Till We Meet Again

Congratulations to Ron Forster for retaining the District 3 State House seat.

This campaign has been a wonderful experience for me personally. I have learned so much during these last six months. This is a win. Whether I run again or find myself in the support crowd, the knowledge and experience I have gained will be a benefit both to me and to the community.

I hope that my efforts during this campaign will hold the incumbent to a higher standard in the coming legislative session. I challenged how he weakened the smoking ban, elimating protection of children in cars as a favor to his big supporter Phillip Morris Tobacco. I pointed out the conflict of interest in stopping patients from suing doctors and pharmaceutical companies while taking thousands of dollars in contributions from those parties. I told people how he had received the great dishonor of being labeled by Sierra Club as one of the 13 worst officials in the entire state for our environment, preferring to let the big businesses that so lavishly support his campaign reign free, unfettered by the requirement to clean up their own messes. One hopes that Ron Forster was paying attention, and that he will consider his steps more carefully in the coming legislative session. He must realize that legislators are being scrutinized more closely on the national level, and that the days of unquestioned Republican domination are numbered even here in Georgia.

It is my sincere hope that my campaign has had a positive effect on the community as well. I hope that other people, especially women, will be inspired and be willing to step out. The majority of voters are women, yet we are grossly underrepresented in our own government, with 85% of all elected officials being male. Women need to take a more active role in government. We all do. Whenever there are two names (or more!) on the ballot, we have a small victory. Without two names, we have no democracy at all.

It is not an easy thing to "put yourself out there" as people say. There is no other phrase to describe what it is like when you put your name on the ballot. Your private life is gone. Anonymity is gone. Even the general courtesy practiced toward women in the South, is gone.

People will say and do all sorts of things, when you run for office. If you run on the Democratic ticket, you will be called a "librul baby killer" even if you can list the babies you have saved by name, and even if you have so many children people ask if you're Catholic. People will judge you by the color of your sign, the decorations on your parade float, the way you write your name -- and virtually ignore the issues you've grown hoarse discussing. And in the end, too many people will look only at the "D" or "R" beside each candidate's name.

But there are good moments, too. I've met so many wonderful people on the campaign trail. It was exciting to meet important state officials, but I'm much more thrilled about the people I've met in my own backyard: school teachers, senior citizens, the adoptive parents of special needs kids, business leaders, mechanics, farmers, waitresses. These are the people who make District 3 a wonderful place to live.

I have grown to love this community more than ever, and I look forward to serving the people who live here in whatever way God leads me.

Sincerely,

Jeannie Babb Taylor


Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

The Mom Plan

As we enter the home stretch, I'd like to reiterate my plans for this office. Some of the most critical issues facing Georgia right now are health care, education and our economy. I have a specific plan to address each of these areas.

Affordable Health Care
* Close the working class insurance gap
* Insure all of Georgia’s children
* Offer affordable health insurance for businesses and individuals
* Hold insurance companies accountable

We need to provide health care for Georgia's poorest children so they don't end up in the Emergency Room next time they catch Strep. Preventive and basic health care save the state (and taxpayers!) money in the long run. It's good children and it's good for taxpayers.

We also want to reward, not punish, those who work. Allowing businesses to participate in PeachCare helps small companies, which currently struggle to provide insurance benefits. When they can provide benefits, small companies have a more level playing field to compete for good workers. 70% of the uninsured are full-time working families. Providing health care coverage through employers is good for families, good for small businesses, and good for Georgia's economy.

Quality Education
* Restore 1.25 billion cut from state education funds
* Protect HOPE from further raiding
* Increase the graduation rate

Our schools are in crisis due to unfunded mandates and bloated class rooms. Our class room sizes have not been decreased, although it is on the Sonny Do or Sonny Did list every election. Our graduation rate is #49 in the nation, with about 1/3 of Georgia students dropping out. In Catoosa, the figure is 30%.

