County and the Sheriff's budget

The budgets are small and you have to provide services, but don’t have the funds." Commissioner Parks comment to the BCN Its times like these that the government needs to take a hard look at itself and the core reasons for its existence… As Ronald Reagan said The Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives. Government, in this case, the BOC, doesn’t have absolute power over the citizens and their property. The people and property were around long before the existence of government and its primary function is to provide for their safety! Everyone has the right to use force for lawful self-defense, but as a collective, the citizens turned this right over to the government for them to provide this service, this protection. The core function is to make the people safe in their property, their possessions and their lives. Since the county has failed to provide adequate fire and ems services, the citizens that can, have annexed into the Winder because they can provide the core services we expect from the government. Big businesses, major manufactures are hopping right across the county borders because those counties can and do provide the basic core services and infrastructure. The BOC is really no different than a cow, horse, whatever, big appetite on one end and no sense of responsibility on the other. You see the citizen’s tax dollars as this never ending green pasture of tall grass, but all we are getting out the other end are piles of manure. Without responsibility or accountability, you guys, the commissioners, think you can spend our tax dollars however you please. How much have you wasted on the county attorney? How much have you wasted on providing unnecessary services, like parks & recreation? How much have you wasted on insuring friends, family and the connected keep their high dollar jobs? The core function of the government is to fund the Sheriff, EMTS, Fire Department, areas related to keeping the citizens safe; the citizens expects the county government, the BOC, to provide/fund these services… All other services are supportive of the core, As such, these services must be opened to the free market to determine their value… Privatization gives the county a guide as to fair market value for these Services. In addition, Privatizing turns a variable cost into a fixed cost. Free market won’t support the outrageous salaries of some of the employees of Barrow County. Reduce that expense, and that of the county attorney and you should have ample tax dollars left over for the sheriff’s budget. Your first duty is to protect the citizens of Barrow, to fund the sheriff’s budget. I have a great deal of respect for Sheriff Smith. I may not like the answers he gives me. He may not tell me what I want to hear, BUT I know that what he says is based on the law, not some lawyers made up interpretation of the law. I know that he is doing his job. He’s doing a damn good job. Like him or not, he’s the best sheriff this county has had in years.