So, who will it be?

John Monds on the Issues

Tax Reform
Over the last few years there has been a tremendous focus on the state’s budget. The state legislature has continued out of control spending, paying for it with additional fees and taxes, coupled with taxpayer funds through federal stimulus spending. Rather than concentrating on how to generate MORE tax revenue to pay for the budget, the leaders of the state Senate and General Assembly failed the taxpayers, as they should have worked tirelessly to reduce spending.

Several states rely solely on a sales tax to meet their budgetary needs, including Florida and Texas, two economies which thrive not only in the United States, but also on the Global Economic Front. Georgia must join those states by pursuing a gradual phase out of the state income tax in favor of a consumption tax combined with local revenue sharing.

We have seen our tax code used in a way that persecutes the successful or discourages the less fortunate. Tax breaks for special interest groups do not help the vast majority of Georgians and they must be obliterated. We must end the current Pay to Play system that the special interest rely on to protect themselves at the detriment to the majority of Georgians. The corporate income tax in Georgia costs more to pursue than it brings in each year and is primarily used for favoritism. This must be eliminated completely.

Government cannot encourage growth and prosperity unless they stay out of the way and allow each Georgian to pursue their own vision of personal welfare.

As Governor, I will use the authority of my office to lower your financial burden by reducing or eliminating the state’s portion of the property tax and I will push the General Assembly to make it permanent. I will also advocate to stabilize the state’s gas tax at a lower rate. I will work tirelessly to rid us of the income and property tax and move to a more agreeable and stable consumption tax. The portion needed to run local government will remain local. It will not be funneled through state government, where the funds must be begged back, only fractions are returned and those fractions come with strings attached. It’s time we have tax reform that is fair and rewards the productive, responsible and efficient.

Georgia’s Budget
There is no doubt state legislators faced difficult choices as to what could be cut from the state budget during the past session, however, the reason those choices were difficult was due to the fact that elected leaders have been spending too much in recent years.

If annual outlays are limited to keep up with population growth plus inflation, there is effectively no increase in government spending. According to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, Georgia has

been spending at a much faster rate over the last decade. This fact implicates both Republicans and Democrats for leading us down an unsustainable path by growing the size and scope government instead of being good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

The cuts for FY 2009 and the FY 2010 budget finally begin to bring Georgia more in line with the benchmark of population growth plus inflation. Despite the $2.5 billion in cuts, there are still areas of waste and pork that shouldn’t be on the backs of taxpayers.

My administration will also urge the legislature to adopt zero-based budgeting, which the Libertarian Party of Georgia backed throughout the 2009 session, to scrutinize and weed out ineffective programs. I will also instruct the state auditor to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of any questionable program.

In keeping with my belief in free markets and limited government, government should not attempt to provide or fund ventures that can be reasonably provided by private entities. Any spending that goes beyond the basic functions of government will be met with my veto.

My administration will not engage in protectionist practices. I will promote free trade and competition by working with the legislature to eliminate barriers that inhibit business.

Non-Violent Drug Offenses
There is no more basic function of government than protecting its citizens. Libertarians believe that all individuals have a right to be secure and safe, as well as the ability to protect themselves and their property. However, there are limitations on the reach of government in both the Bill of Rights and the Georgia Constitution.

Georgia spends more than $1.2 billion on law enforcement, including $242 million in food and medical care for inmates. Of the 54,016 state prisoners in the corrections system (numbers as of FY 2008), 9,376, or 17% of the prison population, are non-violent drug offenders.

We have placed a heavy emphasis on incarceration over education and rehabilitation. We are paying a heavy price for ignoring the evidence that says the latter is more effective and cost efficient. We must make better decisions, especially in the current economic climate. Looking at this as an economic issue, we would be well served to redirect our emphasis. I agree with General Barry McCaffrey, former Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy, in that I believe we cannot arrest our way out of the drug problem.

As Governor, I will encourage the Board of Pardons and Paroles to begin reviewing the cases of these offenders and begin to integrate them back into society. I would also ask the Georgia General Assembly to do away with mandatory minimum laws for non-violent drug offenders, which have not been a successful deterrent at preventing these victimless crimes.

Educational System
In order for Georgia to compete in the global economy in the 21st Century, we must have a highly educated citizenry. For too long Georgia has been near the bottom in educational performance measures in the United States, despite sitting near the top in the South in pay and benefits to teachers and spending at a higher rate than the national average by investing $8,658 per student.

It is not that we aren’t investing in education; empirical evidence shows that we are, with over 55% of
the state budget dedicated to education. It should be obvious that spending more is not the answer.

Parents should have more choices and responsibility in making educational decisions for their children.

My administration will emphasize all forms of education. I will encourage more charter schools and a tax credit worth up to $4,000 to parents who choose to educate their children in a private school or at home.

Although it is not a traditional voucher or scholarship system, a tax credit would allow parents more schooling options while lowering the financial burden on taxpayers. According to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, similar tax credit scholarships have been shown not to decrease the amount of spending per student that goes to public schools.

I will also seek to return control of education to local communities and fight against unfunded federal mandates like No Child Left Behind.

Energy
Rising energy costs threaten the prosperity of every Georgian with politicians at both state and national levels playing a role. While it’s reasonable to make sure that such energy sources are being developed safely, we will bring costs down by working with our Congressional delegation in Washington, DC to fight the regulatory burden that drives up the costs of effective and clean energy sources, including nuclear energy.

