Hunter enters District 3 race

In a very exciting development in the District 3 race for Gwinnett County Commission, Republican Planning Commissioner Tommy Hunter has thrown his hat into the ring.  He joins a field that already includes incumbent Mike Beaudreau, Mike Korom, and Jerry Oberholtzer.  I am very excited about Hunter's announcement as he was my clear favorite in the 2010 race for District 4.  I even told my mother, who lives in that district, a vote for Tommy Hunter is a vote for me because our views align so closely on the majority of the issues.  While this is not quite an endorsement, I can definitely say Hunter's entry into the contest brings new energy to the race for me.  

Hunter released the following earlier this week:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Planning Commissioner Tommy Hunter Announces Campaign for Gwinnett County Commissioner (District 3)

Current Gwinnett County Planning Commissioner Tommy Hunter announces campaign for Gwinnett County Commissioner (District Three) to give constituents an open door policy to the office.

BUFORD, GA (May 8, 2012) – Republican Planning Commissioner Tommy Hunter is throwing his hat in the ring as a candidate for Gwinnett County Commissioner (District three).  Facing important issues such as the county water supply, transportation needs and the county budget, open communication with residents is essential.  Mr. Hunter believes that constituents are no longer given the access that is needed to make them comfortable with the decision making process.  He plans to change that.

Mr. Hunter stated, “This is a wonderful district that I have loved my entire life, it deserves a County Commissioner who has an open-door policy toward constituents.  I will offer that open-door if I am fortunate enough to serve you in this office.”  Mr. Hunter went on to say, “I will not forget who my boss is when elected – which are the residents of district three.”

For those interested to learn more about Tommy Hunter and his campaign, please visit www.electtommy.com.

Mr. Hunter, a Civil Engineer, worked eight years for Gwinnett County serving as a Senior Construction Manager coordinating projects between Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources and the Gwinnett County and Georgia Departments of Transportation. He currently works as an engineering consultant with a local infrastructure construction company and owns two small businesses. Mr. Hunter served over four years as a member of the Gwinnett County Water and Sewerage Authority, serving as Secretary of the Authority in 2008.   He currently serves as a member of the Municipal-Gwinnett County Planning Commission serving as the Commission’s representative on the Development Advisory Committee.   Mr. Hunter lives in the Buford area with his wife of 17 years, Judith, and children Lauren (15) and Devin (13).

Contact Information:
Tommy Hunter
(770) 533-1601
www.electtommy.com

Been a busy couple of months!

Wow, has the last couple of months been busy!  Some big deadlines for work, a little bit of travel and the usual getting out and about with the arrival of nice spring weather.  I am planning to get some updates to the Buzz this weekend or early next week.  Some exciting news in the District 3 Commissioner race.  Not sure it is news at this point, but you can bet I have an opinion!  Stay tuned.  While I don't necessarily have the time to post full articles to the Buzz, definitely follow my Twitter feed at @GwinnettBuzz; I do a much better job of keeping tweets coming!  Enjoy the spring weather and check back over the next few days!

The Buzz has lunch with Beaudreau

Two weeks ago, I sat down with Commissioner Mike Beaudreau for a ranging discussion of various issues in Gwinnett County.  In addition, we touched on the upcoming Republican primary in District 3.  Given my background, we spent much of our conversation discussing his work and evolving perspective on cell phone towers as well as his viewpoints on the larger issues and realities of governing with respect to property rights.  As long-time readers of the Buzz know, I have never been a supporter of Commissioner Beaudreau; in fact, I have been very critical of him on property rights and socialized garbage.  At the same time, I have found Beaudreau to have the most responsible and conservative position on other issues.  The opportunities presented by privatizing Briscoe Field is the primary example where the commissioner, unlike other members of the board, has kept an open mind to the possibilities.

While I have met with and spoken with Commissioner Beaudreau on a few occasions, this was the first time I have had the opportunity to sit down, one-on-one, and talk with him.  The thing that impressed me the most is that he is a very friendly and genuine person.  I have encountered enough slimy politcians to recognize the type and I can safely say that Commissioner Beaudreau does not fall into that category.  No matter where I may or may not agree with him with politically, I do think having a down-to-earth person in office is a benefit. 

