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I would like to thank
The TowneLaker and Sixes Living magazines and especially Gina Carr and
Don Kyle for giving me the opportunity to write articles about what has
been happening with the school system. It has been a great way for me
to communicate about school system issues and initiatives.
After discussion with family and friends,
I have decided to run for the Georgia State House of Representatives.
Upon qualifying in June as a State House candidate, I will be automatically
resigned from my school board seat. The school board will take applications
and appoint someone to serve from July — November, and then that
person would have an opportunity to run in the general election. If I
am honored to serve the 16th district, I will continue to write for The
TowneLaker and Sixes Living magazines, to let you know what is happening
at the Capitol.
I will share with you why I came to my decision
to run for State Representative, and what kinds of state level issues
impact us in Cherokee County. When Steve Stancil made the decision to
run for Lt. Governor, I began getting calls from people in the community
encouraging me to consider running for his seat in the State House, since
I was part of the "new" 16th district after the statewide redistricting.
People told me that my open and accessible leadership style where I actively
solicit citizen input would be a fresh approach at the state level. The
more I thought about it, the more I realized that the average citizen
needed to have a voice in state government.
In December, when Steve decided to devote
100% of his time to his campaign for Lt. Governor, his resignation from
the State House of Representatives created a need for a special election
to fill his seat for the remainder of the session. Because the special
election was based on the "old" state house maps, and I live in the "new"
district, I was not able to run in the special election. For details on
the new district, or to register to vote, call the Board of Elections
at 770-479-0407.
Since I have been on the school board for
the past three years, I have discovered that I truly enjoy public service
and the opportunity to make a difference. In three years, Cherokee County
schools have seen SAT scores rise 50 points, with our SAT average of 1037
surpassing Cobb, Gwinnett, Fulton, and national averages. Additionally,
the dollar value of competitive scholarships (excluding the HOPE) earned
by our graduates has doubled.
This success has been a team effort, with
teachers, support staff, the superintendent, the school board, parents,
and students working together to improve academic achievement in our county.
I have been proud to be part of such a great team. Even for citizens who
do not have children in the school system, good schools are important
because good schools equal good communities, keeping property values high
and crime rates low.
Being on the receiving end of the Governor's
Education Reform Act (HB 1187) has given me a unique and credible perspective
relative to education. I have seen firsthand the negative effects of unfunded
educational mandates and layers upon layers of state bureaucracy piled
on the backs of teachers and administrators. Much of the harm being done
in education is coming from the state level.
In addition to my background in education,
I am interested in a broad range of issues that are driven at the state
level, impacting us locally in Cherokee County. For example, as a state
representative, I would be able to work to phase out the personal income
tax, address traffic safety and congestion, be an advocate for children
and seniors, promote responsible business and economic development, preserve
our natural resources, and most of all, give the average citizen an opportunity
to have input into the process. Of course, this is just a sampling of
state level issues, but it gives you an idea of the opportunity I would
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While bipartisan opposition
will add interest to November's elections, the big election excitement
in Cherokee County this year will be the August 20th primary. To date,
only Republicans have declared their intent to be on the ballot for Commission
seats. This year, as is true every two years, both an Eastern District
(Post 1) and Western District (Post 4) commissioner will be chosen, and
the election of the Commission Chairperson also comes due. So all voters
in each district will be electing two members of the Board of Commissioners
in August. Most of this magazine's readers live in the Western District.
Whether you follow or ignore county issues
and politics, or are only vaguely aware that this is a critical election,
I would suggest three approaches as you prepare to vote.
First, find out what the issues facing the
County are. Read the papers, especially the Cherokee Tribune, which is
published five times a week and provides the fullest coverage. Watch Board
meetings live or on TV. Call or email a commissioner, and ask! Issues
to consider: location, intensity, pace of residential development; job
development; impact fees and new infrastructure development; improvement
of existing facilities and the funding for them; and the impact of the
Northern Arc.
Second, get informed on the candidates. Read
their literature, check out websites, attend forums. Read the position
scorecard in this magazine's August issue. Call or email the candidates.
For incumbents, review their record. In my case, have I delivered on my
1998 campaign promise to protect the quality of life and represent the
citizens through open government? For a candidate without a record of
service on the Board, the investigative process is different.
Voters must search the campaign rhetoric
and images for clues to determine if a candidate will make good on his
or her promises if elected. Why is he or she running for office: ego,
power, representation of a special interest group, or to contribute to
the County? Ask candidates how and why their positions on the issues differ
from those of an incumbent. Do the candidates already have a record of
trying to work with the existing Board or the public to achieve these
stated goals? Observe the company they keep: their political consultants
(paid or otherwise, and their motivations), the other candidates they
are supporting, who their contributors are (grassroots, local, special
interest).
Lastly, as the Post 4 race is between candidates
for which there is no experience to serve as a voters' guide, voters need
to remember that each commission member should be informed by the facts,
educated by the public, and determined to make the best decision for the
whole of the County. Playing political games for the sake of superficial
harmony on the Commission can result in real damage to fellow citizens'
lives. When a compromise is not the best answer to a problem, is the candidate
strong enough to independently vote his or her conscience?
The 2002 campaign season promises to be a
hard one for the candidates, but the voters, too, have a lot of work to
do! Let's all do our part to ensure this campaign season points to a bright
future for Cherokee County!
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