King Ben’s ‘Promises Kept?’…Really?

The campaign for Caldwell County commissioner is all about Republicans this year; with no Democrats running, the real decision will be made in the May 8 primary.

First, I salute all candidates who offer themselves for such public service. It’s a thankless, all-consuming job and most sane people, frankly, wouldn’t have it. Ask Rob Bratcher, who’s been a commissioner more than three years and, understandably, wants out.

That said, there are two Republicans I cannot support for reelection—current chairman Ben Griffin, or King Ben I, as I’ve called him before, and his sidekick, Clay Bollinger. King Ben has personally ruled over board decisions since 2008, allowing only the matters he’s already approved behind the scenes on the public agenda.

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.

Caldwell County should have kept Happy Valley aquifer

August 9, 2011

I have publicly supported the fiscal policies of the current Caldwell County Board of Commissioners, compared to those of the previous board (prior to 2009). But Monday, August 1, was a dark day for Caldwell County as current commissioners voted to sell—or practically give away—396 acres in Happy Valley sitting atop a 1.2-million-gallons-per-day proven aquifer of pristine drinking water.

Thanks to these commissioners, not only will the county not have use of the aquifer, if it’s ever needed, but over $1 million in taxpayers’ money previously spent on the Happy Valley site is now, officially, wasted.

Will Legislature do what voters wouldn't?

May 26, 2011

Will the Republican-controlled General Assembly of North Carolina end up doing something that about one-third of the voters in three 10th Congressional District primary elections couldn’t do? Will his fellow Republicans in North Carolina be the ones to finally rid Caldwell, Burke, Mitchell and Avery counties of representation in the U.S. Congress by Patrick McHenry?

Where's common sense in blaming AZ shooting on 'discourse'?

January 18, 2011

Since January 8th, I’ve been watching the talking heads and reading the wisdom of the political pundits, along with every straight news story about the events that day at a Tucson, AZ, grocery store, trying to make sense of why Jared Loughner apparently planned and carried out the shootings that killed six people and wounded 13 more.