Dear Neighbors,

    Every day, it seems, someone somewhere in state government makes a decision that has an impact on our community.  That gives us lots to discuss.

    I’m pleased that neighbors of yours and mine have agreed to host get-togethers all across District 59 so we can have that discussion.  (Come back soon for schedule of Meet & Greets)

    Meeting with you and discussing the issues was the way I asked for your vote last year, by coming to every neighborhood to meet with you and share ideas.  You trusted me with the job of representing you, and I want to continue our person-to-person dialog.

    Important to our discussions are the big issues that bear on the future of our community.  What is your state government doing to support our schools, unlock our traffic tie-ups, clean our air and water, promote jobs and small businesses, expand access to secure health care coverage, make taxes more equitable, encourage affordable housing, and assist local government efforts to fight crime and drugs?  What do we want them to do better or differently?  I want to hear what you think.

    I also want to share with you my experiences as a first-term legislator.  I was fortunate to be assigned to several committees (where most legislative work is actually done) that can make a real difference to our community: Banks and Banking, Education, Health and Human Services, and Industrial Relations.  Working for you in committee I fought against predatory lending and for PeachCare.

    Working in committee has impressed upon me the need to reach out to all my legislative colleagues, irrespective of party, irrespective of geography.  The goal is to get things done for you.  Building on that positive philosophy, I succeeded in passing through both houses of the legislature a bill for teachers and other employees of public charter schools, enabling them to join the state employee insurance system by paying the same premiums state employees do.  The bill is now before Gov. Perdue.

    I also worked to find ways to protect homeowners from an escalating property tax burden that threatens to force lower and moderate income homeowners out of the homes that they spent years buying and improving. 

    These are common sense solutions to problems you or someone you know face every day, problems that can be addressed with little or no cost to taxpayers and small businesses.  I want to hear from you about other similar ways we can improve quality of life in our community.

    Our community has a wealth of talent.  Everywhere I go in our neighborhoods there are folks who have taken on great challenges, ranging from public safety to our kids’ schools to social justice to economic development.  Part of the discussions we can have is for you to hear from me and for me to hear from you, but just as important is for you to share with one another your ideas for progress and your experiences pushing for change.  I hope you will attend one or more of our get-togethers and join in this discussion.

    Sincerely yours,

    Margaret Kaiser

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