It's 2016, and don't doubt for a second whether Big Brother is watching.
In fact, there's a pretty good chance Little Brother, Twin Sister and Second Cousin are in on the act as well.
What’s the point?
A test run of GPS tracking devices on Washington County Road Department vehicles hasn’t demonstrated enough savings or efficiency to continue its funding.
The world hasn't become quite the dystopian model depicted in Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four," but little happens these days that isn't documented in some fashion, whether it's a photograph on Instagram or a video on YouTube. From police-involved shootings captured on smartphone videos to GPS trackers that can help us find our car keys to the ubiquitous "security" cameras looking in every direction, Santa Claus isn't the only one who knows when you've been sleeping or when your awake.
Whether Clausian or Orwellian, some Washington County justices of the peace want to spend nearly $20,000 -- maybe more -- to install GPS tracking devices on county-owned vehicles in the county Road Department. That would also require an expenditure of about $16,000 annually to pay a third-party contractor for the tracking service.
Justice of the Peace Harvey Bowman appears the most driven to set the county up so it can spy on its county employees. He's convinced the devices will result in more efficiency by discouraging poor driving habits or abuses in the use of county vehicles. Employees who know they're being watched, he suggests, will perform better.
Earlier this year, the Quorum Court's Public Works Committee authorized a continuing test of GPS devices on a handful of Road Department vehicles. The system can be programmed to alert a supervisor if certain conditions exist, whether it's a county-owned vehicle exceeding the speed limit or one sitting idle when it ought to be moving.
Bowman has fully bought into the technology's benefits, suggesting to his colleagues that there is savings to be had when vehicles are operated correctly.
"Monitoring can definitely improve efficiency and compliance," he said at a recent meeting.
According to the county road superintendent, however, the test run hasn't turned up anything significant. No significant violations of laws or policy. No significant savings as a result of discovered driver behaviors. And there's been no evidence of equipment being abused or misused.
"We haven't seen anything to date," said Superintendent Charles Ward.
Fellow Justice of the Peace Robert Dennis isn't in a buying mood, though. He said the devices haven't proven their worth.
"I think it's a worthless program," he said.
Bowman's response: Expand the program.
It seems the only inefficiency these trackers might have found so far is their continued use in Washington County.
Despite Bowman's fascination with the technology, it seems a Quorum Court that is cutting $100,000 from public transit -- a needed service for those who have no other way to get around -- shouldn't be spending $36,000 in 2017 for GPS tracking for which there has been no demonstrated need or benefit.
When the justices of the peace get together later this month to finalize a budget for 2017, we recommend they use the information collected from the test run wisely. Is Dennis right that it's a worthless program? Maybe and maybe not. But it certainly hasn't proven its worth. Since the test run produced no evidence of significant impact or savings, why continue? Why enlarge the data collection and monitoring program?
This may be one of those solutions in search of a problem. All signs suggest the program's continuation would be a waste of money. As such, Washington County can ill afford it.
Commentary on 12/06/2016