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.
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