Have a question you’d like to ask Mooresville's town board? Here’s your chance:
"Citizens for Responsible Government" has invited Mooresville commissioners to join area residents in a “Town Hall meeting” on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 6-8:30 p.m. in the youth services room of the Mooresville Public Library.
Local pastor Larry Green -- founder of Citizens for Responsible Government -- organized the Town Hall meeting and plans to moderate the event. In addition to general topics "related to the welfare and leadership of our town," Green said, specific topics up for discussion will include Cops for Kids; the town’s hiring of engineering firm CH2M Hill for the expansion of the Rocky River Wastewater Treatment Plant; the town’s purchase of the bankrupt Adelphia cable system (MI-Connection) and a potential recall option.
Of Mooresville’s six commissioners, three have responded to Green’s invitation. Commissioners Chris Carney and Miles Atkins said they plan to attend, while Commissioner Mitch Abraham said he has a conflict that night with another previously scheduled meeting. Additionally, Abraham said he has “church committments (sic) on Wednesday evenings.”
However, he told Green: “If I am able to move the other meeting, I will notify you of my intentions.”
Referencing the open meetings law, Abraham said, “I will also yield to the other commissioners for the reason that if 3 or more of us are gathered at the same place for purposes other than social, it may be considered an official meeting and I believe that may involve town staff be involved for record keeping purposes.” Abraham referred Green to Town Attorney Steve Gambill for a “ruling.”
Carney, responding to Green’s invitation, wrote: “I will be happy to attend and look forward to answering questions from the citizens of Mooresville.
“Also,” Carney added, “I welcome the opportunity to explain any decisions I have made or my position on existing issues facing Mooresville.”
If you have a question you'd like to ask, you can submit it in advance by contacting Green at 704-746-8674 or by e-mailing it to him at admin@cfrgm.org.
Event organizers will consolidate the questions into “thematic units,” said Green, “ to avoid repetition and to promote as much public involvement as possible.”
Green plans to follow a meeting agenda, which includes three-minute statements from each commissioner and a moderator-controlled Q&A session using your previously submitted questions. Commissioners, said Green, will have one minute to respond to each question. If time permits, Green said he will allow questions from the floor, with first priority given to those who did not previously submit questions. Those in attendance who did previously submit questions will be limited to one “open-floor” question, he said.
Green said a video of the Town Hall meeting – as well as the text of all responses – will be made available online at http://www.cfrgm.org/.
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343 comments:
1 – 200 of 343 Newer› Newest»Will there be a lynching or burning at the stake following this event? Or, with Rev Green officiating, I suppose a crucifiction would be appropriate.
Well, first of all -- that would be crucifixion -- and no, there will be none of that.
There may, however, be a hanging of the Greens. I, personally, detest that phrase, but that's just my personal opinion.
This isn't about lynching anyone or going after anyone. This is about having a conversation with our elected officials.
1:36 pm What an absurd and defensive question. Since when can Mooresville citizens not ask questions of their public officials without it being characterized in abhorrent terms like "lynching" or "burning at the stake". Incidentally, one of these disgusting terms refers to historic torture of African Americans, and the other term refers to historic torture of women accused of "witchcraft". Whoever you are who chose such terms - you are an embarrassment to this community.
There is no longer any room for such dangerous rhetoric and insidious muzzling of the citizens of Mooresville.
Pastor Green, you are great. Taking this all in stride and having fun with it. There needs to me more people out there like you with your sense of honor for your community and your sense of humor through out this...keep on keepin on
1:36pm
It's time for your meds. Your daily outing on the computer has come to an end. Time to return to your room. Tell Rader we all said hello
Is this going to be another one of those meetings where you all ask the same question 376 times? Hopefully Ms. Gatton will go on to the doctor and have Miles Atkins head removed from her buttocks for the evening so he can join in the discussion.
Actually, I think the idea is a good one, so long as things are constructive.
I would like to see a little more integrity come out of Rev Green though. He asked his parishioners to pray for John Crone, his wife and family. Yet he says nothing when people come on here to either outright threaten him or to bash him and/or his wife. Inaction is as bad as offending action, when you attempt to take the role of a leader.
I applaud your meeting, but abhor your methodologies and your tactics. Act like the man of God you are supposed to be.
September 29, 2008 3:11 PM
I hope that whoever shows up does not accept lies for answers. If that takes asking the same question a thousand times, so be it.
As for who's head is stuck to who's butt, perhaps you should first remove yours from the collective butts of the RATS, and then you can start pointing your fingers...
GG PeePee is one to talk about somebody having their head up Gatton's butt.GG PeePee is Gatton's biggest fan.He can't tear himself away from this blog.Methinks GG PeePee has a short man complex.Picking on girls makes him feel more manly.
I am sorry if the references to lynchings and burning at the stake offends anyone. I looked the words up in the dictionary and Webster does not make any mention of racism or sexism in the definitions. I'm not sure how I should check to see what words offend you. Is there a special dictionary I should be using? Or then perhaps it's just your own prejudice and bias.
Okay 3:22, you are very quick to judge the Rev. Larry Green. Do you know him personally??? Spend large lots of time working with him??? And how do you know that he asked his parishioners to pray for the ex-chief's family??? Was that published somewhere, I didn't see it or hear about it. But he is right, we should be praying for his family. Unfortunately, we can only control our actions, not the actions of others...and any good leader will tell you that. Since this is a public blog, anyone can make any comment they like,including you. Just don't expect us all to support your opinions and slandering of Larry Green, when you won't even identify yourself or where you get your facts. The simple truth of the matter is that "If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem." Tell me which category do you fit into?? No, I'm not judging you. I'm only pointing out the obvious. Besides, the last time I checked, there's only been one perfect man in the history of the world, hard to believe it, but we somehow managed to crucify him. So get off your high horse and stop criticizing people who are attempting to solve the problems, which are so prominently displayed in our town.
The Mooresvillian
Hey Mooresvillian, that was a pretty good post. Those that are toutingg themselves as leaders have a deeper responsibility. Rev Green is the sole director of the Citizens for responsible government. He posts on this site and helps incite some very rabid posts against some pretty good men and women. He then adds fuel to the fire and does not ask for calm or peace. You can't incite riots on saturday and pray for forgiveness on sunday. Well, I suppose you can do anything you want to. But I mean that you can't do that and get away with it.
I don't know the man that well, but I know his character from his online posts. I'm not impressed with how he has handled himself and the bloggers this summer. I'm actually quite disappointed in him. AS I am in Atkins as well. Atkins also just fans the fire and does not care about the casualties.
well regardless of how you feel about them 445 larry green is putting on a meeting that miles atkins has agreed to attend so that he can hear complaints like yours.so maybe you can come on out and let mr atkins hear your voice thanks to larry green.how exactly does this make them bad people?i am disappointed in you.
5:07, i guess some people don't mind how we get there, as long as the outcome justifies the means. My argument is that you can achieve the same outcome without losing integrity along the way. If you can't, then it is not worth it.
the dictionary defines integrity as firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.incorruptibility.larry green has no place in the discussion because larry green is a private citizen who is doing nothing more than expressing his opionion the same way you are.as for miles atkins he is the definition of integrity at least in what i have seen of him.so maybe we just have to agree to disagree on integrity.and i do hope that you attend the library meeting since atkins has agreed to be there.maybe instead of griping about him on here you could address your concerns straight to him and give him the opportunity to respond.at least larry green does that.he doesnt just complain on this blog.he actually contacts the people who hes complaining about.i have alot of respect for him for that.thanks for listening to my opinion.
Congratulations 1:36! You have graduated from lurking in the shadows and attacking constructive well-meaning posters to being a totally aggressive ass. You are the man! First post on the new article!
Yes I said ass. That isn't "name-calling" that is just stating a fact. And I can win a debate with any reasonable person. Problem is, you aren't reasonable.
As for the attack on Rev. Green. You can toss up your "What Would Jesus Do" crap all day. It is a bunch of modern day religious rhetoric. As I recall Jesus sat down, braided a whip and cleared out the temple. He also jumped all over the Pharisees EVERY chance he got. They were pompous and hypocritical like some of our government leaders and he called them out on it.
As for Rev. Green not coming on here and soothing things over, Jesus also said not to "throw your pearls to swine." They'll just trample them in the mud. If Green did try some kind words on here, I'm sure that is just what you would do.
As for your references to lynchings and burning at the stake, the terms themselves weren't offensive. You know you intended to offend by painting a picture of a bunch of rabid slobering idiots attacking town hall.
I'm not even going to address the rest of your crap. Just wanted to give you public recognition you have long desired for being the best at what you do. You are the man. Nobody on here could even come close to being as big of an ass as you.
If the above posts were the work of more than one person, sorry to exclude you. Pick up your award on the way out.
As for the assinine childish response that I know is coming... Chiiiiirp, chiiiiiirp!
As for the meeting, the real reason we are here; sounds like an opportunity for some good thought out questioning. I do agree if you don't get an answer to a question, move on. You'll either get an answer or not. A dodged question speaks volumns.
Time Traveler
One more thing. I wasn't speaking for Rev. Greene. He is his own person with his own answers. Just telling how I see it if I was him.
Time Traveler
Time Traveler..... I did not post at 1:36, but you are combining some of my statements with other people. Again, there is more than one of us. Try not to morph us into one person.
The Pathetic Poster's officially the busiest man in show business, typing with hands AND feet, morphing himself. On top of that he wants us to believe that the words "lynching" and "burning at stake" do NOT have sexist and racial overtones. Truly and predictably pathetic. But, come on, what more can one expect from a crook lover?
"Us" defined:
1.The two people who resort to mud slinging against private citizens because they don't have a factual basis for their own beliefs and they can't refute even one of the facts that have been reported about C4K
2.Includes the person that got on here and admitted to lying about Larry Green
3.The two people that used words like burning at the stake and lynching and disgusting analogies about a councilman's head being up someone's buttocks
4.The two people that attack a preacher and defend Frank Rader and John Crone
5.Includes the person who is more concerned with the amount of money Jamie Gatton (the blogger) makes than the tax dollars being stolen from our pockets right in front of our eyes.
6.The two people who hide behind anon and attack people who stand in the front lines and put their name on everything they do.
7.The person who questions Miles Adkins and Larry Green's integrity but think everybody should lay off of John Crone because well he's a swell guy and therefore shouldn't have to follow his own rules.
Gosh, I'd be too embarassed to be in the "us" category to admit it. Sorry in advance for morphing the two of you into one another but it's really hard to tell one bumbling anonymous imposter oops I mean post-er from the other. Maybe one of you could distinguish yourself from the other by talking about some facts and some of the issues that everybody else is talking about.
7:18... Once again you display your ignorance with a pathetic response. I quote:
Time Traveler..... I did not post at 1:36, but you are combining some of my statements with other people. Again, there is more than one of us. Try not to morph us into one person.
Here's what I said in the post you were responding to:
"If the above posts were the work of more than one person, sorry to exclude you. Pick up your award on the way out."
You must be really upset that the investigation is not going your way. You are like a 3 year old throwing yourself on the internet floor and demanding that everybody listen to your tiny taunts.
This meeting witht he public is a great thing. Your BS isn't going to ruin it.
Back to the meeting and just a suggestion. We all know the dark side reads this BLOG, yes even Radar who claims not.
Why not pre-post the questions on here that we might want to ask at the meeting instead of blindsiding them. Yeah, it will give them a chance to bone up ahead of time, but it will also give them a chance to get their heads together and consider the ramifications of any mistruths as well.
Just a thought, might not be a good one.
Time Traveler
Mr. Green, thank you for putting this meeting together for us citizens. Since only 2 town board commissioners are going to be there, do you have to be so strict with the rules? Are you open to input from the citizens? If so, I have a suggestion. I don't think the commissioner's responses should be limited to 1 minute because some of the questions are going to deserve more than 1 minute for an answer. Also if I'm at the meeting and have a question and the commissioner answers and I have a question about their answer, then I won't be able to ask it. Can't this be more like an informal meeting, or (like you said) a conversation, with a couple of commissioners and then you jump in if it gets out of hand, which I don't think it will? To do anything else really restricts the commissioners and the citizens.
Larry, did you invite the irrelevant mayor?
I dedicate this song to Pathetic Poster GG doodoo eater.
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bradpaisley/online.html
oops forgot to sign again.
signed
rayray
Looking at the past few posts, one has to wonder what these people are like in their lives. Are they completely sour with their families? Are they sarcastic and bitter with their employers, and that is jumping to a huge conclusion that they are employed. What is this fascination with a 'pathetic poster"?
What's your fascination with "these people's" personal lives? Is their family life or work life any of your business?
Nope, it doesn't make one have to wonder. I don't wonder. I don't even wonder what the bad guys do in their personal time. All that matters to me is what my employees (that would be TOWN EMPLOYEES) do on MY dime.
Overlook my suggestion about pre-posting comments. I have had time now to read over the article in detail and see that there are provisions for submitting questions in advance.
Also, I see the matter of repetition has been addresses as well. very good ya'll got your ducks in a row!
Time Traveler
Well........10:27's post made me wonder. After alot of thought I have come to realize that I am not sour with my family.....because I love them and they treat me well most times. I am not sarcastic and bitter with my employer cause hell even she ain't that bad. It's just crooked politicians and their cheerleaders that I don't like. I hope that answers your question. =-)
All the commissioners and the mayor have been invited. To date, I have only heard from Abraham, Carney, and Atkins. There has been no response from Thunberg, Rader, Herring, or Houston.
If it turns out that Carney and Atkins are the only available elected officials willing/able to converse with the citizens, then I'll work with them to see if they'd be willing to alter the style of meeting to allow more conversation and less time constraints, with the caveat that we are able to afford as much participation from as many people as possible.
