A Jeffersonian In East Texas

I posted this a day or two ago about the taxpayers money being wasted by the county to defend them against your right to know.

In the finest traditions of ancient political fear mongering, the county has hired legal counsel, a Smith county lawyer,  apparently doing double duty as a spokes model as well.

Let’s be frank about this. Voting against this jail proposal, or for that matter opposing this proposal, is not about letting criminals out on the street as it is being portrayed! To say that it is, is pure demagoguery. This is even more poignant to me as we look at the recent statements of the new attorney hired to defend commissioners as they try to keep the truth from us. Demagogues were orators hired to frighten people into agreeing with official policies in the ancient world. That pretty much sums up what’s going on here!

Make no mistake about it, this is demagouery at it’s best, or maybe that is at its worst, and it fits the greek definition perfectly, and it is being done with your money and mine!

Recent developments in the Smith county jail, “Jailzilla” saga and the “Commissioners Gone Wild” comic drama give rise to numerous questions.

Some of these questions are legal, and I do not know the answers, but I will raise them anyway in the hope that someone will.

• The admission that the plans for the latest Smith county jail proposal were prepared in secret, as I understand, is equivalent to an admission of guilt. This law allows for both civil and criminal penalties for violation. In a county bent on maximum penalties, in a state bent on maximum penalties, can we expect maximum penalties for those involved in this crime and cover up?
• Can we expect resignations to occur soon?
• What will become of this jail proposal, or any jail that might be built as a result of this proposal, now that we know that the plans were formulated in violation of state law?
• Will there be an investigation to see what other open meeting and open records laws were violated?
• What other issues, projects, proposals, contracts, or other matters could have been done under cover of darkness, and behind closed doors, and will there be an investigation including an audit?

This situation is the worst sort of behaviour in public officials, secret meetings and cover ups strike at the very heart of why the open records and open meeting laws are in place.