Wednesday, July 7, 2010

82. DuBose Porter brings campaign to Columbus

Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July. Below is an article from the Columbus Ledger newspaper that shows our momentum growing. Thanks for your support. Please pass this article along. Elect DuBose Porter. Vote in the Democratic Primary on July 20.

DuBose Porter brings campaign to Columbus (Columbus Ledger)

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2010/07/03/1182926/dubose-porter-brings-campaign.html

By LILY GORDON

Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate DuBose Porter visited a Columbus barbecue restaurant Friday to drum up support for his campaign and talk about what he called “the defining issue in this race” — education.

Moving among a packed room of lunchtime diners at Country’s Barbecue on Mercury Drive, the House minority leader shook hands and answered questions in an effort to set himself apart from former Gov. Roy Barnes and Attorney General Thurbert Baker.

“We need to let voters know there’s a clear choice in the primary between me and Roy Barnes,” Porter said. “I support public education, I’ve turned a school around, I’ve given tools to the teachers in the classroom. I didn’t blame them for the problems. So teachers, educators have a very clear choice this election. Parents have a very clear choice.”

The primary is July 20. Since he announced his candidacy for governor in April 2009, the former member of the House Education Committee and member of the Georgia State House of Representatives has traveled across the state in what he has called a grassroots effort to win over the “real Georgia.”

“I believe in grassroots,” Porter said. “We have been to every county, all 159 counties in this state. ... We’ve been in beauty parlors and barbershops and feed and seed stores, where the real Georgia is.”

Porter gets company

Former state Reps. Jed Harris and Mary Jane Galer as well as current State Rep. Debbie Buckner joined Porter around noon on his Columbus stop-over to show their support for the Dublin, Ga., native.

While at Country’s, Porter addressed other issues including economic development, water, public safety and transportation.

According to his official website, Porter wants to dedicate the fourth penny of the state fuel tax to “any transportation purpose,” create regional transportation SPLOSTs and put both measures on the ballot in 2011.

If elected governor, he said he also plans to seek reauthorization to raise the level of the Buford Dam at Lake Lanier an additional 2 feet, install efficient water fixtures to better conserve water resources and repair leaking pipes carrying treated water to the Chattahoochee River.

Porter’s main goal — and his reason for running for governor — is to improve Georgia’s public education system, he said.

“I have been fighting for education. I fought for national board certified teachers,” Porter said. “I fought for school nurses in the classroom. I fought for small class sizes so teachers can do their job. And that’s the defining issue in this race.”


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