Comments for A Question of Ethics | Eastern NC Now

From John Locke Org website.
Elections & Public Integrity.
*Close the “nonmajority loophole” in open meetings law*

North Carolina recognizes the importance of govt transparency with its open meetings law.
Some local govts try to skirt the open meetings law, including by splitting their meetings into two nonmajority meetings.
The General Assembly should close an apparent loophole in the open meetings law and put a transparency constitutional amendment up for a vote of the people.

www.johnlocke.org

Commented: Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 @ 11:21 am By: Washingtonian

Van Zant: Having served with, and against, the Center-Left Coalition, those whose who swap votes to share power here in Beaufort County, in some various iteration of theirs for the last nearly 15 years, I have had the great displeasure of learning how to exist in slow successful measures, while begrudgingly working with these intellectually challenged political figures.

And, while the Center-Left Coalition does some incredibly stupid stuff, in both word and deed, Commissioner Richardson and I, however deeply frustrated we may appear outwardly, well know how to keep these self-styled marianets in their appointed self-constructed box.

Accordingly, the current school board needs to begin the process to form a coalition of Republican badasses to begin what will begin the intense process of forming a shadow political insurgency to remove those among themselves, who could never lead these public schools out of the deep shadows in which they are now intellectually and politically enshrouded.

I honestly know in the deepest recesses of my optimistic political heart that we are just one election away from a conservative revolution here on the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners, and in that same note of optimism, I am hopeful for the Beaufort County School Board as well.

Commented: Tuesday, March 11th, 2025 @ 6:45 am By: Stan Deatherage

Van Zant: If anyone deserves the right to be publicly angry with these intellectually deprived members of the Center-Left Coalition, it is me; however, I am honor bound to do the People's business during these public meetings, and I shall never "grind my personal /business axe" on the People's time.

Commented: Monday, March 10th, 2025 @ 9:48 am By: Stan Deatherage

I watch th Mar3 Commissioners meeting,& saw a Clown Show!
What an embarrassment Ed Booth is to th pple of this county. He completely slanders Hood right there n front of th world.He should resign n shame. His lack of integrity&judgment was n full view.

The 4 I refer to as Mr Opposites is bec they consistently vote nay to anything Hood purposes. Even simply a light to let them know when they are being recorded was too much 4 them. However w/out even a night to sleeping on it, they voted to pay $500,000 for 4ac. NOW THAT contrast is a perfect example of what is wrong w th 4 Mr. Opposites. They made fools of selves & now they just want to move on & hide their errors by not demanding a title search to resolve any festering doubts abt th dishonesty of that whole boondoggle.
I feel bad 4 Hood&Stan saying this,but I think we need term limits.
All BAD BAD stuff going on here in BeaufortCounty&Washington Govt, however Stan made an inspiring speech during the Comments section. Part 1 of 2.

Commented: Sunday, March 9th, 2025 @ 10:23 am By: Washingtonian

It is a good thing I was not lurking in the dark corners of that meeting, or I might have made myself known to that slanderous politician.

Commented: Tuesday, February 25th, 2025 @ 7:42 pm By: William Bonney

Big Bob I’m not sure what your comment is even referring to. I was commenting on the video of the meeting as a whole.

I agree with Mr. Langley in that we are all members of the same body.

“For the body is not one member, but many.

If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

And if they were all one member, where were the body?

But now are they many members, yet but one body.

And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.”

I believe all the commissioners are respectable men and all of them make valid points and raise appropriate concerns regarding the issues at hand. A little back and forth debate is a good thing if questions can be asked and answered without things becoming personal. The commissioners wont and shouldn’t always agree, they each bring their own point of view and field of expertise, but they also shouldn’t just vote in lock step with their faction to “stick it to the other guy”.

If there are issues that need to be called out then they should be. We are told to rebuke our brother if we see him step out of the light, not out of hate, but out of love. That he may be ashamed and judge within himself his own ways. May we be wise as serpents yet gentle as doves. Let us not get too rebellious against one another that our intents become so harsh against our neighbors. “Vengeance is mine” so saith the Lord. Let us aim to be honest in our actions and endeavors toward each other, seeing the big picture beyond the political degree. If we be divided we fall.

Commented: Wednesday, February 12th, 2025 @ 11:01 pm By: Will Simmons

W.S.
The NCDEQ is like th rest of Govt... Inefficient & negligent.
The NCDEQ local employees want to "go-along to get-along" w the local small town Govt's Bosses.
They do this because they LIVE here & R subject to th same needs of th rest of us 2B accepted...especially by those who R powerful, & could get them fired. They dont want even a small town Govt complaining loudly about them.
The NCDEQ in Raleigh R just paper pushers who put their pronouns in their signature lines, & work to COVER for any actions of the local NCDEQ employees.

If we want to make things right in NC, we have to do more than just Talk abt it here.

Regarding Schools? Isnt the titlesearch a matter of public records that anyone has a right to request & view. Perhaps it has to be in writing.
My question is how did 9 acs owned by WashingtonCitySchool s end up owned by th RedevelopmentCommiss ion of Washington. When th change was made to BeaufortCo SchoolSystem shouldnt school-owned-land,been automatically handed over?

Commented: Wednesday, February 12th, 2025 @ 2:40 pm By: Washingtonian

Hood and Death, true consensus builders!
Shocking that the other board members find difficult to work with.

Commented: Wednesday, February 12th, 2025 @ 10:08 am By: Big Bob