From the Clock Tower – The right to know comes with the responsibility to learn

I was pleased to see so many people at Commissioners” Court on Monday morning. Of course, most of them were present because they are still concerned about the now-dead Emerald Correction project – but people were present.
Since I”ve been back in Lockhart, one of the chief complaints I hear from folks in these parts is “we don”t know what”s going on.”
People want

to know what their councilmembers, commissioners and other public officials are up to. That makes sense, and as taxpayers and voters, of course, we have a right to know.
With that right, as with most, comes a responsibility – in this case, a responsibility to get and stay informed about issues that will affect us personally, or the community as a whole.
Far too often, Commissioners” Court, city council and school board meetings go unattended, except by those who either work for the entity, or have some other stated purpose for being there. Generally, I don”t see many people coming, just to find out what”s going on. But I hear and see plenty of people complaining that they weren’t asked or told by their elected officials about a particular issue.
Granted, time is a precious commodity, and it may be difficult to make time to attend political meetings. With the case of the Commissioners” Court, which meets at 9 a.m. on Monday mornings, people may not be able to take time off work. Even with time constraints, though, there are options for those who are genuinely concerned.
Agendas for all these meetings are posted publicly, not less than 72 hours before the meeting is scheduled. If you can”t make it to the Courthouse or City Hall to look at the agenda, you can call, and often, the city or county secretary will email or fax an agenda.
If you see an item that concerns you, talk to your elected official about it.
I hope the eagerness to get involved that I saw Monday morning keeps up. There are plenty of big issues coming up in Caldwell County, and we all deserve to have our voices heard. But we have to offer our input – we shouldn”t expect anyone to come looking for it.