Budget constraints & revenue issues are not expected to improve much in the foreseeable future. The Housing Industry is suffering greatly and will not recover for sometime. Education and Law Enforcement are important issues but so is transportation, roads etc. Our roads seem to be falling behind in repair. How will that be addressed? Will we close a library according to one report quoting a commissioner? ……….. Another forum will be held by the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce at 7 p.m. on June 16 at the North Oconee High School on Hog Mountain Road and Rocky Branch Road -Eastville - Bogart address.

AVOC

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June 11, 2011

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Check out House District 113 Candidates and Vote early - Election is June 21

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By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

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More information is now available on all four candidates: Alan Alexander, Sarah Bell, Dan Matthews and Chuck Williams.  There was good coverage of the Forum at the Oconee Library on June 8.   Lee Becker has posted a Video Cameo for that one at: Candidate Forum June 8, 2011 from Lee Becker on Vimeo.     Oconee Patch and Oconee County Observations have reported on the forum and the candidates.   Links and excerpts appear below.

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Traditional issues are being discussed: Education, Law Enforcement; Recreation; Family Values, Economic Development and Quality of Life and keeping taxes down etc.    Voters should read the information and reflect on the tight budget situations now facing our county and state.  

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Budget constraints & revenue issues are not expected to improve much in the foreseeable future.   The Housing Industry is suffering greatly and will not recover for sometime.Education and Law Enforcement are important issues but so is transportation, roads etc. Our roads seem to be falling behind in repair.How will that be addressed?    Will we close a library according to one report quoting a commissioner?

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Public safety is important to us all.But do we really need to have the latest and newest equipment every year?    Attrition of management level employees can reduce much more payroll costs than the retirement of 6 or 8 road department employees or deputies.   Our schools and universities always need more money but what do we take it from?   Some folks would raise taxes but most citizens and taxpayers are feeling the recession too.   Balancing all these interests is a challenging process.

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Another forum will be held by the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce at 7 p.m. on June 16 at the North Oconee High School on Hog Mountain Road on Hog Mountain Road and Rocky Branch Road – (Eastville) - Bogart address.

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One can vote early at the Elections Office on Court Street adjacent to the Courthouse.  It is easy but important to citizenship.

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 ……What is the appropriate relationship between a state representative and local officials? Do you have a responsibility to promote local communities’ agendas in Atlanta?

……The Georgia legislature will redraw voting districts for state lawmakers and U.S. representatives in an August special session. What is your philosophy for how districts should be drawn?

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Candidates Discuss Local, State Issues at 113th District Forum – Oconee Patch -6.8.11

http://oconee.patch.com/articles/candidates-discuss-local-state-issues-at-113th-district-forum

…Immigration, Sunday alcohol sales, taxes and redistricting were among the topics in the two hour event

…..In the first forum of this special election season, the four candidates for the open 113th District State House seat on Wednesday identified issues facing the district and state, and how they plan to fix them.

    Republicans Chuck Williams, Alan Alexander and Sarah Bell, and Democrat Dan Matthews addressed questions from a crowd of about 100 people at the Oconee County Library………..

Becker-Candidate Forum has full Auditorium 6.8.11

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Candidate Forum on June 8, 2011 Draws Crowd in Oconee

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Citizens Fill Oconee County Library Auditorium For House District 113 Candidate Forum      

Oconee Observations – Lee Becker – 6.8.11

                http://oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com/2011/06/citizens-fill-oconee-county-library.html

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Tolls and Immigration

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More than 80 people turned out at the Oconee County Library tonight to ask questions of the four candidates running in the special June 21 election for the open House District 113 seat.

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The questions covered a wide range of topics, from the future status of SR 316 to the candidates’ stand on the recently passed Georgia immigration bill.

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Democratic candidate Dan Matthews said he would have voted against House Bill 87, which is viewed by critics and supporters alike as a tough state law on immigration.

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Republican candidates Alan Alexander, Sarah Bell and Chuck Williams said they would have voted for the bill. …………………………

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All of the candidates would like to see improvements in SR 316.

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Williams said he would consider making it a toll road. Matthews and Bell said they opposed that.   Alexander said it was probably the only way the road would be improved, but he didn’t think it would happen………………

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Another forum is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on June 16 at the North Oconee High School on Hog Mountain Road. That forum is being organized by the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce.

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Candidate Forum June 8, 2011 from Lee Becker on Vimeo.

6-6-11 AVOC Review of race for June 21 Special Election for GA House District 113

    http://www.avoc.info/info/article.php?article=4171

Election 2011 – Georgia House District 113 – June 21, 2011 – Info on Candidates

http://electioninfo.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/election-2011-georgia-house-district-113-june-21-2011/