Mario Arguella Appointed To Georgia's Latino Commission

It's going to be interesting to see the governing structure for a New Georgia come into being. For as long as I can remember, if you wanted something done by the Georgia state government, you contacted about the same Good-Old-Boy structure. There was the governor, of course. The Speaker. The chairmen of the various key committees in the House and Senate. Certain powerful lobbyists, most but not all of them former legislators. There were the members of the various boards, like the DOT Board. It was the powerful inner circle of the Democratic Party in a one-party state, and you were either in it or you weren't.

Governor Sonny Perdue has started appointing his team, and it is obvious this is going to b e what he calls it ... a New Georgia ... new people blended with some of the old, but especially, new thinking. And one of the new innovations is going to bring new people under the tent, and this tells you just how progressive this new team is going to be. For instance, Governor Perdue recently created two new commissions, one to advise about Latino matters and the other about Asian-American.

And he appointed our own Mario Arguella to the Latino Commission for a New Georgia. Arguella lives in South Hall; his kids go to school here; he is an executive with a local business. Not only can Mario Arguella do a good job on Latino issues, but
because he is an active marketer throughout the Carribbean Basin, he can play a key role in seeking the headquarters of the new "Free Trade Area of the Americas" for Atlanta. And yes, he's a Republican. It's going to be interesting and exciting to see who replaces the Good-old-boy structure to build a New Georgia.

This is Gordon Sawyer, and may the wind always be at your back.