And a Jail, Too?

Holding Illegals The Most Urgent Factor

The most important projects to benefit from the approval of the .25% increase in the sales tax are the potential renovations at Lee County High School and a new Continuing Education building for CCCC's Jonesboro campus. Yet, the Fair Tax committee brochure mentions a jail, too. It is an obvious attempt to broaden the appeal of projects that are in the commissioner's portfolio of pending capital projects.

The fact is the jail is nearing capacity. A lot of factors in law enforcement and the judicial system impact the demand for jail beds. There are really no plans for a new jail facility although the growth of the county and court policies may well demand one in as little as five years. Sheriff Tracy Carter has come up with a plan to delay the need for a entirely new facility by adding more cells to the current facility. The preliminary estimate is $650,000, but the facility could become a money maker.

The US Marshall Service and ICE (Immigration Customs and Enforcement) can reimburse local jails for the cost of holding federal prisoners.

When the current jail was built, the third floor provided a recreation area for the inmates. Neither our current or former sheriff ever allowed the inmates to use the gymnasium-like facility for Federal inmates held at Lee County Jail. Most of these would likely be illegal aliens who have committed crimes and identified under new programs Sheriff Carter is pursuing. (See earlier post.) According to the County Improvement Plan:

This project will renovate the jail gymnasium into dormitory style housing for Federal inmates held at Lee county Jail. Renovations to this area will provide 30 additional beds and living quarters to help decrease the overcrowding of the jail facility. Recent immigration laws (Session Law 2007-494: House Bill 229) mandates NC jails to determine the immigration status of foreign-born detainees. To this end, we have encountered a rash increase (from 7 percent to 20 percent) of illegal immigrants in our facility. Due to this increase in jail population, overcrowding continues to manifest within the present housing areas. In addition, statutory requirements set forth in 10A NCAC 14J Rules and Laws Governing the Operations, Surveillance and Monitoring of Jail Facilities provides minimum guidelines with regards to housing of inmates. It is imperative that our facility meet these standard provisions to prevent potential or future law suits as it relates to overcrowding issues.

The sheriff has asked that the project be begun this year, but the county manager has recommended that it not be started to next year. Perhaps the passage of the tax will move up the project or commissioners will decide the jail renovation is a higher priority than investments in facilities for new office space for some county departments.

Incumbents Get Friends of LCHS Endorsement

The four incumbents on the Board of Education have been endorsed by the Friends of Lee County according to its chair Kathy Briggs. “The consensus was that John Bonardi, who is running a write-in campaign, Lynn Smith, Bill Tatum, and Shawn Willliams are the only candidates that have demonstrated a firm commitment to the Hite Plan for Lee Senior High School, the second of two concept architectural studies done to develop a renovation plan for the campus. Moreover, all the incumbents are up to speed on the many issues that have been raised about the renovations.”

“We are also aware that John Bonardi and Bill Tatum have professional backgrounds in construction that could be helpful in approaching the county's many capital building needs in the years ahead,” Briggs noted. “We will run newspaper advertising and use our own internal communications process to make sure that voters know where we stand”, she said.

According to Briggs, the organization was not fully satisfied with its original choices. “We were pleased that John Bonardi decided to enter the race because he has been such as strong advocate for the renovations.”

Polticial Ad Doesn't Say Much Or Does It?

Bob Brown's first ad for his reelection bid showed up in Saturday's paper. It happened to be placed right on top of a political ad for Jerry Lemmond. Lemmond's ad featured an American flag and an impressive list of things he was supporting as a commissioner. By the way, one item on the list was the first was renovations at Lee County High School (See earlier post). Then there was a quote from the candidate.

Democrat commissioner candidate Richard Hayes has been running a series of ads for a couple of weeks. His ads have very broad statements of vision and philosophy. In addition to their layout, they are a striking difference from any of the others so far.

On the other hand, Bob Brown's ads are about a simple as an ad can get. It is a just a reminder to re-elect him. It may be good political strategy because Brown is fair from a novice, but usually a chairman running for re-election has a list of accomplishments or a platform of goals. But it brought back to mind his statement at the joint meeting with the Board of Education, "Just trust us." Now he saying "Just reelect me."

In fairness, Bob Brown is a nice, simple spoken man and that can be a rare asset among politicians. So perhaps his ad just reflects his personality. And then, besides, no one has ever accused Bob Brown of being a visionary leader.

Editor's Note: Bob Brown posted a new ad for Wednesday's paper featuring his grand children. Nice looking kids.

Quiggle Takes It To 'Em

" I believe that with . . . changes in leadership, Lee County will be right back on track for a positive future."

John Quiggle was elected by a vote of 4-2 to the board of commissioners with all four votes coming from the democrat majority. Apparently that was where their congeniality ended because Quiggle did not like what he saw on the board of commissioners. At least that is the inescapable conclusion of this Take 5 segment in Saturday's paper. (Click here to read the full article-courtesy of the Herald).

