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Health & Fitness

Rep. Rob Woodall Draws Standing-room Only Crowd at SW Gwinnett Chamber Breakfast

U.S. Representative Rob Woodall’s interactive presentation to the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting Aug. 9, was extremely informative and lively. He set the stage by reminding us that, “You’re my boss.” And then proceeded to address some of the issues that will impact every American whether or not they live in Georgia. The standing-room only crowd at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast included officials from other areas of government including Georgia Rep. Tom Rice and council members from both Peachtree Corners and Norcross.

 What Rep. Woodall made clear is that he is well-informed about legislation in process as well as up-to-date on any item that could set off a blaze of protests in this country such as healthcare, immigration, banking regulation, debt ceiling, the budget and, of course, the fair tax.

This writer’s impression is that his level headedness and ability to maintain his “cool” allow him to listen. Something many people seem to have forgotten. His is more than a junior congressman; he is a student of government and the governed. He seems to have studied this his entire life because he is able to see all the sides of an issue and defend his position with facts. He appreciates the impact congress’ actions might have on even one family while recognizing that his district (Georgia’s 7th Congressional District) is made up of many “one families” – close to 700,000 people.

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You may recall that Rep. Rob Woodall introduced the Fair Tax Act of 2013 (HR25) in January of this year with 53 co-sponsors. As of Aug. 3, there are now 70 co-sponsors. The bill still remains within the House Ways and Means committee. That is one area where Rep. Woodall is passionate.

Another area of concern is apathy. He appreciates activism. To him that means someone has bothered to read a potential bill or to research the facts before passing along a Facebook posting or an email.

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What bothers him and many others like him are the people who just don’t care. They don’t care to get involved or to become more aware. They don’t vote. They don’t search for the different sides of an issue in order to develop their own conclusion. He wants to reach out to those people and spark interest.

Certainly, the fair tax, which will affect every person, business and echelon of society, might be the way to awaken the apathetic. He’s definitely going to try. One of the ways he stays informed and aware of what his constituents care about is by hosting town hall meetings in all parts of district 7. If you visit his website, the calendar of meetings, including a telephone one August. 19 are listed. Additionally, he elicits input with monthly surveys about issues. It is called the “District Pulse” and offers readers a way to provide feedback. If you do not receive this email, sign up for it on Rep. Woodall’s website www.woodall.house.gov.

The Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary partnership of business and professional people working together to build a healthy economy and to improve the quality of life in Berkeley Lake, Norcross and Peachtree Corners. Visit the website and join at www.SouthwestGwinnettChamber.org.

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