Meet the Candidates: John Miller

Smyrna’s general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 and a record 19 candidates are on the ballot. In their words, candidates will be introducing themselves here at Patch. Today, we have Ward 1 city council candidate John Miller, who running against incumbent Melleny Pritchett. The following is from Miller's website, http://millerforsmyrna.com/wordpress/

John Miller, an eight-year resident of Smyrna, was born and raised in Alabama. He received his B.A. in social science and education from the University of West Alabama, where he was a member of the UWA baseball team. After teaching history for two years, he then coached baseball at Troy State University. While there, he earned his master’s degree in history and education. Mr. Miller moved to Georgia in 2003, where he has spent eight years in the Cobb County school system as a teacher and baseball coach and currently teaches U.S. History at Wheeler High School. Mr. Miller is married to Dr. Elizabeth Miller, the owner of Historic Roswell Chiropractic.

For most of my life I have studied or taught history. My discernment of history is that it is the sum of culture, social phenomena, economics and politics. I have a BS in Social Science and an MA in History, which qualifies me to teach government, economics and sociology. Throughout my career I have felt that this knowledge could be used for another cause than teaching. For some time now I have wanted to help the world we live in; and nothing affects our day-to-day lives more than local government.

My goal as your city council member is to represent your voice in our community. Often times in local government, we are unaware of the many decisions the city council has made until they are passed as law. I am here to tell you that it does not have to be this way and that as a team we can change this procedure. To live in a true democracy, everyone who is represented must have a chance to vote on the items on the agenda but as I teach my students what we really live in is a representative democracy. Today we live in the era of social media and by using this new technology, we can effectively change the processes of the local government—by including everyone at every moment. We can move the city of Smyrna from a representative democracy to a true democracy using today’s advancements in technology. By employing social media, your voice in turn becomes my voice.

I am posting the happenings of our local government on my website, facebook and Twitter in order to make you a part of the council meetings without actually having to attend that meeting. I want to hear your feedback on the issues covered in the agendas, and if your concern is not taken into account, I want to hear about that as well. I need your guidance in order to fulfill my oath. I look forward to hearing what the residents of Smyrna Ward 1 have to say, and I cannot wait until we are working together to make Smyrna our city.

Follow me on Twitter at Miller4Smyrna! Check me out at Miller For Smyrna on facebook! As we continue this endeavor, I’ll need your help learning what’s important to you. Feel free to send a message to me anytime with your concerns for Smyrna. I look forward to working for you.

Describe your education, training and experience that qualify you for this position?

In many ways, you can compare teaching at the high school with politics. There are several bureaucratic bodies above me with whose regulations and restrictions I must comply. These bodies have levels of expectation that demand satisfaction, which in turn, is then also regulated by another bureaucratic body situated above them. My administration has desired results in mind, and I fulfill those as well as addressing my students’ needs. This seems like a political arena if you ask me.

What will be your priorities during your term of office and how will you pursue them?

My goal as your city councilor is to represent my constituents’ voices in our community. Often in local government we are unaware of possible decisions on the table until they are already in effect. I will change this immediately. We live in the age of social media so why not use this resource to make our government more democratic. We like to say we live in a democracy, but as I teach my students, I have found that what we really live in is a representative democracy. To live in a true democracy every person would have to vote on every issue that comes up before government. In the past this was just not feasible, but now because of social media we can move closer toward a true democracy. Let me be your voice in a more democratic Smyrna. I will post all agendas that will come before the council on my website, facebook and Twitter. I want to hear your feedback on these issues to guide me as to what the people of my ward (Ward 1) want from our city government.

What is the city’s biggest challenge and how would you address it?

The greatest concern that I immediately see is the vacancy of the Smyrna Market Village shops. Several years ago, all those shops were open and thriving. The few that did have quality merchandise survived the rest did not. That is the way of business. But this does not have to be a negative thing. We need to look at other downtown communities that have prospered during this recession and learn from them. Not copy but learn. Each of these communities found a niche market and catered to it. We need to research and define what types of businesses would prosper in the Market Village. Once that is accomplished, we can then actively recruit those types of businesses.

How will you engage voters in your district in identifying issues that are important to them and how will you ensure progress is made on these issues?

As I have stated earlier I want to use social media as a means of direct communication. Because I have a website, facebook and Twitter account, residents in my ward can get in touch with me 24 hours a day. No one knows their neighborhood better that those who live in them. I am giving my constituents every available avenue to tell me what they need. I also am a very active person who walks my dog and runs in the community. I cannot think of a better way to stay in touch with my community than being an active participant. If you see me and have a concern please let me know.

Due to falling revenue many cities are making tough choices about city services. How would you prioritize the city budget and other financial investments involving tax dollars?

After the budget committee lists the services, assets and residential desires by priority against realistic projected revenue, the city has a couple of ways to move forward. One option is to make cuts in the least painful areas, weather the storm and thusly, prevent the city to accrue more debt. The second option would be spending money now if it means quick recovery. However, option two does come with a caveat; if we spend now we will have no choice but to cut back after this recession has ended in order to responsibly save money. This being said, I am open to both arguments. I also want to stress that this is a choice I would not make until I have done extensive research and advised my fellow councilors. I want to hear from all of the available resources because this is not a decision to take lightly.

Next year voters will approve or decline a 1-cent sale tax dedicated to transportation infrastructure funding (roads, bridges, pedestrian/bike, and public transit) on a local and regional level. Do you believe this is the best option for Georgia why or why not?

Keynesian economics tells us that the only way to get through a recession is to spend our way out of it through infrastructure projects. The question is whether or not these new projects create jobs and relieve traffic. These results would be great for the community, but how much of that 1 Cent tax is actually going to go where it is needed? Is that penny tax going to hurt the consumer and create less spending? This would be detrimental to Smyrna. As I said before I have an open mind on all topics and want what is both logical and best for the community. Some might see this as not picking a hard line and sticking with it. I see it as the right thing to do for you. I, like many of you, am tired of seeing people dig their heels in the sand and not work together. Working together right now is exactly what our community needs.