I will fight to restore state education funds, bringing $8 million back to Catoosa County Schools and $16 million back to Whitfield and Dalton City Schools. Graduation is the first step toward a successful life, while lack of education contributes heavily to poverty and incarceration. Fully funding education and raising our graduation rate are crucial to our future. It's good for students, good for tax payers, and good for Georgia's economy.

Economic Growth
* Raise minimum wage to $7.25
* Create and protect jobs
* Support small and locally-owned business
* Relieve middle class tax burden

Small businesses are the backbone of Georgia's economy. It is primarily through these locally-owned enterprises that we will see job growth, increase our corporate tax base, and provide economic stability.

Currently Georgia's tax brackets are flat, with blue collar workers paying the same percentage income tax as millionaires. Minimum wage has not been raised in nearly ten years, while the cost of living soars. Increasing minimum wage and relieving the middle class tax burden both boost the economy by putting money into the hands of people who spend it in the local marketplace. These measures are good for business, good for workers, and good for Georgia’s tax payers.

None of these changes can be carried out without your help! Please come out to the polls tomorrow and "Vote for Mom," Jeannie Babb Taylor, for Georgia House of Representatives. A close election is predicted, so every vote is crucial!

Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

Minimum Wage and New York Pizza Deli

In a recent letter to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Rossville resident Alan Painter wrote: " . . .Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and the Georgia Democrats announced that they are trying to put me out of business by wanting to raise the minimum wage. Catoosa’s House candidate Mrs. Jeannie Babb Taylor is requesting $7.25, and so far Walker’s House candidate, Mrs. Sadie Morgan, has been silent on how much more she wants from me. Before he became Georgia’s governor, Dr. Sonny Perdue was a veterinarian (aka small business owner). He will get my vote because we see eye to eye on how to run government like a business. If the Techwood Group LLC or the New York Pizza Deli LLC ever goes from a micro to small business, you can bet a Democrat will be waiting to see how much more in taxes he can get out of this "New American" working family."

Notes:

1. Alan Painter presents himself as a business owner but does not disclose that he is also Rossville's Regional Director of the GA 9th District Republican Party. Nor does he disclose that he works for my opponent's campaign.

2. As a micro-business (fewer than 6 employees), Painter's pizza joint is exempt from minimum wage laws.

3. Even if the business grows, pizza delivery drivers and waitresses are exempt from Georgia's minimum wage law.

As you can see, the claim that I am threatening to put this poor Republican out of business is nothing short of a lie. My proposed legislation does not even affect him.

Minimum wage laws do not close small businesses because small businesses like Painter's are exempt. Neither do minimum wage raises cause inflation as some claim. Studies show that raising the minimum wage leads to economic growth, because it puts dollars into the hands of people who immediately spend that money for things they need or want. You might say that increasing minimum wage takes some money that high-profit firms normally horde by exploiting unskilled workers, and infuses that money into the economy. That's a good thing for Georgia's economy, and it's a good thing for Georgia's minimum wage workers.

I have found that anti-minimum wage folks make two opposing claims:
1. Minimum wage increases put companies out of business and employees out of work.
2. Nobody really works for minimum wage anyway.

If nobody really works for minimum wage, then I don't see why any company should oppose increasing the minimum! The fact is that 200,000 Georgians work for minimum wage and many of them live in poverty. Most companies pay more ($7, not $5, seems to be the market-established starting wage for an unskilled worker), but obviously some businesses are still hiring people at below-poverty wages, or else we would not be having this discussion.

Minimum wage workers are predominantly female. They are mostly adults, not teenagers. They typically support at least one child, often alone. They are frequently limited to less than 30 hours, in order to keep them from earning benefits. Minimum wage has not been raised in nearly a decade, although the cost of living has increased every year. As a result, working full time for minimum wage places a parent of even one child far below poverty level.

Raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do. For common sense and compassion in Georgia's government, "Vote for Mom."


Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

Whitfield County Tax AND Cut

As an amendment to my last post: The state education de-funding totals over $16 million for Whitfield County, with over $11 million cut from the county school system and over $5 million cut from the city schools. Once again, that $16 million plus will never go back into the pockets of Whitfield County residents.

