The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

A couple of years ago a levy for a new library failed, in part because the coffee shop talk got ahead of the campaign. Misconceptions based on outdated information were responsible for a resounding rejection by voters. I see the jail issue following the same track.

Other than a legitimate reluctance to vote for a new tax, the two main comments I've heard relate to the size of the jail and a possible plan to accept Federal prisoners. While these are legitimate items for discussion, it seems that the discussion has a few flights of fancy built in.

The size of the proposed jail was based on the projected needs of Johnson County over the next 25 years, taking into account projected population growth, prisoner demographics and trends in crimes and sentences. While projections are always subject to some uncertainty, it makes sense to plan into the future so we're not going through another jail project in 10 or 12 years.

While the jail financing package isn't based on the county being paid to temporarily house Federal prisoners, I really don’t understand why folks would object to accepting some if jail space permits. Local felony prisoners awaiting trial are likely to be far more dangerous than any Federal prisoners, so any additional threat to the community would be minimal. Is it preferable to let space (that would be much more expensive to add in the future) go empty or to bring in a little money to offset operating costs?

A lesser objection I've heard relates to placing the jail in downtown Warrensburg. The jail needs to be contiguous to the courts building to reduce costs of prisoner transportation as well as vulnerability to escape attempts. If we wanted the jail someplace else, we should have built the courts building there.

I'm not suggesting how people should vote on the jail issue, but I do suggest they decide based on real issues rather than bogus ones. Look at assumptions behind the prisoner growth projections if you question the size of the jail, then decide if you think they're reasonable. Look at the prisoner population demographics and find out what kind of Federal prisoners might be targeted rather than reject the jail out-of-hand on that basis. Do a little homework before you vote.

See also Gadfly 242 and Gadfly 200