Don't Forget Senator Rhett!
District 33

 
Senator Rhett's Monthly Broadcast
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Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle taps Marietta 
State Sen. Michael Rhett for health care reform group
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MDJ Online

State Sen. Michael "Doc" Rhett, D-Marietta, is the newest member of Georgia's Health Care Reform Task Force, a group launched by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle in January to improve healthcare in the state.

Rhett will join another local state senator, Kay Kirkpatrick, R-east Cobb, on the task force, along with state Sens. Renee Unterman, R-Buford; Dean Burke, R-Bainbridge; Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome; Ben Watson, R-Savannah and Jack Hill, R-Reidsville. 
Cagle serves as Chair.

Cagle tapped Rhett to be a part of the group Tuesday, just under two weeks from the task force's third public meeting, scheduled for July 10 at 10 a.m. at Tift Regional Medical Center



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The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) just released its score of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA). This is the Senate's version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) that was passed by the House of Representatives. The bills in many ways resemble each other, but they differ  on  the subsidy structure for the individual market. You can read our quick take  of  the differences between the two here (though some small changes have been made to the BCRA).



Among the key findings of today's report:
  • The BCRA would reduce deficits by $321 billion through 2026 under conventional scoring; the House-passed AHCA would reduce deficits by $119 billion.
  • The BCRA's $321 billion of savings is the result of a $1.52 trillion reduction in the cost of spending and tax subsidies with most of the funds used to pay for replacement coverage provisions ($438 billion), repeal of the mandate penalties ($210 billion), and rollback of the ACA'stax hikes ($550 billion).
  • On net, the BCRA would reduce outlays by $1.02 trillion and revenue by $701 billion through 2026; the House-passed AHCA would reduce outlays and revenue by $1.1 trillion and $990 billion, respectively.
  • Today's version of the bill contains a few changes from the version released last Thursday. In particular, it adds a requirement that individuals who chose not to purchase insurance or lapsed coverage for two or more months must wait six months before being eligible again.
  • In terms of coverage, CBO projects the BCRA would reduce the number of Americans with health insurance by 15 million in 2018 and by22 million in 2026. That compares to 14 million and 23 million, respectively, in the case of the AHCA.
  • The 22 million reduction in 2026 is the result of 15 million fewer Medicaid beneficiaries and 7 million fewer with private non-group insurance, including insurance subsidized on the exchanges.
  • CBO has not completed an estimate of the macroeconomic effects of the BCRA. In our assessment, the legislation would likely improve growth slightly under CBO's model but less so than the modest growth we expected from the House-passed AHCA.
  • CBO has not completed a second-decade estimate of the BCRA, but it does estimate that the legislation would reduce future deficits. Given the $100 billion of deficit reduction in 2026, the stringent cap on per enrollee Medicaid cost growth, and the return of the Cadillac taxin 2026, we expect substantial deficit reduction in the second decade - possibly much more than the $2 trillion of two-decade savings we estimated from the original House bill.
The table below breaks down the major elements of the CBO score.



The biggest changes in the cost estimate of this bill versus the AHCA come from the change in individual market subsidies, in which the BCRA's subsidies cost substantially less - between $140 billion and $230 billion less, depending on how it is measured - than the AHCA's subsidies. Partially offsetting this effect, the BCRA reduces Medicaid by about $50 billion less than the AHCA over ten years, though reductions would be larger starting in 2025 and by increasing amounts over the long term due to the slower growth rate of the per-capita cap.
CBO estimates the bill would increase the uninsured by 22 million in 2026. This is a result of 15 million fewer on Medicaid and 7 million from the individual market. Employer coverage would change only negligibly on net. The chart below shows how much coverage would change in 2026 compared to current law under the ACA.



