« Thoughts on the Commission Chairman race (Pt. 2) - Costa and Kissel »

Last week, the four candidates for Gwinnett County Commission Chairman particiapted in a candidates' forum in Buford.  Yesterday, I posted part one of this article offering my thoughts on Larry Gause and Charlotte Nash.  Tonight, in part two, I cover the remaining candidates, Duane Kissel and Will Costa.

Kissel, like all candidates, voiced opposition to commercialization of Gwinnett County Airport-Briscoe Field but left the door open to privatization.  He also agreed with Nash on whether a long-term resolution opposing expansion of the airport would be workable.

I would support privatization as long as it worked better for the county,” he said but added that the function of the airport should remain as is.

This viewpoint resonates with me.  His stance is similar to that of Nash but he does not carry the burden of a Mike Beaudreau endorsement.  To be fair, the article does not shed much light on how he arrived at his opposition to commercial aviation.  His thought process on this remains an open question.  

The views of Will Costa most impressed me of the four candidates.  While his rationale for opposing commercialization is not clear either, his views on privatization indicate a clear preference for limited government, a position sorely lacking among current and recent commissioners.

[Costa] favors selling the airport to a private entity.  “There is no reason we cannot sell the airport to a private firm and say ‘this is how its going to operate’ and put it in the contract,” he said. “Government does not need to be running private entities.

While I am not convinced that Briscoe Field should be sold, I don't think that that is an idea that should be dismissed without further consideration.  What thrills me about Costa's comments is his assertion that government should not be running private entities.  I do not want to put words in his mouth, but I suspect that he would not have been a backer of socialized garbage.  Costa was recently honored with the "George Washington Honest Governement Award" by the State of Georgia Tea Party.  I would encourage you to read his statement in the announcement regarding the proper and limited role of government.  The fact that Costa is a Libertarian gives me brief pause, not because I do not have a definite streak of libertarianism in my views, but because Libertarian candidates often espouse over-the-top positions (e.g., legalizing drugs or prostitution).  However, I do not think these issues would come into play at the county level (nor do I know Costa's views on these topics). I do think that the limited government view of the Libertarian Party would be a breath of fresh on a commission that has shown little support in limiting the influence of the Gwinnett County government.

While, I am not yet ready to make an endorsement in this race, I would say that, as of this writing, Will Costa is my front runner.  There is another candidates' forum tonight in Lilburn.  I will be interested to see what the candidates have to say during that event.  Hopefully, I will be able to make a decision in the next few days, but I am not on a timeline (aside from making an endorsement before the election!).  Electing the proper leadership for Gwinnett County and moving our county back to common sense and ethical government is too important to make a hasty decision.