Wayne Johnson knows that car ownership is critical to underserved citizens in Macon, Albany, Columbus and the 30 counties that make up Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District, and he has a plan to address the problem.
“The truth is that there are many low-income families in Georgia that do not own a car, and they are spending more money on Uber per month than they are on groceries,” said Wayne Johnson, who is working hard to defeat 32-year incumbent Sanford Bishop in November’s General Election. Early voting in Georgia starts Oct. 15, and Election Day is Nov. 5
“As a businessman who has employed workers for 40 years, I know how tough it is if an employee does not have a car and, just as important, does not have a reliable car,” said Johnson, who has personally financed low-interest car loans for employees for years. “I have had workers who eat up a half-day of wages because they had to take an Uber to work after their car broke down. An unreliable car is almost like being without a car. The lack of wheels is a tremendous handicap to people in our district who live in underserved areas.
“The loans would come with longer-term amortization at a low interest rate. If we as a nation can make $200,000 unsecured student loans based solely on a signature, it can certainly do this for a fully secured $18,000 auto loan. 
Just like Johnson’s plan to support families struggling to pay rent each month and his plan to make home ownership available for $1,000 a month, Johnson’s “Everybody Drives Act” would ensure that a family can get a reliable car for $200 a month.
“I shopped with a car dealer in Macon who said a family can be out the door with a new, reliable car for $18,000 and, if you ran the math on the way I would structure the loan, then this comes out to a payment of just under $200 a month,” said Johnson, an U.S. Army veteran and appointee to a senior position inside the Trump Administration. “Think about the impact a reliable car would have on a family who is either carless or driving a car that breaks down all the time. A single mother can get to work, get to the grocery store, get to a doctor and be able to move their children from a low-performing school to a better school. This would dramatically impact the everyday lives of that family.
“Some people will oppose the “Everybody Drives Act” because they will say the family should just use public transportation, and that is great if you live in a big city with a robust public transportation system. But the underserved in our district live in small cities and areas where public transportation is marginally adequate at best or does not exist.” Johnson said he will propose that a pilot program be established in the 2nd Congressional District, just as he would do with his plan to support renters and his plan to make home ownership affordable. Johnson said the pilot program would be funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Johnson said he knows from his time in Washington that discretionary funds are available.
“We are not talking about giving families a car, we are talking about giving them the opportunity to buy a car,” said Johnson. “If the government can give an unlimited amount of money — billions of dollars each year — for student loans, we should be able to execute the Everybody Drives Act. It has become crystal clear to me that in order to increase economic opportunity and pursue the American dream, you have to have wheels.”