GENERALLY SPEAKING, one should feel sorry for rank-and-file government workers. Think the paperwork inflicted upon citizens is a nightmare? It is always worse in the bad-dream manufacturing plant.

Hence, there should be a tendency to cut them some slack when a foul-up occurs. With exceptions when the mess appears extraordinary.

The other day, a Floyd County jury summons arrived at our home for a daughter. This particular offspring had actually just completed a week of jury duty ... 1,000 miles away. Not only that, she hasn’t lived in the county for 10 years and somehow is still on the local jury rolls.

Additionally, about four years ago her parents had to initiate a request to the elections office to take her off precinct rolls supposedly “purged” of nonvoters every four years ... after she had by then voted elsewhere for six years.

To get said daughter out off jury duty and avoid a summons being issued for her arrest required filling out a signed form — and having it notarized to boot.

So here is someone called for jury duty in Floyd Superior Court who, for 10 years, has lived in another state and voted/served on juries there, is not in any phone book, has paid no state taxes or local property taxes, is not on the voting list, doesn’t even have a Georgia driver’s license yet is technically deemed qualified, depending upon the case, to sentence someone to the death penalty.

How the blazes do they compile these jury lists? Should somebody check the payroll lists of local government to make sure the people being paid actually exist?

And, come to think of it, what is really the population of Floyd County? How many ghosts dwell here?