Why Georgia Needs a New Way to Work Georgia's Labor Department is stuck in the 19th century mentality. Brent Brown will modernize and transform the office from a reactive office primarily dealing with unemployment to a proactive one that will focus on employment--keeping the jobs Georgia has and creating new jobs! Georgia's Labor Department must focus on new ways to train our future and current workforce to enable them to compete in the 21st century global economy. Georgia's Current Labor Department is Ignoring our Future Workforce 1 out of every 3 Georgia students enter the workforce without a high school diploma! Education is the cornerstone of a successful workforce! The Labor Department needs a strategic alliance with the Department of Education which should include a seat on the state board of education. Skill-based curriculums should be returned to all Georgia High Schools! And, we need to teach our children that it is as honorable to be a plumber as it is to be a doctor...as honorable to be a mechanic as it is to be a school teacher. The honor is in having a job/career that uses one's God given talents to live the life you want for you and your family. A "One-Size-Fits-All" Approach to Economic Development is not Working Brent Brown will make economic development a priority. Brent will forge a partnership with the Department of Economic Development not to just bring in new jobs, but also to help keep the jobs that are already here. Brent understands that what drives jobs in one part of the state does not necessarily drive jobs in another. The current approach of "one size fits all" is not good business. Brent will make the Labor Department a friend of Labor AND Business, never alienating either! Georgia's 100,000 Small Businesses Need a Break Georgia is blessed with over 100,000 small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. This is the life line of Georgia's economy! The current Labor Department's incompetence in administering unemployment benefits threatens the integrity of Georgia's Trust Fund. As a result, taxes on businesses have gone up making it more difficult for small and large businesses to compete globally. We can cut payroll taxes by cracking down on fraud with a more aggressive education and enforcement campaign. If Georgia allows its small businesses to keep more of the money they earn, then they will create new jobs.