It costs far less money to properly educate a child for a few years, than it costs to support that child on welfare or in jail. I will fight to restore OUR money to OUR schools so OUR children can receive a quality education.

"Vote for Mom" Jeannie Babb Taylor on Tuesday, Nov 7th.

Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

Tax Cut or Tax AND Cut?

Some people claim that all Democratics have a “tax and spend” mentality. Of course, it would be incredibly to difficult to outspend this generation of “conservative” lawmakers! Fortunately, the Georgia constitution requires that we balance the state budget every year.

It is the job of government to provide certain services for citizens – roads, security, education, etc. This requires that we “tax and spend.” The question is, will we tax fairly? And will we spend wisely? While my opponent has been in office, tax rates have NOT fallen. In fact, independent studies show that the total tax burden has increased for those in the lower and middle class. Only the upper class is paying less taxes. (Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy.) In Georgia, our income tax brackets have not been updated since the 1930’s. The highest Georgia tax bracket you can be in is for those earning $7,001 per year and up! That’s right – a minimum wage hamburger flipper pays the same percentage Georgia income tax as a millionaire. Of course, the very rich have loopholes the rest of us cannot access. That's why I want to bring tax relief to the middle class by expanding tax brackets more fairly.

My opponent has not cut taxes; he has cut benefits. He talks about “smaller government” and wants you to hear “fewer bureaucrats.” In reality, “smaller government” just means fewer services for tax-payers. You still pay the same taxes. (Maybe more. Have your property taxes increased?) You won’t be getting what you pay for – but you’ll still be paying.

Cutting off the Elderly
My opponent voted in favor of SB 572 which allows the state government to seize the homes of elderly Medicaid recipients. If these elderly citizens cannot repay Medicaid for their hospital or nursing home bill, they can have their property taken and their widow, widower or surviving children made homeless. 40,000 Georgia citizens have already received letters warning them of property seizure. There was no corresponding tax cut – just a cut in services.

Cutting off Children’s Health Care
50,000 children were tossed off Medicaid this spring. About 4,000 of these children were moved to PeachCare; the other 46,000 are simply without health care. Many of the children who lost Medicaid services are children of single mothers, and some are legal citizens whose parents immigrated illegally. These children will still require health care. You will see them in the Emergency Room next time they have strep throat. Their care will cost $2,000 instead of $100 at a doctor’s office. Guess who pays? We do, in the form of higher medical costs. Included in this cut was the Katie Beckett program that helped middle-class parents of disabled children. These families might not fall under poverty guidelines to qualify for Medicaid, but they are raising children with disabilities and medical needs that are beyond their means. The program was cut, but no corresponding tax rebate was put back in taxpayers’ pockets. There was no tax cut – just a cut in services.

Cutting off Education
1.25 billion dollars have been cut from state education funds. Over 8 million came right here out of Catoosa. HOPE funds have been raided, dropping 450 students’ scholarships in order to fund a pork-barrel project. Is it any wonder our graduation rate is next-to-worst in the nation and our SAT scores (despite what you’ve heard) have fallen 3 points? And where is the 8 million dollar tax cut to go along with this cut in services? It does not exist. Catoosa County residents still pay the same taxes. In fact, our property taxes are rising as we struggle to make up for lost state funds. Still no tax cut – just a cut in services.

In all these cases, we’re still paying the bill. We’re just not getting what we pay for. Whoever is elected to this office on Tuesday, we will all still continue to pay taxes. But will we be taxed fairly? And will our money be spent wisely? It is my strong belief that citizens should get what they pay for. You pay it in, and it should be there when you need it for your old age, your child’s health crisis, and for the education of Georgia students.

Once again, I humbly ask for your vote on Tuesday, November 7th. I pledge that I will always vote to tax fairly, and to spend wisely. I believe that our senior citizens should be cared for as they lay dying, whether or not they can afford to pay the medical bills themselves. I don’t believe widows should be tossed out of their homes in the wake of losing a spouse. I believe we need programs to provide low-cost medical care to poor children, rather than finding them in the Emergency Room with every illness. I believe parents deserve help with the high medical costs incurred by raising ill or disabled children. I believe all Georgia children deserve a quality education and a decent shot at life. Most of all, I believe Georgia citizens should get what they pay for.