The picture he paints is of a board operated by "the majority leader" --a likely reference to Commissioner Robert Rieves"-- in a manner that is caught up in a paradigm of control rather than leadership:

This has been somewhat difficult. It has also been very difficult to simply get the board to talk issues through as a group, in a professional manner, instead of one commis­sioner speaking for the majority and then moving on. (read post about Quiggle's attempt to have a discussion with the board.)To lead, the commissioners need to be really concerned with the county’s vision and understand where the county is going and how it is going to get there. That task seems to get lost in the details of rela­tively petty matters.

His contrast of the board of education as a board involved in policy making and of the commissioners as a board concerned primarily with money is more than an interesting civics lesson. It perhaps goes to the heart of the difficultly the board of education has had dealing with the board of commissioners. Here Quiggle comes down hard on the side of the board of education:

It’s not the duty of the commissioners to tell each and every entity receiving county money how to spend it. Part of showing leadership in a position on the board of commissioners is allow­ing the groups we fund through county dollars to manage their areas of expertise and let them do their jobs.

The picture painted by Quiggle is one of a board that is not open to ideas, that defers significantly to a finance committee chaired by Robert Rieves, and is too caught up in the details to see the big picture.

It is clear that Quiggle comes from the policy making board. The notion of a board of commissioners having committees, perhaps including citizens, actually working on vision, policy, and goals is really an intrinquing concept. Maybe, if as Quiggle says. "we get new leadership."

Ruth Gurtis Jumps Into School Write-In Effort

News FLASH--Board of Education Race Heats Up

Community activist and former Board of Education Member Ruth Gurtis has apparently announced she is beginning her own write-in campaign for the board of education. Current board member John Bonardi is also mounting a write in campaign (read prior post here) and aligned himself with the incumbents. Gurtis may align herself with the challengers to make a four member anti-incumbent slate. (Note: According to Gertes in Tuesday's paper, she claims not to be running as part of slate and to have been planning this write-in for some time. We take her at her word, but she has reportedly been involved in some of the challengers campaigns and will also have a few bumper stickers to peel off her car.) On Sunday, the Sanford Herald endorsed the three incumbents on the ballot-Smith, Tatum, and Williams and only one of the challengers--Mark Akinosho--and her candidacy may be designed to help the other candidates by identifying them with a known figure. Akinosho, however, received a particularly strong endorsement.

Click here to read the Herald's Endorsements online.

Gurtis has most recently focused her efforts on opposition to the Level IV facility on Hawkins Avenue near here residence and may benefit from that in her new effort. As former school board member, she was a controversial figure and is most remembered for her staunch opposition to the construction of a second high school in Lee County. Gurtis was so adamantly against it, that she demanded that her name be left off the plaque listing the school board members when Southern Lee High School was dedicated. She was defeated in her last bid for the board.

Update: In a letter to the editor from Gertes today, she took a very skeptical view of the planned renovations at Lee Senior High School. Many of the questions she raised about the project can be answered by reviewing the Hite report.

Saturday Paper Headline Should Give Pause

Job Eliminations at Wyeth Should Get Everyone's Attention

An earlier post suggested that you not miss the Saturday edition on the Sanford Herald because of the Take 5 feature. That turned to be well worth reading (more on that in a later post). Then there was the bankruptcy of Commissioner Linda Shook. But the article of most significance was the news that Lee County has lost 66 manufacturing jobs at Wyeth. The 66 job eliminations--not layoffs in the traditional sense because the jobs are gone period--were part of 1200 world wide.

In January, Wyeth said up to 10 percent of its 50,000 employees could lose their jobs by 2011 under a restructuring program. The move comes as Wyeth and its peers struggle to cut costs as key revenue drivers lose patent protection. (Read more on Wyeth's financial prospects) .

The point is not so much that our top notch employment leader is having a tougher time. The point is that U.S. industry continues to cut jobs to be more efficient as technology and global competition grow. Columnist D. G. Martin recently wrote:

The future is not just about the loss of North Carolina manufacturing jobs. What about the high-paying jobs in banking, finance, law, medicine, education and research that are the economic "pride and joy" of the successes of the 20th century? How will we deal with the consequences of their migration to other countries as global communication makes it possible for others to do more than we can for less? (Read the full column)

Ask a politician or local civic leader about Lee County's most pressing problem and you will hear "growth". Yes, population growth is coming as people discover you can get home to Sanford from Raleigh faster than you can drive to parts of Wake County at rush hour. Then there are the possibilities created by more military jobs moving to Ft. Bragg. This kind of growth will create the need for retail and service jobs which are traditionally low wage jobs.

The county continues to invest in an economic development park which is based on a manufacturing scenario. Perhaps we should be giving more thought to how to help small business grow and compete in a world economy. In any event, the argument for continuing investments in our community college seems to be stronger than ever.

Jerry Lemmond--Political Barometer

Lee County High School Appears To Be Big Issue With Voters

The reason you see two pictures of Commissioner Jerry Lemmond is that the joke among politicians is that he has a "twin." (He actually does have a twin.) One thing you can count on Commissioner Lemmond to do is to find groups of people during a campaign and show up. He is so many places people swear he has a twin. He may get beat (not likely in the upcoming primary), but he will not get out-worked. He ia good political barometer.

If you can stand to watch the entire April 8 meeting of the commissioners until the very end (it was a boring pre-primary meeting) when the commissioners made comments, you can see confirmation that the renovation of Lee County High School is a big issue among voters. Nothing made that more clear than the comments at the end.