The structure of the meeting is designed to allow as many as possible to participate, to prevent, as much as possible, monopolizing time by any single person, and to attempt to not have repetitious questions.
I, personally, don't have a problem with posting questions ahead of time. All of the questions will be printed and made available for review at the meeting so that folks can see how they were categorized -- though I will not share personal identifiers of those submitting questions. For that matter, folks are more than welcome to post questions on this blog and I'll consolidate them into one list.
My hope is that other commissioners will want to engage the public in an open and honest discussion of the concerns which are of importance to all of us. I would encourage all of you to contact your elected officials and encourage them to attend and to be part of this process.
Respect is a two-way street. In our system, it is not something that is owed to government officials by private citizens. It is something very precious that must be earned and then maintained with great care.
Public officials are being offered a rare opportunity here to earn the respect of citizens by being open, honest and accountable. Recent events leave little doubt that healing needs to take place in our town.
Robust discourse is a healthy and necessary component of any relationship. The lack of such discourse has led to the manifestation of many of the problems our community faces today.
Meetings such as the one Reverend Larry Green is organizing could go a long way toward rebuilding the trust and confidence of the people of this community.
That trust and confidence could then lead to a mutual and sustained respect between public officials and citizens.
10:52, there you go again jumpin to conclusions that there are crooked politicians. The only one who is under investigation is Crone. And no charges have been filed. He has not been able to tell his side of the story. He won't et that chance until/if he is ever charged with anything. Pretty sure that all his files and paperwork would be inaccessible to him and in his office.
I don't like crooks any more than you do. I especially dislike crooked politicians and employees. But, I am not the judge. The State and the Feds will look into that to see if a judge even needs to be involved by way of an arrest and trial.
Until then, I adhere to one of the greatest things we as Americans have..... innocence until proven guilty. I know I know, you have all the evidence you need. Give me a break.
Fariba, this is a show. Larry Green, Miles Atkins and Jaime are all buddies. This is a farce.
well i guess I'm out of the loop.is gg peepee the current colloquial name for gg allin or have i missed a thread entirely?
My my my, 11:22. I say crooked and there you go jumpin to conclusions that I'm talkin about Crone. You know what they say about friends like you.....just between me and you, I think they'd rather you keep quiet.
Hey 4:45
I understand you want calm, but hasn't it dawned on you yet that WE ARE the casualties and that's what has everyone so riled up? How dare anyone accuse Miles Atkins of anything other than trying to seek the truth. He is a fine man not to mention a perfect gentleman. He is very thorough in his research and very passionate about the truth.
Miles has my complete allegiance and confidence, so does Mac Herring.
I can't understand why the good folks of Mooresville can't understand there are a few who are actually LISTENING to us and standing up for the good of the voters for a change instead of pursuing their own clandestine agendas.
Fariba, this is a show. Larry Green, Miles Atkins and Jaime are all buddies. This is a farce., says 11:24, otherwise known as the conspiracy theorist.........
11:22....bobbob, is that you???
11:24 PM Do you REALLY think you're going to hoodwink somebody like Fariba Homesly?
You have to wonder whether Rev Green, Atkins and Fariba really want to build up trust between public officials and the community, or whether they want to disturb it? What is the agenda?
.....and the plot thickens. Now Fariba H. is part of the Atkins/Gatton/Green/fired cop conspiracy.
Should have guessed. Anybody who has the guts to sign their name to posts here--hell even those like the fired cop that hasn't even posted here--become part of the conspiracy.......
Good grief. Give me a break.
If you want peace, prepare for war....
I don't believe there is a conspiracy between them. I think they all have their own individual agendas. I have read numerous posts from Fariba with her "outrage" of actions by public officials. I don't have insight into all her accusations, but I do for some and she was so far off it wasn't even funny. I am sure that I sound pessimistic to some on here, but you have to understand my position. If I did not know what I know, I would be right there with the rest of you. There is not that big a difference as you think. But when I see the outrage and big mouth from people like Fariba, it makes me wonder. Is she just reactionary to what is reported or does she have an agenda. You have to wonder. Here is a woman, who along with her husband, contributed almost $5000 to Hillary Clinton this year. It's clear that they are pretty liberal.... you don't get any more liberal than Hillary Clinton.
Real politicians can defend their votes and positions anytime, anywhere. People with something to hide, usually hide, and most times behind the law. The people in Mooresville have been stalled with "personnel" more times than I can remember, and we will see which politicians have the guts to answer their votes while in office.
Hey Commissioners, if you don't have anything to hide, show up. I know, it is kind of scary to know that you may be exposed as a liar in a public forum, but if you can defend it, show up, please.
THE PERSONNEL FILE: COMMENTARY ON PERSONNEL LAW ISSUES OF INTEREST TO LAW ENFORCEMENT MANAGERS
North Carolina Justice Academy
Volume 3 Number 10
October 2002
Reviewed May 2005
A SHOWING THAT A CLAIMANT IS MERELY UNABLE TO PERFORM SOME PARTICULAR MANUAL WORK TASK IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO ESTABLISH DISABILITY UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
THE REASON FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION TAKEN AGAINST A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE IS GENERALLY NOT A PUBLIC RECORD UNDER THE PERSONNEL PRIVACY ACT
N.C.G.S. §§153A-98 and 160A-168
Access to the personnel files of public employees in North Carolina is regulated by the Personnel Privacy Act (the "Act"), set forth in G.S. §§ 153A-98 (for county employees) and 160A-168 (for municipal employees). The Act makes certain very limited information contained in the employee's personnel file a public record. G.S. §§ 153A-98(b) and 160A-168(b) provide that the following is a public record as to each employee: "name; age; date of original employment or appointment to the service; current position title; current salary; date and amount of the most recent increase or decrease in salary; date of the most recent promotion, demotion, transfer, suspension, separation or other change in position classification; and the office to which the employee is currently assigned." (State government employers should note that a similar provision regarding the personnel files of State employees is set forth in G.S. § 126-23).
All other information contained in an employee's personnel file is confidential and is not subject to disclosure to the public. Among the confidential information contained in an employee's personnel file is the reason for an employment action regarding that employee. The fact that an employee was promoted, demoted, transferred, suspended separated, or subjected to some other change in position classification, and the date on which that action occurred is a public record, but the reason for such action is not.
The Act sets forth a mechanism for disclosing the reason for a personnel action involving an employee, but only if certain procedures are followed. G.S. §§ 153A-98(c)(7) and 160A-168(c)(7) provide that the county or city manager with concurrence of the governing board (or the governing board itself in counties or cities not having a manager) "may inform any person of the employment or non-employment, promotion, demotion, suspension or other disciplinary action, reinstatement, transfer or termination of a county or city employee and the reasons for that personnel action." Before releasing such information, however, the manager (or board) "shall determine in writing that the release is essential to maintaining public confidence in the administration of county or city services or to maintaining the level and quality of county or city services." This written determination is, itself, a public record. (State government employers should note that there is a similar, but not identical provision regarding State employees set forth in G.S. § 126-24).
It is important to note that this statutory procedure is generally the only valid means to publicly disclose the reason for disciplinary action taken against a public employee (unless there is some other exception to the Act in effect, such as a valid waiver executed by the employee, or a proper court order directing release of the information). For example the chief of a municipal police department generally has no independent authority to disclose the reason for disciplinary action taken against an employee. It is therefore strongly recommended that agency counsel be consulted before any release of such information regarding an employee.
This article is for general instructional purposes only and does not constitute a "legal decision" as that term is used at 1 NCAC 8G.0402(II). As always, officers are urged to consult agency legal counsel or the Attorney General's Office in Raleigh for "legal decisions of exceptional consequence."
§ 160A‑168. Privacy of employee personnel records.
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 132‑6 or any other general law or local act concerning access to public records, personnel files of employees, former employees, or applicants for employment maintained by a city are subject to inspection and may be disclosed only as provided by this section. For purposes of this section, an employee's personnel file consists of any information in any form gathered by the city with respect to that employee and, by way of illustration but not limitation, relating to his application, selection or nonselection, performance, promotions, demotions, transfers, suspension and other disciplinary actions, evaluation forms, leave, salary, and termination of employment. As used in this section, "employee" includes former employees of the city.
(b) The following information with respect to each city employee is a matter of public record: name; age; date of original employment or appointment to the service; the terms of any contract by which the employee is employed whether written or oral, past and current, to the extent that the city has the written contract or a record of the oral contract in its possession; current position title; current salary; date and amount of the most recent increase or decrease in salary; date of the most recent promotion, demotion, transfer, suspension, separation, or other change in position classification; and the office to which the employee is currently assigned. For the purposes of this subsection, the term "salary" includes pay, benefits, incentives, bonuses, and deferred and all other forms of compensation paid by the employing entity. The city council shall determine in what form and by whom this information will be maintained. Any person may have access to this information for the purpose of inspection, examination, and copying, during regular business hours, subject only to such rules and regulations for the safekeeping of public records as the city council may have adopted. Any person denied access to this information may apply to the appropriate division of the General Court of Justice for an order compelling disclosure, and the court shall have jurisdiction to issue such orders.
(c) All information contained in a city employee's personnel file, other than the information made public by subsection (b) of this section, is confidential and shall be open to inspection only in the following instances:
(1) The employee or his duly authorized agent may examine all portions of his personnel file except (i) letters of reference solicited prior to employment, and (ii) information concerning a medical disability, mental or physical, that a prudent physician would not divulge to his patient.
(2) A licensed physician designated in writing by the employee may examine the employee's medical record.
(3) A city employee having supervisory authority over the employee may examine all material in the employee's personnel file.
(4) By order of a court of competent jurisdiction, any person may examine such portion of an employee's personnel file as may be ordered by the court.
(5) An official of an agency of the State or federal government, or any political subdivision of the State, may inspect any portion of a personnel file when such inspection is deemed by the official having custody of such records to be inspected to be necessary and essential to the pursuance of a proper function of the inspecting agency, but no information shall be divulged for the purpose of assisting in a criminal prosecution (of the employee), or for the purpose of assisting in an investigation of (the employee's) tax liability. However, the official having custody of such records may release the name, address, and telephone number from a personnel file for the purpose of assisting in a criminal investigation.
(6) An employee may sign a written release, to be placed with his personnel file, that permits the person with custody of the file to provide, either in person, by telephone, or by mail, information specified in the release to prospective employers, educational institutions, or other persons specified in the release.
(7) The city manager, with concurrence of the council, or, in cities not having a manager, the council may inform any person of the employment or nonemployment, promotion, demotion, suspension or other disciplinary action, reinstatement, transfer, or termination of a city employee and the reasons for that personnel action. Before releasing the information, the manager or council shall determine in writing that the release is essential to maintaining public confidence in the administration of city services or to maintaining the level and quality of city services. This written determination shall be retained in the office of the manager or the city clerk, and is a record available for public inspection and shall become part of the employee's personnel file.
(c1) Even if considered part of an employee's personnel file, the following information need not be disclosed to an employee nor to any other person:
(1) Testing or examination material used solely to determine individual qualifications for appointment, employment, or promotion in the city's service, when disclosure would compromise the objectivity or the fairness of the testing or examination process.
(2) Investigative reports or memoranda and other information concerning the investigation of possible criminal actions of an employee, until the investigation is completed and no criminal action taken, or until the criminal action is concluded.
(3) Information that might identify an undercover law enforcement officer or a law enforcement informer.
(4) Notes, preliminary drafts and internal communications concerning an employee. In the event such materials are used for any official personnel decision, then the employee or his duly authorized agent shall have a right to inspect such materials.
(c2) The city council may permit access, subject to limitations they may impose, to selected personnel files by a professional representative of a training, research, or academic institution if that person certifies that he will not release information identifying the employees whose files are opened and that the information will be used solely for statistical, research, or teaching purposes. This certification shall be retained by the city as long as each personnel file examined is retained.
(d) The city council of a city that maintains personnel files containing information other than the information mentioned in subsection (b) of this section shall establish procedures whereby an employee who objects to material in his file on grounds that it is inaccurate or misleading may seek to have the material removed from the file or may place in the file a statement relating to the material.
(e) A public official or employee who knowingly, willfully, and with malice permits any person to have access to information contained in a personnel file, except as is permitted by this section, is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and upon conviction shall only be fined an amount not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00).
(f) Any person, not specifically authorized by this section to have access to a personnel file designated as confidential, who shall knowingly and willfully examine in its official filing place, remove or copy any portion of a confidential personnel file shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and upon conviction shall only be fined in the discretion of the court but not in excess of five hundred dollars ($500.00). (1975, c. 701, s. 2; 1981, c. 926, ss. 1‑4; 1993, c. 539, ss. 1084, 1085; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 2007‑508, s. 7.)
The Homesely family is entitled to contribute to any candidate they please during an election, because that is our system. I don't think anyone that opposes the current town government wants a redistibution of wealth to the masses as the socialists would prefer, they are just tired of "no comment" or "personnel" when they ask "Why?" Lets not forget, government exists to serve the people that created it; to keep order and handle large jobs that we can't perform individually, not to exist for the few to financially benefit from the labors of the masses via tax dollars. By the way, did anyone ask the Homeseleys how much they contributed to charity? I bet it is more than $5K. If Fariba has an agenda to have open and honest government in Mooresville, I will be more than happy to work on her campaign for Commissioner- at -Large when Frank's seat comes up, as a matter of fact, I hope she does run.(Frank always hated being beaten by a "girl.")
10:37 Dear Commissioners,
I impore you to not show up. This is a set up... nothing more, nothing less. The people who are setting this up don't want to listen to you. They want to sabotage you. They don't want to hear the truth. They want you gone. Not sure who they want in your place, but I'll guess Rev Green for one. Of course Miles Atkins will be there.... he is protected by the people who are setting this up.
