Son of a Gun
September 21, 2009

      My Grandparents on both sides were sharecroppers. Following in that lifestyle my parents were sharecroppers too. My parents worked long, hard and late each day in an effort to make things better for me and to see I did not follow that life style. They talked and showed me the wonders of book learning (an education). My mom had to quit school in the fifth grade to help work at home. She talked lovingly and persuasive about book learning or schooling to me. With all the work to be done on a two horse farm (no tractor) they insisted I get my lessons up soon as I got home from school each day. They worked longer in the fields so I could study. I am ashamed to admit, but some times I was just being lazy and not studying. With all my parents put into it I should have been a real brainy guy, but I did not turn out that way. I did learn the necessity of an education and went as far as I could on what little money I had. I remember thinking if I could just get to be sixteen years old I would quit school, I would get a job and show them. I knew several places I could get a job and earn some money.

     I moved to Florida with an uncle and went to work on one of those produce farms before that 16th birthday came around. One day a school truant officer came around checking ages and I was let go. Made no difference how good a worker I was, I was not old enough for a work permit. I thought I was doing great, making a living and putting a few dollars back.

     With no job I decided to join the Navy. I got my parents to sign a paper saying it was ok for me to join at a young age and off I was to a new life.

     When I got into the Navy my whole world changed. I found out just how important an education was. The only job I was qualified for in the US Navy was scrubbing and painting the ship or working in the boiler room all dirty, nasty manual labor. So many times I thought to myself, “Why didn’t I listen to my mom.”

     When I finished my time in the US Navy and got back to Warsaw the first thing I did was to get a job and go back to school. I was able to finish high school in less that a year and a half. This time I knew why I was in school and school work was easy. I could read a lesson in a book one time and remember it easily.

     I graduated from high school and went to business school. Took a few college classes too while supporting a wife and child.

     I left the slave work of sharecropping behind, I retired a few years back and I owe it to education and the work ethic my parents insisted I learn.

     There is much more to my story, but the point I am trying to show is how hard my parents and grandparents worked to instill in me that education is the future. That if I or anyone is to get ahead in this world it takes a good education and it makes me want to cry when I hear of the pitiful job being done to Duplin County’s Education System. I don’t know why the people are not up in arms over it. Don’t let those misnamed school admistrative people steal your child’s education.

     You know what they say about one bad apple ruining a whole barrel of apples. Well, from what I hear there is more than one bad apple in Duplins System and the voters are being buffoons and allowing it to continue.

     I heard it ask, why in good sense the Board of Education does not cancel the contract with the superintendent when citizens/parents are asking it be done for the sake of the children’s education. The answer which was given was that … they are all tied up in the misdirection mess and if one goes down they threaten to tell on the others.

     It was also said the Board of Education had the opportunity to bring in a new attorney and allow the public see the workings of the system they pay for. The present attorney has been there so long that some folks wonder if some of the workings are not hidden and maybe hidden in places the attorney does not even know where they are and does not want to look.

     The opportunity is here upon us to rid our education system of Wiley J. Doby, Jr... The facts have been laid out and the only thing keeping him in the Duplin County System is the Duplin County Board of Education’s disagreement with the Duplin County citizens.

     The Duplin County Citizens know the problems and the reasons for our second class school system and the problems our children have after 12 years in what we call an education system. We have many good and superior teachers, but the leaders seem to be hiding behind the truth and limping the system along. It is time for a change and you are the only ones can make it. You know it takes time to ruin a county or a school system, but time is all it takes and it seems we are standing on that time line right now. SOG.

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August 31, 2009

      I want to put my two bits in on the dress code of the first family. I believe I live in the Greatest, Most Powerful and Respected Nation in the World and that nation is the Unites States of America. I believe who ever is the president of the USA, that person and their family should dress like they believe that as well and dress appropriately. I believe it is their responsibility to up hold the respect of that office by dressing in an up fashion manor and not dumb down it. We have seen this dumb downing delete the respect and honor from other places and know the sadness of it.

     I pay taxes to support this great nation and some of those taxes goes to help pay a decent salary for my president and to make sure funds are available for my president to be the best dressed, rides in the best and safest automobile or any other vehicle made in the USA, airplane, helicopter, etc.

