Arrogant politicians deciding what's best for the rest of us, using our money | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

    'What to do about the jail' was the dominate issue at the October 7, 2013 County Commissioners meeting. During the public comments, five people spoke, four of whom addressed the jail issue. Larry Britt spoke in favor of building a new jail. He was the only one. Donald Dixon, who is an announced candidate for Sheriff, told the commissioners that the "fundamental problem with the jail has been that we have had poor management." He told the board "if I'm elected, don't build a new jail, I'll make the one we've got work."

    The other two speakers, Donna Lay and Republican County Chair Keith Kidwell both, among other things, called for a voter referendum on the question of whether to build a new jail and raising taxes.

    Later in the meeting Gary Brinn came back with a proposal he had made at the last meeting to submit the question of whether to build a new jail to a vote of the people. After some discussion, mostly about procedural issues, a motion was put on the floor to call for a referendum.

    You can hear the discussion and see the vote in the video below.

    For those who are not familiar with how the Gang of Four have pushed this issue to where it is, you should observe the discussion. Note that not one of the people who voted against letting the people decide explained their position - neither on the building of the jail or letting the people vote. There is a reason no such discussion took place. The deal had already been cut before the meeting ever started. Watch the video carefully and you see this played out.

    The second thing you need to know to understand what you're seeing and hearing - or more accurately, what you are NOT hearing - is the role Al Klemm plays in this matter.

    Klemm is a Republican. Supposedly he is a fiscal conservative. He campaigned on operating the county as a business. He touts his "business background" every chance he gets. He sends out newletters that are like Barack Obama's press conferences - they sound good but are full of lies, half-truths and distortions. Reality to Mr. Klemm, as with Obama, is what they perceive reality to be.

    Klemm is the one casting the deciding vote. The other three (Langley, Booth and Belcher) are tax and spend Democrats. Unlike Klemm they don't even pretend to be fiscally conservative. They've never seen a spending plan they did not like.

    Jerry Langley is the one who is behind this jail project. Langley ran for Sheriff in the past and there are those who suspect that is what his motive is: He'll run for Sheriff someday and then he'll have a big new office. But Langley controls Booth's and Belcher's votes. He apparently also controls Klemm's vote.

    What is not obvious is how and why Klemm toes Langley's line against his fellow Republicans. Langley was elected chair on Klemm's vote, and then Langley pulled the other two Democrats in to elected Klemm Vice Chairman. Quid pro quo at it best. But watch the video and see if you don't see it. Langley's got Klemm in his pocket. The vote was a foregone conclusion and every one of them knew it. It did not matter what Kidwell and Lay said. It really didn't matter what Britt said. And none of them showed any interest in Dixon's proposal. And it obviously does not matter to them what the people think.

    So what's going on here? What you'll see in this video is a group of arrogant, elite politicians who think they and only they know what is best for Beaufort County - or whomever they are trying to please with a new jail.

    They sit there with body language that reveals a stonewall attitude. When the question is put to them about why not let the people decide they flat out ignore it. They don't even respond with rational reasons. But the reason they won't let the people vote is that they believe it would be voted down. They don't even entertain the possibility that if the people were give solid information that they would do the right thing.

    What you'll see here is what we saw with the school bond projects. They let the minority (Richardson, Deatherage and now Brinn) on the board rant and rave against extravagant spending and then they vote. The outcome is always determined before they ever walk into the room. With the school construction program they went $6.4 million over budget and built 2000 student seats where there are not enough students to fill them, while leaving other schools severally overcrowded. That is what Donna Lay was referring to in her comments. They are now doing the same thing on the jail.

    We say "elite politicians" because they think they know what's best for the rest of us - with our money - or they just don't care what the people think should be done. To hell with what those who are going to have to pay for it think. As long as you've got the votes, what does it matter what the people think?

    Were this not true, they would be eager to "make their case" and if they really were confident in their position they would be willing to let the people vote on it. In fact they would want the people to vote. But watch what they do.

    Given that background, watch the video for the hidden and subtle message here. It is pure collusion if you ever wanted to see it. We've got them in Washington, D.C. and we've got them in Washington, N. C.