Things That Make Noise in the Night, Part V | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Publisher's note: This is the continued train of thought from Commissioner Richardson's piece published previously.

    Primary election votes are a lot more valuable than general election votes, especially in local elections. There are several reasons. There are about one third more Democrats registered than Republicans. So a Republican vote goes further toward selecting a candidate than a Democrat vote. The unaffiliated voters who can vote in either the Democrat or Republican primary have a lot of power in selecting a strong candidate from either party. Unaffiliated voters can also get in a double lick by voting for the weaker candidate in the opposite party to help their favored candidate in the general election. A good example would be for an unaffiliated to vote for a weak Democrat in order to help the Republican ticket. Don't let this thinking keep you from voting. If all reasoning fails just vote for the person you like best.

    There are some important things to vote for this year. The Beaufort County Gang of Five invented the self tax when they offered to reduce your property taxes if you vote for their sales tax increase. Let us use simple logic. Why would anyone vote to increase his taxes? Also, within the complexities of Beaufort County Taxes and timing there is no way you will ever know whether or not you got any tax reduction. Do the smart thing and vote NO on the sales tax increase.

    Arthur Williams and Jerry Evans are sending those slick, multi-colored mailers. Where is that money coming from? In Williams case it is coming from Democrats? He is using the old money he was given by former Democrat supporters. And, he is also using the new money he collected from RINO's, unaffiliated voters and Democrats. We don't know enough about Evans to know where his money is coming from but he last associated with Democrats and his behavior has not made him any new Republican friends. It is a strange world when Democrats can pose a threat in a Republican primary. Is it any wonder we have a RINO problem. Vote NO on Williams and Evans.

    A strange thing happened at he Third District Republican convention on Saturday, April 21. Thom Tillis the Republican Speaker of the House was supposed to be the keynote speaker. He did not show up. Would you have shown up if you knew the Beaufort County Republican Executive Committee passed a resolution to be sent to Tillis and our fearless State Party Chairman saying that the executive committee will not support Democrats recruited solely by the Raleigh leadership who win primary elections. Arthur Williams and Jerry Evans have announced they have the support of the Raleigh leadership but did not even approach the local Republican leadership. The convention was held at the Beaufort County Community College. So, if Tillis showed up, Williams would have to also show up. I am not sure Tillis, Williams and Evans wanted to show up and face 15 irate local Republicans in front of 185 other conservative Eastern North Carolina Republicans. Tillis, Evans and Williams did the smart thing and stayed away. The Raleigh leadership needs to wise up or they will be the first Republican big shots to face mutiny. Vote for Mattie Lawson against Williams, and Bill Cook against Evans. Do not let the Raleigh power brokers pick your political representatives.

    One of the things I have learned to be careful about are people who seem to work extra hard to convince me they have special character traits. Chances are they do not have those traits. Jay McRoy, Larry Britt, Arthur Williams and Jerry Evans simply cannot say "hello" without following with how conservative of a Republican they are. Is "conservative" a dirty word. You bet it is, when it is misused by these people.