Raves, Rants & Roses

REPLY: In response to “Half Price Jail,” I am amazed the jail committee has presented only one choice to Smith County voters. Every good salesman knows their best bet to make a sale, is to offer the benefits between something and something else.

I, for one, am not impressed at the latest proposal of $60 million and saying how this is a great choice?

Excuse me, but there are still other ways or choices that have not been proposed that are equally good. The best one to “not” get mentioned was the plan proposed by District Judge Cynthia Kent.

Her plan is much like the one that is being used in Arizona by Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The convicted men and women serve their sentences in a canvas incarceration compound, better known as tents. He also has tough policies. For example, he banned smoking, coffee, movies, pornographic magazines and unrestricted TV in all jails. He has the cheapest meals in the U.S. too.

The average meal costs about 15 cents, and inmates are fed only twice daily, to cut the labor costs of meal delivery. He even stopped serving them salt and pepper to save taxpayers $20,000 a year.

If he can save thousands just from not serving salt and pepper, imagine how much the taxpayers of Smith County can save by demanding that the committee bring “something else” to the table.

I’ll just bet Sheriff Joe didn’t spend $60 million to build a tent city compound. I think this is the kind of “out of the box” proposals that we are not getting.

The people of Smith County have already spoken. So, why is it that we just get more of the same? Judge Kent understands it, she gets it. Now if only the jail committee would get it.

Charles Smith
Tyler