Whose responsibility is it to ensure that children have a safe route to walk or ride a bicycle to school?
BOC debates safety improvements around school
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners wrestled with that issue Monday night as commissioner Bruce Yates pushed the board to make improvements around Gum Springs Elementary School in West Jackson.
No action was taken after almost one hour of debate, but the BOC agreed to set up a meeting with the Jackson County Board of Education to discuss the matter further.
Yates said there is a “massive traffic jam” around the school from 7:20 to 8 a.m. each morning with “cars stacked up in each direction.” He added that some children are walking or riding bicycles to school and he is concerned for their safety. Among his recommendations were adding sidewalks, left and/or right turn lanes and a “round-about” to slow down traffic.
But commissioner Dwain Smith questioned whether such a project would open the door for the BOC to have to look at similar needs at other schools.
“The school engineer should have considered that,” Smith said. “It is between two subdivisions.”
No action was taken after almost one hour of debate, but the BOC agreed to set up a meeting with the Jackson County Board of Education to discuss the matter further.
Yates said there is a “massive traffic jam” around the school from 7:20 to 8 a.m. each morning with “cars stacked up in each direction.” He added that some children are walking or riding bicycles to school and he is concerned for their safety. Among his recommendations were adding sidewalks, left and/or right turn lanes and a “round-about” to slow down traffic.
But commissioner Dwain Smith questioned whether such a project would open the door for the BOC to have to look at similar needs at other schools.
“The school engineer should have considered that,” Smith said. “It is between two subdivisions.”
So to sum up what I'm reading in the Jackson Herald - it is OK for our BOC to spend XXXX amount of dollars on a county airport that only a handful of people in the county use or benefit from. Obviously these select few people have some close ties with our elected officails? It is also OK to approve $249,000 for a "Transportation Study" thay may or may not be needed. And how much "Other" money is being spent on other questionable "needs" of the county. HOWEVER - when it comes to our elected officials coming together and approching a REAL & OBVIOUS concern for public safety all we (the people who elected them) hear are comments like "Its not our problem" or "We don't want to fix other peoples problems". Maybe the Jackson Herold could run an informational article on how to "Recall" elected officials - times are tough, if an individual isn't performing up to par usually they are replaced. The same should hold true for our elected officials!
My family and I happen to live on this road and travel down it everyday. I have a child that attends this school! There has already been on accident that I know of right in front of this school!! Will this be like the Kroger store in Jefferson where there has to be a number of accidents or even fatalities before our sleepy headed officals wake up to take action???? Usually on my way home from work I can count 10 - 15 children walking in the ditch or right next to the road going home to the adjacent subdivisions. Also there are numerous gulf carts traveling this same route!! It is only a matter of time before an incident occures!
My hats off to commisioner Yates for champing behind & raising the concern for this matter. Maybe we have at least one decent commisioner in our midst??
I am too old to be paying taxes for schools any way. Now I have to pay for the roads for the schools too? Why don't they locate the schools in places that can handle the traffic?
It sounds like you rather attack commissioners for asking questions about your money instead of the issues. Who cares about that guys myspace page. Have you ever talked to him or went to a meeting? Thompson and Bell are the only two fighting to save money and Yates is just trying to get re-elected.
Who is responsible for the bill is mute at this point - the school is here, its not going away (just like the new court house, and the proposed new jail, and the airport expansion, and the $$ for traffic studies, & ....). What concerns me is the overall response from the commissioners! When you have an OBVIOUS need to look at a LEGITIMATE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN the response should not be finger pointing and questions about who is "responsible for the bill". When our money saving commisioners can throw $$ towards the items mentioned above but then have to debate about an issue such as Public Safty - it concerns me!!! Again I'll bring up the issue of the new Kroger store on hwy 129 and the lack of planning there! Once the problem is raised & identified pull together to resolve it - QUICKLY. How long did that mess go on with all the finger pointing and "who's to blame" game playing that went on. And in that time frame how many more accidents / deaths occurred because the elected officials could not pull together and act!!??
Another question to ask - how has Jackson county gotten to the point where we need addtitional schools? Is it possibly because of uncontrolled & unplanned growth?? Did our elected officials (present & past) think that they were going to allow subdivision after subdivision into the county and then not have to deal with schools (and how the traffic would be handled)?? I've lived here long enough to know that usually the cart comes before the horse. Developement means "tax revenue", which is fine. However, when it comes time to dole out the tax revenue towards the necesarry needs to SUPORT the "new development" where has this money gone?? Usually on to other projects devoted towards getting MORE development into the area!
It may seem to you that I am attacking the commisioners - and you may be right. But on the other hand if the commisioners were doing their job there wouldn't be a need to attack them would there?? In addition - if they have choosen to be in "PUBLIC" office they should be well prepared to "be attacked". If they aren't they shouldn't be there! I'll ask the questions of you - how many meetings have you gone to? It sounds like your concerned about paying taxes just like everyone else I know. Have you raised issue or questioned our elected officials about how our money is being spent or asked them why the "elderly" have to pay school taxes? I for one agree with you on this issue. At some point this burden should be removed from our senior citizens. As for Yates trying to be re-elected, maybe all the commisioners should act like they are "trying to be re-elected". When they start acting like they don't have to be re-elected is when we are in trouble! As for the MySpace page - need I say anything more here - this subject (and his postings) spoke for it's self. What Mr. Thompson chooses to do with his time is his business. But it does sort of say something when an elected official is devoting a lot of time to a website devoted mainly towards adolesence and teens??? But to each his own.
Hope you have a good week!