What kind of County Commissioner do we need? | Eastern North Carolina Now

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

Editor, Beaufort Observer

   To the editor.

    I recently saw a "flyer" supporting someone seeking to be a County Commissioner. He is not new to Beaufort County (claims to be having been born and raised here) but he is clearly new to politics in general and Beaufort County politics in particular. It is not clear that being indigenous to Beaufort County is such a big deal. It surely was not a "local" who did his homework a few years and then demanded honesty and accountability from those in charge of the farce that we called Economic Development. Every person in Beaufort County owes Warren Smith (who I believe came to us from Chicago) a debt of gratitude for his efforts and successes. And that goes to show you that wisdom, honesty, and hard work are not the sole purview of the indigenous..

    As near as I could tell, he is for "civility" and against Stan Deatherage and Keith Kidwell. Some platform...The newcomer claims to be a Republican. If he is, he would seem to be straight out of the Al Klemm (and before him, the good 'ole Jay McRoy) school of running for office in Beaufort County. Claim to be a Republican. Run as a Republican, Get elected as a Republican, then vote like a Democrat. So far we see the first two in the newcomer. Dare we chance repeats of our Al and Jay experience?

    The flyer spoke about the need to restore civility to the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners. He specifically found fault with Stan Deatherage and Keith Kidwell, both Republican candidates for Commissioner in this fall's mid­term election. He apparently considers straight talk as "bullying". Interesting that he seemed to overlook Hood Richardson ­ maybe because he isn't running this time around. It seems to me that you can always expect straight talk from Hood also. That would surely qualify him as a "bully" also.

    Anyone who has been around for more than a couple of Commissioner meetings (and has been paying attention) already knows that with Stan and Hood there is no need to parse anything that they say. When they say something, what they mean is clear. No if, ands, or buts.

    I have known Keith Kidwell for almost twenty years, and I can tell you without equivocation that likewise there is never any need to parse anything he says to get the meaning. He is outspoken and he is direct. Add to that, he is smart and he is honest. Those traits add up to an especially appealing candidate.

    If being outspoken and direct do constitute "bullying", I would argue that we need more of it from our County Commissioners. Save the "whipped cream" for the pastry shop.

    Respectfully,

     Jim Bispo