davidbond1966

[lotstodo]

Citizens of Paulding County like my idea of High Tech coming here and being a national leader in High Tech job growth, and some have asked, with good reason, "where will we get the money for this?"

Good question...a lot of it is already there. Looking to start or grow your high-tech entrepreneurial venture? Need financing to help fund research and development (R&D) efforts and realize your business potential? The U.S. federal government can help!

In fact, in 2012, nearly 5,000 small businesses received over $1.8 billion in federal government grants and contracts to help them carry out the R&D necessary to develop and bring high-tech products to market.

With all due respect, that money can be spent anywhere. I think what most folks are asking is how does Paulding attract quality jobs to our specific area knowing that we are competing with not only Cobb, Gwinnett, and the rest of the metro area, but with the nation as a whole. There is a complete high tech infrastructure already in place in Alpharetta and Duluth just like there were movie studios in Atlanta and Fayette. We have highways, they have highways. We have mediocre schools, so do they. What makes us special? Find that and then go sell the hell out of it.

 

[stradial]

Citizens of Paulding County like my idea of High Tech coming here and being a national leader in High Tech job growth, and some have asked, with good reason, "where will we get the money for this?"

Good question...a lot of it is already there. Looking to start or grow your high-tech entrepreneurial venture? Need financing to help fund research and development (R&D) efforts and realize your business potential? The U.S. federal government can help!

In fact, in 2012, nearly 5,000 small businesses received over $1.8 billion in federal government grants and contracts to help them carry out the R&D necessary to develop and bring high-tech products to market.

With all due respect, that money can be spent anywhere. I think what most folks are asking is how does Paulding attract quality jobs to our specific area knowing that we are competing with not only Cobb, Gwinnett, and the rest of the metro area, but with the nation as a whole. There is a complete high tech infrastructure already in place in Alpharetta and Duluth just like there were movie studios in Atlanta and Fayette. We have highways, they have highways. We have mediocre schools, so do they. What makes us special? Find that and then go sell the hell out of it.

You and I are here.
Ohhhh, you meant a different kind of special, huh.
Never mind.
(sorry for the joke hijack)

 

[Winchester]

Citizens of Paulding County like my idea of High Tech coming here and being a national leader in High Tech job growth, and some have asked, with good reason, "where will we get the money for this?"

Good question...a lot of it is already there. Looking to start or grow your high-tech entrepreneurial venture? Need financing to help fund research and development (R&D) efforts and realize your business potential? The U.S. federal government can help!

In fact, in 2012, nearly 5,000 small businesses received over $1.8 billion in federal government grants and contracts to help them carry out the R&D necessary to develop and bring high-tech products to market.

With all due respect, that money can be spent anywhere. I think what most folks are asking is how does Paulding attract quality jobs to our specific area knowing that we are competing with not only Cobb, Gwinnett, and the rest of the metro area, but with the nation as a whole. There is a complete high tech infrastructure already in place in Alpharetta and Duluth just like there were movie studios in Atlanta and Fayette. We have highways, they have highways. We have mediocre schools, so do they. What makes us special? Find that and then go sell the hell out of it.

I agree. While the internet backbone is already in place, the "Class A" office parks are not and they are expensive to build. Too expensive to build on speculation.

Now I know the person behind the development and building of Riverwood Office Park in Cobb Co has had an interest in Paulding for many years, but the economic downturn put a halt to that. I'm pretty sure that's now a dead project until there is a major turn around in the economy.

 

[naturegirl]

Citizens of Paulding County like my idea of High Tech coming here and being a national leader in High Tech job growth, and some have asked, with good reason, "where will we get the money for this?"

Good question...a lot of it is already there. Looking to start or grow your high-tech entrepreneurial venture? Need financing to help fund research and development (R&D) efforts and realize your business potential? The U.S. federal government can help!

In fact, in 2012, nearly 5,000 small businesses received over $1.8 billion in federal government grants and contracts to help them carry out the R&D necessary to develop and bring high-tech products to market.

With all due respect, that money can be spent anywhere. I think what most folks are asking is how does Paulding attract quality jobs to our specific area knowing that we are competing with not only Cobb, Gwinnett, and the rest of the metro area, but with the nation as a whole. There is a complete high tech infrastructure already in place in Alpharetta and Duluth just like there were movie studios in Atlanta and Fayette. We have highways, they have highways. We have mediocre schools, so do they. What makes us special? Find that and then go sell the hell out of it.

