Experience: A lifelong educator, I was a classroom teacher and highly successful principal, and I currently manage the county school system’s budgets.
Do economic development officials need more leeway to conduct private talks with industries considering an investment in Georgia? No, current laws give the state’s economic developers appropriate negotiating tools. Rome’s success is a great example. I strongly support open government. Do you favor eliminating parole for convicted felons? I support incarcerating violent felons for their entire sentence. However, this is an oversimplified solution to a complex problem involving prison capacity and prisoner management.
Do you support increasing the rate of state funding for local school systems in 2007? Definitely! Since 2003, local taxpayers have compensated for $13.9 million in state budget cuts. Neither property owners nor our students should suffer due to misplaced priorities.
Should the state ensure that all registered voters have photo IDs before implementing the requirement? We should be making every effort to encourage all citizens to exercise their right to vote – not creating obstacles to voting.
Should the state pass along 80 percent of federal bioterrorism preparedness money to local first responders, as sought by the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia? Funds should be apportioned upon the basis of bioterrorism threat assessment, not via fixed formulas. To be frank, one size does not fit all.
Do you back a proposal that would let a water permit-holder sell or trade its withdrawal allowance to another user? No, we need to protect our local water rights. We can’t afford to risk our future by selling our natural resources to the highest bidder.
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