One thing our conversation left me wondering about is how much has the political dynamic in District 3 shifted in the last eight years?  In 2004, Mike Beaudreau was clearly the "homeowner candidate."  Though I am a homeowner myself, I do not use that description positively.  Too often, "homeowner candidates" are hypocritical opponents of property rights.  They loudly claim to support propoerty rights when defending their homeowner association allies but quickly change their tune when it comes to supporting the rights of property owners who wish to commercially develop their land.  This positioning was precisely why I strongly supported the incumbent in 2004, former Commissioner John Dunn.  Fast forwad 12 years and, based on initial impressions of the candidates in this race, Mike Beaudreau no longer appears to be the left-most candidate with respect to property rights.  That title seems to belong to Dacula resident Mike Korom.  Korom is not just "homeowner" friendly, he is the President of the Apalachee Farms HOA.  This is a red flag about the size of one of those banners you sometimes see unfurled to cover a football field.  Granted, initial impressions can be wrong, but in the early stages, Korom appears to be this year's incarnation of 2004's Mike Beaudreau and, as such, likely the last person I will ultimately endorse in the race.

The wild card candidate will be former Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer.  Unlike Korom, Oberholtzer is an experienced politician and has an extensive record to run on.  Where will he fall on the issues?  Will he wind up making Beaudreau the most desirable candidate of the three?  The possibility is why I ponder the dynamics in this race.  Could I find myself come election day supporting...Mike Beaudreau?  My, does politics have some strange twists and turns, or what?  This should be a fun race to watch!

Last week in Gwinnett

Busy week last week and I didn't have time to post to the Buzz.  I wanted to take a minute to highlight a couple of local stories of interest.

Gambling Complex Proposed for Norcross

Developer Dan O'Leary is seeking to build a $1 billion complex near Norcross "that would include a hotel, theater and a game floor with 7,500 video lottery machines."  I don't generally support gambling in Georgia but, even if I did, video lottery machines?  While I am not an avid gambler, I have been to real casinos and I cannot even fathom how these type of machines could compete with gambling options in nearby states.  Seems to me that the clientele for such an establishment would be those hard-up for any gambling fix.  As such, I would question whether it would ultimately generate the revenue that the developer is projecting.

Mitt Romney Hosts Pancake Brunch at Brookwood

On Sunday, Republican (sic) candidate Mitt Romney hosted a pancake brunch at Brookwood High School.  I am not sure whether I should dislike Romney more for hosting an event at Brookwood - I still don't like them 20+ years removed from Central Gwinnett! - or dislike Brookwood more for hosting Romney.  Nevertheless, whether you like or dislike Romney - I say dislike because I consider him a full-blooded RINO in the vein of Bob Dole and John McCain - his visit to Gwinnett coupled with the recent rally by Newt Gingrich at Collins Hill High School demonstrate the importance of our county in tomorrow's presidential primary.

Another item from last week is that I had lunch with District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau.  Go ahead - pick yourself up off the floor.  No blood was shed, no screams or shouts were heard from our corner of the restaurant.  We had a very nice visit.  Later this week, I will post some thoughts on Commissioner Beaudreau and the District 3 commission race in light of our meeting.  I think you will be surprised at what I have to say.

Rep. Brett Harrell to seek reelection to District 106 seat

First term state representative Brett Harrell of Snellville will seek reelection to the Georgia General Assembly in the redrawn House District 106.  The new district "is comprised of the vast majority of Snellville and smaller portions of Lawrenceville, Grayson, and Loganville."  Harrell is a former mayor of Snellville as well former executive director of the Evermore CID.  

As part of his campaign announcement, Harrell released endorsements from the corners of District 106, including Snellville Mayor Pro Tem Tom Witts, Lawrenceville Councilman Tony Powell, Loganville Councilman Dan Curry and Grayson Councilwoman Allison Wilkerson.

