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PACE10A
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2008
— Meet the Candidates —
Jim Butterworth, 50th District Senate Seat
Please summarize your back
ground.
I grew up in Habersham County,
graduated from Habersham
Central High School in 1984 and
then the University of Georgia
in 1988. After graduation from
UGA, I was commissioned in the
United States Air Force. I flew as
a pilot in the USAF for a total of
12 years, finishing my time in the
military flying B-l Bombers in
the Georgia Air National Guard.
I am in my fourth year of serving
on the Habersham County Board
of Commissioners. I have served two years as the vice chair
man and I am in my second year serving as the chairman.
During my service to Habersham County, we have built water
infrastructure, increased economic development opportuni
ties in the county, put a plan for growth in place and balanced
our budget for my entire tenure. We have done all of this
without a tax increase in the last four years.
How has your background prepared you for the seat you
are seeking?
A key component to any job is being able to relate to all
aspects of the operation. My ongoing service as the chair
man of the Habersham County Board of Commissioners
will help me better understand what our local governments
and municipalities need before they even ask. I will be able
to understand their issues and that alone will help me to be a
very effective State Senator.
Why are you the most qualified person for this posi
tion?
I am the most qualified for this position for several rea
sons, but I feel the most important of that is my recency
of experience as well as the level of effectiveness we have
achieved recently in Habersham County. During my time
as a county commissioner, I have demonstrated that I have
the time necessary to be an effective public servant. We
have improved water infrastructure, perpetuated our growth
management planning and created jobs by partnering with
Glenroe Technologies, Habersham Steel Cell and others. I
have demonstrated that I can build a team to do a job and then
step aside and let them do it. That’s how leadership should
work. The leaders don’t need to be full time when the job
is not intended to be a full time position. If the leadership is
effective the taxpayers are the winners.
What do you consider to be the key issues facing the
campaign? If elected, what would be your plans on how
to address these issues?
The key issues that need to be addressed in our district are
water management and infrastructure, improving the educa
tion we provide to our children, and working for real tax
reform, not just tax shifts. I have ideas on each of these issues
and how to address them. In each case, my ideas include get
ting the key individuals engaged in making positive change.
In my experience as a leader in the United States Air Force
as well as the Habersham County Commission, we have “let
the professionals be the professionals’’ and that has proven to
work very well. Once we have a system to communicate what
positive changes need to be made, I will help close the gap
between these key individuals and our State Capitol. I truly
look forward to these challenges.
What course would you like to see the country take as it
grows over the next decade?
Our District is thirsty for leadership. I will provide that
leadership and communicate with the communities in the
50th District in a timely, responsive manner. One challenge is
that the District covers a very large geographic area. There is
no unimportant comer of this District, however. Each part is
crucial for its own specific reason. The key to being respon
sive will be in building the leadership team that our District
deserves. The team I build will better help me to provide an
understanding of what positive change needs to happen and
how to most effectively bring about that change.
I would like to see our District proceed into the 21st cen
tury with a strong plan of how we will grow. One assurance
for the 50th District is that our area will continue to grow,
even given the current economic downturn. Our country is,
and will be, a very strong economic force. With the right
leadership and direction we will continue to prosper. We
must prepare ourselves for this impending growth, including
water and growth planning as well as economic development
efforts. These things will help to remove the tax burden from
property owners themselves. A growth plan that includes
good, strong business organizations that create jobs for our
communities is the kind of growth planning I will help create
and perpetuate.
Terry Rogers,
Please summarize your back
ground.
Graduated LaFayette High
School, LaFayette, Ga. 1971,
Graduated Berry College, Rome,
Ga. 1977 BA, Co-Owner and
Managing Partner of Diversified
Technologies, a recycled plas
tic brokerage firm located in
Clarkesville,Ga. Married to Laura
Rogers, we have a blended fam
ily with five children. Member
and Elder at 1st Presbyterian
Church, Clarkesville, Ga.
Currently serving on Habersham
County Industrial Development Authority. Former City
Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tern Cornelia, Ga. Attended
Republican National Committee Campaign Management
School and Campaign Finance School. Worked as finance
director and executive director for Campaign Organization
of Congressman Newt Gingrich. Recently co-chaired
Habersham County Courthouse Advisory Committee and
chaired Keep Money in Your Pocket a private citizen organi
zation to pass last Habersham County SPLOST referendum.
Named Outstanding Young Men of America and Outstanding
Georgia Citizen.
How has your background prepared you for the seat you
are seeking?
Being a State Senator requires a background of both politi
cal and business experience. I have served as an elected offi
cial and have made hard decisions regarding public issues, but
we need a more balanced approach in the legislature. We must
take a more businesslike attitude with our budgeting process
and in our looking at the overall picture. It’s time to cut out the
fat in government and to have meaningful tax reform. Being
a small businessman, as well as raising a family in the district,
I know the issues that we are facing and want to bring over
thirty years of real-world problem solving, business experi
ence to the Senate.
Why are you the most qualified person for this position?
We are blessed to live in North Georgia, but there are still
issues that we have to deal with on a daily basis. These issues
are not part time problems and demand full time attention.
Because my business allows me so much flexibility. I’ve made
the commitment to being a full time state senator. I am also
the only candidate in the race who can bring 30 years of busi
ness experience to the Senate. I won’t wait until January 2009
to get started. I’ll hit the ground running by holding town hall
meetings before the end of this year to see what people would
like to see addressed in next year’s legislative session and I’ve
already started building relationships with elected officials and
community leaders to get the job done.
What do you consider to be the key issues facing the
campaign? If elected, what would be your plans on how to
address these issues?