Commissioner Lemmond spoke out wanting people to know that the commissioners were serious about the renovations at Lee County High School. He even said, "I was one who wanted do it a long time ago."

Oh? Mostly the discussion of the commissioners of the renovations have been stalling tactics asking for more and more information about the project. Sometimes they have asked for the same information twice. Twice, Commissioner John Quiggle has tried to have the issue discussed, and one of those times was inappropriately rebuked by democrat majority leader Robert Reives. (see previous post) Neither time did Lemmond speak up.

Lemmond may not, however, be that much of a "come lately" to the issue. Without the borrowing ability of a the new .25% sales tax, the county could not have borrowed more money without a decline in its sterling credit rating. Nevertheless, his comments suggest it is a subject that is being discussed a lot. In addition, the commissioners are feeling the heat because of the announced support for the school board's plan by several Republican commissioners they will face in the fall.

Take 5 On Saturday To Read the Herald

Special Heads UP
This Saturday's edition of the Herald is one you will not want to miss. The regular Saturday feature "Take 5" features Commissioner John Quiggle answering questions about his observations as a commissioner. What will make his comments particularly interesting is that he was placed on the board by a democratic majority over Republican choice Harry Undy so he has no partisan ax to grind. It may offer some clues as to why he chose not to seek re-election. Not knowing what his answers may be, it may be a bust or it could bust things wide open. Pickup a copy of the Hearld Saturday and spend 5 minutes reading it. (Get a free trial edition)

Speaking of Harry Undy, who is running in District 2 against Amy Dalrymple, his answers to questions printed in the Thursday Hearld show all the characteristics of a former Marine who won three purple hearts. Consider this excerpt compared to most of the answers you have read by other candidates. By the way, when you meet Harry, his friendly, affable style would never lead you to see the tough cut-to-the-chase approach he takes to things once his mind is made up.

4. Assess the performance of the current Board of Commis­sioners.
DALRYMPLE: I respect each commissioner and their willing­ness to serve Lee County’s citizens. Attending meetings over the last few months, I have seen the commissioners do some impressive, positive things for the county. How­ever, I have also witnessed a reluctance to act in the best interest of our citizens on certain issues. There is a disconnect between the current board’s actions and what the county needs. This creates an environment of mistrust and the citizens of Lee County deserve better.
UNDY: The Board of Commis­sioners does not enjoy the full confidence of the citizens of Lee County. The leadership of the board needs to understand that to be trusted, one must first be trustworthy.

Bonardi's Impact on The School Board Ticket

Multiple Choice Ballot Leads To Write-In Campaign

In an interview with the e-Lee Dispatch on Wednesday, John Bonardi gave his rationale for becoming a write in candidate:

Now is not the time for a change. The current school board is very cohesive and has moved the school system in a positive direction. I do not feel that newcomers to the board would be able to continue this positive movement. I’m deeply committed to the renovation project at Lee County High School and have a strong desire to see that project come to fruition.

By newcomers, he means Mark Akinosho, Kim Lilley, and Cameron Sharpe, the alternatives to the incumbents running for the school board. With only 3 incumbents on the ballot and a ballot that says you can pick four, the likelihood is that no matter what one of those three will be elected. As more has been learned about these candidates, supporters of the incumbents have become less and less enchanted with that fourth choice.

Many feel that Akinosho, Lilley, and Sharpe are all supported by a particular faction and have teamed up with a similar hymn book. The songs are varyingly critical of school board incumbents and vague in their commitment to the so called "Hite Plan" for the renovation of Lee County High School. Perhaps this is a good strategy if the public wants to clean house. On the other hand, if just one of the three had taken a pro-incumbent stand, it is unlikely that John Bonardi would be in the race as a write in.

That is B-O-N-A-R-D-I. When told "Jones" would surely have been easier to remember, John Bonardi just shook his head and laughed. John Bonardi may not win, but his candidacy will send a signal to some to just vote for the three incumbent school board members.

Two Groups To Square Off On Sales Tax

Local Pro Tax Group Already Underway

The Sanford Herald reported today that Americans for Prosperity was forming a committee to fight the passage of the .25 cent increase in the local sales tax. According to state director Dallas Woodhouse, in the weeks before the voters decide on the tax, the organization plans to talk to voters through town hall and community forums, and reach out to the school system. As late as last week, local AFP chapter president, Lloyd Jennings said no decision had been made about the tax. (see this post) Oddly, there were no quotes from Jennings in the Herald article. AFP has played a major role in defeat in of the sales tax revenue increase in other counties relying heavily on a research (see this post) by an affiliated group , the John Locke Foundation. AFP just lost an effort to have the Sanford business tax repealed.

Meanwhile, materials are beginning to appear from the Fair Tax for Lee County Committee including stickers and yard signs. Representatives of the committee have been appearing at various local events over the last two weeks. The local group also has a website (click here to see the website) while the AFP website as yet makes no mention of its efforts in Lee County. The committee plans to use other materials and is likely to buy newspaper ads on behalf of the tax.

