John Dashler's Vision for Georgia
"A New Attitude, A New Era"
The Education-Socio-Economic Model
My vision for Georgia is one of focus on change in four major areas: education, poverty (and related social problems that are rooted in poverty), the economy and governance. Ambitious? Out of necessity, yes it is. You see, all of the problems we are experiencing in each of these major areas are inextricably inter-related- you can't address one without addressing the others. (If you have not read or perused Georgia: Where Are We Now, I suggest you do so. Then, you will thoroughly understand the inter-relationship.)
But, "problems" was not the object of my search. I wanted solutions. They began to take shape when I developed the ESE Model (Education-Socio-Economic Model). The model enabled me to see this inter-relationship and serves as the basis of my agenda, which is a road map of specific actions to take Georgia from where we are to where we need to go. It is my vision for Georgia's future.
There are four component parts of my model for Georgia's future. If you want to bypass my overview and link directly to one that is of particular interest to you, click on it now. Just remember, all four ARE inter-related. One cannot be solved unless solutions are in place for all of them.
My vision for Georgia is not one of platitudes. It is a collage of inter-related ideas and specific actions. And, there are many. Reading them, all of them, will give you a complete picture of how I intend to lead Georgia back to our perch as the pre-eminent leader of the South, if not the country. However, reading it will require an hour or so of your time. Therefore, I decided to give you the bottom line of my vision first. To do so, I prepared a speech that I would like to be able to give at some future time. Here it is. Let's fast-forward 6, or so years into the future and hear the report of accomplishments achieved in Georgia for the period 2007-2013:
"Good afternoon, folks. Simply put, Georgia is the best place to live, raise a family, work and do business.
Our K-12 schools are the best in the country. When our kids leave high school it doesn't matter where they go, they succeed. If they go directly into the work force, they succeed. If they go into vocational training, they succeed. If they attend our universities or any of the elite universities in the country, they succeed. And, most importantly, most of Georgia's kids succeed, which wasn't always the case.
We overcame poor graduation rates and can now boast that 95% of our kids earn their high school diplomas! That means 30,000 more of our kids travel one of these paths to successful lives than did several years ago. That means there are 30,000 fewer people supported by our government and 30,000 more positive contributors to their communities!
Our student success can be credited to many factors, but there are three I attribute mostly: teachers, parents and leadership- in education, in communities and in government. The public education transformation story is lengthy, therefore, I'll save it for another time. Suffice it to say this. All resulted from systemic change- unpopular at the time, but necessary. Changes were made that greatly improved performance results, which is proof positive that they were necessary and on target.
Our University System of Georgia is ranked in the top 5 in the country. Our faculties are composed of the best minds in the country. Our student population is diverse, yet it is mostly Georgians. Our advanced degree programs are accessible and cost-free to our most talented minds and most ambitious and committed students. Our HOPE-PLUS scholarship program pays for kids to become doctors, veterinarians, nurses, or remain in school to complete masters in education degrees. All paid by the state, which means there are no student loans for the kids or their parents to re-pay. Graduates of these programs fulfill needs in rural communities where many have planted "roots" and become long-term residents.
But, that's not all. Georgia's adult literacy rates have been dramatically reduced and continue to decline. Soon there will be no such thing as an adult literacy problem in Georgia. How did we do it? Effective public-private partnerships we call "Stay in School Task Forces" were the driving force. Focusing on adult literacy problems and keeping kids in school, they have gotten great results. Breaking the cycle of generations of families that did not complete there high school educations is the most noteworthy accomplishment, because we can now say, "In Georgia, education is important in most families." Need proof?
Georgia has conferred more GED diplomas than any other state. More and more of our GED graduates are advancing to vocational, 2-year certificated and 4-year degree programs than ever before imaginable. All made possible through another expansion of the HOPE Scholarship. We call it the Second Chance HOPE Program!
Speaking of vocational training, we have the best programs money could buy. Our Quick Start program was expanded and is recognized as the best extension program in the nation. The co-diploma programs we instituted partnering high schools and DTAE institutions give access to more kids than ever and do so in the most cost efficient manner possible.
Georgia's population of socio-economically depressed people is in rapid decline. Mostly, we can attribute it to innovation in education. Our "Community Schools" concept worked in towns and cities throughout Georgia that had higher than average poverty rates. Our Georgia Preparatory High School worked. Removing kids from the most impoverished neighborhoods throughout the state and enrolling them in a 24/7 environment has achieved wonders. Lives have been changed. Now there is hope where hope was once just a word. Now there is real opportunity where once there were no ways out. Don't let my words stand as proof to these claims. Let this be your proof. This spring some of the first kids that attended the Georgia Preparatory High School will graduate from college. Many will be teachers. Most have indicated a preference to teach in the communities and neighborhoods where they grew up. They want to return and make a difference. And, they will.
But, changes in our education models were not the only new mechanisms created to target poverty. Our "Fractured Families" initiatives targeted strengthening families. Our "Strong Communities, Strong Georgia" public-private partnerships attacked local issues that contributed to poverty. "Crime Busters", an elite unit within Georgia State Patrol, focused on gangs, illegal drugs and crimes of violence. Georgia's streets, communities and schools are safe. Once again, kids can play in their yards and walk to school.
