During this "Silly Season," Some Local Candidates do the Darndest Things ... | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Most notably of which, they just want you to give them money and they want you to vote for them, and some of them will say and do the darndest things to achieve such. In fact, I have minded my manners for some time since the Candidate's Public Forum at the Beaufort County Community College, when I became incredulous over the sophistic comments by Commissioner Al Klemm, and Commissioner Candidates Jerry Evans and Bertie Arnhols. But now more information is trickling in, and I can not remain silent, especially in light of the inarguable fact that there is so much taxpayer money at stake and the final vote of this election cycle is Tuesday.

    Earlier in BCN, on October 23, 2010, I published an op-ed, "It is my Prayer that One Day we Will Deserve a Better Government," which admonishes, in part, the apparent sophistry of these 3 candidates, who want to be county commissioners. At this time, and it happens about every six years, there is one defining issue that must be dealt with by the county commissioners. Five years ago, the huge issue was representing the taxpayers when they were sued by the Beaufort County Board of Education for over 2 million dollars. This time that issue is, of course, the fiscal mismanagement of the Beaufort Regional Medical System.

    This is the one issue, because of its inherent magnitude, that will define each of these candidates, and it has.

    During this Silly Season, some local candidates let their apparent sophistry manage their decisions, rather than allowing the issues to correct their thought process on making a prospective decision. Candidates are asked their opinions on important issues. That's what happens when you become a politician, and you become a politician when you pay your filing fee. Politicians need to know that. They also need to know that they no longer have the option of not understanding what will be asked of them.

    I would like to think that maybe these Candidates would like to mend the error of their ways, and get a bit smarter, but almost without fail, that is not the way political game is played. When a candidate compromises themselves to special interest so early in a campaign, they generally never reverse the trend, and if they are elected, they become compromised county commissioners. Because this hospital issue is such a big issue, and there is so much money on the table, now and definitely later, politicians need to be ready to intelligently make decisions in regards to their fiduciary - the taxpayer.

    Yeah, I know there are differences of opinion, and one has the wishes of your constituents to consider, but when your county is in contract negotiations, with this much money on the table, politicians should do not become the cheerleader for the special interest, who may not be qualified to make these kind of decisions. Let me restate that: Special interest individuals, who are definitely not qualified to make these decisions!

    Oddly, Dr. Tom Penders created a large measure of subterfuge by challenging the integrity of all county commissioners, who would not compromise their fiduciary to the Beaufort County taxpayers, by demanding that they sign a campaign pledge that they would not take any campaign money from the prospective bidders for the Beaufort County Medical Center. Dr. Penders, who is no stranger to articulating his point by excessive hyperbole, was my first clue that there may be something amiss in in the "Group Think" camp. His inference that we honorable commissioners would take money for our vote, spoke volumes in his perception of government, and possibly his peers. Dr. Penders presentation at the second public hearing at Beaufort County Community College, on October 27, was robustly embraced by the "Medical Community." His flamboyant shtick of aping Commissioner Hood Richardson, as evidenced by these video recordings by the Beaufort Observer, was a true crowd pleaser, and gives the more serious, more astute observer great pause as to the intent of those who would subvert the bid process for the hospital's future.

    Regardless, all silly hyperbolic behavior aside, the Beaufort Regional Health System Doctors, who in this case publicly set policy for their compromised minions, should be smart enough to know that one does not negotiate away your public bids - the highest bids - in favor of the lowest bid, when it is public property at stake. In this case, they collectively were not smart enough to do what they are not empowered to do, and may very well be solely responsible for CHS (Community Health Systems) pulling out of this travesty of a bid process. Compromised politicians: Jerry Evans, Al Klemm and Bertie Arnhols are either not smart enough to know better, or worse, purchased. I pray it is that they are just not smart enough for the position they seek, I really want to think the best about people, even if they compete with me for a job that I take very seriously.

    If you take issue with my perspective on these very serious gaffs on this very very serious issue, you may very well be out of your element; however, we accept all responses from all parties, and we take them very seriously as well.

    Publisher's Note: I know this is a editorial of moderate length, but I got a whole lot more to come right through November 2. I truly expect some "blow-back" on this one, and I'm holding back plenty of ammunition to drive this whole set of improprieties home.

    Now, one might say it is not fair that I have at my disposal this online publication that experiences 44,184 hits a day is unfair to my competition, but let me proffer this to all: Yeah, I own this publication, and as the owner of this publication, I invite everyone, and I mean everyone to respond. First, you have to be a real person, you must have something intelligible to say, and no slander, no porn, and try not to curse. My rules.