THE PIG WILL SQUEAL



Mike Little's Song- Courtesy Deliverance Movie, 1972

The cries for lowering the local county budget have become so common place we are starting to hear them from the most unlikely of places. Of course the local liberal-oriented gossip website has never been for lowering taxes or being conservative with taxpayer money, but the site is infamous for deception and Republican bashing. In honor of those who talk out of both sides of their mouth, let’s talk some details about what needs to be done and how any efforts to cut the biggest problem areas with the budget will be rebutted by arrogant out of control politicians.

First let’s look at where the budget has been doubled in the last four years. Let’s look at their slush fund money. Of course by law, the DA's office is only suppose to keep a portion of what is seized by law enforcement. The seizing agency keeps the rest.
Anyone who participates in Chapter 59 funds must file an accounting with the Attorney General annually. So the obvious next question is about the accuracy of District Attorney Mike Little’s “accounting”. Sources have indicated to Liberty Dispatch that an audit of this “accounting” might prove to be politically fatal for Little.

Just like any other cuts in the bloated government we see all around us, we can expect the pig to squeal when he is cut. The public can expect Mike Little to try and use his media buddies to head any questions about these funds off at the pass. He will correctly declare; “The State is the only one who can tell the District Attorney’s office how this money can be spent.” And Wes Hinch may try to indemnify himself and Little with a similar recital: “The State is the only one who can tell the County Attorney’s office how to spend the income from the "hot check fund".

Liberty Dispatch is used to the deflection method corrupt local officials use in Liberty County. The two politicians responsible for prosecuting some of the crime that has originated from our courthouse have saved their money for other things. Liberty Dispatch and anyone who keeps up with local politics knows they can hide their motivations and the county’s money behind an official statement: “the State and not the commissioner's court tells the prosecutor how that money can be spent.” They can say this and it will not only sound correct, it is correct. The only problem is it never addresses whether the cars, cash, crack, and other things are being used to do the business of WE THE PEOPLE. Deflecting the attention to the State when WE THE PEOPLE are the same people the State is responsible to is just useless rhetoric. Talk like this should drive us to demanding an audit.

To top it off, in their public defense and their efforts to stop any attention on their slush funds they will attempt to disconnect it from the taxpayer’s efforts to be fiscally responsible. They will undoubtedly point out that the Texas Constitution and the Texas Supreme Court mandates the commissioners’ court to provide “adequate funds” to the courts, the prosecutors, and law enforcement to be able to do their jobs. They will say in order for WE THE PEOPLE to cut their budget the commissioners, we would have to have a good reason. In fact these “public servants” are so much like crack-heads when it comes to the budgets they are in control of that if we don't watch out they will threaten to have the higher courts spank WE THE PEOPLE. If their budgets take into consideration their actual needs AFTER the income of their slush funds, they can cut their budgets more than just to the 2006 level.

ADULT ADVISORY- VIDEO



Some of the main questions left: "Will the new County Judge and the newly elected Republicans continue to be intimidated by these men?" "Will they continue to allow these men to deny them the ability to pay the workers in their office longevity pay while they dip into their slush funds and pay their help based on longevity?" "Will WE THE PEOPLE allow Mike Little and Wes Hinch to focus the time and the money that WE THE PEOPLE are responsible for to pursue income for their precious budgets or we require them to focus on the business the Constitution sets up these offices to focus?" We can only hope…

In the meantime, cut their budget back to the 2006 level and let them squeal to the State that it is unreasonable. If even the local liberal blogger wants to see budget cuts, may be that he will back this move. Not!