Dear Editor:

This is in response to Charlie Hayslett’s column of August 15th, “Welcome to South West Georgia.” In it, he bemoans the devolution of that corner of southwest GA anchored by Albany, once home to a number of very influential Georgians, but far less so in recent years. He specifically lists declines in areas of economic development, infrastructure, human development, political stability, and increases in poverty in the 15 counties surrounding Albany.

He mentions poverty rates exceeding 20% in 14 of those 15 counties, up to a high of 34% in Calhoun county; and notes that childhood poverty rates are even higher. He then notes that the area includes 32,000 college graduates, but also 28,000 high school dropouts; and that without the inclusion of the more affluent Lee county, the number of high school dropouts would exceed those of college graduates.

Therein I believe lies the crux of the problem. Without an educated workforce, employers are less likely to want to invest their capital, and without jobs to sustain the population, those who can leave will do so. Those who stay behind will have very limited opportunities.

Having a good educational foundation is key to a strong economy. When students and their parents fail to recognize this fact, and create strong expectations for their children to stay in school at least long enough to graduate from high school, this cycle is doomed to repeat.

There are no easy answers, and no simple answers to complex problems. We need leaders who can work towards strengthening our school systems and encouraging our young to prepare for their own futures by getting as much education as they can, while they can.

Without that, we are lost.

Raphael Semmes, Midway, Georgia.