I do believe he's talking about private business taking advantage of incentives offered by the Federal Government. Many small businesses have taken advantage of this program for years. Could that money be spent elsewhere, sure but small business is the backbone of the American Dream.

 

[lotstodo]

Citizens of Paulding County like my idea of High Tech coming here and being a national leader in High Tech job growth, and some have asked, with good reason, "where will we get the money for this?"

Good question...a lot of it is already there. Looking to start or grow your high-tech entrepreneurial venture? Need financing to help fund research and development (R&D) efforts and realize your business potential? The U.S. federal government can help!

In fact, in 2012, nearly 5,000 small businesses received over $1.8 billion in federal government grants and contracts to help them carry out the R&D necessary to develop and bring high-tech products to market.

With all due respect, that money can be spent anywhere. I think what most folks are asking is how does Paulding attract quality jobs to our specific area knowing that we are competing with not only Cobb, Gwinnett, and the rest of the metro area, but with the nation as a whole. There is a complete high tech infrastructure already in place in Alpharetta and Duluth just like there were movie studios in Atlanta and Fayette. We have highways, they have highways. We have mediocre schools, so do they. What makes us special? Find that and then go sell the hell out of it.

I do believe he's talking about private business taking advantage of incentives offered by the Federal Government. Many small businesses have taken advantage of this program for years. Could that money be spent elsewhere, sure but small business is the backbone of the American Dream.

That does Paulding no more good than the next guy. It's like saying we have sunshine.

Sent from a small screen using fat thumbs.

 

[davidbond1966]

Ironically, we don't have enough sunshine to actually have a profitable solar farm here in NW Georgia. However, what we do have is space to grow, and a high volume of universities nearby. We can adopt the attitude of "there is nothing special here," or we can find some leadership, and bring some high tech businesses here based on the simple fact that many people (including myself) do not like driving 90 minutes twice a day to Alpharetta, and quit losing people to Cobb, Gwinnett and North Fulton. I could use the same argument for Redmond, Washington was nothing special to draw people, until Bill Gates started Microsoft, or that Washington, DC, was a swamp before they drained it to build the capital.

Until I see our commissioners and Chamber of Commerce send out a single letter to the top 5,000 companies in the United States inviting them to do business here based on our above stated advantages as well as another 5,000 to every high-tech start-up who has incorporated in the Southeast U.S., and no one responds, I will not give up this idea. That's too easy a copout to give up on Paulding.

 

[Winchester]

Can we have that swamped refilled? Sure would help this Country!

 

[davidbond1966]

Just a quick blurb - I was on the Ponytail Patriot's radio show a few weeks back (www.ponytailpatriot.com), and here is my interview:

https://soundcloud.com/ponytail-patriot/ga-house-district-17-candidate

 

[lotstodo]

Ironically, we don't have enough sunshine to actually have a profitable solar farm here in NW Georgia. However, what we do have is space to grow, and a high volume of universities nearby. We can adopt the attitude of "there is nothing special here," or we can find some leadership, and bring some high tech businesses here based on the simple fact that many people (including myself) do not like driving 90 minutes twice a day to Alpharetta, and quit losing people to Cobb, Gwinnett and North Fulton. I could use the same argument for Redmond, Washington was nothing special to draw people, until Bill Gates started Microsoft, or that Washington, DC, was a swamp before they drained it to build the capital.

Until I see our commissioners and Chamber of Commerce send out a single letter to the top 5,000 companies in the United States inviting them to do business here based on our above stated advantages as well as another 5,000 to every high-tech start-up who has incorporated in the Southeast U.S., and no one responds, I will not give up this idea. That's too easy a copout to give up on Paulding.

You still didn't really answer the question. HOW are you going to sell Paulding? WHY did Bill chose Redmond? Why was DC located where it was? How do those facts translate into an action plan for Paulding? What is going to be the content of those 5000 letters. What is the substance of your position? Can you be more specific? Quite honestly, if you are going to say that we have wide open spaces and are very close to some rather unremarkable but adequate technical schools, then, once again, that isn't so special. You won't find too many takers, and other areas are closer to better schools. That is just an unfortunate fact. But I didn't say give up. My last two sentences were, and I quote "What makes us special? Find that and then go sell the hell out of it. ".

