Wednesday, June 5, 2002
|
Wednesday, June 5, 2002 |
|
Yates announces candidacy for District 85 post in Georgia House
State Rep. John Yates, currently representing District 106 in the Georgia House of Representatives, has announced his candidacy for Post 1 of the newly created multi-member District 85, which includes portions of Butts, Fayette, Henry and Spalding counties. During his tenure, he has represented Coweta, Pike and Spalding counties and helped increase Republican representation in the House from 36 to 74 members out of 180. Yates has been a lifelong supporter of education at all levels. He graduated from the original Spalding High School at age 16 and earned a BBA degree from Georgia State University at age 39 after six years of night school while supervising 40 people at a Ford Motor Company facility. He supports the efforts of school officials and parents in obtaining an improvement in education for children, whether it be home school, private school or public education. This applies to elementary, secondary, technical or university level. As a member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education in the House Appropriations Committee, he kept the budget in place for the building presently being constructed at Griffin Tech. "After the politicians quit playing games, the building was approved," he said. Yates personally went to Chancellor Probst to ensure that Griffin Tech would be given the old State Patrol barracks and also worked closely with Col. Miles to ensure that Post 1 of the Georgia State Patrol would remain in Griffin, where it has been since the Patrol was formed in the 1930s. Yates spent two days studying the issue in Atlanta and Griffin when the special purpose local option sales tax for education was being considered for a vote last year in Spalding County. Under law, he could not endorse the tax, but he was able to acquire information and give and informed statement about why he was personally voting for it and let the people make their own informed choice. As chairman of the Coweta and Spalding County House legislative delegation, Yates led the fight this year to get approval in the legislature, and later signatures by the governor, on five local bills, four of which reapportioned county governments and school boards. "This required overcoming much misguided local opposition, especially by certain people who wanted to prevent Spalding County voters from voting to reduce the size of the school board," he said. Saying that he never entered politics for the purpose of "feathering his own nest," Yates did not join the state pension system and does not participate in other state benefits. No bill that he votes for helps him financially unless it cuts everyone's taxes. Yates fights for the rights of citizens against what he calls "oppressive or overbearing government," and he constantly works to keep good relations with good government employees. He helps whoever is in need without asking if they are black or white, their political party or the district in which they live. He still strongly feels that Georgia will never reach the goal of good, honest and fair government until there are two near-equal political parties. "The political party now in power has been there over 130 years and has resulted in the present oppressive situation," he said. Yates has never voted for a tax increase and has voted for several tax cuts, including the recent sales tax holidays and several improvements in the homestead exemptions. He has pledged to continue this record. He is proud of his endorsements by the National Rifle Association, Right-to-Life and the National Federation of Independent Business. In the most recent session, he was successful in getting two important statewide bills through the House, one concerning regulatory fees and another addressing a requirement for the Department of Education to save money by requiring bids. Yates served in Europe during World War II as an artillery spotter pilot, entering Normandy at D Day + 30 and serving until the end of the war. He earned four Battle Stars and five Air Medals during more than 175 missions. He continues to give that devotion to his native state. For more information, write to 961 Birdie Road, Griffin, GA 30223; or call 770-412-7166.
|
||