Local Weather Forecast
Today: Current:57	Saturday: 84/59	Sunday: 86/60
Complete Forecast for  May 17 2008

EDITOR'S NOTE: This week the discussion topic is: Have members of the Smith County commissioners court gone far enough on the pay issue to regain voter confidence for the next jail bond election, or do they need to take additional action?

Self-appointed pay raises for county commissioners and the judge need to be addressed and resolved immediately. "Soften-ing" this problem may be something that can't be agreed upon by the majority. I don't have a clue as to how to remove the bad taste left in my mouth by their greed. I believe the power to give themselves raises needs to be rescinded.

I don't believe they deserve percentages they appropriated for themselves. At least one declined totally and three have declined the next two years' increase. Yea for Mrs. Fleming for refusing in the first place.

I'd give a couple of "Atta boys" to VanNess, McGinnis and Baker for not accepting the next two years' increase.

And, with the economy being in such a mess, for Judge Baker and the two commissioners to take the first payment is bad enough, but for Ms. Hampton to continually say "I haven't made up my mind" is just wrong.

To Ms. Hampton, I say "shame on you." What in the world are you waiting for? Maybe the next payment to hit your bank account? Then what? Wait for the third payment?

Confidence in our governing bodies needs to be restored. This has to be resolved to appease "We The People" now.

Barbara Emerson
Tyler

Yes, more action is needed.

In my opinion, the money for those raises should have gone to those people who are doing the manual labor and actually accomplishing the work needed to keep the county working.

If every commissioner (and the judge) were to leave tomorrow, the work would still be done.

I feel confident enough in our county employees, that there's enough common-sense people to do the job without the commissioners supervision.

As for the jail bond, let's get real. We need jail cells not some fancy bunch of foo-fa-rah. Put 'em in cages, as far as I'm concerned.

If they can't conform to, or obey the laws the rest of us abide by, then treat them like the stupid individuals they are.

Fed up with being nice to criminals.

J.W. Jones
Mount Sylvan

Smith County will not have a new jail voted in until we have an entire new slate of commisisoners/judge, as the present ones showed not what they can do for Smith county but what Smith County can do for them.

Don Perkins
Chapel Hill

Our county commissioners don't need to do anything else but their jobs. We have spent a lot of time discussing and voting on this and it is now over. ... What else do you propose they do? Work for less money?

They learned their lesson, now let's move on to the important work at hand such as making booze legal at the grocery stores. Can't wait.

Heidi Lockridge
Flint

Members of the Smith County commissioners' court have not gone far enough on the pay issue to regain voter confidence. The judge and three commissioners accepted the first increment, and even though some of them have said they won't accept more of the pay increase, it has yet to be seen. I am a big believer in watching what they do and not what they say. Let's take a look:

On Monday, the court voted 4-1 in favor of diverting county tax dollars to energizing the downtown area. Is the county responsible for economic development?

This is the same court that voted 4-1 in favor of the $125 million jail bond proposal. It went down in flames by 69 percent. This resounding defeat failed to get it through their heads that the taxpayers want their money spent for necessities, not frivolities.

Recently, the court admitted they could not fill the county engineering position because no one qualified had applied for the job. Are we surprised? This is the court that ridiculed and harassed our excellent former engineer, Bill Bala. Who in their right mind would want to work for a court that treats its employees in such a manner?

The court has shown such poor judgment in the handling of taxpayers dollars, and in the treatment of its employees, that I seriously doubt that any jail bond election will pass under the present leadership. Reward should always come after accomplishment. This court has yet to figure that out.

Until the taxpayers of Smith County see the pay raises rolled back and our county roads and bridges become a top priority, there is no point in this court presenting another jail bond election to the voters.

Sharon Guthrie
Tyler