I was quite angered by your Headline Story on Wednesday’s (October 29th) paper! Maurice seems to be a great guy, but he is touting us with the same old typical rhetoric of the left, mixed with our modern day demagogue’s message of “CHANGE” and “UNITY”. I don’t understand why outsiders from KIA and elsewhere feel that our community is running amuck and derailed by Disunity.

I’ve only been a part of this community for six years, but I love this town! I feel we are intensely unified as a people! It was just several weeks ago that I witnessed this first hand at the Thomaston Harvest Fest. I saw great comraderie and brotherly love displayed amongst all ages and ethnic backgrounds, as well as a spirit of pride for our town and county. We are UNIFIED, and we don’t need someone smearing a mistruth, that will ultimately cause division in the end.

By the way, everyone knows that a Director of Human Resources is a peon in the rank of Executives, when decisions are made to where industry can be moved geographically. He has already said that we are too far outside the line. He has to follow policy.

I also don’t understand how someone could possibly work for the State Government on a full time basis over three counties away from Upson, raise two young sons, and still have time to manage an entire county. I also work for the state and I know how full my plate is, I am very serious and take great pride in raising responsible children and there is no way I could even conceive of pulling off what Mr. Raines intends to do. We need someone who is positioned to give their undivided attention to the matters at hand! The Chairman position is not a part-time job!

And finally, I’d like to say that a true “CHANGE” for us, would allow Upson to be run as a Business, and not a self-imploding Time Bomb, which is so often the case when it comes to typical “Do Nothing Government”. No, our county government may never show profit exactly like a business, but there are principles and values used in a capitalist environment that allows the organization to be effective and prosper. There are ones who have showed us that with hard work, an axe on the grind, and a lot of good common sense you can be very successful! You can rise above the rest and prosper.

Wouldn’t we rather have someone that has risen above overwhelming odds to becoming a success story, rather than someone who has spent their whole career being a part of the dreaded government machine? Unfortunately, I believe there are a lot of folks out there who are very pro-establishment, and this is what Mr. Raines and the like are counting on.

I believe the Great George Bernard Shaw once said it something like this, “A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.” I truly believe this is what they are counting on. So please, “Choose Wisely on November 4th !”

Scott Batchelor