Agriculture candidates disagree over ethics, experience

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Posted 8:05AM on Monday, October 14, 2002

ATLANTA - In a debate Sunday, three candidates for the office of state agriculture commissioner touched on everything from ways to manage stray animals and clean up the state's farmers markets to the importance of safeguarding Georgia's food supply and ports from terrorist attacks and providing farmers with irrigation water. Democratic incumbent Tommy Irvin repeatedly emphasized his record and experience during the half-hour forum, which was organized by the Atlanta Press Club and broadcast live on Georgia Public Television. "Now more than ever before, you need the leadership that we've offered in the past and continue to offer in the future," said Irvin, 72. "I just don't want to see someone with no experience at all come in and dismantle what we've put together over the last 30 years." Republican challenger Deanna Strickland - a 56-year-old family farmer from Brooklet - focused on alleged ethics lapses by Irvin, while Doug Morton - a Libertarian with a computer business in Cumming - harped on a need to reduce government regulation. Strickland said she supports term limits and brought up the recent return by Irvin of $7,685 in campaign funds that a state ethics commission decided he had improperly spent on gifts, travel and other non-campaign related expenses. "Too much power in one place for too long is a definite mistake," she said. Irvin admitted the illegal expenditures Friday, saying "a lot has changed" since he took office in 1969, and gave the money back. "I've always complied with the laws as I've understood them," he said. The commission reprimanded Irvin but did not fine him, citing his cooperation with the investigation. Strickland said Irvin is out-of-date about more than ethics. "I think we need to address this issue of (Irvin's) 30-some years (in office,)" she said. "The face of Georgia has changed, the constitutency has changed, and we absolutely need to catch up."