Issues

I, like every other home owner in Upson County, am simply dismayed to see our property taxes rising year over year.  While I understand the need to raise revenue to provide the services expected of a county government, I also believe the County Commission and the School Board should treat our taxpayer dollars as their own and not a never ending fund for good idea fairies.



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Many in the county are frustrated by the condition of our roads and especially our bridges.  It seems unfathomable that we can not find the funds to repair a bridge on Hannah's Mill Road.  While it is an inconvenience, it is also indicative of the planning and budgeting for our infrastructure in our county.  We must have plans for maintenance, repair, and life cycle replacement of our infrastructure.  Just as with our homes, there may sometimes be an unpleasant surprise that causes us to dip in to our savings or either take out a loan for repairs or replacement.  We do what we have to do.  Our government should be no different. 

As a former small business owner, I know the hoops one has to jump through.  They are cumbersome and stifle entrepreneurship. We must eliminate unnecessary permitting and licensing which serve only to fill government coffers.  We must also reduce regulations and cut through red tape to help small business grow.

Thomaston is situated perfectly between Atlanta, Columbus, and Macon.  Many of us commute almost an hour to work because of the economic benefit and commute back because we love small-town USA.  That is not ideal for everyone. 

We must do what we can to attract higher paying manufacturing jobs for the citizens of Upson County.  While it will improve the lives of those who work in these jobs, it will also spur economic growth through local spending.

We must have reliable high-speed Internet access to enable work-from-home opportunities which can have the same impact on the lives of current Upson County residents and attract new residents looking for our small town atmosphere.

There is more to Georgia than Atlanta; however, the state government often seems to not realize this.  Traffic in Atlanta is a prime example.  If you add more lanes to I75/85, you will simply have more traffic congestion.  This is not theory, but that is exactly what the state has done and continues to do.  Georgia's Export / Import Highway has been talked about and shelved for nearly a decade all in the name of progress in Atlanta.  Trucks could avoid Atlanta.  Distribution centers could be less centralized.  Gas stations, restaurants, hotels, and manufacturing plants would be built along exits close to rural Georgia towns. 

Agriculture is Georgia's number one industry.  We must do everything we can to protect our farms and secure our food supply.  As urban sprawl continues, we will see more and more developers attempting nuisance civil actions in an effort to push out farms.  We must protect farmlands, forests, and the people and operations associated with them from frivolous nuisance civil actions.