Graves Responds to Collins Win

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The current and new ninth districts converged recently in East Ellijay. During a visit to Pooles’ BBQ Thursday August 23rd, current Ninth District Rep. Tom Graves responded to news of Doug Collins’ victory in Tuesday’s primary runoff. Completing a long and contentious race, Collins soundly won Tuesday’s contest against opponent Martha Zoller, earning the Republican nomination for the new ninth district congressional seat. As such, Collins faces Democratic Candidate Jody Cooley in November, a contest Collins is expected to win.

Graves’ visit this week was an opportunity for voters to see their current ninth district representative once again, while contemplating their likely forthcoming representative. It was an opportunity to see, or compare, perhaps, the old and new ninth district; come January Graves will represent the new 14th District.

Based on the debates of the last few months and a quick peek at their voting records, the two politicians seem like polar opposites, despite the R by their names. On one hand, Rep. Graves was recently given the Club for Growth rating of 100 percent. Introducing Graves at Pooles, Republican Voice Joe McCutcheon noted that by comparison Conservative Florida Senator Marco Rubio received a 93 percent rating and Vice Presidential Pick Paul Ryan 73 percent. These ratings are compiled by analysis of voting record.

Although not yet subject to the Club for Growth rating, Collins has a different record in Georgia Legislature. In his tenure he has voted for the controversial TSPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax), which was rejected by almost every voting region in the state and resulted in a monetary penalty for regions who voted against it. The other recent blotch on his record is his yes-vote for the hospital bed tax (HB 307) and the extension of the hotel/motel tax (HB 903), a funding mechanism for a new Falcons Stadium. If Collins goes to Washington representing the new ninth district, will he be an advocate for taxpayers ala Graves? To this, Graves said the new ninth will hold him accountable.

“I am confident,”

he said,

“for one big reason and that is this district will hold him accountable. If there is one district in the state of Georgia that’s going to hold a congressman accountable, for sure, it’s this new ninth, just on how engaged the district is.”

The comment, though, was more of a compliment for the new ninth district constituents than a vote of confidence in Collins. He added that the constituents will be watching the likely new congressman closely.

“I believe in accountability in a big way,”

he said, adding that he is currently a candidate for the Republican Study Committee Chairman, which he described as the conservative wing or block of the House of Representatives.

“That,”

he said,

“will be the voice that pushes back on the big government Republican spending.”

He also discussed the issue of spending and debt.

“Borrowed money is on ‘autopilot’ right now,”

he said,

“because of mandatory spending.”

He went on to explain if Washington zeroed out spending on every federal agency, the government would still run a deficit. All the federal programs, such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, function on automatic spending triggers driven by formulas. This spending occurs, he said, without the approval of Congress, saying,

“When you reach an age or a station or a condition in life, all of a sudden a trigger in pulled (and) spending occurs.”

He went on to say that Paul Ryan’s budget changes these formulas, cutting the automatic and unapproved spending.

Despite all the gloom and doom of the polls showing Romney and Obama tied or minutely close, Graves seems confident for Romney’s success in November. He argues that the closeness of the polls shows that the incumbent is in trouble. He also noted that Georgia is doing its part to help the Romney campaign, citing the fundraising goal for the state was $13 million and, so far Georgia has already raised over $10 million for the clause.

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