Right Thing to Do

Whether it be a deficit or a debt, no amount of money owed a creditor is a good thing; not on the federal, state, or local level. Unfortunately for too long it has been much too easy for us to borrow when we should have saved instead. The fiscal conservatives have been ‘there’ for many years. Mores the pity that they have been ignored by both parties, the bureaucrats (un-elected office holders) who manage the government on a day-to-day basis, and the vast majority of the American people who are too busy watching “Dancing with the Stars.” Consequently the ‘piper’ will come to collect his due, soon.

Unlike “Astroturf,” which is essentially a tool of public relations/publicity campaigns, authentic grass roots movements don’t arise, grow, and become powerful overnight. This is especially true when apathy in participation in government has been overwhelming for so long.
How could a county manager be able to get away with the irregularities and abuse that he has for so long? How could a board of commissioners be able to spend our county into backbreaking debt otherwise?
Ask yourself, “when have I gone to, sat and listened, and sometimes used the public comment period (our First Amendment rights!) at a county commissioners meeting? Did I want something from the commissioners or did I go because it was the right thing to do? Have I participated in a meaningful way?”
Previously on the federal level, any surpluses were merely on paper and only affected the deficit, not the growing debt. Americans of all stripes are only just waking up to the fact that the deficit and the debt (two different wolves) have been enormously increased by unscrupulous elected and un-elected office holders who have not been following the Constitution. For this citizen, it makes me wonder if anybody else has read (and understands) the socio-political contract between us and our government? And do they care?
But take heart; for the truly concerned individuals lamenting the pending demise of our republic there’s always as a last resort, Locke’s “appeal to Heaven” to achieve a restoration of the founder’s vision of what we still could be.

Jackson Tsunami

Tuesday’s election was obviously a huge socio-political Tsunami wave all over the country. Here in Jackson County a few ignorant folks attempted to claim that the routed commissioners were defeated by a small group of “gadflies” and consequently, because of the outspokenness of this “small group” the voters followed zombie-like in lock-step behind these rabble-rousers. Reality couldn’t be further from the truth.
The people of Jackson County are (and have been) angry at our so-called leaders for some time regarding their spendthrift policies and for how they have allowed the manager to literally go out of control and in some ways create his own little fiefdom of power while the chair attempted to create for himself a cult of personality hobnobbing with bigwigs while vacationing in Raleigh and Washington D.C. on the citizens’ hard earned dollars.
If the Tea Party Patriots of Jackson County (and other unaffiliated voters) hold the in-coming commissioners’ feet to the fire on the core issues of smaller, more efficient government, lower taxes, and less intrusion into people’s lives than maybe the culture of quid pro quo can at least be weakened substantially in the coming months.
The bottom line is that we, the citizens demand that our elected and unelected office holders are completely open, honest, and accountable in their performing of the public’s business and that they return to the constitutional rule of law before the inevitable conflagration occurs in our country.
No one who hasn’t been attending commissioners meetings, doing the basic investigations on issues (many of them shady), and speaking out in the public forum (not just the occasional letter to the editor or a bellicose comment on an Internet forum) can have a clue about what has happened in politics here in Jackson County in 2010. Armed with this basic ignorance and blasé ‘know-it-all’ attitude they certainly won’t be able to influence what may happen in Jackson County in the future also.

"National Lampoon" Vacation

Unlike some folks I don’t go hollering and crying to anybody who will listen when somebody points out some of my short comings. Except for perhaps God, the preacher, his significant other, and the congregation of the Church that the chairman attends regularly, no one that I know of cares who may or may not have stayed with him in room # 289 on the nights of March six through nine of this year at the Omni Shoreham Hotel and Resort in Washington D.C. All I know is that the hotel bill says the room was billed for double occupancy (documented by public records request) and I got stuck paying for it. What we, the citizens of Jackson County do care about is the wasteful, frivolous manner in which the chairman of the Jackson County Commissioners has spritzed away our money and made us a laughing stock in all the other nearby counties. Mr. Chair, you can make a reasonable argument in normal financial times that going on junkets for professional development here in the state of North Carolina is an acceptable use of the taxpayer’s money. But these are not normal times and this trip was seemingly all about gallivanting all over Washington D.C. and hobnobbing with bigwigs in our nation’s capital. By the way, I wanted to thank the person or persons involved for their release of information to another local media outlet. It seems that the chairman spent even more money than I thought. According to records that were released, in addition to what the Patriot found, the chairman spent $490.00 for conference registration and $30.00 for a “Congressional Breakfast” also. His seeming vacation in Washington D.C. cost the taxpayers of Jackson County a total of at least $2,267 dollars! I’ll bet that there are at least a dozen families here in Jackson County that could have used that money to help heat their homes this winter—but the chairman already burned it up in Washington.

