On first glance, it’s easy to say the people who needed to hear Auditor Stacey Pickering’s penny-pinching message Wednesday weren’t in the room.

But in reality, according to Pickering, the crowd of 100 or so citizens, business leaders and residents were exactly the folks who needed to listen.

The Republican politician warned that stimulus dollars are fleeting and tough economic times are ahead for Mississippi’s governments.

The majority of the elected leaders of the City of Natchez and Adams County weren’t present at the joint meeting of the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs.

It will, of course, be these elected officials whose hands touch our local government budgets, but they shouldn’t be the only ones fighting a battle against spending, Pickering said and we agree.

It’s the people of Mississippi, the people of Natchez and Adams County who must get involved, question government spending, promote small business growth and tell our politicians what is acceptable.

Despite what seems to be a common belief among some, we can’t just print more money.

Instead, we must live within our means. The issue is certainly a national one these days, but first and foremost it should be a local one.

What have you done lately to let local leaders know that your taxpayer dollars don’t grow on trees?