The Lee County group, headed by the Chamber of Commerce, got started on April 2--34 days before the election-- and has scrambled to put together a local campaign. AFP is experienced and has played a major role in defeat in of the sales tax revenue increase in other counties relying heavily on a research by an affiliated group , the John Locke Foundation which has already released a report on Lee County. (see this post)

Since the commissioners have known since last year that they would be putting a referendum on the ballot, their tardiness in starting a local committee has attracted some criticism. In fact, the commissioners did not act to form a local group until a joint meeting requested by the school board on March 24.

The Fair Tax for Lee County Committee picked a name that focuses on the nature of the tax instead of what projects the tax would fund. This approach has not proved as successful as counties in which the commissioners have designated specific projects--something the current commissioners have refused to do (see this post).

Unlike the property tax, everyone who shops in Lee County would pay the new tax. As pointed out by Commissioner Jamie Kelly, “A sales tax increase is our fairest option because it gets every one involved in the kitty,” he said. “Of the $ 1.5 million that an increase would raise, a third of it would come from people who don’t live here.”

One concern for the local committee is possible confusion with the national Fair Tax Initiative. (click here to learn more) The Fair Tax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax.

An informal online poll on the Sanford Hearld Web page in February showed that 61.6% of county residents opposed the sales tax increase. An additional 23% said they would vote for the tax if assured that the funds would be assured to be used for renovation of Lee County High School. Only 15.9% were in favor of the tax. A new poll on the Herald's page with a simple yes/no, showed 56.8% against the tax. Neither poll is scientific but does give some clue to public sentiment---too close to call.

Sheriff Honors Seniors But Misses Event

Sheriff Attends Meeting on Illegal Aliens Instead

The Sheriff's Office put together an event to honor at a Seniors Appreciation Luncheon (60 & up) that was held at the Dennis Wicker Civic Center in Sanford, on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 . (Learn more) The full allotment of 500 tickets were given out before the event. County Commissioner Chairman and Mayor Cornelia Olive welcomed the group, but Sheriff Tracy Carter was no where in site! It is kind of the opposite of having a birthday party and no one showing up.

Sheriff Carter was at a meeting in Asheville with all the the Sheriff's in the state to discuss the identification of illegal aliens who had been arrested by crimes. "I just felt that the senior citizens would rather me be there to deal with the illegal immigration problems, " Sheriff Carter said. He reported that a new computer system was announced that would integrate with existing computer systems to automatically check to see if someone's finger print matched that of an illegal alien. Carter said it would be several months before the new system was up and running.

The event was part of the concept of community policing (learn more) in which law enforcement builds bridges to groups in the community. The event was co-sponsored The Enrichment Center, Sanford Fire Dept., Emergency Management, Fire Marshal's Office, CCCC, Broadway Police Dept., American Red Cross and Central Carolina Advanced Life Support.

Seniors were entertained by the LCHS stage band. There were door prizes donated by local businesses as well as a take home bag for each attendee. The seniors were furnished information on avoiding identity theft. (Click here for an extensive list of resources from the Sheriff's website).

Oh, one more thing. No tax dollars were involved. Funds from the assets seized from drug dealers were used to pay for the event.

Editors Note: Expect some interesting posts in the next few days. Keep checking back or add us to your blog reader.

Will Republicans Turn Out For Primary?

Their presidential candidate is decided. Their gubernatorial candidates have hardly mounted any effort in Lee County, and compared to the other side very few TV commercials have been run. Unlike local democrats, there are no local primaries for Republicans. The school board race is supposedly non-partisan although it is clear that some candidates have the support of the more conservative faction of the party. That leaves the 1/4 cent sales tax increase as the biggest draw.

Republicans generally oppose taxes and this could drive them to the polls. Of course, many people in both parties feel that a 1/4 cent sales tax is indeed a fairer tax than the property tax since "everyone pays" including illegal aliens and shoppers from out of town. But the state media isn't giving Republicans a lot to be excited about.

With record Democrat turnouts being generated in the Presidential race, Democrat turnout could swamp the all ready out-numbered Lee County Republicans.

To give Republicans some excitement, the governor's race appears to be tight one with former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory having a slight edge on Smithfield State Senator Fred Smith. Bill Graham and Bob Orr are running back in the pack. Yet the race has generated little media coverage. With four candidates in the race, a lot of interest in being generated by the possibility of McCrory failing to get the minimum 40% necessitating what would be a hard fought run-off primary between the two front runners.

Campaign Progressing In Cyberspace

Tatum Posts YouTube Commercial

School Board Chairman and candidate for re-election to the school board Bill Tatum has placed a video (click here to see it) on YouTube taking the campaign beyond the email marketing done earlier by one of his opponents, Shawn Williams (click here).

Tatum's ad focuses on his work on behalf of Lee County High School with pictures set to a voice track. The pictures make a compelling case for renovation.
Editors note: Other Lee County candidates now have video on YouTube. Check the comments for the url.

Is Lee County Hoarding Too Much Money?

Argument Over Money Really Irrelevant To Sales Tax

Another salvo was let loose today in the battle over the upcoming sales tax referendum--yet headlines may influence voters.

In today's Herald there was a much needed rebuttal to the John Locke Foundation's report. This report, released last week, claims to identify almost $10.3 million in revenue and savings the county could use to meet its needs and received large headlines. The Foundation is issuing similar reports on counties with sales tax increases on their ballots.

