The Republican Party presidential candidates will face off in a debate March 1 in Atlanta, five days before the Georgia primary vote.

That was one of the topics discussed Friday during the Fulton County Republican Party’s 2012 Legislative Luncheon at 103 West in Buckhead. The debate site has not been set yet, but Georgia Republican Party Chair Sue P. Everhart said it will be televised by CNN, said Steve Broadbent, vice chair of the Fulton GOP. Presidentail candidates were invited to the luncheon but none attended due to the Nevada Caucus. Voting in that Republican primary takes place Saturday.

Broadbent said the party is focusing on two things this year.

“It’s about building voter turnout in 2012. It’s about fundraising, then using the money to build voter turnout,” he said, adding south Fulton has 91 percent of its qualified residents registered to vote while only 62 percent of residents in Buckhead and all communities north of it are registered to vote.

Moderated by Roswell City Councilwoman Betty Price, wife of District 6 U.S. Rep. Tom Price, R-Roswell, the luncheon included speeches by three state legislators.
District 48 state Sen. David Shafer, R-Duluth, who represents part of north Fulton, talked about rising government costs.

“In the last 10 years, the Consumer Price Index [in Georgia] has gone up 30 percent,” he said. “How much has tuition at the University of Georgia gone up in the last 10 years? 190 percent.

“[District 46 state Rep.] Jan [Jones, R-Milton] said [state] revenues have stabilized. There are some things that are underfunded, but I think the government is better off today than we were 20 years ago.”

However, Shafer said, the state’s population and budget went from 5.9 million people and $5.9 billion, respectively, in 1992 to just less than nine million and $21 billion, respectively, in 2007.

“There is not a single politician that can look you in the eye and say the government grew two and a half times,” he said. “About all of the other [new] funding went into education and nutrition programs, and the kids are not two and a half times smarter or two and a half times healthier. It’s a system that allows us to spend as much time in the General Assembly to spend as much money as possible.”

District 54 state Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Atlanta, who represents part of Buckhead, was the first lawmaker to speak. Lindsey, the House majority whip, said the new district maps, which took effect Jan. 1, mean Fulton County’s 25-member House delegation now comprises of 13 Republicans and 12 Democrats. The Senate’s county representation is now eight Republicans and three Democrats, District 56 state Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, said.

Jones, the House speaker pro-tempore, talked about state legislators who live outside Fulton but now, with their new districts, represent portions of the county, such as Calvin Hill (Cherokee County), Tom Rice (Gwinnett) and Mike Jacobs (DeKalb). She also mentioned her bill to recreate Milton County.

“I haven’t forgotten about Milton County, but it is an election year. On advice from my esteemed colleagues, I feel it’s right to wait a year,” she said of the timing to delay reintroducing the bill. “We don’t want to be an issue to drive [anti-Milton County] voters to the polls.”

In other news, Broadbent said the county GOP convention will be held March 10.

Information: www.fultongop.org.