Vote for Mom on Tuesday, Nov. 7th.
Vote for common sense and compassion.
Vote for Jeannie Babb Taylor, House District 3.

Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

The Difference Between Jeannie Babb Taylor and Ron Forster

From the beginning I’ve committed to running a clean campaign, and I will continue to do so. You won’t find me badmouthing my opponent as a person, talking about his daddy (a la Ford/Corker) or questioning his sexual orientation. I am sure some people dislike Ron Forster personally, but I'm not one of them. What I dislike are the decisions he has made while in office.

Some people don't like to hear anything negative. It is necessary, though, to contrast the differences in his philosophy and mine. It is important that you look past campaign rhetoric at the facts and the voting record. In this series of articles, I will explore Forster’s votes in the 2005 and 2006 legislative section, and how my position differs from his. Each line below is a link to the article.

Forster voted to abolish sunshine laws that protect property owners.
Forster voted to raid HOPE scholarship money.
Forster voted for bigger classrooms.
Forster voted for gerrymandering.
Forster voted for the Hawks.
Forster voted to let your drinking water be polluted with septic waste.
Forster voted to seize the homes of the elderly.
Forster voted to let corporations leave a toxic mess.

Coming this legislative session: Forster promises to raise insurance premiums for state employees who are obese. (1/3 of Americans are technically obese.)

So what's the difference between Taylor and Forster?

I believe that every child in Georgia has the right to quality education.
I believe that every family and elder in Georgia has the right to affordable healthcare.
I believe we can achieve economic growth and middle class tax relief.

We're losing ground in education, with SAT scores falling and a graduation rate that is next-to-last in the nation. We can't say we have good health care, with babies dying at a higher rate here in Georgia than in Taiwan and South Korea. Our economy is suffering, too. We have the highest rate of foreclosures in the nation, a wage gap of 1000% and the lowest minimum wage in the country. Independent studies show that in Georgia, it's the lower and middle class bearing a heavier total tax burden.

Join with me. Vote for Jeannie Babb Taylor and help make Georgia great again!

Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

Other Forster Votes

Forster Voted to Seize Homes of Elderly
Under SB 572, the state government can seize the home of a Medicaid recipient in order to recoup what Medicaid paid for their hospital or nursing home bill. 40,000 Georgia citizens have already received letters stating that nursing home residents in long-term care can have their property taken. This bill forces families to choose between receiving needed long-term care, and keeping their family’s house. Widows and widowers can literally be turned out into the streets if their spouse dies at the nursing home.

Forster Voted to Pollute Your Drinking Water with Septic Waste
Ron Forster voted in favor a SB 510, which would have allowed septic tanks to be placed within stream buffer zones. This bill was defeated on the last day of the 2006 session. Out of 180 legislators, Forster was one of just 39 who still thought polluting your drinking water was a good idea.

You don’t have to be a Sierra Club member to recognize that draining septic tanks into local streams and rivers is not a great idea. Stream buffer zones and run-off areas must be honored and protected in order protect the health of our citizens.

Forster Lets Corporations Leave a Toxic Mess
Forster introduced HB 1353, a bill that will dramatically reduce cleanup standards for toxic sites (brownfields), and specifically exempts such property from common law property rights lawsuits by neighboring landowners. Forster is an enthusiastic member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a polluter-funded service that writes anti-environmental, anti-regulation bills for introduction in various states.

Forster Voted to Give Away Your Representative Power to "Hawks"
In January, 2005, Republicans introduced legislative “hawks” through HR 11. These hawks are hand-picked by the Speaker of the House to “go vote” on any committee as he directs them. Since they are not committee members, they have not seen all the facts or heard all the arguments surrounding the issue. They just swoop in, like the bird of prey for which the Speaker named them, and vote the Speaker’s will. The Speaker’s hawks give him the power to make sure he can win every vote in every committee that comes through the State House.