Dear 10:55, Fariba won't run.... Too many skeletons in that closet.
Wow The NCGS in print. I love it. I just hope the ToM adheres to the other "Laws on the Books" as strictly as they use these NCGS as a shield.
Yes please commissioners don't show up, it makes for more campaign reasons why you should not be re-elected.
wow. It looks to me like somebody's really feeling threatened (or worried?) by the idea of citizens talking to town officials. Hmmm...Let's chew on that one for a bit.
We wouldn't want the two camps talking now, would we? Throw in the press, some loud local activists and now we could have a serious crisis on our hands. What COULD these people start learning from talking to each other? That is scaaaaaary. At least for some.
Come on 11:00 am. Don't keep teasing us. You're telling us Mrs. Homeseley has "Too many skeletons in that closet". You said exactly the same thing right after that gutsy woman walked right up to that sorry Erskin Smith at a town hall meeting and told him what we all wanted to tell him. That his sorry shady butt's gotta go.
The problem is you never tell us what Mrs. Homeseley's skeletons are. Have a heart. Inquiring minds want to know. What's the matter? Scared of a little slander lawsuit getting slapped on your rear end by her bigtime lawyer husband for telling tales on the love of his life? Oh don't worry. I'm sure he'll be very forgiving and understanding. (BTW I think just saying what you've done's enough to get you awful close to that danger zone anyway).
As for her being "outraged at the actions of officials". That woman's got a damn finely tuned "corrupt-o-meter" & she's hit the nail on the head each & every time about who's corrupt in this town. I can see that really bothers you and I'm glad.
BTW & heads up. Forgot one thing. Just because somebody "told" you something about somebody doesn't make it true. If you pass along a slander you're still slandering. So my little advice to you is before you pass along something somebody told you go & make damn sure it's true or else it's your butt on the line. Don't believe me? Just try it & see for yourself. Can't say you weren't warned.
September 30, 2008 10:56 AM. Your logic is very flawed. From what I understand this will be an open meeting and if anything such as what you are suggesting occurs, it will occur for all to see, and for all to report. No one is being excluded. I, for one, will be there precisely expecting to hear truth, of which there seems to have been a shortage lately. I will not accept lies. The only thing that will protect any official present will be truth. That is my right, and that is not too much to expect. I will also take note of who will refuse to participate in such open dialogue.
The person who has been naysaying Rev. Green's meeting with officials and attacking supporters of that meeting has only one goal in mind. His comments are purely designed to cow those in attendance to not ask the tough questions and perhaps even to settle with half truths or worse. He is also attempting to give a graceful exit to those officials who are either too arrogant to attend this meeting, or who do not have the courage to do so. Despite this person's attempts, those who organize this meeting and who attend it can refuse to be cowed and swayed by such tactics.
I wonder why Larry Green, Jaime Gatton and Fariba & Cliff Homesley dont run for public office? Everyone else does such a shitty job and they know how to fix everything, so logic would tell you that they should run. But I bet you a million dollars none of them do.
10:26 AM's newsflash. The Homesleys "contributed almost $5000 to Hillary Clinton this year". First of all 10:26, do you obsess much about the Homesleys and what they're up to? Lose sleep, have strange dreams, weird urges? You know you can get help for that.
Second of all, this is the best thing I've ever heard about Hillary Clinton in years. Almost made me like her.
bigtime lawyer husband.........Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
re: 10:26, good work batman. thanks for letting us know that the homesleys (private citizens) donated $5K to a presidential campaign....something that nobody except you really gives two shits about.now heres your next mission since youve proven yourself so successful at digging into peoples' $5K expenses: go find out what in the world happened to the $5K that your boy crone withdrew in cash from charity money on may 11 2006. now thats $5K that id like to know the whereabouts of.let us know what you uncover.we have faith in you.
ps signed ray ray
A Tribute to one of our own--The Blog Wonderer--
At 10:27PM yesterday—“Looking at the past few posts, one has to wonder what these people are like in their lives. Are they completely sour with their families? Are they sarcastic and bitter with their employers, and that is jumping to a huge conclusion that they are employed. What is this fascination with a 'pathetic poster"?
At 9:54AM today—“You have to wonder whether Rev Green, Atkins and Fariba really want to build up trust between public officials and the community, or whether they want to disturb it? What is the agenda?”
and
At 12:19PM today—“I wonder why Larry Green, Jaime Gatton and Fariba & Cliff Homesley dont run for public office? Everyone else does such a shitty job and they know how to fix everything, so logic would tell you that they should run. But I bet you a million dollars none of them do.”
Why all the wondering?? I think you might need to go spend a little more time with your family (and that is jumping to a huge conclusion that you have a family) and your employer (and that is jumping to a huge conclusion that you are employed) and quit being so bitter and sour. But I implore you--No matter what you do, please try to control all your wondering.It really isn’t good for your mental well being.
Mr. Green,
Please be a moderator that explains the rules and keeps time. I myself would prefer that you use a PowerPoint presentation for the questions, so the commissioners have to answer the question on the screen. The commissioners can read the question and there is no ambiguity regarding the questions. Thanks, just a thought.
Will there be cookies and juice for the commissioners?
Just another thought, tell Commissioner Abraham there will be a complimentary buffet, the chances of his attending will greatly increase.
I have seen Fariba's calls for those to step down and be eliminated based on half a story. She is a very outspoken critic that has flown off the handle. Why is that? Personnel issues are just that, personnel issues. They cannot be discussed. Accusations made by someone does not constitute fact. If she, and others, would base their public calls for elimination on fact, she would have more credibility.
Fariba needs to "LOCK IT UP"
Careful, "GG Allin".
Fariba said....
"Respect is a two-way street. In our system, it is not something that is owed to government officials by private citizens. It is something very precious that must be earned and then maintained with great care.
Public officials are being offered a rare opportunity here to earn the respect of citizens by being open, honest and accountable. Recent events leave little doubt that healing needs to take place in our town.
Robust discourse is a healthy and necessary component of any relationship. The lack of such discourse has led to the manifestation of many of the problems our community faces today. "
While what she says sounds good on paper, her actions do not relay that same attitude. Public officials, whether elected or appointed/hired, are there to do a job. I do believe that they need to be held accountable. I also believe that they should be allowed to do their jobs. If they don't do their jobs, you can replace them with others that you elect.
Public harassment, while applauded by many here, is really an odd thing to do. Yes, the politicians have to listen to you, and that is why they have open meeting laws. They all have phone numbers, email addresses and office hours. Let me ask you why a politician would knowingly walk into another snakepit ambush set up by this group? It's clear that the mission of Fariba, Atkins, Jaime and others is to publicly humiliate existing politicians. Why would they come? Why should they come? More youtube video ammunition?
The name of this topic should be amended. You should at "to the snakepit" at the end of "You're invited ..."
Maybe YOU should take all your unique little ideas and start your own blog!! Nevermind-I forgot. Nobody would read it. You have to use the blog of someone you hate to spew your trash. What a pathetic little predicament to be in.....you're at the mercy of Ms. Gatton....just like you accuse everyone else of being.
hahahahahahahahahahahaha.........
Dear 2:59, at long last we Finally agree on something - that Frankie Bowtie "publicly humiliated" himself in the meeting with citizens. Common ground is a good thing.
Why is it that the bloggers on this site can't stick to the issues under discussion?? Must everyone always come under attack??? I have known Cliff Holmesley for most of my life. I have known of his wife, Fariba, since before he married her. Before you go out there making accusations and slanderous remarks, I propose that you look very deeply into your own life. Could any of you survive the personal tragedies and losses of these two individuals and still have the strength and the dignity to stand firm in your beliefs. I sincerely doubt it since most of you cannot even sign your names to the nasty and uncalled for things you say. It really seems obvious to me that you not only lead a very unhappy life, but perhaps a spiritually empty life as well. It also seems very obvious that you are personally obsessed with finding something that you think would cause harm to the character and dignity of two of the finest people I know. Yes, I consider Cliff a friend. I am very proud to say so. I also consider Larry Green a personal friend and a great asset to my life. When you attack people who are merely standing up for the rights of the citizens of our town, you are really showing what you are made of....rage, jealousy and anger. Maybe you should stop to ask yourselves where the integrity lies in your own life.
As for the rest of us, we'll go on, standing by our beliefs and standing up for what is right. If that bothers you, the highways run both ways around here. Why don't you negative people head back up north, where life was so beautiful and good.
the Mooresvillian
PS I suggest that we all pray for these sad people who can't do anything but spew hatred, jealousy and bitterness. Perhaps then they might come to understand the concept of "Community".
3:27...
Nice try, but the idiots won't leave from here. I have cussed them, ignored them and tried to reason with them. I do believe that your thought of them being spiritually empty is on the money. They appear to be emotionally bankrupt as well.
Be prepared to recieve a verbal lashing for trying to set things right. No good deed goes unpunished. The hyenas should be along any moment.
About the Homesleys... I don't know them but have heard nothing but good about them from those I trust. Their willingness to be openly involved speaks volumns in addition to what I have heard.
Time Traveler
Mr Mooresvillian, its funny I didnt see you stand up and make a huge pity post for Mr. Crone when people were attacking him. I dont see you making pity post everytime someone calls Erskine Smith names. Take that "holier than thou" crap and cram it up your cram hole. Your entire post could be directed at the 20 people who are this blog.
Point proven. =-)
My, 3:45, I evidently hit a nerve with you. Could it be that my remarks fell a little too close to home???? Oh and by the way, your gender bias is showing again...I'm not a Mr.. I am a Ms..
Now that we are clear on that issue, let me answer a few other things. You may be right that I did not defend Crone on the allegations he continues to face. I do not know Mr. Crone well enough to vouch for his character or his ability to keep up with money and paperwork. I do however know his lovely wife. I cannot imagine how she and her family are dealing with the disturbing allegations facing them. Though I may not defend the ex-Chief, I have called his wife and offered my support. I also pray for all of them each night and ask that the Lord would provide us all with the discernment to both understand the problems they face and to limit our discussion of their personal lives. You appear to believe that anyone who serves in office, or who has the audacity to speak up for what they believe in, must be perfect. As I told you yesterday, there's only ever been one perfect man. We crucified him.
May I suggest that if your motives were so pure, that your language and attitude wouldn't be so offensive. All of that aside I will continue to pray for you and others like you, who feel they must use such negativity and hatred to express themselves. I don't need your names, I am certain that God knows just exactly who and what yo u are.
The Mooresvillian
Oh, and as for Erskine Smith. He's another one I've known my entire life. And while I have always adored him, and often consulted him in personal matters. He was never qualified for any of the positions he has held in city government. He is a good fellow and, I believe, a basically honest individual, but I don't want him balancing my checkbook or even selling me shoes back at Belks. He is the epitome of the system this town used to run by. It's not what you know, but who you are and who you know. He doesn't know much, but hopefully more than he did, he is the son of one of the most respected and well-liked men who ever lived & worked in this town, and he knew all the right people. I salute him for being able to take that and turn it into a six figure career. Now, I think I've covered all of your questions. God Bless You and have a good life.
The Mooresvillian
The idea folks is THE HIGHEST STANDARD. The highest standard is what elected officials and Chiefs of Departments(especially law enforcement agencys) are held to because they are elected and appointed. I can see if the allegations were directed at a clerk in a store, but we are dealing with millions of TAXPAYER funds, with questionable activity. These people take an oath of office, to do their best for the people, not themselves. TRUST is what people want, not stalling and smoke and mirrors. The people of Mooresville want and deserve a nice peaceful little town, where the town government will let anyone come in the back office to examine and ask questions. Unfortunatly, we have Fort Mooresville, where getting the truth or information requires freedom of information or an investigation.
I have a dream, that in a few years, all current members on the ToM commission will be average citizens, who can go to town hall and find all the information they want at their leisure. Hopefully by then the investigations will be complete and there won't be a need to hide information from the public, because remember, it is the public's property.
Wake up Ms. Mooresvillian, Erskine Smith is a cr_ _ _ who has fleeced Mooresville for all he could/can get.
4:34, keep dreaming. Do you think that all those that Crone fired want their personnel files opened to the public so EVERYONE will know the truth? Even I don't think that is a good idea. When you serve in Public office, there will always be people who DEMAND things and will do what they can to interrupt the function of Government at any cost. I do believe in transparency, within the limits of law. Those on this blog want transparency beyond the limits of the law and feign outrage when the Town does not grind to a halt when they bark. There are freedom of information processes in place for a reason. The Town cannot and should not be expected to stop functioning at the beck and call of a select few. That, my friends is borderline anarchy.
Having said that, I hope the Town gives you anything you want, WITHIN THE LIMITS OF LAW.
Mooresvillian...
You can't reason with Hyennas. If you continue to answer them you will soon lose your religion.
You could take the short road, call them jackasses now and save yourself a lot of typing.
Since you are taking the Christian approach, Let's just throw out some applicable scripture...
Proverbs 21:29 An evil man is stubborn, but a Godly man will reconsider.
Proverbs 29:9 There is no use argueing with a fool. He only rages and scoffs, and tempers flare.
Proverbs 19:19 A short tempered man must bear his own penalty; you can't do much to help him. If you try once you must try a dozen times.
Proverbs 18:2 A rebel doesn't care about the facts, all he wants to do is yell.
Proverbs 10:32 The upright speak what is helpful; the wicked speak rebellion.
Proverbs 9:7-8 If you rebuke a mocker, you will only get a smart retort; he will snarl at you. So don't bother with him; he will only hate you for trying to help him.
