We Get No Respect
Input? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Input
The Quorum Court, in a special meeting, passed a Resolution to go forward with building a new jail and to get the animal shelter up and running. The vote was 11-2. You would think that getting these needed projects moving forward would be a good thing, and in one way it is.
The problem, as is usual, is a lack of transparency, not allowing input from those who will pay the bills on this. The County Judge called a meeting to discuss in public something he had been working on under the covers for a while. He was ready to move, and it seems he had his ducks in a row.
We may be served by the only non-communicating member of the court, but we doubt it. When the Resolution was brought forward one Justice, we don’t remember who, thought it was a good idea and asked for time to discuss it with his constituents. What a novel idea, ask the people who sent you if this is what they want.
Obviously it wasn’t a popular thought because the Court proceeded to vote without public input.
Let’s get one thing straight. There are two issues here and they need to be separated and discussed in a conversation that only looks at one subject. We’re talking about resolving to go forward with the jail expansion and the animal shelter as one discrete item, and not getting or asking for public input as the second item.
Addressing the first case, we totally support the jail expansion and animal shelter. Our choice for which iteration of the jail to build is the largest we can. Unfortunately today if you build it they will come. As for the animal shelter, we support starting with a facility to support controlling aggressive animals with possibly spay and neuter capabilities to continue an already successful program. Those are our preferences.
Looking at the second case, we can’t speak for other taxpayers and in this case, although the Quorum Court can, they shouldn’t without input. There was a request to delay the vote until the regular meeting later this month to allow the Justices two weeks to get constituent support. They didn’t, and shame on them.
We the people are not interested in government by the government anymore. It’s supposed to be government by the people for the people, but you wouldn’t know that by the way decisions get made without our input.
Just because we elected you doesn’t mean we surrendered our ability to think to you as well. Some of us may have differing ideas as to what should be done, and you perform a great disservice to those who sent you to not at least ask for our opinion.
With all due respect, please remember we sent you there. We can send you home.
— Reprinted with permission from Jack’s Substack.
