Working For The People

Collin County Judge Keith Self must feel like the only sane man in an asylum. As the chief administrator in fast-growing Collin County north of Dallas, he is trying to stop a $328.9 million bond package being sold as a plan to reduce traffic congestion.

What’s his concern? The package costs a lot, but won’t cure the area’s traffic woes.

He takes the position that tax dollars should be spent wisely, not just because money can be seduced out of people’s wallets using emotional rhetoric and noble goals. He writes on his website, “Collin County should be conducting a transportation needs assessment and setting priorities in order to reveal the county transportation chokepoints that require county spending to benefit the entire county. Instead, we are spreading your tax dollars across the county like peanut butter, with uneven peaks and valleys.”

We need elected officials like Keith Self at all levels of government. Tax dollars, and especially public debt, should be used carefully, and on identified priorities, not feel-good sound-bites.

Michael Quinn Sullivan

Michael Quinn Sullivan is the publisher of Texas Scorecard. He is a native Texan, a graduate of Texas A&M, and an Eagle Scout. Previously, he has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine contributor, Capitol Hill staffer, and think tank vice president. Michael and his wife have three adult children, a son-in-law, and a dog. Michael is the author of three books, including "Reflections on Life and Liberty."