Congressman Comes to Buckhead

U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey is used to meeting new constituents, so learning about voters in Buckhead won't be anything new.

The 11th District congressman from Marietta has seen his area shift through his five terms, from as far south as Columbus to areas of West Georgia such as Floyd County. Now, with last year's reapportionment, he will represent a slice of Buckhead, sharing it with U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

Gingrey came to the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods Thursday night to say hello. Although he didn't bring a new district map with him, he showed a familiarity with the area, as one would expect from a Ga. Tech grad, who went on to the Medical College of Georgia. He said his district goes along West Paces Ferry Road, including the Governor's Mansion, and shifts over to the Buckhead business district, ending around Lenox Square.

He admitted that there's "a lot of things going on in Buckhead of which I have not been a part. Working with Fulton County has not been my priority."

With opposition from Acworth's Mike Opitz in the GOP primary July 31, Gingrey is making himself known in new parts of the district, which also added Cherokee County and Smyrna and Vinings areas. He said "45 percent will be new people to me."

Answering questions from BCN members, Gingrey said he is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles Medicare Part B and Medicaid as well as issues of cyber security. He called for increased funding for deepening the Port of Savannah, and for reduced spending to reduce the deficit.

He would not take a position on the regional vote July 31 on the proposed 1-cent transportation tax, although he sees significant opposition in his home base of Cobb County.

With the proposed rapid rail line from the Arts Center Station to the Cumberland area to result in spending mainly in Fulton County, "so far it's been a bit of a hard sale" in Cobb, he said.