nc

First question to answer and the first businesses will ask is; why should we locate to your area?

Google came ro Lenoir, politicians and supporters rallied it would be good for Lenoir and Caldwell County. Would bring additional jobs and put county on the map for tech jobs.

15 years later, google has imported/brought most the high tech employees from out of state. No high tech jobs have come. No great improvement for the area. Workforce lacks high tech training.

Not Google's fault by no means. They were able to get cheap land, tax breaks, and plenty of cheap labor to keep place clean and work in kitchen.

More jobs did come. Minimum wage jobs in fast food.

Why should a business with high paying jobs locate in this region. It ain't the workforce.

Lack of professional office space. Lack of modern buildings which to utilize for manufacturing or other use.

Mainly old useless furniture factories which have been empty going on a decade or more that will cost a fortune to retrofit and upgrade. Best to push them down and market the industrial land for sale to new business.

All that sounds good Buff, but again, what steps are you planning to take to do these things? I'm not trying to be mean or anything at all. Just we've already had these exact same sound bytes from several people running over the years. It's great to know what should be done, but no one ever seems to know how to take the next step in getting there. How do you plan to move forward and actually do these things?

Thank you! Our paths must have crossed as I was posting... sorry!

I have heard a lot of talk about Buff....many good things. I am anxious to hear some more of your ideas. Hope you get a chance to respond.

I have noticed that the commissioner candidate Buff hasn't responded to some of these questions so I am betting that Jason is blocking him. Normal for Wilkes--don't let the honest and knowledgeable have a say. I for one have had enough. I like that Buff is willing to stand up for our county!! You go, Buff!!!

How many times has the law been called to Seth's establishment to handle a "disturbance" ?

OK so does anyone know if there are any meetups scheduled for County commissioner candidates?

I don't think anyone does that anymore. They used to, but then the good old boys started looking stupid at the debates so they stopped doing them.

I do like what you are saying Buff and I appreciate that you researched some facts, but can you please elaborate on how you plan to go about making these things better?

Great point, this thread started out about Buff so we should talk more to him and see what he's about. I've never heard of him until now, and he might be a great commissioner... we just need to learn more about him.

I agree with WH... Buff, please elaborate

Arguing against Seth because of his dad is ignorant and unfair. Do you know the other candidate's fathers?

Seth owns a good downtown business, he has employees that love him, and he contributes a lot to the community. He's active on volunteer boards and regularly speaks out at Wilkesboro town meetings. He's about 35 years old and has definitely made his mark on the county, regardless of whether you like his dad.

Read what he had to say about why he's running. Do you have a complaint with this?

“I see the problems that larger cities have and I want to do things to help keep Wilkes County a safe, clean and great place to work and live,” he said.

Cohn said economic development efforts in Wilkes should focus on existing industries, and, therefore, help increase income of people who work there, help people who move here find jobs and benefit local small businesses.

“I ask myself why should we try to recruit additional large companies, pay them incentives to come here and then lose tax dollars providing them development costs and more…. I plan to support what we have and encourage clean, slow development while clearly supporting our small businesses and farms and the people who work there.”

Cohn said he supports efforts to revitalize the Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro downtowns, plus he believes in investments in new agricultural opportunities. He is the chairman of the Wilkesboro Merchants Association and served on the Wilkesboro Historic Preservation Commission.

Wilkes offers great quality of life, said Cohn, adding that he supports making it an even better place to live “to attract additional quality people who will want to teach here, open new businesses and work here in the industries we have.” He said the Yadkin River and W. Kerr Scott Reservoir are outstanding water resources.

“We have to learn to say no to development for outsiders and yes to keep Wilkes County for Wilkes County citizens. In doing this, the constant escalation of tax and spend… can slow and stop. Our tax base can support us well if we work for our citizens and I will do that.”

I saw a TOMFORCOM sign yesterday.

Sethboy will be nothing more than a mouthpiece for his daddy.

I've had enough!

I'm voting for Buff!!

He owns a house near my place, and possibly recently purchased another nearby, that he "rents to own" under escalating terms. When the dupes can't make the payments they are forced to leave. Many of them are mexicans, cooking meth to survive, and if they do get the money to purchase, he doesn't record the deed. I called his office once to complain about trash from his tennants getting blown across the road and onto my property and his wife lied and said they had sold the house to a mexican. When I checked with the Register of Deeds they had no record of the deed being filed. That was four cycles ago.

I agree about the slumlord. I have been told that some trailers out of town are his but listed as belonging to someone else. Some are not lived in and insulation is falling down under trailers. It is a terrible eyesore and anyone that owns property around this mess will see their property values go down. Plus looking at the tax site, he purchased properties for half of their tax values. So he is cheating all these homeowners when purchasing properties.

I wonder if he put properties in other names to keep negative reaction from himself.

I do like what you are saying Buff and I appreciate that you researched some facts, but can you please elaborate on how you plan to go about making these things better?

I'd run for some political office and rob these pillbillies without a gun but they've already been robbed.

Holy cow just searched properties owned by Cohns!

The teachers union usually schedules one to "vet" the candidates.

OK so does anyone know if there are any meetups scheduled for County commissioner candidates?