Local Democratic hopefuls for the state House of Representatives are hurling volleys of political ammunition at their well-entrenched Republican incumbent opponents.
The largest scale attack was launched by Democratic House District 21 hopeful Stephanie Webb, who recently accused her opponent, Rep. Calvin Hill, R-Canton, with portraying himself as a crusader for family values, while at the same time selling sexually-oriented items on the Web site of his firm, Gila Distributing.
At the same time, Democratic hopeful Bill Brown has launched two accusatory Web sites regarding the past legislative actions of his opponent, District 22 incumbent Sean Jerguson, R-Holly Springs.
Hill says he is a victim of a “smear campaign,” while Jerguson said he “refuses to wallow in his opponent’s mudslinging.”
District House 20 Democratic candidate, Lillian Faye Burnaman, meanwhile, has remained quiet as she campaigns against incumbent Rep. Charlice Byrd, R-Woodstock.
Webb pointed out in a news release that Hill’s firm, Gila Distributing, offers promotional products, including militaristic apparel emblazoned with the logo of Communist China, sexually explicit “squeeze toys” and gay pride flag pins. Hill owns the company, which sells promotional products, most often to businesses.
“Rep. Hill touts himself as the protector of our values, the champion of economic development in Georgia, and a patriot on which to model oneself, but for the right price those ideals go out the window,” Webb says on “TheRealCalvinHill.com,” a Web site she launched.
A check by the Ledger-News this week showed that the items still are offered on the Gila Web site.
Hill says the accusations are not worthy of an answer to Webb but agreed to answer the Ledger-News’ questions about the topic.
Hill said Webb is distorting the facts with her accusations.
He said he, as a member of the Advertising Specialty Institute, is just “one of maybe 20,000 renters” of the Web site that Gila uses, and that firms that pay to use the promotional products distribution site for access to manufacturers of items such as coffee cups, ball caps, T-shirts and ballpoint pens. He sells those items to businesses for personalization with their logos. He says he has no control over the more than 600,000 items on the Web site.
Webb’s attack has garnered nationwide media attention from outlets ranging from Fox News to Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, mostly because of Hill’s stance during the 2009 Legislative session against public funds going to state universities and colleges for use by professors who research sexual topics, especially as the state was grappling with a budget shortfall.
“Our job is to educate our people in sciences, business, math,” Hill, a vice chairman of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee, said at the time. He said professors aren’t addressing that need “by teaching a class in queer theory.”
Hill was referring to a University of Georgia professor who was teaching a graduate course on “queer theory,” and to Georgia State University, where members of the faculty were listed as experts regarding sexual topics.
Webb said what is offered on Gila’s Web site “is at odds with (Hill’s) statements, and certainly his record, most notably his statements about professors in Georgia colleges who teach immoral and sexually explicit classes.”
Webb said the Gila Web site stated it had “offices in China.” Hill said that is “absolutely untrue” and that a manufacturer represented on the site, one of thousands, mentions on the site that they have offices in China.
Hill said he campaigns on issues.
“I would never do that,” he said of Webb’s attack. “I would not resort to smear campaigns. Everything they (Webb, and her husband and campaign manager, Mark Webb) say is totally suspect, and the way you campaign says something about the way you would govern.”
Hill said he has not used any negative campaigning during the current race against Webb.
Webb, on her Web site, also accuses Hill of accepting an award last year from Peaceful Solution Character Education for taking a stand against the universities regarding the sexually explicit and immoral subject matter.
According to a Wikipedia link that Webb has attached to the site, Hawkins is the founder of the group called the second House of Yahweh, in Abeline, Texas.
The Wikipedia link says Hawkins reportedly was arrested and charged with four counts of bigamy.
Hill said he did accept the award, but, referring to Hawkins, said, “I never heard that, and I don’t know if the information is truthful or not. Rather than discuss issues, they are examining every issue to see what they can take out of context, make me look bad or embarrass me.”
In the District 22 race, Brown has launched two Web sites, www.stopseanjerguson.com and www.layoffourteachers.com.
Brown has posted pictures of Jerguson taken at a legislative breakfast earlier in the year, along with several statements regarding Jerguson’s voting record.
On one Web site, Brown says Jerguson sponsored legislation “that would have exempted himself from paying sales tax on the items he 
sells in his store. Legislators should not sponsor legislation that will benefit themselves directly.”
Jerguson said he was the fourth co-sponsor on House Bill 767, which would have eliminated the sales tax on firearms and ammunition.
Although the bill never got a committee hearing, Jerguson said, he wouldn’t have benefited if it passed, even though he owns a gun shop.
“Customers pay sales tax, not me,” he said. “I just send it on to the state. It would be no benefit to me, as a business. Customers wouldn’t have to pay sales tax no matter where they bought a gun or ammunition. Things I buy wholesale for my store I don’t pay sales tax on anyway.”
Brown also accused Jerguson of voting against an anti-bullying bill, which Jerguson says he did, because it was “poorly written.”
Another claim asserts that Jerguson supported HB 908, successful legislation that allows local school systems to increase class sizes over the next three years.
Jerguson said the Cherokee County School District had asked legislators for more flexibility at the local level.
“It allows schools the flexibility to do what is right for their local systems,” Jerguson said. “Dr. P (Frank Petruzielo, school superintendent) was a supporter of that; the school board had asked the local delegation constantly to allow the school system more flexibility and to be more independent.”
Jerguson said he has not mentioned Brown in his campaign ads.
“What’s extremely important is that candidates for public office be genuine in their dialog, truthful in their speech and provide real solutions for the public,” Jerguson said.
