Cox highlights 4 key policy proposals to move Georgia forward

A letter from Cathy, with my thoughts below it in red.

Our Vision for Georgia

This campaign is about the challenges and opportunities that will face Georgia's families in the years to come. I would like to share with you my plan to create change that works for everybody, by tackling these issues head-on with some big ideas.

Here are four of the key policy proposals that I believe will move Georgia forward:

We're offering a New Covenant to the people of Georgia, based on opportunity for all and responsibility and accountability in state government. Our vision leads Georgia forward by improving education, increasing access to affordable healthcare, and making Georgia competitive in the global economy of the 21st century. Please read more about my New Covenant here.

We must reform the way business is done under the Gold Dome, so that government works for all Georgians, not just the insiders and the special interests. By creating a tough code of ethics that prevents legislative conflicts of interest, overhauling the way state contracting is done, and creating an independent, non-political commission to enforce ethics laws already on the books, we will ensure that our state government works hard for every Georgian. Please read more about my Government Reform Plan here.

I am determined to build safe and drug-free communities from corner to corner of our great state. As governor, I will put more state troopers and GBI back on the streets, and I will recruit and retain the best law enforcement officers by adding career steps, such as a master agent position, and other incentives to keep them working in Georgia. Please read more about my Safe Communities Plan here.

Thanks to Georgia's rich natural resources, we are in a unique position to lead the country's transition from expensive, foreign oil to clean, inexpensive farm-grown fuels. By planning for the future and developing cutting-edge energy technologies, we will reduce Georgia's dependence on unstable, foreign sources of oil and create a whole new sector of secure, high-paying jobs for Georgians. In my first month as Governor, I will create a new commission with a mandate to develop a statewide renewable energy strategy that makes farm-grown fuels 25 percent of Georgia's total fuel consumption by 2025. Please read more about my Farm-Grown Fuels Proposal here.

As I've been traveling around the state and talking with thousands and thousands of Georgians, there's one common refrain: keep those big ideas coming. In the last four years, Sonny Perdue has sat idly by as our schools continue to decline, the cost of health care steadily rises, and everyday families struggle to make ends meet. Instead of setting a forward-looking agenda for Georgia that will bring the change we need, he is satisfied just tweaking around the edges and proposing election-year gimmicks that don't move us forward.

My opponent in this primary as well has failed to outline a real vision for where he wants to lead this state. That's the real contrast in this election. I know where I want to lead Georgia and I know that means bringing people together to make government work for everyone. On the other hand, both of my opponents are mired in yesterday's brand of politics where sound bites have taken the place of sound policy ideas and real leadership.

Please take the time to read more about my vision for Georgia. We need a governor who has the vision to lead us forward, and the policy initiatives I've introduced during this campaign are only the beginning.

Well done Cathy! And well said!

This campaign is about ideas and who the better candidate is, not the better politician. Both of your opponents feed at the trough of partisan rancor and gridlock. It's more than a hobby for them. It's how they make their living. Gov. Perdue has already had 4 years to change how business is done in Georgia. And he failed miserably. Lt. Gov. Taylor has spent his two terms perpetuating the kind atmosphere that lends itself more to partisan mudslinging and bickering than to growth and progress for our state. No, Mark Taylor, "cry me a river" as you once told your political opponents won't get the job done.

After reading Cox's policy proposals, is there any wonder why she is the opponent that the Republicans do not want to face in the general election? That's what their polls have been telling them. And that's why they asked her to switch parties. And is it any wonder why Taylor, "the big guy," would duck tonight's debate? He can't afford to get into policy discussions with Cox, because he has no facility for it.

We're closing in on one month remaining until the primary election. It's time for us to decide what we want for the future of Georgia: no vision and no plan to move Georgia forward, or a chance at improving education, providing healthcare to everyone, creation of an entire new job market while pushing Georgia forward as a leader in a growing industry. Do we want to remain in the bottom 10 of most every major measuring stick of a progressive state? Or do we stake our claim in the top 10?