Don't call me a politician

The rumor is true

There's a rumor floating around I'm running for politicial office.

Plea? Guilty!

I am running for the Arkansas District 28 State Senate, which is vacant to the the state's term limits laws.

Since I am a stringent fiscal conservative, I'm running as a Republican. It's time to get past the "label thing" and get back to common sense politics.

Here's my campaign do's and don'ts.

Where does George Smith stand?
Government/taxes/lobbyists/education/issues

Don’t:

1) Make promises I can’t keep.
2) Say one thing I don’t believe to get one single vote.
3) Believe the Status Quo is right way to run government.
4) Spend money just because you can.
5) Vote to raise taxes just because it can be done.
6) Accept money from lobbyists or special interests,
attend any sponsored functions, or give lobbyists
access to senate office.
7) Avoid debates with opponents on the issues.
8) Accept the premise that the Arkansas Educational
system is acceptable and that there is not room for
improvement in all districts.

Do:

1) Say what I believe, regardless of audience.
2) Introduce legislation to form a small citizens’ committee (business leaders, farmers, educators) to analyze state budget, make recommendations on where to cut and save.
3) Introduce legislation for two-year moratorium on all new taxes while tax structure/programs are reviewed.
4) Push for raises for teachers, laptop computers for students, knowing that a higher educated citizenry will increase tax revenues.
5) Introduce legislation to create low-cost program to increase high school graduation rates, increase going-forward rates of high school students into college/technical programs, set standards for administration staff and require administrators to teach a minimum of one class per semester.
6) Set standards and caps on expenditures for athletic programs.
7) Pledge 50 percent of salary to scholarship program for students in special education teaching program.
8) Dissect effectiveness of state programs to find savings
9) Introduce legislation to reduce the size of government.
10) Examine all taxes on goods and services, push to cut
unfair taxes (used car sales tax, for example), create
equitable tax structure that does not favor special
interests.
11) Introduce resolution backing term limits for U.S.
Senators and representative.
12) Push the “Common Sense” theme across the every facet of state
government.