As was claimed by one individual, my assumptions are not false or unfounded. They are not even assumptions. The hard evidence that has been obtained through public records requests makes the conclusions that a reasonable person would conclude clear and rational. The bottom line is that the N.C. Association of County Commissioners would not reimburse the chairman to go to Washington D.C. for the National Association of County Commissioners meeting so he evidently decided to go on his own (regardless of whether the county manager budgeted it—he’ll budget anything that the chairman will tell him to) and hit the taxpayers of Jackson County for the bill on his D.C. “National Lampoon” Vacation. Representatives from only 44 (probably the richest 44 counties) of North Carolina’s 100 counties went to the same conference on the taxpayer’s dollar. Shame on them and shame on the chairman. We, the citizens of Jackson County, want our money reimbursed and our seat that the chairman is sitting in back.

Paid Vacation

Mr. Chair, let’s talk about the facts. On Saturday 6 March 2010 you left Jackson County and drove to Washington D.C. where you checked into the Omni Shoreham Hotel. You stayed four nights. You left Washington D.C. Wednesday 10 March 2010 and arrived back in Jackson County that evening.
The Jackson County Travel Authorization and Reimbursement Form shows that you claimed $522.17 for travel by private automobile and $154.00 for meals—for a total of $676.17. County Manager Kenneth Westmoreland signed for the expense reimbursement 15 March. I have a copy of the county check endorsed by you and deposited to the Wachovia bank. It is stamped Friday 2 April 2010 by Teller #70.
I have a copy of the bill from the Omni Shoreham Hotel for four night’s double occupancy as signed by you Mr. Chair and charged to a Visa credit card for a total of $1,050.92. My first generation copy of the original in Finance shows that it was time/date stamped “Apr 09, 2010”. Above the “total due” line a figure has been ‘whited’ out. And below the total due line are the figures $0.00. I have a copy of the county check reimbursing the credit card company in Delaware for $1,070.00. It is signed by Kenneth L. Westmoreland and countersigned by Darlene Fox.
I have a copy of an email from the Communications Director of the N.C. Association of County Commissioners, a 501-C4 advocacy group, with the Board of Directors Expense Narrative and Reimbursement Form. Upon further investigation, Todd McGee, Communications Director of the N.C. Association of County Commissioners stated that “no member of the executive board was authorized to travel to Washington D.C. on these dates for any reason.” I also have records of other junkets that you have made.
Mr. Chair, we have a congressman who represents the 11th District in Washington D.C. We also have two U.S. Senators who represent us there. We have a state senator and a state representative that represent us in Raleigh. You represent us here in Jackson County. Why are we, the taxpayers paying for what appears to be a five day vacation for you, and whoever was staying with you those four nights at a luxury hotel and resort in Washington D.C.?

Time to Meet the Voters

On Tuesday September 28 the candidates for sheriff, county commissioner, and state legislative offices stood face-to-face to the citizens of Jackson County at the "First Jackson County Town Hall Forum". The venue was the Cashiers Community Center in Cashiers.
What I took away from the very long meeting was that the incumbents wanted very much to stay in office and the challengers wanted very much to be elected to those offices.
Afterward, some folks commented to me that the incumbent commissioners (at least some of them)seemed "smug" and "condescending." Although I don't believe that the incumbent commissioners (excluding one) were necessarily "smug" and "condescending" I do believe that they had a communications problem.The incumbent sheriff kept mentioning "twenty nine years of experience" which didn't strike me as a positive since that was simply a reminder that he had been on the public dole for twenty nine years. Not a good thing in this election cycle where "throw the bums out" is being heard from all quarters more and more often. Probably the most honest and sincere seeming of the candidates was Mary Rock, independent candidate for county sheriff. I did appreciate her quote from Edmund Burke ("all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing"). Perhaps at the next town hall Rock may also showcase her management experience in her job as a bail bondsman managing bail agents, as a sheriff's job is very much the management of men, material, and money resources.
One large failing of the forum was no open microphone for the citizens to directly address (and refute) the candidates and their assertions. I certainly hope that will be rectified at the so-called "environmental" town forum on October 7 at 6pm at the Cullowhee Recreation Center.