Thus ends my advice to the Mooresvillian. Now back to the regularly scheduled investigation coverage.
Time Traveler
I suggest that you try to prove such an allegation. If you knew him, you'd know that he isn't smart enough to fleece a lamb, much less a corrupt city government. He's more likely be en set up as the fall guy in all of this. He is just someone's puppet. The real question is who has been pulling the strings??? Again, like so many others, I urge you to be careful, lest you slander an unknowing lamb being led to slaughter.
The Mooresvillian.
Dear Mooresvillian,
The bloggers don't want to hear your nonsense about how the very people they attack are people too and good people at that. They prefer to think of them as the biggest criminal element in the State. They prefer to think of Town Government as a racket.
Time Traveler, thank you so much for your Biblical support. I have not the time, nor the energy to quote Proverbs to these folks, but I sincerely thank you for taking the time. I also noted the passages that applied to me as well. I do try to walk in faith and to call out evil when I see it. I will not apologize for that. I do, however, know when it is time to step back and let the hyenas feed upon one another. As we all know evil loves only evil and will eventually be over-ruled by the power of God's love or be destroyed. I am now signing off for the evening, but wish to say to you, God Bless and good night.
The Mooresvillian
Someone has mentioned in a hypothetical Fariba running for commissioner. I second that! I know Fariba to be an honest straight forward citizen with high integrity. She and I have disagreed on national politics and on rarer occasions on local issues but she has always been honest and well learned on the issues. Because of her high level of integrity she would not put up with any shenanigans. I would support her candidacy.
Rabid Republican
3:27
the mooresvillian
while you make valid points it probably does anyone any good to rant and curse one day and invoke God's name the next. people don't know wheter you repented and it really doesn't sit well. BTW,i am a native mooresvillian and you don't own the trademark on that name so the next time you see it in print,stand down boy.
7:18... whatever it takes to get through a thick head
It is apparent some of you contributors delve into your recessive intellect, and berate or criticize fellow citizens who are attempting to correct problems and improve the value of life in the town in which you live.
This practice must amuse you!
You are, however, an offensive embarrassment when you hide behind the cloak of anonymity to disrespect the Homeslys, Larry Green and Jaime Gatton, who stand up to the thieves and obscene personalities intent on destroying the wellbeing of Mooresville.
Tell us about your contributions and efforts to improve anything, including yourself.
Harold
Please correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Fariba work for IBM as an analyst? I would say she probably has more depth than anyone on the Board. (Sorry Frank, beaten by a girl again, OH!)
Is Fariba a muslim? She is from Iran, but grew up here I think. I did google her and saw that she is practicing Buddhism and drone to emory college to see a monk deliver a speech. Not sure that quoting scripture would appeal to her or turn her off. You all should be careful so as not to offend her.
Hey Time Traveler,
which scripture is it where Jesus says you should call people a jackass? Just wondering....
Dear Jackass...
The bible commonly refers to people using animals with similar undesireable traits as an example:
Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Philippians 3:2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.
Matthew 7:6 6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
2 Peter 2:22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,”[a] and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
Michi 2:12 12 “ I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob,
I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold,
Like a flock in the midst of their pasture;
They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
Psalms 17:9-12 9 Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
from murderous enemies who surround me.
10 They are without pity. Listen to their boasting!
11 They track me down and surround me, watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart— like young lions hiding in ambush.
Proverbs 7:22 He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter.
He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart.
He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life.
You are boring me jackass. Go away already.
Time Traveler
Dear Time Traveler, your christianity is overwhelming. You must be a pastor too! :-)
It dawned on me (yes, I'm a little slow) that it might be beneficial for everyone to see the documents which were submitted to the commissioners when I invited them to participate in the meeting. I've posted them on the homepage of cfrgm.org.
The meeting will not be a "free for all" and is designed specifically to address, as much as possible, many of the valid concerns voiced which would not be conducive to an open and honest discussion of the relevant issues facing our town.
Hey Hater Woman, the more you talk, the better the group of 20 look. Google searches on private citizens? You give me the creeps. Stalker. Do a Google on John Crone and tell us what you find. Toodles! :-)
Here are some more skeletons in Fariba Homesley's closet: she came to our country when she was eleven and didn't speak a word of English. Four years later, she was accepted into UNC Chapel Hill where she was the youngest undergraduate to ever be accepted into that fine university. And she speaks about four or five languages from what I hear. And she is probably ten times smarter than the mayor and a couple of his sidekicks put together.
thank goodness for the 4 or 5 of you that keep this blog going. Had not read it in a while. Now I see why. No current news,not unlike the Tribune, same people saying the same things just on different blogs. Jamie it was good in theory, but now those with no life, have a life in front of the computer on your blog site....
It appears that things have changed in dirty mo and I hope they continue to do so. I would attribute this in large part to this blog, but now this blog has become a haven for haters. It seems like all that energy could be put to better use. None of you on here, except for Green maybe, probably give a shit. All you want to do is stir the pot and hurt feelings. You are all politicians in the making, if you are not already there.
Congratulations 10:36 PM, You have officially outed yourself as a complete Bigot. First you throw around racist and sexist terms like lynching and burning at the stake and NOW you show your rear by attacking someone's religion. It has been decreed far and wide-your new name shall be The Blog Bigot.
Wow! It sounds like the UNC Grad would be more qualified to hold the "at Large" seat than the Davidson Grad. I also think that losing the elitist-arrogant attitude in that seat would be a plus for ToM government. I wouldn't even require her to wear the "elitist" bow tie.
Andrew i got some current news-theres no news from the town or the sbi on their investigation and thats why theres no current news as you put it here and in the paper.not sure what kind of current news youre looking for but tonight at 5 you can tune into your local tv stations and you might be able to catch up on current housefires in missouri or car crashes in kentucky.maybe even a high speed chase in south carolina.you could be lucky enough to hear our mayor talking about hydrogen and railroads in the hopes that everybody will forget hes been silent about whats really going on in this place. good luck and when you find current news let us know where to find it.well be here on the blog living our life because well we really do care and i hope i didnt hurt your feelings.
Who's Andrew?
This event sounds like a good idea for those that want to stay involved in their local government and an equally good idea for those elected officials that want to stay in touch with the public. However, do not be surprised when no elected officials other than those that have received support here at the blog show up.
Good point outsider. This is the chicken and egg theory-which came first? Will just a couple of commissioners show up because they get support on the blog, or is it that the couple of commissioners get support on this blog because they're open and show up to things like this meeting? Other commissioners should take notes. The government was created by the people for the people. It shouldn't matter who the people are that are putting the meeting together-if the commissioners don't have plans already then they should show up. They serve all the people, not just a few. Before one of the haters jumps down my throat for saying this, I want to say that I would also say the same thing about a meeting that you call.I just haven't seen you call a meeting.
I guess the next time someone schedules a meeting where we spend taxpayer funds without having to be accountable or without an explanation, solely for the benefit of people "originally" from Mooresville-I'll put it on my calender. Oh wait a minute, I already have it on my calender. The first Monday of every month at town hall.
who's anonymous?
Proverbs 18:21
The tongue has power over death and life and those who love to talk will have to eat what they say.
Prov. 29.9 If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.
Prov 14.7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.
harold, I am not trying to berate your sacred group. I was there with you at the meeting at the citizens center. In other words old boy I agree. will you please lay off the anonymity kick. If you have a problem,take it up with jamie. You're no better than the "name-callers" lashing out from behind your retirement status. Jamie sets the rules here. when she says we post names, we either post or go away. Now SHUT UP !!!!!!!!!!!!
so what took place at this moderated meeting? did anybody even show up?the major players don't seem to be answering their email.i feel it was a little counter-productive. more of a search and destroy logic.i never like snipers,don't trust them.looks like it's status quo at town hall.nothing has changed except the names.
It would be great if everyone could post using their name. I wish I was in a position to do so.
Since that isn't always possible, a screen name tied to your post is the second best way to claim responsibility for what you have to say. At least then you have claimed responsibility for the totality of what you have put on here.
It seems like the most hateful, least thought out posts are always completely anonymous. There is no way of knowing if it is one person, or five. There are good reasons why some of us are unable to post our names, but those who continue to attack and berate in total anonymity are without a doubt complete cowards.
Of course, who's to say that those same posters might not use several different screen names. If you are going to post, at least have the balls to tie all of your posts to one individual.
By the way, 6:09 and 7:45 were not mine, although they would appear to be. I said what I had to say at 11:13 and then quit.
Time Traveler
I don't know who said it but it went something like this: I like your Christ but I don't care for your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
I am not sure how this blog about the ToM has turned into a relegious debate. Back no the topic, any update on who from the Board will be attending? I would also encourage you to invite any of the various department heads and the Town Manager who will have the answers because otherwise those in attendence can say they do not know and will have to check with "staff"
Gandhi said that.
From my observation the religious information came into play while a few well meaning persons tried to quiet down the troublemakers on here.
The troublemakers apparently turned that around into a problem as well. Hopefully that has passed.
Like you said back to the meeting.
I agree with you except the fact is that some of the churches around here are political cesspools. A lot of rumors have been started about certain private citizens that buck the political system and the majority of those rumors got started in certain churches by some of the congregation membersand sometimes even the preachers. Well I can't say preachers. I just know of one that has talked about this blog author behind her back. I guess what I'm trying to say is that some of the churches are just an extension of the government. It gives us Christians a bad name.
I guess this blog is one place I guess where its acceptable to talk about politics and religion and thank God for that. :-)
The arguments and heated discussions dealing with politics (even at the local level) is bad enough, when you mix in relegion there is bound to be trouble. Most people cannot have a logical and open discussion about either without losing control. If anyone says anything that is contrary to the "party" line then all hell breaks lose. We are all more concerned with the color of our jersey and making sure others are on our team than with doing what is in the best interest of the community, Moooresville, or my own.
I wanted to say that I think this is the value of this blog. For the most part this blog is a place where people who want to live in a cleaner town can come and air the dirty laundry that has piled up for years. As hurtful as it is to see, the more dirt that can be brought to light here, the better the chance that this community will cleanse itself and become a better place for us all to live. I would also like to say that I think this is one of the benefits of being able to write comments anonymously. Some people like me have not been happy about the bad things that go on in our town for years and yes, even in our churches, but we’ve been too afraid of being ostracized by the members of our community and our churches, many that we grew up with. I probably sound like a coward, and maybe I am.
The readers have to realize that "old Mooresville-Townies" aren't very happy about their government corruption and backroom dealings coming into the open. They say they want open and honest government, only if they are the ones that run the town government. The anonymous posters aren't cowards, they know what will happen to them or their family at work,church,school,etc, because retaliation and retribution are alive and well in Mooresville.
October 2, 4:05pm
I think your post is the most logical I've seen regarding our reluctance to post our true names although I have on several occasions. I think the arguement needs to be put to rest on that topic once and for all. If I choose to post either under my screen name or under my true name, that choice lies with me, not someone else trying to project their wishes upon me. The author of this blog knows who I am and which names I use as do 2 others. I am accountable in that way. I don't always use these names however because I know there are those who are trained to study language, content,etc. to pinpoint identities. I am far away from retirement and have too much to lose. I also change the style and language I use to post to avoid detection. I doubt all who post go to that trouble but that's just me. I resent someone who doesn't have anything to do with me or my life trying to tell me how to post. Please limit your opinion to yourself, it won't do any good with me :).
As I said, well-written and thanks for your comment being a voice of reason here.
While I'm at it tonight I have a proposal for all of us bloggers.
I am guilty myself of "laying it to" a few leaders on this blog. It hasn't really been a personal attack but rather their stand on issues- with one exception-Jackie Moore. I think she needs to be dismissed as quickly as possible for unprofessional behavior, violation of the town's anti-discrimination policies for people with physical disabilities, and poor job performance.
With that off my chest, let's try to (including myself) use more restraint when speaking of others. If you can't prove the statement don't put it out there. Some are naive enough to think it's ture if it's in print. Stop the sophomoric name-calling(my finger is pointing back at me!) and let's be constructive and not get mired down in the same behaviors that landed the town in some of the messes we're diggin out from.
Give the new town manager a chance to wade through this and start to make changes. Have some faith in our commissioners. We are going to get through this mess, it will just not happen overnight. Thanks for the listening ears!
Man it's great to read some well thought out constructive posts. Thanks.
Time Traveler
The ojective of this blog as I see it is to provide another view of ToM government through Gatton hard work and freedom of information. The information as it is presented allows the reader to form their own opinion of activites in ToM government and apply standards which we all aspire to uphold as trustees of the citizens of Mooresville.(Honesty,Openess, Ethical Acitivity,etc.) However, the information provided by this blog has been shown to be true and accurate upon examination, and has been consistently confirmed by the actions of the ToM in their own news releases or their actions to stall a story. The other "news source" in Mooresville seems always to be mute/blind to some of the town's activities and if it does a story, it supplies a somewhat "sanitized" version that gives the reader a false sense of legal and ethical conduct on the part of ToM. I wish that all of these instances were part of a fiction story with ever worsening chapters, but this is home and these are our dirty little secrets. Fraud,Discrimination,Retaliation,etc. are part of the list, but with each readers help we can change Mooresville. The readers must be diligent and examine the facts of which persons were in office when these activities occurred, what did they do or not do, and do their actions deserve your vote in the next election. I myself look forward to a new group of candidates next fall, since there isn't any possabilty of my voting for any of the incumbents. Best of luck gentlemen.
All the little sheep are sleeping soundly.
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
According to the Mooresville Tribune headline on the front page:
"MI-C ends first year with profit"
WOW...that's great news! The taxpayers won't be stuck with this venture after all!
