The Plan for Murray County

For this entry I'd like to showcase my little manifesto from my current main campaign website, www.planformurray.com :

The Plan for Murray County
by
Leonard Worley


What is this plan? It is a framework, a systematic method for improving Murray County. I do not believe vague promises and empty gestures will continue to fool the electorate of Murray County. The people want to know who can really promise them jobs, who can guarantee the success of enterprise, and frankly, who can keep the place running. This document aims to answer those thoughts, as well as lay down what I will be working for on behalf of the county, whether I am in office or not.

What is Murray County's current greatest problem? The economy of course. Lack of employment in the local engine of commerce –- the carpet industry –- has made many citizens worried that when their unemployment run out so will their ability to pay for anything. Murray County needs jobs that can use unskilled labor (it isn't that we don't have skilled labor, it's just that they are highly skilled in an industry that doesn't seem to need many of us anymore). What can be done?

I am proposing a three-pronged attack on this front. The first thing to be done is to engage in a grassroots public relations effort to explain to any business that will listen why they should consider Murray County. This will catch the eye of businesses looking to expand and perhaps get them to consider the benefits of a presence in Murray County (as commissioner, I would definitely consider tax incentives). It will also raise our profile, allowing more businesses to hear about our community. Also, I feel we need to improve the image of our people, which has been tarnished by much slander.

The second part of this will be considered novel, but important: to retain those native sons and daughters who would like to start a business in our community, we should not only offer a tax incentive but something even better –- actual funding. What I mean by this is that willing citizens (no one will be forced to contribute) should invest in a county-backed corporation, which under the discretion of the shareholders (that would be you Murray County!) will provide funding to start-ups in the community. Think of it! Your patronage would directly influence the dividends you would receive from the corporation! That is, if you get all your friends to visit the new store downtown, making it successful, you would get to share in that success! Our citizens then would have a direct incentive not to leave the county for services that can be had here, as their monthly dividend check would be smaller!

The third part of this is long-term: we need to attract an industry that will replace carpet as our economic engine. For this is crucial to weaning our community from dependence on Dalton. I have strong ideas on what this industry should be, although to many it will sound unorthodox at first.
I propose we attract the retirement industry. What do I mean? Essentially, we need to be like Acapulco and Palm Beach –- choice destinations for retirees. According to Hcareers.com (a leading hospitality site),  "“Industry experts agree that the $30-billion-a-year North American elder care and retirement industry is poised to enter a period of unprecedented growth and expansion. The expected growth will be necessary to meet the needs of an aging population, as well as the predicted demand for a greater variety of elder care services.”"
I realize, in the face of this terrible recession, you may wonder who could possibly think of retiring? Even though many nearing the age of retirement are considering working longer, still there are plenty who planned for their retirement, but are now looking for a cheaper but still nice place to spend it in. That's where Murray County comes in. We are the low-cost alternative to Palm Beach and Acapulco, plus we have the advantage of being relatively near to one of the finest hospitals in the nation ( that is Emory) and with Dalton State College, an abundance of nursing personnel. Yes, we need to build our image, but that's why I mentioned the PR campaign – we've got to put the good word out there about our community and its beautiful locales.
Think of it –- with a bit of effort and old-fashioned hard work, we can be the premier retirement community in North America! My idea is that we should differentiate ourselves by keeping our small-town flavor –- a big selling point already –- while managing the growth that will come from the retirement industry in ways that won't lose that flavor. Will this take careful guidance as well as trial and error? Of course! Nothing we do is perfect. But perhaps we can gain a hint of stability for our people.

This plan is something I will work for even out of office. I am happy about the number of people running for commissioner, because where others would see competitors, I see concerned citizens who care about their community and will work to make it better. Thus, I ask all of them to join me in creating a Community Action Group that will work for the betterment of Murray County and her citizens.

Before closing, I should mention one thing that has concerned me for a long time: the second a person gets in their car, they are almost completely lost to Murray County businesses. It's too easy to say to oneself, “Well, I'm in the car already, might as well go onto the mall, or to Walmart, or go have a nice lunch in Dalton.” What can we do? We should plan our community better, by having most businesses withing walking distance of residential areas. If you could walk a block and get your basics, why drive somewhere when gas is nearly 4 dollars a gallon? Let's plan our community so no one wants to leave!