Below is a chart showing the various proposals and their effects on the number of uninsured:




6th District: Cobb elections official refuses to certify Handel win


Powder Springs Chapter
Tonia E. Rowland, MBA PMPĀ® DTM
District 44 Division D Director  

Contact
RowlandTE@Comcast.net
770-262-3406 cell



childdren kids fishing water
Fishing Rodeo at Lost Mountain Park
Cobb PARKS' Natural Resource Management unit will host the 'Annual Fishing Rodeo' 9-11 a.m., Saturday July 22, at Lost Mountain Park. Four age divisions will be offered: 3-6, 7-9, 10-12 and 13-16. Trophies will be awarded for the most fish caught in each age group as well as the five biggest fish overall. This event is free, so grab your fishing pole and join us for a morning of fishing and fun! For more information, contact John Purcell at john.purcell@cobbcounty.org or (770) 528-8825.
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Family Tennis Night at Lost Mountain Tennis Center!!!
'Family Tennis Night' is all about spending quality time with your family and participating in a fun activity together. Lost Mountain Tennis Center along with USTA Southern is hosting a Family Tennis Night July 28, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Space is limited so register today at familytennisnight.com. The first 25 families to register and participate will receive a tennis tote. We look forward to having you and your family join us for a fun night at the courts. Bring your racket and we'll see you there!

food fruit vegetables
Mableton Farmers Market offers locally-grown food
Mableton Farmers Market, a community project of the Mableton Improvement Coalition, is open every Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., through Aug. 24. Come to the Mable House Complex and shop for nutritious, locally-grown fruits and vegetables, eggs, breads, homemade jams and jellies, organic bars, bites, nuts and more. Visitors can also experience quick and easy food preparation demonstrations sponsored by Cobb and Douglas Public Health.
 
Believing that every family in Georgia should have access to quality food, Wholesome Wave Georgia will again double the value of SNAP (food stamp) EBT transactions. For more information, contact Dave McDaniel at farmersmarket@mableton.org or call (404) 323-0608.

A local south Cobb organization hosted its second biennial Parent Leadership Summit on Saturday, an event dedicated to creating a support network for parents.
Held at Riverside Intermediate School in Mableton, the event was free to attend and included several breakout sessions moderated by educators and parents. Monica DeLancy is one of the core members of State of Our Schools, the organization that hosted the event. She explained that the main goal of the event was to offer support and resources for parents. Sessions covered topics like how to handle a child's transition from middle to high school as well as how to be more involved through groups like PTA and school councils.
"It's important to be engaged, whether the parent is engaged in schools or in the community as a whole," DeLancy said. "By them understanding that, then they will try to be more of a partner with the schools, and that's the key word here, building partnerships.
While their message is primarily aimed at parents, DeLancy said there are others who participate in their events.
"Some of our people that are here don't have children in school," she said. These attendees are known as "community stakeholders," residents who still have a vested interest in the public schools in their area.
More than 40 people attended the summit, the most participation the group has seen at this particular event. DeLancy hopes to see even more at the next summit, which occurs every two years. She said that holding the event during the summer helps bridge the gap for many parents.
"A lot of times our parents just focus on fall, winter, spring, the school year," DeLancy said. "But if we get parents engaged year-round, then they understand that this is a year-round process."
State of Our Schools is based in south Cobb, but the group tries to reach out to parents across the county. DeLancy said diversity is a major goal within the organization, and they had a Spanish translator on hand during the event in case any parents attended who did not speak English as their first language.



Community Development Agency staff has released the 2040 Comprehensive Plan final draft. After several months of public engagement and preparing the updated plan, staff will present the contents of the plan and request additional feedback from residents, business owners and property owners.

The plan is available for review  cobbcounty.org/comdev  at   and the public is encouraged to make final suggestions, additions or revisions at two public hearings. Public comments will be heard directly after the presentation to the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners.
  • 2040 Planning Commission zoning hearing
    9 a.m., Thursday, July 6
    BOC Meeting Room, second floor, 100 Cherokee St. NW, Marietta
    Presented during zoning hearing, listed as "Other Business" on agenda
  • 2040 Comprehensive Plan final public hearing
    9 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 8
    BOC Meeting Room, second floor, 100 Cherokee St. NW, Marietta
    Presented during regular BOC meeting
The 2040 Comprehensive Plan is a long-range, community designed growth strategy that will continue to make Cobb County an attractive place to invest, conduct business and raise a family. The current plan, adopted in 2007 with subsequent annual amendments, covers the time period between 2007 and 2030. This 10-year update will extend the current plan's growth outlook to 2040.