Thin Ice Again

Darned if you commissioners haven’t been skating on thin ice again (if you ever stopped). The Sylva Herald requested the closed-session minutes for three years’ worth of meetings where legal procedures with Duke Energy were discussed way back in August. County Manager Ken Westmoreland refused the Herald’s request by saying “county commissioners had to approve the release of closed-session minutes” despite the legal proceedings with Duke being over for at least thirty calendar days. Of course, what would I expect from a county manager who routinely pays no attention to open records requests from citizens, engineers a “fat cat” pay raise for himself and other heads of county departments, and gives himself twenty extra years of seniority in the county employment system. Commissioners, its time to throw somebody “under the bus” if you want to save your political skins.

Chairman McMahan, your lame excuse for not immediately releasing the minutes as required by law was alleged confidential information in the minutes had to be redacted. Funny Mr. Chair, but I don’t believe you. You’ve told too many whoppers to my face to sing that same old song again. By-the-way Mr. Chair, those closed-session minutes are the property of the citizens of Jackson County, not you commissioners. Just for that little bit of inanity your pay(by all rights) should be docked. More will be revealed regarding pay and reimbursements soon Mr. Chair.

Speaking of the “fat cat” pay raises, the harm to us citizens hasn’t been rectified yet. As four of you know that harm was made greater for all the lower especially the lower) and middle level county employees by taking money that they had been promised them in miniscule step increases and salting it away in contingency “slush funds” so that you could reward political cronies and supporters—some of which “useful idiots” turned up in last week’s paper eagerly begging the rest of us to vote for more political chicanery in November’s election.

As I stated at August’s last meeting none of us is perfect. Redemption is offered to us. But we must make amends to those that we have harmed and ask for forgiveness.

I look forward to seeing you Mr. Chair and Commissioner Massie at the Jackson County Town Hall forum on September 28 in Cashiers. Maybe then we the citizens of Jackson County will get the answers to all these questions that just seem to not want to go away.

Three Good Things (and a ticking time bomb)

Not long ago I was asked by a county employee (who shall remain anonymous) to try to say something “good” about the county commissioners. I thought a moment and replied, “Why don’t you come up with three good things to say about the commissioners and I’ll be happy to comment on them at the next commissioners meeting.” That county employee hasn’t gotten back to me yet but that’s all right. I think that I can come up with three “good things” to say about you anyway.

Let’s see, all of you commissioners appear (the last time I saw you) to have good hygiene. I’m sure that all of you have good manners. And finally, I’d be willing to bet that all of you do sincerely care about your families.

It may be a failing of mine but deep down I also believe that all of you are good, honest, honorable men. Unfortunately my belief in and of itself about those things is not enough for the citizens of Jackson County. They’re angry and not easily persuaded. It is important to back up that belief with observable, measurable, public evidence. Otherwise my belief is meaningless and the patriotic citizens of Jackson County could overact—which I for one don’t want to see happen.

Quite a few citizens have called me and urged me to not let up on you commissioners. They reminded me that despite you having done some good things in your tenure, your alleged misbehaviors have far, far out weighed those good things. I don’t need to make a list. You know what I’m talking about.

But isn’t it better to have the politician that we know staying in office rather than some unknown individual who might destroy all the good that has been done? Maybe, maybe not.

None of us is perfect. Last that I checked I surely wasn’t. But because of that imperfection, and a forgiving, benevolent Creator, redemption is offered to us. We can make amends to those that we have harmed.

Gentlemen, this situation with the “fatcat” pay raises, despite what was claimed by two individuals (which I don’t believe for a moment) in last week’s Sylva Herald, has become utterly outrageous. It is time to act to rectify this harm to the citizens of Jackson County.

How can a county employee just give themselves twenty years of seniority in the county system? How can they do this especially when you have taken away everything—the colas and the step increases, along with the ever present threat that if county employees speak out about these abuses and others they will be summarily dismissed? What seeming legal chicanery allows this?

There is redemption though commissioners. Right these wrongs now and I’m sure that many citizens will forgive you. Otherwise November 2, with all its socio-political ramification looms before us, a ticking time bomb.

Speak With Forked Tongue

On or about Monday May 17, 2010 at the county commissioners meeting the county manager made the statement that he would meet with anyone to set the record straight concerning the county deal with Confederate Packaging and also the problems concerning the old Tuckaseigee Mills property. The next day I called the county manager’s office and expressed my interest in scheduling a meeting with the manager concerning his public statement from the night before. On Wednesday May 19 my telephone call was returned by the manager’s administrative assistant and she stated that the county manager felt that we didn’t need to meet to talk on these issues.

According to North Carolina General Statutes when a citizen makes a legal public records request the public employee is legally supposed to honor that request for public information. My request for this public information was denied despite the county manager’s public remarks stating that he would meet with anyone on May 17 and totally disregarding the law.

