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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2008 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Kathryn Ballou, (404) 558-4905 John Oxendine: Working For Traditional Georgia Values Faith, family, and freedom. Ronald Reagan built the greatest coalition in the history of the world based on these three principles. He reminded us that the United States of America is a nation whose people own the government - not the other way around. This is what makes us so special among all the nations of the earth. Our government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government, which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.
Ronald Reagan was motivated by a political philosophy which sees the greatness of America in people, families, churches, neighborhoods, communities - the institutions that foster and nourish values and respect for the rule of law under God.
Our Founding Fathers separated church from state, but they did not separate God from state; they acknowledged God as the source of our rights. America was founded on the Judeo-Christian philosophy based in the Bible and the Torah. It is Judeo-Christian morality that keeps America free, defines our values and defines us as patriots. God is the foundation of America. Together, we can bring Georgia back to its Judeo-Christian roots and to the traditional values that made Georgia great. A John Oxendine administration will support doctrines of traditional Judeo-Christian values which protect the family, lower taxes, ensure limited government, more entrepreneurship, more private sector job creation, and a strong state defense security force. Many of the problems that Georgia now faces originate from the fact that liberals on the secular left have made it more difficult for Georgians to practice those traditional religious and moral values that have made our state great. My pledge is to always recognize that respect for religion and morality are vital to a strong, healthy, prosperous, and safe Georgia. My administration will be serious about finding solutions to our problems and bringing real change in our approach to government. PRO-LIFE Georgia:
Life is a precious gift from our Creator. Abortion is the taking of that precious gift, an innocent life. As Governor, I will oppose abortion at any point of gestation. In those rare cases where the life of the mother is endangered by a continuation of the pregnancy, sound medical practice would dictate that every effort should be made to save both lives.
Adoption is one viable, positive solution for those individuals or couples unwilling or unable to care for their child. Government should support policies that facilitate the adoption process, thus making it easier to place children with eligible couples. As Governor, I will promote and reinforce policies to this effect. Our support for life should be supplemented by an amendment to the Georgia Constitution proclaiming a “paramount right to life.” My administration will back the bi-partisan House Resolution 536 which seeks to proclaim in our constitution that “the right to life is the paramount and most fundamental right of a person.” As Governor, I will promote the passage of this resolution as well as an Advanced Directive law, the Georgia Abortion Complication Reporting Act, and a Human Cloning Ban. My administration will oppose all forms of research where living human embryos are destroyed. We must further strengthen our pro-life principles by ensuring that tax dollars would never be allowed to fund abortions, abortion research, or any activities which would encourage abortion including those carried out by our school based clinics. Not only must we remain vigilant for the lives of the unborn, but we must also seek ways to protect the lives of our citizens who are no longer able to protect themselves. As Governor, my administration will support the Human Dignity Act, also known as the Georgia Starvation and Dehydration of Persons with Disabilities Prevention Act.
The Second Amendment – A Fundamental Right for All Georgia:
The Supreme Court’s ruling on District of Columbia v. Heller is a clear indication that we should never take our constitutional rights for granted. The high court affirmed, by only a one vote margin, what a vast majority of Georgians already know: the Second Amendment guarantees our citizens the right to keep and bear arms. We must be vigilant in defending this right. As Governor, I will steadfastly support and defend the Second Amendment rights of Georgia citizens. Programs such as, the national firearms registration and the assault weapons ban, are nothing more than infringements on these rights.
I am a Life Member, and support the programs, of the National Rifle Association (NRA), the Georgia Sport Shooting Association, the NRA’s state affiliate, and a National Liberty Sponsor of Friends of the NRA.
Fair Tax Georgia: A John Oxendine administration will stand with Congressman John Linder and Neal Boortz and provide leadership in supporting the Fair Tax. The failure of the U.S. Congress to follow the outstanding leadership of Congressman Linder should not deter us in our efforts to enact this reform.
As Governor, I will call upon the states to join together in a Constitutional Convention to demand that Congress adopt the Fair Tax. My administration will invite the nation’s Governors to meet and draft a plan to implement legislation in every state to adopt the Fair Tax.
