Issues

I'm running for the State House as a Democrat to change the culture in the General Assembly that rewards incompetence and continues to focus on partisan bickering at the expense of real solutions to the problems of everyday Georgians. Here are some of my top priorities:

• Education
  Since 2002, the Governor and General Assembly have underfunded public education, in violation of state law, by nearly $1.5 billion. In DeKalb County alone, austerity cuts to the QBE formula add up to nearly $100 million. In order for local school systems to meet state mandates and provide a Quality Basic Education, property taxes have been raised and spending on extracurricular activities and advanced programs has been cut.

  At the same time, the state budget has ballooned by billions of dollars. It is time to end these austerity cuts to our local school systems.

  At the same time, studies continue to show that the earlier children start learning the better the outcome throughout their educational careers. In these times of record lottery funds, I propose making pre-K universally available to every Georgia child. This past year, too many parents lost out on lotteries or had to wait in line for days to secure a slot for their child. That's unacceptable. When Georgians approved the lottery in the 1990's, they approved the money generated to pay for pre-K and it is time to make this program, like the HOPE scholarship universally available.

• Healthcare
  I believe that Georgia should be working to increase access to Medicaid and Peachcare for Kids. All parents should be able to enroll their children into one of these two programs by either paying full cost or with a reduced cost based on need. As Georgia's economy continues to transition, fewer Georgians are eligible for employee sponsored health care, even many middle class Georgians that make well above the poverty level. Every additional child enrolled in a preventive care plan increases the overall health and welfare of everyone in the state and the reduced costs from fostering a culture of preventive care should be viewed as an investment.

  I also want to help self-employed Georgians and small business owners by giving them more options to pool their resources and therefore lower their healthcare costs. At the same time, I'll fight efforts by insurance companies to eliminate mandates and water down plans, as these "cost saving" reductions often disproportionally effect women and are borne out by those who can least afford them.

• Transportation and Smart Environmental Planning
  Metro Atlanta traffic ranks as one of the top 2 worst commutes in the nation and has for years, but the General Assembly continues to ignore the need for smarter planning and a comprehensive statewide and regional transportation plan to improve the quality of life of our families. As gas prices continue to break record highs, most commuters have no choice but to sit in ever-increasing minutes of traffic. As part of a comprehensive plan to reduce traffic and create transportation alternatives, I'd encourage cities and counties to prioritize high-density mixed use development and dedicate a portion of the state sales tax on fuel that currently goes into the general fund to be used for bus, rail and other alternatives.

  I'll also fight for smart environmental policy that puts conservation first and will seek to make Georgia a leader in renewable energy and sustainable growth. For too long the General Assembly has dragged its feet and allowed Georgia to go down a path of unmanageable growth. It's time for a change.