I see three key issues affecting us immediately in North
Georgia. Water, tax reform, and economic development.
I’ll make certain that we receive adequate funding to build
and restore reservoirs and keep our water in North Georgia.
I’ll also oppose inter basin transfers so that we will have an
adequate water supply. On the tax side. I’ll look at any new
plan to bring real tax relief to Georgians and will oppose any
type of unfunded mandates and austerity cuts which shift the
burden back to the local taxpayer. I have taken a No New Tax
Pledge and intend to keep it. I’ll also use my business back
ground to help eliminate wasteful spending. We need to bring
more jobs into Banks County so that our people don’t have to
go outside the county to work. I’ll work closely with elected
officials. Economic Development Authority, Chamber of
Commerce, and Convention and Visitors Bureau to make that
happen. I see my role as being the person who is your main
contact with the state to bridge the gap between local and state
agencies when there are opportunities. I’ll also be looking for
those opportunities by working closely with private and state
officials who are bringing business to Georgia.
What course would you like to see the country take as it
grows over the next decade?
I think that Banks County is poised to have some real suc
cesses in the future. We are addressing our infrastructure
needs, we are located in a great transportation corridor, and we
have a willing work force. The key is to provide opportunities
while not losing our agricultural heritage and property rights.
Being located so close to Atlanta, growth is inevitable. We
just need to prepare for it. It’s going to affect our schools, our
businesses, and our properties. The key is to work together to
make certain it doesn’t affect our lifestyles. It’s going to take
someone fighting for our interests on a daily basis and I’m
committed to that.
50th District Senate Seat
ROGERS
Nancy Schaefer, 50th District Senate Seat (incumbent)
Please summarize your background.
A native of Rabun County, I am a graduate of
Toccoa High School in Stephens County and
founder/president of Family Concerns Inc. since
1986. I am married to Bruce Schaefer of Toccoa
and have five children and 13 grandchildren. I
reside in Clarkesville.
Why are you the most qualified person for this
position?
I am most qualified due to my experience not
only as the 50th District State Senator for the past
four years, but because of my experience before
becoming a State Senator. Having been president
and founder of Family Concerns Inc. and an active
Republican all of my adult life, I have cultivated
close relationships with our state leadership. Due to longtime relationships
with state and national leadership and our leaders in the 50th District, we have
many accomplishments for which to be thankful. I am grateful for their strong
support.
What do you consider to be the key issues facing the campaign? If elected,
what would be your plans on how to address these issues?
Issues facing the campaign and issues facing Georgians in general are water,
taxes, gas and energy, economic development, jobs, less government intru
sion into family life, illegal immigration and freedom. We passed the State’s
Comprehensive Water Plan last session, which was critical to Georgia, but we
must build reservoirs where needed and protect the water in Northeast Georgia.
Taxes are too high, and I am constantly aware of lowering taxes whenever pos
sible. We must make other sources available in the U.S. to provide gas, energy
and food. Economic Development is a priority of mine for the 50th District
because as we improve our economic development in the region, we are in turn
providing prosperity for our citizens. There is no question we need less gov
ernment and especially less government into family life. I support securing our
borders and no amnesty of any kind for illegal immigrants. We must protect our
freedom, support our men and women in uniform and pray for America.
What course would you like to see the country take as it grows over the
next decade?
There are several challenges that elected officials face. One challenge is that
we in the Senate must run for office every two years. It seems when I am work
ing on projects and want to complete a block of work, I must stop and run for
office again. It is very time consuming and expensive. Another challenge that
all Senators are facing is the amount of work it takes to really be an effective and
responsible Senator. If a candidate has a business that demands his or her time
and children that need him or her, it would be best to wait a few years before
becoming a candidate. Many legislators succumb to the intense pressure of the
job. A Senator needs to have a calling to public service and have the time to
meet the needs of his or her constituents.
These are difficult days. Taxes are too high, gas is too high and food costs
are too high. At the same time our culture is disintegrating and our families
continue to fracture. We, all of us, need to raise a standard for the sake of our
children and grandchildren. I am not a Senator at our State Capitol to earn a
living, I am there to make a difference, and I consider it a privilege to represent
the 50th District of Georgia.
Fraud continued from page lA
ed in court: “Georgia Nutrition Program, Inc.” (GNP), was a non-profit cor
poration located in Lula. GNP was in the business of sponsoring day care
centers in North Carolina and Georgia. It was the responsibility of GNP
to apply for funds, paid by the federal government, to reimburse day care
centers for meals served to children from low income families.
Smith, the head of GNP, altered certain applications and submitted false
information to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human
Services in order to receive more than $775,000 in United States Department
of Agriculture funds, which were deposited into the account of GNP. Smith
then wrote a substantial number of checks from GNP’s accounts payable to
herself, her husband, and her daughter.
These checks were deposited into the personal accounts of Smith and
Blevins and used to purchase property, jewelry, home improvements, and
expensive vehicles. Smith then deceived her accountant by providing copies
of the checks to him after they were altered to make it appear that the checks
had been written for expenses of GNP, specifically as payments made to the
day care centers that GNP sponsored. The money the defendants received
was not recorded as income to Smith or Blevins on their individual federal
income tax returns.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue
Service-Criminal Investigation and United States Department of Agriculture-
Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorney Glenn D. Baker prosecuted the case.
www.BanksNewsTODAY.com
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Banks County Board of Education
Deadline for receiving applications July 18, 2008.
Contact:
Banks County
Board of Education
P. O. Box 248
102 Hwy. 51 South
Homer, GA 30547
706-677-2224
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