Wait a minute...on page 2 it says:
"MI-Connection's fiscal year 2008 statement of income, first presented to the MI-Connection board in a meeting on September 25th, shows the system's net LOSS for the year is about $2.58 MILLION."
OK...to the casual headline scanning reader...all is well with our town government's venture in to private enterprise. To the reader of the ENTIRE article the system is not LOSING AS MUCH as they thought it would so we're in "good shape".
According to www.davidson.net, the company has 167 more cable customers (1% growth)in the first year and is flat on internet service growth.
In later years the subscriber numbers they need to obtain to make their fantasy budget are much higher (5-10% growth).
I'd be worried about where all of this is going but I guess we can hope there's a few dollars left at the government printing office for a bailout....or we could call it a "rescue".
sometimes it makes you miss the old days of rabbit ears and tinfoil,huh?
Wondering if the Rev will think that this OK. He probably will since he is asscoiated with this group.
First a Commissioner gets tax breaks and value of his house raised at his first town board meeting.
Now guess who is in the running to be the downtown director to replace Wayne Frick. You are right his wife!!! The salary will be somewhere $40,000 to $50,000 a year. She ought to be a great one to handle this since her own business is going belly up and is closing.
What a great and honest family this is!We are so lucky to have their kind in Mooresville!Wonder what is next for them?
Is that a question you'd like to ask them at the Town Hall meeting? If so, then please clarify what, exactly, you wish to have asked and I'll be happy to ask it.
If, however, you're wanting my personal opinion on your assertion that there is a direct causal relationship between Mr. Atkins taking office and the designation of his residence as a historic landmark (which resulted in the tax breaks), then I'd encourage you to review other threads where that question has been asked and answered several times.
As to Mrs. Atkins being in the running for the position you mentioned, I have no idea of the factual basis as I've seen nothing on that issue. However, as their website indicates that they do receive some monies from the town, then it would seem inappropriate for Mr. Atkins to vote on any issues involving the Downtown Commission should his wife, indeed, obtain the position. I have the same opinion of any commissioner/elected official who has a business in the downtown district - which would include the mayor.
I would like to ask him what else him and his family want out of Mooresville. Seems to me like it all comes down to money.
You would think that with all the controversy that there is in Mooresville that he would refrain from causing more.
The only thing that the board does is appropiate some money to it and provide free office space. You know that the way that they are so apparently close to one another that they will go with what ever he wants and says behind close doors. People like you jump all over some things but if it is someone that is in the NOW group you don't want to stir up a stink.
I am 100% convinced that indeed there is organized crime in the form of public corruption in Mooresville, from top to bottom, extending all the way out to the D.A.’s office. The fact that a public official such as the former police chief is still walking around, free to harass people, and has yet to be charged is all the proof I need. No one person is powerful enough to make that happen. It takes an organized and concerted effort to dodge the law that effectively. It takes staff, elected officials and the D.A.’s office to keep somebody like this out of jail for as long as they have managed to do. They will all go down with him.
This got a real chuckle out of me:
"Referencing the open meetings law, Abraham said, “I will also yield to the other commissioners for the reason that if 3 or more of us are gathered at the same place for purposes other than social, it may be considered an official meeting and I believe that may involve town staff be involved for record keeping purposes.” Abraham referred Green to Town Attorney Steve Gambill for a “ruling.”
It is good to know that Commissioner Abraham is aware of Sunshine laws, although he seems to use them rather selectively.
We can only wish that he had been nearly as conscientious when he "gave the farm away" to the exorbitant firm of CH2M Hill, a dirty deal that if memory serves correctly, he made in the back rooms of the same church that he is now using as an excuse to not attend the citizens meeting on the 15th.
One thing is for sure. Abraham would like nothing more than for all of us to forget the relationship between CH2M Hill and our continually skyrocketing water bills.
Correct me if I am wrong, but Academy Street is now a historic district. The houses on that street seem to be looking alot better from the curb than they did several years ago. I commend those homeowners for improving the historic district of Mooresville.
correct me if I am wrong..but why keep trying to get everything they can from the tax payers
correct me if I am wrong..but there's only one person around here who has ever had his panties in a wad (besides his snooty-toot wife) about the commissioner atkins's house being designated historical and him incidentally receiving a tax break for it. people are accidentally giving up the ghost on here!!!
Come on, 2:05 even ousted city councilmen need a place to voice their opinion.
october 4, 10 a.m.
Might I suggest if you're so tortured over the fact that people in the historic district get tax breaks, that you sell your property and move here. I'm looking out the front door and see several properties for sale in the neighborhood(S. Academy, W. Wilson Ave.)
You might also stop by Lowes on your way over and open a project card account(min. of $1000.00 to open, no interest 6mos. if pd. in full,lower interest). They're handy to pay for all the upgrades you'll probably need if none have been done. Be careful though! You can't just go wild and do whatever you want with your property if it has an historic designation. You see, you must maintain the integrity of the property along with the character of the neighborhood which my neighbors are doing a splendid job at. So...
bring your tools, be ready to fit in and we'll see 'ya over the fence!!
oops, that was 10:01 am
Dear 11:03am -- I'm still not clear what question you want me to ask on your behalf (assuming you are the same poster -- if not, I apologize for the mistake).
You say: "The only thing that the board does is appropiate some money to it and provide free office space." -- which is why I said that if the Downtown Commission does hire her that Mr. Atkins should not participate in the voting process (which I include to mean discussions also). To me, no elected official who has a business which benefits from the work of this group should vote on any issue involving the downtown commission.
You say: "You know that the way that they are so apparently close to one another that they will go with what ever he wants and says behind close doors." -- No, I don't know the way they are, nor do I know to whom you refer when you say "they". It appears that you're suggesting that the rest of the Town Board would go along with whatever Atkins wants? Is that a correct reading of your statement?
You say: "People like you jump all over some things but if it is someone that is in the NOW group you don't want to stir up a stink." -- People like who? Who is this "NOW" group? --- If you mean me, then yes, there are certain things (issues) that I do jump all over when I see them. I am an equal opportunity "jumper" and have no qualms with that fact, nor do I have any qualms with holding any elected official accountable. I have no personal relationship with any of the commissioners, but even if I did I would have no problems with holding them accountable.
What, specifically, are your questions you'd like to have asked of the Town Board?
11:41 is correct. There has been a group effort between many people in order for the corruption to flourish. I remember one incident where an employee of another agency was suspended for something that caused Crone problems.
Some department heads work together at protecting each other's interests. You learn quickly that you can get suspended without pay, demoted and even fired if you attempt to address wrongdoing.
There is honor among thieves from Croneville to Redmondville to Frankville and the surrounding communities of county and Mooresville Commissioners. There are attorneys involved and even alliances with a few select of the local citizen based criminal element.
There are heads of departments that break the law all the time and citizens that can do what they want and have charges dissappear if they are willing to owe favors.
I can assure you that the upcoming meeting is only nibbling at the outer fringes of this organized criminal element we call our local government. There are those who have been watching the developments in Mooresville and losing sleep at night wondering if they will be unfortunate enough to get thier own closet doors opened.
Crone is currently running around calling in favors and pointing out to others that thier hands are not clean either. If the citizens of this county will continue to push for more disclosure, the information that will become available will empty more than one office.
All of the widely known information available needs to be given a thorough examination. As in the case with Crone, one good fact finding mission led to what appears to be multiple discoveries of wrong-doing.
11:41 has all the reason to be discouraged. The average citizen would have been investigated and charged by now, with more charges pending following the completion of the investigation of other criminal misconduct.
Don't let this rest. Don't be satisfied with a couple of charges and a half hearted investigation. This all needs to be pushed through Mooresville and into the county. I think even those of us who know how well corruption flourishes will be astounded at the depth and magnitude of what is uncovered.
Today's Charlotte Observer Lake Neighbors:
"Commissioner Mac Herring said he won't reply to the group and won't attend, because he doesn't want to be a part of what he called the group's negativity."
The word "two faced" come to mind?
What?! You people can't fight crooks and their buddies without getting NEGATIVE?! Haven't you learned how to fight with a jig in your step and a grin on your faces yet?! Where are the lovey dovey words you ought to be using when describing shysters, scam artists, and such, not to mention the assistant town manager, finance director, mayor and commissioners who've had their backs every step of the way one way or another?! What the hell good are you?! Mac Herring wants to see more POSITIVITY coming out of you! Get with the program! Hip hip hurray!
Yes, I too read that article this morning. After reading it, I offer double kudos to Chris Carney and Miles Atkins for being of a completely different ilk than the other elected officials, emphasis being on the word elected, which they appear to conveniently forget from time to time.
So Mac did the mayor give you a gold star for your comments in the paper today? Spoken like the nice little mayor's whipping boy that you have become.
Now I'm going to have to buy a paper to find out what the idiots said. I can't find it online on the observer website.
Do tell, what other comments did commissioners make in this article?
Green, did they interview you as well?
No, nobody called me for an interview.
Read the whole thing. Noticed the glaring absence (again) of any comment from Thunberg. As hapless as some of the others were at least they commented. What a useless excuse of a mayor Thunberg's turned out to be.
Little rich boy Frankie Bowtie whined in the paper that the reason he's not gonna show up is cause Green "doesn't believe anything I say." Got news for you old boy. Nobody believes anything you got to say. You're a Big Old Liar. And you're not gonna not show up cause nobody believes you. You're not gonna show up cause you're scared. Just like any of the others who got one silly reason or another to not show up and answer people's questions. I just got one thing to say to Frankie and his scaredy cats. You can run but you can't hide.
Here's a link to the story.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/516/story/231552.html
Here it is in full.
Town's issues simmer
Mooresville residents plan meeting to ask town leaders about spending on police program and other concerns.
By Joe Marusak
jmarusak@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Sunday, Oct. 05, 2008
MOORESVILLE
Residents who picketed town hall this summer over misspending in the Police Department's Cops for Kids program will hold an informal town hall meeting on Oct. 15, when the public can question some Mooresville commissioners over a litany of concerns.
In a Sept. 24 letter to commissioners, Larry Green of Citizens for Responsible Government said it was important that commissioners attend the meeting to resolve questions people have about town government.
“Serious allegations of wrongdoing and questionable decisions have shaken the public's trust and confidence in the leadership,” wrote Green, who will moderate the meeting.
But the meeting is getting a mixed reception from commissioners.
Green cited what the group considers questionable practices and decisions involving the Cops for Kids program, the town's purchase of cable TV provider MI-Connection, the hiring of a sewer plant consultant with personal ties to former commissioners, and the termination of town engineers, among other concerns. A referendum on recalling elected officials also will be discussed, Green said.
In September, Mooresville notified the U.S. Attorney's Office and the State Bureau of Investigation that money recovered in drug investigations may have been misspent by the Cops for Kids program. Among other possible misuse of money in the program, town officials said, $4,862 was spent in 2002 to transport 37 youth and 21 chaperones to New York City to tour the site of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The money isn't supposed to be used on travel, Town Attorney Steve Gambill has said.
Police Chief John Crone was fired this summer during investigations into the program.
In his letter to commissioners, Green wrote, “While full public disclosure of all information is not possible, it is essential that your voice be heard and that the public have an opportunity to engage their elected leaders to dispel rumors, to address concerns and to begin to move forward in a manner which allows all voices to be heard.”
Commissioners Chris Carney and Miles Atkins have told the group they plan to attend the meeting. Commissioner Mitch Abraham said he has a previous commitment but will attend if his schedule changes.
Commissioner Mac Herring said he won't reply to the group and won't attend, because he doesn't want to be a part of what he called the group's negativity.
Nor will commissioner Frank Rader attend. “I would not go even if I could go,” Rader said. “On one point, Larry doesn't trust my word, doesn't believe me. So there's no reason to be there.” The issue, Rader said, is whether he saw a piece of paper in the police evidence room.
Commissioner Thurman Houston said he hasn't decided whether he'll attend.
Green said the meeting will be videotaped and made available online, including a copy of the text of all responses, at http://cfrgm.org.
Green helped organize this summer's protest, which drew about 50 residents who marched along North Main Street, including local lawyer Cliff Homesley. Homesley's wife, Fariba, uncovered financial discrepancies at the town library that led to former library director Karen Khan's embezzlement conviction in 2003.
I find Commissioner Herring's comment today particularly puzzling, if not bizarre, considering that in the Gatton Report, on Monday, September 22, 2008 ("Commissioners left in the dark this time, too") Mr. Herring proudly declared that “...a new era for a transparent and more openly honest municipal administration has finally arrived here in Mooresville. I believe this is the tone being set...and as a result, many of the concerns and ‘hunker down’ mentality that has plagued us in the past will soon be greatly diminished. It is a new and exciting time for us here in Mooresville, and I am proud to be a part of it.”
It appears that while Commissioner Herring was pronouncing his affinity for open government to Ms. Gatton, he was - nearly in the same breath - contradicting himself to a reporter from the Charlotte Observer. To put it kindly and at the risk of appearing "negative", Mr. Herring's behavior is the height of intellectual dishonesty.
Mac Herring, a/k/a the latest mouthpiece for Erskine Smith who put his own foot in his own mouth couple of months ago when he spewed about "forces of negativity" in Mooresville and got spanked for it in the Gatton Report. Now he's having to get dumb Herring to spew that same old used up crap. Like we're all supposed to have sunshine dispositions when we know the town's being run by an organized gang of white collar thugs and the dogs they've been throwing bones to for as long as one looks back.
I do believe the new nickname for Mac Herring should be Red Herring. For those of you not familiair with this term...
The name of this fallacy comes from the sport of fox hunting in which a dried, smoked herring, which is red in color, is dragged across the trail of the fox to throw the hounds (citizens) off the scent. Thus, a "red herring" argument is one which distracts the audience from the issue in question through the introduction of some irrelevancy. This frequently occurs during debates when there is an at least implicit topic, yet it is easy to lose track of it.
