COUNTY: No to changes

The Optional Forms of Government Study Commission established by a majority of county commissioners, as another effort to streamline Kootenai County government, has been tried before and failed. Why? Because the people caught on to what was going on.

It would have been better had the commission been charged with examining commissioner’s duties and responsibilities, efficiency, productivity and accountability. But, that evidently isn’t what several commissioners were looking for.

So, what are some of the issues here?

First, the commission itself is not an unbiased entity as each commissioner selected members to the commission and that in itself makes it biased.

Second, three commissioners is enough. A position with salary and benefits approaching $100,000 requires more than a 40-hour work week. Better to update county operating systems, improve efficiency and function with three service oriented statesmen than 3-5 politically motivated commissioners.

No need to hire a high salary manager either. No accountability to the people there; We the People would have no say in who that manager is and what he or she does.

Third, even suggesting a change from electing the sheriff, prosecuting attorney, coroner, etc. to commissioner appointees only reeks as a guise to grab more power and control.

Except for the updating of operating systems, we really don’t need to streamline county government, but we do need statesmen rather than politicians. And if anyone doesn’t know the difference between a politician and a statesmen, then look it up.

BOB WHITEHEAD

Post Falls