Stan Deatherage's Integrity as a Commissioner is Challenged by Dr. Tom Penders | Eastern NC Now

    Publisher's Note: Usually this category is reserved for folks who want to get something off the their chest. Well this day, the Publisher wises to tender a few thoughts to his readership so we will, in turn, reverse roles, and this time the column will be: Words from the Publisher. To that effect, we beg your indulgence.

    My response to the Doctor's allegations, which were published in the Beaufort Observer on October 15, 2010, is below these comments. The Doctor's allegation is below my response. If Beaufort County's Medical Community wishes for the Beaufort County Commissioners to listen to them, they have a divergent way of expressing it.

    As one might agree, Dr. Tom Penders has a strange way of winning friends and influencing people, or ... he is heavily vested in my defeat at the polls. What people like Dr. Penders could never understand is that there are many other issues, and many other minds on how to deal with them. When this issue passes, there will be others, and if I am still serving the public, I will deal with each one as I see fit ... As I am elected to do so by those of a like mind that trust my path as their political voice.


It's important to get some things right

    My father once told me, "you best get a man's name right. It could be the only thing he ever owns." My father was a good salesman, but a man of profound integrity. To that end Dr. Tom Penders, my name is Deatherage not Deathridge. I've been an elected official for 14 years, and some folks know that about me. You obviously don't.

    In that same vein of "It's important to get some things right," you never make reference of what someone said - in this case what you stated that I said - without stating a reference of where you are quoting it from (i.e. a newspaper, an online publication, etc.). It makes you appear insincere. That is not a good starting point when one is stressing a salient point, as I suppose you were attempting to do in your previous post.

    Next you just can't jump from the hearsay: "I understand that Stan Deathridge (was) SHOCKED, SHOCKED that anyone would suggest that a politician would accept money when offered to support his or her cause. Apparently Stan does not believe that he is accountable to the voters", without stating some reasonable fact developing why I should not have been "SHOCKED," or why I was "SHOCKED" for that matter.

    Your stating the hearsay that I was "SHOCKED" was the crux of your thesis as to why "Stan does not believe that he is accountable to the voters." Really Dr. Penders, shouldn't you have better developed your point of my aloof nature, which only referenced the hearsay fact that I was "SHOCKED, so that other reasonable readers might better understand why you feel the way you profess? From the standpoint of straight communication, it's a pretty big jump to cast aspersions that I "do not believe I am accountable to voters" without a more developed thesis from you.

    Those who know me, and have elected me four times to date, obviously believe that I am accountable to them, or they would not have voted for me.

    Furthermore, I have never, and would never take money from interested parties in matters that will need my decision, my vote. And what makes you believe that I may would have taken money from interested parties on this issue? Is this some sort of transferal of ego being manifested in your pledge to have county commissioners assure the public what every honest politician, without question, would never do?

    So, without hesitation, I will sign your pledge. Furthermore, and at the risk of the perception of arrogance, I am one of the few truly honest politicians to have served this county in the last two decades, and I have a habit of eventually rooting out those who are not. This has long been my "New Solutions to Old Problems" that you made jest of in your post to the Beaufort Observer.

    In conclusion, I take a very dim view of hypocrisy, and rest assured, I will take a good hard look at anyone that takes money from any of the special interest entities that make up this conundrum of the mismanagement of this very public asset - the hospital. Also without fail, I will take a good hard look at those interested parties that offered them money as well.

    If you knew anything about me, which you don't, you would have known that.


Hospital merger
October 25, 2010 | 04:57 PM

Hood,

The Medical Staff at the Hospital has requested a pledge from the Commissioners that they will not accept political donations from any of the bidding entities. I understand that Stan Deathridge SHOCKED, SHOCKED that anyone would suggest that a politician would accept money when offered to support his or her cause.

Apparently Stan does not believe that he is accountable to the voters.

I suggest that the people vote him out. That would be one new solution to an old problem that Stan might understand!

Tom Penders