The Red and Black

Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: News

SMITH

Editor's Note: This is an ongoing series to ask local candidates seven questions as they run for office. Bob Smith is a Republican seeking Georgia's 113th District for another term. He took time out of a busy schedule to participate in an interview over the phone.


Q: Why are you running for office?
A: Well, first thing, I don't have any opposition this time. I've been in [district 113] for 10 years ... The reason [I'm running] is to continue the quest for serving the people of the great state of Georgia.


Q: Do you have any connections with the University?
A: I graduated from the University in 1976. Just for what it's worth, I'm chairman of the appropriations committee for higher education, which includes all of the budgets for the university system, obviously, the University of Georgia, and all the technical colleges. I absolutely have an allegiance to the University because I graduated from there ... that's just a great institution, and one that Georgia's proud of.


Q: How and why did you get involved in politics?
A: I was a young boy when I first started. Six, seven or eight years old [putting up flyers]. I was just campaigning. My dad got me involved. [I've been] involved in politics from 1976 on.


Q: What are your top three immediate goals?
A: (1) To help the university system and technological colleges and all the above move to the top of emerging innovation.

(2) To create an environment to make Georgia the No. 1 place in the country for entrepreneurs. And that may mean that we, as a private sector and a public sector, create an environment where they're taught how to be entrepreneurs.

(3) Balancing the budget. Making our budget in the state of Georgia meet the needs of all Georgians as best we can in this economic climate.


Q: What previous jobs have you held that are not in politics (that may help you identify with voters)?
A: I've been in the real estate business for 31 years now. Appraisal, commercial developers.


Q: What's your family status? Are you married? Do you have kids?
A: My wife Laura [and I have been married] for 29 years, next year will be the 30th year. I've got three kids.

My oldest one is Robert. He graduated from Georgia Tech 10 years ago. He's now an architect in Atlanta.

Matthew is a senior at the University of Georgia, and he's going to be in a role just like this one, or acting, one of the two. And Shearron is a sophomore at the University of Georgia and undecided on a major.


Q: Why should UGA students vote for you? What can you offer them while you're in office?
A: I can offer them the hopes for tomorrow, dreams and aspirations that they may have relating to the future of the University in emerging and innovative technologies.

If we're not focusing on that arena then we're going to miss where Maryland and New York and Delaware and California and Texas are all spending of billions of dollars in this arena, and we've got to come to the point with more in Georgia.

Find more on Rep. Bob Smith at the Web sites www.votesmart.org and www.legis.state.ga.us

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