BetterGeorgia.comIn late October, I took one of the biggest leaps of faith of my life. I left Georgia’s best PR firm — Jackson Spalding — to create a start-up called Better Georgia.

This isn’t an ordinary start-up, either. I’ve worked with others to create Better Georgia from our passion to see Georgia better represent the people who call this state home.

So, why, exactly, did I leave a comfortable job?

For one, I simply grew tired of watching our state go in the wrong direction. And I really grew tired of listening to people who act as if the state belongs to lobbyists, big pocket corporations and partisan extremists.

It really disgusts me to see Georgia GOP Chairman Sue Everhart call Georgia “one of the reddest states in our great nation.” It bothers me because it’s simply not, true.

Georgian’s don’t care about Republicans or Democrats. They don’t care if this state is red or blue. Georgian’s are fed up with partisan politics. It’s time to look past the ‘R’ or ‘D’ that follows a candidate’s name and look to see how they care for our state.

The people I’ve met in Macon, Columbus, and pretty much every corner of the state, really just want our state to be great again. We all value a state that fosters better schools and better jobs.

In fact, I moved to Georgia more than a decade ago because the state offered good jobs, a creative atmosphere and a distinct contrast to some of the views that were popular in my home state of Alabama.

While I still love my hometown of Troy and will always root for my alma mater’s Crimson Tide, I don’t want Georgia lawmakers to use Alabama as a model for governance.

Sadly, that’s the direction we’ve been heading.

Today, Georgia faces historic levels of unemployment with nearly half a million workers looking for jobs. Georgia has the 3rd highest poverty rate in nation, with two cities ranked among our nation’s 10 poorest places to live. Georgia’s students are defaulting on student loans faster than the national average. Meanwhile, businesses refuse to open in Georgia because our representatives pass laws intended to please a small, extreme group.

These are startling facts. I refuse to sit in silence as we continue to fall further behind.

I’m hoping I don’t have call attention to these problems on my own. Please join me at Better Georgia. By working together, we can improve our state.