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Prior to 2008 elections, I took only passing notice of how things were run in my county and country.
I would note things that seemed absurd and beyond the scope of government, but I didn't know what to do other than vote at election time. After that, I began to occasionally attend County Commission meetings, and I started to learn how decisions were made. I began to voice opposition to things that I thought were ill advised, wasteful, or in violation of private property rights.
I discovered that many times decisions were made based on whims or pressures from outside forces. These decisions were often based on politically motivated agendas instead of on a principled view of the proper role of government.
I would like to see that changed. I feel that we need honesty and integrity at all levels of government.
One of the objectives I have is to bring the experience I gained in manufacturing to local government. As a technical services manager, my job was to find practices that would improve operations and reduce costs. While there are areas that the county does well, there are others that could stand improvement.
I am dedicated to never raising taxes, and that is why I feel it is so important to improve operations and reduce costs whenever possible.
Another area that I see for improvement is the amount of transparency in fiscal matters. I believe that the more eyes that are able to see what the county is doing with taxpayer money, the better. For example, Baldwin County has a checkbook feature on its website where every transaction can be seen. I would like to see something similar to that implemented here. Everyone should have the right to know how government is spending his or her money.
We are entering into a time when state and federal governments are reducing funding and grants. To address this, we must improve performance.
As your commissioner, I am committed to improving the operations of the commission and all its related activities, rather than just maintaining the status quo.
Election 2012
Related Photos
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Ben Harrison Courtesy photo
Discussion
Election 2012: County Commission District 4 candidate Ben Harrison
- Election 2012
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Charles Woodroof sworn in as new probate judge
Woodroof ran unopposed in the Nov. 6 general election after defeating City Municipal Judge Don Mansell in the Republican primary in March.
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Brad Curnutt replaces Page as Circuit Court clerk
A standing-room only crowd filled the cramped third-floor courtroom of the Limestone County Courthouse as Curnutt took the oath of office Sunday afternoon.
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VIDEO: Obama HQ goes wild during Iowa returns
Supporters of Barack Obama gathered in Chicago react to the news that the president won the state of Iowa.
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Obama: 'The best is yet to come'
Obama spoke to thousands of cheering supporters in his hometown of Chicago, praising Romney and declaring his optimism for the next four years.
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Alabama's last Democrat in statewide office leaves
74-year-old Lucy Baxley told fellow Democrats Tuesday night that this was her last race.
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Roy Moore wins old job as Alabama chief justice
With 96 percent of precincts reporting, Moore had 52 percent of the vote compared with Vance's 48 percent.
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Romney concedes defeat
The Republican nominee told supporters he would pray for Barack Obama's success in leading the nation.
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UPDATED: Congressman Mo Brooks wins re-election
Congressman Brooks joined Madison County Republican candidates and a crowd of enthusiastic supporters at their victory party at the Space and Rocket Center.
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Limestone County goes overwhelmingly for Romney
Limestone County came out in a big way for Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan, following the statewide trend with Alabama expected to be strongly in the GOP camp.
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Brooks beats Holley by wide vote margin
Republican Mo Brooks swept Tuesday’s race to win a second term to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Alabama’s fifth district.
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