Creative Writing

I've had a chance to dig a little deeper into some of the requests for funds from the $5 million. Here is my personal favorite. The Reynolds County Circut Court has asked for $87,000 including $900 for a new refrigerator and $10,000 for new carpeting. Here is their justification for these requests.

The existing refrigerator is old and unreliable. Employees who choose to bring their lunch deserve a suitable refrigerator for health reasons. Inaddition eating out is not as practical as it is in St. Louis or Washington, D. C. - there are a few good places to eat nearby, but only a few.

The appearance of the courthouse can have a siginificant impact on the perceptions about the legal system. The courthouse carpeting is old and shows signs of wear, having been trod by many defendents and lawyers over the years. In fact, a siginificant number of cases in Reynolds County arise from the state park. Improving the courthouse will help make a trip before a Reynolds County judge a more sobering impression on those defendents who are visitors to Reynolds County and in turn help make the state park even safer.

As Clit Eastwood said in Unforgiven, "Deserve got nothing to do with it." And if appearance of a courthouse (and its jail) are a deterent, then there should be no crime in Reynolds County right now. Can you imagine someone saying, "I really want to ride my AVT in the river, but I won't because I might have to walk on that old carpet in Centerville." Most of the requests for this money have nothing to do with the four areas set out in the FERC argeement. I stated earlier that I understand that $5 million is a lot in a rural area, but the two request presented here show the creative efforts that some people will try just to get some of that $$$$$.