Thomas Moore wants to improve the community he grew up in. That is the message the district 24 senatorial candidate gave during the weekly Kiwanis meeting Tuesday.

“I’ve always committed myself to coming back and making a difference in my community,” he said, noting his extensive work with the Demopolis and Perry County school systems, the Chamber of Commerce and the Demopolis City Council, among other things.

Now he wants to take that work a step further – he wants to take the Black Belt’s cause to Montgomery.

“I’ve longed to affect a change for the better,” he said.

Moore said there are several issues facing district 24, but he said before anything else can be improved, education must be improved.

“Education is the number one issue excluding economic development, and if you’re going to have economic development, you have to have an educated workforce,” he said.

Demopolis is not as much as concern as other areas of the Black Belt, he said, adding there is always room for improvement.

“We’re doing exceptionally well here but the rest of the area is suffering,” he said. “I want to take what I have learned here and use that to improve the school systems in the rest of the district and enhance Demopolis schools.”

Next on his agenda, Moore said, would be jobs.

“We need jobs that not only pay, but pay well,” he said. “But to those kinds of jobs, we have to have educated students. If they can’t fill out an application, if they can’t follow directions, if they don’t know how to work a computer, then they can’t get the good jobs.”

Though Moore said he would like to see more industry in the area, he said he will strive to help the existing industry and small businesses.

“Sixty-five to 70 percent of all jobs in this area are at those small businesses. Industries like Gulf States are great, but the bulk of our jobs are at businesses with 50 or less employees.”

Moore said he has a vision of one day everyone who wants a home to have one.

“I want everybody who wants a home to be able to buy a home, but we have to prepare them, we have to help them,” he said. He said the same thing of health insurance, but said it again goes back to education and good jobs.

“We need affordable health care,” he said. “Many people in this area either don’t have insurance or are underinsured. They can’t afford to get sick. But again, we have to prepare them for the good jobs that come with good benefits.”

Though a bit off subject, Moore said he had been asked about is view of marriage and he was to the point and unwavering in his answer.

“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, that’s how God intended it and it’s not open for discussion,” he said.

Lastly Moore addressed the reason he should be elected to represent the Black Belt.

“I am centrally located and I’m more accessible,” he said. “We’re largely a rural area that deserves a lot of attention that has not been forthcoming. If I am elected (constituents) will have my ear and they’ll have it all. They’ll have the attention they deserve and need.”

He said he has been working tirelessly to prove that point.

“I’ve been putting in 10-13 hour days, but I’m not tired. I’m ready to go to Montgomery,” he said.