In a post today at Under the Dome (a service of the Raleigh News and Observer) Ryan Teague Beckwith pointed out what he thought was the political overstatement of the day:

He quoted BlueNC and NC Politico writer (and friend of mine) Betsy Muse:

“If you live in North Carolina and your home isn’t under a rock, you know that Dan Besse is a Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor.

And then attempted to hit her with the N&O’s “big stick”:

Dome believes that rock is known as the sun.

Unfortunately, Beckwith pointed out his failure (as a writer and representative of the N&O). Along the way, though, he pointed out a failure by our own Jacksonville Daily News.

If Dan Besse isn’t publicly known as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, whose failing is it? The news organizations, of course. A candidate can only do so much. He (or she) can only buy so much ad space. It is the newspapers, television news agencies, and political parties job duty to report on candidates for election.

The Jacksonville Daily News website has one mention of Dan Besse and it’s an opinion piece from the Freedom Communications, Inc. flak in Raleigh, Barry Smith. The same opinion piece is also the only mention of State Senator Walter Dalton, Canton-Mayor Pat Smathers, and former Easley-administration official Hampton Dellinger.

Come on, Daily Newsers. Can’t you do better than that? You’ve finally realized there’s a Congressional race brewing, how about covering the other ballot items?

And, hey, since we’re on the topic of covering politics, why don’t you have a politics web-log?  I know a guy that’d be interested in writing it.

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.

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!

In an email today, Craig Weber tossed his hat into the ring for the nomination to challenge Republican Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr. (’cuz, really, who thinks Holy Joe McLaughlin is going to win that primary?) in 2008.

Says Weber in the email to many of Eastern North Carolina’s Democratic politicos:

I have been asked by members of different groups and areas within the district and out, for that matter; and, by members of John Edwards’ Campaign; along with, two Marine Corps Generals and two Colonels, and veterans, telling me and ’strongly urging’ me to run again for Congress. There are others, including members of the Press from here to D.C. It looks like there will be a “Primary” for the Democrat Party.

I’m highly interested in these “endorsements” from the military, the media, and (most interestingly) the Edwards campaign.

I’m also interested in Weber’s identification of the Democratic Party as “the Democrat Party.” Is he now taking pages from Karl Rove’s playbook?

How will Weber differ from long-time candidate Marshall Adame? Who will be the better choice and why? These are questions we have to answer before May 2008, friends and neighbors.

Stay tuned, friends. Eastern NC just got a heckuva lot more interesting.

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.

Here in America-land (and most of Europe, Russia, and northern Asia), tonight marks the end of “Daylight Saving Time.” That means all us Americans gotta set our clocks back an hour before we crash. Since Congress fudged the rules a bit in 2005, DST is ending a week later than normal. Thus, most of my electronics have been confuzzled. It wasn’t too hard to fix, just a bit of a headache.

I spent the day in Wilmington. Here’s a few notes.

The USS North Carolina is awesome. For a nearly 50-year old floating museum, she’s in pretty awesome shape. One of the best things about the ship is that you can walk about through the decks and there’s a pretty good self-guided touring system.

The stairs ladder-wells were a pain, though!

I had lunch at Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn. Alls I got to say is “Wow!” This place is great! You can order set food or design your own. I had a burrito with jerk chicken, beans, sour cream, roasted garlic, and diced red onions.

It was the best burrito I’ve had, and I’ve eaten more than my fair share. If you’re in Wilmington and looking for food, check out Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn. It’s great stuff!

Wilmington has an art program called PEDestrian Art. Throughout the city are sculptures and benches upon which you can admire them. Check them out, they’re pretty awesome. I saw Paul Hill’s “Tears for Sisyphus”,  Martin Webster’s “Stream”, and Gary Gresko’s “Phoenix Tree.” Both are very nice works, though there isn’t much information on site, so it’s hard to understand what you’re looking at or why.

If only Jacksonville did something like this…There are several locations where a sculpture garden or similar art display could be located (near the Peletier House and the Riverwalk Park spring to mind). I’m sure there are local artists willing to put forth their work, and I’d bet that there’d be a fair share of not-so-local artists that would, too.

You can see more photos from Wilmington here.

And see, that wasn’t so bad, was it?

Yes, folks, I’m lacking in inspiration, though not inspiration for NaBloPoMo, instead it’s photographic inspiration I’m missing.

I’m not sure what to photograph…Graves and cemeteries are interesting and fun, but getting kind of old. The same can be said of fences (though I love playing with fences!), plants, animals, landscapes, beaches, sunsets…Well, you get the idea.

By nature, I’m not very creative and I think I’ve run out of the juice. Which is kind of pathetic, when you realize I’ve only taken about 10,000 photographs. I’m going to spend the next few days scouring the interwebs for some ideas and I may end up taking a bit of a road trip this weekend.

I am delving into using people as subjects, which is new for me. The OOPS folks are great models, though, and I think that there’s something intrinsically attractive about the image of an artistic practicing his/her art. I don’t, however, want to wear out my welcome with them, so I have to tread a bit lightly, I think.

In completely unrelated news: Did you know that the Viva podcast is back? They are and oh-so-fabulous and you should listen to them. At least once.

Also in completely unrelated news: The walls of my office are complete! All that is left is electrical and moving around my desk. Also, getting the humongous Xerox out of my box and moving in some sort of chairs and a love-seat or sofa. Yes. There’s that much room! Can you believe that in over 11 years of government service, this is the first office space that is mine-all-mine? Yeah. It is. Dude. Can you tell I’m excited about it?

Pictures, they’ll come later.

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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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Some candidates for Jacksonville City Council and mayor have been busy getting signs out and about.

Unfortunately, other than reading about Alva Williams not supporting Sturgeon City, Rails to Trails, the conference center (which failed to garner much public support and, thus, never took off), or the City Hall renovations, I know of no reason why I should (or should not) vote for any of these candidates, nor can I recommend a candidate to a voter.

What are the policy positions of these folks? What makes Sammy Phillips better or worse than Jacqueline Forhan? Why would Jerome Willingham be better than incumbent Turner Blount?

And the most important question of my day…Who is Jim Palmeri and why should anyone write him in? If he wanted to be elected to the City Council, why didn’t he file?

So, in summary: I repeat my previous question:

Where’s the news? Where are the candidates?

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