Guest Commentary
One person's viewpoint
Citizens need to take close look at county's budget
By WINCY WALKER Jasper

Greed is wanting and taking more than one morally deserves. Greed can take the form of seeking undeserved subsidies or privileges. Greed also motivates dictators, politicians, and government officials to seek and maintain their power. Greed benefits from ignorance and apathy of voters. By Jasper County standards, it's often the person who wants the most and has the least to offer who wins the election.

In county government, the County Judge is responsible for proposing the budget but the Commissioners have to approve it. In the "real world" it's supposed to be a "checks and balance" process, but this is Jasper County. When you think you've heard it all, "here come da judge!" The Jasper County Commissioners are about to vote on a budget that would give county employees, including themselves, a five percent pay raise plus $1.3 million in health insurance benefits; only $409 thousand for indigent health care. Welcome to Jasper County government!

In the Newsboy, referring to the budget and five percent pay raises, County Judge Mark "Gimme" Allen, explained, "The rationale I used is quite a lot of counties make more than our employees and received bigger raises. Look at Jefferson County ..." Also, "You really can't compare us to Newton, which only has a population of 14,000 (compared to Jasper's 37,000) and very little industry." That's a show stopper!!!

Who would've ever "thunk" we have more in common with Jefferson County than Newton County - unless he was thinking of money he helped spend ($7.2 million) after Rita?

What Allen didn't say is that the Jefferson County Judge has declined his pay raise. With benefits, Allen's cost to taxpayers in 2008 will be $108,600 - if the commissioners give him all he has asked for; he isn't worth it!!

Using "rationale" indicates Allen wants us to think he used a reasonable thought process in developing the budget, but it appears he is paying off some campaign promises to county employees, used his position to "line his pockets" now has to justify it.

Where else does the parttime emergency co-coordinator, Allen's buddy Billy Ted Smith, make $24,137 plus $12,500 travel allowance (total cost to taxpayers, $40,600)?

More than a dozen county officials, including Allen, also received hefty increases in their travel allowance.

The judge's travel allowance went to $8,000. "My increase is not as much as a constable's or sheriff's..." (rationalizing!) "Plus, it's hard to budget when fuel prices are $2.89 today and $3.10 tomorrow," Allen said. (rationalizing! - and an insult to people who don't get to raise their "travel allowance" when gas goes up!) "I travel (for training) and from Brookeland to Evadale," Allen said. (rationalizing!) "Twelve people got a bigger travel increase than me," Allen said.

What is it that Allen doesn't understand (training or no training!) that he isn't supposed to be on the road like the sheriff or constables? After eight months, does he know he has an office? He has to hold "court" a certain percent of his time in order to earn his $15,000 supplement from the state; can't do that on the road. At $3 per gallon, 20 mpg, he would have to travel over 6,000 miles to spend $1,000 on gasoline per month. In his "training" let's pray he gets some ethics and logic!

The cost of health insurance benefits for county employees will increase from $1.2 million to $1.3 million. That's the GOOD news. Taxpayers pay for the spouses' health insurance and spouses cost MORE than the employee. No joke!! The cost for employee plus spouse is $10,215 under the new plan. ($954 more than last year) The cost for an employee-only is $4762, therefore, taxpayers are paying $5,453 for the spouse's insurance; $691 more than the employee. The employee's contribution for the increased cost did NOT go up.

The family plan went up $361 to $12,679, still at a cost to the employee of only $480 per YEAR!!!

Do the employees appreciate what they get for very little? Getting the increased health insurance at no added cost to him or his wife ($120 per year each), Freddie Miller was quoted, "Until you've had Cigna problems, you ain't had no problems."

I challenge him to convince the people who help pay his insurance, pay for their own if they can afford it, or do without because they can't afford it! Cigna for $10 per month, plus his $3600 yearly travel allowance, would be a blessing to a lot of people!

A whopping $409 thousand was budgeted for health care for all of Jasper County's indigents. Wonder why area hospitals can't pay their employees because they're treating so many patients for free?