Time to move the herd?

Any livestock producer will tell you that if you can get a few of the cows, sheep, hogs or whatever else you are trying to move headed in the right direction, the rest of the animals will follow.

Some have referred to this behavior in humans as "herd mentality." It is prevalent in many places and in many situations. An extension of the same thought is peer pressure, where the behavior of some can influence others, unless the other party has stronger convictions and the courage to stick with their beliefs.

Unfortunately for many, herd mentality and peer pressure are alive and well in government bureaucracy and even among our elected officials. Standing up to the herd in politics is a risky proposition. Some may follow, or you might get trampled.

So we are pleased that Plymouth County Supervisor C. Gordon Greene has chosen to make some suggestions to cut the cost of county government. Greene has suggested changing the meetings of the board of supervisors to every other week and cutting supervisor's pay in half. These two changes, according to Greene, would save the county $70,000 annually.

Greene's suggestions may never see the light of day, but they are worth exploring. We admire his courage for questioning the status quo and also taking a shot at the long established procedure of following what similar sized counties do when it comes to pay issues.

The County Compensation Board makes recommendations to the supervisors annually about pay adjustments. Part of the process involves looking at what other counties are paying elected officials. Recommendations are then made to the supervisors.

Here is where the herd mentality kicks in. If other similar sized counties are giving raises, the assumption is that we should as well. We want to keep salaries in line with other counties our size. If every county does the same, a built in perpetual raise cycle kicks in and stays in place.

Only when times get tough is the herd questioned. When it is questioned, more often than not, the supervisors refuse to take a raise, thinking that they are leading by example.

If there was any time to question the status quo, it is now.