Have we reached the point in the history of our republic where citizens are routinely denied information about the workings of our government by the people who work for us?

Commisioners, current disquieting public events are accumulating with more frequency, driving to an unfortunate state of affairs where the citizens will be forced to use all available lawful means to force their government to be constitutionally responsive to their needs. This is not a preferred outcome.

Back in March of this year you commissioners and the citizens of Jackson County entered into a tacit agreement that those seats that you are sitting in belong to the citizens. You also agreed that our county government operations must become open, honest and accountable.

All cogent individuals are aware that November 2 is fast approaching with all its socio-political ramifications. What some folks don’t seem to understand is that another date is quickly approaching also—the date where, if elected and unelected office holders of all stripes; county, state, and federal governments, have not restored the rule of constitutional law to their behaviors in the performance of their offices, then consequently we the people will become absolved of all of our duties and responsibilities to the current socio-political contract.

May God have mercy upon all of us if that day ever comes.

Doin' the Jackson Juggle

Folks are beginning to call this year’s budget manipulations the “Jackson Juggle.” Don’t get me wrong folks. Not spending money that we don’t have is a good thing. The only problem is that we are still spending money that we don’t have.

Unlike what one commissioner said in the latest budget work session, it is not true that there are no salary increases this year—remember commissioners, this is the second year of the Mercer “fat cat” pay raises for the upper-level managerial employees. They received a significant; some would say exorbitant increase last year and are getting another exorbitant increase this year. Why do the lower and middle level people get their paychecks cut and not the “fat cats” also?

I can understand wanting to give money ‘back’ to the various agencies that came begging during the last budget hearing a couple of weeks ago. Shoot, it’s always good to be seen as magnanimous in your constituent’s eyes—helps to get votes. Besides, a little Christmas in July never hurt anybody right?

If you gentlemen are going to take money from the lower and middle levels of county workers to cut county expenditures why aren’t you going to take the “fat cat” pay raises away from the managerial employees also? One “fat cat” that I know of makes more than the governor of the state of North Carolina!

Commissioners, if you’re going to cut everything from county employees; everything except their jobs; it is important in everyone’s eyes, their pocketbooks, and in their votes come November that you cut out these “fat cat” pay raises for the managerial employees also. Then, if you want to have Christmas in July (as you seem to be doing), you can put on the red suit and white beard and go “ho, ho, ho” all you want. All county employees, all the citizens of Jackson County will accept nothing less than accountable, open and honest government.

These “fat cat” employees don’t have anywhere near the votes that us regular folks have. Or is there something else manipulating the political system in Jackson County? Remember gentlemen, those are our seats where you are sitting and there is still a pesky little thing called an election coming up in November. Barring that, there is always what John Locke called an “appeal to Heaven” (see “Second Treatise on Government”).

Addendum: Unfortunately the Jackson County commissioners voted Monday night to approve the budget changes that Commissioner Tom Massie essentially proposed. The commissioners took everything from the lower and middle level employees and left in place the “fat cat” pay raises for the upper-level managerial employees. It is true that Commission Chair Bryan McMahan and Commissioner Joe Cowan initially opposed the step cuts for county employees but at Monday’s meeting the vote was unanimous to approve the 2010-2011 county budget. With the current state of “politics as usual” here in Jackson County (political patronage—see how Edward Gibbon describes the manner in which the Romans practiced this system of payments and favors in his “History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”) regular folks like you and I don’t really stand a chance—at least until some real changes occur. Of course there’s always that “appeal to heaven” as a last resort.

Your Pockets?

$500,000 dollars. That’s only a start of what you voted to spend on the old Tuckaseigee Mills property. You gentlemen are fixing to spend at least another half of million dollars, probably more, on QC Apparel and that dangerous building that Mr. Queen hides out in. The property has been cited numerous times with fire, safety, and electrical violations. Now it has been uncovered that there is an ancient 10,000 gallon diesel tank which may be leaking dangerous chemicals into our ground water. Wow, Jackson County’s own super fund site! Because of these numerous fire, safety, and electrical violations employees of anyone of the three businesses located there could have been maimed or killed and their attorneys justifiably sue the county for tens of millions of dollars.

It is a documented fact that Mr. Queen has not made rent payments to the county since 2008. He and QC Apparel still owes each and every citizen of Jackson County over half of a million dollars in unpaid loans. When am I going to get my money?

I understand that you want tenants in the old Tuckaseigee Mills building—maybe even a few people earning a paycheck. Though if truth be told QC Apparel only employs a small percentage of what their owner claims. Are these few jobs/votes really worth it?

