Skepticism and Mistrust

As we in the media hear from the public concerning their government, there seems to be a couple of common themes.  First: skepticism.  Second: mistrust.  The skepticism grows out of long list of failed ideas.  Locally, if the convention center, which is touted as a “done deal” turns out to be “not so done” after all, you will see the skepticism reach new heights.   The mistrust is a sense amongst some taxpayers that our leaders are playing fast and loose with taxpayer dollars.  Money spent on studies, consultants, trips and pet projects over the years has contributed to mistrust at all levels of government.  In the greater Port Huron area, businesses and individuals are stretched to the limit.  One example alone is that housing values have plummeted, depriving many of a significant portion of their personal wealth.  It just drives people crazy to see tax dollars spent on things we could really do without, when people are having a hard time paying for things they really can’t do without.