Regards Mr. Saffer

Just wanted to let you that we have a proposal for you. http://ptater.com/index.php?topic=136.0 Please get back to us and let us know your answer. Respectfully, -Etater

The Bible says we should judge a tree by its fruit. The fruits of a productive discussion are consensus and action. Discussion that does not produce consensus is like a fruit tree that doesn't produce fruit. Some communities have developed a very creative way to deal with 'hot button' issues. They form a citizens' advisory board. That board, which includes everyone who wants to be involved on the issue, is charged with producing a set of recommendations. And they keep meeting and discussing until they can agree on those recommendations.
Citizens' advisory board recommendations are then presented to the governing body -- in our case the County Commission -- for possible action.
Because the citizens' advisory board is open to all, and because its recommendations are not binding, no additional legislation is needed to create such boards. One advantage would be to harness the considerable talents of citizens who care enough to become involved on specific issues. Another is to produce consensus and action.
Perhaps the County Commission would consider creating a citizens' advisory board to address a particularly difficult issue facing the county. The more specific the issue, the better. The drug problem, future jobs or education are all important issues. If nothing else, an experiment with citizens' advisory boards would inject a healthy dose of democracy into our community and our discussions.
Rich Laska

Bill,
For an advisory board to work, it must be open and include all interested parties. An advisory board is like a democracy. If people are not interested enough to participate, neither will work. In our form of government, citizens who do not care enough to participate in their own government give up their right to influence government decisions. Democracy won't work for the people unless the people work for their democracy.
As for polling citizens on particular issues, that will only work after there has been extensive and open debate. Opinions based on bias or ignorance are the enemy of the democratic process. Merely polling peoples' opinions is fine for American Idol, but it is no way to run America.
Rich

Rich,
In a perfect world that's how democracy operates. There are a variety of legitamite reasons individuals don't get involved in issues that may be important to them. Maybe they're working 60 hours a week. Maybe their job requires them to be gone for days or weeks at a time. Historically poor and/or uneducated people don't participate in large numbers. Others feel alienated by politics. For whatever reason some citicen's interests might not be considered. The County Commission represents everyone in the county, not just the squeaky wheels. An advisory board could certainly provide valuable input to the Commission. In a population as small as Pocahontas County the Commission could easily identify groups they haven't heard much from. Also, if these groups discover the powers that be are listening to them they are likely to participate in larger numbers. Witness the Presidential election in '08.

Bill

Roger's comments about the PSD prove my point. PSD members were appointed. The PSD does not have open membership. A different PSD, one in which anyone who cares can be involved, and everyone can be heard, with consensus as its goal -- that would be a different creature altogether.
And a citizens' advisory board is a one-issue group. Once it has produced a set of recommendations, it goes out of business. If none of the recommendations are acceptable to the County Commission, the process can be repeated. And the County Commission is not an advisory group. It embodies both legislative and executive functions. And Comisssioners deserve a more responsive way of getting advice from citizens than holding an election every six years.
Bill -- your objection is a speed bump, not a roadblock. Citizens' advisory boards can and should be designed to accommodate anyone who wants to be involved. That's their job.
There are countless reasons why folks don't participate in their own government. None of them are valid. My dad worked 90 hours per week and served on our Town Council. I worked 60 hours a week and served on two citizens' advisory boards. The problem is neither time nor work. The problem is a lack of effective ways for citizens to make a difference. Advisory boards are one way to get citizens involved. If you have another idea to get more people to participate in their government, please share it.
When citizens do not participate, we do not have a government "of the people." Over the past half century, a bunch of ideologues has told Americans that their votes do not count and that they are not part of their own government. They've pretty much succeeded.
And the same extremists who have convinced Americans not to participate in their own government have the power to manipulate the electoral process with their money.
So long as Americans see the government as "them" and not "us" we abandon both the spirit and the power of the great visionaries who founded this nation. Not to mention our ability to influence our own destiny.
Rich Laska

rich a lot of people are like me and have to work out of town.it's impossible for me to get off at 6:00 and drive 4 or 5 hours to get to a meeting at 7 or 8 o'clock. it would also be hard on some of the people in the county who has to drive an hour or so to work and gets off at 5 or 6 to have to drive another 45 min or an hour to get to meetings. people who are retired with nothing to do or people who own their business that could take off when they wanted to could be on a lot of boards.a few people could influence a lot of boards. because people aren't able to attend meetings doesn't mean they don't care. the consensus of most people is less gov. is better.