Thursday, January 10, 2008

Comment from a Commissioner?

The blog has found the comment forwarded by this person seems to represent the Commissioner's view in the proceedings of last Tuesday night. It speaks for it's self.

You have got to be kidding. Multiple times, names were called who either were not present, or the person who was called seemed surprised that they were on the list. Obviously, the pro-road forces were signing in for other people, which is against the rules.

Also, public comments are supposed to be limited to 3 mins or less. This simply was not followed by multiple speakers.

Linda Hogue, Mike Clampitt, Ellen Monteith, David Monteith, Mike Kesselring and a host of others all spoke. Clampitt spoke for far, far longer than his allotted time. Exactly who missed out? The leaders all seemed to get their shot, and in several cases, they abused the privilege, Clampitt in particular.

Finally, public comments are supposed to be limited to 30 mins total for a commissioners meeting. The commissioners let the comments run for far longer than this. They did not have to allow the comment time to continue, but they did. No one has any room to gripe that their voice did not have an opportunity to be heard last evening.

Mike Kesselring spoke about other communities making fun and ridiculing Swain County citizens. Your post here gives them just that much more ammunition - claiming that somehow last night you were denied an opportunity to talk and involking the Bill of Rights is beyond ridiculous. All that occurred last evening was that the county commissioners regular business was held up for hours while the same people made the same arguments that have been voiced time and time again.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would suggest that someone read what they're rules and procedures are.
Remember this old mountain saying. "before you pick up a club make sure it's the one you don't mind getting wooped with, it has two ends" it just might save you some embarrassment.

Anonymous said...

Does everybody understand that these are paid employees? If we've got a problem it's there problem. I or better you since I'm a new comer to the area have a real problem with this @$$hole attitude!
Was your last election for commissioners or kings and queens?

Anonymous said...

Well there is one King

Anonymous said...

to Hard Working Taxpayer-
You really have no idea what is going on. I don't know the exact figures, but a Commissioner's pay is somewhere around $3500 or so PER YEAR. For that amount of money they have been vilified, called names. threatened, and generally abused. These are folk just like me and you, and expecting people to live by the rules agreed to by all is not acting royally, it's being responsible.
I've personally seen the horse shit that Clampitt and others bring to these sessions. They have no official standing in these meetings, yet act like they do. The Commissioners have bent over backwards to be generous in allowing comment. You'll see me in the next meeting ask that they enforce the rules to prevent the kind of abuse as at the last meeting.

Anonymous said...

The horse shit is information and if you dont believe it thats ok. I think the Commissioners did allow a lot of leway and I guess thats their option to do so. to say citizens of the county have no official standing is also true, but at the same time it is up to the Chairman to see that rules are followed, is it not? perhaps we need to have anofficial time keeper and stick strictly to the time rule.

Anonymous said...

Looks like a mess.
But an attitude is an attitude no matter who's got a chip on their shoulder. As far as the pay. If somebody isn't doin it as a public service then there's no reason to be there.
The rules need to be followed though.
Just where do you keep the rules for the county meetings.

Anonymous said...

I am the author of the original post, and I am not a member of the county commission, or associated with them or the county government in any form. I am simply a member of our community.

While I almost always disagree with this positions taken on this blog, I must commend the person behind the website for their sense of fairness in reposting my comments, thus presenting both sides. I recognize that re-posting a comment that is not in the least bit flattering to ones self requires self confidence and fairness. So even though I disagree with you, on this occasion, I also salute you.

Anonymous said...

Most people who read or comment on "blogs" are the same ones who read all the comments that are written on the walls of a public restroom!!! Free speech " ain't it a hoot!!!!!

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous
that is strange you are talking about yourself, you are commenting on this blog. LOL

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