Athens County resident encourages others to choose Yolan Dennis as representative for district 94.
Debbie Phillips, do we need hope and change; or is it time to choose a serious working representative? The job of governing Athens County and our great state of Ohio is serious business. As many of you know, I served as postmaster at Nelsonville for over 23 years, and served as Athens County Commissioner for 16 years. Even though I have been a member of the Democrat Party all my life, I knew that I served all citizens, Republican, Democrat or independent; and most often the concerns of the community are shared equally by all parties.
It is with heavy heart and much deliberation that I must write today. During the last three elections I have been a supporter of Debbie Phillips, but after each election cycle my support drops. We all know that Debbie has been part of our community for over 25 years, but expected — that with time — she would mature and understand the needs of mankind as well as she knows the needs of the environmental groups and outside lobby forces. Expectations were that she would use her training as a mediator and community organizer to bring folks together to work out solutions to bring good-paying jobs to our suffering economy.
Debbie Phillips has been the exact opposite, reverting back to her protest days of being against issue after issue dealing with good-paying jobs or safe highways.
During her life of protest and representation, we have witnessed coal jobs shrink from about 3,000 to 54 in the district. Plus, all the jobs lost that supported the industry. We see coordinated actions with protesters against Rt. 33 from Athens to Pomeroy, protests against our neighbors who work in the oil and gas industry. Industrial leaders do not want to bring jobs to an area where all they see is protest, petition and delay.
It is time to hire Yolan Dennis to represent the 94th District Yolan Dennis will use common sense and work hard to bring jobs to southeast Ohio.
Bill Theisen is an Athens County resident and former Athens County Commissioner
