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Speech at Georgia Chamber's Eggs and Issues Breakfast January 9, 2007

I always love the tradition of the Eggs and Issues Breakfast, and I appreciate all the work that the Georgia Chamber does to give us this forum to share our goals for what will hopefully be a productive legislative session.

This breakfast has taken on new meaning for me, and I am very grateful that now I have the chance to speak to you on the issues that the people all across this great state have said were most important to them.

Education…Jobs.

I promised the people that I would address these issues, and in the 2007 Legislative Session, I intend to deliver. 

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating:  the office of the Lt. Governor is a unique position…straddling the lines of the Executive and the Legislative branches of government. 

Now is the time that the Lt. Governor assumes his legislative duties.  And I am excited about the opportunity that this role gives me to make a meaningful impact on the lives of every Georgian.

But I know that I can’t do it alone.

To achieve success it will take the help of the 56 honorable men and women who serve with me in the Senate.  I want to take a moment to tell each and every one of them how much I appreciate their commitment to Georgia and how humbled I am that they have placed their faith in me to lead them.

I want to say thank you for restoring the traditional duties of this office so that once again the Lt. Governor can be a powerful voice that unites the Senate…making the chamber a deliberative body where Georgia comes first.

I promise to be fair and to make sure that every one of your voices are heard.  And together we will follow through on our commitments to make a better Georgia.

And one of our most important commitments should be to our children.  We have to make sure that each child gets the opportunity to find success.

We must understand that not all children learn at the same pace or excel at the same things.  And once we recognize this fact and allow our local schools and parents to design a curriculum around the needs of each child, we will experience educational excellence. 

We have already seen excellence with our charter schools and have heard of their remarkable success. 

Charter schools have demonstrated that they can reach the goals of education without all of the burdensome mandates that tie the hands of our teachers. 

I want to build upon this success…so this year we will put plans in place to allow the creation of charter systems. 

Charter systems allow the truest form of local control of public education, and I intend to give that control to our educators.  I believe that with the proper tools, teachers and administrators can and will design a system that meets the needs of our local communities.

We have also seen excellence with our career academies.

Academies like the Central Education Center in Newnan provide a sensible alternative for students who don’t want to follow the traditional one-size-fits-all curriculum we have now. 

These students can instead attend a school that will provide them with real-world experience and teach them the technical skills they need to become a valuable addition to Georgia’s workforce.

So this year we will propose instituting planning grants for the start up of 5 new career academies throughout the state. 

The opportunity for students to gain a technical certificate which guarantees employment upon graduation is what education should be all about. This plan is a sensible use of education dollars and the chance to get a huge return on our investment.

Georgia already leads the nation in workforce development, and I intend to keep moving forward.  And by supporting our career academies, encouraging their partnership with our technical colleges…and furthering upon the success of the Quick Start Program, we can continue to build on our great commitment of more job opportunities for Georgians.

As I have said before jobs are how people experience the American Dream…and I want that opportunity for every Georgian. 

The office of the Lt. Governor should be a strong ally to Governor Perdue and a powerful voice in support of job growth. 

Government doesn’t create jobs…but government does create the right circumstances and environment for jobs to be created.  So I will make my commitment to you today that our office will take the lead on creating a pro-jobs culture in state government.  And I will take an active role in bringing new business to Georgia by being the number one jobs recruiter in the state. 

In order to help us fulfill this commitment, we are proposing the creation of a Jobs Advocate position. 

This new position will serve a dual role…staffed in the Department of Economic Development and assigned to the Lt. Governor’s office.  The Jobs Advocate will work with the General Assembly to help coordinate our efforts to promote jobs and will build a bridge between companies and our state government.

The businesses who plan to grow and strengthen our economy need to know that Georgia is serious about supporting their efforts. 

The Jobs Advocate will be a dedicated ally to companies throughout the state, helping to simplify and streamline the complicated maze of incentive programs that are in place for them. 

This position will also help to make the permit process for businesses as easy as possible…coordinating with all our state agencies and bringing them together to provide our companies with a guaranteed permit delivery date.

Economic development is about putting a welcome mat out for businesses, telling them that we want them here in Georgia…and showing them that they won’t find a state more willing to listen to them…more eager to support them…and more committed to their success.

We put out that welcome mat through the careful use of state resources…through partnerships with venture funds…through investing in the facilities that help the incubators at our great research institutes. 

We put out that welcome mat by breaking down the barriers that stand in the way and limit Georgia’s potential to lead the nation in several key industries:

Alternative fuels…biotechnology…corporate headquarters…and logistics.    

These areas provide the greatest promise for growth throughout our entire state and we need to send a clear message that we want these businesses in Georgia. 

The Georgia Research Alliance is a public-private partnership that has made great strides to improve our status in the biotech field, which is a promising industry for our state.

We have the potential here in Georgia to create an environment that will surpass all others, including the Research Triangle in North Carolina…and establish ourselves as the premiere hi-tech state in the nation. With the right commitment Georgia can be a huge player in this industry…and encouraging the growth of new biotech firms will create incredible opportunities for our citizens. 

I am committed to supporting the efforts of the Georgia Research Alliance and to increasing the eminent scholar program so that we can attract the best and the brightest minds in this field to help these companies succeed. 

With this support and through our continued focus on promoting economic development, we can create a bright and prosperous future for every Georgian.

Earlier this morning someone asked me what it feels like to make history…to become the first Republican Lt. Governor.  And I told him that of course it was great…

What I didn’t say was that yes…it was great…but that was yesterday. 

Yesterday…we made history.

But today…tomorrow…and in the year to come we get the chance to write it.

It’s time to go to work…the time has come to get things done…and I am eager to move forward with Governor Perdue,   Speaker Richardson, and the rest of my fellow legislators as we go about the business of serving the people of Georgia.

The history that we made electing the first Republican Lt. Governor will stay in the past, etched in the marble of yesterday.

But the history that we will now write together…the history that will change Georgia for generations to come…will be etched in the hearts and minds of every citizen.

And that history will live on.

Thank you very much.