Announcement Speech Transcript

Speech delivered by Justin Melick 2/9 2008

           My name is Justin Melick and I would like to submit my application to you my prospective employers, for the job of Commissioner.

 Yes, the only way I can get people to come hear me speak is if they don’t know I’m going to. Running was a hard decision to make. But when God tells you to do something, you should not question him. So that is exactly what I did. I said why me Lord, I am nothing. But, trusting to his wisdom and kindness, I will walk this path.

 Let me first explain some things about how this campaign is going to work. I am a reformer without the rage. I feel our government has failed us, but I’m not angry about it, I’m determined and optimistic. I am not running against the incumbent, I am running for the people.  During the course of this contest I will throw new ideas out there, I will not throw old mud at the opposition. I will not spend one minute or one cent on background checks on other candidates, but will focus on the issues.

 And what a field we have so far. It is a great honor to be part of it. I think very highly of Tony Dyer and his family and he would make a fine commissioner. His very able campaign manager is a friend of mine and I would say I could steal him away, but he’s Tony’s son, so I don’t think that will work.

 Gene Nelson is a very good fellow and well liked by everyone. And I can definitely say that if he’s elected, the county equipment will be better maintained than its ever been.

 Lamar Paris, is my buddy and will remain so whether he likes it or not. I’m not running because I don’t like him, we just have very different philosophies about government. We’re like night and day. He’s the night and I don’t mean he wears shining armor. But he has a wonderful family. His wife is the Laura Bush of Union County and everybody likes her. If she ran against him, he’d be in a lot of trouble for a number of reasons. And no candidate could ask for a better supporter then his sister Paula. She is a wonderful woman. And Peggy Deyton, his executive assistant is like a member of his family and is a true asset to the county.

 Lamar did not have an ideal childhood as his father, a pillar of the community, died when Lamar was a child. But I think that his father would be very proud of him today. During his eight years in office he has done many good things for the county. And eight years is a good amount of time to spend in an executive office. After that, inspiration fades and you begin to coast. But, the Commissioner’s job is a very thankless one and I think we ought to take a moment to thank him for his service and wish him well on his retirement.

 At present no other Republicans have announced or are even considering as far as I know, but should others join the fray, I welcome them. All I am doing is offering my services. If they are not wanted then that’s okay. And if any of the ideas I present are taken and used by the Commissioner, then this campaign shall have been worth it. You can see a detailed explanation of my platform at VoteMelick.com come Monday.

 I appreciate you asking people to donate to the campaign, Curtis, but let me make sure that everyone knows that the first thing I’m going to do whenever anyone makes a contribution is to take a pair of scissors and go all around it to make sure there are no strings attached. Do not expect special favors in return for your donation. If that is what you’re looking for, I’m not your man, and we can run this campaign on a dime and a prayer if need be. I will treat everyone equally, which means that I will treat everyone like they’re special because they are. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

 This race will be very hard fought and believe it or not supporters of another candidate will say bad things about me. I’ve seen it happening already to Gene and Tony. They’ll say he’s too young. But, in my opinion anyone old enough to vote and go to war, and I’m well past that milestone, should be taken seriously as a candidate. And this country has a long tradition of young elected officials making a profound impact. For example, Teddy Roosevelt was elected to the New York General Assembly at age 23. President Franklin Pierce was elected to the New Hampshire state house when he was 24 and to Congress when he was 27. Richard Russell from Georgia was elected to Congress at age 24 and as Governor of Georgia at age 33. William Pitt became Prime Minister of England at 24 and he remarked to his friend William Wilburforce who was elected to Parliament at age 21, that they were too young to know what could not be accomplished. We’ve had a number of presidents in their forties and early fifties, so relative to that, my age is just right for the commissioner of a small county.

 They’ll say he’s from Florida. It’s true, I was born in Miami, but I spent one year in Conyers and five years in Indonesia before coming here so I’m not eligible for membership in the Floridiots club. And I wanted my gold flamingo pin! But, I have seen the world, and Union County is my choice. I do not know what the future holds and if I will be here forever, but I am here for you now.