By extension, it applies to any argument in which the premisses are logically irrelevant to the conclusion.
Time Traveler
Herring was right on board when “the group” was doing a no-brainer like getting rid of a corrupt police chief, but as soon as Green started including the cable deal and the wastewatergate stuff, Herring starts throwing around the word negative and jumps ship. Why? Because he voted for both of those two losing deals! So yeah. Herring wants transparency as long as it doesn’t show him up to be the tax and spender that he is.
Herring is probably mad because I said I'd work to fire each and every one of them who failed to take action on cleaning up the town by not getting rid of Smith. I stand by that statement and will, indeed, work diligently during their election to keep in the front of everyone's mind the fact that these elected officials did not do the right thing. I'll also keep CH2M, CFK, and Mi-Connection right out there and in front of the voters. If that's what he refers to as negative, then yea -- I'm negative. I prefer to say that I'm brutally honest though -- no surprises from me. I'm not going to say bless your heart to your face and then stab you in the back. I'll just tell you plainly .. this is what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.
Would each of you please read what you are writng? It's all negative. Nothing positive comes from negativity. This whole thing will become a bust because of your tunnel vision. I agree with most of you on these issues but the comments are becoming redundant.
Good for you Reverend Green! You have a great deal of support in this community, much to the dismay of a handful of people many of whom we all know by name by now.
The only people I have personally heard speak ill of you are what I call operatives who have a vested interest in keeping things under wraps and hidden from view. Whether they know it or not their demeanor is very suspect and their criticism rarely holds any substance.
You are absolutely right to keep these vital issues on the front burner. They would like nothing better than to put everything on the back burner so they can conduct business as usual and away from prying eyes.
Having said all this, I am personally very disappointed in Mac. He was one of the ones I was counting on to be one of the good guys.
The negativity is created by the people who take the negative actions. The people who point out the negative actions (or inactions) are not being negative. They are simply pointing something out. Or we could all pretend that none of these things happened in which case we could all be happy for the moment. Kind of like pretending that we didn't just have to cough up $700 billion in tax money to bail out the economy. We could not talk about it and therefore not be perceived as being "negative". Or we can talk about it and maybe by talking about it, we can eventually get something done about it. Kind of like talking about a police chief doing stuff that is clearly wrong, then marching about it when the town is slow to take action, then seeing him fired, then seeing the same town report him to the U.S. attorney for apparent misuse of seizure money. So people like Larry Green and his crowd will keep doing what they do because it is the right thing to do. And the naysayers will either go along or continue to complain that somebody is actually dealing with the issues instead of pretending the issues don't exist. No apologies needed, except from those who continue to allow their government to be abused by those who don't have the courage to deal with obvious issues and need it pointed out to them by somebody who has the courage and fortitude to do so.
Don't know if ya'll caught this or not. I thought the matter about the federal money was a potential violation. According to the town attorney, it IS a violation. Unless he was misquoted which some reporters are known to do.
"Among other possible misuse of money in the program, town officials said, $4,862 was spent in 2002 to transport 37 youth and 21 chaperones to New York City to tour the site of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The money isn't supposed to be used on travel, Town Attorney Steve Gambill has said."
It sounds like they already talked to someone and confirmed it.
Dear 8:04 am. This is not new news. This was filed in 2002. The Town Attorney knew it then. The Mayor knew it then. The Town manager knew it then. Even the Feds knew it then. This is about deflecting attention from them (Attorney, Mayor, Manager) back on Crone. It's a nice try, but it did not work and will not work.
FYI -- e-mail sent to Town Board and to the Charlotte Observer:
Mr. Marusak,
Thank you for the article about the upcoming Town Hall Meeting, which I hope you will be able to attend.
Mr. Rader is quite correct that I, personally, do not believe his responses to the questions I posed to him via e-mail and during his version of the Town Hall Meeting which he held some time back. You can view Mr. Rader’s meeting at thegattonreport.blogspot.com. Mr. Rader’s apparent presentation of our differing points of view, however, does not appear to accurately portray my personal reasons for not finding his comments credible. Shortly after Mr. Crone was suspended, Mr. Rader made a presentation to the police department during their roll call meetings. During his presentations, Mr. Rader took it upon himself to interpret personnel policies for the police officers by reminding them that they could voice their opinions about Cops for Kids as long as they did so on their own time and using their own computers and/or equipment. Mr. Rader has consistently said that he is not involved in personnel issues of Town employees, but in this case he chose to interpret personnel policies. Additionally, Mr. Rader made sure to circulate an anonymous letter, which he describes as unprofessional and crude, and to inform all the officers that he (Rader) was inclined to believe Crone’s version of events. This blatant misuse of public office and power does not seem to have any gravitas with Mr. Rader as he believes he has every right to speak at meetings of this department. Mr. Rader also denies any knowledge of certain documents which have been widely distributed in various media since the CFK situation came to light. An unbelievable assertion from a man who claims to be so heavily involved with the police department that he rides along with them frequently and utilizes their gym as part of the benefits he believes have been afforded to him as a result of his election to public office. Most humorous, however, is Mr. Rader’s main reason for not taking part in this meeting – “On one point, Larry doesn't trust my word, doesn't believe me. So there's no reason to be there.” This meeting isn’t about me or my personal beliefs, but is about the elected officials taking the time to have an open and honest discussion with the citizens who show up and who submit questions. I, personally, do not plan on asking any questions because I have all the information I need at this point and am comfortable with waiting to see how the judicial process proceeds. So in essence, Mr. Rader is refusing to meet because he doesn’t care for my position on matters, and in doing so is refusing to have a discussion with the rest of the community.
It would be interesting to know why Mr. Herring views this opportunity as “negative” since the entire purpose is to allow for a positive dialogue between the community and the commissioners. The meeting is specifically structured to prevent, as much as possible, monopolization of time and/or personal attacks from any individual or group of individuals, and to prevent repetitive questions. All quite positive from my perspective, and all quite healthy for the well-being of the community.
One of the most illuminating part of your article, however, was what was missing from it – Mayor Thunberg. No comment whatsoever. No response to anything. No attempt to overcome the overwhelming lack of confidence in the Town board’s handling of the events which have spurred this particular meeting. The only time the Honorable Mayor has spoken to our group of radicals is to remind us to maintain decorum during the public comment section of the meeting where we marched on town hall.
I cannot understand how our elected officials can justify not taking part in this meeting if they are available or can rework their schedules. Not attending simply because you don’t care for one individual is not a valid reason for refusing to participate. There are many people who have questions on an assortment of issues which could be easily answered and clarified in this setting. It concerns me that some of our elected officials do not wish to have an open and honest dialogue with the citizens who elected these politicians to represent them in the Town.
I hope, Mr. Marusak, that you will be able to attend and will take part in this wonderful event. I also hope our elected officials who are available will take it upon themselves to get past their dislike of one individual so that they can talk with the entire citizenry of Mooresville. I assure you, as I have assured the commissioners, that I will work feverishly to prevent the re-election of any politician who refuses to be open and honest with the citizens of Mooresville, and who refuses to be held accountable for the various decisions which have created the need for the very meeting they are choosing to not attend. It’s a sad day when the people can’t ask questions and get direct and honest responses from our elected officials.
It is this lack of open and honest dialogue which forced me to submit a Freedom of Information Act Request for e-mail address compiled by Mr. Rader as a result of his elected position. The deadline for a response to that request is fast approaching, and I’m looking forward to receiving it. I have also made other FOIA requests for documents and information related to Mr. Rader’s activities with the police department, for information related to police data which will help us understand whether or not certain minority groups are being arrested at a higher rate than non-minority groups, and information related to the investigation of CFK. Had there existed an open and honest dialogue between Town Hall and the citizens, the citizens would not have been forced into the position of having to investigate these issues on our own.
Thanks again for the coverage. Please let me know if you need any other information from me.
If this were the old west as depicted on TV, all of you would be considered a lynch mob. But since we are not the old west all of you are acting like Gomer Pyle running across the street yelling,
"CITIZENS ARREST!CITIZENS ARREST!"
Well, if NC offered the option of a citizen's arrest -- I'm sure it would already have been used.
While I believe that most of the commissioners are ineffective, I don't agree with Larry's characterization of this "Town Meeting" that he has planned. It is designed for one reason and one reason only. To launch an all out attack on them and launch the political careers of those that will seek to replace them.
Atkins is safe, as he has been aligned with this group all along. He has nothing to risk by attending. The group wants nothing more than to make him look good.
If I were oneof the remaining commissioners, I would not attend this thing.
well, for a brief moment we had their attention until someone took it upon themselves to publish everything someone utters. now nobody trusts anybody.happy?
i won't be at this event.
The circus is coming to town.
"It would be interesting to know why Mr. Herring views this opportunity as “negative” since the entire purpose is to allow for a positive dialogue between the community and the commissioners."
I was in a hurry yesterday when I posted my thoughts about Mac herring being "Red" Herring.
A "red herring" argument is one which distracts the audience from the issue in question. The issue is misconduct by government officials.
Mac "Red" Herring is claiming that the issues are just negativity to try to discredit and throw the focus on this group.
It seems a desperate attempt at blowing smoke considering the documentaion that has surfaced already.
12:28 you claim that the upcoming meeting is an all out attack. Can you not read? Green said...
"The meeting is specifically structured to prevent, as much as possible, monopolization of time and/or personal attacks from any individual or group of individuals, and to prevent repetitive questions."
It is my understanding that any officials participating will be aware of the questions beforehand, am I correct Green? An attack doesn't work that way.
This whole situation is about public officials being accountable to the public they represent. Anyone who is opposed to those officials answering reasonable questions is either a part of the misconduct or just doesn't care.
If someone doesn't care about the misconduct they wouldn't care enough to be on this BLOG in the first place. That only leaves two types of people posting here. Those who are opposed to corruption in government and those who are a part of the misconduct.
Time Traveler
Mr. Green, I just finished reading your letter, and I applaud you for the stance you are taking, most specifically the stance eloquently described below in your own words.
"I assure you, as I have assured the commissioners, that I will work feverishly to prevent the re-election of any politician who refuses to be open and honest with the citizens of Mooresville, and who refuses to be held accountable for the various decisions which have created the need for the very meeting they are choosing to not attend. It’s a sad day when the people can’t ask questions and get direct and honest responses from our elected officials."
Although I choose to not share my name at this time, I pledge my support to this effort. It is long overdue.
Update:
Mr. Herring left me a message this morning clarifying his statements which were reported in the Observer:
1. Mr. Herring has a church function on the 15th.
2. Mr. Herring believes that the Oct. 15th meeting will be nothing more than finger-pointing, and he would prefer to be involved in a solution oriented process.
How can the citizens be involved in the solution process if the elected officials aren't willing to dialogue with the citizens? We don't know how to help until we know what needs to be fixed. Until there is an open, honest discussion between the citizens and the elected there will always be a lack of trust.
Personally, I'm still waiting to hear back from the Town Board regarding my public request to alter the town charter to include a recall option. That, in and of itself, would create a lasting positive change for the town. Mr. Rader reminded me that the Board's silence on the matter means "no".
If you're not willing to be part of the solution, then you're part of the problem.
12:28 pm wrote:
"While I believe that most of the commissioners are ineffective, I don't agree with Larry's characterization of this "Town Meeting" that he has planned. It is designed for one reason and one reason only. To launch an all out attack on them and launch the political careers of those that will seek to replace them."
first of all, I agree totally that the great majority of our elected leaders are ineffective. Second of all, I for one am damned ready for somebody to start replacing them. I'd take a dog and a tree right now over what we've got. Are you volunteering? Because if you're breathing, I'll donate!
Dearest Time Traveler,
Please reread any of your hundreds of posts from this blog. I'm taking a guess here, but I'd say that 80% of your posts are negative and accusatory in nature. Suddenly becoming nice now ain't going to change that and lure anyone to your playgroup.
Dear Larry at 2:56,
The meeting you have scheduled is not part of the solution. It is part of the negativity spewed forth by so many on thi blog. I watched the video of you all and Mr. Rader and I must say that you all are not exactly a welcoming bunch. There can be open communications with these people but it does not have to be at a time and place of your choosing. Any of your disciples can make an appointment with Rader or and of the other commissioners and speak your mind. You would prefer to do so in a group setting where you are hoping to embarass these people. I don't blame them for not coming.
3:16 bah humbug. Stop picking on Time Traveller. Time Traveller, don't let this shame & blamer scold you into silence. You ain't done nothing wrong. Don't you ever forget that.
3:21 bah humbug on you too. Stop picking on the good reverend. You're nothing but a cheap mouthpiece for people like Rader. Go hang your shingle someplace else.
And as for Mac Herring, what he calls finger pointing, some people call holding officials accountable. Since when did he go over to the dark side?
You people need to keep going the way you've been going. I know its working because its pissing off the right ones.
Go ahead and be as negative as you want! There's no law against it and it's the only thing that works!
October 6, 2008 3:21 PM3:21
Commissioner Frank Rader embarrassed himself - by lying, by being arrogant, and by whipping out his town card repeatedly as if it was his ticket to do whatever he wished with town personnel and town resources. He was indeed an embarrassment, but you conveniently miss the point that he had himself to thank for that. You are clearly a Rader sycophant and therefore lack any kind of credibility.
Dear 3:26 and 3:30,
Actually I have never met Rader. I am not defending him. I am merely pointing out what both of your posts have already done for me. That those who will be attending this playgroup will in fact be very negative and going on the attack.
Thanks for proving my point.
Ready, Set, Commence Negativity!!!
