EDITORIAL: Availability a good thing for constituents

Aug. 18—THUMBS UP: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen for their recent appearances in Muskogee and the area.

Kudos also to all those other publicly elected officials who make themselves available to their constituents.

These individuals are public servants.

There is a saying in professional sports — the most important ability is availability. You can't utilize your skills if you are sitting on the sidelines.

Publicly elected officials must be available to constituents to best represent them.

Drummond visited with a group at the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce. Brecheen has been holding multiple meetings around the area.

They are not the only publicly elected officials to visit the Muskogee area. Just the most recent.

We applaud them and all the others who do the same.

----THUMBS UP: To city officials for continually looking for a better quality of life for Muskogee residents.

Some may not see it as monummental, but the decision to take down some stop signals or four stops helps traffic flow, for which we should all be grateful.

The intersection of Fourth Street and Okmulgee Avenue has been a four-way stop since a stoplight fell during a June storm.

Now traffic going east or west on Okmulgee will be free flowing. A flashing stop sign will be put in for northbound traffic on Fourth Street.

Every decision made by a local publicly elected official affects local constituents. When you elect a city councilor they make local decisions affecting local residents.

This decision is just one in many decisions our city councilors make every time they meet. We appreciate their work.