Gubernatorial

candidate Linda Schrenko and state Rep. Kathy Cox of Peachtree City spoke

to a smaller-than-usual group of Fayette County Republicans Saturday.

The light turnout

was attributed to the funeral of local leader Tom Farr and the shift of

dates due to the July 4 holiday. The monthly breakfast will return to

its normal first Saturday slot in August.

Schrenko covered

a lot of ground in a short timespan, focusing on her qualifications, the

reasons she chose to run, her campaign issues and the things she intends

to do if elected.

She stated

that she had a proven track record, successfully running a $7 billion

department with a surplus in each year of her tenure as state school superintendent.

She shared that she had cut 60 percent of the waste in her department

without decreasing effectiveness.

She noted that

she was proud to have her name associated with a bill enacted as a result

of the downsizing she did during her first year as school superintendent.

A law was passed, called "Linda's Law," which requires that

anytime a cut is made of more than three people in a department, permission

must be gained from the Speaker of the House.

Schrenko talked

about the "good ol' boy" system, saying she was not referring

to men but the system of kickbacks and paybacks. She noted that while

Fayette County couldn't get money for a technical school, another small

town of 40 in Georgia was able to get $250,000 for a study to see if it

needed a cultural arts center.

She rolled

off statistics, catching the attention of the crowd with her statement

that Georgia ranks as the 9th most corrupt state in the country. When

questioned regarding that statistic, she explained that it was not based

on legal cases, but on a study of ethics laws and rules governing legal

and elected officials.

She quipped

at one point that if the voters "hire me to clean the House, I'll

clean the Senate for free."

In closing,

she said that if she was successful in winning the primary, voters should

"get ready to read [that] I will have done everything." Clearly

expected negatives from Gov. Roy Barnes, she stated that she expects "so

many investigations, I'll probably find out I've murdered my mother and

just don't know it yet."

Cox, a regular

at the Fayette Republican breakfasts, was asked to speak regarding her

race for state school superintendent when Steve Stancil, a candidate for

lieutenant governor, was unable to attend. She was clear in her belief

that "real change doesn't start at the top, it starts at the local

level."

She reviewed

the changes that have occurred in Fayette County which have led to the

county's high-ranking educational system. Referring to Barnes' 191-page

education bill, she said that while "there must be help from the

top," one size doesn't fit all, and it takes a local commitment.

Cox keyed in

on her experience as a facilitator, saying she intended to bring those

who had found solutions together with those experiencing similar problems.

Asked about vouchers, she said it would be her job to "make the school

system better so [parents] don't want to use vouchers."

The Fayette

County Republican Breakfast meets the first Saturday of each month at

8:30 a.m. at the International House of Pancakes in Fayetteville. Meetings

are open to the public and reservations are not required.