Look for ‘Dark Side’ of our leaders

Jim Davidson, the News-Topic’s April 10 columnist, regaled readers with a scholarly timeline titled, “Our nation’s third president,” about many legendary achievements of Thomas Jefferson and how we shouldn’t be “doomed to repeat our mistakes.”

“There is little question that Thomas Jefferson was one of the most brilliant and capable men to ever serve in our nation’s highest office,” the bold type screams. True, all true—but truly deceptive.

I’m not a scholar, but I am a voracious reader, and I’ve read many biographies by acknowledged scholars who wrote directly from original letters and other documents. I’ve read 8-10 biographies of Jefferson, 5-6 of George Washington and more of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton, et al.

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?