Dear Editor:

The behavior of Union Township Trustee John McGraw seems a perfect example of what is wrong with elected officials these days. He complains about postage costs for a newsletter and lack of sponsors for summer concert series. Perhaps The Clermont Sun failed to report that McGraw reported he had investigated how many township residents had email addresses, how the township could obtain them, and what agency had the skill and capacity to send out an electronic newsletter. Or your paper failed to report that he had researched who might sponsor the summer concerts. I doubt that your paper failed to report his efforts. Most likely, McGraw was raising questions and issues that would require months of work by somebody – township employees, summer concert organizers, or others – to answer these questions.

But in the meantime, McGraw is going to be obstructionist and would not vote to approve projects long in planning and usual in practice.

Elected officials need to inquire about the facts and be prepared to suggest concrete practical alternatives before just saying no.

This is what is causing gridlock in Washington. I think most of us have had enough of this!

Mark K. Jones
Bethel