Selling Paulding needs a specific plan. I've heard every politician for the last 20 years say they are going to bring stable, quality jobs to this area, and not one of them has been successful at anything but spending taxpayer money on the next holy grail. For a while there, having cheap land and being close to Atlanta was enough until the recession when we realized that it wasn't providing a stable quality tax base and we were sacrificing our way of life for the sake of uncontrolled growth at any cost. We've had some time to recover from that, but we need a real plan to move forward. Leaders have plans, not just goals. We need a real plan that isn't just the next great fishing expedition. Some say it's the airport, but some don't think that is the kind of growth we want. Some say that it's the movies, but the smart money has always said that it's just a snipe hunt that costs far more than it brings in. Political platitudes just won't cut it anymore. The best idea in those 20 years has been the industrial park next to the spray fields, and it is proving a slow difficult sell. I'm hoping that the hospital will help, and quite frankly, I believe we have the past Mayor of Hiram to thank for that. The County Commission was ready to let Wellstar change their plans and expand on the north end barely inside the county line, but she held their feet to the fire.

Maybe it's just me (it sometimes is I assure you), but I am tired of well meaning but empty promises, and that comment isn't directed specifically at your campaign. It grows out of 20 years of frustration. If I had the answer myself I would run for office, but sadly I don't. Unfortunately, I don't see anyone who is running with a good well thought out plan to grow Paulding in a quality and sustainable fashion either. Maybe it's just time to step back for a moment and take stock of what we really want to be as a county and go from there. Growth will come one way or another, but right now 278 can just as easily become Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain as it can Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta.

I've often wondered out loud if we could somehow leverage the Silver Comet and the Paulding Forest a lot better, but I'll be the first to admit I don't have that plan. I just believe that these amenities could attract the kind of citizens and visitors that can sustain quality growth without so negatively impacting our slightly slower pace here. I just know that I don't want to live in a county full of crap shacks or near a major airport. Sorry for the rant. Unfortunately it's election season, and my meter is set to sensitive.

 

[honeybunny]

JMHO... if Paulding county wants to attract the high tech & biomed jobs of the future, then our best investment would be in a progressive educated workforce.

Rather than the current pipe dream projects, we should be investing in new and innovative science and technology charter schools for middle thru high school.
We should be using community venues for adult job training and education courses in the emerging skills that our new economy needs... This will attract jobs.



My cousin lives in Olathe, KS (a suburb of Kansas City) and her kids are seriously getting a superior education.

Kansas City just landed a huge Google presence... and that area is booming with opportunity and investment.

We need to be educating the workforce of tomorrow... that is what will attract good jobs and a good future.


:thumbsup

 

[Winchester]

Ironically, we don't have enough sunshine to actually have a profitable solar farm here in NW Georgia. However, what we do have is space to grow, and a high volume of universities nearby. We can adopt the attitude of "there is nothing special here," or we can find some leadership, and bring some high tech businesses here based on the simple fact that many people (including myself) do not like driving 90 minutes twice a day to Alpharetta, and quit losing people to Cobb, Gwinnett and North Fulton. I could use the same argument for Redmond, Washington was nothing special to draw people, until Bill Gates started Microsoft, or that Washington, DC, was a swamp before they drained it to build the capital.

Until I see our commissioners and Chamber of Commerce send out a single letter to the top 5,000 companies in the United States inviting them to do business here based on our above stated advantages as well as another 5,000 to every high-tech start-up who has incorporated in the Southeast U.S., and no one responds, I will not give up this idea. That's too easy a copout to give up on Paulding.

You still didn't really answer the question. HOW are you going to sell Paulding? WHY did Bill chose Redmond? Why was DC located where it was? How do those facts translate into an action plan for Paulding? What is going to be the content of those 5000 letters. What is the substance of your position? Can you be more specific? Quite honestly, if you are going to say that we have wide open spaces and are very close to some rather unremarkable but adequate technical schools, then, once again, that isn't so special. You won't find too many takers, and other areas are closer to better schools. That is just an unfortunate fact. But I didn't say give up. My last two sentences were, and I quote "What makes us special? Find that and then go sell the hell out of it. ".

