Jackson shares personal story and outlines priorities on taxes, education, healthcare, agriculture and rural Georgia
BAXLEY, Ga. — Around 100 people from Jeff Davis, Appling, Bacon and surrounding areas gathered in Baxley Thursday morning to hear from Republican nominee for Georgia governor Rick Jackson, who used the appearance to share his personal story and outline several of the priorities he says he would pursue if elected in November.
Hazlehurst Now attended the Tri-County Breakfast held at Sarah’s in the City. According to the event announcement, the gathering brought together supporters from Appling, Bacon and Jeff Davis counties and was hosted by a committee that included business and elected leaders from the three-county area.
Jackson is facing Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms in the Nov. 3 general election.
Jackson devoted the opening portion of his remarks to his childhood and how those experiences shaped his outlook. He told those attending that his father left when he was an infant and that his mother, who had a sixth-grade education, struggled with alcoholism. Jackson described an unstable childhood that eventually led him into Georgia’s foster-care system.
He said he attended eight elementary schools and five high schools before graduating from Greater Atlanta Christian School. After briefly attending college, he entered the workforce and eventually began his own business.
Jackson told the audience that he has owned businesses since he was 21 and later built a healthcare enterprise that now operates nationwide. His campaign identifies him as the founder of Jackson Healthcare and says the company generates more than $3 billion in annual revenue. (Rick Jackson for Governor)
Jackson repeatedly returned to his foster-care experience throughout Thursday’s speech, saying it has influenced both his charitable work and his involvement in state policy. He discussed his work supporting foster children and the Fostering Success Act, a Georgia tax-credit program designed to assist young people aging out of foster care.
Taxes were among the first policy issues Jackson addressed. He told the Baxley audience that he wants to cut Georgia’s state income tax by 50 percent during his first term.
Jackson also discussed property taxes, saying he wants to change the relationship between rising property assessments and the amount homeowners pay. He said local governments should establish their budgets based on spending needs rather than automatically benefiting from increasing property values.
His campaign has made tax reduction and affordability central parts of its platform, including a pledge to cut the income tax in half within four years. (Rick Jackson for Governor) Because property taxes are levied primarily by local governments and school systems, accomplishing significant statewide changes would involve state law and potentially action by the General Assembly.
Literacy is a major education priority. Education — particularly childhood literacy — was another major part of Jackson’s remarks. Jackson pointed to Mississippi’s literacy reforms as a model he believes Georgia can learn from. He advocated a greater emphasis on phonics-based reading instruction and stronger accountability for ensuring children are reading proficiently in the early grades. He told the audience that improving literacy would become a statewide priority under his administration. Jackson’s campaign platform similarly calls for making Georgia a national leader in childhood literacy and expanding career pathways for students. (Rick Jackson for Governor)
Jackson, whose business career has been centered in healthcare, spent considerable time discussing changes he would like to make to Georgia’s healthcare system. He described his approach as “intelligent Medicaid expansion,” saying he favors obtaining federal waivers that would allow Georgia to expand access while connecting some able-bodied recipients with education, job training and employment opportunities.
Jackson also advocated greater use of technology to allow patients easier access to their medical information and criticized insurance practices that he says interfere with physicians’ treatment decisions. His campaign recently released additional details of the healthcare proposal, although some elements would depend on negotiations with the federal government and action by the Georgia General Assembly. (AJC Feeds)
For the Southeast Georgia audience, Jackson placed particular emphasis on agriculture and economic development in rural communities. He described agriculture as Georgia’s largest industry and said he believes the state can do more to strengthen agricultural processing, storage and supply chains. Jackson said investments in processing facilities, sawmills, cold storage and other agricultural infrastructure could help producers while keeping more economic activity within Georgia.
He also discussed creating what he called “micro tech centers” in rural communities. His proposal would use broadband connectivity and workforce training to prepare residents for technology-related jobs without requiring them to relocate to metro Atlanta. “You will not be forgotten,” Jackson told the rural Georgia audience.
Jackson also addressed government regulations and business development. Jackson said he would approach state government using many of the management principles he has used in business. He pledged to direct state departments to identify regulations that could be eliminated and said he wants to streamline permitting and other government processes that he believes increase costs and delay development.
Jackson also said he would personally take an active role in recruiting businesses to Georgia while placing greater emphasis on helping existing Georgia businesses and entrepreneurs obtain capital and expand.
His published campaign platform similarly calls for auditing government programs, eliminating programs deemed ineffective and developing capital programs for startup and growing Georgia businesses. (Rick Jackson for Governor)
Jackson also addressed law enforcement and public safety, telling the audience that he believes enforcing laws and ensuring consequences for criminal activity are essential to reducing crime. His campaign platform includes proposals focused on law enforcement, criminal justice and public safety. (Rick Jackson for Governor)
Jackson closed his remarks by focusing on the general election and urging supporters not to assume the outcome is predetermined. He acknowledged that Georgia remains politically competitive and stressed the importance of turnout, particularly in rural communities. Those comments were part of Jackson’s campaign appeal to supporters at Thursday’s event.
The Baxley breakfast gave voters in this part of Southeast Georgia an opportunity to hear directly from one of the two major-party candidates seeking to become Georgia’s next governor.