Commissioners, the pockets of the citizens of Jackson County are not bottomless. We must stop this reckless spending now. Or else how long will it be before a Chinese Overlord comes to collect what we owe? Are you going to pay them out of your pockets?

The "Great Recession"

Go watch the federal debt clock at http://www.usdebtclock.org. It shows the federal government — your congresscritter and mine — have promised to pay the folks who bought U.S. bonds $13 trillion which they don’t have. Your personal share — the amount your congresscritter and mine promised to squeeze out of you to pay off those IOUs, if you’re a taxpayer — is about $117,000. Make that $180,000 when all government debt is included.
Total United States unfunded liabilities are 108 trillion dollars!
With average family income at about $62,000 dollars per year (much less here in Jackson County) it is quite obvious to me that we can NEVER pay the principle.
Because of this, someday soon, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Germans, and others are sooner, rather than later, going to stop loaning money to these Pharaohs of Fakery, these Ptolemies on the Potomac — or else the “District of Criminals” creditors are going to start demanding some serious collateral for their loans, which won’t be politically popular--like maybe the Hawaiian Islands or perhaps even Manhattan Island?
Commissioners, I’ve told you before that I believe that all of you are good, honest men. I still believe that. However, Jackson County’s current debt totals $39,805,907.26. The legal debt margin for this coming fiscal year is $849,443,885.54. Both of those figures are way too much debt for such a small, poor county.
A few weeks ago in a public forum, the county manager was crowing about how the 2010-2011 proposed budget was a “balanced budget.” He had made a few cuts in personnel and other expenditures and he felt pretty proud of himself. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find any cuts in the proposed budget that include those “fat cat” raises that the county managerial employees are picking our pockets for. Why not?
Gentlemen, I am in sympathy with anyone who has had their budget cut for the coming fiscal year. I’ve had to cut my expenses in the last few months so I can relate. But this is the “Great Recession.” It might even turn into the Second “Great Depression.” It is past time to put some responsibility into our county finances and not just balance the budget. It is time now to cut it down to a sane, prudent amount.

"I Will Never Vote for Nancy Pelosi"

America faces a new culture war.
"This is not the culture war of the 1990s. It is not a fight over guns, gays or abortion. Those old battles have been eclipsed by a new struggle between two competing visions of the country’s future. In one, America will continue to be an exceptional nation organized around the principles of free enterprise—limited government, a reliance on entrepreneurship and rewards determined by market forces. In the other, America will move toward European-style statism grounded in expanding bureaucracies, a managed economy and large-scale income redistribution. These visions are not reconcilable. We must choose." Improvedclinch.com

I met with Jeff Miller, Republican candidate for NC 11th District Congress on Saturday evening at a “meet-and-greet” before a Republican fund raiser at the Balsam Mountain Inn in Jackson County. Despite feeling just a little out of place because everyone was wearing semi-formal dress (one candidate for judge was wearing a slinky red dress) everyone was friendly and polite—even one gentleman who asked if I’m a democrat (I’m not).
Miller is in his early fifties and seems to be a sincere human being. “You get what you get with me.” Evidently he’s likable enough as a dad because his son Beck, a first time voter this fall, has said that he’s going to vote for him.
With good initial impressions of Miller I wanted to know where he stood on issues.
On the Second Amendment Miller said that “there was some misinformation going around” about his position on the Second Amendment. He told me that he supports it. He also told me that he is not a hunter but he is a life time member of the National Rifle Association. He believes that “armor piercing ammunition should not be available to the general public.” Miller stated that he has a concealed handgun permit and he “loves to shoot.”
In regards to my question about restoring the constitution Miller said that he’s “for it 100%” and that he carries a copy of it wherever he goes. “To me you take the constitution as it is. I want to go by the constitution, but I also want to go by what’s right and wrong.”
“I’m coming at this from a small business owner—person who’s been giving back to his community for a long time who is just fed up with what is going along.”
I asked him about the secured bond that Dan Eichenbaum posted before the primary guaranteeing that, if elected, he would only serve for three terms in congress. Miller responded that “I do not have any intentions of making it a life-time job. But I do feel that is somewhat self-defeating unless everybody agrees to it a certain standard.” Miller went on to say that the House leadership, in making committee assignments wouldn’t take someone who had made such a pledge seriously. He said “where I think that they ought to have term limits is the chairmanships of committees because if you want to find corruption that’s where you’ll find it. “I think that two years as the chair of a committee is darn long enough.”
In response to my query about the recently passed and signed national health care bill Miller responded “I don’t even believe that Ted Kennedy would have liked that bill. It was a ram job. It was poorly thought out. There were some things in it that obviously made sense for people that couldn’t get coverage, children. My health care that I provide for my employees; I provide fifty percent and they pay the other fifty percent. Health care went up this year for no good reason. We had to renegotiate with the insurance company to get it within 17%. So somebody who says that we don’t need something is full of crap.”
How are you going to differentiate yourself from Heath Shuler? “I’d never vote for Nancy Pelosi.”
With that, Miller’s attention was diverted elsewhere and the interview was effectively ended.
Jeff Miller from Hendersonville seems to be a very likeable candidate. I believe that he can go a long way towards becoming much more familiar with the issues and that he needs to positively differentiate himself and what he stands for from Heath Shuler to win the NC 11th Congressional seat in November.
In the interests of balance I will send this post (and blog address) to Heath Shuler and give him an opportunity to respond with a face-to-face interview on these and any other issues he wants to talk about.

