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.?
Monday, October 11, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
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.
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.
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.
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