Abrams visits area on tour of state
The first
"I am so excited to be back in
Abrams told the crowd that it is time our state has candidates who are interested in more than the metropolitan areas with their large share of votes. Rural Georgians make up about a third of the state's total population.
"I know this is a community that stands up for the values we were raised with," she said. "I had three jobs when I was growing up; go to church, go to school and take care of each other. They told us to go to church because they wanted us to be grounded in a moral framework that is more than ourselves and understand that poverty of economy does not mean poverty of the spirit. They wanted us to know who we are and whose we are, but also to know that my faith did not justify me in discriminating against anyone else and that I should never use my faith to harm communities or to dismiss other people's faiths. There was no reason to use what was in my heart to hurt others."
Abrams talked about her support of public education, about how her mother was the only one of her seven siblings to finish high school, but graduated as the valedictorian. She talked about her father's struggle with dyslexia.
"I know firsthand that public education saved my family's life and I will do anything in my power to defend it, improve it and strengthen it for all of
As a legislator she says she has fought to protect PreK funding, the HOPE Scholarship and for access to technical colleges. She has been endorsed by the
At the same time, she appreciates the need to bolster the state's economy in all 159 counties.
She has been a small business owner and understands how hard it is to make payroll and pay for healthcare coverage for her employees.
"I want us to invest in the 5,000 small businesses so they can each create 10 new good-paying jobs right here at home," she said. "Homegrown small businesses are the backbone of our economy and they deserve the same respect we give to big companies."
Abrams talked about her family and growing up in
"My dad would point out that having nothing is not an excuse for doing nothing," Abrams said. "They wanted us to know we should work our hands to lift up everyone. No matter how little we had, there were those with less and it was our job to serve them."
As a legislator, Abrams said she learned quickly how important it is for our leaders to be able to work across the aisle with both republicans and democrats to ensure the government works for the people and not itself.
Abrams said that if elected, her first act will be the expansion of Medicaid.
"For the life of me I don't understand why they are so mean and so cheap and refuse to take the
Abrams explained that her plans will not only cover healthcare, but help create 56,000 jobs by creating a statewide network of mental health and substance abuse treatment providers. She talked about her brother, Walter, a recovering heroine addict, and why these issues are so important to her.
"I am running to be the governor of all those
Abrams is running against
Q&A with
Q: First of all, tell me about how you chose to include
A: I am running to be a governor who helps families in every part of the state have the freedom and opportunity to thrive. That means visiting all of
Q: I know the bus tour was designed to introduce you and educate these areas on your candidacy, but tell me if during your trip you learned anything new about the areas you visited and citizens there. What were the primary concerns you heard echoed from community to community?
A: Since I kicked off my campaign in
Q: You spoke about wanting to be the governor who represents all of
A: Support for rural communities will be critical as we seek to build a
Q: You talk about being a proponent and supporter of public education. Tell us how so. What are the biggest threats to public education right now in our state and how can the governor's office support both the teachers/administrators and provide our students with the best preparation for their careers and/or post secondary education?
A: I am not just running to be the "Education Governor." I am running to be the "Public Education Governor." I am the only candidate, democrat or republican, who has consistently championed public education. I vocally opposed the deeply unpopular
Q: The political divisions in our state and country seem to be as wide as ever and we have seen how they gridlock government so that necessary bills (even some with near universal support) cannot pass without riders and consequences that the original writer never intended. I understand that you have a reputation for being able to reach across the aisle. Tell us about how important you feel this is and what you see as the answer to bringing all of our representatives back to a place where they can be more effective in representing the best interests of our state and country.
A: As House Democratic Leader, I worked across the aisle to find solutions for
As governor, I will work with everyone in the legislature to build a
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