Love Thy Neighbor In Politics | Eastern NC Now

Love Thy Neighbor In Politics

BY:  BUZZ CAYTON

One of the hardest commandments the Lord gave us is to love our neighbor as our self.

We forget that it does not mean love what they do.  There is an old country saying, “Hate destroys the vessel that it is housed in”.  I have observed this all my life.

Did the Lord mean, do not enforce the law.  Not at all.  In fact, he gave us many laws and there is a punishment affixed for each.  But the one common sense phrase out of all these old sayings is “A house divided cannot stand”.

Now that the smoke has cleared and the innuendoes and barbs have ceased, we have a great opportunity to bring Beaufort County to the forefront of not only the political scene but to become a thriving community.

What is wrong with us?

1. A school system with eight out of thirteen schools last year rated a (D) now 40, not 70 by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
2. Only 30% of our students are proficient in reading and math.
3. A hospital with an 8-hour wait time in the emergency room and no MRI’s done on Saturday.
4. Tons of money being spent on the Washington’s waterfront and downtown without adequate parking while there are more and more potholes and poor drainage throughout the town.
5. A City Council with one member who does not read well.
6. A County Commission that now has a majority of Republicans that cannot function as a majority because of our divided party.
7. A new school going up with no real forethought and allowed by a week School Board and County Commission.
8. Building and site regulations that need to be reviewed.
9. And now a “reval” that will push tax rates so that we are not an attractive location for industry or housing.
10. And not at all the last, but a very important area of concern is our possibility of becoming the Drone Development Center for the East and we are not training a work force.
11. We have over 25 boat builders in a 35-mile radius, and we graduate students that cannot read a ruler.
12. We could become the Bedroom community for the exploding Greenville, NC if only we had a school system that would serve as a magnet to attract residential development.

The expanded Republican executive committee now has the horsepower to change these weak city, county and school boards.  (Not to throw everyone out) but to do a better job of vetting and electing competent leaders who have leadership, and business & common sense.

Precinct Committees could now become powerful catalysts for change.

Honest debate is good and emotional and firm beliefs are natural.  But when the smoke clears, good decisions and clear heads should prevail.  

As was my friend Mike Speciale’s favorite saying while he held up the Bible and the Constitution, “Gentlemen, these are the handbooks”.

We have before us the greatest opportunity to make Beaufort County not only part of MAGA but to MBCGA (Make Beaufort County Great Again)!