No New Taxes Georgia:
I have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge from Americans for Tax Reform. It states: “I, John Oxendine, pledge to the taxpayers of Georgia, and all the people of this State, that I will oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes.” Unlike many states across America, whose state legislatures are battling over which taxes to increase and by what rate to increase spending, Georgia is debating which type of tax cut to enact. That is a positive for our state. It must continue. Each dollar that is not in the hands of government and is back in the hands of taxpayers is another dollar in productive use. Tax cuts are pro growth, pro economic development, pro business, and pro jobs and an Oxendine administration will work on additional tax cuts and will cut spending. According to Americans for Tax Reform Foundation’s Cost of Government Day Report, Georgia taxpayers worked 184 days in 2007 to pay for their share of government spending and regulation. An Oxendine administration will work to reduce that burden on Georgia taxpayers. Parental Rights – Right for Georgia:
As a parent, I understand that both the responsibility and authority for raising children rest primarily with biological or adoptive parents. My administration will work to ensure government continues to empower parents with the control and aid necessary for the positive upbringing of their children and minimize its interference with the exercise of parental authority, except in cases of demonstrable abuse or neglect. Public policy should protect the right and maximize the power of parents to choose the form of education they wish for their children, be it public schools, secular or religious, private schools, or home schooling. Public schools should avoid undermining parental authority or interfering with transmission of parental values to their children. Medical procedures should not be performed on minors without parental consent, except in cases of medical emergency or public health necessity.
REAL ID – A REAL Bad Idea for Georgia: A John Oxendine administration will oppose efforts by the Federal Government to impose the Real ID Act on Georgia citizens.
Already, 17 states have indicated they would either refuse to issue the new licenses or have asked Congress to repeal the 2005 law that required states to collect and store additional data on driver’s license applicants. My administration will defend the rights of Georgians to travel – regardless of what any Washington, D.C. bureaucrat threatens.
Traditional Marriage – A Georgia Value:
A John Oxendine administration will support marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman as husband and wife. Any attempt to join two men or two women in "marriage" constitutes a redefinition and falsification of the institution.
Religious Liberty – Freedom for Georgia:
A John Oxendine administration will support religious liberty for all people regardless of their faith, but will not accept that minority religions are entitled to greater protection than members of the country's majority Judeo-Christian faiths. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from interfering with a person's practice of his or her religion.
My administration will oppose any actions by the Federal or state legislature to curb our freedom of religion. We must also oppose the forced privatization of faith, which would strip all religious expression from the public square. A John Oxendine administration will protect the public display of all religious references and symbols, including those on public buildings, lands, and documents. Also, faith-based organizations providing social services to the community should have access to government funding on the same basis as secular non-profit groups, without being asked to give up the religious character of their programs or staff.
Prayer – A Georgia Tradition:
A John Oxendine administration will strongly support the First Amendment to the Constitution, which begins, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof....” Our Founders' intention was clear--that Congress should not name an official national church or denomination. However, they did not intend a "wall of separation" between all expressions of faith in God and all aspects of public life. Government has no obligation to ignore or deny, and has every right to acknowledge, the United States was founded, primarily, by Christians, and that our laws and government are rooted in a Judeo-Christian worldview. Citizens, churches, private organizations, and public officials have every right to proclaim their faith in public settings. An Oxendine administration will support prayer in schools and prayer at school sporting events.
English - The Official Language for Georgia:
English as the official language of our state is essential and beneficial for Georgia and its citizens. The English language unites Americans, who speak more than 322 languages, by providing a common means of communication; an official language encourages immigrants to learn English in order to become productive members of society. As Governor, my administration will support legislation such as Senate Bill 35 and House Bill 21 to strengthen our existing laws regarding English as our official language. The Oxendine Promise to Georgia: The problem for Georgia is taxpayers have paid the price for certain people playing politics as opposed to offering real leadership.
At the end of the Session, Georgians still have no tax cuts, are still stuck in traffic, still have no new economic development projects, and still trail other states on school test scores.
My message to Georgia taxpayers: help is on the way and change is coming.
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