Thank you to everyone who attended April’s General Meeting. As promised, Georgia Senator candidate has answered your questions we couldn’t cover during the meeting. Here are Ossoff’s answers:
How will you communicate with your constituents? Town halls?
Town halls, Instagram and Facebook lives, online engagement, digital organizing (phone banking, texting, virtual organizing parties)
Can you speak a little more to the top legislative priorities you’d bring to the senate on behalf of your constituency, and how you plan to tackle those once in office?
My priorities: rendering competent and honest service to the people, making the health and financial security of ordinary people our government’s priority, ending the corruption enabled by our campaign finance system, ensuring all Americans have great health care, investing in infrastructure and clean energy, building a more resilient and sustainable America.
Georgia and America desperately need clean, competent government that puts the public interest first. The corruption of our campaign finance system is destroying our democracy. That corruption, combined with political contempt for science and for truth itself, have undermined effective, fact-based policymaking. We see the results right now.
Our government should not serve powerful and partisan interests; it should serve the people. That’s why campaign finance reform will be among my highest priorities — corruption is why healthcare is so expensive, it’s why polluters are allowed to destroy our planet, it’s why there’s no shortage of emergency financial aid for major corporations but ordinary people have to wait months for a $1,200 check.
What are you specifically bringing to the table that will benefit the state of GA.
For seven years I’ve run a small business (founded in 1991) that investigates and exposes organized crime, political corruption, and war crimes for international news media. Under my leadership we’ve exposed slavery, murder, bribery, human trafficking, crooked judges, crooked police, corporate abuses, and more for an international television audience of hundreds of millions. My business organizes complex and high-risk productions in dangerous places, often using undercover techniques to document corruption. I also have deep legislative experience helping write legislation and investigate fraud and abuse in the federal government. Corruption and the abuse of power are running amok in America right now. My skill set and experience are called for, and I’ve demonstrated I can mobilize and inspire thousands of people to engage in constructive political action.
How much of the daily running of your business do you do?
It depends. I’m lucky to have a great team I can rely on to handle much of the day-to-day while I’m running for office.
I strongly disliked when Senator Isakson convened a town hall near Lake Oconee. More than 60% of Georgians reside in Metro Atlanta. During your debates will you challenge David Perdue to convene town halls where they are accessible by constituents in downtown Atlanta via MARTA? Senator Loefler has a private plane. What’s my concern is the US Senator periodically having their public townhall in downtown Atlanta.
Absolutely. I have taken the town hall pledge to hold at least 4 town halls around the state each year that are open to the public with advanced notice, including in metro Atlanta. It’s crucial for public servants to make themselves both available and accessible to the people they serve, and as your Senator, I pledge to be open, transparent, and honest.
What is our strategy about the absentee ballots we received? Is it what you are encouraging people to do?
Yes, we encourage vote by mail. We are still seeking guidance from the Secretary of State’s office and the Legislature about this upcoming election, but it appears that voting by mail is the best and safest option. While so much has shut down during this crisis, our democracy must continue!
