More than a month since the inquiry was complete and nearly two weeks since I sent a letter to the editor and blogged the news, the Jacksonville Daily News has reported on Onslow County Commissioner (and failed 2006 candidate for Clerk of Superior Court) Delma Collins‘ campaign finance FUBAR.

The article doesn’t cover any new ground except for having great quotes from Commissioner Collins.

An example from the article:

“I made a mistake,” Collins said. “But you have to be a bookkeeper to understand election finance laws.”

Mr. Collins, indeed, you do not need to be a bookkeeper to understand the election finance laws. You simply have to read the regulations, attend training by the local or state Boards of Election, and ask questions if you’re that confused. It’s clear that by reaching the threshold limit of $3,000 in June (months prior to Election Day) you either acted intentionally to avoid reporting your campaign finance or you are incapable of managing your campaign funds. Neither is acceptable.

When questioned about motives regarding the inquiry, Collins had an interesting answer:

“This is nothing more than old enemies taking potshots at me,” Collins said.

As a response to the statement, I made this comment on the online article:

It’s nice to see the Jacksonville Daily News doing some investigative reporting. Too bad it’s been almost a month and a half since the report was released and it’s been reported on the ENC Forums and other websites.

As for Mr. Collins’ comment, since the SBOE found several instances of violations of campaign finance regulations, it’s not “Enemies taking potshots.”

The article did have one new and intriguing iota of news:

Collins said if he runs for office again, he will file differently.

“I have learned a valuable lesson,” Collins said. “If I do decide to run for a higher office in the future, I will not file under the $3,000 threshold.”

Mr. Collins, you promised your family, your friends, and, most importantly, your constituency that, should you lose the race for Clerk of Superior Court, you would leave politics at the end of your term as County Commissioner.

Perhaps you’ve forgotten, so I will quote the letter your campaign sent to teachers in Onslow County Schools:

I have promised my family that I will leave the political arena if I am unsuccessful in this endeavor.

Keep that promise, Mr. Collins. For the good of your family, for the good of your friends, and for the good of your constituency, keep your promise. Leave politics.

Tonight the Onslow County Board of Commissioners elected Lionell Midgett as their Chairman for 2008. Commissioner Paul Buchanan will remain the Vice Chairman.

Correction: According to the Jacksonville Daily News, Commissioner (and challenger to Republican Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr.) Joe McLaughlin was elected as the Vice Chairman.

In other Board of Commissioner news, the Jacksonville Daily News still has not reported anything on the North Carolina State Board of Elections’ inquiry on Commissioner Delma Collins’ inability to manage his campaign finance records from his failed bid for Clerk of Superior Court. They also haven’t published the letter to the editor I sent.

It’s been almost a month since the report was released and the “paper of record” for Onslow County has failed to print anything. It’s a darned shame that the Jacksonville Daily News is withholding this pretty darned important information from the voters of Onslow County.

What do you think?

Saturday I went photo-walking in the Old Burying Grounds in Beaufort and at Fort Macon (the links are to the photo-walking albums). Take a stroll with me, won’t you?

NaPhotoPoMo seems to really be getting legs. Erin blogged it and Ontario Emperor linked to her. There’s also 9 members of the group on Ning.

Just to be clear, though, participants don’t have to register for Ning and join the group to participate in NaPhotoPoMo. I would appreciate a link or email or something to be able to keep track of how many folks participate, but even that’s not really necessary.

Maybe if we all use a Technorati tag in NaPhotoPoMo posts it’d be easier to track. Any advice?

Interestingly enough, it’s been almost a full month and the Jacksonville Daily News hasn’t reported on Onslow County Commissioner Delma Collins’ NC State Board of Elections inquiry or fines.

I even sent them a letter to the editor to tip them off and nothing.

I guess the old adage is true: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”

Good night and good luck.

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Has anyone noticed something different about the iTunes podcast store? When perusing the podcast section by category, I end up in a very unsexy list-like interface. Completely not cool. There’s no extra information on the podcasts, just the basic information (title, artist, genre, etc.).

It’s making it quite complicated to shop for new and exciting podcasts, that’s for certain.

Somebody at the local nutjob message board has been sending offensive private messages to the female users.

Remember the controversy surrounding Onslow County Commissioner Delma Collins’ 2006 failed campaign for Clerk of Superior Court?

