County Government

We often criticize government; it is too impersonal, to wasteful, it over regulates, it under regulates or is self-serving.  These are easy things; the harder choice is to participate.  When we sit back it is easier for the city or the county to push off problems to the state or the federal governments and say to its citizens this is not within my ability.

Last evening I was dragged, kicking and screaming, by my wife to a “storm-water runoff workshop” with the county commissioners.  I listened as the public works superintendent explained his annual operations budget was about $1 million and with federal and state grants he had about $1.5M available to fix identified problems that exceed $50M.  His only option was to be reactive, to fix things as they broke, and not get out ahead of the issues and implement unfunded federal and state mandates, or those projects that could prevent catastrophic property damage during periods of heavy rainfall, like a hurricane.

The commissioners listened as various speakers came to the podium.  One from the northeast part of the county complained about water runoff from a landfill and how it was destroying her community, ruining her health and the health of the children in her community.  She cited toxin levels for chemicals I am sure were not good, and the residual problems from this closed landfill.  Unfortunately by the end it boiled down to personal criticism of specific individuals.

Another, claiming to represent Lewis Farrakhan, used the forum for the traditional self-serving purpose of attacking an all white commission.  A third, representing a neighborhood adjacent to an industrial park made an excellent presentation discussing how the lack of adequate storm-water management was destroying his community, causing catastrophic damage to neighborhood homes, and creating innumerable problems for this low-income community.

I was afforded the opportunity to speak to the commissioners on the impact of uncontrolled runoff in the Northgate community and problems with the Gap Creek water basin. 

We ask a lot of our commissioners, but this is where government really meets the local needs.  If these men cannot, or will not, find ways to address the problem -- who else will?  In talking with them I am convinced some are willing to make the hard choices necessary to move this county forward.   Others appear married to the same population pleasing position of “we can not raise taxes.”  The implication of this is lets try and get someone else to pay for it.  At the end of the day the money, if any is to come, will come from some ones taxes.  If we as a county do not stand up to the requirements of our county why should we expect someone else to?   My question to those commissioners who want to bury their heads, to say it is too hard, to appease those who want to pay no taxes and still have full public service, why seek to govern if you are unwilling to do so?