“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” – Yogi Berra

Georgians are at a fork in the road.  For the past eight years, Georgians have had the same Governor, the same Lieutenant Governor, and the same Speaker of the House.  They are all Republicans.  Only one of them, Speaker David Ralston, will (most likely) have the same office in the Capitol next year.

On the Republican side, there will be change even if the incumbent party holds power.  Brian Kemp isn’t Nathan Deal, and Geoff Duncan isn’t Casey Cagle.  They have, however, been part of the team that has controlled and shaped Georgia’s government over the past eight years.  Kemp’s office as Georgia’s Secretary of State is across the hall from Governor Deal, and Duncan has served upstairs as a member of Georgia’s State House.

As such, it’s time to look back as we prepare to look forward and turn the page.

The record over the past eight years has been one of rebuilding Georgia’s economy and adding new industries to diversify our economic base.  When Governor Deal took over, there was less than two days’ cash on hand in the state’s coffers.

Unemployment was at record highs.  Banks were failing at the fastest rate in the nation. Delta Airlines, our state’s largest private employer, was emerging from bankruptcy.  Real estate values were plummeting, gutting metro Atlanta’s industry of growth.  They were dark days.

Many demanded across the board tax increases.  Governor Deal and his Republican team tried a different approach.  There was across the board belt tightening.  Teachers and state employees were furloughed.  The choice would have been to otherwise raise taxes on Georgians that were facing record unemployment and foreclosure rates not seen since the Depression.

Georgians were having to make do with less.  Our state Government did too.

There was, however, a plan.  A film industry that had taken root in Georgia was incentivized with tax credits.  Today, the industry injects $2.7 Billion in direct spending here with a $9.5 Billion estimated economic impact.  Roughly 30,000 people are now directly employed by production companies, with wages well above the state average.

Georgia has also focused on the technology industry, and is filling up new towers in mid-town with high wage jobs across I-75 from Georgia Tech.  Atlanta’s northern suburbs house many tech related firms.  Columbus continues to anchor the Fin-Tech industry with TSYS, and Augusta is balancing out the footprint with the Army’s new Cyber Command.

To our south, the Port of Savannah is years ahead of deepening the harbor thanks to state leaders committing to provide funds while the federal government dithered.  As the economy improved, Georgia also made a broad commitment to the state’s infrastructure.  The fourth fastest growing state in the country is no longer last in per capita road spending, courtesy of a $1 Billion per year annual increase in transportation investment.

Education, the largest part of the state’s budget, has not been left behind.  As the economy improved, half or more of the state’s year over year revenue growth was dedicated to Georgia’s K-12 programs.  The result is that Georgia’s archaic Quality Basic Education funding formula was fully met this year.  This while Georgia has spent the last eight years increasing options for Georgia’s students via charter schools and private scholarships.

Eight years ago many would have scoffed if a politician promised exactly what has been delivered.  A growing, thriving state that has made significant investments in education and transportation, while cutting income taxes for the first time in state history.

Georgia also hasn’t had a problem passing balanced budgets or doing “one-time” budget maneuvers like most other states.  In fact, that two days’ cash on hand has turned into over $2.5 Billion in the state’s rainy day fund.

That’s the experience the Republican team is putting on the table.  The Democrats, instead, are offering the slogan of “transformative leadership”.

We have economic growth, fully funded education, continued investment in infrastructure, a AAA bond rating, one of the lowest tax burdens in the nation, and a billions in the bank.

One side wants to continue this progress.  One wants to “transform” it.  Georgians are at a fork in this road, with very different paths.  Choose wisely.

Charlie Harper is the publisher of GeorgiaPol.com and the Executive Director of PolicyBEST, which focuses on policy issues of Business Climate, Education, Science & Medicine, and Transportation