Dear October 6, 2008 3:16 PM
Didn't realize I was being nice. As for 100's of posts, you better count again. As for the manner of my response, it is always appropriate to what I am responding to.
Time Traveler
Time Traveler,
I never counted, but it is more than "dozens" and less than "hundreds". Exaggerating the number of your posts to the upper end of the spectrum worked better in my argument. I am not about to count them but would venture a guess of more than 100. Just a guess. If someone else would like to count, please feel free.
5:04...
What's your point? Have you got anything to say about the current topic which is the upcoming meeting?
We could start a BLOG about me if you insist on being infatuated.
Time Traveler
Time Traveler,
I do have a point and I made it. Please see my post at 3:46.
Apologetic former sheriff sentenced to 16 months
By Shannan Bowen
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, October 6, 2008 at 7:24 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, October 6, 2008 at 6:09 p.m.
Raleigh | Former Brunswick County Sheriff Ronald Hewett publicly apologized Monday before being sentenced to 16 months in prison on a federal charge of obstructing justice.
Photo by Sara D. Davis
Former Brunswick County Sheriff Ronald Hewett, center, leaves the Terry Sanford Federal Courthouse with is wife Julie Hewett, left, and mother Pauline Hewett, after being sentenced to a 16 month imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release Monday, Oct. 6, 2008 in Raleigh, N.C. Hewett plead guilty in June obstruction of justice.
At a Glance
The issue: Amid a federal investigation of his office, Ronald Hewett was removed as Brunswick County sheriff in March and indicted on state charges of embezzlement and obstructing justice. A federal obstruction of justice charge was added in May.
What's new: Hewett was sentenced on the federal charge Monday to 16 months in prison, a $10,000 fine and two years of probation after his release.
What's next: District Attorney Rex Gore will now proceed with the state case. He doesn't plan to drop the charges, but said he doesn't know whether they will lead to a trial or plea deal.
Timeline of Hewett's rise and fall
Born in Wilmington in 1963, Ronald Hewett was sworn in at age 20 as North Carolina’s youngest certified police officer. He started at Holden Beach Police Department, where his son Justin is now an officer, and then moved to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office two weeks later.
After racking up awards including U.S. DARE Officer of the Year in 1993 and promotions to patrol sergeant and lieutenant, Hewett decided to take a chance at becoming sheriff in 1994, when former Sheriff John Carr Davis retired. Running as a Democrat, Hewett defeated Republican James Brown by 5,131 votes. He overcame challengers in 1998 and 2002 to keep the post, and ran unopposed in 2006.
The sheriff became known around Brunswick County and beyond as “Hollywood Hewett” because he was seen so often in television newscasts and newspaper photos after a major crime or event. From 1999 to 2001, filmmaker Daniel Kraus followed Hewett around for the documentary “Sheriff,” which premiered on PBS in 2006.
In June 2007, a federal grand jury in Raleigh issued subpoenas signaling an investigation of the sheriff and his department. Hewett kept doing his job, but slowly stopped responding to press interview requests and phone calls.
In spring 2008, Hewett’s former and current staff members signed affidavits accusing him of requiring them to campaign on county time and perform other duties, including construction and landscape work at his home. Hewett was suspended from office March 27 then indicted on state charges of embezzlement and obstructing justice. He resigned April 15.
Hewett was charged in May by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with felony obstruction of justice, accused of trying to “influence, obstruct and impede” the almost yearlong federal grand jury investigation into his office. Hewett pleaded guilty to the charge in federal court June 2.
* Hewett Sentenced
“I take full responsibility for my actions,” he said, “and I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
U.S. District Court Judge W. Earl Britt imposed the sentence and also ordered that Hewett pay a $10,000 fine and spend two years on probation after his release.
The federal prisons bureau will determine where Hewett serves his sentence and when he will report to begin it. But the judge recommended it be at a prison such as Butner Federal Correctional Complex, where Hewett could continue to receive substance abuse treatment.
Hewett’s attorney, Doug Parsons, said Hewett is vulnerable to substance abuse and has been dependent in the past. Several of Hewett’s former deputies and captains said in signed affidavits that Hewett had admitted to mixing prescription sleeping aids with alcohol.
Parsons said Hewett is attending substance abuse therapy and has been clean for five months.
Hewett declined to talk to reporters as he left the federal courthouse in Raleigh with his family members.
His sentence is two months shy of the maximum recommended in a pre-sentencing report.
Parsons argued for a shorter sentence because of the good deeds Hewett had done in the community, which were written about in several character reference letters from Hewett’s friends and county officials.
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Duffy said the corrupt actions he heard about during the federal investigation were indicative of how Hewett ran his office.
“During our investigation, the evidence presented to us showed there were two Ron Hewetts,” Duffy said.
In contrast to Hewett’s image outside the sheriff’s office, Duffy said, the federal investigation showed the former sheriff ordered people to work at his house and campaign on county time and made derogatory or sexual comments to employees.
“Every time he did this, he was taking away from law enforcement,” Duffy said.
Hewett began instructing deputies who were called to testify before the federal grand jury to assert their Fifth Amendment privilege or to be vague in their answers, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
At a news conference after the sentencing, U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding said Hewett’s case demonstrated a zero tolerance for public corruption in North Carolina.
“The message should be in N.C. we are not going to tolerate corrupt law enforcement. We’re not going to tolerate corrupt public officials. We’ll pursue them until we get them,” he said.
Courthouse clash
More than a dozen of Hewett’s family members and friends came to Raleigh to support him in court. They included his wife, mother, Brunswick County Commissioner Phil Norris and Pat Sandifer, wife of the late David Sandifer, who was chairman of the county commissioners.
But not everyone who traveled from Brunswick County to Raleigh was a supporter. George Cooper, of Leland, engaged in a shouting match outside the courthouse with some of Hewett’s relatives, arguing that Hewett should have received a harsher sentence.
Cooper faces charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon on an officer after deputies answering a disturbance call in May 2007 shot him as he stood in his doorway holding a gun.
In a recorded conversation with his senior staff that was handed over to state and federal officials, Hewett discussed how to deal with the incident in a press conference set for the following day.
Although Hewett had never stated it publicly, he acknowledges in the audio recording that the gun Cooper was holding when the deputies shot him was not loaded. And he said the department faced a bad situation.
“We shot ... a black man in his house,” Hewett said. He repeatedly asks the deputies if they are with him or against him.
Outside the courthouse Monday, Cooper wanted those around to know about the situation.
“They shot me and my family in my home,” Cooper shouted to Hewett’s cousin, Michael Clemmons. “He’s a liar!”
Clemmons shouted back, “He’s not a liar! He’s a good Christian man.”
Another cousin, Frank Hewett, of Raleigh, said he thought Ronald Hewett was “the best sheriff in Brunswick County” and didn’t deserve as much time as he got.
Case history
Duffy said the government began investigating Hewett in December 2006 on suspicions that he was misusing public funds by having deputies perform landscaping and other tasks on his property. Duffy said the government was also investigating reports that Hewett demanded his employees campaign for him while on duty and reports that Hewett did not prosecute some family members or relatives of prominent residents.
Several of Hewett’s employees and family members received subpoenas in June 2007 to testify before a federal grand jury, and the sheriff’s office also received a subpoena to turn over seven years worth of financial, personnel and other types of documents.
Most of the employees who received subpoenas to testify also banded together in March to submit affidavits to District Attorney Rex Gore detailing their allegations. Some also submitted recordings of phone calls and conversations in which Hewett discussed the federal investigation and asked deputies what they knew about it.
Hewett was suspended from office March 27 and was indicted four days later on state charges on embezzlement and obstruction of justice. He resigned April 15.
Gore said he was waiting for Hewett to be sentenced in federal court before moving forward with the state charges.
He said he was not considering dropping the charges, but he did not know whether the case would move to trial or would be settled another way.
Gore said another case management session will be scheduled soon so attorneys on both sides can decide how to proceed.
Community's view of former sheriff Hewett varies
By Shannan Bowen
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, October 6, 2008 at 10:26 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, October 6, 2008 at 10:48 a.m.
Former Brunswick County Sheriff Ronald Hewett took pride in being a member of one of the county’s largest and oldest families, a family name that connected him to many friends.
Ronald Hewett hangs his head as four indictments against him are read in the Brunswick County courthouse Monday ,March 31, 2008.
Related Links:
Those friends were schoolmates and employees at the sheriff’s office. Some were people he met through charity fundraisers. And some he considered to be family.
But as the federal grand jury investigation of Hewett came to light in 2007, a clear divide emerged.
One group of employees and friends Hewett trusted to be his captains banded together and submitted affidavits detailing misdeeds and erratic behavior of a leader they once admired.
Others continued to keep their faith in the man charged with obstructing justice and embezzlement.
In a character reference submitted before Hewett’s sentencing in federal court Monday, Assistant County Attorney Jana Berg put it this way:
“He is greatly respected and loved by the citizens of Brunswick County, be they young or old, rich or poor. This is evident in the fact that after the news of the grand jury investigation was leaked and widely reported by the local news media, the citizens of this county continued to rally around and support him.”
But as the news of the investigation came to light, many of those who worked directly under Hewett began meeting at the home of a former federal agent to discuss their experiences with a sheriff who demanded they campaign for him on county time, work at his house and let incidents involving family members slide under the radar.
Those employees eventually signed affidavits to accompany District Attorney Rex Gore’s petition to remove Hewett from office.
Some said Hewett began threatening employees at work to make sure they were on his side.
Deputy Mark Trull said in an affidavit that Hewett “has stood up during departmental meetings holding up employee pay check stubs and advising, ‘I put food on your table and I pay for your house.... You are either for me or against me. And if you are against me, you are like a cancer and I will cut you out.’”
But to Elizabeth Featherston, who has served on the board of directors for the Brunswick County Partnership for Children, the former sheriff was a good friend and a philanthropist.
She said in a letter to the court that Hewett and his wife, Julie, attended hospice fundraisers, visited nursing homes and attended funerals.
“This man was the president of the N.C. Sheriff’s Association, subject of the nationally presented documentary ‘Sheriff’ and author of a cookbook which raised funds for hospice,” she said.
County Manager Marty Lawing wrote about Hewett’s professional leadership and said he was convinced Hewett would continue to be a leader in whatever role he chooses going forward.
“I knew Ronald Hewett to be a community leader that was very active in civic events,” Lawing said. “He was a true public servant and was self-motivated to help as many people as he could on a professional or personal basis.”
But even one of Hewett’s friends noticed that the pressures of being a sheriff and philanthropist began to weigh on him.
“He lost weight, appeared anxious and at times seemed to be depressed. As a friend, I called regularly as I was very concerned about his mental state,” Jonathan Crane, a dermatologist in New Hanover County and friend of Hewett, said in a letter to the court.
“He remained the same good person, but he did make some mistakes,” Crane said. “Due to these mistakes, he resigned from the position of sheriff.”
Crane also said the conversations that some of Hewett’s employees recorded did not portray who Hewett really was.
Capt. Gene Caison, who had been best friends with Hewett since elementary school and worked with him more than 20 years, was one of the employees who recorded conversations and phone calls in which Hewett would discuss the federal investigation and make derogatory remarks about other employees.
He also noted a change in Hewett, one that might help explain the starkly different views of the former sheriff in the community.
On the night of March 27, when Hewett was suspended from office, Caison said Hewett started acting differently around 2005.
“I’m sorry the whole situation got to the point it got to,” Caison said that night as he stood outside the county courthouse after a press conference.
“He’s not the person he was when he got elected,” he said.
Wrongdoing by officials breaks public's trust
By Shelby Sebens
Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 11:49 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 6:14 p.m.
What happens when the good guys go bad?
In the past year, Brunswick County has seen some high-profile cases in which law enforcement officers were accused of breaking the law they swore to uphold.
Sheriff Ronald Hewett, who will be sentenced Monday in federal court on a felony charge of obstructing justice, is the most prominent. But he’s not alone.
A former Boiling Spring Lakes police officer in September pleaded guilty to second-degree rape of a 14-year-old girl and taking indecent liberties with a child.
Navassa’s police chief resigned this summer after wrecking his squad car and being charged with driving while impaired. He was the second Navassa police officer to be charged with a DWI.
Oak Island’s police department is being investigated by a consultant after multiple accusations of harassment and discrimination against women employees.
When law officers break the law or are simply accused of wrongdoing, justice officials say, law enforcement agencies can face an uphill struggle to regain the public’s trust.
Tarnished badges
“I’m always troubled when any law enforcement officer goes bad,” said Bobby Higdon, chief of the U.S. District Attorney’s Office criminal division in Raleigh. Higdon oversees all criminal cases for the office, which covers the southeastern part of the state. He was heavily involved in the recent Robeson County Tarnished Badge case, in which the sheriff and 20 members of his department were convicted of a range of crimes including kidnapping and misuse of federal funds.
In addition to shaking the public’s trust, conviction of a law officer also puts past cases in jeopardy, Higdon said. The attorney’s office must review cases the officers were involved with to be sure they were properly investigated and prosecuted.
Higdon, who also has worked on Hewett’s case, said he believes it’s merely a coincidence that two rural North Carolina sheriffs faced serious criminal charges in a short period of time.
But he said the impact on a small community can be worse than in a metropolitan area.
“It leaves the citizens more unprotected than they would be in a larger community,” where the sheriff’s position isn’t as dominant, he said.
Painful perception
Even when an accused officer is cleared of wrongdoing, the public’s perception can still be tainted.
“There’s still that stigma,” Boiling Spring Lakes Police Chief Emmett Ballree said.
Ballree knows about it firsthand. Before becoming police chief of the small Brunswick County town in December, he resigned as chief of police in Mount Olive, where he was accused of buying gas for his personal vehicle with a town credit card.
