I was told that I should not say too much about what goes on in this community or even give an opinion of what we might do to make things better.

I told that person that they do not know me too well, or know what I do.

All my life I have wondered what in the world I was doing in the job, position or appointment that I was in at the time. At this "more mature" age, I can see why, or how things in my life have helped prepare me for some of the things that have come my way, so far.

With what is happening in our community now, in the past and what is to come, age and experiences have been an asset to what I do now.

I have asked my Lord many times why I was in an elected office for more than 30 years. Taking up for elected officials, very few, if any, have the experience and knowledge to do the job when they go in. The on-the-job training is expensive to the public and frustrating to the one in office for not knowing what they are doing.

In my more than 70 years of being and watching public figures, I have discovered there are several types.

There are the ones who go into a job or office to better the job for the folks he or she works for. These are my favorite. Sometimes it works well, and sometimes they fail, but they try.

Then there are those who go into office to "get" someone or to "get" their friends or relatives a job. The friends, I can understand, especially if they are qualified to do what they are hired to do. The relatives, I really have never seen work too well, especially when our taxes pay them. Nepotism can get ugly and in most cases is illegal.

The third is that someone just wants an elected job that has come open, and they hopefully can get and gain enough power to hold it.

There are many other reasons, but these are the main ones if we are honest with ourselves and the people who hire or elect us.

I would say that close to 90 percent of our public problems, from the lowest local to the highest national elected jobs are caused when someone goes into a new job to acquire power. We can see this in our city, county, state and nation.

At this time, our county officers are having a time trying to determine what each elected job should do.

Granted, in most cases I can see where most elected officials could do a better job in the office that they were voted to. I've been there and done that, and I know that I could have done better when I was there, especially if I had known more about what I was elected to do. I've been chairman of a county board, a judge in the lower courts, appointed to a number of boards and county coroner. I did not get beat from any of these, I did not run when my term ran out.

I did learn one important thing. If I did the job that I was elected to do, I wouldn't have time to do another officer’s job.

As I have observed, the officer who attempts to gain power over another elective office doesn't do the job well they were elected or hired to do.

The answer to cure this perennial problem is "term limits" and transparency. I doubt that we will ever have either in most jobs, offices or positions, but both or either would help.

There are some who go into office to help make things better. Some go in to rule or ruin. Seems like that is where we are now. I've seen it before, and if humans keep running for office, and I keep on living, I'll see it again. Most of the time an election takes care of many of the problems.

As I see it, we need people in office who have some common sense, try to make things better for those they work for at the least cost. When one bunch goes out to take another bunch to task, the taxpayer usually has to pay the costs in not getting the job done or in court.

When elected officers are caught breaking the very laws and regulations that they are put in office to uphold, they need to be put out. If they don't do the job they are elected to do, they need to be put out. If the voters see officers attempting to "take over" the city, county, schools, health care or any other area that is not theirs, they should be sent packing.

That is my opinion based on years of experience. If I have offended anyone, that's OK, too! I’m on the opinion page.