The reply came in the form of a written response released yesterday to the Herald by County Manager John Crumpton, and, what he said could be summarized as "That ain't necessarily so." Having a reply to that report has been on the to-do list of the of the Fair Tax for Lee Committee.

Crumpton is exactly right when he disputes the $10.3 million figure. That is what the number would be if the county were run strictly by the Locke Foundation's philosophy and the report's formulas. I don't know of a county run strictly by that philosophy and the report's formulas do not take the varying needs of counties into effect.

There is room for honest debate, however, about the $3.6 million extra in the county's fund balance. Here is the deal. North Carolina's Local Government Commission was formed during the Depression and is charged with keeping local government financially sound. A minimum 8% of the budget must be kept on hand to help handle cash flow needs. No one disputes that.

What is in dispute is a matter of local policy--how much more to keep in the fund balance. To put the issue in household terms--how many months of savings does a family want to keep in savings toward a future purchase, vacation, or emergency. The report appears to be correct that county does have available $3.6 million beyond the minimum 8% fund balance. The current board of commissioner's policy is that it will strive for an 18% fund balance and not allow the fund balance to fall below 14%. The board policy also is that it will set tax rates in the years of re-evaluation and then not increase taxes for four years until the next revaluation. Having a little extra money in the bank helps make that policy possible.

In reality, the amount of money on hand has little to do with the need for the 1/4 cent sales tax. At least the stated intention for the extra revenue is generally to provide more regular income so that the county can borrow more money for capital projects. How much money the county can borrow is regulated by the Local Government Commission. Just like most of us, how much money we can borrow is a function of our income. Passage of the 1/4 cent sales tax will allow more borrowing and that money has to be paid back with the proceeds of that 1/4 cent tax.

The County’s current debt capacity without new revenue is $8 million. The county is in the process of borrowing $1.6 million for the Board of Education to use to replace 3 roofs (Greenwood, J. Glenn Edwards, and J.R. Ingram) as well as put technology improvements at 11 schools. This lowers the debt capacity to $6.4 million. There is a critical need for renovations of the San-Lee Dam. The Local Government Commission recommends maintaining approximately $4 million to meet emergencies and unforeseen events. Debt capacity will grow around $5 million per year as existing debt is paid off.

In short, a project such as renovations at Lee Senior High School would have to wait 3-4 years before funds could be borrowed to finance them. So the Locke Report stirs up a lot of data but leaves voters with little valuable information.

"Wright and Wrong At The City Council Meeting"

Herald publisher Bill Horner III has posted his observations about a wacky night at City Hall, considering the Business Tax Repeal on his blog. It gives a great feel for the meeting as a sporting event--right down to the "Wrights and the Wrongs." (For those not close enough for the "inside" joke that would be Lora Wright who lost her race against Councilman Mike Stone 60-40%)

Like Bill I was confused by the public comments coming at the end of the meeting. Apparently this is the way things are usually done at the city council meetings. I thought that the intent of a motion by Charles Taylor to move the business tax was to move it to the end of the agenda so that the public comments could come before the business tax repeal vote. But the motion got interpreted as simply moving it to the bottom of the "business agenda" and still before the public comments.

The city council should make a permanent change in its agenda and place public comments before business items before so the public can be heard from before actions just as the county commissioners do. Imagine that--something positive to learn from our county commissioners!

City Council Votes 4-3, But Tax Lost By 6 votes

Despite their tremendous research and work, Charles Taylor and Mike Stone could not deliver on their campaign promise to repeal the business tax even with Joe Martin's continued support. Not yet, anyway.

The last municipal election was nothing more than a referendum on the business tax. One at-large candidate, Mike Stone, racked up a stunning 60% of the vote running on that theme despite a relentless, expensive campaign against him.

But council members Mike Brewer, J.D. Williams, Walter McNeil, and Lynwood Mann ignored the election sentiment and voted to stick with their votes. Nowhere was this a true as in the case of Lynwood Mann who got a minority of votes in his district and won by only 6 votes. If someone else had gotten those six votes, the repeal may have had a fighting chance.

There are a couple of lessons here. The obvious one is the importance of voting. Sometimes our votes do make a difference. The second is that if you want to change the direction of an elected body, new members are needed. If incumbents win, even by a minority vote, they don't get the message.

The problems with the administration and fairness of the business tax as laid out by Councilman Taylor could not be answered or addressed by anyone else--including the city manager who seemed clueless to the administration of the business tax. The only retort was this tax might someday result in less property taxes--an appeal soon to be heard again for the sales tax. The tax opponents had the support of a professional grassroots campaign staff from Americans for Prosperity and they had the support of the public who came to express opposition, but in the end they lost--by six votes. Six votes by six anonymous people who chose not to vote last November.
The business tax is an octopus that has tentacles that will grow like kudzu. It will be an issue in the next municipal election and then there will be a chance to repeal it.

Did Lloyd Jennings Have Hillary Moment?

If you pay any attention to the democrat campaign for the Presidential nomination, you may recall that Hillary Clinton was seriously embarrassed after video surfaced that showed her recollection of exiting a helicopter in Bosnia under a hail of snipper fire to be seriously flawed. In fact, she and her daughter had casually strolled off the helicopter.

