Law liberalizing bicycle rules appears ‘useless’
I’m scratching my head over Act 650. Slow-moving bicycles impede traffic so now they can run stop signs and stop lights? If that’s the case, we should let semi-trucks, pickups pulling trailers, and worst of all, RVs do the same. After all, they are so slow to start moving that even bicycles move faster.
If bike riders would stay to the right side as far as possible, they could be passed with a minimum amount of delay. If there is a delay caused by bicycles it is usually because they want to ride in the middle of the road.
A useless law in my book.
ROBERT SPEIGHT
Lincoln
County needs leadership on jail crowding challenge
The Washington County Quorum court is considering raising taxes to pay for a $38 million expansion of the Washington County jail. Sheriff Tim Helder, who I trust and support, has testified that Washington County jail is overcrowded and a solution is needed.
But building a $38 million-dollar jail without addressing the underlying issue of why the jail is overcrowded is just like that famous line from “Field of Dreams”: “Build it, and they will come.”
In the last two months, I have been at meetings with excellent community dialogue started by one woman, Beth Coger. I’ve listened to many stakeholders, including prosecutors, the jail administrator and public defenders. I’ve attended several Quorum Court hearings on the jail expansion, and I’ve listened to citizens propose alternatives and solutions for the jail overcrowding. I’ve listened to Judge [Joseph] Wood.
And it seems to me that pretty much everyone agrees Washington County has process and bail issues that are causing the overcrowding. I’m from one of the more rural areas of Washington County, and I can assure you that not all communities and towns enjoy the same prosperity of the city folks and elite. Not being able to make bail and getting stuck in jail — without representation and before a trial — exponentially impacts the rural poor. The highest number of offenders at the Washington County Detention Center are the pre-trial accused who are just sitting and waiting for their day in court.
This is not just a Washington County problem. Nationwide, poor people are stuck in jail just because they can’t make bail before trial and become an expense of the county, rather than working in their community, paying taxes and raising their children.
We are lucky there is grassroots interest in solving this problem in our community. Rural communities need the sheriff’s office and the invaluable service it provides to keep citizens safe. It is evident by the interest I’ve seen in the past few months that a vibrant task force is ready to tackle the very real problems contributing to overcrowding here in Washington County.
But so far, Judge Wood has failed to commission an impartial audit, or form a task force of stakeholders to find solutions. People have spent time at the jail, talking to officers, watching processing at the jail. Maybe we need to sit in on some sentencings and the processing of bonds, too. (While Washington County does have a Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee it does not study over-incarceration. It’s scope is limited to the crisis stabilization unit, set to open in June and a much-needed mental health resource for our community.)
If the judge is the CEO of the county, then surely Judge Wood can form a task force to study the problems and find common-sense solutions, instead of spending millions of dollars on a bigger jail. If we don’t take this opportunity to strike at the root of over-incarceration in our county, we’re just buying a very expensive band-aid. We need leaders to lead, not make excuses.
LOU REED SHARP
Springdale