Shine the light on backdoor dealings
To the Editor:
Thank you to Smoky Mountain News staff writer Hannah McLeod for the informative article about the leaked email from a library board member who requested a behind-the-scenes discussion with the Macon County commissioners.
This action is completely reprehensible. The idea of a board is to work together for the benefit of the organization and the general public. I hope the board member is fired from her position and replaced with a true team player.
She did not wish to discuss this with the public because of the “lunatic left” who would create huge controversy and encouraged that it remain behind the scenes. This is a disgraceful action on the part of a board member. I also resent the label as such name calling is what helps keep people divided.
I have lived in our beautiful area for 25 years. The Fontana Regional Library is a tremendous asset to the region. By pooling our shared resources, the counties have access to far more material than any one library would have. I can request a book, and if the Jackson library does not have it, more than likely another will. I was glad to read that Mark Letson reports no discussion about pulling out of the Fontana Regional Library system. It truly would be a “detriment to the citizens.”
As for Leah and Jim Gaston, their intentions are clear. They wish to control what resources and titles the Macon library can offer and what patrons can have access to according to their personal preferences and opinions. These decisions should not be up to them as they are the function of boards where each board member can have an opportunity to participate in decisions that affect the greater community.
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Transparency is a critical element in public discourse and function and without it we become the servants to other’s opinions. Shine the light on backdoor dealings because as we know “democracy dies in darkness.”
Jane Finneran
Cullowhee