Selling Paulding needs a specific plan. I've heard every politician for the last 20 years say they are going to bring stable, quality jobs to this area, and not one of them has been successful at anything but spending taxpayer money on the next holy grail. For a while there, having cheap land and being close to Atlanta was enough until the recession when we realized that it wasn't providing a stable quality tax base and we were sacrificing our way of life for the sake of uncontrolled growth at any cost. We've had some time to recover from that, but we need a real plan to move forward. Leaders have plans, not just goals. We need a real plan that isn't just the next great fishing expedition. Some say it's the airport, but some don't think that is the kind of growth we want. Some say that it's the movies, but the smart money has always said that it's just a snipe hunt that costs far more than it brings in. Political platitudes just won't cut it anymore. The best idea in those 20 years has been the industrial park next to the spray fields, and it is proving a slow difficult sell. I'm hoping that the hospital will help, and quite frankly, I believe we have the past Mayor of Hiram to thank for that. The County Commission was ready to let Wellstar change their plans and expand on the north end barely inside the county line, but she held their feet to the fire.

Maybe it's just me (it sometimes is I assure you), but I am tired of well meaning but empty promises, and that comment isn't directed specifically at your campaign. It grows out of 20 years of frustration. If I had the answer myself I would run for office, but sadly I don't. Unfortunately, I don't see anyone who is running with a good well thought out plan to grow Paulding in a quality and sustainable fashion either. Maybe it's just time to step back for a moment and take stock of what we really want to be as a county and go from there. Growth will come one way or another, but right now 278 can just as easily become Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain as it can Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta.

I've often wondered out loud if we could somehow leverage the Silver Comet and the Paulding Forest a lot better, but I'll be the first to admit I don't have that plan. I just believe that these amenities could attract the kind of citizens and visitors that can sustain quality growth without so negatively impacting our slightly slower pace here. I just know that I don't want to live in a county full of crap shacks or near a major airport. Sorry for the rant. Unfortunately it's election season, and my meter is set to sensitive.

Great post LTD. I just wanted to add that the new industrial park in Bill Corrupt...err.....Carruth Pkwy IS the spray fields, not besides them. There is plans to develop all 300+ acres over time, as businesses look to locate here.



Before leaving Paulding and getting out of real estate all together (after 9 long years) I dug deep in the stats to see where things were headed. Would the housing market return and what would it take to make it happen. What I found was discouraging at best. I do not see the housing growth to ever return to what it was and there are currently more people in the business then houses for sale. And the numbers are still not improving, regardless to what people will tell you.

Like LTD stated above Mr Bond, and I stated a few pages back. Your promises have all been told before, many times over, for the last 20 years. And I have never seen someone from the State's level bring a dang thing into the County but boy did they show up for the camera. What people want to see are plans to make these things happen, not the end goals, but how are you going to get the ball rolling.

People have become weary of the smoke and mirrors of past unkept promises. You may have good intentions but I see you have no idea what your limitation may be.

 

[davidbond1966]

For those of you who are at least 40 years old, you may remember "The Muppet Show." Between Winchester ("I see you have no idea what your limitation may be") and Lotstodo telling me I went to an unremarkable but adequate technical school (I got my Master's at Southern Polytechnic), I feel like Kermit the Frog having to hear Statler and Waldorf find every flaw in the show! However, I am running for a public office, so I am fair game.

I am too ignorant and too optimistic as well as too driven to not try. I have 24 years of experience marketing and launching products and services, and what I have not seen here or heard here, is any type of basic market research and subsequent Stagegating process. I will explain in the moment.

Why high tech? That is where the growth is in this county, and the future lies with it. A majority of it can be done anywhere. I can go into great detail, but as I posted earlier, there are many areas of high tech:

-Aerospace
-Artificial Intelligence
-Biotechnology
-Computer science
-Information technology
-Nanotechnology
-Nuclear Physics
-Photonics
-Robotics
-Semiconductors
-Telecommunications

I would start off with conducting an anonymous survey via online or direct mail to 50 of each of these companies, and probably more like 50 of each subset to these companies (such as Biotech having Pharmaceuticals, Online Health, Implantable Devices, Over the Counter, Surgical Robotics, etc.), to determine where growth is, who is considering relocating, expanding, looking to develop new divisions, as well as survey new young high tech companies with recent patent applications. I will tell you this....you always learn a lot with market research, and I can guarantee you something will come up that does make Paulding special for a select set of companies or specialty industry.