This power has never existed in any other state, and with good reason. It serves to prevent healthy, bi-partisan discussion. It silences all opposition, even from within one’s own party. The purpose of legislative committees is to foster discussion among legislators who are more knowledgeable in certain fields. If a bill seems un-American, frivolous, or problematic, it should not make it out of committee until and unless the problems are resolved. The new hawk system thwarts that process, insults the intelligence of committee members, and tramples the rights of the voters who elected those Representatives.

Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

News Articles on the "Vote for Mom" Campaign

Taylor challenges Rep. Forster in District 3

Area incumbents outpace opponents in funds, spending

Jeannie Babb Taylor Seeks 3rd House Seat

Candidates Bring up Local, State Issues at Forum

Democrats Air Platform at Candidate's Forum

Candidates Debate in Catoosa County

Mother of Six Strives to Become a State Lawmaker

If you see any I missed, please send them my way!


Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

Vote for Mom in the Catoosa County News Poll

Please vote for Jeannie Babb Taylor in the new Catoosa County News poll.

http://www.catoosanews.com/

(poll is at left, scroll down)

My opponent Ron Forster thinks he has this election in the bag. He actually told the Free Press that he’s “not worried” about this election because “this is a Republican area.” I think that should insult voters (what, they aren’t going to consider the candidates or issues at all?)

I’m hoping voters will remember his deeds while in office. He voted to

* Allow pollution of stream buffer zones with septic tanks
* Kick 50,000 children off Medicaid
* Let the government seize the homes of elderly Medicaid users
* Eliminate “sunshine laws” that protect property owners
* Prevent property owners from suing companies that leave toxic brownfields
* Divert education funds
* Weaken the anti-smoking bill

Forster receives thousands of dollars from Big Tobacco, large corporations and other special interest groups. Yet he says these contributions do not affect his votes as a lawmaker. What do you think?

Currently he says he’s refining a bill that will make obese state employees pay a higher insurance premium. (1/3 of the American population is technically “obese.”) His mantra is “smaller government,” but that really means “fewer services” while we pay the same tax rate or more.

People don't like to hear anything negative, but we all need to know when we are not being represented in Atlanta. When a politician is sold out to special interests and lobbyists, we need to know that!

When I entered this race, it was just a victory to see 2 names on the ballot. But now more than ever, I feel that I can take this seat. With your help I can win this election, and I am confident that I can do a better job representing the people of this district. We can oust a Big Tobacco, special-interest-funded professional politician and have a real citizen candidate in office. I know that I can be a major force of change and touch many people’s lives.

Please visit the Catoosa County News site www.catoosanews.com and vote for Jeannie Babb Taylor. More importantly, don't forget to vote in the real election next Tuesday, November 7th!

Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

What Else is On the Ballot?

It's frustrating to walk into the polling booth and find more issues and candidates than you've considered. Below is a link to ballots in the Catoosa County district. Please note that some precincts will have two different ballots, depending on your exact residence location. Scroll down to find your precinct.

http://www.catoosa.com/depts/elections/#Sample_Ballots

Here's an article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, with their take on the various amendments:

http://savannahnow.com/node/166920

Early voting is this week. Beat the crowd and vote at your convenience at Catoosa Hall (formerly called the Courthouse Annex). And don't forget to "Vote for Mom!"

Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

No More Gerrymandered Districts -- Vote for Mom

In the spring of 2005, my opponent helped pass HB 499, which redistricts Georgia voting districts to give Republicans an unfair advantage. There was no valid reason for this mid-decade redistricting. There is no accurate population data right now, since the last census was in 2000. Yet the House pushed ahead to redraw the districts in a way that reduces African-American voting strength in at least two districts – a direct violation of the Voting Rights Act.
The map was redrawn by a 23-yearold, partisan congressional staff member one night after he ate dinner at home. In fact, when talking about the new map he said, “It gets almost a video game-like quality to it after working with it a little while.” There was no debate on the new map, and no public input.

