Reader Responses

Early voting starts very soon on the upcoming bond election.

We have many citizens working to help pass this bond election. From every part of the county we have seen people step up to ask what can they do to help with the election. We have been amazed by the goodness of the people of Smith County. Over and over people have stepped up to address a serious need and responded with their most valuable asset: their time. On behalf of the Build the Jail Committee I thank everyone who stuck their neck out to help.

This is not an issue people can get excited about. No one wants to build a jail. It symbolizes lost hope and all the bad parts of society. But the fact is we have put this off for so long we now have a critical need. Our law enforcement officers lack the tools to do their job.

Yet, our jail population continues to grow. In 2004, we spent $306,160 to house people in other counties. In 2007 we spent about $3,500,000. I am afraid to see what this amount will be in three or more years if we do nothing, and this is taxpayer money going out of the county budget. If we do not build a jail and do nothing, taxpayers are going to have a significant tax increase anyway because of growth in transporting prisoners to other counties.

When the opposition group formed, we challenged them to a debate of the issues. Others offered to sponsor the debate. However, the opposition refused. They have said there is nothing to debate. Why have they refused to debate? I think it is because they have no plan - no alternative. Instead, our opponents have attempted to stir up this election to make it about trust. But when you look at this argument, you see it does not hold water.

We have a good jail plan. It was not put together by one person. It was developed by the Commissioners Court and a committee of citizens who volunteered their time for over 16 months. They hired the best experts in the county to help develop this plan. They studied needs for today and for tomorrow and developed a detailed plan to address those needs. Sheriff J.B. Smith says this plan meets his needs and is the best plan he has seen in the last 30 years.

The plan has been approved by the Texas Jail Commission. This means we can finally get the state out of our business. There are three other major jail projects taking place in Texas at this time. Our projected costs are the same or a little less than each of these projects.

Please do not allow a small group to use fear and misinformation to disparage all the work done the last 16 months. I ask you to make up your own mind by visiting our wesite at www.BuildTheJail.com. We have many good men and women who serve as elected officials who did what was right for Smith County. They did not do what was easy or what was pleasing to some small group. They did what was right for all of us. It is time for us to go to the polls and approve the work that has been done so we can complete this project. I will vote for the jail and am asking you to do so too.

Herb Buie
Chairman
Build the Jail Committee