Comments | Eastern NC Now

Washingtonian: You are right; it ain't fair. Public education, more and more, is becoming a smooth hustle for the Left, and the public owning these schools rather than tearing them down, or allowing them to fall into complete disrepair is what I believe to be the best option to aid in turning the public's education around, and do it NOW.

Of course, we will probably need one more smart commissioner first.

Commented: Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 @ 11:30 pm By: Stan Deatherage

I cant prove the amt but i surley do not question it. That being that 4 mil from the CCA was provided to one of its most elite who passed it on to Berger. 4 mil divided by 44 is 90,909. Hummmmm??????

Commented: Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 @ 10:34 pm By: Browny Douglas

On the City Government, I know first hand of terrible management and corruption for decades, but now, I hearing such stories from many of my constituents that beckons many memories of bad governing: One instance of discussion appears to be, after all the fanfare about this drone opportunity at the airport: What is happening now? What did occur to explain why so little has happened in that regard of NOW?

Explanations are warranted.

Commented: Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 @ 1:18 pm By: Stan Deatherage

Those authoritarian police state censorship laws in Europe are increasingly being used against citizens and politicians who oppose mass migration. I am sure the left would like to do the same in the US.

Commented: Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 @ 11:38 am By: borderhawk

The despicable power play used by Rabon and Berger to jam this through the legislature is a gross violation of the NC Republican Party platform, which opposes these underhanded and arrogant tactics. Legislation should go through a process of deliberation where both sides have the opportunity to present arguments in committee and to legislators. A quick amendment in committee and then straight to the floor process is an insult to North Carolinians and should not be tolerated.

Commented: Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 @ 11:06 am By: Steven P. Rader

Yes, we have a bureaucratic mess at the city, county, and school board level, but the internal chemistry of each differs. The voters need to make serious changes all three places.

For the city, there is a pathetically weak city council and two power centers, the mayor and city manager. The city council as currently composed exercises no more power than the old USSR's Supreme Soviet did. It is a functional rubber stamp. Three council members are the mayor's flunkies, elected on his slate, giving him an automatic majority control. One is functionally illiterate and can barely read or write. One is not even a real resident, having a fake address downtown but really living in or near Aurora. Then there is Lou Hodges, who was not on Sadler's slate but is a wannabee, constantly sucking up to him. That leaves only one council member not a guaranteed Sadler vote, and he can do nothing. It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall if the mayor and city manager disagree on something to see which one, when push comes to shove, really has the most power of the two. The city council as it now sits, is a total joke. Hopefully that will change in this year's election so the Sadler machine can be dethroned. Washington is now a Tammany Hall type regime.

The county school board is totally under the thumb of the Big Cheese superintendant. A majority of the board are total flunkies of the superintendant. Two of the board members have daughters who are principles and the superintendent can impact their careers, so they have to follow his agenda. The chairman, T.W. Allen is a total joke who is weak as water. The superintendent can often be seen at meetings sitting beside him telling him what to do. He probably could not function at all without the superintendent's direction. Two other members are also yes-men or women to the superintendent. There is some hope on this board as four of the nine members have demonstrated the ability to often think for themselves and not blindly rubber stamp the superintendent's wishes, but they are still a minority.

The county commission also has some hope as three of the seven members have shown they can think for themselves. The problem is a commission chairman, Frankie Waters, who is under the spell of the county manager and confers too much power on him. Waters heads a coalition of two liberal Democrats and two liberal Republicans. Between Waters and the county manager, it is the manager with the stronger personality, so he calls the shots. Waters has cancer and may not run again, so the chemistry in county government could change.

Commented: Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 @ 9:35 am By: Rino Hunter

Sadly most but not all politicians are bought and paid for by some big group. The only real time most but not all politicians even pretend to care about we the people is election time when they need our vote.
I pray that Tillis get knocked out in the primary.

Commented: Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 @ 8:03 am By: Countrygirl1411

John is right on this one.

Overpaid bureaucrats, instinctively searching for their own special level of mediocrity, while urged forward in their endeavor by an incredible low level of elected officials here in Beaufort County is a huge problem, and will remain such until the local people rise up, and seize control by voting real Conservatives into office.

Commented: Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 @ 1:47 am By: Stan Deatherage

Washingtonian, it is all too common for local top bureaucrats to accumulate too much power they should not have when the elected boards that are supposed to be their bosses are weak or complacent. That creates a local "deep state". We have that locally at the county, city, and especially school board level. The tail is wagging the dog in too many instances. The way to solve that is to elect people to governing boards who will assert the powers those boards possess to keep the bureaucracy in line.

If you have to fire these bureaucrats, the thing to keep in mind is that while they are pulling the wool over the eyes to their governing board, they are also probably writing contracts for themselves to make it hard or expensive to fire them. The way around that is to find the circumstances where they can be fired for cause. That saves the taxpayers a whole lot of money.

Commented: Saturday, June 21st, 2025 @ 4:14 pm By: John Steed

Fritz, First I'd fire the city manager.

Commented: Saturday, June 21st, 2025 @ 1:33 pm By: Washingtonian

I am absolutely one of those encouraging Nick Fritz to run for office.

The biggest problem in government is having politicians /government officials that are not intelligent.

Nick Fritz is not that guy.

Commented: Saturday, June 21st, 2025 @ 10:50 am By: Stan Deatherage

Washingtonian: much to the chagrin of those encouraging me to run for office, I love engaging with people on ideas! I am not running for office to get my name elected. I am runnning because I want to change things. If the citizens support my ideals and ideas then I'll be elected. If they don't then I won't. But I cannot and will not skirt around my principles in the hopes of winning votes. So here we go.. I've seen a lot of grumbles, but I have yet to see any practical advice. If you were elected tomorrow onto the city council, what would you do?

Commented: Saturday, June 21st, 2025 @ 10:15 am By: Nick Fritz