 And let me just quickly clear up some other things that may or may not come up. I don’t drink or do drugs, I’m not gay, I’ve never been arrested, and the Blairsville madame does not have my phone number. 

 As I stand here, I am deeply impressed by the magnitude of the task ahead and very humbled by the weight of the job I seek. The challenges are great but God is greater and trusting to his guidance I know we can meet them. And God has sent me an amazing team of people to help create solutions to the many problems we as a county face. People with amazing skills including former county commissioners and county employees, law enforcement personnel, business executives and much more are lining up to help. There is a wealth of knowledge in this community that before now has not been used. If you see fit to elect me, volunteer committees will be set up to help find solutions to issues we are faced with because no one man can know everything or have all the answers.

 It’s time for our government to once again be for the people and by the people. Across the nation citizens are standing up and saying: no longer will we accept the status quo. No longer will we stand for the old way of spending more and more money and getting no results. Our country has by far the most expensive education system in the world and we have the worst performing schools. Our healthcare costs are out of control due to mismanagement, and an ever more ridiculous judicial system, so now many hardworking families cannot afford health insurance while illegal immigrants are treated at State hospitals for free. This burdens the taxpayer. Due to lack of foresight and the willingness to defy big corporations, our government has kept us dependent on foreign oil and as gas prices continue to rise, that burdens the taxpayer. Americans work two-thirds of the year to pay their federal income tax. Millions of Americans get what they think is a rebate every year, when in reality the IRS knowingly deducts more than it is owed so that it can invest your money rather than you being allowed to do so. This burdens the taxpayer. Then there is the State and county taxes. Every year we watch our local taxes grow, while our wages stay the same. That burdens the taxpayer. And so now many in Union County are joining millions across the country in saying: we’re tired of millions and millions being spent and seeing no results. And we believe like Ronald Reagan that the government that governs least, governs best. But, we also believe that the future is bright and that tomorrow will be better than today. By working together, not caring who gets the credit, we can solve the great problems of our time.

 Before we can find solutions we must first realize that not all is right in paradise.

 When the majority of high schoolers could tell you where to buy illegal drugs, there is a problem.

When the government’s answer to economic woes is higher taxes

When more citizens feel alienated by the government than aided by it

When our young people are moving away because there are no jobs

When large chain stores skip over us because it’s too much trouble to locate here

When even the slightest dissent is met with swift and harsh condemnation, there is a problem!

 But I am persuaded that there is nothing so wrong with this county that it cannot be fixed by what is right with this county. Over the years, I’ve had occasion to travel to every corner of this county meeting thousands of its citizens. And in their eyes I have seen the spirit of a great people. And it is that spirit that will carry us through.

 To fight the drug crisis that threatens the future of this county, our young people, we must take it seriously and come together to work out a solution. Our law enforcement personnel cannot fight the battle on their own. We must have more community involvement in crime fighting. And the law enforcement agencies should be given the funds they need, but results will be expected in return. We need to stop focusing on the small time users and put our energies towards bringing down the big time dealers. The message must go out all the way to Atlanta, that if you bring your filthy drugs into our county, you will pay a huge price. Union County needs to have its own war on drugs and the Commissioner must lead the way. The future of our kids is at stake.

 We must also apply the same principles to working to end the great and ever present plague of domestic violence in this county. You know best what is going on in your own neighborhoods, but you are not being asked. And many citizens and officers do not wish to get involved. But, we must get involved.. Lives depend on it.

 Economically this county has no direction. We are at a crossroads and we, the citizens and taxpayers must come together and decide which direction we want to take economically. Whether we choose to be a tourist town, a family friendly metropolis, a retirement community, or an industrial center, we need to go after it whole heartedly, once we’ve come to a consensus. We cannot continue to follow the meandering, piece meal economic plan we’ve been following. 

 The recession is hitting the working class of this county. Business is down, hours are being cut and people are being laid off. I feel your pain. And I know that most of the people in the county would never complain or ask for a government handout. But while the government should have minimal interference in our lives, they also should not make life harder for us. And so tonight I unveil an economic stimulus plan.

