U.S. Representative Jo Bonner held a town meeting at the East Brewton City Hall on Wednesday. Those present consisted of a few county officials, a few city officials and a handful of community residents.

Published 4:41 pm Sunday, August 24, 2003

By Staff
It seems that since we tend to complain about our government when holding private conversations, we would be thrilled at the prospect of presenting our case to those in a governmental office.
Questions during the session ranged from health care issues, Medicare issues, pension issues and hunting dogs.
Although these were all excellent questions to present to Bonner, we feel there are some issues that residents face that were not addressed. Bonner, of course, answered the questions put before him in a helpful and responsible way.
It seems that the residents of the area did not have the time to visit with Bonner, or any other official, on Wednesday. It could be that since the meeting was held at 3 p.m. working folks did not have the luxury of taking the time off to attend.
It was suggested by one member of the audience that it may be a good idea for those officials with any governmental office who plan town meetings, to occasionally hold some in the evening hours so that the average working person can attend.
We believe, from past experiences, that this may not be the case. Although most citizens have good intentions about attending these meetings, busy lives tend to make attendance low on the priority list.
Maybe we should get our priorities in order. Most employers will give a worker time off for dentist or doctor appointments. We believe that the condition of our government is almost as important as the condition of our health.