The plan is mandated by the state of Georgia and will help Cobb County guide and manage expected population and employment growth and coordinate major public investments in public safety, transportation, community facilities and other important elements. The plan is scheduled for submission to the Atlanta Regional Commission on Aug. 9. The ARC will ensure it meets minimum standards and procedures for local comprehensive planning. If you have any questions or comments about the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, call 770-528-2018 or 



New police chief named
The Cobb Board of Commissioners voted to appoint Michael Register as chief of police at its June 13 meeting. 

"I'm very honored to return to Cobb County as the chief of police, and look forward to leading this great department into the future," Register said.

He has more than 30 years of operational and supervisory law enforcement experience. He most recently served as the chief of police for the Clayton County Police Department. He worked for Cobb's Police Department from 1986 to 2005, serving in many tactical, operational and leadership positions, including assistant academy director and assistant SWAT and tactical team commander.

Register has also managed a law enforcement, operational and intelligence program at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and serves on the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force Executive Board, the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police Legislative Committee as co-chair and is a board member for Safe America. He also served in the U.S. Army Special Forces for 22 years, including combat operations in Afghanistan.

Register is working on his doctoral dissertation in public administration and policy, with an emphasis in terrorism and conflict analysis and resolution. He earned a master's degree in public administration from Columbus State University and a bachelor's degree in accounting and international finance from Liberty University. Register also attended Northwestern University's nationally-recognized Police Staff and Command School and the Georgia Command College. He is an adjunct professor at Columbus State in the areas of strategic planning, management and leadership.


Blight Tax in Cobb County???
How will it affect your community?
Cobb commissioners heard little resistance Tuesday to a proposed "blight tax," which would hit owners of property deemed blighted with a county tax rate seven times the current millage rate.
 Tuesday night's commission meeting featured the first public hearing on a proposed county code that would establish a "Community Redevelopment Tax Incentive Program." The code, which is sponsored by Commissioners Bob Weatherford and Lisa Cupid, would allow the county to deem property as blighted if it meets two or more of six criteria, ranging from having an unsafe structure on the property, occurrences of repeated illegal activity on the property that the owner was aware of or should have known about, or maintenance of the property deemed to not meet state or county codes for at least one year after written notice of the code violation is given to the property owner.
While properties that are deemed blighted would see their ad valorem taxes increased by seven times the county millage rate at that time, the county would not be able to automatically levy such a penalty, said Dana Johnson, who heads the county's community development department. 
The code lays out several steps in the process, with an inspection of the property by the county among the earliest steps taken, and if the property is considered blighted at that point, the owner would be notified and given a chance to resolve any issues on the property. If left unresolved, the county would pursue action in magistrate court, which could issue an order stating that the property meets the definition of "blighted" per the county code.
"It's going to be a very thorough and very thought-out program, so it's not going to be a 'willy-nilly' decision,"  Johnson said during his presentation on the proposed code Tuesday. "It'll go through many layers of review prior to an act on this particular program."
Among the three community members who spoke on the proposed code was Monica Delancy, a south Cobb resident and parent resource specialist for Cobb County Schools, who asked if homeowners would be penalized if they could not afford upkeep on the properties in which they live, and if there would be any ways for them to pursue financial assistance for needed repairs.
But Commissioner Bob Ott responded that the ordinance would not apply to occupied residential properties, which by state law cannot be deemed blighted.
Johnson earlier in the meeting said the code could only apply unoccupied, vacant residential structures or non-residential structures.
Lauding the proposed blight tax program was Carol Brown of the Canton Road Neighbors, a nonprofit civic organization that focuses on planning, zoning and other issues affecting neighborhoods along the Canton corridor.
"I think this is a great tool to add to the toolkit that we have in Cobb County," Brown said.
Commissioners took no action Tuesday on the code that would establish the Community Redevelopment Tax Incentive Program and its related blight tax, and two more public hearings have been scheduled before they are scheduled to do so.
Subsequent hearings are scheduled for the July 6 Cobb Planning Commission meeting and county commissioners' July 25 meeting, after which the ordinance could be considered for approval.



Pastor John H. Mason
Anniversary!
Providence Community Baptist Church


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Cobb S C L C


Ben Williams Cobb SCLC Chair Birthday Bash!











American Legion BBQ

Fourth of July Community BBQ
Free!

Ask for Senator "Doc" Rhett  
let's eat some BBQ, 

have a cup of coffee, 
and 

talk about community issues!

Ya'll Come!

