Letters To Editor – Feb. 14, 2008

It Is Time To Expand Tax Base, Not Fight Progress

Letter to the Editor:

First, I would like to thank the North Mississippi Herald for the good reporting of the news in ALL of Yalobusha County and beyond. The paper is not a one-town paper now. Reporting all the news in the county and beyond concerns all of us as citizens. I respect you reporting the good news as well as the bad and also the thoughts and opinions of all the people.

Sitting in the supervisors meeting on the beer issue reminded me of the flint stone ages. We have a wonderful county and our leaders need to take advantage of it. We are blessed with Yalobusha County being near three large lakes and filled with numerous types of wildlife. The county should take advantage of this for the betterment of the county.

With progress come changes. We need people solving the problems that come with changes before they get out of hand. For example the beer issue plan A, it was not going to happen; plan B was not thought about until after the voters approved the issue. There should have been laws and regulations put into effect before people started to Jackson getting permits. This did and still upsets people.

Gentlemen, our tax base is shrinking. My thoughts are that you need to spend more time finding ways to increase the county’s tax base not fighting progress.

It is true we have a lot of government land in our county. It is free. Why not promote the recreation of the property. It cost money to fish, hunt, trail walk, horseback riding, four wheeling, and bird watching. We would need places for these people to buy supplies, gas, and stay, eat and enjoy their stay. It has to be promoted before it happens. Look to the future, not what your grand daddy did. It does not work in today’s time. Work with the Corps of Engineers and the Forestry Department. Progress is being made at Sardis Lake and Grenada Lake with private and government monies. It takes teamwork to make this happen.

I also want to say that I agree with the letter from Mr. Ernest Kirkpatrick. The people of Yalobusha County have spoken. It is the duty of the supervisors to see that their votes be respected and represent them not their own ideas, beliefs, and desires. In my opinion, they should appoint a beer board and let them govern the rules of who can or cannot get beer permits. This should be based on state law and facts not on their own thoughts. We do not want felons selling beer, as we do not want beer to be sold at certain times.

I also feel Yalobusha County should go with a unit system and hire managers to run the county. I do not know most of the supervisors, but it seems they are looking out for themselves and not the people who elected them. We need leadership not “good old boys” to run the County.

I urge the young people of the county to speak out and get involved in what they want for their families and communities. We do not have any young supervisors on the board. If they are going to make this their home, they need to speak out and get involved.

Again thank you/or your excellent reporting.

John G. Whitsett
5461 C.R. 216
Oakland, MS 38948