Dear Editor: I am a 13-year home owner/citizen of Rockdale county/city of Conyers. I am an informed voter and a registered voter of the Democratic party. I support Obama/Biden and most Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate/House of Representatives. As far as the State of Georgia I tend to lean Republican, depending on the candidate. I am in Hank Johnson's district. I think he is not qualified.
Locally, I think the Mayor and City Council of City of Conyers do a good job, as well as most of the city staff.
However, regarding the current county elected officials and BOC candidates, my opinion is as follows:
Current board of commission - there are two Democratic members, Chairman Richard Oden and Oz Nesbitt. These two have wasted so much money and given themselves pay raises in this economic climate, whereas the county employees have received NO raise. And let's not forget that years ago when Oz Nesbitt was a police officer in Augusta he was fired for sleeping at home when he was supposed to be on duty, and was charged for sexually assaulting a young woman there. They probably ran him out of Augusta; then he ends up here. I heard him say (and he loves to hear himself talk, like Oden, using a lot of words with little or no substance) that as commissioner "Now I have a real job."
Well folks, for the good of this county let's please vote Nesbitt out of his "real job" of which he is not qualified for and is dishonest.
I attended the third Rockdale County Think Tank meeting at Johnson Park on April 21, which is held every third Saturday of each month. This group is non-partisan. I urge people to get involved with this group. You will learn much. Attending candidates for BOC 1, Oz Nesbitt's district were Democrat Jerry Sheppard, whom I support. He has activated Rockdale Clean and Beautiful and really cares about the citizens and beautification, but he also has a good business head. I also like the Republicans Sam Smiley and Tom Harrison, but for my taste they are more focused on business, and less on beautification. Beautification is an economic benefit in many ways. Oz Nesbitt failed to show up for this meeting. He was probably sleeping.
Republican candidate for BOC Chairman Jason Hill attended as audience and listened. Democrat candidate for BOC Chairman Brian Jenkins asked a question. That is one angry man. I have heard him at city council meetings too. He would be like Oden, I'm afraid. I will vote for Jason Hill.
Jason was a board member last term and did a good job. He is fiscally responsible and very polite. Richard Oden did not attend.
Current board member JaNice Van Ness, Republican, also does a good job. I have heard Oden and Nesbitt ridicule her, talk over her, and downright be rude to her at meetings. I voted for her and will again. Thank God she is on the board now or there would have been more money wasted, bad decisions the past three plus years.
The candidate for Chief Magistrate, a lady whose name escapes me; the current Magistrate Judge is Rudy Horne who has been on the bench a long time and is qualified. At the RCTT meeting the candidate said she did not know anything about the transportation referendum. I was shocked. I said I attended the first meeting about it. It was in the paper. I was skeptical and came home and educated myself (as I said at that meeting) watching it on the news after having done extensive internet research on the subject. That just shows me that this woman is definitely not qualified to be Magistrate. The transportation tax is a very big deal. Most of those attending raised their hands opposing this tax.
Please educate yourself about the candidates and issues before you vote. Don't ignorantly just vote race and/or party.
And please vote NO to the penny tax (10 metro counties) transportation referendum on July 31. What a disaster.
Linda Scott
Rockdale County
