To the Editor,
I read the editorial in The Robesonian on Feb. 3 that was titled “On offense at a retreat.”
As a citizen of Robeson County, I echo the concerns of the editorial. When I read in your Friday edition that the director of our Robeson County Parks and Recreation Department said that she couldn’t manage her county department without the support of the county commissioners through donation from their slush … er … discretionary funds, I was appalled.
Yes, $40,000 per commissioner’s slush fund is appalling. Yes, that a governmental agency that they — our county commissioners — are supposed to fund within their budgeting process relies on slush/discretionary funds is also appalling. This is our money, and should be managed wisely, not dispersed outside of budgetary policies and procedures.
I hope that our county commissioners don’t wait for a phone call from me. I’ve copied this letter to them. I do hope they will quietly accept their mantles of financial responsibility by doing the right thing — by decreasing their payoff … er … discretionary funds and managing our countywide funds in the open through our democratic budgetary processes.
Jef Lambdin
Lumberton
Again, this is why we need to overhaul voting and 3 things would eliminate free biscut voters, credit check, welfare status, and drug tests...
This way only the ones who count could vote.
I don't know you but I totally agree with your comments!
The recreation department is not an independent non profit organization that the commissioners can use their "discretion" to help fund. It is a county funded program that serves youth and adult recreation leagues.
I said in previous comments that Wendy's appearance and comments at the commissioners meeting were damaging to the commissioners' cause and not helpful as they were obviously intended.