Former Governor Roy E. Barnes from Georgia

1/10/2016

Governor Roy E. Barnes

c/o Barnes Law Group, LLC

31 Atlanta Street, SE

Marietta, GA  30060               

Dear Governor Barnes,

My name is Matthew Winick, from Ann Arbor Michigan with a strong interest in learning history including public policy. In these subjects, I like to learn the need to advance on Civil Rights to help protect people who are different from being discriminated, protect the environment from pollution, improve education reform, and many others.  Governor Barnes, the main reason I’m writing you a letter to explain how I find your work as 80^th Governor of Georgia to be very inspiring to me and explain how you inspire me to continue my interest in history.

When you served as 80^th Governor of Georgia from 1999-2003, I’m very proud on how you were a strong supporter of protecting women, minorities, and people with disabilities from being discriminated in education and public places. Also on Civil Rights, I liked on how you supported funding women including minorities businesses to help them compete in the economy, express the need for an Equal Rights Amendment to help protect women from being discriminated based on gender even though the state legislatures weren’t advocates for it, support people with disabilities’ rights, and push for the need to reduce racial profiling in the criminal justice system.   On education, I was very proud on how you supported funding special education to help students with disabilities get help on getting educational accommodations they need, expanded early childhood education to help young children develop reading skills, and pushed for afterschool programs to help youth get tutoring on their assignments or be in recreational programs.   To protect the environment, I liked on how you pushed for renewable energy sources to help reduce addiction to oil with gas, provided funds to clean parks including water resources including the coast in Georgia to reduce pollution while protect people.  Pushing for job-training programs to help train youth including workers on develop job-skills to help prepare them for the work force is a great way to improve the economy while creating jobs. Another thing that I liked about your work as Governor of Georgia is how you had the courage to change the Georgia state flag which had the Confederate battle emblem to a new flag in order to improve relations between minorities communities with government including show a symbolism about the need to address about the need to reduce discrimination even though both political parties or people weren’t supportive of this decision.   Signing an executive order to banning all lobbyist gifts to employees who work in the state government including the executive branch, advocating for campaign finance reform to reduce money from lobbying groups or corporations from donating to a campaign, and expressing the need for disclosure laws to help the public know why is funding a campaign are great ways to improve ethics reform.  In 2003, I was very glad that  you were awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the JFK Library for your courage to reduce the Confederate battle emblem on the state flag.   When you left your role ad Governor, I’m very proud on how you continue to express the need to make Civil Rights stronger, advocate for people with disabilities’ rights, protect the environment from pollution, and many others.

Governor Barnes, I have Autism with a learning disability. Having it is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased. Your commitment to be a strong supporter of Civil Rights and be an advocate for people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability.   Recently. I saw a documentary called In Debt We Trust documentary about the debt crisis, how credit card companies along with financial institutions commit fraud on the middle class including students, how Congress caused the crisis by deregulating the financial market, and many others.  In Debt We Trust, I thought you did an excellent job speaking on describing the need for ethics reform to reduce lobbyist from corrupting both political parties and the need for financial reform to protect the middle class including students from unfair practices caused by credit card companies along with financial institutions and I enjoyed watching your appearance including the documentary.  Both of these things inspires me to have an interest in learning the need for financial reform to reduce unfair practice that financial institutions cause and watch different documentaries about the financial crisis. Another thing is your work as Governor of Georgia motivates me to continue my interest in learning history including public policy.  My future goal is to someday work in history or public policy to help create common sense ideas to make society better.

I strongly believe that you made a great difference as Governor of Georgia. I’m proud on how you worked hard to make a great difference and even have the courage to replace the Confederate flag on the state flag.  You have inspired me to work hard on my disability, continue my interest in learning history with public policy, and watch In Debt We Trust. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, making a great difference, and inspiring me.   I wish you well to continue to make a great impact on society with common sense ideas.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick