Voice of The Voters: Marion County

By Chris Pollone
Reporter
Published: October 8, 2008

HAMILTON, Ala—Hamilton, Alabama is a city of contrasts.

Empty storefronts litter the landscape while manufacturing plants bustle just yards away.

Jerry Brown has seen all the good and bad Marion County has to offer.

He’s a ninth generation potter, creating clay works of art that have earned him national acclaim.

Yet, despite his success, Brown is concerned about the economy.

“A lot of people don’t have money to buy anything extra like pottery, it really hurt our business this year,” he said.

These days, Brown is hard at work customizing his famous ‘face jugs’.

A customer suggested that he make some to resemble presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.

We asked if Brown thought a new President could help out.

“I don’t see how he can hurt,” Brown said with a laugh.

Brown is a lifelong Democrat, and he’s 90% sure he’s going to cast his vote for Barack Obama.

“I think he’s more for the middle class people, he helps people who need it.  If he don’t, he’s got me fooled.  I feel like people like us, he’ll help us,” Brown said.

People who live in Marion County love living there, but they say it’s getting harder and harder to stay because of a lack of good paying jobs.

“The only jobs they have around here are fast food joints and that’s minimum wage.  Families can not make it off of that around here,” Donna Holliday told us.

We caught up with her as she browsed at a yard sale.

“I wish we could get a good president that would do something for, well, we used to be the middle class, lower class people now.  That’s what we are.  Used to be in the middle bracket, but we’re not anymore because it’s divided.  Either you’re rich or you’re not,” Holliday said.

Holliday is voting for John McCain because she thinks he’ll do a better job of taking care of the ‘little guy’.

The unemployment rate is 7.2 percent, that’s higher than the state and national average.

It has voters angry at the political process.

We asked Mae Sandifer who she is going to vote for.

“Whoever is right,” Sandifer said, her voice rising.  “It comes down to the last nutty-grutty, whoever I feel is right is who I’ll vote for and if he disappoints me, he’ll know it because I’ll tell him!”

Back at Jerry Brown’s studio, he’s hoping a new President can bring some economic relief to Northwest Alabama.

“I’ll have to shut this place down if it don’t get better.  I can’t keep going.  It’s that bad here.”

If things don’t get better, Jerry Brown’s art will die, along with the dreams of many of the hard working people in Marion County.