The North Carolina State Board of Elections has released its findings regarding Commissioner Collins. In a letter dated November 5th, the Board noted that Collins accepted business contributions (in-kind contributions from Donald Keith Branch of Allstate Insurance and Michael Lazzara (Yes, the City Councilman)), paid cash for advertisement purchases, and submitted campaign finance reports late. All of which are violations of campaign finance regulations.

The letter also suggets that Collins submitted information that could not be corroborated:

You stated that the Onslow County Board of Elections instructed you to file a final report after the elections in the event that you exceeded the threshold. You also stated that Ed Brown, candidate for sheriff, received the same instructions. Neither Mr. Brown nor the Onslow County Board of Elections corroborated your statements.

The letter also directs Collins to re-open his campaign committee, pay a fee of $1,288.72, file an amended report to include all receipts and expenses, and providing a sworn statement describing the source of funds used to purchase advertising from the Jacksonville Daily News.

They’re well-earned, but not excessive, punishments.

I wonder, though, if the letter was signed November 5th, when the Jacksonville Daily News is going to get around to reporting the news?

Courtesy your local neighborhood Wikipedia:

• Twenty-one is a Fibonacci number, a Harshad number, a Motzkin number, a triangular number and an octagonal number, as well as a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 3 and 7.
• 21 is the fifth discrete bi-prime and the second in the (3.q) family. With 22 it forms the second discrete bi-prime pair. 21 has an aliquot sum of 11 though it is the second composite number found in the 11-aliquot tree with. 18 is the first such member as well having as 21 as its aliquot sum 21 is the first number to be the aliquot sum of three numbers 18,51,91
• 21 appears in the Padovan sequence, preceded by the terms 9, 12, 16 (it is the sum of the first two of these).
• The sum of divisors for the integers 1 through 5 is 21.
• 21 is a repdigit in base 4 (111).
• 21 is the smallest number of differently sized squares needed to square the square.

My letter was printed in today’s Jacksonville Daily News. Unfortunately, their website hasn’t been updated, so I can’t provide linkage.

Unfortunately, it’s too late. The Jones County Board of Commissioners has voted to table a resolution to oppose the site located near the Jones-Onslow Border.

While the Onslow Board of Commissioners hold court with eyes and ears covered, the battle is raging against an OLF. Their absence, and lack of leadership, will allow the U.S. Navy to steamroll Jones County. With a population of less than 11,000 people and a median income just barely above the poverty line, who will stand up for those people?

Certainly not Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr. Certainly not Senators Elizabeth Dole or Richard Burr. And most certainly not the Onslow County Board of Commissioners.

Even a 6-year old boy has done more than the Onslow County Board of Commissioners to fight the U.S. Navy’s plan. Joseph Dickerson wrote a letter to the Elizabeth City Daily Advance.

My name is Joseph Cole Dickerson, and I am 6 years old. I like all the animals and stuff here. I don’t want the Navy outlying landing field. The animals will not like an OLF. Some of my teachers would have to move. I would not like that. I hope people will help keep it from coming.

The Onslow County Board of Commissioners could take a lesson from young Mr. Dickerson. Unfortunately, and pathetically, they won’t.

There is some grumbling on the local nutjob message board about healthcare in Jacksonville. The writer specifically had bad things to say about Med Care facility on Hwy 17/Marine Blvd.

Says joaniecol:

What I want to know is how when a patient, who is already not feeling well, ask how long they anticipate a wait to be and be told about 45-1 hour wait - - - ask to pay for their copay up front - - only then to be stuck waiting for 2 hrs and 40 minutes before even being brought into a room. Then, another 40 minutes before a “doctor” comes in to see you - spends no more then 8 minutes with you - and then it takes another 20 minutes for “documentation” for discharge to be given.

Four hours is a really long time to be waiting for treatment…I’d guess that even the Onslow Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Room would be able to provide services in that period.

Unfortunately, Jacksonville does not have very many (if any) good general practitioner doctors. The problem is that very few private practice doctors can accept Tricare (the payer for military dependents) and stay in business. This creates a vacuum for the franchise medical offices, such as Med Care to swoop in and prey on the citizens.

It’s a sad state of affairs, but as long as there are free-market fundamentalists (such as the John Locke Foundation and the Club for Growth) out there, it’s the way it’ll be.

It’s a shame and a sham that will continue until the U.S. moves to a single-payer health-care system.

Did you realize I’ve pass 2,500 posts on this blog? Me either. Holy crap. It’s no wonder I’m running out of material…

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!

