Candidates face off at 'BULLI' political forum at Brenau

GAINESVILLE - Brenau University's Learning and Leisure Institute (BULLI) hosted a political forum Saturday and as it turned out, they saved the hottest for last.

The forum featured Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, north Georgia U.S. House posts and candidates for the Georgia General Assembly.

State House District 25 challenger, Democrat Chris Strickland, attacked Republican incumbent James Mills, senior member of the Hall County legislative delegation. Strickland called Mills a "tax and spend liberal," blaming him for high property taxes levied on Hall home and business owners and continuing state education funding cuts which also cause higher taxes.

"That 'spendaholic' philosophy that we now have in our state government is going to hurt Hall County," Strickland said.

Mills reminded the audience that the state legislature does not levy property tax; he also reminded them that he authored the bill that exempted seniors from school property tax.

"Once you get to age 70, you don't pay school taxes anymore on your property taxes," Mills said.

"This is the first time BULLI has undertaken anything of this magnitude with such a wide range of candidates and surrogates involved," said Kathy Amos, director of the university's non-credit adult learning program.

"This is not so much a formal debate as an opportunity for people in this region to meet and get to know candidates that they might not otherwise encounter," Amos said. "It is also a chance for more people in the area to learn more about
BULLI and the quality of adult learning programs it has put on for more than 15 years."

Candidates in one of two Georgia PSC races, Republican Doug Everett and Libertarian John Monds, appeared. So did 9th Congressional District candidates Democrat Jeff Scott and incumbent Republican Nathan Deal, who met for the first time.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle appeared as a surrogate for Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss. Democrat Jim Martin and Libertarian Allen Buckley were also there.