Do you REALLY know Ralston?

The David Ralston the folks of District Seven know is NOT the David Ralston the folks who encounter him at the State Capitol know.
* David Ralston, as Speaker of the House, has tremendous political power. Unfortunately, for the citizens of the Seventh District and the rest of the state, he abuses this power. David Ralston is not a public servant. His personal agenda includes serving his own best interest, his cronies (political and otherwise) best interest, and the best interest of those individuals and entities who are willing, and able, to “pay to play.” The $983,121.83 that I reported last week amassed in his campaign fund is the last number the voters will see before you cast your vote in the May 20 primary. David Ralston does not have to file another campaign report until June 30, 2014. The amount is mind numbing at its present level even without additional cash.

* David Ralston’s abuse of the “perks” of his power position is obvious. Does anyone think for one minute lobbyists and other powerful entities do not know this reality? It should insult everyone’s intelligence when politicians like David Ralston state that money cannot sway their vote. Are we voters to believe that these “players” spend thousands upon thousands of dollars each and every year yet get nothing in return for the expenditure? Would any sane person continue this practice without positive results?

*The $16 BILLION T-SPLOST was a great example of David Ralston aggressively promoting a plan that was not in the best interests of the Seventh District, nor was it in the best interests of the state. (Please view this video www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzEctxcJ208 before you vote in the primary). This proposed transportation tax (which would have been the largest tax increase in Georgia’s history) was nothing more than a giant barrel of expensive pork that was rejected by 65% of the voters even after $8 Million was appropriated to sell it to us. This is a quote from a full page ad I put in the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) on the Sunday before the vote on T-SPLOST: “By flexing our power to reject T-SPLOST, we will then follow that demonstration of power with a vote for qualified candidates for elected office. If a candidate is unqualified like Speaker of the House David Ralston, and he is unopposed, voice your opinion by leaving the box next to his name empty.” Coach Sam Snider has stepped forward to insure David Ralston will not continue to run unopposed. It takes guts to run against an incumbent with a million-dollar war chest. Coach Sam Snider is already a hero in my eyes.

*David Ralston, the lawyer, uses the power of his elective office to abuse the rights of individuals who have the great misfortune of crossing his path. Amanda Mosher is a heart breaking example. Her husband and young daughter were killed in a vehicular wreck in Gilmer County on January 24, 2005. The man driving the other vehicle was charged with vehicular homicide. David Ralston took over the defendant’s case from a prior lawyer in October 2008, just before becoming speaker. He then used his position as a busy speaker of the house to ensure the case was not heard. The saddest part of this story is after 8 long years of no justice for the victims, after the case lapsed for so long, a plea bargain was arranged on August 19, 2013, where the defendant got one year’s probation and a $1,000 fine. According to the AJC, David Ralston has used his role as speaker of the house to “excuse” himself 127 times in this and other cases. One of David Ralston’s legislative colleagues at the Capitol told me a couple of years ago that “judges are afraid of us because we control their budgets.”

*We the people can put a stop to this madness by electing individuals like Coach Sam Snider. Coach Snider has CHI: Character, Honor, and Integrity. My definition of CHI is doing the right thing when no one is watching and no one may ever know. Coach Snider will be a true public servant. A wise person observed, “Situations do not make the man; situations reveal the man.” Coach Sam Snider has revealed the man he is and will continue to be.

*Electing Coach Sam Snider will create an opening for a new speaker to be selected by the house membership. Coach Snider will occupy a seat in the very back row of the chamber. The new speaker will probably be someone very similar to David Ralston. The big difference will be this new speaker will recognize from day one what happened to the former speaker. The other big difference will be Coach Snider will be a freshman sitting in the back row in the house chamber, but everyone at the Capitol will know who he is. Every voter in Georgia will gain a new measure of respect from elected officials who have felt too comfortable in their long held political seats. The Seventh District voters will make the history books for this great state. You will have initiated an awareness that we the people can, and must, control our own destiny by voting out ethically challenged incumbents at every level of government. The voters are the true power brokers in this state when we demonstrate our power as we did with T-SPLOST.

PAID FOR BY RAY BOYD, A CONCERNED CITIZEN