ISSUES

Henry County needs leadership. The families of District 109 need a leader that can actually get the job done, not one that just sits and votes. For too long, we have been faced with a deficit of leadership from our State Representative. I am running to provide the bold ideas and leadership the people of this district need and deserve.

Pipkin Plan to Protect our Families
Henry County is faced with a serious increase in crime that is putting our families at risk. As an Assistant District Attorney, I have seen first hand that our current Representative is oblivious to the growing threat of crime we face. As an ADA, I have worked to protect our families. I will do the same as your next State Representative.

• As your State Representative, I will propose an aggressive legislative agenda to crack down on gangs and gang violence. It is time crack down on the criminal gangs that threaten our families.
• Tougher punishment for repeat DUI offenders.
• Prevent convicted felons from possessing firearms.
• Will work with local government and the local medical community in Henry County to start a sexual crimes crisis center. This center will be for those in Henry County and surrounding areas who are victims of a sexual crime where they can receive counseling, medical attention and support.
• Will also fight for tougher, longer mandatory sentences for rape and child molestation and other domestic violence related crimes. These vicious predators should not be loose on our streets to harm our families.

Education

• Henry County needs a technical college. More and more students in Henry County graduate high school with a technical degree, and Henry County needs the next step—so those graduates can stay right here in Henry County.
• Will work with universities around Georgia to bring a satellite campus to Henry County, so our high school students can stay right here at home to go to school.
• The state should set high standards and empower local systems to achieve these standards through providing the necessary resources.
• Continue to fight for local control of schools. Parents, teachers and administrators know best how to educate our children.
• Continue to promote charter schools. Charter schools give local systems the flexibility and freedom to develop unique educational programs to provide improvement in student achievement.
• Will oppose any “universal models” for education. One-size-fits-all policies do not work. They do not better educate our children.
• Parents should have the freedom to educate their children as they see fit whether that is in the local public school, home-school, or private school.

Fighting against Illegal Immigration
Everyday, tax dollars in Georgia are being spent to support illegal immigration. Our legal citizens cannot afford healthcare, but our tax dollars are being spent to provide it to illegal immigrants.

Around the Nation each day, we hear more and more of the threat of the criminal element of illegal immigrants present to our children and our families. We must protect our families and promote law and order.

Not only do illegal immigrants break our laws, but they also provide a threat to public safety.

• Will fight to ensure that illegal immigration and law-breaking will not be condoned.
• Will fight to ensure that our tax dollars are not spent to support illegal immigrants who intentionally break our laws and especially when it jeopardizes our citizens.
• Would support legislation to make all government documents in English.
• Proud that the GA General Assembly passed SB 529, the strongest illegal immigration reform bill in the country and would support it if it was ever brought up again.
• Will fight for more reforms when elected.

Budget Reform & Lower Taxes
It’s our money not the governments. We have to rein in spending and provide responsible tax relief to our families.

Tax Relief Plan

• Would support a Fair Tax in Georgia, replacing state income tax with a sales tax.
• Would support capping or eliminating property taxes for seniors.
• Will fight for property tax relief to ensure that our farmers and families are no longer driven off their land by out-of-control property taxes.

Budget Reform- Balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility

• Will always fight against wasteful government spending.
• Commission a Sunset Commission to review the necessity of every spending program.
• Implement a reasonable limit on government spending. Would support legislation like S.R. 21 that would limit spending increases to the growth in population and inflation.
• Take advantage of contracting out government programs.
• Encourage transparency in government spending.

Transportation Reform
Georgia, especially Henry County, is facing a serious crisis with regard to transportation-- gridlock, increasing traffic, aging roads, inefficiency, and waste of our tax dollars in the DOT. We need new leadership.

Reforming DOT
Recently we have seen more and more stories about absolute waste and inefficiency in the DOT. It’s time for this to stop, and we need new leadership to help guide this department into the 21st century.

• Will work to the reform the DOT to see that it modernizes it's procedures that will make it more efficient and cost-effective.
• Will ensure the DOT will make use of competitive contracting to reduce costs.
• Focus efforts on growing urban areas (like Henry County) to help reduce traffic instead of building a road in the town of “Nowhereville.”
• Make sure DOT efforts are focused on increasing mobility.

Traffic Reduction

• Fight for traffic reduction measures by expanding current roads.
• Support Governor Perdue’s efforts to synchronize traffic lights and promote telecommuting (starting with government agencies).
• Deregulate urban transit to improve choice—making it desirable for citizens in urban areas to use transit opposed to cars.
• Direct resources to growing urban areas.
• Ensure money is being spent in metro areas with high traffic congestion problems.
• More HOV lanes and higher tolls in morning and afternoon rush hour traffic times.

Values
We need a Representative who will fight everyday in Atlanta for our conservative values.

• I will fight for our conservative values, the values this community believes in; the values that I have lived by everyday of my life.
• Support 2nd Amendment
• Pro-life
• Pro-family
• Pro-faith