The full text of Harrell's press release is shown below.

Brett Harrell will seek reelection to State House District 106

SNELLVILLE – Representative Brett Harrell, conservative member of the Georgia General Assembly, officially announced his campaign for re-election to State House District 106.

The new State House District 106 is comprised of the vast majority of Snellville and smaller portions of Lawrenceville, Grayson, and Loganville.

“I am grateful to represent the citizens and businesses in District 106 at the State House and I look forward to expanding that representation to include those newly added portions of Lawrenceville, Grayson, and Loganville beginning next session,” said Harrell.

Harrell is the former mayor of Snellville where he cut property taxes by 38% over five successive years. He successfully advanced over $130 million in projects, including vital transportation safety enhancements like the Hwy. 78 improvements as the former Executive Director of the Evermore Community Improvement District.

At the State House, Harrell serves on the Information and Audits, Regulated Industries, and Transportation Committees. He is the author of HB 291, a truth in taxation and property protection statute to prohibit billing non-tax fees such as sanitation and stormwater on citizens’ property tax bills. He has also authored legislation to reduce costs for county government, strengthen our courts, secure patient physician decision-making, and reserve our publicly funded universities for those in our country legally.

In addition, Harrell supported efforts to cut government spending and balance the state's budget without raising taxes, preserve HOPE Scholarships and make Georgia more competitive for new jobs. 

Harrell is especially looking forward to serving citizens in the newest portions of District 106 and appreciates the early support of many friends in Lawrenceville, Loganville, and Grayson in addition to his home city of Snellville.

Lawrenceville Council Member Tony Powell says, “For democratic government to work well, we have to convince smart, committed, honest, public servants to run for office.  Brett has demonstrated that he is all of those things and worthy to be trusted and re-elected.    Lawrenceville will be well served with the addition of Brett Harrell as one of our state Representatives.”

Dan Curry, Loganville Council Member says, “I have worked with Brett previously as a member of the Centerville Business Association and I know he will represent us well at the State House.”

Grayson Council Member Allison Wilkerson says, “I have known and worked with Brett for well over a decade. He consistently delivers for those he serves. Welcome to Grayson Representative Harrell.”

Mayor Pro Tem Tom Witts of Snellville says, “Representative Brett Harrell has an outstanding record of honest public service and has delivered on his promises to the citizens and businesses of Snellville. I am proud to support him in his re-election as our Representative for District 106.”

Over his career, Harrell has started and developed several successful small businesses. For 20 years, he owned and operated an American Speedy Printing franchise that grew from a start-up in a strip center to three locations. And prior to opening his own company, Harrell was an area sales manager for a $30 billion international corporation. Today, he is a garbageman (sales) with Advanced Disposal Services.

A 39-year resident of Snellville, Brett is a graduate of South Gwinnett High School and of the University of Georgia where he earned a BBA in marketing and finance.

http://www.voteharrell.com

http://www.twitter.com/brettharrell

http://www.facebook.com/voteharrell

Newt campaigns in Gwinnett

Yesterday at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, after the Gwinnett GOP Precinct Mass Meetings, former U.S. Speaker of the House and 2012 presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich, dropped in for a campaign rally. Introducing Speaker Gingrich was Mr. "9-9-9" himself, Herman Cain.  As thrilled as I was to see Newt, as a strong backer of Herman's presidential bid, I was even more excited to see the Cain Train roll into Gwinnett!

Before I go further, let me say that I generally avoid national and even most state politics here on the Buzz.  I make a decided effort to keep this blog focused on the news and happenings of Gwinnett County.  However, when national politics sets up shop in our backyard during one of the most pivotal campaigns in the history of our country, commenting on national issues is warranted.