He did so because he used the vehicle for work, he said, and a state criminal justice disciplinary committee agreed in August that there was no evidence of wrongdoing in his case.
But for nine months Ballree endured the investigation and the accompanying spotlight.
“Your family has to go through this also,” he said.
Some people just read a headline and assume the worst, Ballree said.
He added, however, his family and both towns’ officials were supportive.
In Oak Island, an outside firm is investigating claims of sexual harassment and discrimination within the police department. Several employees have resigned amid the allegations.
Town Attorney Brian Edes, who has been appointed to speak on the police department’s behalf, said although the claims have not been substantiated, everyone knows about it.
“These types of allegations make the news,” he said.
Ballree said he did not know Luther “Luke” Stidham, the former Boiling Spring Lakes police officer convicted of rape. But, he said, he feels sorry for others in the department who did.
“I know what it’s like,” he said, adding it’s always hard to watch a fellow officer go down.
As chief of the Mount Olive Police Department, he had to take badges and guns from officers accused of targeting Hispanic motorists.
Ballree also went to police training in the late 1990s with former Navassa Police Chief Ricky Thorpe who was charged with a DWI and subsequently resigned from the department.
“Sometimes good people make bad choices,” he said.
And the string of cases in Brunswick may be isolated incidents – not part of a trend.
Wayne Woodard, director of the state’s Criminal Justice Training and Standards Division, said he does not have a breakdown by county but does not believe there has been a substantial increase of law officers breaking the law in Brunswick County.
The number of officers statewide whose police certification was revoked by the commission decreased from 21 to 13 between 2005 and 2007, according to state figures.
Restoring faith
Every time an officer breaks the law or makes an unethical choice, it fuels the fire of those who already did not trust police, Ballree said.
“We’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” he said.
Brunswick County Sheriff John Ingram, who was chosen as Hewett’s replacement, declined to be interviewed for this story but previously told the Star-News he hopes to restore the public’s faith in the department.
“I think people will notice a change as time goes on,” he said.
Ballree said the Boiling Spring Lakes Police Department has a clean slate now, and he plans to implement continuous training for the officers.
The former Basic Law Enforcement Training instructor said that will be the best way to ensure a credible and ethical staff.
Every law enforcement officer goes through at least 618 hours of basic training courses that include at least four hours of ethics training, Woodard said.
They also must be state-certified, which requires background checks, psychological examination and more.
Part of that requirement is to have “good moral character,” which Woodard said the state’s attorneys have found is difficult to define. .
Ultimately, Edes said, the Oak Island Police Department maintains its credibility by keeping the town safe.
“That’s where we derive our credibility from,” he said. “That’s our mission, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Editorial: Give him the maximum
Published: Sunday, October 5, 2008 at 4:30 p.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, October 5, 2008 at 4:30 p.m.
When a lawman breaks the law, he also violates his promise to the public. And having betrayed a solemn trust, he should receive the maximum punishment allowed.
Federal prosecutors are recommending just that for former Brunswick County Sheriff Ronald Hewett, who admitted obstructing a federal investigation of his office. Hewett's lawyer, of course, seeks leniency. He says the judge should consider his client's character and remorsefulness.
It's a little late for that.
By most measures Hewett, a likeable fellow who could turn a manhunt or standoff into a made-for-TV melodrama, is not a bad man. Human failings - an industrial-size ego, addictions to alcohol and sleep aids and a lust for the power that accompanies the sheriff's badge - contributed mightily to his downfall.
When he abused that power, when he used it to intimidate deputies who were called to testify as part of the federal grand jury's investigation, he committed a crime. His victims were not only mistreated deputies but Brunswick County taxpayers, who deserved much better.
Like any other criminal, he must pay for his crime.
Assuming that U.S. District Judge Earl Britt agrees with the sentencing recommendation, Hewett could serve a year to 18 months. Even that seems lenient, considering that Hewett badly tarnished the badge he wore.
He still faces state charges involving personal work done by deputies at the taxpayers' expense, but the district attorney won't say whether a trial is forthcoming.
Perhaps even more disheartening than Hewett's misdeed is that he isn't the only one. There's an outside chance he could be sharing a prison cell with former Robeson County Sheriff Glenn Maynor, who was sentenced to six years after being convicted of corruption. Twenty of his deputies were caught up in the same "Tarnished Badge" investigation.
Meanwhile, former Boiling Spring Lakes Officer Luke Stidham pleaded guilty last month to raping a 14-year-old girl and indecent liberties with a minor.
You expect career criminals to commit crime. Career lawmen are supposed to prevent them, and hold themselves to a higher standard.
When they don't, Boiling Spring Lakes Chief Emmett Ballree said, "We're shooting ourselves in the foot."
More accurately, law officers who commit crimes shoot the justice system through the heart.
Issued: Friday, February 20, 2004
Contact: Valita Quattlebaum
D.A.R.E. Graduation Feb. 24 at Carolina Beach Elementary
Brunswick Co. Sheriff Ron Hewett is Keynote Speaker
CAROLINA BEACH, NC---The Carolina Beach Police Department (CBPD) will host
the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) graduation ceremony for fifth graders at
Carolina Beach Elementary School on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at 1 p.m. The public is
invited to attend. Each student will receive a D.A.R.E. graduation certificate and the ceremony
will focus on celebrating their accomplishments.
Brunswick County Sheriff Ronald E. Hewett is the guest speaker at this event, which
recognizes students’ achievement in the area of drug abuse resistance education. Sheriff Hewett
is a former National D.A.R.E. Officer, a title awarded annually to one outstanding D.A.R.E.
instructor in the nation. Lt. Kurt Bartley of the CBPD is the D.A.R.E. instructor for Carolina
Beach Elementary and he has trained extensively to be able to teach the continually updated
program.
Students at Carolina Beach Elementary have completed the 10-week curriculum of
substance abuse prevention education. D.A.R.E.’s in-school curriculum focuses on giving
children practical skills to avoid becoming involved in drugs, gangs, and violence. Lt. Bartley
has been a supportive role model for the students. He encourages the students to develop healthy
self-esteem as a way to prevent substance abuse.
In addition to the fifth grade students, achievement awards will be presented to Ms.
Alyson Peck and Mr. Wesley Barbour, both of Carolina Beach. The two Ashley High School
seniors have served as role models in the D.A.R.E. program for the past three years.
D.A.R.E. was founded in 1983 by the Los Angeles Police Department, which faced an
overwhelming drug use problem among juveniles and saw the need for a program to educate
children and young adults about the destructive realities of substance abuse. Since that beginning
20 years ago, DARE has grown to reach 36 million students in more than 300,000 classrooms in
the U.S
Some have suggested that this meeting is an organized attack on the elected officials. It is totally the opposite. This is an opportunity for the commissioners to address as many people as possible and to clear the air on some very pertinent and serious issues. Open and honest dialogue is entirely positive and without it there will be no growth.
I can only speak for myself when I say that I have no intention of using this as a vehicle for allowing anyone to do anything other than have a dialogue. In fact, there are no other organizers except for me, myself, and I.
Any presuppositions you have regarding the intent of this meeting is just that -- your presupposition and personal feelings.
The commissioners have been invited to a discussion, and some appear unwilling to discuss. There is a process in place with this meeting which will foster the dialogue which this town needs.
This is a much needed first step on the road to restoring trust in our elected officials. I stand by my previous statements that I will work feverishly to block the re-election of any official who is not open, honest, and accountable. I also stand by my statement that you're either part of the solution or part of the problem.
Two things...
1) Tic Toc is back at it again with posting the full contents of articles. I wish he would just post the link to the source.
2) Larry, I almost think you believe what you say. Your prior actions don't jive with what you say though. I'm sorry to say. Not to mention the type of crap you foster on this site.
Yes, I believe entirely what I've said. You can read into it whatever you wish or need to.
Green... isn't it amazing the bunch of bull you have to put up with if you put the time and effort into doing something good?
That is why most people don't bother. You not only have to stand up to those who are doing wrong, but the fools that support them as well.
Time Traveler
Nah, doesn't surprise me at all. Nor does it bother me. I just wish they'd join in the conversation and help be part of the solution.
You mean the FOOL (as in singular) who supports them...
Man, as I read these articles, all I could think about is those towns ain't got nothing on Mooresville. You want to talk abuse of power and obstruction of justice? Just spend a day in Mooresville. Now we have public officials, elected and non-elected apparently all participating in blatantly and flagrantly violating the Freedom of Information Act en masse. Absolutely no regard for the laws that were designed specifically to keep government clean. Mac Herring boasts about how the "hunker down" mentality is dead? Now I know he's got to be joking right?
I don't care how you spin it, attacking people for everything from the bombing of Japan to Crone's blunders aren't constructive. The board IS taking matters to heart behind closed doors. Trust me on that. Some of these matters are out of their hands and not on their timetable such as the FBI investigation. A great deal of what we're seeking questions to will have to be handled by the new town manager or outside sources where we have no jurisdiction.
I have followed this blog since this spring but I've had it with the 4 or 5 lunatics who insist on venting their respective psychoses here. Good luck, I'm outta here back to my own life where I don't have to listen to this idiocy anymore.
why does larry green have to be the first person to comment on EVERY friggin' thread?????????do you not have a life?let somebody else talk once in a while. i think the only thing you'll hear on the 15th will be a few lawyers, an honest commish and lots of crickets. it sounds like an episode of springer. i won't waste my time on anything else you're involved in bozo.
OK, I must confessed that I'm lost with the comments at 11:26. Much of the information we've asked about and asked for are handled directly by the elected officials: MI-Connection, CH2M, recall motions, an update on CFK, as well as ethical behaviors of elected officials. Those are entirely within the scope of responsibility of the folks we've elected to serve us, and each of those has been a controversial issue for a variety of reasons. Mi-Connection now appears to be doing well, but their statement does not include loan amortization. CH2M received a lucrative contract despite being the lowest ranked by the town engineers -- and all because someone living in Mooresville was working for CH2M at the time. The code of ethics was approved but not put into action. Recall terminology would be quite useful for all of Mooresville.
This is what the conversation will discuss, and probably a few other things. I realize they cannot discuss every aspect of every situation, but it provides the opportunity for them to explain in their own words what's going on, what went on, and what will go on. That, my friend, is a healthy dialogue which has been incorrectly labeled as an attack engine.
For the life of me, I can't understand the reluctance, and noone has offered a logical reason for not taking part in the meeting. I fully understand the church commitments, but went to great lengths to provide other educational opportunities for the members during my absence to be at this event.
My gut instinct tells me that some of the elected folks are a bit leary of talking openly, honestly, and directly to the people of Mooresville.
He only posted first on 1 (one) friggin thread you moron. Can you not count? He is the 2nd poster on a few other threads.
I'm sure Bozo doesn't really care if you're involved or not - right Green?
I believe folks said the same thing when he organized the march on town hall. Golly Jee Wally, I believe the crickets were silenced by the voices of the masses.
case in point dumbasses.see 2 previous posts and while you're at it 11:54 -go to hell- i'm not gonna be involved with your kind anymore, we'll get rid of them the right way, not the lunatic aynkee way.
and it was misspelled on purpose(bass akwards) in case you fail to see the irony.
my gut instinct tells me they don't want every fart they let published on your insidious CFRG blog or CFOG, oh wait that was the original movement, must've been a Freudian slip.
Here's a thought. Why don't you move the meeting to Halloween and we could make it a masquerade ball? Then we wouldn't know who anybody represents.Make sure to call the caterer,OK?
Whoever you are 12:12, 12:14, and 12:16 -- you're certainly unstable. You've actually threatened to harm Green:
Bozo is dead.
And so are you.
you just don't realize it.
I hope Green reports this threat to the police department and obtains some protection as a result of your threat on his life.
You really need some help, which is why we're all on this blog -- trying to help one another remove elected officials who are corrupt, to hold the town accountable for its actions, and to keep all of this in the public's eye.
By the tone of your e-mail you're a long-time resident of Mooresville, which means you've had ample time to remove unethical and corrupt politicians. You way hasn't worked very well, unless your way is to hide your head in the sand and pretend all is well in Mooresville. So you keep doing things YOUR way and well keep doing things OUR way. When all is said and done, we'll compare which way was more effective.
These latest attacks on posts have a new style, but the same objective, to distract from the goal of getting the truth in the open.
If these were citizens and not officials there would have been charges by now with more pending.
If you look back at other Reports and the following posts, they all start out with a conversation between those on here wanting to research information and end up with an argument between well meaning posters and a/some jackass.
The hecking ends as soon as what the Gatton Report set out to do is accomplished. It then starts back up when a new report is made.
I myself have tore into a few of these jackasses because it needed to be done and for personal entertainment. The humor is gone for me and silence is the best response.
If you try to explain your position and be reasonable like Green has done on this report, you get attacked worse. When you decide you have had enough and call a jackass a jackass you get accused of not being able to debate and of having to resort to name calling. The only purpose of these attacks is disruption so trying to deal with them will only result in more disruption.
Whoever this person or these people are, they are part of the corruption that is being investigated. They have no place on this BLOG. The only way their posts matter is if someone replies.
As I said in a previous post; those who don't care about the corruption wouldn't care enough to be on this BLOG. That leaves two kinds of people on here... those who are against corruption and those are part of that corruption.
The only time I respond to a negative post now is for my own amusement and I have limited that as well because it takes up space that others have to sort through to get to actual information and discussion about the original report.
"At least two thirds of our miseries spring from human stupidity, human malice and those great motivators and justifiers of malice and stupidity, idealism, dogmatism and proselytizing zeal on behalf of religious or political idols."
Ignore them and they won't matter.
Time Traveler
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