Letters to the editor: 01/17/02

Columnist's remarks were unfair

To the Editor:

North Carolinians ought to be outraged by Paul O'Connor's recent column. His unfair slam of departing lawmakers and his condemnation of the entire General Assembly was an insult to the voters who have given us the honor and privilege of serving them in Raleigh.

I do share O'Connor's frustration about the length of the 2001 legislative session.

That's why, five times since 1995 and twice in 2001 alone, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a proposal to allow voters to add session limits to the N.C. Constitution. The bill has yet to be considered in the House of Representatives, but I am hopeful that the House will take up the idea during the 2002 short session beginning in May.

The 2001 session was a particularly difficult one. Lawmakers had to address the once-a-decade task of redistricting as well as the worst budget crisis in a decade (like those in many other states). These two challenges stretched the session longer than any of us wanted or anticipated. For the last two months of the session senators stopped accepting their per diem expenses, saving our state more than $412,000, but clearly we must do more to improve the way the legislature operates.

Despite the need to set session limits, I have full faith in the institution of the General Assembly and the democratic process. Yes, it can be difficult to get lawmakers to agree - with 170 members there is bound to be discord at times - and our budget shortfalls and the complexities of redistricting required difficult negotiations.

But that discord and negotiation is part of our democratic process, a process in which all viewpoints are worthy of consideration and all voices deserve to be heard. For O'Connor to blame the session's length on "petty rivalries" and "inadequate leadership" is simply unfair and inaccurate.

In the end, these negotiations and discussions often lead to important progress for North Carolina. During the 2001 session, the General Assembly agreed to several initiatives that will move our state forward, such as:

- Improvements in education including smaller class sizes and teacher recruitment tools;

- Better job-training programs to help workers get new jobs or to keep the jobs they have;

- Efforts to stabilize our economy by replenishing our reserve funds, protecting our credit rating and strengthening our job-recruitment initiatives;

- A Patient's Bill of Rights to improve access to health care;

- Consumer protections to make sure your private information is not for sale;

- Better air and water quality standards to protect public health and the environment; and

- Tougher laws against stalking, drug dealing, and terrorist acts and threats.

What is even less fair than O'Connor's swipe at the entire Legislature is the specific venom he targeted at several senators who have made significant contributions to their districts and our state, and whose retirement from the Senate will be a true loss.

Each of these senators has contributed much more to the betterment of North Carolina than space in this column permits me to relate. Together, they represent 70 years (35 terms) of dedication and leadership in the Senate. To suggest that their departure is welcome or overdue is an insult not only to these notable public servants, but also to the hundreds of thousands of voters in their districts who have, time and again, exercised their right to elect these senators to represent them.

The citizens of our state have the right to express their views every two years at the ballot box. If O'Connor has no respect for legislators, he should at least respect the process by which they were chosen and let the people speak for themselves.

As a public official, I expect and welcome judgment and criticism of the N.C. General Assembly as it addresses issues important to our state. I even welcome such criticism from Paul O'Connor if he would take the time to offer thoughtful commentary on the General Assembly's actions or inactions. But to simply spew forth broad-sweeping attacks that he tries to pass off as responsible editorial opinion shows little effort on his part to give this issue, which is important to all of us, any serious consideration.

Perhaps O'Connor thinks that his judgment is superior to that of the rest of us in this state, including you, his readers. Personally, I find it incredibly offensive for Mr. O'Connor to imply that he has better judgment than the North Carolina voters who elect their representatives. On behalf of those of us who are honored to serve you in the North Carolina Senate, I would like to apologize to you, the voters and residents of our great state, for his insults.

Senator Marc Basnight

Raleigh

Marc Basnight is president pro tempore of the North Carolina Senate. He is serving his fifth term as the Senate's leader and his ninth as the state senator for District 1, comprised of 11 counties in northeast North Carolina.

Voter apathy has to stop

To the Editor:

After reading last week's editorial in The Sylva Herald, I came to the conclusion that I had better write one more letter.

I now realize why the mayor and some of the town board committees thought they could get away with back-room, closed door deals and unannounced secret meetings. It can be summed up in two words: "voter apathy."

When they said they did not have enough funds to pay the town employees their 2001 Christmas bonus and a few minutes later they said they should hire a manager for $40,000, I was the only one to write and complain. Again a show of "voter apathy."

