Court traveling a slippery gravel slope

"I'm warning you," Mom says. "This is the last time!"

That idle threat is probably heard on a regular basis in every household from here to Timbuktu. But Taylor County magistrates heard something similar recently, and we certainly hope they'll really start to listen soon.

Last November, magistrates voted to adopt a resolution recommended by the Court's Transportation Committee that the County no longer accept gravel roads into its road system - with the exception of three roads already in the process of being accepted.

OK, that makes sense, sort of like a grandfather clause. But, then, at last week's Court meeting, magistrates backed up and undid their own work and accepted yet two MORE gravel roads into the County system.

What happened there, magistrates? Are you going to make a habit of eating your words - and against the advice of the County's attorney? If so, that doesn't bode well for our future.

Judge/Executive Eddie Rogers told magistrates at the meeting that Simpson Road and Hemlock Way are the last two gravel roads that would be accepted. Was he winking?

"This is it, Gentlemen," he said. "Everybody understands? This is it."

Then, add to that the fact that magistrates also had first reading of subdivision regulations - when just last month they refused to do so. What has happened in the past month that we don't know about that would move them to pass a first reading?

We elect our officials and count on them to make the best decisions for our community - popular or not. But they can't keep changing their minds willy-nilly, without regard to the rules they themselves set.

It doesn't set a good example for those of us who will be asked to comply and certainly doesn't set an example for the kind of leadership we had in mind when we pulled voting levers in November of 2006.