Dear Editor: Recently I attended a local Democratic party meeting and I was very impressed with not only the new leadership but the people that I was able to meet that have been staples within the party in Rockdale County for many years.  I have also had the pleasure to meet a few members of the Republican party; and as a conservative Democrat we share some similar views on how we feel the county needs to move forward in today’s economic and social uncertainties.  Mainly focusing on a balanced and focused budget based on a fiscally conservative approach is something I feel very strongly on and it must be done to ensure the future of the county.

The great thing about having a conservative Democratic philosophy is that you can be a good representation for both parties and truly have a bipartisan belief structure, which is what the Country needs to move forward. I believe strongly that this is how Rockdale County needs to be managed to effectively position us for perhaps another wave of major issues that can only be mitigated by people with different ideas and thoughts. I was also very excited that President Barak Obama named Jeffrey Immelt, General Electric’s Chief Executive Officer, his top economic advisor, which was an excellent move because the country needs great business minds to fix economic problems. Recently, I have had the pleasure to speak with business owners in Rockdale County and the word that I get from all of them is “frustrated.”  Most of them are hanging on by a thread and they have been writing letters to the county seeking ways to get support to keep their businesses going and they get no response. This to me unacceptable, the county needs to focus on these businesses and hold various forums with community bankers to find out what government funds (SBA) are available to them; or find other ways to assist them in their search for monies. Perhaps, the County could also look at their current ordinances and see if there is any way to make the necessary adjustments that can possibly lead to more revenue opportunities for businesses in Rockdale County.

The county must step up to the plate and focus on the small business problems that we are having and ultimately the unemployment issues will be mitigated. The President said it best, 85 percent of American people work for small businesses and that is where America needs to start first. Hopefully, our current leadership will focus on these issues and push these potential solutions forward in fiscal 2011. 

Winston McDonald Jr.
Conyers