Cobb County Congressman – Atlanta Community Profiles

Community Profiles
Cobb County 2014
Op-ed: Cong. Tom Price

  The 6th District of Georgia: A Dynamic Community By Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (GA-06)

For 30 years my family and I have had the joy of calling Roswell, Ga., our home. For the past eight years, I have had the honor of representing our community as a member of Congress for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District.

Ranked by Gallup as one of the happiest and healthiest congressional districts in the country, the 6th District encompasses a large portion of northern suburban Atlanta, including portions of Cobb, Fulton and DeKalb counties. It is comprised of several cities, from relative newcomers like Sandy Springs, Milton and Johns Creek, to those approaching their 200th anniversary like Roswell, Alpharetta and all of unincorporated East Cobb.

The northern Atlanta suburbs are a fairly prosperous and educated area. It is a productive district with all sorts of great folks who love their country and want to make certain that government takes a limited role in their lives.

One of the key aspects of the 6th District that attracts families to our area is the number of great public and independent schools, both parochial and non-parochial. Education is something our community takes very seriously. We want to make certain that our kids have the highest level of education and the greatest opportunity to be able to succeed in the future. That is one of the reasons why, as a member of Congress, I visit our schools often, to talk with young people in our community and to highlight the extraordinary work being done by our school administrators and teachers. 

Of course, a tremendous amount of credit for the excellence and success of our schools must go to the moms and dads who rightfully recognize the importance of a high level of education so that their children are able to realize their dreams. Everything starts with education. When my family moved to Roswell back in the early 1980s, one of the things we focused on was finding the best schools, and it is one of the reasons we chose to live in this community.

With the growth and economic success of the metro Atlanta area comes a host of new opportunities and challenges. One issue that our community has dealt with for some time is the need for improvements to the area’s transportation system. Whenever we can make the flow of people and commerce easier within our community and around our state, the more opportunities we’ll see for more Georgia families and business.

Consequently, much of our time and energy is spent on bringing folks together to address our community’s transportation challenges. Transportation problems don’t stop at city or county lines. It is a regional issue that requires cooperation across different municipalities and with different community leaders.

Dealing directly with those challenges is under the purview of local and state elected officials, but my job includes trying to keep the federal government from getting in the way and making sure that states have the flexibility they need, in addition to making sure Georgia tax dollars come home to provide the needed resources. When it comes to transportation and infrastructure tax dollars, Georgia is a donor state. We send more to Washington than we receive in return.

Because we are growing as a community, we need the infrastructure to accompany that growth. After all, the 6th District is home to the headquarters and/or employees of several major American companies, including UPS, International Hotel Group, Cox Media Group and First Data. Moreover, we have access to health care that is some of the highest quality you can find anywhere. Health systems, hospitals and physicians in the 6th District are incredibly well-equipped and well-trained to take care of folks.

In addition to economic opportunities, there are other reasons the 6th District enjoys the reputation it does as a great place to live, work and play. We have access to beautiful outdoor areas like the Chattahoochee River and numerous parks and recreation areas. Being close to downtown affords 6th District families access to the city’s museums, amenities and sports teams. Citizens in our community are also very civic-minded and, as a community, we come together often to honor and celebrate our national identity and mark national days of remembrance, including Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

The 6th District of Georgia is a vibrant, dynamic community full of hardworking families who value a strong educational foundation and understand the importance of working together to improve our way of life. 

Ryan Murphy, communications director Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (GA-06)