Instead of the county constructing an $8 million building, why not cut back on the amount of human services. We have way too many agencies. People needing help know where to get a free handout. The government employment has grown more than the private sector. Our county needs someone watching spending. I say, “Thank you, Commissioner Jim Eckstein.” The old county jail was well built and could have been used for records storage and some office space, possibly by adding floors onto it. The Lafayette Building probably will outlast the courthouse annex; the people at Lafayette easily could be relocated and the building could be used for additional office space. The Center for Community Resources paid $450,000 for the Penn Telecom building, twice what I believe anyone else would have paid. If the county does construct a new building, I hope parking is provided — since county employees currently use residents’ parking for blocks around the courthouse, rather than pay to park.
