Dissent vital part of plans for any project

It's understandable why county officials are so disappointed about the outcome of last week's jail and public safety proposal.

As a commissioner pointed out, some 2 1/2 years and $70,000 in taxpayer money were invested in creating what would have been a workable, long-term investment in our community's needs.

After countless man-hours of study, discussion and debate, the jail study committee presented the plan, at seven, sparsely-attended public meetings.

Imagine the frustration when, after both the city's and county's portion of the proposal failed, commissioners were asked questions they had answered, both at the meetings and in news stories, in plenty of time for voters to have made up their minds.

Commissioners are right in lamenting that taxpayers will continue to pay a high price -- enough to have completed the project -- without the benefits of local jobs, less transportation cost and increased safety.

As commissioner Steve Downer said, "Oh, we'll pay for a jail one way or another. Just not on our own terms."

But we have to take issue with the idea that city officials are to blame for the measures' defeat.

Yes, the police and fire chiefs expressed reservations about the proposals, but it's their job to ensure public safety, and they would be negligent if they failed to speak out at such an important crossroads.

And, we disagree with the idea that dissenting voices shouldn't be part of any future effort to address the jail and public safety center issues.

Had the proponents paid more attention to dissent, the proposal might have been crafted in such a way as to have won voter approval.

History has shown that decision-making bodies work best when all sides of the argument are given a full airing and no one is afraid to point out that "the emperor has no clothes."

Those who believe Red Willow County needs its own jail shouldn't be discouraged. Jail bond issues are notoriously hard to get past the voters -- and even McCook's latest school bond issue took three tries to pass.

The jail study committee did a thorough and conscientious job in creating this year's proposal. If the right groundwork is laid before the next attempt, perhaps the next reality check won't have to come at the hands of the voters.