I would then develop a StageGate process. It is the methodology used for conceiving, developing, and launching new products and services, and is an extension of Project Management and Critical Plan Method/Program Evaluation and Review (CPM-PERT). Once I know the where and what to concentrate on and what messages resonate with a select industry or industries, I develop the StageGate plan:

Stage 1 - Discovery - ideas are generated from the market research and brought forth to the Commissioners, Mayors, and through Town Hall Meetings

Stage 2 - Scoping - Once a set of ideas are narrowed down and discussed, detail what it will take to launch these ideas into plans

Stage 3 - Build the Business Case - This is where develop is done to not only what the real market potential is, but the cost of it as well as the realistic return on investment. I would also present this to the Commissioners, Mayors, and through Town Hall meetings, as well as a detailed result for all to view and critique

Stage 4 - Development - this is setting up all the programs that were agreed upon and also designing all the marketing material and marketing plan to recruit businesses as well as prepare our area for the influx of business long term. Again, this is shown to the commissioners, Mayors and through Town Hall Meetings

Stage 5 - Final testing - a limited test to perhaps one subset of the industry is done, to determine initial reaction as well as where improvements can be made, and capitalize one what was done right. After presenting to all the parties, I would want to actually put this to a vote to the citizenry, as they should have both a knowledge and the right to accept or reject such a plan.

Stage 6 - Full Launch - this is the full readiness for marketing, campaigning, and having all the infrastructure ready or ready to implement, as well as having all the detailed information a CFO and attorneys, as well as the CEO of a company is going to want to see.

I don't exactly know what business to recruit here, but I know how to find out and how to make sure whatever we do is successful.

I don't believe in limitations, and I have not achieved enough cynicism to give up and say it won't happen. I am innovative, and optimistic.

If you want to see my capabilities, look at my patent I obtained on May 2, 1995 on something I invented: U.S. Patent Number 5,411,147.

Or you can vote for the status quo.

 

[Boss 302]

For those of you who are at least 40 years old, you may remember "The Muppet Show." Between Winchester ("I see you have no idea what your limitation may be") and Lotstodo telling me I went to an unremarkable but adequate technical school (I got my Master's at Southern Polytechnic), I feel like Kermit the Frog having to hear Statler and Waldorf find every flaw in the show! However, I am running for a public office, so I am fair game.

I am too ignorant and too optimistic as well as too driven to not try. I have 24 years of experience marketing and launching products and services, and what I have not seen here or heard here, is any type of basic market research and subsequent Stagegating process. I will explain in the moment.

Why high tech? That is where the growth is in this county, and the future lies with it. A majority of it can be done anywhere. I can go into great detail, but as I posted earlier, there are many areas of high tech:

-Aerospace
-Artificial Intelligence
-Biotechnology
-Computer science
-Information technology
-Nanotechnology
-Nuclear Physics
-Photonics
-Robotics
-Semiconductors
-Telecommunications

I would start off with conducting an anonymous survey via online or direct mail to 50 of each of these companies, and probably more like 50 of each subset to these companies (such as Biotech having Pharmaceuticals, Online Health, Implantable Devices, Over the Counter, Surgical Robotics, etc.), to determine where growth is, who is considering relocating, expanding, looking to develop new divisions, as well as survey new young high tech companies with recent patent applications. I will tell you this....you always learn a lot with market research, and I can guarantee you something will come up that does make Paulding special for a select set of companies or specialty industry.

