Politics & Government

Where They Stand: The Candidates on the Role of Government

Patch asked House District 113 candidates to share their views on several key issues ahead of the June 21 special election.

To help voters choose among the four candidates for the 113th District House seat representing Oconee and parts of Clarke County, Patch asked candidates to respond to questions on the role of government, , , , and . Election Day is June 21, and runs through June 17.

Question 1: What do you see as the role of government in general and state government in particular?

: There is no way to say it any better then when these words were first written:

CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA - PREAMBLE
“To perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest and happiness of the citizen and of the family, and transmit to posterity the enjoyment of liberty, we the people of Georgia, relying upon the protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution.”

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: The State Constitution sets the role of State government for Georgia:  "To perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest and happiness of the citizen and of the family, and transmit to posterity the enjoyment of liberty" (Preamble).  More than this, the government must not do.  Government is necessary for order and justice to prevail, but the State of Georgia must not overstep these bounds, as I believe that the Federal government has done.  Our United States Constitution clearly limits the power and scope of the Federal government because mankind tends to love power and increase it for his own purposes.  If I keep the Preamble's goals in mind, then I can serve the people of District 113 as I was intended to do without trespassing on their freedom.  I pledge to do so.

: Facilitating economic growth and prosperity for all. Role of State Gov: State Government should be strong and active to protect its assets. And that includes its people, businesses, land, and wildlife. Government should ensure that each of those assets is fairly given the opportunity to thrive.

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: In general, the role of government is to provide for the security and general well-being of its citizens. As to the role of State government, it is to provide an environment conducive to economic vitality, personal safety and well-being, while not being intrusive into personal liberties or personal responsibilities.

Question 2: What is the appropriate relationship between a state representative and local officials? Do you have a responsibility to promote local communities’ agendas in Atlanta?

: The main ingredient for a good relationship is great communication. I will work hard to keep all lines of communication open between, not only the local officials, but the constituents who live in District 113 as well.

:  The State Representative should work cooperatively with the local elected officials within the District.  They are, by definition, constituents.  But they also represent their citizens and should be an excellent source for the State Rep to assess to some extent what the District voters' wishes are on a particular issue.   Working together, local and State elected officials can have more influence on the actions of the entire Legislature.  Yes, as much as possible, I need to promote the District's interests in Atlanta unless these clash with principles or the possible or the conservative values of District 113.

: Yes we do have a definite responsibility to promote local communities' agendas in Atlanta. The State Representative should be the mouth piece for local officials (ideally) in Atlanta. The appropriate relationship between a state rep and local officials is open, non-stop communication, a direct link between the state government and local officials. Of course a state rep has a responsibility to promote the agendas of local communities, and community advocacy had been a top priority of mine for decades.

: The appropriate relationship is one of mutual trust and open communication.  An effective legislator will function as an information conduit - fostering an ongoing 2-way flow of information between the District (individuals, communities and local government entities) and the Capitol.  Effectively communicating the issues important to local communities is an important component of the legislative job description.

Question 3: How will you assess the needs and desires of your constituents, and how will you respond? 

: I will host town hall meetings, attend as many local events as possible, and do everything I can to put myself in a position to be able to listen and learn firsthand from my neighbors what they want and what they need. I will then do my best to understand these needs and desires and work hard with the members of the House to find the best possible solution for them and the people of Georgia.

:  I will be available to the citizens of District 113 by cell phone (I will acquire one for this special purpose), email, and website or other means as much as possible, such as being in the District and attending events of interest.  I will also hold town hall meetings at regular intervals to hear from constituents. And I will seek out and visit with key citizens, those who have the ear of their communities, in order to gather the thoughts of a broad section of voters in a timely fashion.  In order to be a successful Representative, I will listen carefully to the concerns and ideas of the citizens.  Everyone will have a voice.  Then, using this information as well as my own research, I will try to make decisions which strengthen the people of the District, as the Constitution directs.

: By listening, by reading, by learning, and by understanding what people of the 113th say, write, and communicate. I will have many open meetings and make no closed door, back room deals. The social media have revolutionized the way we communicate, and no other candidate has quite the electronic media networking skills that I posses.

: I will continue what I have done during this campaign:  To seek out feedback and input from citizens in the 113th District, both individually and collectively.  I will visit with the various governmental entities - county commissions, city councils, boards of education, etc - on a regular basis. I will regularly  visit throughout the District, listening to issues of concern to our citizens. I will respond based on the input received - individually or collectively. I will respond in a respectful, timely manner. 

Question 4: The Georgia legislature will redraw voting districts for state lawmakers and U.S. representatives in an August special session. What is your philosophy for how districts should be drawn?

: My philosophy would be to allow the real experts, our local county Voter Registration & Elections Directors, to use their years of experience running our elections and put that wisdom to good use and redraw according to demographics and economics thus allowing the State of Georgia to save millions of taxpayer’s dollars.

: This process is not simply a reflection of the whims of the Legislature or select Members of it.  A protocol of assessment of the Census as well as an understanding of the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act, and other legislation (the State Constitution, especially Article III, Section II) will help determine how the State is divided into its Districts and Congressional divisions.  All the decisions of the Legislature must gain approval of the Justice Department and other entities.

In other words, when there is the option to choose how to draw the lines of a particular area, I will suggest that common sense should help draw the lines.  Excessively odd, convoluted, or obviously gerrymandered Districts should be rejected.  As much as is possible under the protocols, we should make each District make sense to voters.  They should not wonder what District they are in because of curiously drawn boundaries.  As much as is possible, County and City boundaries should be the outer limits of a District.  Under the guidelines required, we should seek to draw lines as fairly as possible.

Yes, politics will play a role.  Georgia is primarily a Republican-leaning State, so some decisions will favor Republicans (the Democrats, when in power, had the same freedoms).  But in 2011 the "good old boy" way of drawing boundaries no longer exists; many legal restrictions guarantee that the divisions will have some logic and the data of the Census on 2010 behind each boundary drawn.

: Communities of interest should be kept together, and counties should not be sliced apart. Political districts should be redrawn fairly, with transparency, and be as community-oriented as possible, and then checked closely by the Department of Justice.

: Strong consideration should be given to keeping "comunities of interest" together in one district.  However, defining a "community of interest" is not always an exact science. Geographic location; residence/workplace (commuting) patterns; economic base (farming, manufacturing, tourism, etc.) - these and many other factors impact what constitutes a community of interest.  And, those factors may change between the once-per-decade redistricting cycle. In campaigning for the 113th House seat, it has become clear to me that we have not always been successful in drawing district lines in a coherent manner.  Citizens sometimes do not know which district in which they reside.  They may not know who is their state representative or senator; they may not know who represents them in the US Congress.  This tells me that the process can be improved.


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