Mayor Issues New Challenge After VW Announcement

The thrill of luring Volkswagen to Chattanooga is still strong but today Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey issued a new challenge.

Mayor Ramsey said Chattanooga opened the door to opportunity knocking from Germany but asked "what are we as a community going to do next?"

The mayor said now we have to focus on education - our public schools and local colleges - to help young people get the high-tech jobs that are coming.

He spoke at the Rotary Club luncheon Thursday at the Convention and Trade Center.

Mayor Ramsey pulled off a gag entrance by driving into the meeting room in a Volkswagen turbo diesel Jetta.

Like everyone he's basking in the glow from Volkswagen's historic announcement. But he said the community should focus on the future.

"This community is at a crossroad," Mayor Ramsey said.

Ramsey said the community's next focus should be on public education in county schools and our local colleges, adding parents should make sure their children are learning, not just attending school.

"We need to educate our young people and get them ready for those jobs," Mayor Ramsey explained. "Without a good education they're not going to get those jobs, they won't get a job at Alstrom or at Blue Cross or any of these other places."

In today's world and the future learning how to speak and write proper English is paramount, as well as having technical skills to work with high-tech equipment now used in manufacturing.

Mayor Ramsey made that point clear and then knocked on the podium from which he spoke adding "opportunity has knocked and it's here, now the question is what are we going to do with it?"

Mayor Ramsey also thanked all the county and city public works employees, along with contractors, who worked together getting the Enterprise South site ready for Volkswagen so quickly.