By Maggie Lee / Staff

Public sparring began last week among three candidates vying for the GOP nomination in the July 20 primary for the D-56 state Senate seat from which Dan Moody is retiring. John Albers, Brandon Beach and David Belle Isle all agree on several problems: Fulton county government, empty state coffers and, of all things, a sad lack of MARTA funding.

All three are working to be the most ardent supporter of House Resolution 21, which is the first legal step toward Milton's secession from Fulton County, though the resolution failed to make it to a floor vote Friday night, and is now dead until at least next year.

Albers said he personally lobbied each of the legislators who he said were undecided about the resolution.  Belle Isle recruited a pro-Milton calling bank staffed by volunteers -- dubbed by him the "minutemen" of today -- who by his count made 850 calls to state legislators.

NO MONEY, HONEY

Next fiscal year, Georgia will likely be short on money; that means by this time in 2011, the legislature will have to be scrambling for more cuts or counting more revenue.

All three are aiming to positively impact the revenue side, by upping tax collections through business stimulus. Beach has already proposed to Roswell City Council a $3,500 tax credit for each new employee hired by a new business. "I'm going to tell you," he said, "you can't cut your way into prosperity."

Albers added in addition to tax-breaks, the state requires an environment that "allows people to figure out how to form their corporation, how to get small business loans, how to locate their business and how to get through regulatory processes."

Belle Isle said he would like to eliminate what he calls the "double tax" on job creators -- the capital gains tax and the corporate income tax.

All three also say they support Grady and MARTA and want to spread the pain further than just DeKalb and Fulton counties, arguing that other metro counties depend on those facilities.  In the state legislature, there are various plans to have the metro pay a penny sales tax for transit.   

WHO ARE THESE GUYS, ANYWAY?

Albers is a fourth-generation volunteer firefighter and the CIO of a Biblical-based financial advisory firm, Ronald Blue & Co.  Albers made himself financially independent by the age of thirty by founding, growing and then selling four companies.

He was the only candidate to touch on social issues, noting that he has the endorsement of anti-abortion group Georgia Right to Life.  He's counting on a huge evangelical turnout to boost his electoral prospects.

Beach emphasized his connections in state government. He now sits on the State Transportation Board, the executive body of the Georgia Department of Transportation. After  a career with Quaker State oil, he and his family ran a restaurant. He's now president and CEO of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. He pledged to file a bill that would guarantee University of Georgia acceptance to any Georgia student who graduates with a 3.75 GPA and 1390 SAT score, aiming to stop Georgia brain drain. Beach has raised the most money of the three, and enjoys support from business and  Rep. Mark Burkhalter (R-Johns Creek).

Belle Isle, an Alpharetta lawyer and city councilman, is the only elected official in the race. He  said "our government doesn't need more Republicans, it needs more conservatives," winning applause from the room. The strict Constitutionalist rejects the idea of the federal stimulus bill and would like to bar Georgia from closing its budget deficit with that federal money. Belle Isle has tapped in the "Tea Party" coalition, and is counting on their support for his campaign.

The Beacon is hosting a no-holds barred 90 minute debate for the three candidates on Apr. 27 at 6 p.m. at the Metropolitan Club in Alpharetta.