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.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
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.
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?
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?
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
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,
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,
Saturday, March 20, 2010
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
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
Monday, March 1, 2010
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
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.
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.
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