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Commissioner Macht was frustrated with the firestorm that has erupted over unmet <br />children's needs. He noted that the Board could pass a V2 million dollar budget for animal <br />control and nearly 3/4 of a million dollars for the elderly and not a word is spoken in <br />opposition. However, attempts to meet the needs of children are constantly impeded every <br />step of the way. He noted that today's society contains assaults on every front that separate <br />parents from children and reminded the Board that parents cannot be consulted and trained <br />when they are in jail, on drugs, or the father is unknown. The parents of today's children <br />need to be trained and counseled in all aspects of parenting. Fighting substance abuse takes <br />money and he was extremely frustrated with the continuing assaults on this program. He felt <br />that the program has not been given a chance and that the appointed representatives had also <br />not been given a fair chance to institute the program. <br />Chairman Tippin CALLED THE QUESTION, but Commissioner Ginn believed she <br />should be allowed to respond. <br />Chairman Tippin noted that the Board has a lot of business to get through today and <br />this is a very emotional subject. <br />Commissioner Ginn did not believe that public discourse is necessarily emotional and <br />stated that her remarks were not based on emotions. She felt very strongly that when <br />taxpayer dollars are being spent there should be an effort made to assure that there is really <br />a need that is not being met. She emphasized again that she wanted to receive the needs <br />assessments, the asset mapping and the copies of the minutes of the meetings. She also noted <br />that her objections have nothing to do with being against children as she has 5 of them. <br />Commissioner Macht stressed that the Substance Abuse Council, the judiciary, the <br />school system and numerous other organizations do not have nearly enough fiends for the <br />effort involved. He strongly believed that if you can keep a child from getting in trouble, you <br />have saved the community a very great deal of money. He again reminded the <br />Commissioners that no funds will be expended until approved first by a citizen's committee, <br />which makes recommendations to the Children's Services Network, which then brings the <br />project to the Board for final approval. <br />THE CHAERNIAN CALLED THE QUESTION and <br />the motion passed by a 4-1 vote (Commissioner <br />Ginn opposed). <br />MARCH 24, 1998 <br />