Speech at Georgia Chamber's Eggs and Issues Breakfast January 15, 2008

Since last year when we were all together for this breakfast, a lot has happened in our state. We have faced some challenges and we have clearly had some conflicts. But while the media love to play up our feuds and our failures, they do not do as much to talk about our success. And despite what many people may think, we did have some success last year.

I rarely get to share the stage with both the Governor and the Speaker, and so I want to take this opportunity up front to thank Governor Perdue for his steadfast stewardship of this state. I am confident in his management and his desire to leave it better than he found it.

I also want to thank the speaker for his hard work on behalf of Georgia, especially for challenging each of us to analyze the tax code and to find solutions for property owners. It is a noble cause.

Our successes from the past year have certainly built up momentum going into this session. Now it is up to us to maximize that momentum in a positive way. And we can only do this by choosing a path of principled leadership over political expediency.

In short, our future depends on our ability to be statesmen.

Being elected to public service is a huge privilege. It is not a right of passage. Public servants are entrusted to act on the citizens’ behalf…a trust which has to be earned, not forced. Once we have earned that trust, we have an obligation not to abuse it but to guard it with integrity. And use it to influence public policy in a way that brings about positive change.

Every day since I took my oath of office, I have reminded myself never to forget where I came from and to always strive to have our citizens’ best interests at heart. I did not run for Lt. Governor for the title. I ran for Lt. Governor to create a Georgia where the hopes and dreams of all Georgians can be realized. To make lives better by defining problems and presenting solutions.

The statesman is focused on the future. He seeks to avoid conflict, rising above it to serve the greater interests of our citizens. He says “I have a plan to make our lives better. And I want you to follow me not because of my title or my power, but because our solution moves us in the right direction.”

The real statesman puts people first and ego last.

Ladies and Gentlemen – 2008 will be a critical time for our state. Our economy is showing signs of slowing down, threatening to tip us into recession. We are facing a water crisis and a transportation crisis.

The circumstances we face this year require focus and resolve. The citizens of our state are looking for true leadership to address these important issues. So we need to remember that our duty as public servants is to think and act bigger than ourselves.

At the end of the day, Georgians want results and they don’t care who gets the credit. They want good jobs and to be able to send their kids to good schools. When they see infighting and divisiveness, it causes questioning about our motives and doubt about our ability to lead this state where it needs to go.

We need to act on principles and to stop acting on politics. It is our moment in time…our opportunity to leave our state better than when we found it. And we cannot afford to let it pass us by while we play games.

Leadership – real principled leadership – is about moving forward. It requires laying out a bold vision for our future and charting a course to get us there. It would be unacceptable to allow any individual or petty issue to distract us from finding real solutions to our most pressing problems.

So as we head into this session, I am NOT interested in creating new entitlements or in raising taxes. And I am certainly NOT interested in playing games. I am ready to move our state forward. It is my firm belief that a rising tide lifts all boats. And by creating a climate to stimulate the economy we will provide the greatest degree of return for the future of every Georgian.

We have to create further opportunities for our students, because a better-educated workforce is vital to job creation. It is a failure of our education system to allow any student to drop out. Every student should have a chance – whether through a traditional path or through a career academy – to get their educational needs met in order to be prepared for the workforce of tomorrow.

We also have to bring common sense solutions to solving the growing problems regarding healthcare. Skyrocketing costs and the 1.7 million uninsured in our state represent a huge hole in our healthcare network. We can address this issue by addressing the needs of the indigent as well as using the free market to put people back in control of their healthcare decisions.

Additionally, the water crisis that we face has not been caused by growth but by historic drought and the mismanagement of our water resources by the Army Corps of Engineers. That’s why we need to pass a statewide water management plan, and we need to expand current reservoir capacity and build new ones. Because it would be a failure on our part not to manage the resources we have in an efficient and effective manner.

And when it comes to transportation, we have been paying the price for our lack of action through gridlock and inefficiency. We have the second worst congestion in the nation in Atlanta and need to start right now putting a plan in place to get us out of it – for the benefit of our entire state.

This year we will concentrate on reorganizing the Department of Transportation under new leadership. Once the department is reorganized, our next step will be to implement a statewide traffic management plan and find the most effective way to fund it.

Ladies and Gentlemen – burying our heads in the sand on transportation is no longer acceptable public policy. I am convinced that with strong leadership and a focus on planning and innovation, we can do 30% more projects with the same amount of money. And I want us to get there. Because if transportation in our state fails…business fails. And if business fails…jobs fail. And when jobs fail…Georgia fails.

I for one am not willing to allow that to happen.

Certainly, Georgia’s problems will not be solved overnight. But if we keep our eyes on our goals…and stay committed to a cause greater than ourselves…we will see success.

So I challenge us all to come together this year to chart a course that will ensure success for generations to come. Instead of rehashing old fights, I challenge us to move towards a common goal. This is not about Senate and House…executive and legislative. This is about doing all we can together to improve the lives of every citizen in this great state.

Vince Lombardi once said that any man’s finest hour is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle…victorious. If we can stay focused, and put principles ahead of politics, our finest hour this year will be a story that may never make headlines. It will be a story of how…without fanfare or fireworks…through steady leadership and commitment to a vision…we came together to accomplish something truly meaningful for the citizens of Georgia.

That story might not sell newspapers, but it will certainly restore some of the faith that the people of Georgia have in their elected officials.

Now is the time for legislators to be statesmen…and for statesmen to be leaders. And a leader’s ability to succeed is only as great as the passion of those who are willing to follow him.

I still believe that Georgia’s best days are ahead of us. And if we are committed to carrying out our vision, we will get there. So as I get busy doing what I was elected to do, I hope that you all will commit to joining with me in that good cause. I need that passion and commitment from you. And Georgia needs that commitment from us all.

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