Union County - Carolina Weekly Newspapers

Obama, Holder destroying
federal judiciary
Is President Obama and Attorney General
Eric Holder destroying objectivity in the federal
judiciary and replacing it with pure leftwing,
radical, liberal, Democrat Party partisan
politics?
Holder has now appointed John Durham
as prosecutor to, again, investigate the Bush
administration and their alleged violations of
American law. The alleged treatment is against
members of our U.S. military and other government
officials probing captured terrorist combatants.
These captured terrorists are organized
gangsters out to kill any and all Americans and
Jews, and destroy the freedoms of all Judeo-
Christian beliefs. Members of our military and
others were protecting Americans.
Some of these left-wing, radical, liberal
politicians in America are now destroying
our military, the CIA and other U.S. agencies
functioning to save our lives and freedoms in
the Constitution. These left-wing radicals are
leading Americans to an occasion where we
are going to be required ... to have civil rights
lawyers up front to approve or disapprove any
and all military action.
At the same time, Holder dismissed charges
against Black Panthers in Pennsylvania who
were intimidating citizens attempting to vote in
the open 2008 general election. Free and open
voting is one of the most precious freedoms.
Bush’s Justice Department filed a lawsuit
against the New Black Panther Party activists.
The defendants failed to file any response
or even appear in court in Philadelphia. It
appeared the Justice Department won by
default. For some ungodly reason, Holder dismissed
the case. Why?
America must recover jurisdiction of individual
freedoms by defeating these left-wing
radicals who’re destroying our legal system
from within. It certainly appears some justice
in the Obama administration may be related to
pure partisan politics rather than impartiality.
Oscar Harward
Monroe
Vote for Hutton for Stallings council
Growing up, my dad told me it’s easy to sit
on the sidelines, pointing out problems and
criticizing others without ever suggesting solutions.
He said it’s a lot harder to stand up and
get in the game, to make yourself accountable
for the promises you make.
Ethics probe
(continued from page 7)
To pay for the investigation, the board
will dip into its $489,000 general fund.
Details about the new investigation’s cost
weren’t discussed.
“I don’t take any joy in doing this,”
Openshaw said. “But you don’t sanction
behavior by not addressing (the issue).”
“If they didn’t do anything wrong, why
the spending?” Commissioner Tracy Kuehler
asked. “We’re talking about almost
$130,000. It’s not peanuts.”
According to documents obtained by
Union County Weekly, Wyatt & Blake
confirmed in three separate letters sent
March 6, 2008, that it had been hired by
the county to represent Pressley, Baucom
and Mills. On March 10, 2008, Mills
Letters to the editor
My name is Doug Hutton, and taking that
advice to heart, I’m running for District 6 on
the Stallings Town Council. At every level of
government – from Stallings all the way to
Washington – our elected officials have forgotten
that good government is of the people, by
the people, and most important, for the people.
And there’s no better place to put that principle
into action than where we live every day.
Our town is a fundamental part of who we
are and how we live. It’s the neighbors we invite
over for a cookout, police officers who keep
us safe, local businesses that lend us a hand.
That’s why I’m committed to making Stallings
a place where families want to raise their children,
where business owners have the opportunity
to grow and thrive, and where government
doesn’t stand in the way.
At a time when most families are tightening
their belts, Stallings passed a budget that
increased spending next year. That’s unacceptable.
It’s not the government’s money to spend
– it’s our money, and I firmly believe each of
us knows how best to spend it. As a council
member, you have my commitment to lower
taxes and lower spending, giving hardworking
families more money in their pocket.
Ultimately, the best government is your government,
one that reflects Stallings’ citizens.
And that’s why I admit I won’t always have the
answer to every problem – I’ll rely on you. As
I walk the town getting to know voters over
the next four months, let me know what’s on
your mind. Tell me how we can make Stallings
better for you without expanding government.
Send me your thoughts and concerns at voteforhutton@gmail.com
or www.voteforhutton.
com.
I encourage all of you to get involved – it’s
time to get off the sidelines and into the game,
making Stallings an even better place to live
and work. I look forward to the opportunity
to serve you, and ask for your Stallings Town
Council District 6 vote on Nov. 3.
Douglas Hutton
Stallings
Indian Trail residents seeing
council behavior
Considering what happened at the Indian
Trail Town Council Aug. 11 meeting, I’m
encouraged that the town council’s recent
actions may be getting our citizens’ attention.
Some 40 people attended and many sat in the
heat for well over two hours due to air conditioner
malfunction. The main topic was an
motioned to allow the county manager to
hire the attorneys for each commissioners’
defense.
Between then and Nov. 20, 2008 – the
day Wyatt & Blake said the FBI informed
the firm – it had closed the unconfirmed
investigation. Wyatt & Blake billed the
county for conversations with investigators,
and meetings with commissioners
and attorneys from Charlotte’s Poyner &
Spruill, which represented Union County
in the wrongful-termination suit filed by
former County Manager Mike Shalati.
Wyatt & Blake also billed the county for
time spent reviewing Shalati case documents.
That Baucom, Mills and Pressley voted
to approve the legal contracts doesn’t
make sense to at least one legal expert.