We didn't accomplish all of this on our own. I already mentioned the role community leaders played, but that wasn't all. We had some great help from Georgia's professional athletes, too. They came together and founded the Georgia Association of Professional Athletes (GAPA). The GAPA focuses on up-close and personal long-term involvement of small teams of athletes in our Community Schools and The Georgia Preparatory High School. They saw an opportunity to make a difference and seized the initiative to do so. Their accomplishments in the arenas of competition make us proud, but not as proud as their accomplishments in Georgia's communities!
So what's the bottom line on poverty and social problems rooted in poverty? Results have been significant. We reduced the number of those impoverished and reversed the trend. The population of the impoverished and the working poor is no longer expanding in Georgia. It is contracting.
Folks, we invested wisely. We invested in people. Innovation works!
But, that's not all.
We invested in brick and mortal and asphalt, too. Our federal highway funds have been wisely utilized. We scrapped I-3 and built I-22. It reduced congestion around Atlanta and made all of Georgia more accessible. Yet, there remain vast natural resources of undisturbed land for fishing, hunting and recreation.
We needed to address Atlanta's mass transit problems, too. And, we did. Instead of squandering money to build inter-city commuter rail systems, we expanded our MARTA rail system into out-lying metropolitan areas. We built a streetcar system in Atlanta that is greatly utilized and pays for itself. But, we didn't build just any old streetcar system. We worked with the manufacturer and designed streetcars powered by battery driven electric motors that are re-charged by quiet, clean and efficient propane gas generators. Air quality and the general quality of life is better in our metropolitan region than in any other city in the country. Once again, business is expanding in Atlanta.
Automobile traffic wasn't our only transportation problem. We knew we needed another major international airport. We threw out the Macon, Gainesville and Chattanooga options. Together with local leadership, we decided to transform Savannah into Georgia's second world-class, international city. We began by designating Savannah as the Technology Zone in the state. The technology industry responded quickly. Working with the US Department of Energy and the petroleum industry, we utilized the site in Pooler that was originally developed for a Mercedes manufacturing plant and built the first oil refinery on the Southeast coast. Then we began construction of Savannah's new international airport that rivals Atlanta's. As we had hoped, each enhanced the other.
Government was another subject of our focus. Georgia's governmental institutions were re-organized. We reduced their size and tailored them to meet needs and deliver services, not squander money or create problems.
All of our initiatives had a price tag. We decided to raise taxes, but it was a tax increase with a "Sunset" provision. And, as we suspected, our investments began to pay off. The cost of government began to decrease. We even rescinded the tax increase before the "Sunset" provision expired. Now, our mixed approach to taxation is fair and, in many instances, the lowest in the country. Everybody pays his fair share. No class of citizen or business is picked-on or gets a free ride. All of these things make Georgia the place to be and do business.
And, that is exactly what happened. As we began to make progress, word traveled quickly. Businesses began calling us. The second wave of businesses choosing Georgia to relocate or expand manufacturing began to take hold. The activity was almost as significant as the first great wave that happened from the mid-eighties through 9/11. And, it continues. We believe our decision to create Industrial Zones, of which we have over 45, made the biggest difference. That effort enabled us to focus our investments developing specific industries in specific regions of Georgia. Combined with our numerous public-private partnerships, Industrial Zone designations helped our strong communities became stronger and helped many communities that weren't previously strong, become strong.
What is the bottom-line of all this? Jobs! Georgia's unemployment rate is at what is considered the institutional level and has been for several years. Our economy is in balance and Georgia is one of the few states that can lay stake to that claim.
How did it all happen? This is what I consider to be the most significant reason. Georgians came together and said, 'Enough is enough.' Partisan bickering was killing us. Throwing more money at problems wasn't solving anything. We needed new ideas and we needed to invest in the ideas that benefited all Georgians, not special interests. Even Georgia's business community realized we are Georgians first and foremost. We adopted a new goal: "If it's good for Georgia, it's our job to figure out how to make it happen." We adopted a new motto, "Georgia: A New Attitude, a New Era". New leaders emerged and came together to solve problems. Partisanship was a thing of the past. One of the greatest accomplishments realized early on, was our solution to the healthcare and Medicaid crisis. Other states attempted to model us, but they didn't have the chemistry among their leadership. Partisan bickering and power politics remains their "Achilles Heel".
Don't get me wrong, we have our differences, but we work them out in a civil and respectful manner. Statesmanship and properly motivated debate is the new order of business.
Folks, let me conclude by saying this. Georgia re-invented itself. We cast off the old models and invented new ones. We applied a real business approach to solve our problems. We capitalized on our strengths. We identified and defined our weaknesses. We set priorities. We realized we couldn't spend our way out of problems. That course of action never works. Therefore, we invested our resources in strengthening weakness and prepared Georgia for growth. The result?
Georgia is the place to live. Georgia is the place to do business. Georgia is the place to visit. Georgia is a "vision" come true. I'm proud to introduce you to the strongest, the most progressive, the most proactive, the most unique and the most pro-business state in the country.
Welcome. Come live, raise your family, grow your business and prosper with us. Thank you."
Folks, when I can confidently state the claims in this speech, Georgia will have been restored to its position as the undisputed leader of the South, if not the country! We will not only beat our competition, we will overwhelm them!
Perhaps now you understand the depth of meaning of one of my campaign slogans, "Georgians, make it about you, not the few!"
But, that's the vision. It will take more than words to make it happen. Following are elements of the plan and the strategy to make it work.
If you prefer to examine specific topics and not read the entire vision for Georgia, just click on those that interest you.
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