Comments for Boards abandon governing to the bureaucrats | Eastern North Carolina Now

Trump latest comments to evangelicals in Florida. "just vote this once, I'll fix its so you never have to vote again.
WTF?

Does he think evangelicals are that stupid or is project 2025 gonna take away our "need' to vote?

www.reuters.com

Commented: Sunday, July 28th, 2024 @ 10:50 am By: Big Bob

Respect anyone who makes sense and supports our country, not the orange clown.

Commented: Saturday, July 27th, 2024 @ 8:15 pm By: Big Bob

I support republicans.
MAGA, not so much.

Commented: Friday, July 26th, 2024 @ 11:34 am By: Big Bob

VZ - more like 10% and its not hate. We just disagree.

Commented: Thursday, July 25th, 2024 @ 8:08 pm By: Big Bob

Having been involved in Republican politics in North Carolina for over half a century, I have seen some nasty personality fights, but few as ugly as the current one in Beaufort County. We had one here back in the late 70s and early 80s between the Wilkinson and Ratcliff factions, but in those days, while we might have a knock down battle over party officers at the county comvention, once that was over with, both sides got back to the business of beating Democrats. Now, we have a few people on both sides of the divide who let personality conflicts obscure the need to achieve our policy goals.

In politics, policy should always trump personality. Accomplishing our policy goals, not battering those we may not personally like, is what is important. This year, when our country faces an existential threat from the far left, that is particularly crucial.

When it comes to the relationship between the policy makers put in place by the voters, and the careerists in government, I had five years of experience with that during my time as a policy-level political appointee in the Jim Martin administration. I found that each careerist I dealt with had to be evaluated individually. You could not put them all in one box. Some were straightforward, objective, and understood they were not the policymakers. They were easy to work with and their opinions carried a lot more weight with those of us who were engaged at the policy level. Others were full of their own importance and wanted to engage in policy making even if it was not their role. These were the ones that those of us at the policy level had to keep a close eye on and could not turn our backs to. Some were somewhere in between.

Unlike state government, where the governor could not be everywhere and had to rely on policy level political appointees, in local government, there is a much clearer distinction, with the elected policymakers in direct contact with the careerists hired to carry out that policy.

In the public education context, I well remember a comment at a local political meeting I attended during my first year in law school from State Senator Dick Deeb (R-Pinellas) when a local education issue was being discussed. senator Deeb observed that "there are too many school board members who seem to think that the superintendant is their boss instead of their employee." As I have heard of school controversies here in North Carolina, I have concluded that is a problem in many school systems.

Concern about the "woke" agenda in our schools has been massive all over the country, with a huge wave of voters defeating school board members aligned with the liberal education establishment and replacing them with conservative education reformers. This wave has reached into higher office and is largely responsible for carrying Virginia Governor Youngkin into office.

Here in North Carolina, our Lt. Governr Mark Robinson, now our nominee for governor, has been heavily and publicly engaged in fighting the liberal education establishment, and he will undoubtedly continue that battle as governor. Our runner up in the primary, State Treasurer Dale Folwell, has also been engaged on that issue, standing with Robinson. It is up to all Republicans to understand where the battlelines are drawn and on which side our party stands.

Personality conflicts do not mean doodly squat. It is the policy issues that are vital. In a poll last year, 71% of North Carolinians expressed concern about the political indoctrination of their children in the public schools. We must stand with those parents against the "woke" agenda.

Commented: Thursday, July 25th, 2024 @ 11:52 am By: Steven P. Rader

Van Zant, I am just a voter in Beaufort County who observes what is going on from the outside. What I see in the Republican Party are some wonderful volunteers who work hard and have the best interests of the County and Country in mind. The Hate is not coming from the Party but from the PAC. What I saw was fraudulent negative signs and banners all over the County. I see a Commissioner name calling and disrupting meetings. That doesn’t make him correct or honest. That just makes him loud and obnoxious.,

Commented: Thursday, July 25th, 2024 @ 4:50 am By: Prendiegirl

The personal hate within the BC Repub Party outweighs all issues.
I used to think people were joshing around with me, but it's true: The BC Repub Party really is aligned with Big Bob the progressive and really does hate almost 50% of local Republican office holders way, way more than Democrats! No good can come from an organization this toxic.

Commented: Wednesday, July 24th, 2024 @ 9:20 pm By: Van Zant

The measure of any politician is whether they support the freedoms of the people, starting with the all-important freedom of speech. Democrats do not measure up.

As far as losing an election, if it were an honest election that is one thing but if it were a fraudulent election, that is quite another. Biden could paraphrase a former US senator and claim of 2020 "we stole it fair and square".

Commented: Wednesday, July 24th, 2024 @ 7:28 pm By: John Steed

The measure of any politician can be found in how they act when they either lose or don't have the votes to carry the day. Makes no difference which party. Defeat will bring out a person true character.

MAGA - unfit to govern

Commented: Wednesday, July 24th, 2024 @ 3:42 pm By: Big Bob

Lazy elected ppl give up their thinking caps 2 the hired staff.
The staff love it, because they know they have th power.

A school board member told me many yrs ago, that he was busy, he had a family, a job, and things to do, and so that is why "we" depend on the staff for these things.

The Washington City Council totally depends on t CityManager who OWNs all of th staff. Staff need 2please him 2keep th job. Test it urself...go ask a council member anything, & he will tell u he will need to ask th citymanager.

EVERY single motion or bill approval, is scripted by t citymanager 4 a council member 2read. It sounds so professional until u realize they were handed a pre written script 2 read. I doubt that many of them digest what they r even reading...4 example what loophole is there 2 unknowingly approve.

Govt ppl r slack & self-serving. If they dont start out that way, they easily turn that way. They think WeThePpl r just an irritant 2b managered.

VOTE Hood! Hood protects taxpayers!

Commented: Wednesday, July 24th, 2024 @ 2:49 pm By: Washingtonian

Your Hood Derangement Syndrome, Jody, is as bad as Bobbie's Trump Derangement Syndrome. Maybe the two of you could get together? And you both are into conspiracy theories, too.

Commented: Wednesday, July 24th, 2024 @ 1:23 pm By: Conservative Voter