Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

The editorial in today's Messenger was very true, an agreement as important as this should be a part of a public forum. No secret handshakes, no backroom agreements, but out there for all of us to review and decide.

I think that Councilmen Jeff Fix and his township partners were hoping that this agreement would quietly pass in the night with no opposition from the people.

We have proved them wrong and now do not ask but demand our voices are heard. We the voters are no longer going to allow these elected officials to just run over us.

We may not all have business degrees or important jobs but we do know what we want and can decide for ourselves what we need if we have all of the facts, which right now we only have what Mr fix would like us to believe.

Once we the voters have had all of the facts both good and bad we demand our right to vote in November so we can decide, by our vote, the direction the City of Pickerington needs to go in as we the voters can no longer believe or trust the people we have elected into office.

Voters Standing Together

Great idea

Too bad it'll never happen.

You might get a few council members to address questions in public in an open forum. Ted, Brian and Mike for sure. Fix and Smith would be there trying to get everyone to believe that they're so much smarter than everyone else. Riggs... doubt it. Hammond... she'd get lost on her way there and not show up. Mayor Psycho... he'd be afraid that everyone would be out to get him so he'd stay home to take a pill.

Township Trustees??? You'd have a better chance a getting a great Porterhouse dinner at your local Steak Escape.

Southeast Messenger opinion

Public?’s voice needed on Pickerington/Violet
economic agreement

Big issues require big actions. It is time the citizens of the city of Pickerington and Violet Township be given a chance to publicly express their thoughts and ask questions about the Pickerington/Violet Township economic agreement.
Pickerington City Council, the mayor of Pickerington, and the Violet Township trustees should schedule, and attend, a public forum regarding the issue at an accessible, reasonable time and place. This forum should be held as soon as possible.
Though the agreement was heavily debated by city council at its service committee and regular council meetings, these venues do not lend themselves readily to in depth scrutiny from the public as time is limited by the agendas. Also, the township trustees have not discussed the agreement in their regular meetings, thereby giving the public little knowledge as to the township?’s position on the issue.
Citizens appreciate being given a voice and other local government entities have successfully used public forums to exchange ideas, provide communication, and open up issues to direct questions from the public. Most notably, Pickerington Local Schools, Groveport Madison Local Schools, and Canal Winchester Local Schools have all used public forums to discuss topics ranging from bond issues to superintendent searches to building usage.
An example of the good such public forums can produce occurred when the village of Groveport sought community feedback on proposals to renovate the village?’s historic downtown. Many citizens were initially skeptical of the project. But village officials then held a series of give-and-take public forums where the plans were presented and examined by the citizenry. The forums served to answer citizens?’ concerns about the design, traffic issues, and viability of the project. Citizens?’ suggestions and revisions were incorporated into the plans thereby making the project a community effort. The forums were an acknowledgement that it is the people of a community who are the most important factor to be considered when decisions are made.
The 30 year Pickerington/Violet Township economic development agreement has far reaching economic and quality of life consequences for the people of the area. They, and their descendants, are the ones who will feel the impacts, either good or bad, that will come from the agreement. Because of this, the people?’s thoughts and questions must be heard by their elected leaders before the agreement proceeds further.
Elected officials must always remember that they are public servants, with an emphasis on the word ?“servant.?” The people are in charge and must be heeded by those holding elected office.
As a council person, mayor, or trustee it is important to be responsive to the citizenry. If a citizen is unhappy, elected officials do not have to agree with the person, but they must listen to their points; not ignore them, ridicule them, play politics with them, or flex bureaucratic muscle at the people?’s expense.
A public forum is a good way to get all the players and the interested public in one room and clear the air. Such a gathering gets it all out in the open and ensures that all will know where everyone stands on the economic development agreement. Both sides of the agreement, pro and con, have points to make, so let them be made under the intense light of public scrutiny and the withering heat of public questioning.

Messenger continued

The Pickerington/Violet Township economic development agreement is too important of an issue for the elected officials to keep their bosses, the citizens, out of the loop. For, under our system of government, it is the citizenry that is the most important check on political power as designed under our framework of checks and balances.

Rick Palsgrove is editor of the Southeast Messenger.


Now lets link this fine editorial to Jeff Fix?’s campaign promises of 2005. Under personal agendas he calls out two former council members and the their poor decisions. His solution is: ?“Elect a council that will always do what is in the best interest of the entire community.?” So the question for all of us is Jeff Fix?’s development agreement in the best interest for the entire community?