Cut Off Prodigal Son

Commissioners, one of the definitions of socialism is when an authoritarian government, thinking it knows what is good for the subjects under it, forcibly takes wealth from producing individuals and gives it to non-producing individuals. Taking my and every other citizen’s money and giving it to a non-producing Mr. Clemmy Queen and QC Enterprises, especially without accountability and responsibility for many years, is totally outrageous and possibly illegal. But then all those loans, missed payments, interest, and missed rent happened under other commissioners. They are not your responsibility, right?

QC Enterprises owes me and every other citizen of Jackson County at least $530,000 dollars. Repairs, if made, to the old Tuckaseigee Mills, a true turkey of a property, will be at least 500,000 dollars. The county manager has said that we could spend at least a million dollars on the property. He doesn’t seem to be behaving in an accountable manner to the citizens of Jackson County. Nor have I heard him volunteer to contribute his “fat cat” pay raise to help the bankrupt Queen. Commissioners, are you willing to take money out of your own pockets and give it to Queen?

Stanton Woodworking and Lucky Tomato are doing what responsible, innovative businesses are supposed to do--making a profit and paying their bills. They could be moved from the death trap (numerous safety and fire violations) of the old Tuckaseigee Mills into the idled Stonewall packaging plant now that Jackson Paper has failed to perform as they said they would. So much for the promised "61 jobs." It may be true that the Stonewall Packaging debacle hasn’t cost the county any money, although I won’t believe that until I see the final figures from the county. However, the county should have never loaned money to Jackson Paper, in effect becoming partners with them as this was not in the best interest of free enterprise here in Jackson County.

Commissioners, let’s hope that you listen a little better to your constituents (the owners of those seats your sitting in) this time and not be ‘spend thrifts’ with my and everyone else’s’ money. Remember what Finance Director Fox has pointed out: if we don’t reduce our expenditures in this county we are going to go broke. Commissioners, before you end up bankrupting us all it is time to cut off the prodigal son.

Commissioners, I bet ya’ll really wish you could print money like that gang up in Washington D.C. Thank Goodness you can’t.

Little Slippery Fish

Commissioners, I apologize for missing the last (April 19) meeting. I had bigger fish to fry in Washington, D.C. on that date. I know that you missed me.

Now back to the little pond with the little slippery fish that just keep nibbling the worms off the hook and getting away.

It must have cost quite a bit of political capital to get the local government commission to forget about those missing audits. I know that you felt real good Mr. Chair, about calling a big, armed peace officer to subdue a little old lady; especially after you raised her dander a bit by disavowing all responsibility for the EDC/JDC and we, the tax payer’s money. With all due respect to Commissioner Cowan, the Jackson County board of commissioners may not have the legal authority to insist on the missing audits yet we the citizens of Jackson County have the authority to insist on accountability for our money that was given to the EDC and the JDC. Remember gentlemen, those are my and every other citizen of Jackson County’s seats up there. I know that you recall that little agreement you and I have on accountable, open and honest government or else resign from our seats. Right?

It seems that it is coming down to fish or cut bait time on the old Tuckaseigee Mills property. We have already allowed the main tenant to become in arrears over $530,000.00. Anybody got an extra half of a million (or more) dollars to throw down a rat hole?

Commissioner Massie, I agree with you that Jackson County needs to reduce the size of its huge motor pool. But darn commissioner, don’t you think that we need to reduce the size of our county government first? It would seem that the exorbitant fat-cat salaries that the managerial county employees are getting contribute quite a bit to the size of the county’s indebtedness. I don’t agree with our county finance director on much. Yet Director Fox has pointed out one truth: if we don’t reduce our expenditures in this county we are going to go broke. Balancing the budget is NOT enough. Forget raising taxes. We don’t have the money. Darn, I bet ya’ll wish you could print money like that gang up in Washington D.C. don’tcha?

