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That was additionally the yr when Jackson misplaced his South Corridor seat to James Mills, a Chestnut Mountain Republican.
Earlier than and after politics, his life has revolved round South Corridor, the place he spent his youth and later ran a service station enterprise and labored in actual property.
“Seven miles is the farthest I’ve ever lived from Blackshear Place,” Jackson mentioned of the world round Mundy Mill Street and Atlanta Freeway/Ga. 13, the place Curt’s is positioned. “Life in Corridor County has been nice to us. We’ve been blessed to have the oldsters and pals we’ve identified.”
Requested what stirred his curiosity in politics to start with, Jackson mentioned, “I actually can’t reply that. Some people had come to me wanting me to run for county commissioner, and I mentioned I wasn’t fascinated about that.”
He was then pushed to run for state workplace.
“I had by no means been to the State Capitol till I certified,” Jackson mentioned. “I didn’t know something concerning the state, so I studied up.”
He started by points that future Gov. George Busbee was pushing within the gubernatorial marketing campaign earlier than his first time period, together with beginning kindergarten.
And that led to Jackson deciding to run for workplace — one thing that didn’t sit nicely along with his spouse. He went to her work, carrying swimsuit and tie, and advised her he was going to the Capitol to qualify.
“Once I left, she was crying,” Jackson mentioned. “She didn’t need me to run.”
He received his first time period by simply 200 votes in 1974, along with his Home district seat break up between Corridor and Forsyth counties.
Throughout his years within the legislature, the state price range was — a lot as it’s at present — the massive precedence.
“We went in and gave lecturers and state staff raises,” Jackson mentioned. “Then, the governor referred to as us again (to session) in June. We had to return to chop the price range and take away these raises. As a freshman, that was actually robust to do.
“We had lecturers and state staff who by no means forgot that.”
The scenario is way totally different in current occasions with this Common Meeting, because the state is flush with money.
“People going on this yr have a surplus of cash, they usually have to fret about the place it goes,” Jackson mentioned. “Reducing years are robust. I believe I went by means of three of them.”
Eliminating the state earnings tax has been pushed by legislators and legislative candidates. South Corridor’s newly elected state Rep. Derrick McCollum has mentioned he want to see it gone “if it will work financially.”
“That’s , widespread factor to run on,” Jackson mentioned. “However how are you going to make up the earnings? Earnings tax is regular (income), whereas gross sales tax is sort of a rollercoaster.”
Casting off earnings tax on the aged “could be nice, however you’d nonetheless have to put an earnings (threshold) on it,” he mentioned.
Jackson additionally served below one among Georgia’s strongest Home audio system, Tom Murphy, a Bremen Democrat. He held the put up for almost three many years.
“You won’t have appreciated him, however he ran a decent ship,” he mentioned. “There wouldn’t be MARTA in Atlanta if not for Speaker Murphy, there wouldn’t be a World Congress Heart in Atlanta, a ports authority in Savannah.”
Murphy “was actually progressive as soon as he was satisfied” of a necessity, Jackson mentioned.
He mentioned proud accomplishments throughout his time in workplace embody funding for South Corridor’s Lake Lanier Islands “to get it self-sufficient.” The state-owned property is now a privately run resort, Lanier Islands.
As Republicans began gaining energy within the Nineteen Nineties, Democrats started switching events.
Jackson mentioned he probably would have switched, had he stayed in workplace. Requested if he regretted not switching in 1992, he mentioned, “If I wished to remain in workplace, in all probability.”
His legislative work earned him recognition in 2008 as one among 25 individuals who helped construct Gainesville-Corridor County.
“Whereas he all the time fought for all the county, he was a tireless promoter of initiatives in South Corridor, the place he lives,” in keeping with an article in The Occasions.
One landmark that has his identify stamped on it’s the Jerry Jackson Bridge on Dawsonville Freeway/Ga. 53, crossing the Chattahoochee River in Gainesville.
He labored for funding to repair the bridge, which was in such disrepair that truck journey was banned. “It was an enormous concern in our time,” Jackson mentioned.
Work on that Lake Lanier crossing has continued to newer occasions, together with completion of a brand new westbound bridge in 2022.
The bridge was named after Jackson after he left workplace.
“I’m simply proud it’s in honor, not memorial,” Jackson mentioned with an enormous chuckle.
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