My strong conservatism is self-evident in my writing.  Also, my agreement with Speaker Gingrich that Barack Obama is the most dangerous President in our nation's history should surprise few.  The question now is who can we send to Washington to correct the massive problems this adminstration has either ignored or worsened?  I know for certain that the answer to that question is not Mitt Romney.  Between Obama and Romney, you have six of one, 5.5 of the other.  The distinction between the two is not stark.  Romney can, at best, be characterized as a moderate, and moderate policies will not get this nation out of the ditch in which the Democrats have driven us.  The two biggest problems we face are Obamacare and the almost unfathomable levels of debt our government is piling on our backs.  To be honest, I am not sure there is a candidate who can bend the will of Congress to repeal the looming disaster of Obamacare or significantly reverse the debt trend.  However, the spendthrift ways of moderates only slightly falls short of the profligate spending of the Democrats.  A moderate like Romney absolutely cannot be trusted to make any real progress on our spending problem.  Furthermore, why would we ever believe that the architect of the very blueprint for Obamacare would ever reverse the federal version of his program?  That makes Romney 0 for 2 and unworthy of anyone's vote who takes our fiscal problems seriously.

That leaves Newt and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.  (Sorry Ron Paul backers; while Paul probably has more credibility on spending reduction than any other candidate, his foreign policy and isolationist views raise significant concerns in a world where terrorists still long to destroy America.)  After Herman bowed out of the race, I quickly shifted to Newt.  This decision was buoyed by Cain's endorsement of the speaker.  However, Santorum's recent surge in the polls has me reconsidering which of these two men has the best chance of stopping Romney's coronation as the second consecutive RINO presidential nominee.  As a friend noted yesterday, what does it say that Newt has to campaign in the state that he represented in Congress?  I would also add what does it say when Romney has to defend his native Michigan?  I would say that means Rick Santorum is on a roll and momentum can be a powerful thing.

Both Gingrich and Santorum would make an excellent president.  Granted, compared to the current occupant of the White House, the bar for success is pretty low but either of these two men would have better chances to restore some fiscal sanity to America than the current so-called "front runner."  To be honest, while I am still leaning toward Newt, I am not longer certain for which man I will punch the ballot on March 6. For the sake of America, we can only hope that one of these two prevail and defeat Obama in November.  If not, I fear we will enter The Decline and Fall of America.

Oberholtzer to challenge Beaudreau

Last week I wrote about District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau's reelection bid.  In that post I asked who would rise up to challenge the incumbent.  Former Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer will be one challenger, officially announcing this week his intention to toss his hat into the race.  Mr. Oberholtzer contacted the Buzz and provided the following press release announcing his candidacy.  I have blogged about the mayor as well, though not as extensively as I have about Commissioner Beaudreau.  I cannot say at this time that I will ultimately support the mayor, but I am glad to see a seasoned opponent step up to oppose Beaudreau.  

Jerry Oberholtzer's Candicacy Announcement:

Former Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer to run for Gwinnett County Commissioner

Snellvile, GA

Jerry Oberholtzer, who served twelve successful years as City Councilman and Mayor of Snellville, will bring his governmental experience and savvy into the race for Gwinnett County Commissioner representing the 3rd District that stretches from Braselton, through Dacula and Snellville, to the DeKalb County line at Stone Mountain.

Oberholtzer 52 and Roxann , his wife of 30 years, have lived in the district for 29 years – almost their entire married life. They have three sons, Jerry and Matthew, both Clemson University graduates, and Paul, a graduate of North Georgia State College and University. Son Jerry and wife Jessie, have the Oberholtzer’s first grandson.

Jerry, a professional civil engineer and Clemson graduate, is a twenty year volunteer on the Northeast Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Roxann is a long term employee of the Boy Scouts and all around mom to scores of scouts over the years.

“Knowing how to govern effectively, building consensus, treating constituents with courtesy and respect and sticking to Republican principles will be the hallmark of my campaign and service.” said Oberholtzer.

“Good Schools, low crime, attractive neighborhoods: I want to build on those things and make them better. added Oberholtzer. “I know we’ve had our share of problems in Gwinnett, but when the cook burns the biscuits, you don’t need to remodel the kitchen. Gwinnett’s Third District needs a new cook.”

