COLUMN: A good vent on county politics

Every so often it’s time for a good rant and lately there’s been plenty to rant about in our local news. First off, I read Barrow County’s population grew by about 10 percent over the last three years, while household incomes dropped and poverty rose. What’s wrong with this picture? As our county, cities and school system struggle to make fiscal ends meet, they are being asked to do more and more with less and less.

I don’t know how all that’s going to work out. One thing’s for sure — the Barrow County commission chairman’s ongoing attempts to cut emergency services in an effort to bandage up county budget woes is a mistake. More people equals more demand for emergency services; if those services aren’t adequately provided people get hurt and the county gets sued.

I’ll take longer lines at the tag office or more time on hold, as long as I know when there’s an emergency a well-trained, well-equipped sheriff’s deputy, EMS or fire fighting crew will show up at the scene. My bet is the battle to keep emergency services well-funded is not over, as the chairman continues to try to use a chainsaw when a scalpel is really what he needs.

While I’m on the topic of emergency services, how ‘bout that tempest in a tea pot created by the ex-Barrow fire chief who got miffed when his application to be hired on as an entry-level firefighter/EMT didn’t’ make it to the top of the pile? Who is this guy trying to kid?

Number one, nobody wants to deal with an ex-chief turned rookie, especially one who is still recovering from a couple of injuries that might make him unable to effectively do the work. Number two, doesn’t the fact that he was unable or unwilling to finish Gwinnett County’s rookie training send up a big red flag? As far as I’m concerned, there’s no reason for this man’s employment problems to even be in the news.

Still on the topic of Barrow County, what’s the deal with the human resources director’s ongoing paid administrative leave? Isn’t four weeks enough time to investigate if she did whatever wrong she is accused of doing? I don’t know how much money she makes, but it’s probably too much to keep paying her to stay home. I say either get to the bottom of the allegations and act on them or put her back to work. It’s not like there isn’t plenty of work to be done.

Having recently re-entered the world of news reporting (after years of doing only columns and photos) I am sensitive to and amazed by the tenacity with which certain local leaders and/or their appointees continue to cling to the notion that they can conduct public business behind closed doors. Every time they try this, they get busted by the people who “buy ink by the barrel” (as the saying goes) and know open meetings laws like the back of their hands.

When the topic of open government comes up, those at the heart of all the closed-door shenanigans act like they have no idea what could possibly be wrong. What part of transparency can’t they see through? It’s not like most of our local governing bodies don’t get it right – they do. Their honesty and willingness to work with the press makes dealing with the closed meeting enthusiasts and their advisors (some with years of local experience doling out ill-guided open meetings advice) that much more trying and tedious.

Then there’s the surprised anger that occurs when someone in a public capacity (most often also one of the players involved in trying to sand-bag the media) reads what he or she said in the newspaper and doesn’t like the way it sounds. “Why did they say I said that?” is the cry. Well, because you did, would be the response.

If you don’t want to be quoted in the newspaper saying foolish or inflammatory things, don’t say foolish or inflammatory things. It is not the newspaper’s job to make you look good; it is yours - that would be the challenge you accepted when you agreed to serve.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not all problems and negativity out there. So many competent people show up and work hard every day at city, county and school system jobs, and there are so many dedicated citizens serving on local authorities and boards. To them I say, “thank you” for what you do and for all the things, thanks to you, I’ll never have to rant about.

Lorin Sinn-Clark is a reporter for the Barrow Journal. She can be reached at lorin@barrowjournal.com.