State Senate Candidates Appear At Forum

Stephens County hears from the candidates for the 50th State Senate District.

Incumbent John Wilkinson and challenger Roy Benifield both appeared at Thursday’s town hall at the Schaefer Center in downtown Toccoa.

Wilkinson said his main goal is to make Georgia a great place to do business.

He said part of that is making sure that the state’s education system provides a quality workforce.

“I think when we look at education, we need to look at what the young people need to get a good job in our society,” said Wilkinson. “Historically, we have put a lot of emphasis on having a four-year college degree and I do not want to take anything away from that. I think it is important, but as we look at the jobs of the future, a lot of those jobs require a career and technical degree.”

Wilkinson said his other goal is to limit the growth of government.

As for Benifield, he said his first priority is to push for term limits.

After that, he said lowering taxes is a goal.

“We are taxed to death and I do not think it is a need to be taxed or they even intended it as a need to be taxed, it is intended to keep us off balance,” said Benefield. “We are so taxed we have people that are losing their homes, their families, their jobs, and we keep adding more taxes. That is the way you keep them looking at their problems and trying to keep going and trying to make a living instead of watching what government is taking from us with the other hand.”

His third goal is to remove over-burdensome regulations.

Whoever wins this Republican primary will be unopposed in the Fall.