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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Statement from Doug MacGinnitie on Secretary of State Security Breech

Last night’s Fox 5 investigative report by Dale Russell was disturbing. I watched as the news reporter showed how to easily hack into corporate records at the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. As a businessman, who knows how hard it is to start up a business, I find this totally unacceptable.

At a time where Georgia can’t afford to impede job growth and job creation, we learn that the Secretary of State’s office has a major security breech when it comes to protecting the identity of the 700,000 Georgia business owners on file with the office. This not only affects small business owners already operating in Georgia, putting them at risk of identity theft, but it also affects prospective businesses looking to set up shop in our state. The current Secretary of State has let our business owners down and quite frankly should be embarrassed.

In the business world, technology has to pass two tests: functionality and security. Anytime you are dealing with an individuals’ personal, financial or business data, security should always be first. What we have here is not a minor technology glitch, but rather a major gap in priorities. When the incumbent spends time away from his desk on midday campaign fundraisers and golf outings, it is no surprise criminals view our Georgia business owners as a weak target for identity theft.

The Secretary of State’s office is a $35 million, 300 person executive office. If this debacle had occurred in the private sector, we would be facing a major lawsuit at best and shareholders would be looking for a new CEO. Georgia’s taxpayers and business owners deserve better.

As Secretary of State, my priority will be to protect our business owners, keep their confidential information safe and secure and at a minimum show up to work and do what the taxpayers pay me to do.

Respectfully,
Doug MacGinnitie
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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Superintendent Kathy Cox Qualifies for Re-Election

Superintendent Kathy Cox officially qualified to run for re-election as Georgia’s Superintendent of Schools.

“I am very excited with the opportunity to continue to serve the children our great state for the next four years.” Superintendent Cox stated. “I am honored by the support I have received over the past eight years as the Superintendent and look forward to continuing to campaign throughout Georgia over the coming months. Thanks to the dedication of our teachers, students and parents we have made marked progress statewide and they inspire me daily to stay focused on our mission of improving student achievement.”

Kathy is currently finishing her second term as Georgia’s State School Superintendent. During her tenure, Kathy has visited over 700 schools and every school system in Georgia. She started her public service as an award winning classroom teacher and has also previously served two terms in the Georgia State House of Representatives. She and her husband live in Peachtree City and are the proud parents of two sons, John, 19, and Alex, 16. The Cox family remains active in the community and attends Peachtree City United Methodist Church.

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Thursday, May 6, 2010

Deal vows to eliminate state 'marriage penalty' tax

Republican candidate for governor Nathan Deal announced today that he would eliminate the "marriage penalty" in the state's income tax system in order to stress the state's commitment to helping Georgia families.

"Marriage is the cornerstone of our families, and I want to commit my administration as governor to creating jobs and ensuring a better future for Georgia's families," Deal said. "Strong families benefit our communities, and our state policies should always seek to promote marriage rather than see it as a chance to take a few more dollars for the treasury."

Under Georgia tax law, a single filer claims a $2,300 standard deduction, but a married couple filing jointly can claim only a $3,000 standard deduction. Under Deal's plan, a married couple would be able to claim the same deduction per person as two single taxpayers: $4,600. To illustrate the point, if a married couple earns $50,000 total, their tax liability would equal $2,236. If two single filers each earned $25,000, equaling the same $50,000 in total, their tax liability would equal $2,020. The difference in tax liability results in a $216 "marriage penalty."

"As governor, I want to make sure business leaders know that Georgia is a great place to locate - that's a big part of how we bring high-paying jobs here," Deal said. "But it's just as important for our state to be a great place for families, with a low cost of living, high quality of life, low taxes, efficient transportation and great schools. Targeting the state marriage tax penalty for elimination sends the message that we're a state that prioritizes family values. We send the wrong message by penalizing Georgians for being married, and we can right that wrong."

The repeal of the Georgia marriage penalty is the second plank of the Deal tax reform plan. Two weeks ago, Deal released his plan to attract jobs by reducing the corporate tax to 4 percent from 6 percent. Next, the Deal for Governor campaign will release its broader economic reform plan.

Nathan Deal has championed tax relief for Americans throughout his career in public service and voted against every tax increase and for every tax cut that came to a vote in Congress. His proven record as a tax-cutter has won him top ratings from the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Tax Reform, Club for Growth, Americans For Prosperity and the American Conservative Union.

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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Sam Olens Receives Prestigious "Glass Ceiling Award"

Sam Olens has been awarded the 2010 “Glass Ceiling Award” by Cobb Executive Women. He was surprised by the award at the Monday monthly breakfast of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

In speaking of the award, now its 20th year, Faye DiMassimo, Cobb Department of Transportation said, “Sam Olens has been a tremendous advocate for women in the workplace and in identifying avenues to leadership while offering coaching and mentoring that enable many to reach success.”

“I am very honored by this award and am proud of the diversity at every level of Cobb County government,” said Olens.

Cobb Executive Women was formed in 1984 and is dedicated to the promotion and encouragement of women in executive leadership.

Olens resigned in April as Chairman of the Cobb County Commission and is currently a full time candidate for Georgia Attorney General.

A full list of supporters, endorsements and news can be found at http://www.olensforag.com