The Sanford Herald reported yesterday that Lloyd Jennings, President of the Lee County Chapter of Americans for Prosperity said: " As for the proposed quarter-cent sales tax, Jennings said his anti-tax group hasn’t taken a stance — for now. “We’re not going to address that yet,” he said Thursday.

A quick check of the NC Americans for Prosperity site will find a release titled "Grassroots Members Speak Out Against Higher Taxes In Lee County" " that quotes part of Jennings remarks to the commissioners on January 22 in which AFP opposed the tax. In fact, Jennings brought the state director of the AFP group to speak to the meeting along with a camera man to record what the state director said. The video of the commissioners' meeting can be found here.

Later on in a widely distributed email entitled "1/4 Sales Tax and High School Renovation" he wrote Jennings said:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

WILL WORK VIGORIOUSLY TO DEFEAT THE TAX INCREASE AS WELL AS ANY CANDIDATE THAT ENDORSES SUCH AN INCREASE. FOR THE TWO PERCENT THAT DIDN'T GET THE MESSAGE: THIS IS WHAT AFP IS ABOUT--KEEPING YOUR MONEY IN YOUR OWN POCKET.

There is only one reason that AFP would not put forward a fight against the 1/4 cent sales tax increase--it is not able to raise the money locally to do so. Given its Lee County Chapter President's position, you can just about bet on it.

Who are the "same people"?

Editors Note: Again I found myself part of a story that the e-Lee Dispatch comments on. The circumstances were basically the same. I attended the Fair Tax Committee meeting last Thursday, April 10, initially intending to be an observer. Again, a representative of the Friends of Lee County High School was not present, and I subbed for her. It was during that meeting that I made a comment that became the basis of headlines in the Sunday Herald. I believe my comments were taken too broadly. Since I was a participant, I am going to use the technique I used before and write this entry from a personal perspective.

I arrived at the meeting and immediately noticed that papers had been distributed assigning membership to committees. Nowhere did I see my name, letting me know I was viewed as only a substitute. The newspaper is, therefore, incorrect when it says I am member of the committee. By the start of the meeting, I noted that Arlene Jackson had not arrived as one of the representatives of the Friends of Lee County High School, so I pulled a chair up to the end of one of the tables.

At some point, I made note of having seen the "Repeal Business Tax Now" signs on the way to the meeting. It was at that point I made the statement quoted in the paper “The same people that oppose the business privi­lege tax will oppose this (sales) tax too,” Clark said. “It’s no accident that the signs are going up now.” My reference to "the same people" was to the half-dozen or so people who go to Lloyd Jennings strategy meetings--not the larger public. My reference was not meant to include a wide group of people or even that Charles Taylor's decision to push for repeal now was related to the sales tax. I did, and do believe, that Americans For Propensity would like to build a general anti-tax sentiment in the community.

The Fair Tax Committee quickly broke into committees. It turned out that the one committee that did not have a meeting was the one for which I was a substitute, so I waited around for the conclusion of the meeting and left having felt that I had done my job. As I sat there and watched the other committees hard at work, I realized again how late in the process this effort had begun and what a failure of leadership it represented on the part of the Board of Commissioners.

Williams Using New Media in Campaign

School Board Candidate Sending Audio Message With E-mail

It was a first for a local candidate in my in-box. School board candidate Shawn E. Williams sent me an email from "Shawn." Attached to it was a well produced audio commercial for his campaign for election to the Lee County School Board. Email mailing lists are frequently used in campaigns to keep supporters informed, but this is the first media to arrive from a local candidate. The email asks that it be forwarded to friends--in effect an endorsement. The 42 second commercial plays in windows media player format but is audio only. To hear the ad click the small arrow-bottom left.



The reproduction of this audio is for news value only and does not necessarily imply an endorsement. If you are aware of other local candidates with this technology, make a comment.

Opening Salvo Fired on Sanford Business Tax

Problems for Pottery Festival Noted

Just as promised in the Sanford Herald this morning (Click here to read article) , City Councilman Charles Taylor raised the issue of repeal of the city's controversial business privilege tax at the City's Law and Tax Committee this afternoon. Taylor was elected last election primarily on a platform of repealing the business privilege tax.

Taylor and councilman Mike Stone, one of only two council members to originally vote against the tax, both spoke against the tax. One serious issue raised by Taylor was the impact of the tax on the annual pottery festival. Apparently all the exhibitors would have to complete the tax forms and pay for the privilege of selling in Sanford.

It was noted that the City of Sanford has a $12,000,000 fund balance. Both Taylor and Stone questioned why it was necessary to add a tax to bring in less than $250,000 when the city had that large reserve.

Taylor said the council could "change its mind and repeal the tax." He noted that the council had voted 6-1 to stop broadcasting the Law and Finance Committee meetings prior to the election, but had reversed itself after the election and voted 6-1 to resume the TV broadcasts. "We could do the same thing again." he said.

The statewide group Americans for Prosperity paid for an ad in today's Herald. Signs similar to the ad had been placed on street corners in the area near the municipal building where the hearing was to be held. The group will sponsor a rally in support of the repeal of the business tax, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 5:30 pm, outside the Sanford Municipal Building. Afterwards, the organizers hope those at the rally will attend and speak at the council meeting.

