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Thu, Aug. 12, 2004 Georgia chamber event draws record crowd By Charlie Lanter Telegraph Staff Writer PERRY - More than 1,400 state business and political leaders descended Wednesday on the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter for an annual congressional luncheon. The theme for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce event was honoring Georgia's military installations, and the members of Congress who attended promised to protect members of the military and the Georgia bases where they live and work. Only four of the state's 15 members of Congress attended, and none of the four hail from Middle Georgia districts. Democratic Reps. Sanford Bishop and Denise Majette and Republican Reps. Johnny Isakson and Max Burns spoke to the crowd at the agricenter's Miller-Murphy-Howard building. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., whose 3rd District includes the agricenter, sent a letter to the group that said he was tied up with congressional business in Washington, D.C., and could not attend. George Israel, president and CEO of the state chamber, said the group tries to hold the annual congressional luncheon in different locations throughout the state in order to involve more local chambers of commerce. Wednesday's event was sponsored in part by the Perry Chamber of Commerce. Wednesday's luncheon set a new attendance record for the event. "It kind of puts a spotlight on Houston County and, really, on the Middle Georgia area," said state Sen. Ross Tolleson, whose district includes Perry. "A lot of people get to come in and see the area that haven't seen it before." Each of the four members of Congress who attended Wednesday got a chance to address the group. It was the first time that Majette and Isakson appeared on stage together since Majette's Tuesday night victory in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. The two representatives face one another in November in the contest to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Zell Miller. With representatives present from each of the state's military installations, Bishop and Majette promised to support an effort in Congress that would delay a round of base closures scheduled for next year. "Removing (Georgia's bases) would have dire consequences for our towns, our counties, our shops and businesses," Majette said. Isakson did not mention the proposed base closure delay, but did declare his support for American troops and pledged he would fight to keep Georgia bases from closing. "The $5 billion military payroll (in Georgia) is important but the freedom in which we live is - as the MasterCard commercial says - priceless," Isakson said. |
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A proposal that would provide tobacco farmers with a $9.6 billion buyout in exchange for them dropping a federal quota program that has propped up the price of the crop since the Great Depression would be an "economic shot in the arm" for hard-pressed tobacco growing communities, U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop said.
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