Wednesday, December 24, 2003

Harris got car despite commission policy

I read the letter to the editor about Solicitor General Steve Harris’ car use and I knew I had read something about this same controversy before. I searched on Google and found it on The Citizens’ archive page at http://www.thecitizennews.com/main/archive-030611/news/fp-01.html. Basically, it was a June 11, 2003 article written by The Citizen’s John Thompson called, “County to lower taxes, freeze hiring” in which he described the county’s final budget battle.

In it the subject of the Harris’ car use came up. It indicated that the county has a policy in place since the 1990s that only public safety employees can be given county vehicles. Harris defended his use of the car by saying that he needed it to transport witnesses and go to crime scenes. He even joked, “I don’t think there’s any taxicab companies around here.” In the end, the board approved his car.

Well, I personally do not think this is a joking matter. Does Steve Harris really expect the rest of us that actually have to buy their own cars to use to believe that he’d need a cab service to get around? I’d like to see what the solicitor makes a year. I bet it’s more than I make and I can afford a car.

I agree with Mr. Myers that we should question the policies that allow us to be taken advantage of year after year. I agree we should hold these politicians accountable.

As for his rather lame excuse that he may need to transport witnesses and investigate a crime scene, he is the solicitor general, not the district attorney, for heaven’s sake! His office deals with minor infractions, misdemeanors and the like.

Where is he transporting all these witnesses? As a former juror, I seem to remember that the witnesses show up to the court on their own accord and that his office is on the same floor as the courtrooms. Does he drive them down the interior hallways? I never saw a car driving down the hallways during the week I was on jury duty.

No, I’m afraid Mr. Harris simply wants to keep the nice perk the Fayette County Commission did not have integrity to revoke when they had the chance in June of this year. They went against their own established policies to give Harris what he wanted. I wonder how many good services were disregarded to allow for the solicitor to have his car.

Oh, well, I guess this is the whooping and hollering Mr. Myers refers to in his letter in which he states that in the end the taxpayer always seems to end up paying. Maybe, this time we can actually do something about it rather than just having to shell out more tax dollars once again. Call the county commission and let them know that you too are tired of paying for others’ unnecessary benefits.

Kent Feltman

Fayetteville, Ga.