Out of My Mind - Taxpayers need to get involved

— Daily we pay taxes.

Those taxes are spent by the people we elect, appoint and hire to run the city, county, state, nation and schools. Public meetings are held to conduct public business.

This week a public meeting was held, but no one attended.

The Pea Ridge School District held a meeting for its 10-year Facilities Master Plan. School officials were there prepared with a chart and map showing the plan for the future of the school. No one from the public attended.

Some people say they have no children in school and are, therefore, uninterested. But, the school is the largest employer in this town and the children who attend there may very well be the city officials running this town in 20 years.

It is operated on the taxeseach resident in the district pays.

Monthly meetings are held in Pea Ridge, Garfield, Gateway and Avoca - the region covered by The Times. Many times, there is no one from the public present. But, if any public employee or entity conducts business that affects someone personally, they’ll be the first to call the mayor or superintendent to complain.

Public officials are often contacted with complaints. Seldom do they receive calls or notes of gratitude.

It is human nature to take the good for granted and complain about thebad, but we must actively, intentionally attempt to take time to thank people for work well done.

While it’s true that 90 percent of the work is done by 10 percent of the people, we don’t have to accept the status quo, but can make a decision to be a good citizen and get involved. Attendance at public meetings is a privilege not afforded in many countries. We must accept that privilege along with the responsibility.

“No matter what is wrong with a society - whether it be corrupt politicians, corrupt businessmen or even corrupt judges - if a press is free, the facts cannot be concealed forever. While that is true, everything else is somehow correctable,” wrote Donald Trelford, former editor of “The (London) Observer.”

And, when attending a public meeting, it would behoove each person to be courteous. Rules of etiquette common just a few decades ago seem to be ignored completely now.

Many times at public meetings, persons (both observers and participators) are whispering or even talking out loud to one another preventing others from hearing the business being conducted.

The Times publishes the times and dates of public meetings. That is for the benefit of each taxpayer, each voter within that district or area in order to afford them the opportunity to attend. The agendas of the meetings are published, as provided by the entity, in order to alert the public about the business to be conducted, although other issues can be discussed.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 01/20/2010