Hood wrote about it first in the
Beaufort Observer, and we are publishing it here now. When i get the time I will speak about it too.
At a time when most hardworking people in Beaufort County are having to cut their spending, on a vote of four to three, the Beaufort County Budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013 was approved Monday (6-3-13). Estimated spending for the present year is $52,150,079 and the recommended budget for the coming year is to be $54,183,411. This produces a proposed increase of $2,033,332, less a phony reduction in spending which is described below. Republicans Deatherage, Brinn and Richardson voted against the new budget. Democrats Langley, Booth, and Belcher voted to increase spending. Al Klemm, a nominal Republican, voted true to form with the Democrats. His voting record is more than 80 percent with the Democrats. Klemm is best described as a RINO (Republican In Name Only).
This amount of increased spending is alarming to the three Republican Commissioners who voted against the increase. The high unemployment rate and bad economy are major issues. The number of residents in Beaufort County who are on welfare or otherwise receive government aid and the negative growth in the local economy indicate the cost of government should be reduced, not increased.
Commissioner Al Klemm proposed to reduce the $2,033,332 of increased spending by $351,048 as a part of the motion to approve the budget. Klemm made his motion in such a way as to wipe out the real cuts amounting to about $800,000 that had been agreed to by straw vote. Klemm had voted for the majority of these cuts himself. Some would say this is erratic and inconsistent behavior. Could it be that we need to ask Klemm when we can and cannot believe him.
His list of proposals is not creditable because most of the cuts are in accounts that are very difficult to estimate and control, such as overtime in the Sheriffs Department, inmate safe keeping, maintenance and janitorial supplies. He even goes so far as to say cuts in the Social Services Department may be reinstated under certain conditions. I this a cut? Klemm did a good job of trying to make himself look good without making substantial cuts over which the commissioners have firm control. His method of making cuts is cowardly. One example of this is the $40,000 cut in deputy overtime. If we have a major emergency or several smaller emergencies that require overtime, deputies will work the overtime and the commissioners with increase the spending with a budget amendment. We really do not have much of a choice. Real cuts in budgeting are well defined, measurable and entirely determined by the will of commissioners. Klemm's cuts may look good but they are phony.
Efforts were made by the real Republican Commissioners to work with Klemm to structure a budget that did not increase spending at all. RINO Klemm always said he did not have to time and refused make any move to work with the Republican Commissioners. To all appearances Klemm did consort with the Democrats to produce this budget. Would it not be strange if he by himself felt the need to fabricate the phony budget reduction with no assistance from the Democrats? In that case he would be a passive tool of the Democrats, something like an undercover agent, a saboteur or a lone anarchist. Maybe the Democrats had this figured all along. They did nothing and Al Klemm gave them a random walk to their political nirvana. How sweet it must be to sit there and watch your political opponent be destroyed by rotten Republicans from within. He did vote with the Democrats to increase spending while producing a small phony reduction in a fat budget. This phony saving could easily disappear depending on what commissioners do about roofs at the Community College.
In general the budget increases spending in all departments of county government. I am concerned that we have increased county employees wages each year during the past two years while the general public has not seen increases in income but instead had seen their income reduced. A risk to this budget is that the increased spending will lower our cash reserves to the point we will have to borrow money during October, and November. This will happen if there is a glitch in sales tax receipts or property tax bills are sent out late.
There are supposedly four Republicans on the Beaufort County Commission. Why do we have a Democrat Chairman and increased spending during these hard times? Republicans say they are conservative and will reduce the cost of government if given the opportunity. Three of our Republicans do vote to reduce spending. We have not reduced spending in Beaufort County since Al Klemm has been a Commissioner. He has consistently voted with the Democrats on spending, leadership and give away issues. Just because it calls itself a Republican does not mean it is a Republican. What if Klemm called himself a duck? We have another chance to clean up the Republican Party in the 2014 elections.
