Coming off several major jobs announcements, Gov. Nathan Deal promised local Republicans gathered in Jefferson on Friday that more good news on the employment front is coming to Georgia.
Touting his economic record since he took office in 2011, Deal gave Republicans in the new 9th Congressional district a recap of some of those jobs-creation projects — from a Bed, Bath & Beyond e-commerce fulfillment center in Jackson County that will generate 900 jobs to Caterpillar building a new facility in Athens that will eventually employ 1,400 workers.
Governor: Expect more big jobs announcements
“And we have some other big ones in the works, so stand by,” he said. “You’re going to hear some more good news — hopefully in the not-too-distant future.”
But, Deal declined to say if some of that economic development news would again extend to Jackson County.
“We’re working on it all of the time,” he told a reporter. “We have a very good economic development team and they are working constantly — literally all over the world — trying to get people interested in Georgia.”
So far, Deal’s biggest economic development announcement while he’s been governor has been Caterpillar, which plans to open its manufacturing plant in Clarke and Oconee counties by late 2013. The $200 million project was announced in February and Caterpillar began clearing land for its plant just a few weeks later.
“They’re in a hurry,” Deal said of Caterpillar. “They were in a hurry from the beginning. They wanted to have a plant up and operational with the first product running off the assembly line by the end of next year.”
And with the manufacturing suppliers that are expected to follow Caterpillar to Athens, Deal said the facility could double the number of new jobs in the area to 2,800.
The governor also touched on expansion projects that have been announced by The Home Depot, Lowes and Starbucks — which will open a manufacturing plant in Richmond County.
“Who ever thought that we’d have a Starbucks manufacturing plant in Augusta,” Deal said.
While jobs were the top focus of Deal’s speech to local Republicans, he also highlighted a number of legislative changes that were recently approved by the General Assembly.
Deal has been a strong supporter of an amendment to the state’s constitution that would allow the creation of state-chartered schools that could receive public funds. The proposal, however, requires voter approval in a referendum in November.
The governor told local Republicans that in 2008, the General Assembly created a charter school commission that reviewed proposed charters. The state’s Supreme Court later ruled that the group was unconstitutional.
Deal said he’s hopeful that voters will approve the latest proposal to create charter schools in Georgia.
However, he warned that the process to get a charter school in a local community won’t be easy and not every proposal will be deemed worthy to get a charter.
Speaking with a reporter after his speech, Deal addressed concerns about state education funds for next year — amid dwindling financial support from the state in recent years.
“I would say that trying to restore as much of the funding as possible to the QBE (Quality Basic Education) formula and trying to increase the flexibility of local school systems to use their money and to design their programs as they think is appropriate,” Deal said of his possible solutions for next year.
The governor was one of several speakers featured at the Republican Party’s 9th Congressional district banquet in Jefferson on Friday night. The following day, Republicans held their convention (also in Jefferson) to name their delegates to the national convention.
The new 9th Congressional district was created during reapportionment because of the region’s growing population based on the 2010 Census. The district will include Jackson, Hall, Banks and Madison counties among 20 Northeast Georgia counties. Republicans in the new 9th are calling it “the most Republican district in the nation.”
The existing 9th district is being represented by Tom Graves, whose redrawn district will become the 14th Congressional district. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Athens) represents several counties in Northeast Georgia under the current 10th Congressional district.
Broun also spoke at the Republican party’s banquet on Friday, when he addressed his concerns about national healthcare reform dubbed by many Republicans as “Obamacare.” Broun, a physician, has been a vocal opponent of Obamacare — especially the mandate that all citizens purchase healthcare coverage or face penalties.
Broun said he has proposed federal legislation that would make healthcare cheaper, save Medicare from going broke and stop hospital financial drains. His proposed legislation is also only 51 pages — compared the more than 2,700 pages in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
“My bill is the only bill out there that can totally repeal and replace Obamacare,” said Broun, who urged local Republicans to contact their U.S. legislators in their support of H.R. 4224.
Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R-Athens) also spoke to Republicans about the upcoming elections — which will keep his office busy. The secretary of state is responsible for elections, professional licensing, corporation registrations and other items in Georgia.
Kemp is a former state legislator who represented the area. He is a co-owner of Specialty Stone in Hoschton.
Kemp said he was grateful that legislators changed a law last year that allows the secretary of state to decide when to hold the presidential primary preference election in Georgia. That move allowed the state to play a bigger role on “Super Tuesday” in February, when a number of other states held their primaries.
“We can continue to make Georgia relevant with the presidential preference primary,” he said.
Kemp is also working on a system that will allow those with driver’s licenses — or a state-issued ID card — to register online to vote. The proposal would cost an estimated two to three cents for each voter registered online, compared to 83 cents that is currently spent for each voter that registers at a local county office, he said.
And Kemp urged all voters to keep an eye open for potential voter fraud at polling places.
“We’ve had some unbelievable stories,” Kemp said of people who tried to vote using a deceased person’s name, people double voting or those who are not citizens.
In one election in South Georgia, the wife of a county commissioner was arrested for voter fraud. Kemp said when the outcome of some elections is decided by just a few votes, stopping any potential voter fraud is essential.
“So it’s important that we have a zero tolerance on that,” he said.
Kemp said anyone who spots potential voter fraud may call a hotline at 1-877-725-9797.
