County Watch
by G. L. Penney    

Recently I have been acquainting myself with the people who voted for me for the position of county legislator. One of the things that I have learned is that rural America still lives. In spite of all the encroachments of factories and super highways and so-called upscale housing, there are still small communities where people get together to enjoy each others' company. There still are grange halls and church suppers and group meetings at small diners.

 But this pleasant way of life is presently threatened by a well-meaning but poorly informed county bureaucracy intent upon urbanization. We are being destroyed by taxes to help pay for outsiders to exploit our one remaining resource, open land. To their credit, the legislature is examining the costs of county government line by line. But whether they will have the courage to make the necessary changes remains to be seen.
 
At a special meeting on October 20 called to meet a deadline for another purpose, the legislature considered the appointment of Mr. Borko as acting county manager for the remainder of the year and for appropriate compensation. Both measures were tabled for later consideration. Perhaps this is a modest beginning in the right direction.
 
As a newly elected county legislator, I intend to do my utmost to turn the situation around. Hold fast, dear friends, your rescuers are coming! But first, be sure to vote!