Thread: Letter from Ray Boyd canidate for Governor

BALLOT ACCESS IS A PRIORITY



I decided to run for Governor of Georgia for one simple reason. I wanted to show my fellow Georgians and my fellow Americans that ONE person can make a difference. As one person, I have always felt like I could make a positive difference, and I always will. I am concerned that many of my fellow voters started out feeling that way, but they have let time and circumstances wash away that feeling of individual power. The majesty of this great nation is found in the power of individual people. The reality is, we "individuals", have become complacent in our attention to protecting our freedoms. I am as guilty as anyone - maybe more guilty. I have been paying attention to changes taking place in our government, but I, like you, have been assuming someone else would step forward and do "something" to correct the this new accelerated "change" in the course of "our" nation. The harsh fact is - we individuals are the "someone" else. We are "our" only hope to save America. It is that simple.



I am offering my service to Georgia and my Country. I am seeking no reward for my service. I simply want to do the best that I can do as your Governor to save our state and nation. Our Professional Politicians have violated their oath of office. Our President has violated his oath of office. Elected and appointed officials at every level of government have failed to protect the best interests of the "individuals" they are supposed to serve. I need the help of every Georgian and every American who has had enough of these political shenanigans. The Professional Politicians of both major parties in Georgia have made ballot access in our state one of the most difficult in the nation. I knew, when I would not sign a pledge of allegiance to the Georgia Republican Party, I would have to climb out of a deep bureaucratic hole to simply get on the ballot as an Independent. What I did not realize was that both parties, in a rare show of bi-partisanship, had dug a self serving hole all the way to China for all Independent hopefuls. To make matters worse for me personally, I have 53 days from today, May 21, 2010, to get a minimum of 45,000 signatures. Most Independent candidates start out as an Independent, and they have 180 days from January 14, 2010, to get their signatures. I am in the mother of all holes - one with seemingly no bottom. A lesser man would not even try.



In quiet moments (which are now rare), I ask myself - "Now Ray, exactly why did you decide to run for Governor. Duty called. "The most powerful weapon on Earth is the human soul on fire." - Ferdinand Foch - Commander in Chief of Allied Armies during World War I. I need to be the Governor of Georgia to be able to have the platform to help save Georgia and America. My soul is on fire. I must ignite this fire in enough Circulators of my petition to get on the ballot. I cannot do this by myself, and I cannot hire "fire in the soul" Circulators. They must be inspired from within. I am appealing to my fellow Georgians who are the least to blame, but have been hit the hardest, by this financial meltdown - the educational community.



If there is one thing Georgians should know about me at this point is that oaths mean something to me. I hereby affirm, under oath, to the following: First and foremost, I pledge to the teachers in Georgia that I will elevate your profession to the place of honor that it should have always been. A positive educational opportunity and its environment are crucial to our success as a state and a nation. Evidence of this high priority is shown by our current President's attempt to inject his radical ideology into the educational process starting in elementary school. As Governor, I will rally the other Governors to get the federal government out of the educational process all together (along with other federal encroachments). We do not need any more "No Child Left Behind" or "Race to the Top" gimmicks to siphon off funds and create record keeping nightmares for teachers. Funds for education should not fund bureaucratic money holes and red tape. Teachers are supposed to teach. I say to all teachers and schools, who have suffered the financial abuse heaped on them, please hang on, help is on the way. To those who have lost their job, please take temporary employment. You are coming back to work at your chosen profession. My plans for increasing jobs and revenue for Georgia are creative and fast acting. In addition to financial support, you will also get help in the class room environment. You will not be a referee for unruly students any longer. Discipline will be someone else's problem. If the parents do not do their job in this area, it will "cost" them. My initial thought is an unruly student will be given demerits that must be taken home and signed by a parent or guardian. Three demerits and the student will be removed from the classroom. The student and the parent or guardian will then enter an "Attitude Adjustment Adventure" or triple "A" for short. Details of this program will come from the collective wisdom of the teachers, principals and local school boards - funding will come from the state. This local group will become the power brokers in education again as they once were. Education is not like a clinical trial. We need to stop reinventing every few years the three "R's" - Reading, Riting, and Rithmetic. Young children today have enough pressure and baggage heaped on their shoulders to sink a battleship. Back off, and get back to basics. Let children be children for God's sake. Learning is fun for children. Bureaucrats want to choke them to achieve.



Second, to avoid future budget suicide for education, I will handle the financial affairs of the state as I have my own financial affairs. It is no accident that I am debt free after encountering every economic down turn since 1972, including the current meltdown. I will recruit "volunteer" individuals to help review every area of state government to insure it is as "lean' as possible. The people of this state should get the most bang for every nickel spent. Clark Howard and I have not met.......yet, but I can see this meeting in our future. These volunteers will also solicit input from anyone who has a better idea to make this state the best in the nation. Professional Politicians do not tap the vast resource of wisdom in ordinary citizens. Professional Politicians want your vote, not your idea. I will be a true public servant who will earn your trust and respect with my actions.



Third, I am not a professional politician so I do not make phony campaign promises. Due to the nature of what has happened to me (being tossed out of the current Republican Party) in my quest to rescue Georgia, I have decided to let both the major parties fight it out in their respective primaries without the benefit of hearing my specific ideas for igniting the flame to the economic jet engines of Georgia. I had intended to roll out my ideas after qualifying as a Republican. I now plan to roll them out once I get on the ballot. As I said earlier, I did not achieve my success by sheer luck. I affirm to you that my ideas are creative, doable, and they follow the meaning of the quip on my file cabinet - "Do not start vast projects with half vast ideas."



I am through selling. I am now asking for the order. In order to get on the ballot as an Independent, I need the help of teachers, parents, students, business community, and every other concerned person in Georgia. I need Circulators for my petition. They do not have to be registered voters. Circulators are critical to the success of this effort. Individual signatures will not get the job done in 53 days. I need hundreds of Circulators - with their souls on fire to get numerous signatures. Remember Circulators cannot sign the form they circulate. They can sign another Circulators form as a registered voter. I need signatures and printed names properly applied to the required forms. You Circulators must explain that the voters are NOT saying they will vote for me on November 2, 2010. They are simply saying they want me to be on the ballot as a choice. If they do not like my detailed ideas when the competition actually begins after the major parties picks a candidate, then they can vote for someone other than me. At this point, I want on the ballot so Georgians can have me as a choice. I feel confident I can win in November without a run off. Georgia desperately needs a Ronald Reagan Republican as Governor, and that person is me.



Sincerely,

Ray Boyd


Ray Boyd for Georgia