If you’re as tired of reading about our County Commissioners as we are reporting on them, believe me, I understand. Watching this sideshow unfold daily is like being strapped to a chair in a never-ending reality show — only the stakes are real, and it’s our community paying the price.
But for those of you out there who aren’t lucky enough to get the front-row seat we have — to see the grease on the wheels, the smoke in the mirrors, and the outright sleaze in the room — let me tell you, this is not an easy pill to swallow. Especially if you’re one of the many who voted for these men believing their carefully crafted campaign promises.
The writing is on the wall now — in neon letters as big as Barnett’s ego — we were all sold a false bill of goods.
Take former Commissioner John West’s hand-picked pal, Dan DeYoung’s replacement, Commissioner Blech — a man who loves to talk down to us. And then there’s Barnett, who was bought and paid for by West, spouting claims about “unity in the community” and “fresh starts,” yet whose actions have shown nothing but division and deflection.
And while we’re on the subject of irony — or maybe just flat-out hypocrisy — let’s talk about how Barnett has been handing off his votes and responsibilities like cheap flyers on a street corner to Commissioner Ron Smith (who seems happy enough to play along) and to Andreas Blech, the unelected voice now running the show from behind the curtain.
You thought Barnett was here to work? Think again. Apparently, five (yes, FIVE — we were wrong before when we said three) new Local News social media pages take precedence over actually governing. Because why be in the Boardroom making decisions when you can post selfies and hollow “positive messages” to your adoring followers?
And this is where it gets rich. A man who begs us all to “stay positive” and “be kind” is the same man pulling the wool over the community’s eyes. You can almost hear the circus music playing in the background as he calls for “unity” while tearing at the very fabric of trust he once asked for.
Actions speak louder than words, Commissioner Barnett. And so far, those actions — the dodging of responsibility, the delegation of duty to unelected voices, and the endless parade of empty social media affirmations — have shown us exactly who you are.
Is this really your message? Are these really your words? Because if you’re going to encourage people to “have a positive day,” maybe, just maybe, that positivity should start with you, the leader of this community. The one whose words and actions actually shape the days of countless people who voted believing they were getting something genuine.
Here’s the thing, Barnett — if you were really doing right by the people, if you were standing tall on integrity, you wouldn’t have to post reminders for others to be positive. We’d already feel that ripple of leadership through how you handled your office, how you showed up for the people, how you voted, and how you spoke.
Sadly, that’s not the case. Instead, we’re met with another day of empty rhetoric and virtue-signaling posts, while real issues—such as homelessness, crime, drug abuse, cronyism, and broken county systems—remain unsolved. Meanwhile, the focus is on people receiving ‘participation awards,’ and it seems like the priority is photo ops instead of meaningful action.
But of course, maybe all this is just “fake news,” right? That’s the go-to answer when truth hits too close to home.
So, to the voters, the citizens who care; you deserve to know this is what’s happening behind the curtain. You deserve more than a stream of half-hearted memes and soundbites. You deserve leadership, not a sideshow.
Until that day comes, we’ll keep reporting — because somebody has to.
