The Politics of a Jail
In my humble opinion, all politicians whether local, state, or national should largely be of a populist mindset. And in reality most are, during their campaign and on election day, but that soon wanes once the votes have been tallied and their name plaque has been ordered.
Now, I realize such a statement in itself could warrant much discussion so please allow me to frame my thought by defining the key term here using my trusty Encarta. When I speak of a populist way of thinking I am speaking to acting as an advocate of the rights and interests of ordinary people, as well as emphasizing and promoting ordinary people, both their lives and their interests.
Most politicians, while trying to lead and wrangle with the public and private nature of their positions, tend to forget that it is not the head of the large company that ultimately elects them; it is the ordinary factory workers or sales clerks or stay at home mothers which ultimately elect any candidate to an office, in simple terms due to the fact that the general masses are made up of the everyday, ordinary folk. And for a local politician that is even poignant since they above all others live and work amongst the people they are elected to serve day in and day out.
This relationship for local elected leaders is both a blessing and a curse, especially in regards to heavy decisions that may cause them to not get reelected or cause a rift in their neighborhood or place of worship. The sheer utterance of the word change for most locally elected officials sends shivers up and down their spines because they know that someone's toes will be stepped on, and they in turn must weigh the risk of losing their base constituency.
To me, it again comes down to right versus wrong, but so many locally elected officials allow their status and prestige and the chance of losing the next election convolute their better judgment. This convolution is never more evident than when matters which lie in the grey area are brought up, because then process and procedure and better judgment take a backseat to their once populist mindset.
The current struggle over the new Jackson County ADC seems to be in one of those grey areas, stuck between process and procedure and better judgment. In the situation we find ourselves in now, given the pending appellate action, local officials remain mostly silent while citizens stir, creating an ever widening black hole which is only serving to stifle a resolution. A reasonable conversation over a few pots of coffee should be able to settle this dispute. But cool heads have begun to warm and both sides seem to be getting bogged down in the mud that has started to fly. A step back from the issue at hand would do everyone good at this juncture. After all, it is about people whether in a surrounding neighborhood or behind bars.
See if you can follow me as I digress for just a moment. On one side, concern for the children and families within a neighborhood is a contested point. The future growth of a city which lacks developable land is another. On the other side, overcrowding and federal mandates are at stake, as are loss of possible funding and an even longer period of inactivity. When you summarize both areas of contention, you can wrap them up neatly into a single term: feasibility. Is it feasible to locate the jail in the center of a community that has largely stated its disdain for the plan at the risk of further losing time and resources to pursue your current course of action? Is it feasible?
In my mind as an elected official that still thinks as a populist, it would be more feasible for the elected county governing body to concede this location and work hand in hand with the citizen group which now sits in opposition, inviting them to become a willing shield bearer and work horse. Channeling the efforts of the citizens to carry their message further by allowing them to work with and not against the elected leaders is the only way out of the mire. Conferencing between the two sides must begin now for the sake of the county's progress. The citizens opposing the site have nothing at all to lose and everything to gain. The county elected governing body however has much to lose if this process continues on its track: funding, time, imposition of federal mandates, and relevancy within the community.
As an elected official, you must be willing to listen to all of the citizens you represent, whether or not they live in your respective area. After all, you are doing the business of not only your ward or beat or unit, you are doing the business of the entire city or county. Choosing to remain at odds is never the answer. It is the bigger man who realizes when the time comes to compromise for the betterment of the big picture. Choose to sacrifice the smaller battle to win the war. Choose to concede the site to get on with the business of the county and build the jail.
Abraham Lincoln said it best when he said, "Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough." I urge both sides to take some of Old Abe's advice and put down the torch and pitch fork and take up the cause of doing what is truly best for the ordinary people being effected by this bickering. Sit down together soon and hammer this thing out.
Frank Corder
Pascagoula City Councilman Ward 4
