Fayette-Coweta State Sen. Mitch

Seabaugh has big plans for his second year in office as the 2002 legislative

session begins next week.

He wants to dedicate all tax

revenues from motor vehicle fuel sales to road improvements, although

a large chunk of those funds currently go right into the general fund

for other projects. He also wants to put strict limits on the growth of

state government.

And he hopes to convince his

fellow legislators that each Georgia taxpayer deserves a $100 tax break

from the projected $1 billion surplus from this year's budget.

In 1991, the state received

7 billion in revenues, but that more than doubled to 15 billion in 2001,

Seabaugh said. Such dramatic growth in state government should be bridled,

and one way is to issue refunds to taxpayers, Seabaugh argues.

"We don't have any revenue

problems," Seabaugh said. "We only have a spending problem in

this state."

Seabaugh said he thinks the

state should focus its spending initiatives on its three most important

services: education, transportation and public safety.

"Those are the three primary

areas that affect people's everyday lives," Seabaugh said.

Part of Seabaugh's education

plan includes a proposal to give a pay increase to teachers with more

than 19 years of experience. Those teachers would get an extra step on

the salary scale under his proposal.

Seabaugh also wants to attract

quality teachers to at-risk schools by offering one and a half year's

credit in the teacher retirement system for each year a teacher works

at an at-risk school.

"We want to attract quality

teachers to go to at-risk schools and help turn them around," Seabaugh

said.

He noted that the governor's

education reform plan will penalize at-risk schools that don't meet dramatic

improvement guidelines each year.

"I'm saying we need resources,

not necessarily money," Seabaugh added.

For public safety, Seabaugh

wants to see the state fund a communications system that would allow law

enforcement personnel to communicate directly with emergency medical and

fire personnel.

"Now to do that, they

have to either talk on the radio through dispatchers or call on their

cell phone," Seabaugh said, noting that everyone is more aware of

law enforcement needs after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

Seabaugh also wants to tap

into the state's budget surplus to provide $75 million in funds for road

improvements. He argues that many Georgia counties are hurting and have

roads in need of repair.

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