Shari Johnson, Publisher
As Publisher of the Ridgeview News, I have never put myself upon a pedestal above those that I report on. There but for the grace of God go I, is the way I have it figured. I provide information and often pray over those that I’m reporting on, because if it’s not good news, somebody’s hurting. I certainly don’t want to make myself appear pious, or seem above reproach and without error. Lord knows I’m the queen of mistakes. But there is a difference between the errors of a private life, and the errors of a public official.
The vast majority of the news in our fair county is for information or edification’s sake. It’s good to keep the public informed. I try to make it very clear that the Ridgeview is a Conservative Christian publication. If I put my name or the Ridgeview’s title on it, I know that I will stand before Almighty God one day accountable for what I’ve printed. That does not prevent me from running articles that I do not stand in favor of, because I believe in the First Amendment, and if I am going to represent the county as a whole I will share the news of a differing opinion. I however reserve the right to make it known that it is not my opinion nor do I support it.
It will come as no surprise to you, that there are people in this county that I disagree with and people who have no good thing to say about me. But if any one of them requested news coverage, so long as it was not in violation of what I consider to be ethical standards, I’d run it. If they held an event and I had the time, I’d travel to it to cover it, which costs me money. I would not hold information hostage, sharing only my opinion. It’s a shame our County officials don’t feel the same way.
I share this information with you, not as a vindictive person, but because I believe you’re entitled to know the truth about the officials you elected into office. Officials that your tax dollars pay for.
I continue to struggle to get any information out of Jean Simers, the County Clerk’s office, and for the record she’s within her rights. She told me as much in a recent email, after I had attempted for weeks to get something as trivial as the property transfers, sending two FOIA requests.
This is information that I have had several requests for. There are people who look forward to that document; but for some reason, Mrs. Simers likes to sit on it until it’s just about a moot point, for what reason I can only assume is control.
She informed me this time that I can get the information off of her antiquated website that is about as useful as microfiche and a magnifying glass. And although I am relatively tech savvy, I couldn’t locate the information.
The second request I made was not only as the Ridgeview News but as acting Chairwoman of the Republican Executive Committee, I requested a current voters registration. For which she responded by writing the State and formalizing that she could and would charge $43.59 in accordance with W. Va. Code § 3-2-30.
Can she, sure! Should she. Well, that’s a matter of opinion.
I worked for decades in public offices here in Calhoun, and other counties. There were several occasions I’d have like to have laid hands on nasty, arrogant, wicked people. But I didn’t. I considered it my job to serve them kindly to the best of my ability and when I couldn’t be kind, I’d at least be cordial. Another lesson our county officials could learn.
Unless there is an issue with Jean Simers computer skills, and I doubt it because she has worked with them for many years very well, she could literally provide the documents that I am requesting of her office in a matter of a few minutes, if not less in a digital format which doesn’t cost the county anything but a little internet usage, which they pay for regardless.
While this may seem petty, it’s not petty. This is a democrat official, who like many of those in Washington DC right now, believe they should have the right to limit information from people they choose. This is where it starts, and we’ve got to make it known and hold them accountable for their actions, because it will get worse.
In her email returned to me with only half the information I requested she stated “I have included the Commissioners on this email since they received an email yesterday regarding the request even though they have no authority over the day-to-day operations of this office.” (I had copied all commissioners so that they were aware I was having an issue with “their clerk.”)
She’s right on that too. They don’t. But the citizens who have elected her have a right to the information in her office.
This is not your grandparents Democratic Party. Because I remember those people, and they respected their duties and most offices went above what was expected. Now we can’t even get what’s required.
For the record, she is not the only county office or county organization that has created issues regarding obtaining information. Ridgeview News, although I reach in excess of over 100,000 views a month, has been deemed unworthy to be considered a “news” source by certain agencies. That’s their loss and it is certainly the readers loss when they choose to decline a free source of information distribution for their company.
#IAmHereForThePeople
