Some students in Sumner County can’t even take home their textbooks because of budget shortfalls, but County Commissioner Jim Vaughn wants the taxpayers of Sumner County to buy him and the 23 other commissioners an Apple iPad.
“I really think this is a waste of taxpayer dollars and not the small government that everyone promised in the last election cycle,” said Charles Ihrig, chair of the Sumner County Democratic Party. “It all seems a little self-serving.”
Currently agendas are mailed to commissioners, which racks up a bill of $3,000 annually. If the County Commission was serious about saving taxpayer dollars, it would send the agendas via e-mail, which would cost the taxpayers $0.
The Apple iPad retails from $499. That would amount to an expenditure of at least $12,000, to furnish each commissioner with one, four times the current expense to mail the agendas, and infinitely more expensive than sending them via e-mail.
County Executive Anthony Holt thinks the idea would work, but the commissioners would need training. These Republicans are not only expecting the taxpayers to give them an iPad, they also expect taxpayers to provide training on how to use their new toys.
The citizens of Sumner County deserve better from the County Commission. Sumner County deserves fiscally responsible commissioners who will keep the interests of the taxpayers in mind, not themselves.
These Republicans need to get their priorities in order. Education comes first, not party favors for the County Commission.
Rather than giving our commissioners an iPad handout, let’s give our students a hand up by providing them the textbooks necessary for a successful education.