Fasttrack to Political Suicide

Commissioners:

Last time we had a little chat about the shell game also known as the county budget. No county office holder, elected or unelected, emailed me their resignation. That means that all of you commissioners and all county office holders, especially the upper level managerial office holders, county manager included, publicly agree to fulfill the standards of accountable, open, and honest government. I certainly hope so.
Speaking of office holders, I understand the sheriff is here tonight to ask for two new ordinances concerning burglar alarms and adult entertainment. I’m all for both burglar alarms and adult entertainment especially since they are both covered by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Let’s be real careful here and not cause another controversy or else first amendment groups could really hammer the citizens of Jackson County with more litigation that we definitely don’t need.
Speaking of ordinances, I understand that at least one commissioner has professed ignorance on how these suggested draft amendments to the Hillside and Subdivision Ordinance came to occur. If that is so (and I don’t disbelieve him) then how did the planning board come to begin the process of suggesting possible changes? It is my understanding that someone or someone’s above Ms. Cable’s level of authority had to ask that the planning department and planning board look at possible changes. Who did this? Why now? And why are we citizens being presented with bogus evidence such as that misleading photograph of the two ‘McMansions’ in Cashiers as evidence for change to the ordinance. Messing with the Hillside and Subdivision Ordinance, especially now, is the fast track to political suicide. I haven’t heard any of you talk about retiring from public life just yet. Forget refinement gentlemen, let’s strengthen the ordinance. It didn’t cause the business and construction downturn, the idiots up in Washington D.C. and the New York Stock Exchange did.
Oh, one more thing. Budget amendments are all well and good. The only problem is why can’t we stick to the original budget and stop adding on piece-meal these constant requests for more money. It’s almost like one of those little ankle-biter dogs constantly nipping at you. A little bite here or there doesn’t do much damage. But over the long run those sharp teeth can put you in a world of hurt. All of these little budget amendments nips eventually add up to millions and millions of dollars of debt; something that our children and grandchildren will end up paying for, right?

Always watching,

County's Finances Not a Shell Game

At the March 1 commissioner’s meeting in this continuing soap opera that we call Jackson County government, I was personally attacked and challenged to “report back on which project” I’d “like to see done away with.” In as much as I am not accountable to the county manager; fortunately in our system of government he (and all office holders) are accountable to me; I still wonder what fiscally irresponsible person or persons, in these financially troubled times would go wild like spring breakers on the citizen’s credit card and push the county’s indebtedness to within two percent of the maximum allowed by state statutes?

I’ve talked with Dottie Brunette, our county librarian, and she knows that I support a new and expanded library for our county. What I don’t support is the overspending by millions of dollars on the library and the cost over-runs because no one in county government is willing to hold the builders accountable to their original agreement.

County Manager Kenneth Westmoreland overlooked several very important items in his response to me. What about:

Hiring county employees when there was a stated hiring freeze. Why even bother to say you are going to “freeze” hiring and then turn right around and hire people. That’s duplicitous and probably illegal.

Or:

The “fat cat” upper-most county employee salary raises seemingly timed for when county tax revenues are shrinking; then adding insult to injury, justifying these exorbitant raises by paying an outside consulting firm $25,000.00 to gather and collate information that is already paid for with your and my money and available from Raleigh.

Or:

The sheriff’s drug money scandal which, by the way, was and is public money and was not “given as a gift” by the federal government as the manager stated. N.C. G.S. 159-25 requires two signatures on all checks written on public monies. This wasn’t done for how many years? The county finance officer, county manager, and chairman of the county commissioners are all culpable and accountable to this law. They ignored it until a local media outlet brought it to the attention of the state treasurer and the local government commission. Attorney General Roy Cooper should be very interested in prosecuting all guilty parties.

The four year county property tax assessment cycle started in 2002, not 1998 as the manager claimed. His claim that homeowners would be in for “sticker shock” is not genuine and therefore fallacious. Those assessments are no loner realistic or valid. They are being used a weapon against the citizens of Jackson County to enlarge county government and attempt to increase direct control over all of our lives. Ultimately, the only way that the county can get that money from us is by threat of force.

Our county’s finances are not a shell game, although the manager seems to treat them like he treated Spartanburg county and Greer’s finances when he was ‘working’ for the citizens there. They are mine and every other citizen’s money. Any county office holder who is not willing to accept this fact and to fulfill the standards of accountable, open, and honest government to we the citizens can email me their resignation immediately

See What Attracted Me!

Giant bulldozers cut across contour lines;
Up and down hillsides, slicing through the forest mat;
Grinding and crushing the bones of the mountains.
“See what attracted me!”

