Dear editor,

It is rare in local politics for two candidates to have such different perspectives as Steve Tarvin and Jay Neal do. Both men are running for the new State House District 2 seat, which includes western Whitfield County, southern Catoosa County and eastern Walker County.

Mr. Neal of Lafayette, who will be listed as the incumbent on your ballot, is a former pastor and a real estate agent. He has been in office since 2005 and has run unopposed in every election since then. Most recently, Mr. Neal is one the few local candidates who has failed to voice any opposition to the TSPLOST, which will be the largest tax increase in Georgia history and further burden local businesses and individuals if enacted.

Mr. Tarvin is a local businessman from Chickamauga who started working at Crystal Springs textile mill in 1970 as an entry-level employee. He quickly moved up through the company and formed a group to buy the mill in 1982 to keep it from shutting down. He turned the company around and is now its president. He has served on the Chickamauga City Council and school board and is an active member of Oakwood Baptist Church.

Mr. Tarvin is what all conservatives look for in a candidate: a successful business man who has had to make a payroll and who can bring some common sense decision-making to our state government. He understands that the proper role of government is as defined in the Constitution, that small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and that our tax system should respect the efforts of hardworking Americans instead of wasting their money on frivolous government programs.

Mr. Tarvin represents what so many Americans have been calling for for so long. He will truly represent the voice of the people in Atlanta. For anyone who believes that our politicians need to spend their time making government work for us instead of for themselves, Steve Tarvin is your candidate.

Thomas Holcomb and Sarah Holcomb Sartin, Rocky Face