PLAINS, Ga. — On the outskirts of Jimmy Carter’s ancestral home, miles from the nearest interstate, sits a state shrine to Georgia’s native president.
The Plains Visitor Information Center pays tribute to the peanut farmer-turned-president, and it also stands as a reminder that even one of the most sacred names in Georgia politics can fall victim to a budget crisis.
Despite a campaign led by leaders of Carter’s hometown — and Democrats who represent his district — the center is on the verge of losing its state funding. The latest budget proposal passed by the House on March 18 strips the center of $186,000 it cost to run last year. State officials say that Plains residents may be able to keep the humble center open by staffing it with volunteers and picking up the tab for other costs.
The outcry began in January, when Gov. Sonny Perdue’s budget proposed closing the center amid a budget deficit that tops $2.6 billion. The Plains outpost, which resembles a log cabin, was an easy target. It is the least-visited of Georgia’s 11 state-run visitor centers, attracting 65,000 people last year, when others attract several hundred thousand. Running the Plains center costs Georgia about $3 per visitor — a far higher ratio than some of the state’s busier visitor centers.
People don't visit because they're trying to forget.
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