Current ISSUES

Ensuring Effective Representation for our District

It has been over five years since the 8^th District had any positions of authority in the Georgia Gold Dome.  Politics in Atlanta have changed, and our district no longer has a voice in the issues as they emerge, whether it be taxation, spending, economic development, property rights, education, or the environment. Being able to vote “yes” or “no” is part of being a legislator, but having the ability to truly impact and frame the issues and debate prior to the final passage of a bill is something that our district no longer possesses. For too long, our district has lacked representation on the decisions that impact our daily lives.

Local legislation is appropriate, and naming roads and various resolutions/commendations will get people elected, but we need representation that can go to the Capitol and have a voice in the policy and taxation matters that impact our entire state, as well as our district.

Effective representation can begin this November. We need a representative that will fight to implement legislation that will improve our community and will fight to return our tax monies back to the district for badly needed projects in Union, Towns, Rabun, and White Counties.

Stephen will be a Representative for the entire 8th district, with all citizens having an opportunity for their voices to be heard.  Stephen will introduce monthly Town Hall meetings during the session to allow anyone to address their concerns over the issues being addressed in Atlanta.  No one will be ignored because they live in the wrong county, express a different party affiliation, or because of their last name.

Supporting Economic Development & Controlled Growth

We need a representative that knows what it is like to work and own a business in our district, so that we can address the harsh economic times that have hit our community. It is imperative that our representative work with our local governments to increase economic opportunities in our community.  We need to embrace technology and use that knowledge to market our district to telecommuters who are looking to relocate to small town America. For too long, our youth have been forced to move to other areas just to pay their bills and raise their families. As your state representative, Stephen will partner with federal, state, and local agencies to provide every available resource for business retention, expansion, and recruitment for our communities.

Lowering Taxes and Fiscal Responsibility

With property taxes escalating in our district, we need a Representative that will fight to keep more money in our citizens' pockets, rather than in the government coffers.  Stephen will fight to place a cap on property assessments in interested counties, while allowing citizens to vote locally to remove the cap if so needed by their community. Other counties have already been given this opportunity, and it is time that our own representative allow the voters to at least have some say in their escalating property tax bills.

There is an immediate need to control the escalating state budget, which is at an all time high and we need a Representative who will have input on fiscal responsibility and manage the taxpayers’ monies as if it was his own.

Improving our State's Education System

Education is the most effective way to invest in Georgia’s future. Stephen believes that parents and local school boards know best how to educate their children. With children in the Union County school system, Stephen understands the need for a strong public education system.  As a volunteer home school teacher. Stephen understands a parent's desire to know what is being taught to their children and in which activities their children are involved.  He will fight to ensure that parents are an integral part of the education process.

He will also fight to revise the arcane and convoluted QBE formula, to ensure that more local school tax monies stay in our district. The current calculations do not return an adequate amount of our own tax revenues and have a tremendously negative impact on our schools and our children.

Conserving our District's Natural Resources

With the large amount of National Forest in our district, it is important to have a Representative that believes in conservation and protecting the environment.  Tourism is one of our largest industries, and we must be good stewards of the mountains, which we are blessed to call home. 

Stephen also believes in the promise of alternative energy and will fight to bring alternative energy to the mountains, to help alleviate rising fuel costs and our dependence on foreign oil.