Joe's skills in business will help in making the best use of every dollar.

Joe Martin stands up for Georgia's taxpayers.

Joe's business background and expertise in school finance make him uniquely qualified to stretch the available resources to have the greatest positive impact for our students.

Even though he has and will continue to be a strong advocate for adequate funding for our schools, Joe knows how to target whatever funds are available to the greatest needs. He also understands those aspects of the funding formula that should be modified to direct funds where they can be the most cost-effective in promoting student achievement.

In addition, Joe recognizes the need to cut costs by expanding the use of technology for instruction, limiting spending on general administration, and removing rigid rules that often lead to unnecessary costs.

As a recognized authority on public finance, Joe believes that updating our State tax code would go a long way toward generating the revenues needed to provide an adequate education for all of Georgia's students while increasing fairness to Georgia taxpayers. The wave of tax exemptions to special interests in recent years has eroded the level of state revenues that are available to our schools.

As a direct result, local systems have been forced to increase local property taxes in order to raise the funds needed to cover the deficits in state funding.

If the State provided adequate funding in accordance with its own formula, local taxes could then be used for their intended purpose of providing the supplemental programs and additional salaries that are necessary in each community.

Our goal should be to achieve an appropriate balance between state and local taxes and a mix of revenue sources that is fair to all taxpayers and that generates enough funding for public education and other essential services.