We changed the names of our technical schools to colleges, we expanded the eligibility for HOPE scholarships for technical training, and we added some formula funding.

We live in a state with a wonderful climate and plenty of natural beauty, from the shores of Cumberland Island to the Chattahoochee River to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

What I am proposing this year are not lofty concepts far removed form the daily struggle so of ordinary Georgians. They are proposals that directly effect the lives of the people we serve.

We are all one - or at least we should be - and it is our job, our duty, and our great challenge to fight the voices of division and seek the salve of reconciliation.

The First Amendment rejects red tape, cover-up and double-speak.

But the fact is, no matter how good the teacher, how small the class, how focused on quality education the school may be none of this matters if we ignore the individual needs of our students.

As the leaders and decision-makers of this great state, it is our responsibility to strive for perfection.

As the population of Georgia increased dramatically, so did development.

Business and the state have a common interest; not an adversarial interest.

Enhancing revenues will help us improve education and solve our infrastructure problems.

Georgia is in an enviable position today, but we can't rest on our laurels.

I am committed to making Georgia a model for open and honest government.

I want business to prosper and make a profit caused by business expansion and prosperity.

Neither political party is clean when it comes to tactics that divide our people.

No one in government should ever think that the citizens they work for can't or won't scrutinize their actions.

One thing I learned a long time ago as a prosecutor is that it's tough to get people to obey a law if there is not penalty for breaking it.

Repeating a grade needs to be the last resort, not an automatic response to a child who is struggling to learn.

So today I say, the outlook in Georgia has never been brighter.

The time has come to end social promotion in our schools.

There is no country on earth with a stronger tradition of protecting the public's right to know.