“Dishonest land deals, unbid sweetheart contracts, airport proposals that ruin neighborhoods and grand jury investigations have resulted in a disconnect and a loss of faith in government.” continued Oberholtzer. “ These are tough economic times and just saying NO to everything, like Mike Beaudreau has done for eight years, isn’t working. Being negative drives away business and pours a cold bucket of water on progress and job growth. I’ll work to make Gwinnett the most business friendly county in Georgia.”

“I intend to use this campaign, not to complain about problems, but to offer real solutions. People who live here already know what the problems are: they want real leadership to show them the way to a better Gwinnett. I have the proven ability to keep taxes low, balance the budget, protect our neighborhoods and provide real-­‐time, honest solutions to the traffic problem.” said Oberholtzer

“I look forward to a spirited campaign, grounded in the issues, leading the way to a new direction for Gwinnett. A direction that focuses on the people already here; the people that have worked hard, paid taxes and built our communities. So at the end of four years, we can say to our children and grandchildren: We left Gwinnett better than we found it.” concluded Oberholtzer. 

Beaudreau to seek reelection

District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau announced Friday that he would seek reelection for a third term to the Gwinnett Board of Commissioners.  Beaudreau is last remaining commisioner from Gwinnett's fiscal debacle in 2009 as well as the socialized garbage fiasco.  (Though Shirley Lasseter joined the board in January 2009 after her election in November 2008, many decisions had largely been made that would result in the budget deficit.  As such, I cannot hold her as accountable as the remainder of the board members of that time.)  The other commissioners at that point - aside from Lasseter - either resigned or did not stand for reelection, thus denying voters the opportunity to fire them for a job poorly done.  Beaudreau is the last chance for voters to hold the Bannister board accountable at the polls.

Beaudreau, like any good politician, will attempt to spin away any responsibility he had in those messes and, for socialized garbage, attempt to defend his primary role in trampling on your economic freedom.  And, to be fair, at least for the fiscal issues, Commissioner Beaudreau often did have a more fiscally responsible voice than did his fellow board members.  He also had a more open-minded view of the economic opportunities for revamping Briscoe Field for commercial aviation.  However, his staunch support for socialized garbage is, alone, "grounds for termination."  Couple this position with a record that was routinely hostile to private property rights as he played favorites to certain categories of landowners. Taken altogether, the time has come for the voters in District 3 to kindly advise Mr. Beaudreau to focus on his sales career.  As you hear the spin from the Beaudreau campaign, I would urge you to review my commentary on his tenure for a refresher on the real record of Commissioner Mike Beaudreau.

The question now turns to who will stand up to our next District 3 commissioner?  We need a candidate who will stand up and defend property rights for all Gwinnettians, not just special interests that align themselves with an elected official.  We need a commissioner who will continue to be open-minded regarding opportunities for Briscoe Field.  We need a candidate who, even if he or she cannot reverse the indefensible socialized garbage contract, will sincerely promise residents that he or she will never disrespect our economic freedom of choice by supporting such an arrangement.  In other words, we need a true conservative to replace Mike Beaudreau.  I am optimistic that, so long as District 3 voters remember the recent track record of the Bannister commission, that, like Barack Obama, Mike Beaudreau will face an uphill slog to retain his seat.

Mike Beaudreau Press Release

Beaudreau to run for Re-Election

Mike Beaudreau announced today that he would run for a third term as Gwinnett County Commissioner in District 3. 

“The last few years have been very difficult for the county and many of its residents,” Beaudreau said.  “Because of the economic downturn, the Board of Commissioners was forced to make difficult decisions about spending and taxes.  My conservative leadership and opposition to tax increases helped get us to where we are today, with our top credit rating intact, and with the lowest unemployment rate of metro Atlanta’s core counties.  Now that we see signs of improvement on the horizon, I want to continue to help move the county in the right direction.”

If he is reelected, Commissioner Beaudreau will continue to promote economic development efforts to grow the county’s tax base and will continue his record of tight fiscal management of the county budget.  He also hopes to build on his seven year track record of expanding transparency in county government.