Read more about this issue at Bill Horner's blog.

Love Endorsed By NCFREE

FREEPAC, the political action committee of NCFREE, has endorsed democrat incumbent Jimmy Love in his race for another term in the the legislature. The North Carolina Forum for Research & Economic Education (NCFREE) is a non-profit, non-partisan political research business association. NCFREE provides business leaders with the information they need to make informed decisions from a business perspective. In short, NCFREE handicaps races for the legislature, and has a record of accuracy of >95% in its legislative forecasts since the 1980's. Only candidates who are perceived to be electable , based upon district analysis, are endorsed.

NCFREE's analysis does indicate that District 51 is a swing district capable of electing of a Republican based on turn out. Current County Commissioner Linda Shook is challenging Love for the District 51 and is considered a "strong candidate."

Reives Rant Bothers Herald Reporter

Blogger Getting Under Reives' Skin--Guess Who?

Commissioner Robert Reives' attack on Commissioner John Quiggle wasn't the commissioner's only outburst at the the meeting on Monday. Commissioner Robert Reives went off on a rant about a “power-hungry, overweight, paparazzi wannabe” that wants to stir up controversy in this county.

Apparently, Sanford Heard reporter Johnathan Owens was concerned he might be the culprit but it turned out to be another blogger whose name was not disclosed. Owens gives an account of his reaction on his blog. You can read it here.

I saw my doctor this morning, and she confirmed what I already knew--I am overweight. I thought it might be me but paparazzi go after candid photographs and The E-Lee Dispatch deals with candid ideas. I will breathe easier.

If a child in kindergarten were having these kind of outbursts, the teachers would be calling the parents in to find out if something was bothering the child. Apparently the unnamed blogger is getting under Reives' skin.

Reives Snarls At Quiggle When Pushed on LCHS

Reives Takes Shot At "Lame Duck" For Speaking Up

It looked like for a moment that the fur might be literally flying in the chambers of the county commissioners as Representative Robert Reives had had enough of Commissioner John Quiggle's pushing on the issue of offering the public a commitment on a Lee County High School.

Reives responded to Quiggle that Quiggle couldn't make a commitment on anything since Quiggle had not run for reelection. "You won't be here. You didn't file." Quiggle responded that he would be there until November and that he didn't need to be there to make a commitment."

Quiggle shot back that in 15 years Reives might not be there and he could make a commitment. One could see Quiggle weighing a wide range of options, but with intimidated silence from the rest of the commissioners decided to let the issue past. It was a heated testy exchange that Chairman Bob Brown should have contained by rebuking Reives attack but failed to do. It was the kind of biting exchange that allows Reives to get his way on most issues before the board.

Based on what might be called "Reives Rules" of participation in decision, those commissioners who face democrat primary opponents in May better hope they win. Otherwise they will be getting the "lame duck" back hand from Reives.

It was a much different demeanor than Reives had shown about an hour earlier when the board had just heard from students and teachers from Lee County High School. He had put his statesman hat on and discussed his great concern for the wellbeing of the students and teachers.

The meeting can be seen on the local cable channel on Sanford TV11
Tuesday - 8:00pm
Thursday - 8:00pm
Saturday - 1:00pm & 8:00pm

Update: This schedule may be subject to change. The E-Lee Dispatch will keep you advised.

Seeing Myself In The Mirror

Editor Finds Himself Part of Tax Committee

Note: I broke the news on this group in a post just a couple of days ago. (Click Here to Read that Post) Little did I know that I would be asked to substitute for a representative of the group Friends of Lee County High School and become a part of the event myself. I track events and write this blog because I feel the readers need to have a perspective on the events and issues taking place in Lee County. It wasn't intended to be about me. I called my friend Bill Horner at the Herald and asked him how one professionally reported on an event in which he was a participant. He said to write it in the first person and give my impressions. Here they are. I welcome your comments.

When this group was formed, I had hoped that it would be a private forum for dealing with the issue of LCHS renovations. My hopes were dimmed considerably with a ruling that the meeting was subject to the open meetings law and open to the press. Nothing like a reporter in a room to tame candid discussions about tough decisions among good, civic minded people. Then it was clear various groups were coming armed with their staffs. Staff don't usually resolve issues that the bosses won't or can't.

The decision that the meeting was public is a major blow. If the meeting is public, the documents are public. Media or opponents need only walk in and ask for public documents. My biggest regret is not bringing serious attention to this dilemma.

Upon arrival was an agenda laid out by Bob Joyce of the Chamber of Commerce. It looked just like at least five or more others from other causes in other places that I had participated in before. It was the mechanics of running a referendum campaign with the usual topics like materials and speakers bureau. There was, however, one big difference. The first item was "Think Positive!" It was a faint but visible sign that this was a coalition forced by the county's financial needs instead of a cause that needed no rallying cry.

I had the feeling no one wanted to be negative and, hence, blamed for what could well be the failure of the tax referendum. But there is a lot of difference in wanting to not be negative and being enthusiastic for a cause. The search for a cause came with the next agenda item--a name for the group.

