For the past 15 years, the people of the 9th district have become disconnected.  The issues closest to them have not been addressed.  For too long, our seniors have paid too much for medicine.  For too long, citizens have not had access to primary health care.  Our children are not graduating with the skills they need to succeed in life.  For too long, the special interest in Washington have controlled how our tax dollars are spent.  It is time for a change in the 9th district.  The 9th district needs solid leadership that will fight for the needs of citizens and not vote the way of the special interst.

• Education: The No Child left Behind Act (NCLB) may have been well-intentioned, but it has proven to be the wrong direction for America's schools.  It's time for a new approach, and bold, innovative ideas that let teachers do what they do best – educate our kids.  It's time to leave NCLB behind and take our schools in a direction that emphasizes reading, math, science, discipline, character, and preparation for our global economy.  It's time to restore creativity and real leadership to our classrooms.
• Taxes: We must make our tax code simpler and fairer. I believe that government should be just big enough to keep us safe and invest in the things that allow every American to live a happy, healthy life, like world-class schools, cops on the street, affordable health care, and the infrastructure to move goods and people across our nation.  We pay more than we should in taxes, because the government often doesn't spend its money wisely. We cannot keep paying more and more taxes, while getting fewer and fewer results. I think the tax payers are tired of paying for bad judgments of our elected officials. 
• Getting people connected: As each year passes we have less and less people involved in the governmental process. In essence, most decisions are made by very few people and most people have no idea what is taking place in Washington, nor their state or local governments. When elected I want to break this trend and have town hall meetings and go directly to the people when issues arise. We must get more people involved in our government. Instead of people being involved in government, the government is involved in our lives way too much. In years past, when people needed help they turned to their families, places of worship, or local communities. Now, many people will turn to the federal government and the federal government uses this to take more and more liberties away. 
• Health and Fitness: I am extremely big on improving the health and fitness levels of adults and children. We must address the issue. We spend millions in health care costs on issues that could have been prevented or minimized by healthy living habits starting in childhood. I would like to see the 9th district become the healthiest district in the state. We must start with the youth and build these habits in them, by promoting things like athletics in our public schools. 
• Military: I believe the best way to support our troops is to send them to war only when we have no other option, to bring them home when they've finished their mission, and to take care of their families and loved ones when they're away serving our country, or if they do not come back.   
• Energy: It is time in the year 2008 to be using alternative sources of energy at a higher level. We must be wise consumers, have time tables for changes and stick to them. We have the knowledge, the capacity, and now we must have the drive. We could be farther ahead with alternative energy than we are right now, but our leaders in past decades lacked the political will.  Now, with gas prices skyrocketing, we have to act decisively, with bold, innovative action to get us independent of foreign oil. 

These are a few areas I want to highlight and I will speak to others. For us to be the best, we must be the best here first.

Let's Make Georgia Better!!!