Letter: Mosquito control: Don't waste money on PR job

Posted: January 3, 2010 - 12:24am

By FRED GREEN

Editor: I sincerely hope the Anastasia Mosquito Control District Board will forget about wanting to hire a public relations consultant which some members say is needed to help the public understand what the district does.

Why would the services of a "mosquito control'' district need explaining? The name says it all. Aside from that, the district is 61 years old. After all that time there is surely no mystery about what it does.

I suspect public education is not the real reason the board is considering spending a possible $60,000 for a consultant. Rather, it is my guess the board needs an excuse to hire someone who could help improve its own poor image. It has received a good share of criticism which I believe was justified because of poor management of the district and an equally poor attitude.

Hiring a public relations consultant for any reason would only create an unnecessary expense and an unfair burden on taxpayers in these stressed economic times. A consultant's only purpose would be to help the board give its image a facelift before the next election rolls around.

Commissioners should forget about any new expenditures or projects until the economy swings back. Their main effort at this time should be looking for ways to save, not spend.