Saturday, Oct. 18, 1pm: No Kings Rally, Emmet Park
Monday, Oct. 20, 7:30pm: Gumbranch City Council meeting
Friday, Oct. 24, 9:30am: Chatham County Board of Commissioners meeting
Saturday, Oct. 25: Walk to End Alzheimer's - #Walk2EndAlz
Monday, Nov. 3, 6pm: Pooler City Council meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 4: VOTE! Municipal and Public Service Commission elections
Thursday, Nov. 6, 7pm: Bloomingdale City Council meeting
Friday, Nov. 7, 9:30am: Chatham County Board of Commissioners meeting
Saturday, Nov. 8, 12 - 7pm: PorchFest, Baldwin Park (Savannah)
Sunday, Nov. 9, 11am - 4pm: Shalom Y'all Food Festival @ Temple Mickve Israel
Monday, Nov. 10, 7pm: Pembroke City Council meeting
Thursday, Dec. 4, 3pm: Hinesville City Council meeting
Upcoming Events
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
I'm listening. I'm always going to listen AND RESPOND to my constituents -- that is, anyone who lives in Georgia State Senate District 1. Your issues aren't labeled Democratic or Republican. If you live in the District, you matter to me!
Therefore, I'm going to set up regular weekly or bi-weekly "Come to the table -- I'm listening" sessions in towns throughout the District starting in January 2026. Let me know your favorite gathering spot and I'll meet you there!
Why I want to work for you
I have marched for the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) in the 1970s; more recently I had the great privilege of attending the Women's March on Washington (January, 2021). But marches seem to have little effect other than to affirm to those marching that they are not alone.
Recently, my Bible class studied Deborah -- the judge, prophet, and military leader. At the end of each chapter of our study guide, the author asked three questions: "What territory can you see... that belongs to the kingdom of God and... is not yet in the hands of God's people?" "Is it worth fighting for?" "What are you going to do about it?"
While you, personally, may be in the hands of God, I hear from you and I see daily that your rights as a working person to live freely, happily, and productively are being eroded bit by bit. Your right to be fairly compensated for your labor, your right to medical and mental health care without going broke or having to travel hours to get that care, your right to work and live safely and in a clean environment, your right to have your voice heard and your vote count as much as your neighbors' votes, your right to hear the truth -- these are all under attack. Yes, it's worth fighting for. And that's why I'm running for Georgia State Senate District 1.
In the 1970s, an economist named Milton Friedman wrote that a corporation's primary responsibility is to maximize profits for its shareholders (many of whom are upper management in those corporations and other wealthy people). So this means companies now feel little responsibility to benefit their customers, care for the safety and job security of their employees, or improve the communities in which they are located.
Since 1978, typical worker pay has increased 24%. So if you earned $28,000/year in 1978, you earn about $35,000/year now. However, in that same time, CEO pay has increased 1,085%! A typical CEO earned $200,000/year in 1978 -- multiply that by 1,085% for today = $2,170,000. BUT, in 2024, the CEO pay at the 100 lowest-paying major US companies averaged $17.2 million; median worker pay averaged $35,570. It would take an average worker 483.5 years to earn as much as a CEO does in one year. And the gap is getting wider every year. Does anyone work 483.5 times as hard as you do? Do you think that's fair? I certainly don't!
Fair pay is not the only issue -- corporations have no loyalty to or feel no responsibility for their workers. The U.S. Dept. of Labor is now slashing workplace safety laws. The new federal budget includes huge cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, which means that rural hospitals and medical centers will soon close in areas they are needed most.
International Paper decided to leave Savannah and Riceboro at very short notice and with little or no provision to help their employees find new jobs, even though our counties and cities had approved bond issues for IP and given IP tax breaks and other incentives to help their business. Our municipalities were good community partners -- IP wasn't.
Your current state legislators -- Senator Ben Watson, Rep. Jesse Petrea, Rep. Ron Stephens, and Rep. Bill Hitchens, sponsored a bill that GAVE Hyundai the right to sell Bryan County's water! While it's great that Gov. Kemp and Bryan County got Hyundai to build their metaplant here, the give-aways and the lack of planning for infrastructure for our community are hurting the residents of Bryan, Chatham, and Liberty counties.
So what do we do now? I'm fighting for you to...
-
increase the minimum wage to a livable wage
-
secure your rights to workplace safety
-
ensure workers and our families have a clean environment in which to work and live
-
require corporations to invest in their workers through training and assistance in finding new jobs as needed
-
require corporations to invest in their community
-
create more jobs
-
training and apprenticeships in the trades
-
jobs addressing environmental health/climate change
-
-
eliminate the "right to work" (for whatever wage the company will pay) laws and encourage labor unions
Working families deserve better than to have your rights taken away -- you have the right to a decent wage, safe working environment, and to negotiate your needs with management.
I'm also fighting for...
-
Expanded voting rights
-
fair redistricting so your vote counts as much as anyone else's
-
reduce increasing harsh restrictions on who may vote
-
-
Affordable housing (e.g., renters' tax credits)
-
Better infrastructure
-
no corporate ownership of water rights
-
clean air and water
-
address flooding issues throughout District 1
-
better planning for traffic/roadway issues
-
expanded public transportation
-
-
Improved reading & math scores in public schools
-
Improved access to medical & mental health care
-
Reproductive autonomy
-
Common sense gun laws to stem gun violence
-
Your civil rights (1st Amendment, LGBTQ+, et al.)