and women who served the Confederate States of America. He was an early adopter of race-motivated voter suppression, signing into law one of the nations first strict ID laws. They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer Eric Stirgus: The chancellor is sort of the person who makes sure all the trains run on time, so to speak. Brian Kemp is in a fierce battle with David Perdue. "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. And I'm curious about why it's elicited such a ferocious response on the side of those who are for the idea, but also those who are against it. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Atlanta, GA 30318 Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. Conley. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. [14] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the senator representing the 18th district. There's been some social media push against him. All Rights Reserved. Eric Stirgus: I think you would have many people who would say that it is a political decision or that the board members themselves have, you know, some say depending on their own personal politics. The association has publicly condemned how the university system selected Mr. Perdue, a process that largely occurred in meetings without faculty input and closed to the public. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. [2] He previously served as the 81st governor of Georgia from 2003 to 2011; Perdue was the first Republican to hold the office since the Reconstruction era.[3]. Steve Fennessy: You mentioned that there's a long political history between Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, was confirmed April 24, 2017, and he will have a wide reach in his role. He was the first Republican chosen by Georgians to occupy the governor's mansion since the Reconstruction-era election of Rufus Bullock in 1868. Now to me, Eric, that sounds like a kind of an implied threat that appointing Sonny Perdue as chancellor could mean that we'd lose accreditation. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. Steve Fennessy: So he left in June. Later, FALF Management Trust was created. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. Both elections are set for Jan. 5, though early voting began on Monday. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. [71], In 2006, while still governor, Perdue made a cameo appearance as the coach of the East Carolina Pirates football team in the movie We Are Marshall, large portions of which were filmed in Georgia. Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, payments on the Go Fish bonds, approved by Perdue and the General Assembly in 2007, runs through December 2027 with most payments $1 million a year in bond money. Using the CCC to hand billions to big farmersmajor Trump supporters in 2016 is a signature move of Perdues USDA. Some farmers ended up destroying perfectly good food. Georgia Today is a production of Georgia Public Broadcasting. Saeger, of Accountable.US, said the inspector general still needs to review that claim. [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. Presumably, some political appointees who served in the Trump administration did so with earnest intentions, hoping to bring dignity and professionalism to the task of advancing the Republican agenda of deregulation, austerity (for non-cronies), and upward wealth redistribution. Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. You know, we reported as soon as we got the copy of the letter. There are probably about 48,000 employees in the university system, and they range from professors, assistant professors, you know, associate professors, guest lecturers, you know, everything from electricians to people who work in the cafeterias. [27] In 2007, Georgia moved up to 46th place. [12], In education, Perdue promoted the return of most decision-making to the local level. Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. Eric Stirgus: Last March, we started hearing talk you know that Perdue was interested in the job or that some board members on the Board of Regents were interested in him becoming chancellor. Steve Fennessy: How unusual is it for a letter like that to be written? after feeling punished under Trump", 'It feels like something out of a bad sci-fi movie', The Trump administration is suppressing climate science, "US agriculture secretary breaks ranks to endorse carbon pricing", "USDA chief violated Hatch Act by advocating for Trump re-election, gov't watchdog says", "USDA's Perdue fined for violating Hatch Act while promoting food boxes", "Perdue rebuked for violating ethics law by boosting Trump's reelection", "The land was worth millions. [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. [63], In August 2020, Perdue supported the president's re-election while promoting the Farmers to Families Food Box Program; Perdue was fined for violating the Hatch Act. [44], Upon the end of Perdue's term as governor, many in the Georgia General Assembly condemned the project and Perdue after an advisory council (appointed by Perdue) began to funnel additional bond money to the project located in his home county. Eric Stirgus: Well, he didn't go into specifics that day. Steve Fennessy: How Gov. But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. He served as his party's leader in the Senate from 1994 to 1997 and as president pro tempore. Meanwhile, in 2020, the pandemic ravaged meatpacking workers and put millions out of work, causing a surge in the need for food assistanceboth very much areas of concern for the agriculture department. This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondentRyan Young.