There are plenty of people who want Walt to stay. And there may be some people out there with a grudge who want him to go. Our job is to balance out all the information we receive and make an informed decision based on facts, not personal beefs.

A tire is a product that is expected to perform consistently in all types of weather conditions, carry people to appointments and enhance the performance of the vehicle on which it's mounted. Perhaps drivers are beginning to recognize the incredible quality and value that go into these tires.

I've asked to meet with people from the business communities, the bargaining groups. I'm also going to stop by the barber shops and the local cafes -- ask all the questions everybody should be asking.

Our engineers are using the most creative technology in the industry to develop this new generation of products that take tire performance to a higher level. The application of relevant technology allows these tires not only to gain credit as true innovations, but also to translate into the kind of driving performance benefits that consumers really want.

We knew nothing about this until we received this letter in January.

My mind is wide open. I can say there are plenty of innovative ideas going on here that we should be considering seriously for Clark County.