I want to share my thoughts on that defining moment in life when trust has been both lost and broken.

I protect the trust I hold in my heart and yes, my heart does get stomped on from time to time. I chose to look upon it like a learning experience, a needed time of personal growth instead of being taken advantage of.

I had the displeasure of reading a disturbing letter recently that put trust to the test again. The letter I read was filled with conflict, resignation, and retribution all going off much like a loose cannon. The letter was penned by none other than our current County Judge, Newt Cunningham. I had to read the letter twice because it was so profoundly disturbing. Its theme was free-flowing condemnation for all.

The letter writer, being the victim of course, shared his blame for America and worked his way down the line. Not one single word was offered for personal accountability. It was a surprising modern rendition of the pot calling the kettle black. There was no shortage of confusion in establishing the pathetic and disgusting intent to identify our four County Commissioners.

Over the last three and half years our elected County Judge has learned little from the people he has served in Fannin County.

My reaction was both shame and sorrow for our County Judge as an individual and as an elected official for the incredible opportunity he unknowingly threw away with both hands and a hateful heart.

The respect and honor he held firmly in the palm of his hands on election day withered, died and fell from his own grasp. A talented man with a good education who stood firm, however unable to get out of his own way of destroying his image, himself and the hearts and minds of countless people who wished him well. I paid attention. I watched the destruction unfold. I have seen it before. It was perplexing.

We all have issues in life. We all have struggles to contend with. We all must be responsible for our interactions with others. We all have obligations that we are required to meet, and we all must eat, sleep and work. Being responsible in today’s world gives no one the right or privilege to be disrespectful, unkind or abusive to anyone. Unfortunately, we do know that hurt people hurt people with their severe lack of self-awareness.

No one gets a free pass to abuse others and then walk
away. No one, not even a sanctimonious elected County Judge. Unknowingly, we elected a man to office to lead the county who did not understand the requirements of his elected position. His requirements were to serve the citizens of Fannin County not himself.

After reading the letter there was a total lack of qualifying leadership. Leadership is complex; our minds are a haven of many emotions that guide us and protect us from harm. To productively work, we must have a stable feeling of safety to function. Negativity is a destructive force that invades, divides, destroys and prevents people from being safe in their environment to be productive. For three and a half years Fannin County has been forced-fed a constant diet of self-serving negativity through intimidation, harm and absolute disrespect preached from the pulpit of our courthouse.

Newt Cunningham, our County Judge, has always proclaimed himself the master of awareness through transparency but only in his own eyes. Others see a purposeful superficial performance for attention. The blame, contempt and lack of accountability have been well established.

The presentation of a road system is a legal maneuver for retribution against our County Commissioners, nothing more. The financial sleight of hand to cover costs of the system is to rob Peter to pay Paul.

Our County Commissioners have acted on the best interests and logical protection against the wildcat destructive thinking that has earned them contempt from the bench. The focused attention has been a slow, deep unrelenting burn on our County Commissioners. There has been pinpointed determination to hold the Commissioners accountable for the actions of disagreeing on voting to protect the county from an out-of-control destructive ego.

The hiring of a road engineer displaces not only our County Commissioners, but it also distances our direct access to our commissioners. Furthermore, it also displaces and reduces all sound logical thinking from four to one to accommodate the desired supreme act of petty vengeance.

At the same time Fannin County is being placed in a precarious financial position, going into the future with a
disadvantage by removing financial flexibility in time of need. Eating red ink on the spread sheets is not considered acceptable accounting.

We have been asked repeatedly to believe what we are being told without question during the preachings of transparency. I have come to understand this version of transparency; it is manipulation.

It is for this reason that the logic and reasoning offered from the bench is questionable at best. The logic and reasoning from wildcat thinking is the reasoning and logic of uncertainty and desperation. It divides and perceives everyone as the enemy.

Our elect County Judge John Tynan requested reductions in spending out of concern when he correctly made a public statement that Fannin County is currently in a financial crisis. The county is now drawing down on its reserve funds to meet obligations. This is not a smart move; however, it is a necessary move. Yes Virginia, Fannin County is in a crisis with a staggering poverty rate of 13.75% and a growing food insecurity rate of 17.2% of the entire county’s population.

Soon enough the door will be closed on this unfortunate experience, and our current County Judge will be gone. On display for all to see was the destruction of a held truth, the reality of an illusion and the denial of due consequences. Our County Judge is an excellent teacher, he taught us all about pain, confusion and disappointment. It has been an incredible learning experience that I will not ever forget.

Be thoughtful of yourself, your neighbor and this little place in North Texas we all call home.