Jobs/Economy

Innovation ★ Recruitment ★ Retention ★ Leadership

In order to attract and keep 21st Century jobs, Georgia must have strong, new leadership that will take action to solve our water and transportation crises and transform education to produce a globally competitive work force. These issues are the building blocks of a sound economy.

My commitment to moving our economy forward is real, and I will share in the sacrifice as I do everything in my power as Governor to put people back to work. In fact, I have signed a pledge, given a solemn promise, that I will not accept a paycheck as Governor until we get Georgia's unemployment rate under 7%.

Action Items

As your Governor, I'll work on attracting new industries and good-paying jobs. I'll accomplish this by creating an environment that attracts the businesses of the future: alternative energy production, life sciences technology jobs and more. These are industries that are growing and expanding. The more of these industries we get, the better we'll weather future recessions.

As Governor, I will:

• Get Main Street Hiring Again - I will work with banks to create a public-private partnership that will help Georgia banks restore credit lines and create new business start ups. By breaking the logjam in the small business credit market, we can begin to restore Georgia's prosperity starting with Main Street businesses.
• Create an Innovation Investment Tax Credit - This plan will allow any Georgian who files a state income tax return to be eligible for a tax credit up to $10,000 for a qualified equity investment in a Georgia company engaging in high-tech manufacturing, alternative energy or life sciences.
• Encourage Water Conservation and Energy Efficiency Practices - I'll create conservation tax credits for families and small businesses that will encourage Georgians to purchase and install low flow plumbing, highly efficient heating and cooling systems, drought resistant landscapes, and other sustainable energy measures. In addition, I'll create a culture of conservation in government, directing state agencies to utilize "green technology" to create efficient and innovative conservation programs, and we'll provide technical assistance to local governments and businesses, making Georgia a national model for sensible water conservation and sustainable energy practices.
• Accelerate Infrastructure Investments - I will start on Georgia's water and transportation crises and create new construction and infrastructure management jobs by initiating new construction projects (re-engineering intersections, building new overpasses, raising the level of existing dams) immediately.
• Create a Film and Entertainment Investment Incentive Fund - To attract more film production I will propose new incentives, such as low interest loans for productions over $2 million, in return for equity participation of the state on the productions' profits. Studies show that film production brings increased tourism revenue in the range of $50,000 - $100,000 spent per day on a myriad of expenditures like hotel rooms and revenues from restaurant sales. This common sense approach will create jobs, return money to our general fund and expand local tax revenues by attracting tourism from around the globe.
• Embrace Renewable Energy - I will support the rapid expansion of alternative energy production right here in Georgia. By offering interest-free or low cost loans to Georgia-based biofuel production companies (switch grass ethanol, wood waste fuel and other agricultural and forest byproducts), we can become what some have called the "Saudia Arabia of biofuels" and create an industry that will create high-paying jobs across the state. Georgia can also become a leader in solar and wind energy production. While a recent bill will subsidize the installation of new solar panels and wind turbines, as Governor I want to further expand these incentives for rapid expansion of this industry. As families and businesses begin to invest in this technology, there will be a growing need for installation and maintenance jobs related to wind and solar power.

To get our economy back on track, we must have a Governor who will take action to find solutions to our infrastructure problems and the vision to pursue the jobs of the future. As your Governor, I will provide the leadership and smart economic development incentives to recruit entire industries rather than chasing one company at a time. By being wise stewards of our resources and promoting the assets we have across the state, we can create the jobs we need to move our economy forward again.