Steve Fennessy: When you look at past chancellors in the university system of Georgia, is that a position where the person who gets the job is typically coming from a higher educational background? of Agriculture", "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 115th Congress 1st Session", "Sonny Perdue Named Chancellor of the University System of Georgia", "Meet David PerdueHe Might Be Georgia's Next Senator", National Governors Association: Sonny Perdue, "Trump taps former Georgia governor for agriculture secretary", "Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue Perdue Farms Plans Major Expansion in Georgia", "Official Results of the November 5, 2002 General Election", "Ethical Lapses Trail Nominee For Agriculture Conflicts of Interest as Governor of Georgia", "3 minutes, 1 tax bill, $100,000 for Sonny Perdue", "Georgia climbs in SAT rankings despite drop in score", "2008 SAT Results Highlight Need for Rigor", "Georgia View: Sonny Perdue's Non-Legacy", "Georgia leaders try to skip controversy in flag vote", "Tom Price, Kasim Reed, Sonny Perdue and the Art of the Georgia Deal", "Statement of Governor Sonny Perdue Regarding Court Ruling to Stay Transition to Reformulated Gasoline", "Georgia Enacts a Tough Law on Immigrants", The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The "Great Truth", "Trump could name Agriculture Secretary whose drought strategy was to pray for rain", "Yes, There Were Black Confederates. The North American Vexillological Association had deemed it the ugliest U.S. state flag. So, you know, we've been hearing that this from faculty members who have been upset about, you know, some of his credentials in that space. Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp have a longstanding relationship politically, and then you have Sonny Perdue's cousin who is running against the governor now in the GOP primary. But the threat is part of the latest controversy for the Board of Regents, which in October approved a new policy where universities can fire tenured professors with little to no faculty input. Subsequently, the trust sold off AGrowStar LLC and Pro Ag Products LLC (none of the other assets posed any conflict of interest with his duties as Secretary of Agriculture). In 2018, while Perdue was secretary, Soque River Conservation asked the Army Corps to modify the credits held by the company in a way that could boost its value by nearly $3 million, the groups estimate. A longtime Atlanta-based journalist, he is a former editor-in-chief of Atlanta magazine. So that's a little strange, isn't it? The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). You know, Steve Wrigley, you know, he worked in the university system before he became chancellor, so he did have some of that experience. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? Steve Fennessy: So the faction that was opposed or is opposed to the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor seems to be getting smaller. You know, he was brought on actually, you know, during Sonny Perdue's tenure to take on the job. After Perdue took office, in 2003 and 2004, Georgia moved up from last place in the country in SAT scores. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. His anti-immigrant machinations worked all too well, creating a crippling labor shortage for Georgias immigrant-dependent farms and poultry slaughterhouses. [News tape] WSB: After what the board's chairman described as a nationwide search with, quote, "numerous highly qualified candidates," in the end, the board voted to pick Perdue as the sole finalist for the job. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. A former two-term governor of Georgia, George Ervin Perdue III, known throughout his life as Sonny, served as Agriculture Secretary from 2017 to 2021. He praised the tax cuts and the program of deregulation, which, he claimed, benefitted the people who needed it most, those in the middle, and the lower rungs. Its little wonder that Trump would train his benevolence on the little people, because hes a blue-collar guy who worked for years in the construction yards, with all kinds of folks, all colors, Kudlow informed Perdues listeners. In fact, for the next two weeks after the prayer, the state's epic dry streak grew worse. Watchdog organizations are now calling for the Agriculture Departments inspector general to investigate whether Perdue has run afoul of the ethics agreement he signed as a nominee for the job early in the Trump administration. Has he said, "I'm supporting the guy who's pushing my candidacy for chancellor" or "I'm supporting my cousin who's running against him"? Brian Kemp thinks so, and it looks like he's getting his way. There's been a lot of different issues that colleges are facing regarding social issues and political issues. Eric Stirgus: Yes. Your support makes this possible. Coronavirus-riddled slaughterhouses, in turn, emerged as primary vectors for spreading the pathogen to surrounding communities. The COVID-19 crisis served as yet another opportunity to promote the political fortunes of his boss, without impeding his pursuit of a pro-agribusiness, anti-worker agenda. He continued his effort to cut their wages, ultimately teaming with the Department of Labor on a rule change that will result in an aggregate wage cut worth at least $170.68 million annually over the next ten yearsa transfer of money from low-wage workers to relatively wealthy farm owners. Eric Stirgus: Yes, I think the governor could certainly use this on the campaign trail and, you know, to, you know, David Perdue supporters and say, "Hey, look, you know, I've made Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the university system. The policy, according to the American Association of University Professors, is the only one of its kind in the country. She says a lot of things. [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. [43], Beginning in 2007, Governor Perdue began to pursue the goal of making Georgia the "bass-fishing tourism mecca". I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain before his discharge. A Senate panel backed a bill on Tuesday that would put pressure on local school boards to adhere to the open meetings laws and create barriers to removing disruptive parents from meetings. While it is often especially difficult for members of a governing board who are appointed by the governor or legislative body to remain independent in their work, it is imperative that they do or they place the accreditation of the institution they govern in jeopardy." 