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Are 110 counties in Missouri just plain stupid?
How the 3-person commission system may have originated.
Last week, Jefferson County voted to dissolve its 3-person county commission and start the process of governing with a county council and county executives. It joins three other counties in Missouri that have that form of government.
I have to assume that the other 110 counties in the state are just plain stupid.
Whoops, sorry for insulting approximately 3 million of my fellow Missourians. It's not really your fault. You inherited the situation. I personally don't think you are stupid.
The fact that the 3-person county commission system is the preferred form of county government used throughout the state is what I think is stupid. It makes no sense to me.
Did our forefathers really intend for 2 people to be able to dominate a given county's government? They obviously knew of the concept of checks and balances. Look at the state government.
Now, I'm no historian, but I tried to imagine how the 3-person commission system became the preferred form of county government throughout the state. I'm guessing that when the General Assembly of the Territory of Missouri first met in 1812 that the framework for the state and county governments were both created.
My hunch is that the really smart people were so busy debating how to organize the state government that they pawned off the organization of the county governments on the really dumb people they didn't want hanging around.
The First General Assembly of the Territory of Missouri in 1812
Jay Delbertski: Oh, Mr. Chairman! Mr Chairman! I really think the state needs a Secretary of Pigs. Pigs are important to the economy and I think we need a state official in charge of them.
Chairman: Yessssssss, I know Mr Delbertski. We will certainly take that under advisement along with the Secretary of Sorghum and the Secretary of Goats that you also proposed.
Gerald Thumpdumper: Well, s***! What about the G****** Secretary of Turkeys that we already talked about?! Turkeys are more important than pigs to our economy!
Jay Delbertski: That's a lie, Gerald! You couldn't go a morning without bacon and you know it!
Larry Hoagwabler: And chickens! We can't forget the chickens!
Chairman: Gentlemen, please stop your fighting! Everyone realizes how important poultry and livestock as a whole is to the great territory of Missouri. And Mr. Thumpdumper, please watch your language. Ahhhhh, I know, perhaps Mr. Delbertski, Mr. Thumpdumper and Mr. Hoagwabler would like to do the territory a great favor and form a sub-committee that works on creating the government structure for all of the counties.
Jay Delbertski: But Mr. Chairman, I was sent here to represent my county in the creation of the state government. Isn't that what is most important?
Chairman: I think you overestimate the importance of the state government Mr. Delbertski. After all there is just one state government. While there are currently only 5 counties, eventually there will be 114 in the state. Those 114 counties are looking to you for leadership and vision in creating a framework that future generations of Missourians will embrace for decades to come.
Jay Delbertski: Gosh, since you put it that way, OK. I'll do it.
Gerald Thumpdumper: Well, I suppose that's OK with me too. But I call dibs on being the chairman of the sub-committee!
Vice-Chairman (whispering to the Chairman): You want to give the responsibility of setting up the government framework for all of the counties to those guys? Is that really smart?
Chairman (whispering back): It's the counties. They have no resources. They have no power. They have no money. They have maybe a pair of ruts for roads and a sheriff, if they're lucky. It doesn't matter what framework they create. They could create a 3-person system with no checks and balances for all we care. It just doesn't matter.
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