As this campaign winds down, you have been and will continue to be inundated by false accusations and half-truths.  I have tried my best to run a positive campaign to deal with the many, many serious issues facing our community.  Unfortunately, the incumbent has decided to avoid discussing his record and instead turn to some of the nastiest campaign smears I’ve ever seen.

Please allow me to rebute/refute the claims made by my opponent:

Claim #1-  She doubled her salary - FALSE - My salary at the end of my term this year will be the same as it was when I took office in 2005.  Period. 

Claim #2- She opposed tax cuts - FALSE - In early June I proposed a sweeping 100% elimination of County operations property taxes for homeowners based on the Homeowner Option Sales Tax (HOST) law.  This plan is forecast to save the average homeowner in Gwinnett about $800 dollars per year by making everyone pay taxes rather than just homeowners.  But Chairman Bannister says in his mailer that I’m against tax cuts for homeowners?  That just doesn't make sense.

Claim #3- She will abolish the police force. -FALSE - This statement actually appeared in print in a local Loganville paper!  How long would Gwinnett continue if we abolished the police force?  In fact, I have the endorsement of the Gwinnett Fraternal Order of Police and the Gwinnett County Sheriff.

Claim #4- Her Tax Cut Proposal will lead to Apartments and High Density Housing -  FALSE - To the contrary, my tax cut proposal will relieve the burden of property taxes from homeowners only, therefore encouraging more to own homes rather than rent.  There is no correlation between reducing the tax burden on HOMEOWNERS and apartment construction.  Apartment owners will not get a tax break under my plan.  In fact, by lowering the about of your monthly escrow payment by reducing taxes, homeowners can actually afford a more expensive home – not less.

Claim #5- Lorraine opposed tough federal illegal immigration program - FALSE – Please refer to the actual newspaper clippings on this issue on this website.  These clearly show that I was the chief advocate of the ICE 287g program and fought for the funding to implement the program.  I also introduced nationally recognized legislation to require County vendors to verify the immigration status of all their employees.

Claim #6 – Lorraine voted for 154 times for residential and high density multi-family developments, including apartments – FALSE – I have never, ever voted for an apartment complex.  I have made that a major platform issue – wouldn’t have been smart of me to do if I had voted for one.     I have voted to approve one high density development in my district – a high rise project near Gwinnett Place mall.  But, it was a condominium project designed to rejuvenate that area of the county and supported overwhelmingly by area residents.

Claim #7 – She voted for apartments and low-income housing – FALSE – I have never – repeat NEVER voted for an apartment complex.  In fact, only one has even come before the Commission in the time I’ve been there, and I voted against it – as did Chairman Bannister.  There is no term ‘low-income housing’ in Gwinnett County zoning.  In fact, I have consistently upgraded any housing projects approved in my district to insure they would be higher quality than those around them.

Claim #8 – She voted for extended stay hotels – FALSE – There has not been an extended stay hotel even brought before the Commission for SEVEN years!