I would then develop a StageGate process. It is the methodology used for conceiving, developing, and launching new products and services, and is an extension of Project Management and Critical Plan Method/Program Evaluation and Review (CPM-PERT). Once I know the where and what to concentrate on and what messages resonate with a select industry or industries, I develop the StageGate plan:

Stage 1 - Discovery - ideas are generated from the market research and brought forth to the Commissioners, Mayors, and through Town Hall Meetings

Stage 2 - Scoping - Once a set of ideas are narrowed down and discussed, detail what it will take to launch these ideas into plans

Stage 3 - Build the Business Case - This is where develop is done to not only what the real market potential is, but the cost of it as well as the realistic return on investment. I would also present this to the Commissioners, Mayors, and through Town Hall meetings, as well as a detailed result for all to view and critique

Stage 4 - Development - this is setting up all the programs that were agreed upon and also designing all the marketing material and marketing plan to recruit businesses as well as prepare our area for the influx of business long term. Again, this is shown to the commissioners, Mayors and through Town Hall Meetings

Stage 5 - Final testing - a limited test to perhaps one subset of the industry is done, to determine initial reaction as well as where improvements can be made, and capitalize one what was done right. After presenting to all the parties, I would want to actually put this to a vote to the citizenry, as they should have both a knowledge and the right to accept or reject such a plan.

Stage 6 - Full Launch - this is the full readiness for marketing, campaigning, and having all the infrastructure ready or ready to implement, as well as having all the detailed information a CFO and attorneys, as well as the CEO of a company is going to want to see.

I don't exactly know what business to recruit here, but I know how to find out and how to make sure whatever we do is successful.

I don't believe in limitations, and I have not achieved enough cynicism to give up and say it won't happen. I am innovative, and optimistic.

If you want to see my capabilities, look at my patent I obtained on May 2, 1995 on something I invented: U.S. Patent Number 5,411,147.

Or you can vote for the status quo.

Here's what I'm seeing from you; a lot of hooey. You haven't answered the question posed quite some time ago. Instead you give a bunch of hooey about how the area basically should come up with and develop a product that would bring business here. That sounds like spending of the local taxpayers money.

What you really should look at first is what are the reasons good companies relocate elsewhere? For instance why did a small manufacturing company in Michigan relocate it's operations in Tennessee instead of Paulding County, GA? For that matter, why does any manufacturing company locate to another state? What was it about those communities they relocated to that enticed those companies?

You suggest attracting high tech companies to Paulding County. One of the things I believe they will look for is an available supply of labor to meet their needs. They'll take a good look at our public school system to see if it's producing a certain level of academic talent pursuing those career areas. They'll also look at the local colleges to see if they're producing graduates that would fit their labor needs. You bring up Southern Polytech where you graduated. It's ranked 89th in the Regional University South. There were several tied with them and quite a few tied at 84th. I'm sorry, but that's not very impressive. Kennesaw State was ranked 69th. Georgia Highlands College wasn't even ranked.

The question remains, "What does Paulding County have that other areas don't to attract the type of companies you suggest?"

 

[lotstodo]

For those of you who are at least 40 years old, you may remember "The Muppet Show." Between Winchester ("I see you have no idea what your limitation may be") and Lotstodo telling me I went to an unremarkable but adequate technical school (I got my Master's at Southern Polytechnic), I feel like Kermit the Frog having to hear Statler and Waldorf find every flaw in the show! However, I am running for a public office, so I am fair game.

I am too ignorant and too optimistic as well as too driven to not try. I have 24 years of experience marketing and launching products and services, and what I have not seen here or heard here, is any type of basic market research and subsequent Stagegating process. I will explain in the moment.

Why high tech? That is where the growth is in this county, and the future lies with it. A majority of it can be done anywhere. I can go into great detail, but as I posted earlier, there are many areas of high tech:

-Aerospace
-Artificial Intelligence
-Biotechnology
-Computer science
-Information technology
-Nanotechnology
-Nuclear Physics
-Photonics
-Robotics
-Semiconductors
-Telecommunications

I would start off with conducting an anonymous survey via online or direct mail to 50 of each of these companies, and probably more like 50 of each subset to these companies (such as Biotech having Pharmaceuticals, Online Health, Implantable Devices, Over the Counter, Surgical Robotics, etc.), to determine where growth is, who is considering relocating, expanding, looking to develop new divisions, as well as survey new young high tech companies with recent patent applications. I will tell you this....you always learn a lot with market research, and I can guarantee you something will come up that does make Paulding special for a select set of companies or specialty industry.

