“Stimulus, stimulus, stimulus,” said former city councilman Bobby Helms.

That’s what the local businessman said he wanted from U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss. Helms was one of a handful of people visiting the senators representatives during their Rockmart visit Tuesday, July 14.

“That’s the very thing I keep hearing more comments about than anything else,” Helms said, “that and jobs.”

Helms said Rockmart hasn’t been hit as hard as some areas in the economy’s freefall over the past couple of years, but it is still hurting.

“We’ve certainly had our share of loss. A lot of people who had a job now don’t have one,” he said.

Marie Hodge Gordon and Jordan A. Dawson visited Rockmart on behalf of Isakson. Darren Kendall was taking notes on behalf of Chambliss.

While the door was open for over two hours, only a handful of people stopped by to ask questions or voice concern.

“You never know how many people will show up. Sometimes one person will show up and sometimes you’ll have a crowd,” Dawson said.

Gordon said the topic of discussion during last year’s visit to Cedartown was immigration.

This year it’s all about money, she said.

“Right now, we’ve been talking to them a lot about stabilization money and stabilization grants,” She said.

Eric McDonald, president of the Polk County Chamber of Commerce, asked the representatives about capturing some grant money for the Silver Comet Trail. He said some investment there could bring in more tourism dollars in the area.

Former State Sen. Nathan Dean showed up to offer his well wishes and others talked to the group about specific concerns, such as getting grant money for necessary equipment and personnel to protect our forests or county bonds for industrial development.

The three representatives listened, and said they would take all of these ideas back to the senators.