HARPER FOR OLDHAM COUNTY JAILER

My endorsement of David Harper for the office of county jailer may come as a surprise for many readers. David Harper has admitted that he has no experience running a jail. He has said that from the beginning. Frankly, he has been honest about that. Mr. Harper does have business experience and I know that he is a hard worker. I have spoken to his some of his customers and they seem to be satisfied with his product.

As for Mike Simpson, he is a nice man. However, Mr. Simpson favors the construction of a new jail and he feels that the jail should be a profit making venture although that certainly is not the objective of prison institutions. The only prison institutions that I know of that are for profit are privately operated prisons. They can make a profit because they work on a contract basis. It is easy for private institutions to adapt to the change in the flow of prisoners through an institution.

Trying to construct a new jail that would be operated by government with the idea in mind that it will be a profit making venture is risky business. It is something that the government should not attempt to do. Government should not be operating to try to make a profit.

The primary purpose of the Oldham County jail should be to house prisoners that pass through the court system in Oldham County. We should try to do that as economically as possible.

I know that some people believe that we should consider not incarcerating Oldham County residents if we can place federal, state, or other prisoners in our jail because we make money by housing them while it costs us money to house our own violators. That is absolutely absurd. I have heard one magistrate make that comment. I do not believe that David advocates the construction of a new jail. By the way, Paula Gish has said that she would consider the construction of a new jail. Considering the amount of debt that this county has at the present time that is simply not conceivable. The residents of Oldham County are already facing enough financial risk.