I would then develop a StageGate process. It is the methodology used for conceiving, developing, and launching new products and services, and is an extension of Project Management and Critical Plan Method/Program Evaluation and Review (CPM-PERT). Once I know the where and what to concentrate on and what messages resonate with a select industry or industries, I develop the StageGate plan:

Stage 1 - Discovery - ideas are generated from the market research and brought forth to the Commissioners, Mayors, and through Town Hall Meetings

Stage 2 - Scoping - Once a set of ideas are narrowed down and discussed, detail what it will take to launch these ideas into plans

Stage 3 - Build the Business Case - This is where develop is done to not only what the real market potential is, but the cost of it as well as the realistic return on investment. I would also present this to the Commissioners, Mayors, and through Town Hall meetings, as well as a detailed result for all to view and critique

Stage 4 - Development - this is setting up all the programs that were agreed upon and also designing all the marketing material and marketing plan to recruit businesses as well as prepare our area for the influx of business long term. Again, this is shown to the commissioners, Mayors and through Town Hall Meetings

Stage 5 - Final testing - a limited test to perhaps one subset of the industry is done, to determine initial reaction as well as where improvements can be made, and capitalize one what was done right. After presenting to all the parties, I would want to actually put this to a vote to the citizenry, as they should have both a knowledge and the right to accept or reject such a plan.

Stage 6 - Full Launch - this is the full readiness for marketing, campaigning, and having all the infrastructure ready or ready to implement, as well as having all the detailed information a CFO and attorneys, as well as the CEO of a company is going to want to see.

I don't exactly know what business to recruit here, but I know how to find out and how to make sure whatever we do is successful.

I don't believe in limitations, and I have not achieved enough cynicism to give up and say it won't happen. I am innovative, and optimistic.

If you want to see my capabilities, look at my patent I obtained on May 2, 1995 on something I invented: U.S. Patent Number 5,411,147.

Or you can vote for the status quo.

First of all sir, I did not say that you graduated from an unremarkable but adequate technical school. Last time that I checked, Southern Tech was in Cobb County, not Paulding, so it would at the very least be their unremarkable but adequate technical school to claim, were it that, not ours. Please don't put words into my mouth. We disagree here but we do so in a civil manner without name calling, even if I do look a bit like Waldorf. If you took my comments to be personal, then please don't. I also don't believe that you want to get into a contest of either educational or professional accomplishments with members of the board here. It is no way win friends or influence people, JMHO, and I think you may be surprised who and what you encounter.

Finally, your knowledge of the EPM literature, including stage gating, is laudable, as is your 24 years in business. Bot are useful in all professional endeavors. But still, you say that "I can guarantee you something will come up that does make Paulding special for a select set of companies or specialty industry." All I am asking is that we could find a candidate with that idea fully formed instead of another a promise to find it.

 

[Guard Dad]

David - I just want to give you props for coming here. Most candidates stay away from internet forums, and for good reason. Too much nastiness on many of them.

The Hwy is different. Intelligent and reasonable people here who want to know what the candidates have to say.

Please encourage others to come here. And should you win your race, feel free to continue your mission here on The Hwy.

 

[deewee]

I wish you the best, David, but since I don't live in Paulding now I won't engage the discussion any further. I will come and read, though!

LTD- Thank you for your posts. Honestly, it's like you read my mind on much of it, and you are much more well spoken than I.

Again, thank you David, for posting & I do wish you all the best.

 

[Boss 302]

David - I just want to give you props for coming here. Most candidates stay away from internet forums, and for good reason. Too much nastiness on many of them.

The Hwy is different. Intelligent and reasonable people here who want to know what the candidates have to say.

Please encourage others to come here. And should you win your race, feel free to continue your mission here on The Hwy.

Very true. We naturally are going to ask questions of any candidate who presents themselves here because it gives us the opportunity to do so. I appreciate any candidate who makes themselves available so the voters can ask questions.

We're an intelligent lot here who are very concerned with the local and national economic crisis we are in. For most of our adult lives we have heard political candidates tell us what they believe we want to hear, but not really address our questions with sound answers, but instead give us more rhetoric.

We know the area is short on good jobs and our unemployment rate is high. Many with good jobs are driving outside the county to those jobs. There are lots of retail businesses in the county, but let's face the facts most of them pay minimum wage. What the people in this county want to see are good paying jobs where they can pay their bills and start putting money away for the future.

What this county has is a new hospital with 56 beds and the ability to expand to 112, an airport with a 5,505 foot runway, and land allocated for an industrial park. Is that good enough, especially when you compare to neighboring Cobb County which has two hospitals?

