William John Hagan joins Mac Collins campaign for Congress (Georgia)

Mac Collins for Congress ^ | 01/01/2006 | William John Hagan

[WJHII]

I am happy to announce that as of January 1, 2006, I will be assuming the position of Communication Director for former Georgia Congressman Mac Collins. Congressman Collins has declared his candidacy in Georgia’s New 8th District and will be running against Democratic Congressman Jim Marshall.

This will mean that I will be significantly reducing the numbers of columns that I will be writing. On occasion I will still, when time permits, write opinion pieces for the foreign press; however, at this time I feel that my primary responsibility as a United States citizen is to work for change at a time that our nation is facing the greatest threat in its history from both domestic and foreign enemies of the United States.

Congressman Collins with a twelve year career in the House of Representatives is the type of Representative that this nation desperately needs in Congress.

Georgians have the rare opportunity to send one of their own to Washington who will truly, and consistently, represent our conservative Georgia values in the United States Congress.

Mac Collins is that Georgian. Mac’s a family man … a working man …a man who cares deeply about his neighbors and their communities. With the heart of a citizen-legislator, Mac provided 12 years of principled leadership in Congress before he honored a self-imposed term limit and returned home to live under the laws he helped pass.

Two years later, however, gas and diesel fuel prices are through the roof and too many Georgians hunger for work. The federal government’s spending money like it’s pouring it out of a boot and the threat of terrorism looms in our future. With little or no relief in sight, Georgians can depend on Mac Collins to go back to Congress and do the hard work that’s going undone.

You see, Mac’s no stranger to hard work. After graduating from Jackson High School, Mac started a concrete products business at age 18 and grew it into a ready mix concrete company three years later. Having hauled plenty of logs in his day, Mac then started his own local trucking company from scratch. Today, Collins Trucking Co. is a nationally recognized business that employs 75 Georgians and is operated by Mac’s two sons.

Persistence, perseverance and an unwavering dedication to public service are qualities that were instilled in Mac by his parents at an early age. Mac’s mother served on the Flovilla City Council and his dad’s dream of serving on the Butt’s County Commission would be eventually be realized years later by Mac.

Frustrated with outrageously high property taxes and a local government in chaos, Mac – then a ‘Reagan Democrat’ – sought a seat on the Butts County Commission, was elected Chairman and began his tireless fight for lower taxes, the elimination of wasteful government spending and greater local control. Following Ronald Reagan’s victory, Mac was elected as a Republican to represent his neighbors in the Georgia State Senate. And, four years later, Mac waged a victorious campaign to represent Georgians in Congress against the powerful, 10-year incumbent Democrat Congressman Richard Ray.

In Congress, Mac’s work ethic served Georgians well. A member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Mac worked to help balance the federal budget for the first time in a generation with spending cuts, welfare reform and historic tax relief for Georgia’s working families and small businesses.

High school sweethearts, Mac and Julie Collins were married in 1964 upon his return from active duty with the Georgia National Guard at Fort Stewart. Together, they’ve built and run a family business and raised their four children -- Crystal, Mike, Andy and April -- in Jackson, Georgia. Mac and Julie, who celebrated 41 years of marriage in September, are the proud grandparents of 11 grandchildren (including one set of twins!) and are members of the Jackson United Methodist Church.

I feel that it is my moral and ethical duty to see that Congressman Collins returns to Washington to serve the people of the Georgia and the United States. I would like to thank Congressman Collins for this opportunity to serve the people of Georgia and the United States.

William John Hagan

[BamaAndy]

God speed and good luck! Need you!