The below post has been edited slightly and sent to Jacksonville’s Daily News, Swansboro’s Tideland News, Morehead City’s Carteret News-Times, Greenville’s Daily Reflector, Elizabeth City’s Daily Advance, Kinston’s Free Press, Havelock’s News, Nags Head’s OuterBanks Sentinel, New Bern’s Sun Journal, Washington’s Daily News, Topsail’s Free Voice, Goldsboro’s News-Argus, and Wilmington’s Star-News.

Remember when I emailed the Onslow County Board of Commissioners regarding my concerns about the proposed OLF sites nearest to Onslow County?

It’s been a month-and-a-half and still no response.

Yesterday, NC’s Governor, Mike Easley, said this:

“They see an OLF as almost all burden and no benefit. That is why I am urging our congressional delegation to ask the Navy to take these views into account and develop alternative proposals.”

The “they” in Easley’s comments are the communities in Eastern North Carolina where the Navy had originally planned to build their outlying landing field.

The Governor wants the Navy should find other locations for the OLF. This position puts him at odds with our Senators, Elizabeth Dole (R) and Richard Burr (R) who feel the sites identified are adequate and that the Navy can choose from that list.

Why is any of this important? How does the Onslow County Board of Commissioners’ lack of effort matter?

There has been great resistance against the Navy to build an OLF in northeastern North Carolina, but there has been little of that resistance regarding the southeastern sites. The Navy will get their unnecessary outlying landing field. It will be built and it will destroy acres of games lands, research forests, and wetlands. It will cause a small temporary economic boost, but will cause long-term economic decline as the field will be used for a decade, then abandoned. The use will be temporary, but the loss will be permanent.

The Onslow County Board of Commissioners are standing idly by and missing out on the opportunity to be leaders in Eastern NC. Because of that lack of leadership by Onslow’s Commissioners, the Navy will get what they want and the wishes of the citizens will be ignored.

I received quite the treat today, courtesy the Onslow County Board of Commissioners (and no, not responses to my email regarding the U.S. Navy’s outlying landing field proposal).

Board Chairman, Martin Aragona, Jr. has proposed that the Board explore dropping some of the Board’s benefits (health and dental insurance) to fund video taping and broadcasting (via Jacksonville’s G-10 service) ONWASA and Onslow Board of Education meetings.

From the agenda for the Board’s October 15th meeting:

ITEM 13 Consideration to Reduce the Board of Commissioners’ Compensation to Fund the taping of ONWASA and Board of Education meetings; and Endorsement and Implementation of the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution - (Page 178-180) Chairman Aragona has requested consideration of this agenda item, which includes a summary of salary and benefits compensation to the twenty most populated counties in North Carolina. Onslow County is the  tenth most populated.  Also included is a December 12, 2004 Jacksonville Daily News Article in which Commissioner Aragona proposed eliminating the medical and dental benefits to the commissioners in order to fund the taping of Board meetings. Chairman Aragona will open the floor to a special public comment on the issue, allowing citizens to speak for five minutes on the issue.

Chairman Aragona wishes to make three recommendations and proposals:

1. To eliminate the Commissioners’ medical and dental health benefits, effective January 1, 2008, or whenever first allowed by law, resulting in a net saving of $26,941.80

2. Proposal to use the funds for $13,470.90 worth of taped regular meetings of ONWASA as well as $13,470.90 worth of taped regular meetings of the Onslow County Board of Education.  These taped meetings would be aired on G-10, Time Warner Cable Jacksonville, Charter Cable and Time Warner Newport.

3. In keeping with the principals and spirit of the 27^th Amendment to the United States Constitution, a proposal that no action varying the compensation of the Board of Commissioners shall take effect until an election of the Board of Commissioners shall have intervened.”

I would say that this is certainly a welcome move towards open government. It’ll be interesting to see the debate on this.

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Today I sent the following email to the Onslow County Board of Commissioners regarding my opposition to the U.S. Navy’s proposal to build an Outlying Landing Field in or near Onslow County. 

I stand to oppose, and urge your opposition, of the U.S. Navy plan to build an Outlying Landing Field near or within Onslow County.

As you know, the U.S. Navy has added two locations to their list for an Outlying Landing Field near Onslow County. These locations, within the Hofmann Forest and Angola Bay areas, are game-lands and are often used for hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor activities. These locations are integral to North Carolina’s conservancy efforts and are home to numerous and rare species of animal and plant life. Several animals that are found nowhere else in the world live in these areas. Should the U.S. Navy build an outlying landing field in either area, they will destroy huge swaths of wetlands and forested areas and cause an damage to our environment.

