Commissioners should not fall into what I call false objectivization of decisions that will, ultimately, be made subjectively.

Those of us who live in Ann Arbor frequently have less understanding of all the important functions that the county serves than those who live outside the city. We may be most conscious of the social safety net aspects, for example.

However, I would urge the new Commissioner Rabhi to look beyond poetry and idealism to see that many county services are essential to maintenance of our entire civil and physical system. In particular, the environmental and public health functions are key to all county residents, even if they are not disadvantaged. The “core services” are called that for a reason. That does not mean that all departments should not be called on to find economies, but we should avoid losing the technical expertise and institutional competence that help to support our quality of life in this county. These services are mostly invisible only because they work so well.

Mr. Rabhi’s comments about localization are interesting to me,as I personally support that concept. But it should not be interpreted as casting loose from Federal and State monetary support for their mandated services.

And please, keep the transparency. Mr. Smith often complains about it, but this is the people’s work.

annarbor.com reports that the County of Washtenaw has retained the outside attorney Cynthia Reach of the Reach Law Firm in Ann Arbor to commence legal proceedings for libel against a homeless veteran claiming alleged misconduct by two WCSD deputies.

An action has already been commenced in The circuit court and a hearing is scheduled before Judge Melinda Morris this Wednesday to compel the man, who apparently now resides in Roseville, to produce flyers he allegedly has been distributing.

While finding ways to trim waste in the budget may be tough, this expenditure in legal fees by the county to sue a clearly uncollectible person takes the cake. The publicity it has received in the media due to the county’s legal proceedings have ensured that the homeless man’s allegations will receive more public exposure than he could ever have dreamed by simply posting flyers. The annarbor.com article also has identified by name the two deputies involved.

I cannot fathom what the county hopes to gain by expending potentially thousands of dollars from the county treasury in an attempt to obtain a libel judgment against a recently homeless veteran.

I am wondering if the County Commission approved such an expenditure? Or if they are even aware that someone in the county authorized such a suit at taxpayers’ expense.