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Reader: I read Theo Douglas’
rather snarky remark about the grand jury being “purveyors of finer reading
material since never,” and while I confess to not being snark-free myself, I
want to point out that the grand jury is mandated to exist and produce reports
in particular formats.
The grand jury consists of 19 members who
essentially volunteer their time for an entire year and get paid pocket change.
By and large, these folks are sincere about fulfilling their charge in
examining county and city government and reporting their findings to the
general public. If they find problems within a department, they report that and
make suggestions; if they find things are going well they report that. The
members have varying levels of education and competency but shouldn’t be mocked
for their efforts.
— Susan Reep
Price: That was
attempt at humor on Theo’s part, I’m sure. Grand Jury reports are sometimes
written in less than scintillating prose, but you’re right — these are
volunteers with a very specific (and important) role to play. This particular
Kern County grand jury has been blessed (or cursed) with a largely
corruption-free calendar of investigations, so the reading is not as riveting
as in some years, but it’s important nonetheless. I asked Theo about his snark.
Here’s his response:
“I appreciate the
time grand jury members spend investigating issues throughout Kern County and I
don't doubt their sincerity. But if local agencies are well-run and things
are going about as well as can be expected, I don’t think a grand jury needs to
spend its time telling us that. I want to read about problems in Kern
County that really need fixing, and I know they’re out there.”
December 18, 2015
The
Bakersfield Californian
By Robert Price
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