While I recognize that global warming exists, I am not convinced that humans are the lone source and a debate is needed and long overdue with open dialogue from all sides presenting their respective cases.

With that said, as your Governor, I will actively oppose any attempt by Congress to implement a cap-and-trade system and new CAFE standards on automobiles, both of which pose a threat to the economic prosperity of Georgia families, many of whom are still recovering and in some cases still suffering from the recession.

These new regulations on business, and ostensibly the behavior of private individuals, will drive up the cost of energy and will cost our state up to 100,000 jobs.

While there is no doubt that Georgia needs to allow more nuclear energy production, there is a right way and a wrong way to promote it. The Georgia Nuclear Energy Financing Act, which was passed in the 2009 session of the legislature, allows Georgia Power to begin recovering costs long before the first kilowatt of power is produced. It also provides investors in a state-protected monopoly with $1 billion in advance profit. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with making money, it is wrong for the state to collude with business to guarantee a profit. My administration will seek repeal of the Georgia Nuclear Energy Financing Act.

Transportation
Transportation has long been an issue for Georgia. Anyone who drives in Metro Atlanta, or any of our metropolitan areas, knows there is a problem.

During the 2009 legislative session, leaders were unable to come to an agreement on a new funding mechanism for transportation. While my potential opponents in this race, both Democrat and Republican, support billions in new taxes to pay for road expansion, new roads and mass transit, I oppose.

There would be no call to increase the tax burden on Georgians by billions of dollars if the money the current elected officials had were being spent wisely and effectively.

As your Governor, I will encourage the Georgia Department of Transportation to perform a cost-benefit analysis on every project currently on the books. There is no need in wasting valuable and precious resources if a project will yield little return or ridership. Taxpayers expect better use of their hard earned dollars.

I will pursue more public-private partnerships and work to expand market based solutions such as tolls and HOT lanes, which have proven successful in other parts of the country at reducing traffic.

I will also actively oppose any attempt to raise the gas tax and will veto any attempt to use the gas tax to funnel funding to any project other than our highways and roads.

Jobs
As the economy struggles, nearly every Georgian is thinking about jobs. In our fair state, the rate of unemployment has risen since the end of 2008, and currently stands steadily near 10%, despite efforts by the federal and state governments to “fix” the problem through spending and further regulation of businesses.

Those actions have prolonged the economic conditions we are experiencing, and continued
intervention will perpetuate it. What we need government to do is GET OUT OF THE WAY. Our entrepreneurs and business leaders need less government in their day-to-day operations to regain a prosperous economy for all Georgians.

Let’s remove the barriers not only to existing businesses, but also to new industries as well. Casino gambling, parimutuel betting (horse racing) and industrial hemp industries should be allowed to set up shop here in Georgia. The economic boom of tens of billions of dollars would result and will make Georgia the economic envy of the nation.

Water
Over the last few summers, the citizens of Georgia learned many lessons about the importance of our water resources due to less than average rainfall. At this time, we face an extraordinary situation over the usage of water from Lake Lanier, due to a decision from a Florida court.

As Judge Paul Magnuson noted in his ruling, “Congress authorized and paid for the Buford Dam and gave the Corps authority to operate the dam. Congress specified, however, that the Corps’ authority
was not without limits.”

Being in possession of the water resource itself, the State of Georgia has more than the upper hand when negotiating this issue; in fact, we hold all the cards.

What is ours is ours.

Years of lawsuits have gotten us nowhere. We must now support our Congressional delegation to get this problem solved in the next three years. It is imperative we work with Georgia’s Congressional Delegates in Washington to ensure OUR needs here are met before the desires of the Federal Government.

Until Georgia wins back control over her natural resources, it is up to local governments to eliminate the price controls that have led to irresponsible use and waste of water. You, the Consumer – not your government – should control the price of water.

2nd Amendment
As a Libertarian, I am an ardent supporter of the rights of an individual, and I believe that federal and state governments have no business limiting the rights of law-abiding citizens who wish to possess fully functional firearms. The Second Amendment was not aimed at protecting sportsmen’s rights to hunt, but rather the people’s rights to protect themselves.

In my view, the Heller vs. DC ruling was not perfect, but it was a step in the right direction for individuals that own guns.

As Governor of Georgia, I will veto any legislation that would prohibit, prevent, or impede Georgians from protecting themselves, their families or their property.

I will also advocate for the rights of individuals to carry in more places where they deem it necessary.

Marriage
As a Libertarian, I believe that government should only be involved in the legal – not the religious – aspect of marriage: a private contract struck between consenting adults.

However, since the government is currently involved in the marriage business, they must afford all citizens the same rights, equal protection under the law, right to contract and the fundamental right to form unions based on an individual’s faith.

As Governor, I will not let my religious conviction (or that of others), get in the way of advocating Civil Rights for ALL Georgians, homosexual and heterosexual alike.

Sunday Sales
An item of debate in the legislature for the past three sessions has been whether or not to allow counties and communities, through local referendum, the ability to sell alcohol on Sunday.

The idea has seen widespread support among my fellow Georgians, however, the legislature has failed to pass necessary legislation to allow Sunday sales. Many legislators scoffed at the idea while saying there were bigger issues that the General Assembly had to handle.

A basic issue of personal liberty and free markets such as this shouldn’t be the source of so much debate. As your Governor, I will sign legislation allowing counties and communities the ability to determine their own path on this issue, free from interference from the state.