It's time to end local tyranny

There’s a lot of talk the last few years about “The Founding Fathers” and what they intended for their new nation 235 years ago. It’s a fact they fought tooth-and-nail over just about everything in the early republic, calling each other vile names in public and publishing libelous pamphlets about their opponents’ birth history or illegitimate children.

Alexander Hamilton (on the $10 bill), the first secretary of the treasury, was even killed in a duel with Aaron Burr, a long-time political enemy.

But when real threats were made to the nation, they always came together to protect their joint “project.” Despite their many disagreements, “the” one issue that always united them was their fear of tyranny—the possibility that another King George III might somehow emerge from among them.


That’s why George Washington, early on, refused the title of “King.”

Unfortunately, Caldwell County has had its own brand of one-man rule for more than three years, with a Board of Commissioners—under the leadership of chairman “King” Ben Griffin I. The good king’s court has routinely voted with him 95 percent of the time by margins of 3-to-2, 4-to-1 or 5-to-0. Until recently.
Now, we must wonder if King Ben I, who, to paraphrase former 1988 Democrat vice presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen, is “no George Washington,” has fallen from his lofty perch. Is he now a political Humpty Dumpty instead?

Judging by a lack of public debate on some really important matters, logic requires us to question if the majority of the commission’s votes might have been “prearranged.” Every commissioner not named Mike LaBrose not only ran with King Ben’s public blessings, but also with his direct financial benevolence (joint political advertising, etc.).

Until early February, common sense also demanded that we conclude that the other commissioners apparently felt they “owed” Griffin their votes on every issue. They’ve even changed their votes to better suit King Ben’s view of things.

But, for 15 months, only LaBrose seemed to exercise his own set of values and search his own conscience before voting, differing with Griffin many times. Until February 6.

When commission business turned to purchasing and refurbishing a 50-year-old building for future county use, the king’s court cracked like the above-named egg-man. Two more commissioners parted ways with him that evening, and King Ben’s proposal was voted down 3-to-2. The county boss had already put down earnest money.

The ground rumbled a bit as Griffin lost his usually cool demeanor and began berating and brow-beating the three other commissioners not named Clay Bollinger. According to reports, he first took aim at each of the three, then focused his ire at one of the original “Three Amigos” from 2008.

The harsh words exchanged that evening clearly changed things on the board. As a result, the May 8 primary election will offer some new faces not only on the ballot, but on the board itself. Since the Democrats put forth no candidates in the filing period, the three highest vote-getters in the GOP will run unopposed in November.

I will readily admit that, during the “Three Amigos’” first two years, when the three Republicans routinely outvoted two Democrats, I was blind to Griffin’s apparent behind-the-scenes heavy-handedness. I am disappointed that they made no effort to roll back some of the 22 percent tax hike imposed in 2007 by the previous board.

Then, too, no one on the post-2008 board openly complained when the good king cracked the whip, and I looked only at what I saw as “other good results.” But now I see things for what they are.
My fellow Republicans, we need to use our right to vote that our Founding Fathers gave us and take care of this matter in this year’s primary election, before Mr. Griffin is formally fitted for his robe, crown and scepter in the fall.

I repeat: the vote that will really matter will be the May 8 primary. There are plenty of other Republicans to choose from. The little man with the boastfully painted little car is the one we don’t need.
In the interim, it will be interesting to see if Caldwell County’s one-man rule continues to collapse under King Ben.

Dennis A. Benfield                                                                                                                                      Hudson