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Clear-eyed Vision, Level-headed Solutions For Georgians

What kinds of problems do I want to address that the General Assembly has basically ignored for years? Well, there are a number of them, but let us look at the ones that are highest priority:

• Refusing to expand Medicaid so that rural Georgians can access healthcare. Now the state did temporarily expand it somewhat during the pandemic, but it was limited and it has terminated. There is a discussion that they may finally expand it permanently, but they may not extend it to all recipients and/or may require qualifications to receive it. I object to limitations of any kind. If you are sick and qualify for financial assistance, that should be the end of the discussion. It is petty and cruel for rich people with assets to require such things of the poor. That is something that elitists do when they feel “superior” to other people.
• Work towards improving our state’s educational system to raise our ratings out of the cellar. The funds for our public schools were CUT by a “line item veto” by the Governor. Yet he and the Superintendent continue to claim that our schools “continue to improve”. Let me clue you in on what they are doing and it is so wrong. They compare our school scores to our school scores from one year to the next. If they were being honest, they would compare our schools to the scores of the rest of the nation. But they stopped doing that when they cut the budget and the scores got so bad that it was EMBARRASSING.
• Plan for the expansion of responsible job creation in our district. Companies are looking for certain attributes when they decide to put their people in an area:
  • Affordable housing for first-line employees
  • GOOD public schools
  • Jobs for first-line employees and managers’ families
  • Transportation that is fast, CLEAN, and affordable
  • AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE for everyone especially women and children
  • Good accessible and affordable daycare
  • Where are the Republicans on this issue? They are locked into the mindset of “everything is just peachy, we don’t have to change anything, people will see us and just swoon over us”. They need to get out of the Aunt Pittypat mode of attracting suitors and wake up. Lavender and lace combined with flirting over fans in a parlor no longer cuts it with modern requirements. Employers from overseas EXPECT to have these things already in place and we do not have them. We are behind before we even start.

Our people who live in rural areas want and need access to healthcare that is readily available, especially for maternal and pediatric care. Georgia ranks #4 in MATERNAL DEATHS and #1 in INFANT AND PEDIATRIC DEATHS. That is just unacceptable. We have to form a network that will be a safety net for these people. I know and understand healthcare. I worked in it for 25 years. It takes that kind of training and the hands-on experience of working in rural areas to understand what we truly need.

I believe that our small towns and communities can come back and thrive if given the opportunity. Women and minority-owned businesses can provide necessary services to their neighbors if given the chance. People who work from home still need child care. Hybrid workers still need haircuts and home delivery of meals hot and ready when they arrive. It doesn’t matter what shade the skin is on the hands that provide the service. What matters is that the service gets done reliably and well. Let’s support each other.

I was brought up hoeing tomatoes and corn to sell for extra money. I’ve sewn my own and my family’s clothing. I take a lot of pride in being able to bake my own sourdough bread and put up a fence when I have to. There is nothing elitist about me although my husband says I clean up pretty well. I want to help the folks who live a mile down the road from me to be able to get a new roof to replace the tarp that has been up there for well over two years. I would like to see those empty storefronts in Gay, Manchester, Hamilton, Cataula, Hogansville, and other small towns come back to life. We need them. Our children need them. There’s nothing right now to offer them to get them to come back once they leave. What if they never left?

I am ready for this job. I’m ready to do that. I want to listen to you and find out what your priorities are. Then I am going to take that information to Atlanta and see if I can make it happen for you. Rural Georgians have waited long enough. It’s time for a woman to clean up this mess. Elect me to State Senate District 29.

• Proudly listed by Moms Demand Actions as a Gun Sense Candidate
• Proudly listed by Emily’s List as a Pro-Choice Candidate
• Proudly listed by Georgia Stonewall Democrats as an LGBT supporter.