Time: 12:00 Noon

Address
American Legion Post 296 

906 Atlanta Rd SE, Marietta, GA 30060


Wanted to let you know that the Post installation for this years Officers, is on July 12, 2017 starting at 6:00 pm Socializing, 7:00 pm Program Starts, there will be a lite meal served shortly after.  The attire for all legionnaires being installed is Blue Jacket, White Shirt, and Gray Slacks, Ladies Slacks are Optional.  However, if you do not have this attire you may wear a Suite instead.  I thank you for all that you do for the American Legion, and hope that this year will be better than the last. 



 
Meets every 1st Monday at the South Cobb Recreation Center in Austell
7pm





Powder Springs Task Force
Meets every 4th Monday at the Ron Anderson Recreation Center in Powder Springs
7pm








Cobb Democrats 
Cobb Democrats



Join the "Blue Tide Rising" with Cobb County Democrats in Marietta's July 4 "Let Freedom Ring Parade"!

March in the parade alongside our fun and creative float with elected officials, candidates, and other enthusiastic Democrats.  Let's get organized around our Democratic parade theme "Blue Tide Rising" and make a splash on one of Cobb County's grandest stages.  This is a fun opportunity to get involved, build our brand, and help us ratchet up our BLUE PRIDE!  Will you join us at the Marietta July 4 Parade?  Sign-up to join the parade,  click here.


After the Parade, Join Us  for our Annual Family Fun Festival and Herb Butler Picnic!


Join us after the parade for our annual Fourth of July festival and family picnic commemorating a driving force behind our county party: Mr. Herb Butler. This family fun celebration begins at 12 noon in the air-conditioned comfort of the IAM Union Lodge, 1032 South Marietta Pkwy SE, Marietta, GA  30060. We will be grilling burgers and hot dogs with all the trimmings! Music, games for the kids, and face painting will round out the picnic with something fun for everyone!
The cost is $10 per person. Children 10 years old or younger are free.  RSVP,  click here
Cobb County going Blue in 2016 was not a fluke. It was the result of countless hours of hard work and determination. This is our opportunity to celebrate, join in fellowship, and gear up for the 2017 Municipal and the 2018 Mid-term Elections. This Blue is local, it is vocal, and it is rising up! We hope to see you at this family fun celebration!



  


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Galeo



 
Zoning
Here is the latest information on zoning and variance applications in Mableton. MIC's Zoning Committee examines every application and then the MIC Board votes on MIC's official position. We always want to hear from neighboring property owners and other interested community members with opinions about zoning applications. 
 
Questions? Opinions? Want to get involved? 

Fanatics Sports Bar

APPROVED

The Board of Commissioners approved this application to allow the owner of this existing business to add on to the building for storage purposes. 

Robert Thompson
HEARING on July 6th @ 9am

An application has been filed to change the zoning on this property from R-15 (1/3 acre lot) to R-20 (1/2 acre lot). The property is a little more than 3 acres. The MIC Board has voted to support this application.

Racetrac Petroleum
HEARING on July 12th @ 1pm

Racetrac Petroluem has asked for a variance for their new store at the corner of Mableton Parkway and Discovery Boulevard. The variance would allow a larger electronic sign and location of the dumpster beside the building. 

Atlanta Roller Derby (OVB-26)
HEARING on July 18th @ 9am

A request to modify the stipulations to allow the Atlanta Roller Derby club to use a portion of this large  warehouse for their practices has been filed with Cobb County. The underlying zoning, which is Office/Storage would not be changed. 

Meritage Homes of Georgia (Z-44)
HEARING on August 1 @ 9am

Meritage Homes has filed an application to rezone 47 acres west of Floyd Road and south of Glore Road for development of townhomes and single family homes. The property is presently zoned for half-acre lots (R-20). The application is requesting several denser zoning categories in order to build 150 single family homes and townhouses. The MIC Zoning Committee has met with Meritage Homes and continues to discuss this application.





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Master Sergeant Doc Rhett
United States Air Force Reserves
Retired


Senator Doc Rhett 
Officer
American Legion Post 296 
Marietta


Senator Doc Rhett
Trustee
Turner Chapel AME Church
Marietta
Cobb/Paulding Adult Education Center
Senator Doc Rhett
Instructor