Op Eds
(Published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
When President Obama took office, nearly 3.6 million Americans had lost jobs; millions more were working harder in jobs that paid less with fewer benefits. Nearly $8 billion in wealth was lost in retirement savings and the stock market.
Consumer spending and commercial lending had drastically contracted. Health care and education costs escalated. Bankruptcies, consumer debt and foreclosures were exploding. The economy was on life support. Emergency action was needed.
Just a few short years ago, who would have thought our next president’s name would be Barack Obama? Who would have thought that an African American man born in Hawaii with a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya would become the leader of the free world? President-elect Obama’s story is one that defies all odds. It is a story of overcoming adversity and persevering against doubt. It truly is a story of hope.
The Governors of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama came to Washington last year optimistic that a fair and far-reaching solution could be worked out to bring an end to this “water war.” I, too, was hopeful.
But things have only gotten more complicated since October. A hastily adopted water plan passed by the Georgia General Assembly, a desperate attempt to move the Georgia border with Tennessee up to the 35th parallel, secretive negotiations between the governors, a persistent, damaging drought, and pending litigation between the states all have stood in the way of progress.
It might surprise many Georgians that, despite unprecedented job growth in the Atlanta area over the past 15 years, agriculture is Georgia’s largest industry, and still 1 out of 7 Georgians works in agriculture, forestry, or a related sector, according to the Georgia Farm Bureau. They contribute to the production of staple commodities included in some of our nation’s most commonly-used products. In fact, Georgia leads the nation in peanut, poultry, and pecan production, and is among the top producers of cotton, corn, eggs, and tomatoes.
I support the troops, their families, and those who have sacrificed so much in this war. And, as a member of the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, I am committed to making sure our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan get everything they need -- every dollar, every dime, and every penny. It is the number one priority of the Subcommittee to keep the troops safe, properly equipped, and in a position to return home safely. But, like others who supported the Iraq efforts in the past, I have serious reservations about the President’s new way forward.