 Our economy was very short sightedly tied heavily to the building industry boom. But that is not the way of the future. And the county carrying out a multitude of taxpayer funded building projects will not help, as we know that most of the work goes to outside firms. Because we are so reliant on the building industry, and have no plan b, I will now layout a multi-step plan to help the builders in this county while we transition our economy onto more secure footing.

 The main thing that is keeping businesses and thus jobs out is the water and sewer system and the lack of availability of reliable DSL internet service. I would work with the city to substantially upgrade the city water and sewer system. And I would press our local internet providers to provide better service.

 To stimulate the building industry, I would waive all permit and inspection fees for a 12 month period.

 I would encourage the City to waive business license fees and sewer tap fees for a 12 month period.

 I would waive property taxes on improvements to existing property for one year for private property and two years for commercial property.

 I would look in to waving transfer and finance taxes.

 I would ask the local water authorities to wave tap fees.

 I would ask the banks to waive their appraisal fees, contract fees and any other up front fees that are large profit items.

 I would ask the North Georgia Board of Realtors to consider lowering broker commissions for a time.

 These incentives would be advertised outside the county, letting the word spread that Union County is the place to build and start a business.

 Hang in there, help is on the way.

 We need a commissioner who doesn’t just work hard, but works for the people. And I will, I will, work myself into the ground for you, break myself against the rocks for you if need be. Fight each and every day for you. For you.

 It is your banner I will bear and that is the banner of freedom and fairness. We must work to bring a more open government to Union County. A government that empowers the people rather than works against them. A finance corporation that allows the commissioner to buy and sell land without the consent of the governed like we have in place now, goes against this principle so if you see fit to elect me, it goes out the door. And its time to put an end to the predatory enforcement of ordinances. If you have ever been wrongfully hit with an arbitrary fine and found that there is no real appeal process and your only recourse is to sue the county using your money while the commissioner uses tax payers money to defend the county, then your cause is my cause. This system benefits no one. Too many good people have been destroyed by it while a number of others that I know of, as a result of their suits, have been given large settlements of undisclosed value in return for a vow of silence. They now do not have to work but live off of their windfall at the taxpayer’s expense.

 Nicolae Machiavelli, the Italian philosopher developed a system of government that promoted such principles as: The ends justifies the means, if the act accuses, the result excuses, and it is better for a leader to be feared than loved. And that is the system of government we have been living under.

 But the Greek philosopher Socrates proposed a different way, believing in freedom and open government. He encouraged rational thought rather than rule by emotion. In Union County, we need a more rational government. As Gen. Stonewall Jackson said, “ Its good to get your dander up, but its discipline that wins the day.”

 Socrates’ student Plato firmly embraced his mentor’s teaching but towards the end of his life, he realized that the rule of law must be above all. Our founding fathers closely followed Platonic principles and wrote that this country should be a nation of laws and not of men. No one is above the law not even our leaders. They must strictly adhere to it and not look for ways around it. And when the people speak through a referendum, our leaders should not try to go against their will using back door methods.

 

And to the Republicans; for many years in this county you have been told to be ashamed of your party affiliation. To hide it like a dark secret, or face ridicule. But, I say to you now, hold your heads high from now on for an era of fairness is dawning.

 

To the Democrats, if you believe in the values of faith, family, freedom, fairness and fiscal responsibility, this campaign is your campaign, and I will serve you as faithfully as I do anyone else. And I will challenge the elected officials from your party, who have been accustomed to easy rides come election time, to remember where they came from and step up and serve your interests.

 

I see a day coming, where jobs will be awarded based on qualifications not party affiliation or family names. Where people vote for the person and not the party. Where everyone is treated fairly and with respect. Such a time is just over the horizon.

Take heart, embrace hope, for a new day is rising and victory is at hand.

 

We are moving forward, pressing onward our objective in sight. Never before have we been so united, motivated and ready for change. And oh, how the status quo will fight us every step and how loudly they will protest. But all the shouting in the world will not drown out the voice of the people.

 Not now, not ever.

 And so let the message go forth from the Choestoe Valley to Brasstown Bald, to the ends of the earth that we the people are awake, and we are aware, and we want our government back!