PROVEN LEADERSHIP
My Plan for a Quality Future:
Working with Morgan and Newton officials to channel the massive growth already here towards quality, not sprawl and overbuilding.
I've opposed legislation that limits the ability of our local governments to promote quality growth, like the bill that puts caps on impact fees, and the stream buffer reduction bill. I have introduced legislation designed to remove the incentives in annexation law that encourage cities to annex territory just to gain tax revenues, which also promotes sprawl and unfairly hurts residents in non-urban parts of counties. And I attend as many meetings between county officials and the state DOT as I can, in order to emphasize the importance of state level assistance to meet our rapidly mounting transportation challenges (and to remind DOT that I'm a member of the House Transportation Committee, which certainly is important to that agency).Making the state live within its means.
The challenges to preserving and enhancing our quality of life became clear to me from conversations with many area residents and elected officials. Discussions I had before being elected with our local officials showed me that our state government had been chronically starving our counties, cities and school systems of the funds they are supposed to receive to deliver those services to us.In the last three legislative sessions, we've tried to make state agencies more responsible in how they spend by adopting program based budgeting, which basically means that agencies must set and demonstrate progress towards goals, rather than simply ask for more money each year. We've made good progress with this, and state government is now working to set spending priorities straight. I will continue to use the knowledge I've gained of Morgan and Newton counties to help with that re-prioritizing, but with only three sessions of a Republican controlled House of Representative under our belt, there's a lot of work left to be done.
Thankfully, fiscal responsibility has allowed the state economy to recover and begin growing again. So at the same time that we have worked to make the state operate more efficiently, we've also been able to partially or fully restore austerity cuts in many appropriate areas, primarily in education and transportation.
I'm also proud to note that during my first two terms, the budgets I supported and voted for were consistently less than the growth in state tax revenue. And that surplus revenue is being used to re-build the state reserve that was spent at the beginning of the 2001 recession -- that way we'll be prepared for another "rainy day". Even so, total state spending is still $1 Billion less than it would have been if spending trends of the late 90's had continued. Later, the surplus can be used for tax cuts, which I will gladly support. Keeping the budget under control will also give us the added benefit of making Georgia a more attractive, desirable place for business to start in or relocate to, which will create more jobs and offer a brighter future for all.
Un-shackling local school systems. Fortunately, I have been given the privilege of serving on the House Education Committee, where I have opposed direct state control over schools, helping defeat efforts to undermine local system powers; like imposition of a state wide school calendar, insertion of haphazardly chosen curriculum standards, mandates making schools responsible for controlling childhood obesity, and many needless paperwork generating proposals.
My philosophy about education legislation is guided primarily by the obvious goal of helping children attain the abilities necessary to have a successful career in an ever more information based economy. But I also receive a great deal of insight from "the trenches". My wife is an elementary school librarian, and I learn about situations from her every day concerning the frustrations that most teachers feel, and which keep them distracted from real educating. They can hardly believe that many children arrive in pre-K or Kindergarten, and don't know colors, numbers, shapes or letters. Those kids are behind from the moment they arrive at school!
Yet you might find it interesting that our county schools produce graduates who go to the finest universities in the nation. That tells me that the opportunity is there, if children (and especially parents), want to take advantage of it. We need to un-shackle our schools so that they can get the kids who are behind up to speed. And, more importantly, so that they can help educate the community about the responsibilities and attitudes new parents must to take when they bring children into the world.
Like money, education does not grow on trees - it's provided by the taxes you and I pay. I expect that a service that I pay for be treated with respect by the children and parents who benefit from it, and I suspect most other taxpayers feel the same way. Thus Education is a privilege, not a right - and it's time we started treating it that way!To get these things done, I will continue to work closely with other legislators, but I will also make every effort to communicate and coordinate with local officials, whatever their party.
Other Important Positions
Preserve the HOPE scholarship. I have a 5 year old son, and I'd like to see him benefit from this program when he is ready for college, just as many other Georgians already have.
I'm an environmental moderate. I firmly believe that a sensible balance can be found between a Georgia that is prosperous yet retains its natural beauty. I will not automatically "dig in my heels" against quality of life initiatives; for example, I voted for the statewide smoking ban, and opposed the stream buffer reduction effort. At heart, I believe that we have been given the land by God as stewards, not consumers. We have a sacred obligation to pass it on to the next generation in at least as good of condition as we received it.
Promote entrepreneurial activity in Georgia. Our modern economy is all about self-starters: people spotting and developing opportunities on their own. Even though their businesses are often small, these folks are quickly becoming the primary source of quality job growth in our state. From my own experience, I know we need to make starting and running a business easier. We also can improve success of new ventures by supporting small business education. These efforts are obviously needed for traditional businesses. And new studies show that such efforts can provide an even bigger "bang for the buck" when they support the growing field of creative careers. Artists, craft makers, agri-tourism business owners, authors, entertainers, food products designers and creative business entrepreneurs are creating tens of thousands of quality jobs in Georgia. If these businesses receive some attention and aid in capturing tourist dollars, all of Georgia benefits -- there is much to gain, and no downside to this previously overlooked industry. See the "Georgia Made, Georgia Grown" and Arts Development Council of Georgia websites to learn more.
I am committed to a quality growth agenda, as described at the asterisk (*) below. Such growth is the goal of the vision I outlined on the Our Future page.
I am pro-life. I'll oppose any state efforts to advance the pro-choice agenda. I'd be quite pleased to help pass an anti-abortion amendment to the U.S. Constitution, if the Congress ever sends one to the states for ratification. I was proud and honored to be endorsed by Georgia Right to Life in 2004.
I back Congressman John Linder's Fair Tax proposal. Even though I'm not a federal legislator and can't help vote the program into law, I'm convinced that it is one of the most significant tools we have to get government under control. And when the change is made at the federal level, I am ready to implement it at the state level as well.
Illegal immigration is costing our community and state jobs and federally mandated services. This is absolutely wrong. I will continue to work with other like minded legislators to press the federal government to truly control our border, and to more aggressively find and deport illegal immigrants. I voted yes on the "Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act" during the 2006 session.
* How do I define quality growth?
Quality growth doesn't mean no growth, for the simple fact that you can't make that happen, and that our communities need good growth to meet our needs. What I'm focused on is a reasonable mix of starter and higher end housing, with well thought out transportation planning to avoid gridlock.
Hand in hand with such residential development is the need to attract non-polluting industrial and commercial firms that will bring good jobs to our area - and attracting them without "giving away the farm" in terms of tax incentives. This will broaden the tax base, so that homeowners don't have to be crushed by property tax increases to meet the need for services.
I am encouraged that leading developers in our area are involved with the community in exploring new ways to meet our growth pressure - methods of developing that minimize congestion and eyesores. The builders in our area are a key part of reaching the vision of quality growth, and I applaud them for their participation in this effort.The only way we can reach the vision I've outlined is when we can create incentives guiding builders so they can run profitable businesses that create the kind of communities we want. State government cannot, and should not, try to impose a solution; but it should be ready to facilitate new patterns of development.
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