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. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. Eric Stirgus: Yes. The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. The first two companies are managed by Perdues children, according to Georgia records. The business holdings were a source of concern during his confirmation process, as well as during his time as Georgia governor from 2003-11, when he faced more than a dozen ethics complaints and was found to have funneled illegal amounts of money from his businesses to his campaign in 2002. Higher education is where I wanted to have a real impact as governor, only to be stymied by twin recessions, he said in the board-issued statement. The watchdog groups are now seeking information about whether Perdue was involved in a decision by the Army Corps of Engineers which works with USDA on some wetlands restoration efforts to reallocate Soque River Conservations credits in a way that significantly increased their value. Perdue wrote that "liberals have lost all credibility when it comes to climate science because their arguments have become so ridiculous and so obviously disconnected from reality. [29] Perdue also created additional opportunities for charter schools and private schools. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. [23] Prior to Perdue's becoming governor, no state agency had compiled an inventory of what assets were owned by the state. There, he managed a workforce of 110,000 employees in the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the stated objective of being the most efficient, effective and customer-friendly agency in the . Sonny Perdue won the 2002 Georgia governor's race, defeating the incumbent, Democrat Roy Barnes, to become the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction. 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. We'll be back next week. [14][15], Perdue is not related to the family who owns and operates Perdue Farms (commonly associated with the brand "Perdue Chicken").[16][17]. Other issues addressed by Perdue include assisting rural communities, helping farmers operate with less regulation, increasing exports, passing the 2018 farm bill, and addressing crop damage caused by dicamba. Steve Fennessy: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? [53] In August 2017, he announced a mentoring program for new farmers. Economists in the USDA's research branch were told to include disclaimers in their peer-reviewed publications stating that the findings were "preliminary" and "should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy". Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. Alec Poitevint, long a pivotal player in the Perdue network, is now backing Kemp over David Perdue. [64][65][66], In June 2021, a news story broke of financial dealings Perdue had after his nomination as Secretary of Agriculture but before his confirmation. [72], In 2006, Perdue's financial disclosure forms revealed that he had a net worth of approximately $6 million and received compensation of $700,000 that year.[73]. Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. I think Steve really was making maybe about a half million dollars when he retired, so that's way more than the governor of Georgia was making. In 2010, at the tail end of his second term as governor, Perdue named his cousin, David Perduewho had just stepped down as chief executive of Dollar General discount storesto the board of the Georgia Ports Authority. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. Why isn't he going back to his farm? "[35], In 2006, Perdue signed a law that gave Georgia "some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigrants. Therefore the new trust Perdue listed on his 2019 financial disclosure, identifying himself as a co-trustee, poses no conflict of interest or violation of his ethics commitments, the spokesperson said. Steve Fennessy: News that Sonny Perdue will, in all likelihood be the university system of Georgia's next chancellor comes at a time when state legislators are debating bills about how racial history should be taught in classrooms. [46] Perdue failed to disclose his ownership of the property in required financial disclosure forms. "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. 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.. In his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. The harangue, which ended with the ag secretary leading a chant of four more years, earned Perdue a knuckle-rap from the Office of Special Counsel for violating the Hatch Act, which forbids government employees from campaigning while on the job. How is that number arrived at? Former US Secretary of Agriculture and former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue were named chancellor of the University System of Georgia by the Board of Regents today (USG). Yes. An investigationby the Food and Environment Reporting Networks Leah Douglas found that at least 40 percent of chicken plants operating at the higher speeds experienced COVID outbreaks, versus 14 percent for the overall meat sector. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. Like Trump, he's a former Democratwho ascended to political power (in Perdue's case, Georgia. 