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July 24, 2012

Tarvin points to business experience

Charles Oliver charlesoliver@daltoncitizen.com

Steve Tarvin started working at Chickamauga textiles mill Crystal Springs for minimum wage in 1970. He worked his way through the company until 1982 when the owner announced plans to close the business. Tarvin and a group bought Crystal Springs. Three years later, he became president and CEO of the 750,000-square-foot mill, which specializes in the commission, bleaching, dying, printing and finishing of textiles.

“I bought a failing business and turned it around and have redirected it three or four times to stay in business,” he said. “Today, I would not be able to do that because of the regulations and the difficulties. And that’s strictly because of the decisions made in Washington and Atlanta.”

Tarvin says that too many elected officials don’t understand the impact that their rules and taxes have on small business owners, whom he describes as the jobs creators in the economy.

“A lot of our legislators, not all of them, have lost touch with their constituents,” he said.

Tarvin said that’s what led him to challenge Rep. Jay Neal for the Republican nomination for state House of Representatives District 2. Redistricting has placed Trichum, Tunnel Hill and Westside in Whitfield County in District 2. No Democrat qualified for that race, so unless an independent qualifies, the winner of the July 31 GOP primary will win the election.

Tarvin, 61, was born, raised and lives in Chickamauga. He attended Gordon Lee High School. Long having an interest in politics, Tarvin has helped with several Republican campaigns. He served on the Chickamauga Board of Education and the Chickamauga City Council and ran for Congress two years ago. He finished third in an eight-person nonpartisan race to fill the unexpired term of Nathan Deal, who stepped down to run for governor. Tarvin then finished third in a six-person Republican primary for a full term in that seat.

Tarvin says other candidates might talk about how to help small business owners but he knows from firsthand experience what small business owners need.

“I know it may not be popular, but we have to reduce the taxes on businesses,” he said. “Every bit of taxes that any business pays is embedded in the price of its product and is paid by people when they purchase that product.”

Tarvin says the state could speed up the depreciation of new equipment and machinery, allowing firms to write off those costs against their taxes more quickly.

“If we want to get business back here in the United States and Georgia and here in northwest Georgia, we need tax reform,” he said.

Tarvin says the state also needs to rein in spending.

“You’ve got to cut across the board,” he said.

Tarvin says state lawmakers try to resist any unconstitutional mandates from the federal government on the state or private industry.

“I can’t say that I would be able to stop them. But I would be very vocal about them,” he said.

Tarvin and his wife, Jennifer, have two children and five grandchildren.

“I think I’ve lived the life of the people in this district. I understand them and share their values, and I think that I can represent them in Atlanta,” he said.

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