The legal issues surrounding the House District 28 Republican primary have overshadowed other issues in the race.
Now Habersham recently asked candidates Chris Erwin and Dan Gasaway to outline their platforms and qualifications. Here are their answers exactly as they were received:
NH: What do you perceive to be the main issues facing the constituents of HD 28 and what do you intend to do about them if elected?
Erwin: It’s sad that Dan’s multiple lawsuits have cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, but it’s even worse that those lawsuits have caused the people of the 28th District to be unrepresented during this year’s Legislative Session. Right now our community has no voice or vote on important legislation to fund government operations, fix rural hospitals, improve education, and protect our Constitutional rights. And our veterans, law enforcement professionals, small business owners, and taxpayers are without an advocate who can help constituents navigate their government and find solutions for their problems.
Unfortunately for the taxpayers of the 28th District, Dan Gasaway has put his political ambitions over what’s best for our community and the State of Georgia. We are constantly assessing our options, in order to determine what is best for the people of the 28th District.
Gasaway: We need to continue to work to stabilize the economic environment. During the Great Recession, the bank failures in the area caused us to lose more bank lending power, per capita, than any area in the U.S. We need to make sure capital is available to responsible and credit-worthy citizens. Also, we need to keep building on the progress we’ve made in the past four years in economic development. There are examples all over the district of new companies locating in our area, as well as existing companies expanding. With “Move on When Ready”, we’ve created a system that is working well in our area, which allows young people to move on to either technical college or 4-year college to continue improving their skills and knowledge, while finishing their high school diplomas.
The opioid crisis, and the addictions it has created, is having a tremendous negative impact on our citizens, which translates into a negative impact on our workforce. We need to ensure that there are treatment programs available in the area. Additionally, we need to find the best approach to dealing with distributors and fund it appropriately, so that law enforcement/public safety has the necessary resources to do their job. This may require some type of additional state subsidy for rural areas.
Because of the passing of House Bill 170, we are seeing significant transportation upgrades in our area. We need to continue to make sure our transportation infrastructure – roads and bridges – are repaired and updated.
NH: In your opinion, why are you the best candidate for the job?
Erwin: I believe that our community can really improve our economy with fostering an environment to attract better paying jobs. We can achieve this through strategic economic development incentives and investing in workforce training for high demand, well paying jobs. We also have a crucial life-or-death situation with rural healthcare that needs to be addressed immediately to ensure citizens in communities like ours have access to the care we need. Lastly in both Washington DC and Atlanta our values and way of life are under assault by progressive socialist activists. We need someone to fight for us and to protect our values.
Gasaway: The common folks of House District 28 need representation. I am from here 52 years, I have been self-employed for over 20 years. These two facts provide perspective my opponent does not have. I do not think someone that lives in a country club and draws a $10,000 per month retirement check, from the teachers retirement system, can understand the issues that impact the citizens in Georgia House District 28. The average income is much less than $10,000 per month and very few have guaranteed income. I have respect for taxpayer money and that is the #1 reason I am the best candidate.
NH: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Erwin: (no comment)
Gasaway: I have represented the citizens of House District 28 with integrity for the past 6 years. These election issues have taken a tremendous toll on my family. I believe our system of one person, one vote is important enough to fight for. I will say again, I have represented all the citizens with integrity and I believe there is a clear choice between the candidates.
NOTE: Now Habersham has invited both candidates to join us for more in-depth, videotaped interviews. We look forward to sharing more of their views with you in the coming days.
