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Commentary | 11
DECEMBER 14-31,2018 ■ www.ReporterNewspapers.net
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State Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Sandy Springs)
As we begin a new legislative session in January, I believe one of the
most important decisions we will make is to help choose and appropri
ate the funds for a new election system. We must have integrity in our
elections.
Transit will also be an important topic as we begin implementing
House Bill 930 from last session that creates the new Atlanta Region
Transit Link Authority or “ATL” for the 13-county metropolitan region.
The recommendations of the Senate School Safety Study Committee
will also be a significant topic this session, and I hope will result in signif
icant safety improvements for all students in Georgia.
State Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell)
I am confident 2019 will be another great year for Georgia.
My communities of North Fulton and Cherokee County are consis
tently ranked as the best places to live, work, raise a family, enjoy public
safety, etc. This is a testament to the hard work by our first responders,
educators, elected officials, business owners and citizens.
Continuing to build upon our strong conservative foundation will al
low our communities and state to thrive. My prediction for 2019 is a re
newed kindness and professionalism to rise from the ashes of rhetoric.
As the No. 1 place to do business for the past six years, Georgia will continue this trend
by allowing people to fulfill the American Dream. We are truly blessed and should all recog
nize the abundance by serving others joyfully and more often.
State Rep.-elect Matthew Wilson (D-Brookhaven)
This is going to be an interesting session under the Gold Dome. With
so many new faces and perspectives, not to mention a new governor,
there will be a lot of uncertainty about which issues the leadership will
choose to tackle this year. Clearly, we need to focus on what we all prom
ised we would do and strengthen our public schools.
Governor-elect Kemp promised to raise teacher pay and I am all on
board, but it will take a coalition of both Republicans and Democrats to
get it done. There is, of course, plenty more work to be done to determine
how the state can better equip our teachers and students with the resources they need to
succeed.
I am also hopeful we will truly expand access to healthcare and continue the good work
of late on transit. These are all priorities for which I will be advocating, and I am ready to
get to work.
State Rep.-elect Mike Wilensky (D-Dunwoody)
This session will be unique. For the first time in 20 years we have a
new governor and lieutenant governor starting in the same year. We
have over 30 new state representatives and about six new state senators.
Also, because of the Super Bowl, this session will finish later than nor
mal, likely ending sometime in April.
With all these changes, we must prioritize Georgia businesses and
stay away from legislation that discriminates. We must make sure our
local public schools retain their current funding and work to increase
funding through adjusting outdated legislation.
Creating sensible gun laws that prioritize the safety of our children and families is cru
cial. Advancing our voting system technology must also be a top priority. Last, with the cre
ation of the ATL board, we must continue what has been started and prioritize transit both
financially and through proper planning and construction.
State Rep.-elect Josh McLaurin (D-Sandy Springs)
We’re a nation suffering from division. Many of us have felt firsthand
how painful this division can be in our families and communities. But
we’ve also woken up to the reality that we must engage with our neigh
bors more and in better ways if we want to have a healthy democracy.
We can’t hide behind our computer screens and nurse anger at each oth
er and expect to see change. Thankfully, so many people have begun to
participate in civic life these last few years by voting, meeting their neigh
bors, and joining civic organizations. In my view, this renewed engage
ment is our only hope for a brighter future for our children.
Kevin Abel, former Congressional candidate and Sandy Springs resident
The Sandy Springs North End Revitalization Task Force has spent the
last year struggling with how to revitalize the northern stretch of our
city, including the question of affordable housing. As they approach the
end of their study period and make their recommendations to the Sandy
Springs City Council, no consensus has been reached.
Developers and some wealthier citizens would like to see low-rent
apartments give way to higher-end housing and retail. Advocates for af
fordable housing would like to see improvements to existing develop
ments and a recognition that the city must accommodate all of its citizens and workers, not
just the upper end of the economic spectrum.
In order to be the progressive city of the future that we citizens of Sandy Springs aspire
to be, we must ensure housing options exist for the full economic spectrum. Those who
work in our hospitals, restaurants, schools and other local businesses deserve no less.
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