In 2006, my opponent voted to change the boundaries of eight House districts (HB 1137) and three Senate districts (SB 386) in order to give them a larger number of Republican voters. The Senate changes were made specifically to hurt the chances of Rep. Jane Kidd, who had recently announced her candidacy for the 46th Senate District.

I oppose gerrymandering. I was appalled when I studied the map of our own District 3. The lines bear no regard for county borders or even voting precincts. Poor urban sections are pointedly carved out, and fingers project into other districts to pick up a few high-end houses, or a single ridge-top road.

Voting districts should be drawn in a way that allows for fair representation of citizens. The lines should not be determined by political party strategists. Common sense tells us that voting districts should be redrawn only when a census or other reliable data reveals the need. Districts should be drawn to encompass whole counties unless the population size calls for a smaller district. Nor should a voting precinct be divided between two districts.

If elected, I will support a constitutional amendment calling for the appointment of a non-partisan commission to draw legislative and congressional district lines every ten years.
Georgia has a history with the Republican and Democratic parties, when in the majorities, having used their power to pass legislative maps that give their incumbent members safe districts to run campaigns from, because the districts are packed with only likeminded voters. Creating these newly drawn districts has often come at the expense of communities of interest by splitting up counties and cities, only to gain political advantage.

Drawing gerrymandered districts for political gain is wrong, no matter what party has the majority at the time. An independent commission drawing legislative and congressional maps would take some of the politics out of the process and restore public confidence. This has been very successful in the state of Iowa and Georgia voters ought to have the option to have an independent commission drawing fair maps, every ten years.

Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

Vote for Smaller Class Sizes -- Vote for Mom

With almost $1 billion in new revenue in the coffers, my opponent voted in favor of SB 35 which increases allowable class sizes. In violation of The A+ Reform Act of 2000, class room sizes continue to remain at bloated levels, reducing teachers to crowd control and inhibiting meaningful classroom learning.

For years educators have testified that class size greatly impacts the quality of education. For years, Republicans have bragged that they had, were, or would reduce classroom sizes. Yet without fail, they continue to insist on larger classroom sizes.

The only way to reduce classroom sizes while keeping the same number of students, is to hire more teachers. It's difficult to do that while cutting $1.25 billion from state education funds. Let's show Georgia legislators what is important to us.

I oppose any further delays in meeting the A+ Reform class sizes. I will fight to restore the funds cut from education and hire more teachers. Vote for Jeannie Babb Taylor on Tuesday, November 7th. A vote for Mom is a vote for education.

Committee to Elect Jeannie Babb Taylor www.voteformom.com
PO Box 806 * Ringgold, GA 30736 * jeannie@babb.com * 706-965-4587

Save HOPE -- Vote for Mom

I need your vote in order to stop further raiding of HOPE scholarship funds. While I've never been a fan of the lottery, I strongly believe we need to use the money for its intended purpose of educating Georgia.

In the 2005 session, my opponent Ron Forster voted to slash 450 scholarships in favor of a pork-barrel project called Georgia College 411. This project stripped 1.7 million dollars of lottery funds out of the scholarship coffers to pay for a website, http://www.gacollege411.org/. The website, which provides comparison of Georgia colleges, scholarship information and SAT test prep questions, duplicates the services of existing free websites like www.collegeboard.com.

Forster also voted in favor of HB 299, which cuts off HOPE scholarship money after the student earns 127 credits. About 7,300 HOPE scholars are currently in programs that require more than 127 credits to graduate. It is absurd to cut off funding to these students just as they are nearing the finish line. The result may be to shove students away from longer degree programs into shorter degree fields and lower-paying jobs.

We need to encourage our students to pursue engineering and other degree fields that require more credits, in order to bolster our economy in the future. There is no financial justification for capping HOPE hours at this time. Thus far we have not even needed to implement financial stability triggers that were adopted last year. HOPE should be used for the students, not for pork barrel projects. I will oppose any cuts to the HOPE scholarship. I will also oppose diversion of funds from HOPE to other projects such as redundant websites.