Bob Jenkins is a cut and paste politician. The letter that he wrote endorsing Tom Weldon in The Catoosa County News is word for word the same letter that appeared in the Chattanooga Times Free Press recently. In that letter, the program that Jenkins outlines endorsing Tom Weldon is the same program that is hurting Georgia today. After reading Mr. Weldon’s Web site and hearing him speak at the debates, I have concluded that he is also a cut and paste politician.
I attended the forums where Mr. Weldon debated Ralph Noble. Mr. Weldon was clearly unprepared. He does not have a grasp of the issues. He cut and pasted his ideas from the Republican Party line. He could not articulate how his ideas will work for District 3.
One of Mr. Weldon’s stated reasons for going to Atlanta was so he could be with his friends in Atlanta. He also said he wanted to be an advocate. He used the word “advocate” a lot. That is a nice lawyer word, and Mr. Weldon is a lawyer, but when he talked about issues, he did not say anything that showed that he would be a good advocate for District 3.
What was Mr. Weldon’s advice for schools? He said he is for vouchers, just not in Catoosa County. He would increase the graduation rate by finding things for boys to do because they have trouble keeping still. He would hire teachers who love their jobs. He would hold parents accountable. Mr. Weldon knows very little about how schools operate on a daily basis. He should know that vouchers take money away from public schools. He should know that there are programs for students with different learning styles. He should know that the majority of teachers love their jobs mainly because they love their students. He should know that parents are accountable by law and by school policies.
What is Mr. Weldon’s answer about the unfair tax structure in Georgia? Mr. Weldon talks about lowering gas taxes. In fact, that is the only tax he apparently can talk about because he did not mention other kinds of taxes in the debates. Mr. Weldon would lower the gas tax, but he could not explain how he would discourage retailers who would not pass the savings on to consumers. He could not explain how lowering the gas taxes would increase state revenue. He had no word about the traffic that is increasing on our roads annually. He mentioned no policy about urban sprawl.
Ralph Noble obviously has done his homework. He knows District 3. At both debates, Mr. Noble advocated for District 3 voters strongly by laying out what he would do in Atlanta. He explained that school budgets have been cut drastically in all of Georgia’s school systems. He explained that the millions of dollars in tax breaks for corporations are hurting Georgia because the lost revenue from those tax breaks is not there to fully fund Georgia’s government. Ralph Noble wants a tax structure that is fair for District 3. He wants a budget that adequately funds our public schools. He wants a budget that keeps Georgia’s natural resources beautiful. He wants a budget that does not put military veterans out of their homes and onto the streets.
I wrote this letter because I have been an educator in Catoosa County for 11 years. I vote for Ralph Noble because he has been a teacher for 32 years. I vote for him because I have seen school systems statewide benefit from his experience working with Zell Miller, Roy Barnes, and Sonny Perdue. Ralph Noble has consistently advocated for our schools. Tom Weldon will not be a good advocate for Catoosa County schools. Mr. Weldon is following a cut and paste program. He is towing a party line. Ralph Noble is not a cut and paste politician. He is a brilliant man who will work hard for District 3.
Susan C. Heard
CLICK ON THESE LINKS
FEEDBACK: Send a
letter to the editor
SUBSCRIBE: Get The Catoosa County News each Wednesday
GO
BACK: Return to our homepage
Post a Comment