TAXES-

- Although revenues are down in the state, I have not AND WILL NOT vote to raise taxes.
- During the 2009 legislative session, I voted in favor of freezing property tax values for the next 3 years.
- I am the author of the Carter- Burns bill in Effingham County (equivalent to the Stephens-Day bill in Chatham County) which will not allow property values to increase more than 3% per year or the rate of inflation, whichever is less.
- I have never voted for a tax increase as a Mayor or as a State Rep.  During my 9 years as Mayor of Pooler our millage rate actually went down.

TRANSPORTATION-

- Transportation and Education are vital to economic development- I have fought and will continue to fight for better transportation in our region.
- While Mayor of Pooler, we witnessed major transportation improvements including the Pooler Parkway.
- While in the house I voted in favor of a regional transportation bill that would have given local citizens the ability to vote on a special transportation local option sales tax for approved projects.

TEACHING-

- Education has been and will continue to be a major focus of our states budget. 53% of our states $18+ billion budget goes to education.
- We value our teachers- that’s why they are the highest paid in the southeast US and among the highest paid in the nation.
- I will continue to support local control for our school boards and continue to give local school boards the freedom to make local decisions.

TRAUMA-

- On February 7, 2008 my hometown of Port Wentworth witnessed one of the worst industrial accidents in our state’s history.  We lost 14 lives that night, Dr. Frank Mullens from the Joseph Stille Burn Center in Augusta has said that if we had not had a Level 1 trauma center at Memorial University Hospital we would have lost 11-12 more lives.  I have fought and will continue to fight for DEDICATED funding for our trauma system.  This is a priority for me.
- I have co sponsored legislation in the legislature that would dedicate funds to our trauma system.

THIRST-

- Water is a crucial issue that I dealt with while I was Mayor of Pooler.  I negotiated the agreement with the City of Savannah that allowed Pooler to experience the enormous growth we have witnessed over the past decade.
- While serving as Chairman of the Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center (and working with Chatham, Bryan and Liberty County leaders) I helped write the Coastal Georgia Water supply management plan for our region.
- Over my 16 years in public service I have worked closely with EPD on water supply issues as well as waste water disposal issues.
-  While in the legislature I have sponsored and passed legislation dealing with water issues in the Savannah Harbor.

While everyone is having Tea parties across the nation, Buddy Carter is having his own T party- Taxes, Transportation, Teaching, Trauma and Thirst!