After discussion we came up with a name for the group, A Fair Tax For Lee County. I was mindful that we could not, with the vague resolution passed by the commissioners, come up with a name for what people would be buying but were focusing on the nature of the tax.

Early on, while discussing possible names for the group, there was a sharp moment when Commissioner Jamie Kelly turned and asked me if a comment I made meant I would support the tax. That decision had been made when I signed on to represent Friends of Lee County High School, and I answered yes. It did not mean, however, that my advocacy for the full funding of LCHS would stop.

On the agenda was a line item for frequently asked questions that the public might have. Someone said, "What is the money being used for." I waited until the moderator was almost ready to move on and said "Well one obvious question is what about the funding of renovations of Lee County High School." I got the tactful reply from Bob Joyce that we should get the tax passed first and then there would be plenty of time to work out how the money was spent.

My first reaction was that this would certainly thrust the issue into the arena of the fall elections--a place I would not have assumed that incumbent commissioners would want it to be. My second thought was that we were violating a best practice of passing referendums--always address the voters concerns. Imagine a button, "Vote Yes And Get Something."

Yet, there were advocates from the board of education present and others who must feel the same way. I wasn't going to be the one to light a fuse to a subject that was in a setting too hot to handle and resolve. Not as a substitute for an organization with its regular leader to my right. As time passes I wonder about my decision.

We had been asked to sign on to selling what the commissioners had passed, and I like everyone else had signed on to the agenda at the start. Once I join in a team effort, I feel great pressure to stick with it. I worked hard to be constructive and subtle on several key points. For example, I attempted to push for more specific statements about the non-educational needs that would be met but found no support for doing so. Several others of the group had obvious campaign experience, too. Among us there was candor about the short time frame to carry out a difficult task but no out of the box thinking on any new approaches. My colleague representing Friends of Lee County made positive contributions and was struggling to support the cause.

I thought the difficulty of raising a budget of $10-15000 was glossed over. I mused about suggesting that the county fund a larger part of the effort. I found myself even subtly raising the point. I thought how ironic because such a decision would be a headline post in the E-Lee Dispatch. It was an interesting temptation. Yet as a member of the group, it seemed an avenue worth pursuing.

And, after all, county employees were present, and it was noted that both the county government and the school board had assigned personnel to work on the effort. County manager John Crumpton explained what is considered the line they have to walk--government resources can be spent on educational activities but cannot advocate how to vote on the issue. I thought about how difficult a line to tippy-toe down. I imagined someone from the county doing an "educational Powerpoint" and then having to hand it off to some non-government employee to add the last slide that said "Vote Yes." The meeting felt more and more bureaucratic as the minutes wore on.

It was a measure of the dryness of the meeting that it finished 15 minutes early. One could certainly tell that no full dialog on the LCHS situation had consumed any time.

I don't know if I will be filling in as a representative of Friends of Lee County High School again or not. If I am asked, I will do so out of loyalty to the cause. And, after all, I signed on to the agenda. But I have come to realize that buying in is much harder.

It was a while after the meeting that I realized that one issue was never brought up directly.
What did the group think the chances of the referendum passing would be if nothing were done?

Sheriff Makes "Best of Lee County"

Carter wins again, and again.

For the fifth year in a row--and his second time as sheriff-Tracy Carter was recognized as the best law enforcement officer in Lee County by readers of the Sanford Herald. As noted by the the Herald "Tracy Carter has done some great things in his first year as sheriff." (To see a list of his accomplishments click here.)

But Sheriff Carter first won the award in 2004 while serving as chief of the school special police, so the public recognition of his leadership predates all his accomplishments in his first year.

The Sheriff is most active public officials in the county and has a web site with numerous resources as well as a blog newsletter. (To go to his website click here.) Follow links and you will find a wealth of information to make you and your community safer.

Group Formed to "Market" Tax Referendum

Renovations at LCSH Likely to Be "Gorilla" in the room.

A group has been formed to market the sales tax referendum, but it faces two challenges--what they are selling and the clock. When the group convenes for the first time tomorrow morning in a private meeting at the Chamber of Commerce, it will have only 34 days to reach agreement on a campaign to sell the 1/4 cent sales tax, raise funds, and conduct a marketing campaign. And the issue of LCSH is a gorilla the group will have to face.

Appointees to the group include:

• Commissioners--Jamie Kelly and Linda Shook
• School Board Members --Shawn Williams and John Bonardi
  
• CCCC Trustees--Ed Garrison and Jan Hayes
• Board of Economic Development--Tommy Mann, Jr. and Harry Miller
• Chamber of Commerce--Jerry Pedley and Chip Mann
• Friends of Lee County High School--Kathy Briggs and Arlene Jackson

Representatives of the School Board and Friends of Lee County High School are at odds with the County Commissioners over the decision by the county commission to delete specific references to renovations at Lee County High School from a resolution indicating how the new tax revenues might be spent.

The organizational meeting will deal with a name for the organization, determining its mission and role, identifying an entity to administer the committees funds, and a schedule of work. A big gorilla--the unresolved issue of listing specifically funding for Lee County High School is also likely to be sitting at the table and could consume considerable time and effort during the meeting. Meanwhile, the clock will be ticking.