Comments on: Power Breakfast: Long-time printer closing, bank overhaul, home prices, AT&T vs. Verizon, Delta http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/2009/11/11/power-breakfast-long-time-printer-closing-bank-overhaul-home-prices-att-vs-verizon-delta/ Get inside Atlanta\'s and national business news and how it affects you. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:16:35 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: OMIPS http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/2009/11/11/power-breakfast-long-time-printer-closing-bank-overhaul-home-prices-att-vs-verizon-delta/comment-page-1/#comment-4707 OMIPS Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:08:25 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/?p=3004#comment-4707 Monday morning I was at an alumni breakfast at Southern Poly Tech listening to fellow alumni Suzanne Sitherwood speak about her career and community leadership. Sitherwood is VP of AGL Resources and incoming president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. During question and answer she was asked about the biggest challenges facing the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Her answer was that the three major issues are: solving the state's water problem, helping the state with it's budget deficit, and finally transportation. Nothing was mentioned about the state's soaring unemployment and growing business failures and closures (e.g., Stevens) which will add to the state's unemployment picture. I was amazed but really not surprised. But disappointed. Granted, the water problem needs to be addressed and solved. Like every other organization, the state needs to figure out how to manage its revenues during the economic downturn. And, we need to be thinking and planning on state wide transportation. But this unemployment picture is nearing a crisis. Officially there are close to 500,000 people unemployed in Georgia. The unofficial number is significantly more. If there is one thing that the leaders in the state need to be solving is unemployment. And from what I read, see and hear they're not. Leaders in our state need to have a real world top priority and right now that's unemployment. Monday morning I was at an alumni breakfast at Southern Poly Tech listening to fellow alumni Suzanne Sitherwood speak about her career and community leadership. Sitherwood is VP of AGL Resources and incoming president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. During question and answer she was asked about the biggest challenges facing the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Her answer was that the three major issues are: solving the state’s water problem, helping the state with it’s budget deficit, and finally transportation. Nothing was mentioned about the state’s soaring unemployment and growing business failures and closures (e.g., Stevens) which will add to the state’s unemployment picture. I was amazed but really not surprised. But disappointed.

Granted, the water problem needs to be addressed and solved. Like every other organization, the state needs to figure out how to manage its revenues during the economic downturn. And, we need to be thinking and planning on state wide transportation. But this unemployment picture is nearing a crisis. Officially there are close to 500,000 people unemployed in Georgia. The unofficial number is significantly more. If there is one thing that the leaders in the state need to be solving is unemployment. And from what I read, see and hear they’re not.

Leaders in our state need to have a real world top priority and right now that’s unemployment.

]]> By: clyde http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/2009/11/11/power-breakfast-long-time-printer-closing-bank-overhaul-home-prices-att-vs-verizon-delta/comment-page-1/#comment-4706 clyde Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:07:59 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/?p=3004#comment-4706 435 more jobs leaving the country.Thank you AT&T. 435 more jobs leaving the country.Thank you AT&T.

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