Rockdale unemployment too high

Dear Editor: This is just an astonishing figure that Rockdale County's unemployment rate, 11.3 percent, an overwhelming 2 percent higher than the national average (9.4 percent Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). What is our Board of Commissioners doing about this? Are they trying to create jobs by bringing the corporate community to Rockdale County? Are they assisting the local small business man by looking at current ordinances and adjusting them to make it more appeasing to current owners and potential ones? This county is in a crisis. Foreclosures are rampant, small businesses all over the county have for sale or lease signs on the buildings that were once occupied. As a community we have to put our minds together to try to come up with solutions to assist our small business leaders or they are going to take their dollars elsewhere. To me this should be the focus of our chairman, and he should also have support from his commissioners; Mrs. JaNice Van Ness has recently spoken of some great ideas to assist small businesses with generating revenues, which in turn will yield more community jobs that will bring down the unemployment rate. I have not heard any thoughts from Commissioner Oz Nesbitt in that area or the unemployment problems this county currently has. As Rockdale County residents, it is also our fiduciary duty to patronize our local businesses and not take our community dollars elsewhere. I love Rockdale County and I really hope we can get it together in 2011, but if our leaders are struggling with managing something as simple as a budget, the unemployment and small business crisis might just prove to be too much for the BOC to handle.

I have recently announced that I am running for the Post 1 Commissioner seat and these two issues coupled with fiscal conservatism are my platform for the upcoming election. I plan on making sure that our current or new chairman will focus his/her attention on these issues and make sure that the people of Rockdale County are put back to work and that small businesses in this community are once again thriving. All these things just cannot be done unless we are looking carefully at our tax digest and making good business decisions as it relates to spending conservatively and using basic financial principals to ensure the county is moving in the right direction for 2011.
May God bless you always and God bless America.

Winston McDonald, Jr.
Conyers

Re: Bah Humbug

Dear Editor: Ric Latarski was right on the money (in the Jan. 1, 2011 edition). I was relentless in stating that the Public Service Commission commissioners need to be replaced because they consistently side with the utility and stick us consumers with larger utility bills.

During my recent campaign for this office, I found few voters had a clue about the financial damage these guys inflict on our pocketbooks. As far back as 1994 candidate Cora Frantz sounded a warning alarm, but voters did not listen. In 2012, only one commissioner comes up for reelection and voters should resolve now to vote him out.

Dr. Jim Sendelbach
Rockdale County

Congratulations RCPS

Dear Editor: Many people have taken some unwarranted shots at school Superintendent Dr. Samuel King. However, regardless of how you may feel about him personally, we as a community should be extremely proud of his most recent accomplishment. There are 159 School Superintendents in Georgia, but only our superintendent received the most coveted award, "Georgia's Superintendent of the Year."

This prestigious award was not given to Dr. King for doing horrible work. Quite the contrary, it was given to Dr. King for doing outstanding work. Unfortunately, not much has been mentioned about this fantastic accomplishment. This award is a testament to the entire teaching staff, student body, principals, administrators, cabinet members, School Board, PTA, PTO and the county at large. Let us try and be more positive as a county, especially when something positive occurs. This is our county, this is our superintendent and these are our kids! Let us turn towards each other to make our county better and not on each other to make our county worse.

Are there still pressing issues that RCPS need to address? Absolutely! And I am willing to help them make our schools better, are you?

Brian Jenkins
Rockdale County