FRANKLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN
PARTY
101 WEST NASH STREET
P.O. BOX 909
LOUISBURG, NORTH CAROLINA 27549
(919) 496-1469
www.FranklinNCGOP.com
March 5, 2006
Taxpayers Praise Foy and
Lancaster:
'I admire Mr. Foy and Mr. Lancaster'
Asher on 'Grandstanding'
Grandstanding: Look who's accusing whom of grandstanding!
Well, Rev. Dunston, I've always heard it takes one to know one, but if
commissioners Harry Foy and Don Lancaster were "grandstanding"
by insisting that the paltry $2,888 of the $60,000 former Tax Collector Donnie
Rudd was ordered to repay be paid by residents who were "swindled" out of the
money, Franklin County would be better off with a few more leaders with tenacity
for what's right. -According to Asher Johnson, March 4, 2006 Franklin
Times
(The
following letters were published in the March 4 Franklin Times)
Commissioners need to be upfront with spending dollars
Dear Editor:
I have lived in seven different counties in our wonderful state of North
Carolina, and have worked and/or operated businesses in those counties.
I have never lived or worked in a county that the governing bodies operate as
they do in Franklin County.
As a taxpayer, I have the right, and I believe it is a legal responsibility of
the county to allow me to know, just what my taxpayer money is spent for, and
how much spent.
It seems that our commissioners, and our county attorney, are reluctant to allow
the citizens of Franklin County to have the facts on the money that has been
spent on the NETSTAR fiasco.
Their reluctance brings about what many suspicions, the first which is
dishonesty, which I sincerely do not believe is present here, because I firmly
believe that all of our representatives are honest and honorable men.
My belief is that these monies have either been misappropriated, of foolishly
appropriated, and the people, (commissioners) are reluctant to let the citizens
know about their actions.
Our commissioners seem to want to hide their actions behind some state statute
that they know the majority of citizens have no knowledge of. This is a serious
problem in Franklin County, and if the presiding commissioners do not realize
this, and work to correct it, then they need to be replaced, one and all.
Also, if the request by Mr. Foy, that a past employee of the county be held
responsible to uphold a court ruling could be viewed as "grandstanding" by the
commissioners chairman, then my personal view is that all of our commissioners
should begin "grandstanding."
All citizens of Franklin County need to get involved in these activities and
demand that we are kept aware of everything that goes on in our county,
especially where, and for what, our taxpayer money is spent.
I admire Mr. Foy and Mr. Lancaster for their determination to see that
the law is upheld. I might add, in closing, that I pay more taxes in Franklin
County than I have ever paid in any county that I have lived in, and in many of
those counties, I paid city and county taxes. Here, I only pay county taxes.
Billy O. Williams
Louisburg
The following letter writer agrees with the Franklin County Republican Party's
stance on the school being voted on in November.
Time for taxpayers to stand up
Dear Editor:
The school bond is the hot topic of the day and the possibility that it will put
Franklin County $100 million in debt. That sounds like an awful lot of money for
a county without much of an industrial base. And forgive me but recent events
such as Katrina have not really made me feel confident our local, state, and
national government officials know, or care, what they do constructively for the
hard working tax payers.
From our newspaper, the maladies of poor or ill advised planning, lack of
planning, and plain furtive tactics are existent in our own county. Look at
NETSTAR and the revelation that payment of $147,000 is, or has, been made to Ben
Barrick, an employee of the Sheriff's department hired by Sheriff Jones. As you
have read, Sheriff Jones signed an unauthorized buy/lease agreement for the
county to own the NETSTAR helicopter.
Next we read about the implementation of the 911 system and its failings.
According to a recent newspaper article, the work for the system was done per
contract but it did not meet the needs of the emergency community. Now we, the
always stalwart taxpayers, are asked to pick up an additional $83,200 tab to fix
the problems. The planners for this system didn't do an adequate job. Sheriff
Jones is quoted as saying: "I'll be the first to say that you learn from your
mistakes... and we've learned from this and the end users will be included in
the process."
Thanks Sheriff, we have no problem picking up the extra tab of $83,200 for poor
planning. Well, so far we've got about a quarter of a million dollars that we
might have had to use for education but it's been poured down a rat-hole. Come
to your own conclusions about how to save money in the future for the county.
Then we have [superintendent] Dr. L'Homme quickly dispensing with the idea of
saving money by going to a year round school calendar. Dr. L'Homme sounds a bit
cavalier when he says that savings would be miniscule and temporary and would
have to be balanced against rising utility costs necessary to run schools year
round. That sounds like the drivel we get from politicians when it sounds good
on the surface but when examined more closely, has little or no substantiation.
Since Wake County came up with a 4 cent savings in taxes by going to a year
round schedule, are we saying our Franklin County folks aren't as smart? Then
let's get the smart Wake County folks to show us how it's done.
Dr. L'Homme also flippantly states that the issue of year round school has been
discussed with parents and they don't support it. OK, where are your statistics
to back it up? How many parents have contacted about this issue? Does it
consitute a reasonable sample? Give us some facts... not some worthless drivel!
Furthermore, if the collective body of taxpayers decide that a year round school
is the best option then those who want an education had better get adjusted to
the change.
We must not let the politicians decide this for us; we the taxpayers, must
regain control of the issue.
What happened to the impact fees that were being considered as a source of
additional revenue?
Franklin County is in the top 10-15 fastest growing counties. Why should
developers wallow in this "gold mine" without having to pay for additional
infrastructure, roads, and schools?
An impact fee should be assessed. Even if passed onto the consumer, if this is
such a desirable area people will still move here (and right now it seems this
area is a magnet for all of the other 49 states).
I fully support the stance of the Franklin County Republican Party to explore
financial alternatives for the bond other than raising taxes and we should not
be rushed into a decision. We need the facts and time to debate them. Somne of
the actions that can be taken in the meantime include [finance director] Chuck
Murray using a tactic borrowed from industry by going to each responsible party
with a line item in the budget and declaring that each will get 15 percent less
in the next year.
Managers should be directed to find ways to be more efficient and to reduce
expenses to maintain equivalent levels of service. Recycle paper clips and
rubber bands if you have to.
Conduct process improvement sessions and improve your operations. When have you
seen any publicity on a governmental entity improving its processes?
The school bond issue is major for the county. It deserves careful and
deliberate debate and deserve facts.
Elections are coming up and in one way or another we have an opportunity to
influence events in a more favorable direction, not only in regard to the school
bond but in putting people in office who are competent and who exercise their
duties honestly and who, by their actions, regain our confidence.
Stan Whitlow
Franklinton