Supervisors come to meetings with minds made up

To the editor,
I wholeheartedly agree with the premise of your editorial in the April 17 edition of the Orange County Review. The citizens of the county need to get more involved and let the board of supervisors know how they feel about the issues. I have been wondering myself why more people don’t show up at the board meetings. So, I looked inward and not outward and came to the following conclusion: In general, it makes no difference how many people show up for the meetings and take part in them. Prior to any public forum for the most part, the board members have already made up their minds, and have closed them to any and all input that is contrary to their preconceived notions and opinions. There are exceptions, but for the most part that is the rule. I also feel the only reason there is a public hearing is because it is the law and the board has to have them, not because they want to hear from the public. In fact, over the past eight years I have become very cynical of the process here in Orange County.
What should be the purest form of the democratic process, the public speaks, our elected representatives listen, then act, is subverted by the fact that the board(s) do not care what the public has to say. Examples: Current middle schools; Annadale; comprehensive plan, subdivision ordinances; and more recently: the proposed middle school, daycare, parks and recreation, 2008-09 budget; and 2008-13 Capital improvement plan. No one came before the board and pleaded with them to cut funding for daycare or reduce the funding for parks and recreation, or raise their taxes and put them in hock for $200 million. In fact, just the opposite took place.
Both the daycare and parks and recreation programs provide value to the county. Since when is it necessary for a government-funded program to make money to exist? Any program that provides for our seniors and at the same time teaches our young people the value of fair play, teamwork, the art of listening and following instructions, and the joy of winning and the sorrow of losing, is not fluff or frill. It is just as important to the total education of our children as what happens in the school system. It is as important to the community as classrooms, teachers and administrators’ salaries, $600,000 fire trucks, etc. However, the county administrator and the board of supervisors don’t feel that way, even after the public comment to keep both programs as they currently exist. One was dropped; the other was only funded at 15 percent.
There is also a certain amount of risk associated with speaking out: you can be escorted out of a meeting by the police, you can be accused of using scare tactics when voicing valid concerns, being charged with conspiracy wackism, be accused of having a feeble grasp of facts and logic, doing research by watching TV, or not having the intellectual ability to use the Internet, or my personal favorites, “You’re not from here so you don’t know what you’re talking about;” or “You haven’t lived here long enough to know anything.” Of course, there is also the Booster Park and the George Shifflett vendetta that has been waged off and on during recent board meetings. So unless there is a real effort by county officials to become inclusive, I doubt if there will be much of an increase in citizen involvement. Why waste your time?
However, for me personally, I have never been one to run from the schoolyard bully, so, for as long as I am allowed, I will voice my opinion and I hope others will join me and voice theirs—sooner or later someone will listen.
John Bangs
Orange