When The Sylva Herald's staff questioned them publicly about the reasons the town needed a manager and they gave evasive answers or didn't answer at all, again no-one else got involved. More "voter apathy."

When a meeting was announced for discussion about changing to the town manager form of government, very few people showed up and only two people spoke out against it. Again, "voter apathy."

When everyone but three people and the reporter from The Sylva Herald left that meeting and the mayor and town board voted unanimously in favor of making the change even though the mayor had told several people earlier that day that no vote would be made that night, again nobody objected, including myself. More "voter apathy."

When discussions at town board meetings were limited or not discussed at all, again no one complained. More "voter apathy."

After several months of this our mayor and the old town board thought it was perfectly O.K. to mislead the citizens of Sylva by giving incomplete answers, they thought it was O.K. to hold unannounced, secret meetings of various committees and not take minutes or make any notes and then when asked by The Sylva Herald what was discussed say they couldn't remember.

The Sylva Herald did its job by reporting all of this to us, and we all let the town board get away with it due to "voter apathy." They also knew that no one would join me in commenting when they took the town administrating duties away from Tommy Thompson and hired Richard McHargue as town manager. Again, they counted on "voter apathy."

Jackson County has a history of treating people badly after they have exhibited years of excellence. Doing a good job in Jackson County doesn't really guarantee they will let you keep it, but I never thought the elected officials of our friendly, little town of Sylva would treat people the same way.

I for one would like an explanation from town board member Danny Allen about why he felt it was necessary to abstain on the vote to hire McHargue. People usually abstain from voting only when there is a conflict of interest or the vote is against their moral beliefs. How about an explanation, Danny. I think you owe the voters who supported you.

Until the voters of Sylva start getting involved in town government by attending our town boards monthly meetings, by demanding more discussion and citizen input before decisions are made and by letting them know either through letters to the editor, phone calls or speaking to them in person, we will continue to have this type of closed-door politics.

Quit being the "apathetic voter" and get involved. Let's hold our elected officials accountable. When you ask them why they are doing something, demand a full answer and don't settle for "because." If we all get together as concerned citizens and our elected officials see this, they will stop their closed-door type of politics and their one track agenda and start representing all the citizens of Sylva rather than the chosen few that they deem more important.

Herb Zachmann

Sylva

Reader requests better use of technology

To the Editor:

Again, the Sylva Herald has missed a bet. I waited a week to find out who was selected by the Sylva town commission to serve as town manager. I got the news from an Asheville television station.

Your web page, www.sylvaherald.com, could be used for breaking news stories, but remains just a "carbon copy" of your printed edition. The local radio station hasn't updated their web page news for months.

Get real, folks. Use technology to keep all of us informed and promote your paper at the same time.

Surely someone, hopefully The Sylva Herald, can figure out how to utilize existing technologies to enlighten Internet users without overburdening your staff and making some money to boot. Eventually someone is going to.

John A. Sutton

Sylva

Solid waste plan or attack?

To the Editor:

Almost three years ago, officials with EarthWorks Recycling and Helping Hands went before the Jackson County Solid Waste Advisory Board to request a solid waste ordinance. They saw how much the waste removal system was being abused, and they were concerned about how much these abuses were costing the county and its taxpayers. Their intent was to create a simple tool to clarify and enforce the guidelines of waste management set up by GDS at the SRCs.

Two and a half years went by during which, without an ordinance in place, the dumping and recycling atrocities of the town of Sylva's collection company and the county's appointed "recycler" (both one and the same), mounted, raising the expense of solid waste removal. These offenses, so seemingly out of line with the county's own waste reduction program, while being generously funded through the town and the county, were reported to Jay Denton (self-appointed solid waste manger) and Maurice Moody (self-proclaimed solid waste expert). Instead of taking us seriously, we were treated as if this were a matter of "sour grapes," and we were ignored.

In the next six months or so, the JCSWAB slapped together an incomplete and poorly thought out ordinance and brought it before the board of commissioners for approval. Within this ordinance were exclusions to restrict and punish the very people who went before the county commissioners and the JCSWAB to predict this sort of thing would happen. Talk about slaying the messenger!

