DawsonTimes.com

Former Legislator Served Eight Years in Georgia House

Clint Smith of Dawson County has announced his candidacy for the State House District 9 legislative seat. The new district includes all of Lumpkin County, the majority of Dawson County and a portion of Hall County.

A long time Republican activist, Clint Smith served in the Georgia House of Representatives for eight years (1995-2003).

“I believe the time is right for me to campaign to return to the General Assembly,” Clint Smith said. “After much prayer and consultation with family, GOP colleagues, current legislators, and my friends in the Tea Party, I am ready to go. My track record of conservative principles speaks for itself.”

The incumbent, Representative Amos Amerson, is expected to announce his retirement in the near future. “Representative Amerson and I shared an office suite for two years in the Legislature,” Clint Smith said. “He is an effective public official and a southern gentleman. We are all indebted to him for his service to our country in the U.S. Army.”

In his eight years of legislative service, Clint Smith was consistently endorsed by Georgia Right to Life and the National Rifle Association. Annually, Clint Smith received
100% scores from the Christian Coalition and the National Federation of Independent Business.

Clint Smith’s record on statewide issues:

• Never voted for a tax increase
• Fought for fiscal responsibility and reform in Georgia’s budgetary process
• Supported the original sales tax holiday for families purchasing school items
• In 1996, Clint Smith was one of three sponsors of a bill that completely overhauled the welfare system in Georgia. The legislation implemented provisions to ensure that benefit recipients are making progress toward self-sufficiency.. The new law proved to be very successful. The rolls of welfare recipients in Georgia decreased. (note: political historians considered the law to be the most significant Republican sponsored legislation to pass the General Assemby in the history of the Democrat dominated legislature at that time).
• Supported legislation that eliminated the sales tax on groceries
• Supported legislation that created the opportunity for citizens to vote to implement Special Local Option Sales Taxes, dedicated to school construction projects, thus providing tax relief for property owners.
• Co-sponsor of the primary seat belt law in Georgia
•  Point man in Georgia for President George W. Bush’s Faith-Based Initiative
• (Chairman of the Georgia Faith-Based Initiatives Task Force)

Clint Smith sponsored and/or significantly impacted the following local/regional issues:

• Co-sponsored the bill that created the five person Board of Commissioners in Dawson County
• Co-Sponsored the bill that established a Board of Elections and Elections Superintendent position in Dawson County
• Original funding for the Dawson County Literacy Center
• worked with State Representative David Ralston (current Speaker of the House) on legislation to create property tax breaks for senior citizens
• Tax exemptions for farmers
• Chairman of the Chestatee Regional Library Board (Lumpkin and Dawson Counties) Clint Smith chaired the building committee that supervised construction of the System’s new Headquarters building.
• Sponsored the bill that created the Lake Lanier Water Quality Study Committee
• In the aftermath of the infamous 1998 tornadoes in North Georgia, Clint Smith worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to impact public policy and funding to improve severe weather warning systems.

“When I heard the names of other potential candidates for this legislative seat, I was struck by the multiple conflicts of interest that could be in play as well as their complete lack of support for the Republican Party,” Clint Smith said. “It became obvious to me that it is time for me to put my name on the ballot again.”

Clint Smith has a long history of Republican activism, beginning with his term as Chairman of the College Republican Club at Georgia State University. Most recently, Clint Smith served as Chairman of the Dawson County Republican Party for four years (2008-2011). The local GOP had its most successful period in history during his tenure with a strong slate of local candidates/officeholders and no Democrat opposition. In November, 2010, Governor Nathan Deal received a higher percentage vote margin of victory in Dawson County than any other county in the state.

In December 2011, Clint Smith completed nearly two years of full time service with the Georgia Air National Guard. He is assigned to State Headquarters, Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia. He was tasked to work on Strategic Planning and related projects under the direction of the Commander of the Georgia Air National Guard. His final task was to support the unit’s move into a new Joint Forces State Headquarters Building. Clint Smith continues to serve in a part-time status.
In 2001, Clint Smith’s former State House District 19 (Dawson and northern Hall Counties) was dismantled by the Governor Roy Barnes’ led gerrymandered legislative maps. After a successul lawsuit, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a lower court’s ruling that the maps were unconstitutional.

Clint Smith has decided to adopt the original theme from his first legislative campaign 20 years ago: “Respect for the Taxpayer”. “I believe that it is an appropriate theme for today’s political climate because citizens, led by our Tea Party activists, demand that unresponsive elected officials respect their opinions and principles,” Clint Smith said.

In the upcoming campaign, Clint Smith will support the following issues:

• Jobs and the Economy: The state of Georgia should have as its number one goal the development of policy that relieves undue government pressure on small business and industry, allowing them to flourish and create new jobs.
• Ethics Reform: Elected officials should be held to high standards: no conflicts of interest, no personal gain, and transparency and openness in all actions. Clint Smith plans to work with leaders in the Tea Party movement on this issue.
•  Education: Support public education by providing teachers with the best learning environment and adequate resources for the classroom. Clint Smith has served as a substitute teacher in the Dawson County School System for the last five years. He observed up close and personal the challenges that teachers face. “Teachers deserve our respect and appreciation,” Clint Smith said. “The General Assembly should always consider the perspective of our educators when creating public policy.”