Also at Friday’s banquet were the five Congressional candidates for the new 9th district — Hunter Bicknell, Martha Zoller, Doug Collins, Roger Fitzpatrick and Clifton McDuffie. State insurance commissioner Ralph Hudgens, state public service commissioner Chuck Eaton, state Rep. Tommy Benton and state Sen. Frank Ginn were also spotted in attendance.
But, Deal declined to say if some of that economic development news would again extend to Jackson County.
“We’re working on it all of the time,” he told a reporter. “We have a very good economic development team and they are working constantly — literally all over the world — trying to get people interested in Georgia.”
So far, Deal’s biggest economic development announcement while he’s been governor has been Caterpillar, which plans to open its manufacturing plant in Clarke and Oconee counties by late 2013. The $200 million project was announced in February and Caterpillar began clearing land for its plant just a few weeks later.
“They’re in a hurry,” Deal said of Caterpillar. “They were in a hurry from the beginning. They wanted to have a plant up and operational with the first product running off the assembly line by the end of next year.”
And with the manufacturing suppliers that are expected to follow Caterpillar to Athens, Deal said the facility could double the number of new jobs in the area to 2,800.
The governor also touched on expansion projects that have been announced by The Home Depot, Lowes and Starbucks — which will open a manufacturing plant in Richmond County.
“Who ever thought that we’d have a Starbucks manufacturing plant in Augusta,” Deal said.
While jobs were the top focus of Deal’s speech to local Republicans, he also highlighted a number of legislative changes that were recently approved by the General Assembly.
Deal has been a strong supporter of an amendment to the state’s constitution that would allow the creation of state-chartered schools that could receive public funds. The proposal, however, requires voter approval in a referendum in November.
The governor told local Republicans that in 2008, the General Assembly created a charter school commission that reviewed proposed charters. The state’s Supreme Court later ruled that the group was unconstitutional.
Deal said he’s hopeful that voters will approve the latest proposal to create charter schools in Georgia.
However, he warned that the process to get a charter school in a local community won’t be easy and not every proposal will be deemed worthy to get a charter.
Speaking with a reporter after his speech, Deal addressed concerns about state education funds for next year — amid dwindling financial support from the state in recent years.
“I would say that trying to restore as much of the funding as possible to the QBE (Quality Basic Education) formula and trying to increase the flexibility of local school systems to use their money and to design their programs as they think is appropriate,” Deal said of his possible solutions for next year.
The governor was one of several speakers featured at the Republican Party’s 9th Congressional district banquet in Jefferson on Friday night. The following day, Republicans held their convention (also in Jefferson) to name their delegates to the national convention.
The new 9th Congressional district was created during reapportionment because of the region’s growing population based on the 2010 Census. The district will include Jackson, Hall, Banks and Madison counties among 20 Northeast Georgia counties. Republicans in the new 9th are calling it “the most Republican district in the nation.”
The existing 9th district is being represented by Tom Graves, whose redrawn district will become the 14th Congressional district. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Athens) represents several counties in Northeast Georgia under the current 10th Congressional district.
Broun also spoke at the Republican party’s banquet on Friday, when he addressed his concerns about national healthcare reform dubbed by many Republicans as “Obamacare.” Broun, a physician, has been a vocal opponent of Obamacare — especially the mandate that all citizens purchase healthcare coverage or face penalties.
Broun said he has proposed federal legislation that would make healthcare cheaper, save Medicare from going broke and stop hospital financial drains. His proposed legislation is also only 51 pages — compared the more than 2,700 pages in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
“My bill is the only bill out there that can totally repeal and replace Obamacare,” said Broun, who urged local Republicans to contact their U.S. legislators in their support of H.R. 4224.
Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R-Athens) also spoke to Republicans about the upcoming elections — which will keep his office busy. The secretary of state is responsible for elections, professional licensing, corporation registrations and other items in Georgia.
Kemp is a former state legislator who represented the area. He is a co-owner of Specialty Stone in Hoschton.
Kemp said he was grateful that legislators changed a law last year that allows the secretary of state to decide when to hold the presidential primary preference election in Georgia. That move allowed the state to play a bigger role on “Super Tuesday” in February, when a number of other states held their primaries.
“We can continue to make Georgia relevant with the presidential preference primary,” he said.
Kemp is also working on a system that will allow those with driver’s licenses — or a state-issued ID card — to register online to vote. The proposal would cost an estimated two to three cents for each voter registered online, compared to 83 cents that is currently spent for each voter that registers at a local county office, he said.
And Kemp urged all voters to keep an eye open for potential voter fraud at polling places.
“We’ve had some unbelievable stories,” Kemp said of people who tried to vote using a deceased person’s name, people double voting or those who are not citizens.
In one election in South Georgia, the wife of a county commissioner was arrested for voter fraud. Kemp said when the outcome of some elections is decided by just a few votes, stopping any potential voter fraud is essential.
“So it’s important that we have a zero tolerance on that,” he said.
Kemp said anyone who spots potential voter fraud may call a hotline at 1-877-725-9797.
Also at Friday’s banquet were the five Congressional candidates for the new 9th district — Hunter Bicknell, Martha Zoller, Doug Collins, Roger Fitzpatrick and Clifton McDuffie. State insurance commissioner Ralph Hudgens, state public service commissioner Chuck Eaton, state Rep. Tommy Benton and state Sen. Frank Ginn were also spotted in attendance.
Trackbacks
Trackback specific URI for this entry
No Trackbacks