“Giving legal assistance is compensation,
ethics discussion, an agenda item requested by
Councilwoman Shirley Howe. Because of the
heat and large crowd, I asked that the ethics
item be moved up to an earlier point in the
meeting so folks wouldn’t have to endure the
heat while other routine issues were discussed.
In a 3-2 vote, the council opted to make the
people wait.
That night, the folks heard Mr. Schallenkamp
admit he initiated a behind-the-scenes
discussion among council members in which
they considered invoking a rarely, if ever, used
state statute to declare me mentally unfit to
be mayor and vote me out of office (so much
for ethics). The problem was that the statute
requires a unanimous council vote. The effort
apparently went no further after Councilman
Hullinger refused to go along with it. The
attendees saw for the first time what’s been
going on. Reactions from residents have been
mostly disbelief and outrage over the lack of
council professionalism and ethics.
The recent council action to ban me from
town hall and from speaking to the staff is
outrageous and un-American. I fear our staff
is now being intimidated and coerced. The
council believes I should back whatever they
decide to do. My job is not to put positive
spin on decisions council makes when I don’t
believe they’re in the taxpayers’ best interests.
My loyalty and commitment are to the people
of Indian Trail, not the town council.
I want to thank those who stood up during
the public comments and voiced their support,
including former Councilwoman Mercedes
Cass. It was great to hear people call for a citizen
ethics panel to review and monitor town
government. There’s a critical need for greater
citizen awareness of how council and staff
prioritize public projects and spending. Voters
ultimately have the power to make needed
changes in town hall. It’s critical that the two
vacating council seats be filled by candidates
with integrity, who care and will truly listen to
taxpayers.
Mayor John Quinn
Indian Trail
Stallings mayor out of line
You should relay the whole story before
you write as mayor (which last time I checked
should represent the town council view, not
your view). The mayor’s role was changed in
August 2005, check the town Web site, so
how can the current council (which weren’t
in office) know that you would be mayor? Did
they have a crystal ball?
Second, you want to endorse these candidates,
which is fine, but what if they don’t win?
What type of wedge will be there right from
the beginning? Or what if you don’t win and
these candidates do? Will resentment be there?
What type of message are you sending? What
will happen is the same old stuff – you and the
council will bicker and not get anything done,
where you beat a dead horse, micromanage
every decision and bottom line. Nothing is
accomplished.
We need sidewalks, turn lanes and more
commercial growth! Businesses need to come
to Stallings instead of being run out! This mayor
and council has not hardly accomplished anything
due to the above reasons. Get something
done already! Commit to something!
You mention having no personal or political
agendas. Before you point the finger, you need
to look in the mirror.
Thank you for making me aware of who to
vote for!
Shawna Steele
Stallings
TEA Party on Sept. 12
Do you feel you’re taxed enough already?
You’re invited to the next TEA Party on Saturday,
Sept. 12, at noon at the Historic Union County
Courthouse in Monroe, 300 N. Main St.
It should be an excellent event. The speakers
will be the best part, including Dr. Mike
Munger, professor of economics at Duke University
and Libertarian candidate for North
Carolina governor in 2008. Indian Trail Mayor
John Quinn will speak about fiscal responsibility.
Reid Pfeifer will talk about court and legal
fees and how this has affected our county taxes
over the years and those to come. President
Andrew Jackson will speak in costume ... plus
other fine speakers. You won’t be disappointed!
For the latest information, you can join our
Facebook group at “Union County TEA Party.”
You can e-mail any questions or thoughts to
UnionTEAParty@gmail.com.
We’ll also have a tent designated the
Candidates’ Corner (so) you can meet local
candidates who’ll be on your November ballot.
All local candidates are invited to attend.
Bring the kids, bring a sign and come have
a snow cone or hot dog.
Donna Shaver
Stallings
it is a benefit,” said Fleming Bell, legal
expert at the University of North Carolina
School of Government. Fleming added
that he’s unsure if a court would agree
commissioners received a “direct” financial
benefit. North Carolina General Statute
153A-44 states that commissioners
can’t vote on issues that allow for direct,
personal financial gain.
There is a statute that allows the county
to cover commissioners’ legal bills, but the
commissioners would’ve had to be charged
by the FBI for it to apply. Because none of
the three was named by the FBI, the county
may not have covered the legal bill without
the commissioners’ vote, Bell said.
James Blackburn, legal counsel for the
North Carolina Association of County
Commissioners, is responsible for the ethics
training required of newly elected commissioners.
He echoed Bell’s comment.
“Is that enough of a financial interest to
bring ethics charges? I’m not sure,” Blackburn
said.
“The real dispute is what do you do
when the majority of the board is involved
in a situation?” Blackburn said. “At a certain
point, the rule of necessity takes over
in order to get things done.”
In certain cases where there wouldn’t
otherwise be a quorum, Blackburn said,
commissioners have to vote regardless of
conflicts of interest. In Union County, a
quorum is three of five commissioners.
“There were a lot of allegations, a lot of
rumor, (but) through the investigation of
the FBI, none of the allegations or innuendos
were backed up,” Mills said. “They
did verify what we said all along: We didn’t
do anything wrong.” q
Page 10 • Sept. 4-10, 2009 • Union County Weekly
www.unioncountyweekly.com