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November 18, 2009

Stephens: High-speed rail could bring jobs

Vying for Ninth District congressional seat

By Mark Millican

Ninth District congressional candidate Bill Stephens said the Dalton-Chatsworth metro area would benefit from an Atlanta-to-Chattanooga high-speed rail line.

“I would support funding at the federal level for that,” he said on Wednesday when asked if he would back the transportation project. “I think that’s something that would be good for northwest Georgia. We have a lot of economic problems and a lot of unemployment in northwest Georgia now because of the impact (of the recession) on the carpet industry ... I think high-speed rail would be an innovative way to try to get more development (and) more jobs.”

But Stephens said he would not pursue funding as an “earmark project,” or funding attached to another bill.

“I would want it to go through the regular federal budget,” he explained. “That’s because I’ve taken a pledge not to do earmarks (through the Americans for Prosperity organization) in my campaign, and I also took the Americans for Tax Reform pledge that I didn’t think raising taxes was a good idea.”

In a race crowded with Republicans, Stephens has been quietly making visits to northwest Georgia. Current U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal elected not to run for re-election.

“I’m up there about a day a week, just talking to people,” said the former Republican state senator from Blue Ridge. “I try to see some people in the mornings, and maybe see some activists ... that kind of thing.”

The GOP field is crowded with candidates: Whitfield County Commissioner Mike Cowan, Ringgold businessman Tom Dooley, former state transportation board chairman and ex-state representative Mike Evans of Ellijay, state Rep. Tom Graves of Ranger, state Sen. Lee Hawkins from Gainesville, Bert Loftman of Jasper, businessman Jeremy Jones from Ringgold, state Rep. Bobby Reese of Sugar Hill and Steve Tarvin from Chickamauga.

Marketing executive Eugene Moon of Gainesville is running as an independent. So far no Democrats have announced their intentions to run.

Stephens was asked about Medicare, since some observers have projected the program will be out of money by 2017.

“I don’t support tax increases or the benefit cuts ,” he said. “What I support is the Obama Administration doing what they say they’re going to do, and that is to cut waste and fraud out of that program. They claim that they can cut $500 billion in wasted fraud, so I think they need to have at it.”

Stephens said he would not plan any public appearances in the area until after the holidays.

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