To the editor:

Jennie Washburn misses the point of saving money on city, county and school district purchases completely (Public Forum, Aug. 31). She can buy gasoline, furniture, food, clothing, anything she wants in Baldwin or Lawrence and pay twice what she should for those items. It’s her money and she can do with it what she pleases. Although I doubt that she spends $2.65 per gallon for gas in Baldwin when she can pay $1.82 in Lawrence.

Public officials do not have that luxury. They have a fiscal duty to the taxpayer to provide the goods and services needed by the community at the best cost available. They should be constantly reviewing the application of their purchasing policies to ensure that the taxpayer is receiving the best value for the money. Our public officials must be as creative as possible to get us the best goods and services for our tax dollars.

Some people feel that public purchasing departments should be regularly audited to assure the tax-paying public that the goods and services received are in compliance with those established purchasing policies. Any public official who fails to be a good steward of the tax dollars placed in their care should be removed from office.

However, the county can continue to pay twice what it should for the goods and services needed to operate, if county residents are willing to double their taxes to cover the additional costs.

Ken Meyer,

Lawrence