But why is the state turning down this free money?  Simply put - because they refuse to remove the exemption to seatbelt use for pickup truck drivers.  For whatever reason, Georgia is one of only two states in the nation that feel seatbelts are lifesavers for all but those driving pickups (we join Indiana with that proud distinction).  And because of this, the Feds have notified Georgia that these funds will be withheld unless this exemption is changed or removed.

As if that isn't bad enough - last year, the state of Georgia spent $400,000 to try and promote seatbelt use among - wait for it - pickup truck drivers.  Yep - $400,000 spent to promote behaviour that is specifically exempted from the applicable laws of the state.

I know this is a local issue and probably of little interest to most people.  I just wanted to share this little ($21.4 million) example of politics in action.  And by the way - while Georgia is now a solidly red state - I don't see much partisanship behind this behavior - just idiocy.

By contrast, Democrats seem to rely on the polar opposite to guide their strategy.  That is, to Democrats, the process matters too – your actions must themselves be moral, right and legal (perhaps I wax a bit idealistically, but you get the idea).  If there is no legal, defensible and rational reason for war, then there should be no war, regardless of any potential benefit that could be derived.

While this has arguably been a long-standing difference between the two parties, I fear that the current administration is working ever harder at increasing this disparity.  Recent history is ripe with examples:

Social Security:  To Republicans, the ends (eliminating Social Security as we know it) justify any means (eliminating Social Security as we know it).

The Nuclear Option:  The ends (further consolidation of Republican power) justify the means (tossing away centuries of Senate tradition and eviscerating checks and balances). 

Deep Throat / Mark Felt:  The ends (well – I’m not sure what their goal is, except perhaps to somehow make Democrats look bad in re Watergate) justify the means (rewriting history, redefining good / bad, etc.).

Here’s to hoping that, some day, Republicans will realize the means matter too . . . . .