Who Holds All the Power?


The Citizens of Hardin County, you and me, who are eligible to Vote, hold ALL the ultimate Power and WE hold the ultimate responsibility for abdicating, relinquishing and/or renouncing our Citizens responsibilities as the holder of this ultimate power that keeps Hardin County encumbered in it’s chains. Sorry about this tough love thing.

The painfully truthful answer is that the folks who have chosen to register to vote, and who actually vote at each and every opportunity, exercise the ultimate power for all the other complacent and apathetic citizens. These folks disburse all the power to our elected officials, who now hold all the power that keeps Hardin County encumbered in it’s chains, whatever they are.

"Originally, our founding fathers envisioned a government Of the people, By the people, and For the people, that included a checks and balance on governmental powers with the Separation of Powers Doctrine.

The Separation of Powers Doctrine basically states that there shall be a separation between the three branches of government, i.e. Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. Neither branch could exercise the power of the other." THOMAS JEFFERSON, 1821

Hardin County’s Judiciary - Complaint of the Hardin County Grand Jury – All one need do, is look at the composition of the Grand Jury. How can a Grand Jury which has been infiltrated and influenced by the judiciary/law enforcement be expected to do its primary job of investigating official malfeasance, judicial arrogance, lack of accountability and corruption?

Hardin County has had national exposed, via the Internet, with judicial and political corruption allegations, along with a designation as a major drug route for illegal drugs coming from the gulf coast via the Tombigbee Waterway to all points North via the Tennessee River to the Mississippi River to all points northeast, with a lot dropped off along the way for local area distribution. We are at the end of the Tombigbee Waterway corridor in a tri-state area, that’s good for our industrial development programs, but it comes with a price.

Hardin County’s Legislature/County Executive - On December 10, 1998, I noted in a letter to each of our County Commissioners the following:

"Over the years the 20 member County Commission have come to relied on the County Mayor to administer the affairs of the County Commission by his almost ritualistic election to the office of Chairman of the County Commission. Over the year this reliance has evolved to an abdication of responsibility by those County Commissioners who take the position that "I have to rely on the Chairman/County Mayor" because he has looked into it, for me. Or "I have to go along" with the Chairman/County Mayor and the Sheriff because they know what they want to do.

This reliance violates several fiduciary responsibilities of the individual Commissioners, the primary being the check and balances system of oversight. The County Commission as an entity has the oversight responsibility for the County Government including the County Mayor and Sheriff. In Hardin County the question can be asked - Where is the oversight when the Chairman and the County Mayor are one and the same?

And last, but not least, Hardin County Executive Branch - All in all, with the exception of the County Executive and the Sheriff, the Executive Branch is mostly operated by a group of dedicated elected officials and county employees.

THE ANSWER: WHO HOLDS THE POWER?
WE DID, BUT WE GAVE IT AWAY.
WANT TO GET IT BACK.
PARTICIPATE AND VOTE IN 2006 General Elections.