CCTA WATCHDOG REPORT: September 6, 2012

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING - 4 SEP 2012


Just a quick report to let you know of several significant events at the most recent Craven County Board of Commissioners meeting at Dover Town Hall and Firehouse that concern us taxpayers.

First, and most importantly, the ABC Board presented the BOC a check for just over $860,000. I'm firmly convinced that the face saving rhetoric put out by the ABC Board chairman and the county finance officer that this happened because of a change in State law may be partially correct, but is not telling the whole story. The rest of the story is that, because of the appointment of a conservative protector of the taxpayers, Chip Hughes, to the ABC Board, the Board elected to provide the county (and hopefully, the taxpayers) with these retained earnings to the maximum extent consistent with good business practices. That should have been their practice all along. Instead, it's a new and significant event.

The above illustrates to us what can happen when a conservative takes part in these volunteer boards. I had been of the opinion that a good conservative would want nothing to do with them. I was wrong! We need more people with the disposition to look out for the taxpayers on these boards! They are populated with social workers and liberals for the most part. That needs to change! Please help!

As an aside here, I think most social workers and liberals mean well, but they confuse what we should do voluntarily for our fellow human beings with what the government should do with taxpayer money.

I will attach a copy of the Volunteer Board Application to this report. Please fill it out to serve on a board in which you have an interest in seeing conduct itself more conservatively. That will automatically make you a member of the CCTA Watchdog Committee. Get the application to me, or turn it in to Gwen Bryan at the County Administrative Building, and please let me know you have done so. For a list of these Volunteer Boards use this link CRAVEN COUNTY VOLUNTEER BOARDS.

Ray Griffin and Charlie Simmons again petitioned the Board of Commissioners on prayer at the BOC meetings. It seems to be falling on deaf ears. Somehow the ACLU has entirely intimated the Board of Commissioners. WILL WE EVER BE ABLE TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK? What happened to "our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor"? Apparently our fortunes are more important to us now than our sacred honor! Don't you agree with me on this? Where is our voice?

Bill Harper again petitioned the Board about the Global TransPark. Bill has been right on! This boondoggle has cost the taxpayers $millions! Bill has asked repeatedly for a resolution from the BOC disavowing this mess by formally removing Craven County from the "Global TransPark Zone." The Board did bring the county attorney forward to say that could actually be done, but that the county would risk not getting some of the money back if this boondoggle could ever return money to the counties. I say fat chance! Get us out! It was reported that a state initiative is being considered to get the whole state out. I don't think that is likely. When has the government ever given up on something without continuing to throw more taxpayer dollars at it year after year? Well, we do have a better NC House of Representatives and an election coming up. COULD THIS ACTUALLY CHANGE?

Sheriff Monet was at the meeting. I feel sure he wanted to hear a complaint about his deputies not responding to some calls. The complainers didn't show. I'm disappointed; this would have probably been fun.

The folks in Dover, including Mayor Weatherington, made us all feel welcome. That was nice.

Respectfully Submitted:

Hal James

Issues & Watchdog Committee Chairman

Volunteer Board Application

CCTA Issues and Watchdog Report- 24 August 2012

Craven County Board of Commissioners -

1) The Board of Commissioners deserves a lot of credit! They have hit a home run for the taxpayers. The Board of Commissioners replaced a liberal on the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board with a conservative, Chip Hughes. In his first meeting on the ABC Board,(one of our members, Carl Mischka was at that meeting), Chip learned that the ABC board has been holding a very large reserve of earnings that could have been turned over to the county. Their stated reason for doing that was to have funds available for capital expenditures like building a new store. In fact, it made them a lot more likely to fund trips and dinners, etc. for board members. Chip did not believe that this money should be withheld from the county taxpayers, and since the ABC Board now has a majority of like thinking members, they will present the county with a sizable check at the evening meeting on 4 September 2012 at the Dover firehouse. PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS EXTRAORDINARY EVENT!

We need conservative people on these boards, commissions, task forces, etc. I printed the list of them with their supporting material that is on the county website. If you are interested in serving, please let me know. Maybe we can affect some other big changes!

2) Transparency in government matters-
a) Commissioner Dacey emailed me to inform us that the budget was back up on line. IT IS INDEED! However, you have to check not only the budget ordinance as adopted, but also both the budget amendments and budget details to get the full picture. There is no running budget with all the changes and there is no accounting for capital projects that are budgeted and then kept separately. These county assets are not accounted for in this budget reporting process.


b) Appointed members of the various boards and committees are not keeping citizens/taxpayers informed by making formal reports at Board of Commissioners meetings. For instance, the Global TransPark Board of Directors apparently has no county representative now. Mark Griffin, who was appointed to their Board of Directors by the County Board of Directors is no longer on that board, but is, instead, on North Carolina's Eastern Region. It appears that the Global TransPark is now totally run by the State of North Carolina and some industry and business representatives. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT, BUT WHY WEREN'T WE TOLD??? Another example is the Military Growth Task Force. After spending hundreds of thousand of taxpayer dollars (if not millions) on study after study and no concrete projects, they are just folding their tents and closing up. GREAT! BUT WHY WITHOUT FANFARE???

c) The information about the Boards, Commissions, and Task Forces, etc. that is on the county website is too sketchy. Often just telling who the appointed representative is.

3) Scott Dacey has continued his commendable efforts to communicate with citizens and taxpayers through holding "town hall meetings." We had very good representation at his last one on 15 August 12 at the Trent Wood Town Hall. Scott listened to us and his constituents on a variety of subjects including: Sheriff's Department, Global TransPark, NC's Eastern Region, Eastern Council of Governments, schools, effects of potential military reduction, and the new county district lines being drawn.

4) Growth in County budget- As of 31 July 12 the county budget stood at $95,060,300. In other words, it has grown by about $1 million in 2 months. My guess is that the county 2013 budget will pass the final FY 2012 budget by mid-year. When will there be relief for the taxpayer?

Respectfully submitted:


Hal James, Watchdog Chairman
Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association

ABC Tries to Trivialize the Founders: ‘Guys Who Didn’t Give Women the Vote and Let Slavery Stand’

What better way to celebrate America’s independence than trying to trivialize its founders? If it sounds odd, just know that that’s what ABC News did during its Fourth of July weekend coverage.


In a “This Week” piece regarding the Constitution and referencing the founders, ABC’s John Donvan made this curious statement:

The reality is that the framers – posed in paintings as though frozen on an American Olympus – they were not gods, they were guys – guys who didn’t give women the vote and let slavery stand for the time being and who, by the way, were trying to create at the time a stronger central government, of course not too strong, leaving to us a Constitution that we could fix, as needed, – sorry, make that amend – which we’ve now done 27 times.

CONTINUED:  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/abc-tries-to-trivialize-the-founders-guys-who-didnt-give-women-the-vote-and-let-slavery-stand/