Pubdate: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 Source: Toccoa Record, The (GA) Copyright: 2010 The Toccoa Record Contact: https://secure.townnews.com/thetoccoarecord.com/forms/letters.php Website: http://www.thetoccoarecord.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5073 DRUGS, JOBS CREATE CRITICAL CHALLENGES The two biggest challenges facing Toccoa-Stephens County are highlighted with stories in this issue of The Toccoa Record. The community's biggest, most prolific and perhaps, most long-lasting problem remains the drug culture that has gained a solid foothold. Law enforcement officers this week announced the arrest of six people on drug-related charges. That brings the total to 18 people who have been arrested on drug-related charges since Feb. 1. The latest offensive in the war on drugs in our community reminds us of the multitude of arrests made by law enforcement officers last summer - 45 in the six or seven weeks from mid-June to Sept. 1. The recent arrests simply re-emphasize to us that Toccoa-Stephens County has a major drug problem and it affects everything from the efforts to recruit new industry to our community to teaching our next generation of children. Toccoa-Stephens County will not return to its historic place as the economic hub of northeast Georgia until we conquer our drug woes. Waging war against drugs is a long, hard, dirty journey which will contain some setbacks and disappointments. But, the longest journey starts with the first step and the first step in ridding our community of the drug affliction is to go after the mid-and-high level street dealers. Community residents may sometimes disagree with the tactics of law enforcement in waging this bitter war, but it is a necessary if we are to conquer our affliction. The community's second greatest challenge is luring more jobs to Toccoa-Stephens County. Unemployment hovering above the 10 percent mark is handicapping the community's economic recovery. With precious few jobs coming into Toccoa-Stephens County, every plant closure and job layoff announcement only raises the collective anxiety level of our community. Last month, it was the news that NAMPAC would close and take with it 90 key jobs. This week Toccoa Falls College announced it is laying off 12 employees out of a workforce of 200 proving that higher education is not immune to the fallout of a sluggish economy. Toccoa-Stephens is trying to lure jobs to the community as witnessed by the caravan of local people who attended Toccoa-Stephens County day at the state capitol last week. Chamber of Commerce and industrial development authority folks glad-handed state officials under the Golden Dome and visited with Gov. Sonny Perdue among others. All this was an effort to have state officials remember Toccoa-Stephens County the next time decisions are being made about bringing a new, large industry into Georgia. We hope the Atlanta trip pays off - and soon. We need new jobs in the worst way. Drugs and jobs, two major challenges that face many communities throughout America. And, the reports this week are that our community is not standing still in addressing both issues. We hope the hard work quickly returns dividends. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom