Comments by Gene Scarborough | Eastern NC Now

Strong words, brother Stan!!!

Is there any ground for compromise and working together for the good of the voters??

The Beaufort Commissioners are proving compromise and wise decisions are impossible with a level of hate that exists every time they meet. I vote for less hate / more love / more progress than the last 6 years.

As we approach 9/11, I believe we should celebrate Osamma ben Laden brought to Justice over how many a few crazy religious zealots were able to destroy with hate. That event is "proof positive" that a crazy finger pushing the Atomic Button could blast us back into the caves and Ice Age!

Commented: Monday, September 8th, 2014 @ 6:52 am By: Gene Scarborough

Taxes are never liked, but always endured~~~or they can put your property on the auction block to pay if for you.

Does losing a house to pay your property tax make sense to you??? Not to me either.

Does wasting money on private enterprise from all the taxpayers make sense to you??

Does having a fire trap for a jail in the basement of an old building without fire suppression equipment make you happy???

Does a constant 4/3 vote by a County Council that can't find any way to get along for the good of all make sense to you???

Do our elected leaders set an example ~~~ or play the puppets of Political Party division after the election ends???

What do you say, folks?

Commented: Sunday, September 7th, 2014 @ 12:25 pm By: Gene Scarborough

I think he might just say, "Tea Party or no party."

I listened and watched intently and found the format and outcome to be better than any so-called "debate" I have seen in the past. Each candidate had the chance to ask several questions of their opponent. The questions were all good on both sides. They added light to my understanding of each.

What troubled me most was Tillis' attempt to portray himself as a "friend to education" when the sputtering budget passed at the last minute claims to help much when, in fact, it is a band aide for years of budget cuts and neglect. Our good teachers are, indeed, going elsewhere paying more to ply their trade. I can't blame them and it is a competitive world for good talent and professional skills.

The pure fact that earning a higher degree in education does not get a red cent more for a teacher is a deterrent to keeping those advancing and striving to be better teachers. Mr. Tillis makes no promises for the future beyond what he says "he has done along with the Governor" to give pay raises.

What a shame when one candidate rebukes the other for working with the President. I thought the purpose of national politics was to solve problems TOGETHER!

Commented: Friday, September 5th, 2014 @ 2:54 pm By: Gene Scarborough

I have a good former neighbor who was an abused wife. She was convicted and served time and now cannot vote because her record cannot be cleared after years of requests.

Even her jailers said, "If I had been in your shoes I would not have waited so long to get his attention! Justice is not always fair or balanced and it certainly should be able to be corrected when applied wrongly.

Commented: Friday, September 5th, 2014 @ 6:18 am By: Gene Scarborough

Interesting article / many insight not often considered = I like it.

I am having a problem with college-level education as a whole. Why is it that most students these days take 5 years to finish because they can't get the last required courses for a degree in a given year. The problem of limited courses taught by Professors is likely the answer to that question!

Like students expecting to collect a degree and start at $65K-up in any corporation, too much of higher education is based more on fantasy than reality! Too many in too many places expect big pay for playing at their computer all day--- provided by the company and not required to produce anything but a place in the crowd of non-productive suckers of salaries.

I had a good friend years ago who was the main recruiter for Milliken, a large textile concern in SC. After a few years of recruiting and getting "non-producers," good old Joe discovered a secret. If you invite students working their way through over those enjoying a free ride from their parents, you got employees who had a work ethic from scratch.

I think that is about a clear as it gets with Higher Education. It's not a free ride to overpaid positions. I should be a track reserved for the intellectually gifted who still believe some sweat and hard work won't hurt you!!! I was blessed with having to wield a Trim Carpenter's hammer to get through Emory. I would not trade what I learned from 2 elder "craftsmen" for what I learned in the classroom of a distinguished University! In both cases, I learned to work for the reward.

Commented: Thursday, September 4th, 2014 @ 10:59 am By: Gene Scarborough

Just like the Federal Legislators trying to impose local rules~~~the NEVER work well and we are better to let local citizens decide local matters that affect them most.

We are still in a mess over Integration whether we want to admit it or not. Voting rights were being ignored and that was against our ideals of "all men created equal." That demanded correction on a Federal level. Honestly, we had more good personal relations between black and white in the South than many will ever admit.

My SC Democratic farmer granddaddy used to talk trash and use the "N" word, but his heart for his tenants of color was the opposite. It was a shortcoming of his that made his grandchildren laugh at the inconsistency.

Now the "reverse-racism" I have witnessed in the town where I used to live is abominable. Neither black nor white citizens want drugs and crime neglected by law enforcement because "we can't do that without severe criticism and claims of racism." That town is now a hot bed of killing and shooting and nobody has the guts to say, "Black or white or any other color person who commits a crime will be punished to the maximum extent of the law NOW!"

Commented: Thursday, September 4th, 2014 @ 10:35 am By: Gene Scarborough

This appears to be a fair assessment in my view as well.

The first televised Senate debate was on last night. Neither candidate (Hagan or Tillis) made any killer mistake of note. The format made for a clear and balanced event with each candidate having plenty of room for questions and real debate over who intends to do what and who has done what in the last few years.

Commented: Thursday, September 4th, 2014 @ 5:58 am By: Gene Scarborough

Small correction to what is end of paragraph 2 = Should read ". . . moved to Federal Court."

Commented: Thursday, September 4th, 2014 @ 5:36 am By: Gene Scarborough

I am getting tired of people running for office trying to be "all things to all people." No one can please everybody and Stan Deathridge is the embodiment of such.

For me, Stan has been a sensible person asking sensible questions. In the August County Council meeting it was perfectly obvious this jail situation is a presentation without a reasonable plan nor way to finance it!

Until there is some concrete plan and drawings of the proposed facility along with concrete cost figures, there is no plan worth the trouble and heat surrounding it. The other issue of healthcare for Belhaven and Hyde Counties, a corporate bully is neglecting the needs of people there.

Both these issues are more than real. We must resolve them even if some more tax money is involved. Has anyone considered that our economy in this area is busted and continues to be such and government must join the citizens in tightening our belts and doing projects based on the reality of struggling citizens who can't even pay their Property Tax because it is inflated????

Forget the Madison Avenue slick ads. Just come up with your plan / present it to the voters / let us decide in November who can help us most rather than continue to fuss and fight over NOTHING!!!!

Commented: Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014 @ 11:47 am By: Gene Scarborough

Stan--I join you in wondering what the "every kid gets a trophy" deal accomplishes --- except to make them lazy and without ambition to do better next game!

Commented: Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014 @ 11:13 am By: Gene Scarborough

I reckon we, indeed, do get what we deserve in government.

The real problem is the split nature of society today and the high level of hate preventing anyone from compromising. Neither of us is inside the Beltway in DC to see exactly what is going on, but it's not pretty.

The Founding Fathers envisioned a debate process where level heads worked to have a better outcome than any single side might have if it were a clear majority in some direction. Through the years we have sometimes done well / other times messed around and accomplished nothing. Roosevelt knew the situation in Europe in WWII ramp up. The public was war weary from WWI and he knew no consensus was possible.

It took Pearl Harbor to wake us up to despots sneaking up on us from both sides of the oceans surrounding us. In the meantime, the Holocaust was raging and Japan was killing with merciless furiosity any enemy. In both societies the people worshiped an Emperor/Dictator. Hitler was an elected leader. The Emperor got his position from his blood line. That shows me the wisdom of a democratic process where all sides have a say without slaughtering opposition.

At some point people need to respect decisions and join together in cooperation. National Healthcare passed, but got constant criticism and reluctance until it slowly but surely came to pass with people signing up. Now people who could not get insurance coverage before under pure capitalism are covered.

I'm just not convinced money making over compassion is a way to go. The only reason we have the high costs still is caps were not set on Big Medicine / Pharma / Hospitals / suing Lawyers.

When Roosevelt came to power he was called a "Socialist, communist," every hate word imaginable, but it worked and we began to get out of the Depression. As yet we have not rediscovered the wisdom of starting government help with the common man who wants only to pay his bills and have work to do with fair income for it.

The beauty of our system is that it corrects itself over time. Right now we are in a cycle of wealth worship. Never forget the danger of the LOVE of MONEY.

Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2014 @ 5:14 pm By: Gene Scarborough

The last competitive spots I played was intramural basketball and football at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. The most interesting thing was that the fundies would clip and push and do anything the could to win.

My most vivid memory was of a big, fat fundy going for me on kickoff. At the last second I ducked to his knees and sent him splattering over my shoulder. I think he might have violated his "perfection" with a cuss word even!

Man, that was more fun than a barrel of monkeys!!!

Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2014 @ 12:09 pm By: Gene Scarborough

Stan--the first good coaching trick is to make you opponent mad by saying hateful things to him while facing off before the hike. You tell him his sister and mother were both delightful lovers and see if he can keep his mind on his game.

He does not realize you are smaller and a little less talented if you get him to be emotional with abject hate!

Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2014 @ 9:13 am By: Gene Scarborough

One thing about you, Stan, you are consistent in your criticism!

You ignore the simple fact that Bush took way more time off the Obama. He also used Executive Orders in mass during his time in office and Republicans are bitching and moaning over our current President issuing such in the face of a Congress passing NOTHING in the last 6 years to be of help with the economy. They have not begun to address an inequitable Tax Code / clear and full disclosure of campaign finance / the deterioration of our infrastructure and bridges collapsing / the water situation in the far west off the Colorado River. These are but a few of the issues which take priority for me as a voter.

I we could pass legislation against abject hate it might help. Knowing what a miserable failure Prohibition was, we should all admit "you can't legislate morality."

Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2014 @ 8:43 am By: Gene Scarborough

While I applaud Vidant for its recent certification, I have a hard time buying the "Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation" concept touted at the end of this submitted statement.

It is impossible to compare a mega-million corp to a church, Red Cross, Boy Scouts, etc. 501(c)3 that refuses to use any red ink on a place like Belhaven and Hyde County. Already, one death is attributable to negligence and length of time to Intensive Care for a Belhaven women.

In my view, they are stomping over the previous "healthcare despite profit" outlook of Doctors and citizens in that corner of Eastern NC.

Jim Bakker ran a 501(c)3 over near Charlotte. He had a giant TV presence and was about nothing but profit in his era. Despite using the "righteous talk" of the Pharisees, he got busted and did Federal prison time for soliciting fund to minister and having gold faucets in his monster mansion with its air-conditioned dog house and private plane!

I hope there will be some serious re-examination of the easily obtained tax status of "non-profit" being applied to a money-making corp like Vidant. Just like a mega church with a highly paid Pastor and Staff who entertain more than instruct about "Jesus and service," ~~~ something is badly wrong with this picture.

Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2014 @ 8:26 am By: Gene Scarborough

Once more, I disagree.

The tenor of this article honors corporate greed over paying a fair share of taxes. How can any corp enjoy the free enterprise of the US, yet refuse to support the high expenses of war and infrastructure rebuilding.

In my view, this greed is enjoying the perks of the US without paying your way!

Perhaps, a more wise thing would be a massive revision of our Tax Code! Only a Tax Accountant / Lawyer begins to understand it. The average citizen must go to some tax outfit just to fill out the forms and get the right numbers in the right places---as a simply example of how the code is far too complex and convoluted.

Pay your taxes and give your investors some accurate accounting, Corporate America! The biggest liars are ALWAYS those who let greed and money-making their only goal in life. Jesus said, "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil."

Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2014 @ 7:39 am By: Gene Scarborough

What a great story, Stan!!! These are caring people who provide a unique experience for sick children. I applaud them and thank you for the fine article.

Commented: Thursday, August 28th, 2014 @ 6:49 am By: Gene Scarborough