Today's Feature

Not On the August Ballot.

Members of the Jasper County Commission held a press conference yesterday morning to inform the public that the proposed Law Enforcement Sales Tax would not be appearing on the August ballot. The Commission in conjunction with Jasper County Sheriff Archie Dunn have been negotiating the details of the proposed tax since January.

Contact was made with Sheriff Dunn shortly after the meeting wherein he expressed some misgivings about the conference and the content of the press release that was issued (see News Release).

Dunn says that he was not aware of what the commission was planning to say at the conference until he requested that a copy of the release be faxed to him. According to Dunn, the previous meeting with the commission had produced what he felt to be an agreement upon a quarter-cent tax, to be put on the August or November ballot. The release contained neither the amount nor a concrete date for its appearance on the ballot.

Dunn further said that he had asked the commission for a compromise wherein he would not push for the issue to be on the August ballot and they would commit to the issue being placed on the November ballot.

"They wouldn’t commit to anything," said Dunn.

Jasper County Presiding Commissioner Chuck Surface said at the conference that the Commission was working towards a November or April ballot with the issue. Surface said that the purpose of moving the date back was to give the parties more time to work out the details.

"We would know where our finances are," said Surface of postponing until the November election.

Dunn said that he had been told throughout the negotiation process that no money had been budgeted for an election. When he discovered that $80,000 had been budgeted and inquired about it he was told by the Commission that indeed the money had been budgeted but that Jasper County Auditor Richard Webster recommended that it not be used as the budget was $200,000 down from last year, according to Dunn.

"I just couldn’t agree with that," said Dunn, who said he felt he had been misled on the funding issue.

Eastern District Commissioner Jim Honey said that the negotiations between the commission and Dunn had progressed.

"I think we’re closer to what the sheriff wants," said Honey, adding, "I felt the only disagreement was the date."

Dunn is hopeful that the issue will continue, considering the work that has been expended. He said he felt that the issue could have already been completed by this point if it had not been so frequently postponed.

Surface said that he felt all parties involved were still in agreement about the need for a law enforcement sales tax and were working to find a way to get the public support on the issue. The conference was held on the last day available to schedule an issue for the August ballot.

The Complete News Release.

from the Jasper County Commission concerning the Law Enforcement Tax.

The Jasper County Commission has decided not to place the Law Enforcement Tax on the August Ballot.

We met with the Sheriff last Friday and thought an agreement had been reached as far as the August election was concerned. The Sheriff, however, disagrees and still favors the August election.

The Commission is committed to continue working toward a November or April Law Enforcement Tax. We are open to all ideas and suggestions.

We realize the need for this tax to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

Our finances at this time show the county at $200,000 down from last year and we feel at this time the money while budgeted, is not funded.

They say no publicity is bad publicity, so maybe in the long run the debate of just gettin’ a county law enforcement tax on the ballot will get folks involved in the issue. It certainly takes the discussion away from the fact of actually payin’ the tax. And to some extent, whether the idea would be approved by the voters.

The debate seems to have moved to a new level. There may be some question as to whether it is a higher or lower level, but it is more intense than ever and is bein’ played at a more emotional level than before.

‘Course a good healthy debate is one of the responsibilities placed on elected officials. Hopefully the goal of winnin’ the debate doesn’t get in the way of actually accomplishin’ what is best for the those who elected those officials.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

• "To keep my children in the habit of cleaning up, I have a laundry basket that collects toys and games that are not put away when I ask. The contents stay in the basket until the weekend." — J.I. in Louisiana

• "If you use ground chicken or turkey to make meatballs (lower in fat), then give them some time to firm up by making the meatballs and putting them in the fridge for an hour or so. They stay together much better that way." — F.K. in Missouri

• "I keep a small box with needles, thread and several buttons near my washing machine. When I do laundry, I can replace any buttons before I wash the item that is missing one. It keeps me from having a bunch of stuff out of circulation in a pile marked ‘repair.’" — A.M. in West Virginia

• Do you have a facial in your refrigerator? Use a third to a half-cup of plain yogurt as an exfoliating treatment once a week.

• "If you get dents in your carpet from furniture that is sitting in one place for a while, you can just set a small ice cube in the dent, and it will magically raise the carpet back up. As it melts, it gives the fibers moisture to fluff them up again." — E.F. in California