Archive for the ‘Judge Clark’ Category
Smith County Jail vs. A Reluctant and Suspicious Public
On Thursday August 15th, Smith county commissioners announced that they were putting a new jail bond proposal on the November 2008 ballot.
On Friday, August 15th, the Tyler Morning Telegraph published a story by Roy Maynard which quoted Judge Baker as saying of the new proposal: “I haven’t heard one negative comment,” he said. “On the contrary, I heard positive comments in the community and at church.”
Word travels fast in Smith county, but this is truly amazing speed. The proposal was made public on Thursday, and one day afterward, a newspaper story is able to quote the Judge as finding only positive comments. Given the fact that the paper comes out in the morning, the quote must have been taken on Thursday. How did the judge know how those in his community and Church felt about it, given such a time frame? Were parts of the community aware of this plan before other parts?
Either way, Judge Bakers limited sampling of opinions, in the limited time span, was apparently not accurate. All indicators point to the opposite opinion in the community. I suppose, however, that if you take your samples from a group of like minded individuals, with a limited amount of information available, it would be possible to come to such false conclusions.
Such errors could have been avoided had the community at large been made privy to the plan, and allowed to participate in community wide forums. Secret meetings, held behind closed doors, only serve to make an already reluctant and suspicious public even more reluctant and suspicious!
Smith Jail Bond: Open Invitation For Comments Pro and Con
This is an open invitation to anyone who has anything to say about the newest jail bond proposal. We want to offer the opportunity for opposing opinions as well as agreement. We will be happy to publish your comment, without editing, as long as it is kept civil, and no foul language! If you want to comment in the comment section, it is at the top of each article, right under the title. If you have something to say that might need a little more space, or prominence if you think it deserves it, then just send it in an email to administrator@ajeffersonian.com with your reasons why you feel it deserves a page of it’s own.
We would be very interested in getting comments from those on the cutting edge of this important discussion. If you are in a leadership role, on either side, don’t be afraid to be transparent! The public wants that in it’s leaders, and avoiding it, causes distrust. Please feel free to comment, just be prepared for the the inevitable critiques to follow, but if you are already in the public eye, you should already be thick skinned enough to handle that.
I applaud Judge Carole Clark, who posted a comment on the child support issue to this blogs parent blog. She placed herself in a position to have her comments dissected by some. That took incredible courage. Her stock went up a million fold in my estimation! Her transparency stands in stark contrast to the apparent clandestine, back room dealings of some in our county. It is an inspiration. Judge Kent has done the same with the media. May their tribe increase!
