Point of View: 'County should use money from building sale to erase bad debt' -- The Le Flore County Guardian, October 7, 2011

By DEWEY HARRISON
Associate Editor of The Guardian

Weekly meetings of the board of county commissioners, of which I attend often, exhibit all of the shortcomings usually associated with mismanaged government.

It is time for someone to say what we have all been reluctant to say: "The left-hand does not know what the right-hand is doing at the courthouse."

Whether it concerns budgets, audits, hiring practices or procedures, the County Commissioners and other elected officials have proven themselves to be incompetent and/or indifferent with respect to the management of county funds.

There is no need to rehash 10 years of mismanagement: it is well documented in print media and audits. Real dollars have been taken by force of law from taxpayers to indemnify the incompetence of Le Flore County elected officials past and present.

Yet no one has stepped forward to admit, "We have not been good stewards of the people's money. We're sorry. We will make every effort to do better."

Call me naive, but county commissioners and budget board members could demonstrate a gesture of goodwill by transferring September’s "found money” to the retirement of the budget hole created in the Carroll Rogers' fiasco.

It is my belief that commissioners and county officers knew full well what Rogers was doing, and chose to turn a blind eye with no fear of accountability. I believe the $175,000 profit received from the sale of the Juvenile Detention Center, which was given to the county in March, should be applied to the tax levy administered by the courts and excise board for payment to vendors who were stiffed.

Additionally, they should announce the remaining $75,000 shortfall will be absorbed by the eight elected offices, which make-up the County Commissioner's Board, and there will be no need for an extra excise tax on property.

Spare me the "we can't do that" mantra.

The District Attorney, Commissioner's Budget Board, State Senator and State Representative, could find a state statute with 30 minutes of conference calls, which would allow you transfer the money.

It is time to demonstrate you are worthy of handling the people's money.

My apologies to Melba Hall, Court Clerk, who was the only officer prepared to discuss the budget with documentation of revenues and expenditures for her department at the last budget meeting. Others could have been prepared as well.

A willingness to accept shoddy budget proposals as good enough until next year with a yes vote is a suitable metaphor of how we got ourselves in this mess.

I, for one, am tired of hearing, "We have always done it this way."

Transfer the money!

And pray hard.