Cutting back hillsides, leveling out home sites;
Raw red earth spilling into streams;
Lifeblood of the land spurts away.
“See what attracted me!”

The sound of hammers echo off the mountainsides;
Power saws rip down trees for ‘million dollar’ views;
Construction trash and empty liquor bottles despoil the land.
“See what attracted me!”

Trout streams buried in plastic pipes;
Non-native grasses kept artificially alive;
Fertilizer run-off of golf courses poisons the drinking water.
“See what attracted me!”

The landslides slip and slide
Way down the mountain sides,
Just like groupie panties in the locker room.
“See what attracted me!”

Later, when all is destroyed
Having created this artificial ‘paradise;’
Only then do the people cry and scream:
“See what attracted me!”

February 22, 2010

The People Laugh

Wow, hasn’t this last year been a wild ride? Jackson County has had more sewage spills polluting the Tuckaseigee River engineered by TWSA’s incompetence and ineptitude; our county commissioners have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Jackson Paper despite them attempting to abscond to Georgia; the pay raise scandal of the uppermost county employee “fat-cats” has angered thousands; and the never-ending EDC/JDC debacle continues to fester as the attorney general’s interest grows.

Recently, the Smoky Mountain News hung the “Albatross Award” around the county commissioner’s necks for not having satisfactorily resolved quite a few important issues. Commissioners, you’ve had four years to remove a lot of these “albatrosses.” Why haven’t you done so? Is it because that you believe that the citizens of Jackson County will just forget about these issues? Or, do you only care about power and control and your eventual re-election that the good old boy patronage system almost guarantees?

Recently, questions have been raised about contradictions between what Gabler-Mollis has said, what you Mr. Chairman (and at least one other commissioner) have said, what the county manager and the county finance director are saying; and, what JAG has learned. Somebody is lying. The time to come clean about the down and dirty double dealings regarding the Jackson County Economic Commission and the Jackson Development Corporation is before Roy Cooper starts subpoenaing people. Hurry now, special immunity deals with the North Carolina Attorney General ending soon!

Carl Sandburg wrote about the people laughing at “lying politicians, lying labor skates, lying racketeers of business, lying newspapers, lying ads.” The people laugh “until a day when the laughter changes key and tone and has something it didn’t have.” The laughter of the people “foretokening of revolt carries fear to those who wonder how far it will go and where to block it.”

Commissioners, the laughter of the people changed tone long ago. The lack of honest, open government in Jackson County is appalling. Those are our seats you’re sitting in. Resolve these issues before the May primary or else don’t bother us with another sad joke on election day in November.

Coalition of the County

Insightful letter (“Citizens should work for good of county”, Sylva Herald, 12/31/09) of Mrs. Cobb’s. 2010 has all the makings of also being "difficult and unpredictable" as 2009 was. It is an excellent time for our communities to come together and work with each other to improve the lives of all in the county. When our 'leaders', in meeting after meeting, make no report on anything that they may have done for us it seems that we can't count on them to do the job that we elected them to do; commissioners, no report, no pay.

It would seem that citizens are unwilling to serve on county boards and committees of a local government that they have lost trust in. Despite this, perhaps if the county advertised with the local media of the need for citizen-service they might get some volunteers.

Other than not making appropriate good faith efforts to attract citizen-talent perhaps citizen disillusionment with the county is occurring because of the lack of positive action with the on-going TWSA pollution debacle? Or maybe it’s the pay raise to the ‘fat cats’ scandal that everyone’s hopping mad over? Or could it be the financial black hole of the Jackson Development Corporation; the Jackson County Economic Development Commission’s (and the county’s) role in funneling public monies to this private entity; contrary to what has been told us by county leaders (and has made the scandal worse); and the distinct possibility of an investigation by federal and other authorities. County office holders have done closure without resolution in this matter which is akin to burying someone before they’re pronounced dead.

By the way, inside sources have told me that county employees were discouraged from obtaining and reading the Mercer report. Perhaps top un-elected office holders didn’t really want county employees seeing for themselves that the pay raises went against the recommendations of that report and that misrepresentations by these office holders was just an excuse for greed gone wild.

I agree that we need to stay vigilant and continue to work to save our mountains and watersheds. The Jackson County Citizen Action Group was formed by concerned citizens in the late summer of 2008 to be a “coalition of the county” amongst neighbors who wanted to help other neighbors in all parts of the county. To that end we of JAG will continue in 2010 to be the rallying point for “neighbors helping neighbors” and to remind county office holders, elected and un-elected, that we will accept no less than totally honest and open government.