Southern Stupidity

I was born in the south and have lived in the south all of my life. Unfortunately, there is a national perception that southerners aren’t the brightest bulbs on the national Christmas tree.

I beg to differ.

As my fellow Georgia Tech alumnus comedian Jeff Foxworthy likes to say: “its not that we’re ALL dumb, we just can’t keep the idiots among us off of the TV…”

This evening I present for your entertainment Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. I voted for the man in the last election, but since that time I’ve wondered what mental malady has attacked his brain when I hear about some of the stupid things he’s done since he took office.

Late today Governor Sonny decided at the last minute to close the public schools for two days next week.

Why?

Hurricane Rita

Why?

To SAVE fuel.

This is about as stupid an exercise of government as I’ve heard in a while.

(Atlanta, Georgia-AP) Sept. 23, 2005 - Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue Friday asked the state's schools to take two "early snow days" and cancel classes Monday and Tuesday to help conserve gasoline as Hurricane Rita threatens the nation's fuel supply line.

If all of Georgia's schools close, the governor estimated about 250,000 gallons of diesel fuel would be saved each day by keeping buses off the road.

Perdue also said an undetermined amount of regular gasoline also would be saved by allowing teachers, other school staff and some parents to stay home. He says electricity also would be conserved by keeping the schools closed.

I’m sorry, but this is typical, total, useless government crap at its finest. A half million gallons of diesel is a flyspeck in the bucket of daily US fuel consumption. And imagine how many parents will be scrambling around looking for daycare for their little darlin’s so they can go to work on Monday and Tuesday?

The thing is, Sonny didn’t have this brainstorm on Friday morning, he waited until late Friday afternoon to hold a conference call with school superintendents and some of the schools had already sent the kids home for the day.

Hey Sonny, look at the map…the hurricane is in Texas and Louisiana. We’re in Georgia. Buy a map…