Wisenbaker Shares His Plans As Commissioner

So read the title of the ValdostaToday article. (BTW, in case you don't know, commissioner-elect Tally Mark Wisenbaker is brother of Gary Wisenbaker, editorial page director of ValdostaToday.com, and director of parent company, Black Crow Media. Needless to say, Mark will probably get some good press and influence during his tenure as a county commissioner.)

I got to briefly meet commissioner-elect Wisebaker at the county commission meeting of November 11, during which I gave an "emphatic speech" (according to the Valdosta Daily Times) in opposition to the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline, asking the commissioners for some kind of resolution against this thing. After the meeting, I was trying to find my way to the front to talk with the commissioners more informally, when Mr. Wisenbaker and I came face-to-face and he introduced himself to me, which I appreciated since he will be my district representative. I understand he is against the pipeline also, which I greatly appreciate, and hope he can help us turn this thing back.

We will have paying jobs, our college graduates, our children, and grand children, when they finish their education they can stay here instead of moving to Atlanta,” Wisenbaker said. “We will have other jobs that will be attractive to them and I think that’s very important.” - 

I truly, truly hope so. He goes on to say,

 “We have 500 acres of industrial park vacant with infrastructure ready to go,” Wisenbaker said.

“We have a technical school that can train you, we have the military college, VSU, the medical center, PCA paper mill in Clyatville. Moody Air Force base is the key to our security economically here because they bring so many people here.”

I once heard Dandy Don Meredith say to Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football, "Howard, you have a firm grasp of the obvious." I mean no offense to Mr. Wisenbaker, but all he has said is very general. What does he think a number of people in the various responsible positions in Lowndes County have been trying to do for the last, I don't know, forever? If he has some special insight or plan, that's great, and I'd like to hear it.

Here's what he says his plan is:

I intentionally didn’t pry or look into anything. I wanted to be fresh and new and get it straight from the horses mouth instead of from hear say, from other people saying, ‘ here is how the county does this or that,’  Wisenbaker said. “I feel like I’ll be better off by getting it straight instead of different sources that are just speculating. 

It seems to me, he could have started looking at how the county is doing things a long time ago, and gone through the learning curve he's on now.  There are no people he can talk to now, that he couldn't have talked to a year ago.

I'm looking forward to what he is going to do, and really hope he can produce more and better jobs in Lowndes County, that can keep our children and grandchildren here, just as his family has had the pleasure.