In this week's "Three Questions With the Mayor," Dacula Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks provides an update on the latest city news and explains why it is critically important to vote.

Dacula Patch: What's new in Dacula this week?

Mayor Wilbanks: Today is the first meeting at the Atlanta Regional Commission on the DRI process for the PEAK at University Parkway project with regional staff, city staff, owners, and others.

Dacula Patch: What is something Dacula residents need to know?

Mayor Wilbanks: I heard a statistic yesterday that might be of interest. Five years ago $22,000 in an average money market account would have brought in $1,000 of taxable income over a year. Today it takes $3,300,000 to bring in $1,000 in taxable income over a year’s period. That means that the earning power of your money has declined by a factor of 150. Can a roaring inflationary period be far behind?

Dacula Patch: The voter registration deadline is tomorrow. What would you say to someone who is currently unregistered to convince him or her to fill out a voter registration application?

Mayor Wilbanks: To be blunt, if you will be 18 or over on Nov. 6, 2012 and you haven’t registered to vote, you don’t care much about what happens in your life from the standpoint of how government affects you (and our system has become so overwhelming that it affects us in ways we can’t even see). One of the most important things a person can do is to vote. Your vote counts, and it shouldn’t be influenced by the spin of campaign rhetoric. Study the candidates, study their positions, find one you can trust with your future or your children’s future, get out and vote. Your vote counts! I know, for over my political career, I’ve been elected by a single vote, and I have been thrown out of office by one vote. Your vote counts! Don’t squander it. If you haven’t registered to vote, tomorrow, Oct. 9, 2012, is the last day that will allow you to vote in the General Election 2012 election cycle. Voter registration cards can be found at Dacula City Hall or the Dacula Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library.

Are you worried about the earning power of your investments? Let us know in the comments.

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