Tyler voters pick schools over jails

Tyler voters said "Yes" to schools, but "No" (for the third time in three years) to a new jail. The vote was closer than I'd expected - about 55-45 - but bottom line: No means No. Or, as the political committee created to oppose the jail was named, "What Part of 'No' Don't You Understand?"

Whatever else was going on in this election, we know it's not fears about the economy that drove voter decisions; a $125 million school bond on the same ballot overwhelmingly passed. Surprisingly, after the local newspaper boosted the project for weeks, there's not even a story on the Tyler Morning Telegraph website today about the jail bond's defeat. Until they get around to covering the story, see the anti-jail committee's list of reasons why Smith County voters rejected a new jail for the third year running. IMO they cover most of the bases.

Despite these embarrassing, perennial defeats, I wouldn't be surprised if the Smith County Commissioners Court proposed a new jail for the fourth year in a row in 2009. A better plan, though, would be to more ardently embrace jail diversion strategies and reduce their incarceration rate instead of trying to build their way out of the problem.