Dear Editor:

The Dec. 1 runoff election is an opportunity to deny the “House of Smiths” the state House of Representative seat for District 129 by voting for candidate Steve Earles. The previous elder Rep. Smith sponsored legislation, just before he left the district, to raise our taxes.

Everyone in District 129 recently received their property tax bills,and all of our tax bills were higher thanks to the vote of the elder Smith and other Georgia state legislators. During the “House of Smiths” tenure, our state government has grown bigger, spends more, taxes more and promotes business/government partnerships (Fascism) rather than free enterprise. I fear politics as usual from continuing the “House of Smiths.”

Recently, when asked at a public forum about his special-interest contributors, the younger Smith stated his ”special interests are the people of District 129.” Oh really? What about the interests of just a few large donors whom he failed to mention who live nowhere near District 129? The Troutman-Sanders law firm (Atlanta); C.W. Matthews Road Construction Co. (Atlanta); Georgia Highway Construction Association / Georgia Asphalt Paving Association (Atlanta); Oxford Construction Co. (Albany); Dykes Highway Construction/ Paving (Cochran); Pitman Construction Co. (Atlanta); Georgia Link PAC for good government (Atlanta); Mark Williams (Jesup); state Rep. Jerry Keen (St. Simons ); state Sen. Brian Kemp (Athens); Reynolds-Sanders (San Antonio); Vulcan Construction Co. (Birmingham, Ala.); Oxford Construction Co. (Albany), and the Georgia Mining Co. (Macon).

I report, you decide. This partial donor list above reads like the “who’s who” of companies who could be in line for Georgia DOT contracts. This is “good ole boy” politics at its best and needs to stop..

It’s a matter of trust for me. Can I in good conscience vote for a name that sounds familiar, a young man only seven years from being a teenager and one who may be more influenced by the “special interests” contributors to “the House of Smiths”?

No! My interests of less government and lower property taxes will be better served by an honest man, Steve Earles. Steve has decades of life experiences,and one in whom I am confident will represent me and others fairly who actually live in his District 129?

Please vote in this important runoff on Dec 1.

Ellen Gilmore

Old Gabbettville Road, West Point