Early Wednesday afternoon, an aide to Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield delivered a truckload of water to lawmakers at the Georgia state capitol building in Atlanta, Ga. and jokingly labeled today as "Give our Georgia Friends a Drink Day."

Dressed in frontier buckskins, the aide drove to the heart of the peach state and handed out 2,000 bottles of water to the state's lawmakers in and around the capitol building.

The aide driving the water truck came along with a slew of Tennessee media and a number of Chattanooga City Councilmen, including Manny Rico.

Rico offered his personal explanation for the publicity stunt to a crowd of reporters by pointing out that the issue is being taken seriously by the Tennessee Legislature.

We're trying to make light of a situation that's become very serious. We're not trying to rub salt in their wounds. Manny Rico, Chattanooga Councilman"We're trying to make light of a situation that's become very serious," Rico said. "We're not trying to rub salt in their wounds." 

The 'proclamation' that called for the shipment of the water came from Littlefield. 

Littlefield's statement calls Georgia's legislators "Children of Israel in the desert" and also says that "tomorrow they might come for our Jack Daniels or George Dickel," both brands of Tennessee whiskey.

The proclamation goes on to say that "it is deemed better to light a candle than curse the darkness, and better to offer a cool, wet kiss of friendship rather than face a hot and angry legislator gone mad from thirst ..."

The decision to drive water to Georgia's capitol was lightheartedly poking fun at the resolution passed by the Georgia Legislature last week that calls to redefine the Tennessee's southern border, giving Georgia access to the waters of the Tennessee River.

Both of Georgia's Legislative chambers have passed a resolution claiming that an 1818 survey wrongfully placed Georgia's northern border short of the 35th parallel, and more importantly short of the Tennessee River.

The flow of the Tennessee River is approximately 15 times greater than the Chattahoochee River, which currently serves as metro Atlanta's main source of moving water.

Tennessee residents in border towns as well as Tennessee legislators are sharply opposed to the proposed border redefinition.

"If I wanted to live in Georgia, I would buy a house there," said Andrew S., Chattanooga native and UT student. "I was born and raised a few minutes south of Chattanooga and I refuse to see the land become a part of Georgia." 

While the move was nothing more than a media stunt and a harmless gesture, a number of Chattanooga residents were just as angry at Littlefield for his involvement in the day's events as they are at the Georgia legislators.

Littlefield has often been criticized for focusing more on publicity and media than the day to day proceedings of City Hall.

"His gesture is an embarrassment and I'm shocked that he'd be so short-sighted as to do it," said Chattanooga blogger Billy Blades. "It doesn't address the real issue of Georgia trying to steal St. Elmo from us ... we deserve more than a head cheerleader as our mayor."

Littlefield's Proclamation 

WHEREAS, it has come to pass that the heavens are shut up and a drought of Biblical proportions has been visited upon the Southern United States, and

WHEREAS, the parched and dry conditions have weighed heavily upon the State of Georgia and sorely afflicted those who inhabit the Great City of Atlanta, and

WHEREAS, the leaders of Georgia have assembled like the Children of Israel in the desert, grumbled among themselves and have begun to cast longing eyes toward the north, coveting their neighbor’s assets, and

WHEREAS, the lack of water has led some misguided souls to seek more potent refreshment or for other reasons has resulted in irrational and outrageous actions seeking to move a long established and peaceful boundary, and

WHEREAS, it is deemed better to light a candle than curse the darkness, and better to offer a cool, wet kiss of friendship rather than face a hot and angry legislator gone mad from thirst, and

Whereas, it is feared that if today they come for our river, tomorrow they might come for our Jack Daniels or George Dickel,

NOW THEREFORE, In the interest of brotherly love, peace, friendship, mutual prosperity, citywide self promotion, political grandstanding and all that

I Ron Littlefield, Mayor of the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee,  do hereby Proclaim that Wednesday, February 27, 2008 shall be known as “Give Our Georgia Friends a Drink Day.”