Comments for Washington Dreaming | Eastern NC Now

BC Citizen: You do know this is a revaluation year. Raising taxes to provide the very limited services, which is the City of Washington's charge, is no excuse for any sorry government that cannot manage itself ... for so long of a time now ...decades.

Commented: Thursday, June 19th, 2025 @ 6:01 pm By: Stan Deatherage

Washingtonian: tone doesn't come across in these types of messages, but my tone is always one of jovial good fun. You don't know me, but I hope to get to know you. Your skepticism, doubt, and criticism are invited and appreciated. I suspect we'll be fast friends in time.

I have a great deal of confidence in my convictions, though I always try to remain open to new ideas. Is defending conviction 'defensive'? Only if I'm closed to the idea of being persuaded differently. I am not. Quite the contrary. I invite you to move me from my convictions. But I haven't formed them lightly. You've questioned my idea about housing. I'm asking you for a better solution. Do you have one Washingtonian?

Conversely, you initially commented on my green opinion of the City Manager. In my on-going quest to understand local politics, I've come across the salaries of all Beaufort County employees. The City and County Managers both make in excess of $200k per year. That's five times the median household income in this area and 4 times higher than the average County/City Managaer in the country. There's a teacher at the Montessori whose salary was $225k. Every county & city contract should be bid out regularly. When do these jobs get put out for bid? I think it's time. I cannot speak on the character of any of these people. I don't know them more than superficially. But business is business.

Commented: Thursday, June 19th, 2025 @ 11:40 am By: Nick Fritz

So Stan, would you call voting to give a select category of people a free home, (on the taxpayer's dime) conservative? Because that is exactly what Fritz wants, and then you tell me you can vouch that he is a conservative?

P.s. I asked for details, beating-around-the-bush is not convincing me you know. You can do better Stan. You are a great talker and a great writer. Sleep on it and let me know tomorrow. I want to have faith in you.

Commented: Thursday, June 19th, 2025 @ 10:32 am By: Washingtonian

Washingtonian: With all the stupidity, corruption, and abject mendacity, I have encountered and forced to endure over these many decades in the surreal that is Beaufort County politics, and government, there MAY be a handful of people in Beaufort County that understand what constitutes "Democratic Operatives" as well as myself. I know these fools to their core, and I have an ongoing master plan to be rid of them for me, for US.

I know them at their core once they act-up after taking their seats, won by deception and fraud, and then there are the poor political wannabes that are easily vetted; that are often dissuaded from that eventual embarrassment that will be their lot.

Nick Fritz has been vetted by myself, and I pray I can keep him close after elected, and that he will continue to listen to me; not to be another Stan, but to be his own man with a shred of my hard won wisdom, and dedication to the same simple principles, as myself, collected somewhere within his governing mind and spirit.

Commented: Thursday, June 19th, 2025 @ 8:24 am By: Stan Deatherage

Washingtonian, you misread my paper. I am not advocating giving people houses, I am advocating thinking of new solutions. You ask, is it conservative to give people houses. I ask you, is it the conservative position to build people houses and then pay for the upkeep indefinitely? The City of Washington is paying to upkeep hundreds of homes; paying the utilities on these homes; collecting nearly no rent on these homes. This is pure socialism. When I say that the 'city of washington' is paying, I mean you, me, and the tax-paying base. What is a better solution, to pay for 300+ homes indefinitely or to give them away to those we profess to be helping? I am not in favor of expanding subsidized housing. Exactly the opposite. What is the best way for local government to get out of the subsidized housing business? We cannot sell these homes out from under the poor. That would never pass. It would likely never pass to give them away!! Currently the conservative postion is identical to the liberal position: indefinite socialism. I invite your ideas to solutions on this and every topic.

Commented: Thursday, June 19th, 2025 @ 7:05 am By: Nick Fritz

So Stan, would you call voting to give a select category of people a free home, (on the taxpayer's dime) conservative? Because that is exactly what Fritz wants, and then you tell me you can vouch that he is a conservative?

P.s. I asked for details, beating-around-the-bush is not convincing me you know. You can do better Stan. You are a great talker and a great writer. Sleep on it and let me know tomorrow. I want to have faith in you.

Commented: Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 @ 11:48 pm By: Washingtonian

Stan,
What's conservative about wanting the city to give a select category of people a free house?
Stan would you vote for this?

I think it would be beneficial to the local citizens if you would take some time and define for us in detail what it means to be a Conservative Republican.

It appears that we all need a definition since even Hood admits that he actively supported a couple of people for School Board only to find out that they werent conservative. Dems are clever at deceit. Republicans are truly the compassionate ones, because we foolishly want to believe the best of everyone, especially those we like, and who we often see within our own bubble.

Please, in detail define a conservative for me. Thanks.

Commented: Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 @ 11:14 pm By: Washingtonian

One of the perennial challenges in government is the relationship between the policymakers, generally the elected bodies but in state or federal executive branches also their political appointees, on one side, and the career staff who carry out the policy on the other. This is true at all levels of government. Sometimes career staff accumulate too much power and set up bureaucratic fiefdoms and sometimes the policymakers let them get away with it. To make government work as it is supposed to for citizens, all the players must accept the proper role of their positions as well as that of others in government.

From my own service as a political appointee in the Jim Martin administration in NC state government, most of the career staff in the department I worked in fully understood the differences between policymakers and those who did the nuts and bolts work of keeping government running, and everyone worked well together without trying to get in someone else's lane. We only had a handful who acted as if they were a power unto themselves in a bureaucratic fiefdom. They existed but were a distinct minority.

Commented: Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 @ 2:01 pm By: Steven P. Rader

Nick: I pray you will be one of the 5 "kings" on that council, and, moreover, I pray that your kind will be in the majority.

Washingtonian: I vouch for this man's Conservative credibility. Additionally, Nick is very much like me: He thinks and acts way outside of the proverbial box.

Commented: Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 @ 10:59 am By: Stan Deatherage

If u want to run for city council, I guess the first smart thing u do is let the City Manager know tht you wont be a threat to his domain AND,
It doesnt hurt to stroke the ego of the GodFather while you are there.
Any ambitious person might as well join the Council members/Staff and employees who are all petting the Head of the Snake. They've learned you have to pay to play.

I see a corrupt King and a new puppet.

Commented: Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 @ 10:02 am By: Washingtonian

“The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.”
― Molière

Washington ranked 5th on Budget Travel's list of "America’s Coolest Small Towns" in 2015.

Let's make Washington a great place to live for our residents and a great place to visit for everyone else! We should not be holding ourselves back or limiting opportunity for anyone.
Thank you Mr. Fritz for your vision and willingness to serve!

Commented: Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 @ 5:14 pm By: David Hudson