The bottom line is that the county doesn't have a plan it understands at all. Nor does it seem to have anyone in office who gives a flip. Successful waste reduction and removal plans require knowledge, direction, commitment and leadership, from the top, none of which we have.

In my opinion, Jay Denton and Maurice Moody know about as much about solid waste management as the amount of dirt I can scrape from underneath my pinky nail. In other words, they haven't got a clue.

If I know it, then companies like GDS know it too, and make no mistake, they will use that to their advantage, not the county's. Moody and Denton's course of action has proven them to be incompetent and unqualified to make any decisions in this area, and they need to be removed before they can do any more harm or drive expenses up any farther. They have had their turn at bat, struck out miserably, and it is time they left the plate.

We have remained steadfast in our commitment to the county citizens to recycle and reduce the costs of solid waste removal even though the town and county governments have made it very difficult for us to operate, have treated us like a nuisance, and proved that they would like to see us out of business. For the work we do for the county, we receive no thanks, no support, no guidance, no funding and no involvement whatsoever.

So, why do we continue this uphill battle? I'll tell you why. Personal commitment, a sense for what is right from wrong, and a vision of the future for Jackson County.

If you are interested in getting the real scoop on solid waste and other county issues, call me at 631-9153.

Laurie Dorris

EarthWorks Recycling

Sylva

Sylva is no great recycling example

To the Editor:

I am so glad you made "solid waste" such a great issue. We have finally got a solid waste ordinance. Let's waste away.

The town of Sylva passed a mandatory recycling law on both the residents and businesses and wiped their hands of any wrong doing. Then brag about it. Then they hired the first hauler that came along (GDS). At least they recycled the limited amounts they picked up. Let's wipe our hands once again.

The first fragmentation of our recycling efforts came as a result of the town's actions. We'll get our own baler and make all this money. Then they realized that it cost money. "Hey," they said, 'We'll contract it out. We'll sell the baler to the lowest bidder."

Enter an inexperienced kid. He's such a good boy we'll trust him to do it for us. He's got a degree in marketing. Does anyone know the baler they sold him still belongs to Jackson Paper? He began "picking up" people outside of Sylva, at the town's expense, for simply $10 per month. This is great if you're close to town but not actually in town.

So let's use the "town" as an example. Who is saving whom money? I'm naïve, but nobody checked him out. "I'm just aggressive," he say's. Ask Bud Boynton, ask Webster Enterprises.

I have advocated a county-run system for some time. There are reasons for this. I run a recycling program that also does trash. To me it's not about trash, but about what saves people money in the long run. Sure, I want to "save time and money," but I want to save valuable land space as well.

The county has put the cart before the horse. Shall we pass laws that satisfy the lawmakers? I ask one simple question? Where are we going to put a landfill in Jackson County?

The current chairman of the county commissioners led the way to dispose of Dave Fowler as director of solid waste management solely because he was from a different party. This resulted in a lawsuit against the county. Now we cannot hire a coordinator or a recycling supervisor.

The end result is the new Jackson County Solid Waste Board. This board will be made up of political friends and cronies. Its not whom you know, it's whom you're affiliated with.

Folks, we're in a mess. People from the "town" are bringing their stuff to the Dillsboro SRC to recycle because the "town's" hauler isn't doing its job. It's your money, sit back if you want to. Vote for whom you want to. When your taxes go up, it's whom you vote for and not whom you know. Sylva is open for bids. Just keep it low, O.K.

They're no example.

Tom Vokes

Dillsboro

Most traffic lights are a waste of time

To the Editor:

You can turn west on I-40 in Haywood County and go almost to Pismo Beach on the Pacific Ocean without encountering a traffic light.

If you drive from Speedwell to Dillsboro, you'll pass under 12 lights, 13 on the way back, and there are plans for another one. It's apparent that a smooth talking traffic light salesman has been fattening his wallet while working this area.

A couple of these lights serve a useful purpose most of the time and another two or three help move traffic for an hour during the morning and evening school traffic times. The others result mostly in a waste of brake lining, gasoline and a fair amount of patience.

Now I know that some will say, "If they save one life they are worth it." I wonder if anyone has ever calculated the equivalent of how many lifetimes have been waisted waiting for the light to turn green when the way ahead was clear?

Ed Ulsenheimer

Cullowhee

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