Georgia County Government - October 2008 - (Page 11) CountyMatters www.accg.org JERRY R. GRIFFIN Executive Director, Publisher ROSS KING Deputy Director Where are the Voters? MICHAEL STEWART Assistant Director for County Services JAMES F. GRUBIAK General Counsel General County Government CLINT MUELLER Legislative Director Revenue and Finance MICHELE NeSMITH Research and Policy Development Director KEM KIMBROUGH Assistant General Counsel / Public Safety and the Courts TODD EDWARDS Natural Resources and Environment MATTHEW HICKS Economic Development and Transportation ASHLEY MEGGITT Government Relations Associate O By Jerry Griffin Executive Director ne of the greatest responsibilities citizens have in our representative republic form of government is thoughtfully choosing the officials who will lead their community, state and nation. Yet, voter participation was dismal during the primaries in July and the runoffs in August. We can only wonder why it is that people don’t take the one opportunity they have to formally express their preference for the people who will lead their governments. While much has been written about the subject, one ultimately comes to the conclusion that it is not necessarily lack of interest on the part of the voters, but the inability of voters to obtain information about the candidates seeking office and what they have to offer. Even for those who vote, the reason for a vote is all too often, “we’ll just vote to change those in office.” In these days of rapidly growing populations and shrinking newspaper resources, getting a message out has become very hard except through mailings, robocalls, yard signs, forums—which few other than candidates and their staff attend—and the various broadcast media outlets. The large print media focus attention on statewide candidates and an occasional candidate for Congress, but local races are often overlooked even by large papers like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Further, the situation is getting worse as print media all across the nation continues to cut back on editorial staff and writers as advertisers find other ways to advertise their products. Broadcast media, at least in the metro Atlanta area, only report on local races if one candidate can create a scandal about another and there is MATTERS continued on page 12 DEBORAH DEWBERRY Magazine Editor CAROL BAKER Meeting Planner BETH BRADLEY Land Initiative Director JEFF CHRISTIE Staff Liaison, UGA Cooperative Extension EFRAIN RODRIGUEZ Chief Information Officer Risk Management and Insurance DAVID A. PAULK Director DAVID UHLMAN Manager BEN PITTARELLI Manager of Marketing and Field Services PENNY HENDERSON Administrative Assistant Accounting and Finance J.C. McBEE Chief Financial Officer DARRYLE CRAWFORD Insurance Accountant DEONTÉ BURDEN Accounting Assistant Administrative Assistance JANICE TITTLE Executive Assistant KATHLEEN BOWEN Special Projects Coordinator JANNA ABRAHAM Administrative Assistant CHARLOTTE COPELAN Front Desk Assistant RHONDA PEACE Paralegal We can only wonder why it is that people don’t take the one opportunity they have to formally express their preference for the people who will lead their governments. Georgia County Government is published for the t Association County Commissioners of Georgia 50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 1000, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Phone: 404-522-5022 • Toll Free: 800-858-2224 Fax: 404-525-2477 • Web: www.accg.org OCTOBER 2008 www.accg.org 11 http://www.accg.org http://www.accg.org http://www.accg.org
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