Mike Beaudreau was elected in 2004 as Gwinnett’s youngest County Commissioner.  During his tenure, he has worked tirelessly on issues important to residents; he remains committed to improving the quality of life by passing stricter development regulations, making government more transparent by promoting ethics reform, and making government more efficient by focusing on key county services while keeping property taxes as low as possible.

Due to reapportionment, District 3 boundaries have changed a bit.  It now includes portions of the Braselton and Chateau Elan areas in the northern part of the county, and still includes Centerville, Snellville, Grayson, Loganville and Dacula.

Tired of political robocalls?

In the last week, I received two robocalls from candidates in a special election for my local state House seat.  With election season again upon us, this year, I want to at least try to fight back against the forthcoming deluge of political robocalls.  You know those calls, where you answer your phone, wait a beat, then a scratchy recording announces "Hi! I'm Joe Candidate and I'm running for..."  That's about where I hang up. Unfortunately, Joe Candidate will call again tomorrow and the next day and...well...you get the picture.  I don't know about you, but I am dreading the assault on my phone line.  This is an extra annoyance for me because I generally work from home, so I do not have the option of turning off my ringer or turning off my voicemail to limit the numerous messages left by these calls.  

I wonder why these candidates use this tactic.  I do understand that, as soon as one candidate in a race does it, all other contenders will follow suit.  However, do you know anyone who actually is positively influenced by these calls?  Most people I know find them highly intrusive.  In fact, I find them to be incredibly arrogant.  Congress helpfully implemented the Do Not Call registry but they conveniently exempted politicians from abiding by that list.

There is not much us mere citizens and voters can do, but there are two recourses available to us.  First, we can refuse to vote for a candidate that uses this technique.  I try to temper this with the recognition that candidates are going to robocall.  Therefore, I tend to contact their campaign and insist that I be removed from their call list.  If they care so little about their prospective constituent to refuse to remove me from their call list, I then refuse to vote for them.  Unfortunately, even if the majority of voters followed this route, the impact, even if non-trivial, would largely be invisible to the candidate because they would not necessarily realize how many votes their efforts had cost them.  In business or engineering speak - we need to close the feedback loop.  Which leads to the second thing we as citizens can do.

Publicity.  Politicians love it but it can be a double-edged sword when that publicity paints the candidate in an unfavorable light.  These days, each of us has an avenue for some degree of publicity via our Facebook and Twitter accounts.  In my case, I can highlight offending politicians here on the Buzz.  And that is what I am going to do.  This election season, when I receive a robocall, I will contact the campaign in question and ask to be removed from future calls.  I will inform them that they have five business days to remove my phone number and any subsequent calls after that period will result in the publication of their non-compliance on the Buzz, via Twitter and on a new Facebook group called Gwinnett Robocall Abuse.  

I would encourage you to respond to robocalls likewise. If a candidate ignores your request, post that as a comment to this blog post or on the Facebook group.  Also, tweet it and let your Facebook friends know.  My Facebook group will also serve as a general forum for county residents on this topic.  In fact, if you have a good experience with a campaign regarding robocalls, post that as well!  Complaining is eay and common so let's highlight good behavior on the part of aspiring elected officials!

Because media coverage in most state and local races is thin, any significant amount of traffic on a given candidate is more likely to turn up higher in search results or on Twitter.  Social media empowers people not just in countries under the thumb of oppression but right here in our own backyard.  No longer does Big Media control the abiliity to mass distribute your thoughts and views.  You can do that right from your computer, tablet or mobile phone.  Let's leverage these tools to make it clear to our political candidates that, if they wish our support, we expect respect for our privacy!

Charlotte Nash - new Gwinnett Commission Chairman

Charlotte Nash has easily won the special election to replace resigned Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister.  Nash avoided a runoff by garnering 56% of the vote.  Larry Gause was a distant second with 26%.  Only 5% of registered Gwinnett voters turned out for the election.  Let's hope that Ms. Nash can provide effective leadership to lead the board out of an era of corruption and big government.