Friends and Enemies | Eastern NC Now

    Publisher's note: This post, by Beaufort County Commissioner Hood Richardson, is the second part of a two part series.

    In a recent article titled "Do We Need Enemies With Friends Like These?", I explained how the Democrats have managed to keep control of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners when they have only two votes. Part of the answer is deal making with un principled Republicans and RINO's (Republicans In Name Only). Some members of the Beaufort County Republican Executive Committee are just as guilty. This is what happened in 2018.

    An effort was made by myself and Commissioner Deatherage to make sure the five Republican members of the Board elected a Republican chairman of the Beaufort County Board of County Commissioners.

    Beaufort County Republican Executive Committee approved a letter that was sent to commissioners Frankie Waters, Gary Brinn and Jerry Evans requesting that the five of us work together.. The Executive Committee appointed a committee consisting of Steve Rader and Paul Varcoe to oversee this effort.

    After all was said and done this effort failed. The Commissioners elected a Republican Chairman, Jerry Evans, and a Democrat Vice Chairman, Jerry Langley. .

    This effort failed because of sabotage from within the Rader and Varcoe committee. Paul Varcoe took exception to my serving in any capacity on the Board of Commissioners. Note that we never presented names, we only requested tha Republicans serve. Varcoe double crossed the board and even admitted to his disloyalty by sending an email to all the board members. If Varcoe could not carry out his duty to Republicans he should have resigned and allowed a loyal Republican to represent the Party.

    However, this behavior is in character for Varcoe who has a nasty disposition toward conservative Republicans and has always worked for the liberal RINO's. Politically Varcoe has a mean and uncooperative disposition and a bullying personality. It is time for the Beaufort County Republican party to clean up its act and rid its self of people whose personality is abrasive, disloyal and uncompromising.

    In order to justify his political back stabbing and deceit Varcoe produced a letter that is full falsehoods (pun intended). The first lie is that Commissioner Deatherage and my purpose was to elect Hood Richardson Chairman. That is not what the letter said. Beaufort County Now published the letter in my article last week We wanted two Republicans elected to leadership positions. We did not say who they had to be. Varcoe's email is reproduced below. You be the judge of how much of a liberal deceiver Varcoe is.

    Trust and Respect (Dated November 26, 2018)

    On Tuesday, November 13th, Commissioner Hood Richardson and Commissioner-Elect Stan Deatherage appeared at the Beaufort County Republican Committee to beg our support to help elect Commissioner Richardson as chair of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners. Their plea was that it was time to elect a different chairman and that it was Hood's turn because the "deserves" it. This reminds me of Hillary Clinton. I was asked as Vice Chair of the Party to visit the Republican commissioners to make a "deal". Hood would vote for another Republican commissioner this year and they would vote for Hood to be chairman the next year.

    I was quite surprised by the whole event and in an effort to establish party unity, I said yes to the request to convince the other commissioners to vote for Hood Richardson. Now, having had time to evaluate the situation I realize that I was being used by one faction of the party against the rest of the party. This isn't unity it's capitulation.

    Mr. Richardson is editor, or otherwise controls a newspaper that excoriates and demeans the commissioners every week. Particularly the Republican commissioners. He has also voted, successfully to put a Democrat in that position three times and I expect him to do so again. After 22 years for Hood and 18 years for Stan neither one has been voted chairman of the Board of Commissioners, WHY? Neither one has earned the trust or respect of the other commissioners. It's just that simple

    The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners is voted on by the seven commissioners. It is not my place to influence their vote nor will I attempt to do so.

    Every sentence in Varcoe's email is false and twisted. The truth is not in the man. Varcoe was not appointed, he volunteered. He had a motive when he volunteered.

    Conservatives take note. The precinct meetings are coming up on February 19th. The Beaufort County Convention is on March 19th. At the moment it looks like the liberals will take over the Republican Party unless conservatives rise up to defend themselves.