Inside a Local Political Campaign (Part 3): Gwinnett County District 3 Commission Seat

The last seven weeks have been eventful to say the least. In that time I’ve met with hundreds of citizens that have expressed concerns on topics such as animal welfare, SDS, airport commercialization, zoning issues, the trash plan and more.

I have campaigned at the New Lawrenceville event and paraded at Grayson Day. I will be at Snellville Days this weekend. I have spoken at several BOC and Citizen Review Committee meetings.  The BOC meetings can be viewed at the Gwinnett County government website. (Here's a clip from the most recent BOC meeting.)

I’ve met with Chuck Warbington with the Gwinnett CID, Nick Masino and Jim Maran with the Chamber of Commerce, Chairman Charlotte Nash of the BOC, several council members from District 3 cities, many HOA board members, my pastor; Kevin Miller from Hebron Church, my campaign team and many more.  Needless to say, very busy times. 

As you can see in the image attached to this blog post, I have received the endorsement of Gwinnett Citizens for Responsible Government.  This is a very significant endorsement as it embodies my vision for ethical government and highlights my dedication to limiting government intrusion.  It can also be seen at my website at www.mikekorom.com.

At last night’s Citizens Review Committee, the panel voted against the expansion and commercialization of Briscoe Field.  The two reports from two aviation consultants, Kinton Aviation Consultants and Boyd Group International, clearly showed an unlikely chance of success given current aviation and economic conditions.  Now let’s see if the BOC heeds the advice of the CRC or if they choose to go their own way. 

Commissioner Beaudreau’s vote will have significant political implications.  If he votes against the CRC recommendation and in favor of expansion/commercialization it will likely be viewed as politics as usual in Gwinnett County. Given the recent history of shady land deals and questionable ethics from our previous commissioners (of which he is the last remaining) I believe a serious backlash will result come the July 31 primary.    

Now let’s take a look at my vision for growth in Gwinnett County.  It comes from what I call the "Learning to Learning 316 Corridor." 

The Technology Association of Georgia recently released a survey showing the impact of Georgia’s technology businesses on the state. The economic impact was $113.1 billion in sales and contributed to 17 percent of Georgia’s Gross Domestic Product. The technology sector contributed to 253,000 jobs for Georgia workers. It’s time to bring more of that sector to Gwinnett County.

The “Learning to Learning 316 Corridor” is what I’m proposing if elected as your next Commissioner for District 3. This will not be another added government layer but a call to action to volunteers in Gwinnett County to improve our standing in the technology sector. This is a proposal of a volunteer committee of Gwinnett’s business leaders as well as representatives from Georgia Tech, Gwinnett Tech, Georgia Gwinnett College and UGA to facilitate technological start-ups and established technology related businesses to relocate to Gwinnett along the 316 Corridor from its start in Duluth to the Barrow County line and hopefully beyond all the way to Athens. With the colleges involved, the hope is to create a learning track with the local high schools that will lead students to a college degree within the S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields. Working with the state and any possible hiring incentives, the plan is that the businesses located within the Corridor will hire these students to create long-term careers and valuable members of the community.

The 39 miles of Highway 316 is where we should attract the best and brightest of the technology world to locate their businesses or start-ups. A much talked about dream of the past should finally be brought to fruition. In doing so, we will create jobs here in Gwinnett and lead the metro Atlanta area for business development.

A couple of very important dates are coming soon.  Thursday, June 14 will be our debate at the Stars and Strikes entertainment center.  On Sunday, June 17 we will be holding a golf tournament fundraiser at The Trophy Club of Apalachee.