Cobb also has an airport that supports the region with 842 jobs and a payroll of more than $25M and over $112M in economic input for the local and regional economies. Their runway is 6,305 feet. Cobb has many industrial manufacturing sites with some facilities available for occupancy.

Great schools ranks Paulding County schools a 6 out of 10. Cobb received a 7 out of 10 ranking.

Paulding has no freeways running through it. Cobb does.

Emergency services are rated better in Cobb County than they are in Paulding. Property taxes are lower in Paulding, but many homes are without county sewerage and have septic tanks instead.

If we're going to compete for the type of businesses you suggest, Cobb will be one of those counties we will be competing against. So what strategic plan do you have as a leader that would make Paulding more appealing?

 

[lotstodo]

I forget the exact numbers, but I believe PC schools are ranked something like 16th in the state and the state is ranked something like 27th in the nation. Chattahoochee Tech, Georgia Highlands, and Vogue Beauty School aren't exactly Kennesaw State (God Rest Southern Tech, they were robbed) or Georgia Tech. Hell they aren't even the University of GA (just for you UGA1). Point being that we don't have that education leg up on our neighbors. We've been called "business ready", "cinema ready" and everything but "Zombie Apocalypse Ready". We are paying twice for a Fire Department that we never got. Our Sheriff's Department, for all their good effort, can't even write accident reports. We have waved piles of taxpayer cash at whomever would stick it in their back pocket, and we have gotten exactly zilch for the effort. All because we are indistinguishable from our neighbors in every category but a willingness to hide our government from the voters and spend their money in backroom deals that benefit only the connected.

Maybe I have given up. It seems like whomever has enough money for the most yard signs and a couple of radio spots that use the word "Conservative" the most wins the election. Most hear the word 'Jobs" in the same sentence as "Conservative" and by God can I vote twice. Very few actually get to know the candidates and see things like David's Pony Tail Patriot interview, let alone ask the candidate himself questions. I agree it's hard for guys like Mr, Bond to come here and discuss issues one on one without any filters. But hard answers are the things people need to hear, whether or not it's what they want to hear. I hope we didn't scare you off David.

 

[davidbond1966]

Let me respond to each of you:

Guard Dad, thank you for the kind words and encouragement. I have told others, and you will be seeing more candidates, I am sure.

Deewee: I appreciate the support, and it is refreshing to find someone who sees similarly from my perspective.

Boss302: You bring up good points, and I will be honest - at this point, I have several ideas I am fleshing out, but I will need to research this. I will make a promise here first, though: I will develop a plan, and present it before the Primary, and have both a town hall meeting, as well as meet with other Paulding Leaders and candidates, and present what I see for the future in terms of a plan, as well as what is expected of other leaders to succeed. Is that fair?

Lotstodo: No, you did not scare me off (I had a good laugh at Vogue Beauty School), and you are only voicing what I sense a majority of our citizens feel. With all my years in marketing, I upset a lot of executives as a market analyst, telling them a product or service was failing, or a program was costing more than it was bringing in: no one wants to hear bad news, and even fewer want to deal with it. Everyone wants the power, prestige, and money that comes from being a leader, whether it is appointed or elected, but very few want to look at all the problems, and many look for a "quick fix" so they look like a hero, or at least look worthy for the job. The moment a leader stops listening to criticism or other points of view, they will be destined to fail. So keep up your questioning and countering - there is a lot for me to learn, and being blind to differing views will not help me succeed.

I went to Marine Officer Candidates School over a quarter century ago (talk about abuse!), but a Drill Instructor told me something that was very profound to me to this day, and something I try to live by: When you compromise your integrity, you are left with nothing.

My other powerful lesson I learned from my father, who told me this when I was only 12, but found it absolutely profound, and still do: The truest test of a person's honesty is what they would do if they knew they would never be caught.

I tell you this not to say I am a virtuous person, but rather what I believe is expected on an individual put into the responsibility of a leader who it responsible for others actions.

Feel free to contact me at: davidbonforga@gmail.com, and visit my website for updates at davidbondforga.com.

 

[stradial]

So far here is the most important thing I have learned from this thread, apparently Paulding County is not "Zombie Apocalypse Ready".


Thank you Mr. Bond, for taking the time to respond to those who have serious questions and comments.