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. A Big Ag corporation sold it to Sonny Perdue's company for $250,000", "Agriculture secretary pick Perdue led big political change in Georgia", "Official: Perdue flew copter without license", "Governor Perdue Makes Acting Debut in "We Are Marshall", Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Perdue&oldid=1142223043, Democratic Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators, Republican Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators, Presidents pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate, Republican Party governors of Georgia (U.S. state), Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 05:05. David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. I'm Steve Fennessy. 11/08/2018 02:42 PM EST. Now the nonprofit American Oversight is asking USDAs inspector general to review the new structure of Perdues assets and determine whether it violates the commitments he made as a nominee for the job in 2017. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue pledged in 2017 to separate himself from his multimillion dollar business holdings that could pose conflicts of interest in his public duties. Steve Fennessy: When did we first hear that Sonny Perdue who was the outgoing Secretary of Agriculture in the Trump administration, of course a two-term former governor of Georgia was interested in the job of chancellor? Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. They range from Georgia State University, which has the most students in the system, like about 53,000 students; Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State both of those schools have about 40,000 students each and then University of Georgia. Although it returned to last place in 2005,[26] Georgia rose to 49th place in 2006 in the combined math and reading mean score, including the writing portion added to the test that year. Secretary Perdue has visibility into and control over the trusts and their underlying assets, and he continues to benefit from them despite the plain terms of his 2017 ethics agreement, Evers wrote to the inspector general. Eric Stirgus: Georgia's top elected officials constantly talk about, you know, we need workers who are college and career ready, people who can just step into jobs. Eric Stirgus: Good question. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. The office directed the USDA chief to reimburse the government for travel expenses and other costs of the event. [News tape] FOX5: The Board of Regents has made its choice for the state's next chancellor. He shortly thereafter became a committee chairman, then climbed the leadership ladder to majority leader and to Senate president pro tempore. As governor, Perdue mastered the Trumpian strategy of using know-nothing bigotry as a beard for brazen self-dealing, sometimes involving his own family. Sonny Perdue on Confirmation to Lead Dept. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. Steve Fennessy: Initial discussion about the possible candidacy of Sonny Perdue for chancellor for next chancellor of the University of Georgia System, the president of SACS, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Belle Whelan, sends a letter to the chair of the Board of Regents of Georgia. Not satisfied with fighting to take food off the tables of poor families, Perdue also set his sights on farm workers. Eric Stirgus: Correct. But Perdue is struggling. Eric Stirgus: Yeah it's an important issue because, you know, colleges and universities that do not have accreditation, they can their students cannot get federal financial aid that helps pay for tuition for a lot of college students. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. You know, I've worked with him, but you know, I just didn't feel like, you know, he was the best person for the job. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. You know, there were some complaints that, you know, he was involved in some changes that, you know, made it a little bit more difficult for students to get the HOPE scholarship. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. 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. [31] The choices were a modified version of the First National Flag of the Confederate States of America, with the Georgia State Seal prominently displayed inside a circle of 13 stars, or the flag created in 2001 by the Roy Barnes administration. [52], During his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue focused on helping new farmers get started in agriculture. The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. Very few Republican elected officials, operatives, donors and activists in Georgia have. [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. In December 2001, Perdue resigned as state senator and devoted himself entirely to running for the office of Governor of Georgia. The commitments entailed moving his holdings into a new trust and agreeing not to serve as a trustee or beneficiary of the fund. [61][62], In February 2020, Perdue endorsed putting a price on carbon dioxide, a climate change policy favored by many economists. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". The crux of the watchdog complaint comes down to a handful of Perdues businesses the secretary reported as sources of income, at least a half-million dollars, on his 2019 filing. Perdue is one of the original Trump Cabinet appointees who remained by the president throughout the administration. [46], In December 2004, Perdue bought $2 million worth of land near Disney World from a developer who he had previously appointed to the state's economic development board. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. The secretarys 2019 filing also shows nearly $140,000 in income from Soque River Conservation LLC, which holds land along the Soque River in northern Georgia and is held by a separate trust that Perdue first reported last year. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Then the pandemic hit, ripping through migrant farm worker communities, who toiled on with little in the way of protective gear or opportunities for social distancing. 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.
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