Dear Editor,

Recently three members of the BOC have, by self-proclamation, met in secret behind the backs of their fellow commissioners to concoct a "deal" with our county attorney Tommy Craig in order to cap his pay at a mere $800,000 annually. This is twice the budgeted amount (a 100% pay increase per the budget), and about four times what other counties our size pay for legal fees. A blatant public relations move? These three just happen to be the ones up for reelection in 2016.

And here is the greater disconnect: Tommy Craig has somehow seemingly buffaloed most of the commissioners into thinking he and he alone is indispensable and the solution to all our problems, when those among the few thousand of us watching all this with an IQ greater than a sack of rocks suspect he may in fact be an impediment to resolving these problems. Just go ask other counties for whom he has done work. Ask the Corps of Engineers. Ask the IRS. But these three claim that the primary benefit of their secret maneuver was not the sham limitation of still-outrageous legal fees, but that it preserves Tommy!! "Hope it settles the issue," they adjure.

This is one ineffective secret negotiation too many for what is supposed to be a transparent democracy of, by, and for the people.

A word to those who think any questioning of matters here is just tearing down our county: On the contrary, I love my county and believe greatly in its people, its cities, its unique character, its natural treasures and its bright future — a beautiful playing field for the game of life on which a thriving community can grow and raise children, if you will. We just need to make a few changes in players at key positions.

And it's not personal any more than it is for a manager in a baseball game walking to the mound to change pitchers who, for whatever reason, just don't seem to "have their stuff", even if they like the pitcher.

But since this is a democracy and not a baseball game, here is the question: How do the few thousand of us watching wake up the other 95,000 and get them informed and involved in helping us find and elect candidates with common sense and integrity and not tied to the current political machine, who will competently represent "we the people"? God help us find those who "have their stuff" to help the larger team win out in the open!

Steve Brown