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?