Why Ethics, We Have the Law? | Eastern North Carolina Now
Ethical behavior and the avoidance of corruption.
Why Ethics, We Have the Law?
BY: HOOD RICHARDSON
There is a lot of confusion about the difference between ethics and the law. Ethics operates outside of, but in addition to the law. Both have to do with right and wrong. The law spells out ethical issues that are so egregious their violation demands punishment. All the way from murder to jaywalking.
The recent shifting by society away from Christian teaching toward hedonism, communism, socialism, naturalism or just plain nothing has resulted in more and more emphasis on ethics and codes of ethics. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights and the resulting laws are based on Christian teachings. That is because the United States was settled and ruled by Europeans who were wholly Christian.
A comparative example of this is the Christian belief that all Christians should treat all peoples of the world with Christian laws, ethics and beliefs. That is, the treatment of others presumes all others to be deserving of Christian treatment. There are other peoples and religions who believe that all who do not believe as they do are infidels and may be treated without any religious respect (ethics, morals) of any kind. Their belief is that there is no sin in lying, harming or even murdering infidels. Right away we see that naive Christians are at a disadvantage. Enough about others, let us talk about us.
Because of the shift away from, and the growing ignorance of Christian teachings, the majority of organizations within our American society have adopted codes of ethics. These codes are preponderately based on Christian teachings. These codes of ethics lay out the rules of right and wrong that we would have known had we been students of Christianity. Some say they are common sense. However, there are many in society who are clueless about Christianity, ethics or right and wrong. To their way of thinking, if there is not a law against it, it is acceptable behavior.
An ethical issue has arisen that involves double voting by County Commissioners and their wives. Two Commissioners serve on the Board of County Commissioners and their wives serve on the Beaufort County School Board. There are no laws against this. However, the Board of County Commissioners taxes the county and provides more than one third of this money to the School Board. We are building a new school and closing two schools. There are laws about public involvement in this process. Almost all of these have been violated. These four people vote the same way and contribute to the majority vote on both boards.
This has resulted in no oversight by the board of County Commissioners as is required, by law, or involvement of the public in this process. There has been no (required) assessment of the school system, as a whole, as to the best use of the 52 million dollars. There has been no public involvement in the closing of the John Cotton Tayloe School as is required by law.
The School Board and the Board of County Commissioners are elected as separate independent boards so the public can have the benefit of independent opinions. Both boards are required by law to have codes of ethics.
Presented below is my statement and request at the February 2025 Commissioners’ meeting:
“The conflict-of-interest disclosure statement in this agenda book starts with the following: “The stability and proper operation of democratic representative government depends upon the continuing consent of the governed, upon the public confidence in the integrity of government and upon responsible exercise of the trust conferred by the people. It should “avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety”.
“This Board has operated for many years with at a minimum, the “appearance of impropriety. The condition of two commissioners and two school board members who are wives of commissioners voting in lock step on issues concerning education and policy and the funding of education has, at a minimum, the appearance of impropriety”.
“This conflict of interest can be cured by one member of each husband-and-wife team abstaining from voting on issues concerning both boards”.
This statement was very upsetting to four board members. As a result, a four to three vote was taken for the County Attorney to provide an opinion as to the ethical appearance of this impropriety.
This is not only a question of ethics (right and wrong) but also violations of the general statutes. Great harm is being done in that schools like Bath and Chocowinity Primary and Middle schools are receiving no consideration. Cross town bussing is not being addressed. The disadvantages of putting 900 kindergarten thru third grade students in a single building complex has had no input from the public. There has been no comparison of benefits between this (California style) school consolidation and neighborhood schools.
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Stan Deatherage said:
( February 14th, 2025 @ 10:21 am )
Big Bob: As the ENCNOW.com Leftist Troll, who do you speak of?
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Your lack of self awareness is stunning.
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Washingtonian: In my 27 years on the county commission, I have never seen this level of acrimony this high toward those of us who diligently work to be honest, as well as wise as we who serve the public to the best of our capacity, while remaining true to our own personal ideals; those governing ideals we espouse to the public when we run for office, when we politicians give the public, the electorate, that opportunity in each election to vote us in, or vote us out as their representatives.
Maybe, if the Center-Coalition Members, who are, incredibly, registered as "Republicans" could just exhibit a modicum of honesty and smidge of wisdom, it would not be this way ... and if that fantastical hope was the case, I would almost guarantee, there would be NO Center-Left Coalition, that bipartisan grouping of like minded, like voting politicians, who abjectly swap votes to share power here on the Beaufort County Commission, as YOUR governing majority. |
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Locally, our city and county govts are run with a Mafia style heavy hand.
"It would be a pity if you lost your job & then your kids werent able to attend that elite private school." The intended message is heard. IN the City of Washington, the City Manager does all the hiring and firing...and likely knows where all the bodies are buried within the Council. Its pay to play. Paying with your personal honor is the price. Even the "good" people look the other way. |
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The three that voted against it were the two with wives on the School Board and the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners.
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Steve: I am in favor of any election method that will simultaneously give the People greater representation, by greater choice (by elections); and, elect me smarter county commissioners to serve with; better representatives for the People of Beaufort County.
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Big Bob: Why did the Idiot President leave those astronauts up there in the first place?
Oh, I remember now, Corrupt President Biden is an idiot. |
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Little Bobbie is whining about the $40 million that Space X is getting paid to rescue the lost in space astronauts who Biden has left stranded for months on the International Space Station. Space X seems to be the only ones capable of retrieving them. Does Little Bobbie propose that they just be left to die in space?
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Jack - the "limited voting" system used for the county commission has always made that body unaccountable and unresponsive. A normal election plan, like real at-large plan with full voting rights or districts or some combination would solve that problem. As long as we have "limited voting" the politicians on the county commission know they do not have to listen to the voters.
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Musk just got 40 million from the government for space X. So that’s fun, considering the new Republican budget adds 4 trillion to the deficit.
Inflation -up Cost of everything -up No amount of kill the trannies is worth it. |
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This is just the outrage of the week. Extremism requires you to be constantly pissed off lest you realize you’re being played.
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This became an ethics issue with the lock step voting of these four people to violate the general statutes that require certain things to be done to close schools and allow public participation in the process of providing educational services.
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