storyteller

Folks I can’t swim either, so now I really feel as if I will drown, and die. They forgot the life boats and now I find out they only have a few life jackets and none of them are a fit for me. Going into down town is a reminder of the proverbial ghost town. Hmmm maybe I should put in a request to the Paranormal research society for a ghost hunt in our used to be town……just to see what may be lurking in the shadows of economic collapse of a town in the middle of nowhere.

I am not kidding, this is very traumatic to say the least, and worry is one thing that I do not do very well. Now in the course of finding this out, I also found out some other information…..The City council here voted down a proposal of 2 businesses coming into the building that used to be where I worked….and guess what?? One of them used to be here years ago and is one of the bigger Chicken Companies. Yep no real changes except it would be under a new name, and repairs to the building might actually take place. Oh and I forgot most of the 360 employees would be able to just come back to the same place under different rules and colors on the uniforms. And some of us might actually have a chance at jobs that fit us instead of using us as the flock or heard all in some vice grip. Of course there would be no more union that is why they shut down, they wanted the union out of there.

I for one am upset about this…..I have it from a good source that the reason it was voted down 2 times, 2 different companies, is our Mayor….(the Old Goat) who is as old as dirt and needs to be checked for Alzheimer’s in my opinion. He was the deciding factor and the reason this was voted down>>>>??? He wants this area to maintain higher standards by becoming a resort kind of town>>>>>HA! OH MY GOD! OK this just floored me…..I am still on the floor. Let me pose this question….Don’t you usually need an attraction to the resort kind of town??? Such as Businesses, Specialty Shops, things with a Theme, A casino, A famous Waterway, Slopes for skiing, A College, Wining and Dining establishments??? You know stuff that will bring in visitors and tourists that become residents? Oh did I mention that wining is out since we live in a Dry County, the nearest Alcohol is almost 20 miles in any direction. Isn’t it necessary to have any of the things I listed or is this just a myth and I am totally out of the loop??? I for one want this explained to me, I need to have this explained to me.

I will set this up for you readers, this town is 1/2 way between 2 larger cities and is still relatively a Country Setting….Not Urban, Not Suburbs, Not even thriving nor is it expanding. We loose 2-3 businesses that open up for 1-2 months then close….Why you ask? IT COULD BE THAT WE HAVE NO JOBS!! NO JOBS BECAUSE OF NO INDUSTRY!!

We had the Chicken Plant, The Boat factory, And a Plastics Business And a hot water heater plant when I moved here 5 yrs. ago. With that we have 1 Wal-Mart, a General Dollar, and a Family Dollar, 1 Harvest Foods, A Radio Shack, 2 Laundromats, 2 car washes and about 5 banks 2 motels, and a pet store. We have an overabundance of Dr.s some of which aren’t any good, and we have a Hospital that kills people because they are not equipped with good help…. Now we had a tornado come through February 5 2008 in the upper side of town and wiped out 1/2 of the town. Small businesses were damaged and a lot of trees that used to line the streets leading down the hill into our town are gone along with a lot of really nice houses and lives that were changed forever. Prior to this past year the Hot water heater company closed, as did the Plastics company, the tornado took care of the Boat Factory and just in this month the Chicken Plant closed their doors. We also had 3 antique places, and a Bakery all have closed except one antique shop….. What would be the Attraction for anyone to settle here??? Most of us with common sense are leaving the area in search of JOBS!!!

The mayor of this town needs to go to the Nursing Home and admit himself. There is only a KFC, A Sonic, A Mc Donalds, A Taco Bell, and a Pizza Hut. As far as fast food, then we have a Western Sizzler and a Waffle House for sit down meals. The Cat Fish House, And the Country Kitchen, have closed. The only BBQ place is owned by a man who only stays open when he feels like working. Some days he is there all week then closed for several days then open 2 days but closes at 3 PM missing the dinner crowd…..AND SO ON! You ask why I moved here? To get out of an area that was over run with Drugs and Crime, for the country setting, for the fact we had friends who lived here and loved it. Other than that I am finding that if I want to have a normal life in this town I must go on Food Stamps, Collect disability (which I do not qualify for) or get a bunch of kids so I could milk the system(which I do not qualify for that either)

Because working in this town keeps this town poor. $6.50 an hour, all part-time work, no benefits, or any kind of insurance. Yep I guess that will attract the big spenders that will want to invest, and open up businesses…Oh did I mention that the town also has over $756,000.00 missing County Funds from 2005-2008….It was discovered that the Sheriff doesn’t keep records on paper it is all inside his head as to where the money is………..GEEZE!

Yep this would be a good sound investment for someone to turn this around and make it a resort. I just don’t know what FOOL and his Money would be parted. Might be a relative of our illustrious Mayor or maybe some kin folk to the  Sheriff  since they have the money and the rest of us don’t