There are questions whether or not an outlying landing field is required anywhere. On September 18^th, Rear Admiral David Anderson told the Outlying Landing Field Study Group that an OLF is not needed to train the two new Super Hornet squadrons scheduled to be stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. According to Anderson, Cherry Point has the required facilities to ensure these pilots are properly trained as is and that a new training facility would be unnecessary. Skip Zobel, a retired USN Captain and former commander of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia said in a September 25^th interview with WVEC-13 in Virginia Beach, VA that the existing facilities at the Naval Auxiliary Landing Field located at Fentress, Virginia and Naval Air Station Oceana will fulfill the training requirements for the squadrons based there.

The U.S. Navy has made these decisions without regard for, or respect of, local governments or local residents. These latest actions by the U.S. Navy are reminders of the steam-roller attitude that nearly caused 140 residents of Beaufort and Washington Counties to lose their homes and farms. Many of these families are generational owners and have been residents for decades. It was only by the residents’ and community leaders’ sheer outrage that construction for the outlying landing field was delayed. State and Congressional leaders were very late to come to the aid of their constituents and I hope that we do not have the same delay in governmental leadership here.

In summary, I urge you, as the representatives for Onslow County to join with the 26 other county governments in opposing the placement of an outlying landing field in Eastern North Carolina. It will destroy pristine and valuable game-lands and displace or kill wildlife. It is unnecessary and wasteful of land and money.

I did receive a response from Ms. Beth Purcell, Clerk to the Board of Commissioners, explaining that the proposed sites are outside of Onslow County.

I responded to Ms. Purcell.

I agree, none of the sites are in Onslow County. Two sites are located in the Hofmann Forest area in Jones County near the norther Onslow border and one site is located in the Angola Bay area in Pender County near the southern Onslow border.

These sites will impact citizens of Onslow County and I believe that it is important for the Onslow County Board of Commissioners to address the potential impacts of an outlying landing field so close to Onslow County.

Onslow County is one of the leading communities in Eastern North Carolina. This is an important topic and I would appreciate the Board of Commissioners examining the issue and urge the Board to oppose the U.S. Navy’s plan.

I’m hoping that I will receive a response from the Commissioners.

Send your own email to the Board of Commissioners opposing the outlying landing field in Eastern NC.

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At last night’s special meeting on the tax referendum, the Board (less Commissioner McLaughlin) voted to allow voters the opportunity to approve a .25% sales tax increase.

The Jacksonville Daily News reports:

The voters of Onslow County will have the opportunity to let county commissioners raise the sales tax, but that vote will not happen this year.

On Monday night, the Board of Commissioners voted 3-1 to place a referendum on the May 2008 primary ballot to authorize raising the sales tax from 6.75 percent to 7 percent.

Commission Chairman, Martin Aragona, Jr. (the lone dissenting vote) felt that the Board was “doing the General Assembly’s dirty work” which is a sentiment I do not understand. The additional sales tax will go to the County’s coffers, not the State. He also fails to realize that the Board’s vote gives voters the chance to vote on their taxation.

I will vote for the tax increase, but I maintain my belief that voters should also be allowed to decide what programs will be funded with the increased revenue (of about $4 million). Onslow County would be well-served by a functional public transportation system.

Commissioners Buchanan, Collins, and Midgett all voted to add the referendum, while McLaughlin was absent from the meeting.

It seems like quite the important issue for Mr. McLaughlin to miss.

This time the Jacksonville Daily News online poll is about the most important subject of many Onslow citizens: The fate of Harry Potter.

Goodness, it’s as if they don’t want the citizens’ opinions on real issues that affect Onslow County.

What issues, you ask?

The as-of-yet unfinished Rails-to-Trails project in Jacksonville?

The finished but as-of-yet inaccessible RiverWalk access in Swansboro? How about that the Riverwalk is connected to a private walkway? Is that walkway going to be made public access? If not, should the public access Riverwalk connect to it? Not to mention that the new fancy parking area was once but is no longer usable?

The on-going investigation by the North Carolina State Board of Investigation into Onslow County Commissioner Delma Collins’ campaign financial reporting?

There’s no end to issues that are really important to Onslow citizens. The Jacksonville Daily News needs to stop asking asinine questions, stop printing asinine articles, and stop wasting their readers’ time, money, and efforts.

I’ve been trying to get answers on the Collins issue. In the coming weeks, I’ll be working on the Swansboro Riverwalk and Rails-to-Trails issues.

Keep your Feed Readers ready, friends, it’s going to be a hot and humid summer.