Socrates- 399 BC Last week, the newspaper received a fax from the Miller County Board of Commissioners concerning a meeting.

The United States Department of Labor requested holding a workshop with the Board of Commissioners and the constitutional officers on Friday, August 27, at 1:00 p.m. in the courtroom of the Miller County Courthouse. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss regulations and mandates by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Since I was going to my sister-in-law’s funeral at that time, I sent one of our two employees to cover the meeting. She was told by Chairperson Barbie Womble that the press, or no other citizens, could be in this public meeting that was called to discuss regulations and mandates for this county.

When the meeting started, Barbie Womble, Clyde Jinks, Bo Haywood and Wallace Phillips were there, which makes a forum and a legal meeting of the commissioners.

Also attending the meeting were Donald Freeman, EMS; Jennifer Cox, E911; Sheriff H.E. "Buddy" Glass; Jennifer Williams, Tax Commissioner; Gail Johnson, Clerk of Court; Judge Joyce Newberry, Probate Office; Tammy Ivey, Tax Assessor; and Andy Moore, Miller County Road Department.

The county commissioners and all of the constitutional officers, (the sheriff, tax commissioner, probate judge, and clerk of court) have been having problems with who runs the offices that they are elected to. There are pending lawsuits against the commissioners by the constitutional offices. The commissioners are trying to change laws about who can do business with the county, and how.

Due to the closed, private, meeting, no one outside of those listed knows what the U.S. Labor Department officials told the elected and hired officers and officials what they must do that they are not doing.

Keep this philosophy in mind.

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance, who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Test of Three."

"Test of Three?" "That's correct," Socrates continued.

"Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to test what you're going to say. The first test is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man replied, "actually I just heard about it."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second test, the test of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued, "You may still pass, though, because there is a third test, the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really..."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed and said no more.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.

It also explains why Socrates never found out that Plato was having an affair with his wife.

Socrates was killed by the state because he would not worship the gods of the state.

Makes you wonder what is being done to the citizens and taxpayers in their many, many, special and many, many, many closed meetings.

As the Georgia State Sunshine Laws says, the public has a right to know.