     If that person does not have enough pocket money to buy proper uptown respect getting clothing then that person can dip into the petty cash drawer and get what is needed to purchase proper attire for him and his family.

      Watching the news and seeing first lady Michelle Obama come walking out of that fancy airplane with America painted on the side of it and she was wearing a pair of checked shorts, well I am here to tell you that embarrassed me. I knew that many people around the world were also watching and in my mind; I could see a few raised eye brows and I know they thought the dress code was dumb downed. In their minds I believe there was a shocking question, “does she represent the USA.”

     She looked like she just came out of a cucumber patch where she was picking cucumbers and not a prestigious lady who is married to the president of the United States of America.

     I did not see her walking around waving at folks during the campaign for president wearing checked shorts. She could have dressed in what ever she wanted as long as she was inside that airplane, but when she walked out into the public view representing the USA she should be prim and properly dressed uptown like and that is not wearing a pair of checked shorts.

     As far as I am concerned if she or he does not think or want to show respect to the office in which they spent millions and millions of dollars to get into. They should stay inside out of view and hire someone to represent them in public who will be properly dressed and informed. At the end of their term they should leave the office of president and allow someone who believes the office is to always be respected and show it, even if they may feel bad or are tired. As the guy on the sandwich commercial says, “it just aint right” in fact I would say is it un-American.

     If I were to be arrested and accused of doing an illegal thing and would have to appear in court with a learned (learn-ed) lawyer at my side. That lawyer, as low down as he is on the totem pole in regards to anyone in the first family, that lawyer will dress the respectably part that is suggested in that courts accepted standards of correctness. He will be wearing a suit and tie and if his wife or female assistant or secretary is with him they to will be wearing proper attire not a pair of checked shorts. That is a long wasted ways of respectably from a County Court House to the White House to be judged by. However, the point is that least respected ( a lawyer) does his part to show respect to his office and audience and I would expect the president’s wife to do the same for the office they represent.

     As long as I am on the subject I don’t think President Obama dresses the part a lot of the time either, he does not wears a tie and jacket as often as he should.

     Regardless of whether you or I or the guy across the street may have voted for him he should show himself and his family off as the winner and winners and their families look like winners. Anyone who is president of the United States owes it to the people he represents to look sharp and be sharp.

     Oh yea, let’s not bring up Billy Carter. That is a whole other story, talk about embarrassment…..SOG

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August 17, 2009

      Russell Tucker disappoints me really bad for not supporting the seven member boards in Duplin County. I have known Russell a long time and have voted and supported him all along, but he has let me down just like he has let his home county, Duplin County down. He will not get another vote from Joe Lanier.

     Us redneck country boys knew the BOCC and BOE did not want the seven member board. They would loose some of their power under a seven member board. Russell knows this as well; this part of his excuse is pitiful.

     Russell has been in the government for a long time and he now seems to be acting on projects that will help him get re-elected not on those that will help Duplin County survive and progress.

     Us redneck country folks wanted to stop the personal influence and ego goings on’s on the two boards. We need a County Commissioner Board and a Board of Education that will help our county and its people. We figured we needed an “up town person” to help us change that six member board to a seven member board. We knew about the legislation that permitted it to happen to begin with. We had no problem with the six member board back then. No one objected when it came up so it automatically passed. However, over the years it has gotten out of hand and important motions get tied up with a three to three tie vote and nothing happens. Thus we believed Russell Tucker would help, because he knew what we were talking about. After all he was Finance Officer and County Manager in Duplin before we sent him to Raleigh. I am sure I can find old news story’s where he made statements that would support the need for a Seven Member board.

     The problem came in when Russell lost his bid for re-election and he fretted over that really bad. The voters put him back in the House after that one term he sat out. I guess he is now afraid he may have to go to work if he looses his seat in the House of Representatives. On second thought I believe Russell is financially ok, so it must be the fear of loosing the prestige title House of Representative. I was so proud of him, now I am ashamed.

     It makes me wonder if Russell enjoys the jokes about Duplin County that rumble thru the halls of the Legislature. I also wonder if perhaps he is backing the wrong horse. I do know he can get thrown off.

     Our other person in Raleigh, Senator Charlie Albertson supported the Seven Member board. Its, one do and one don’t, I guess that is kind of a tie too. And like important things in Commissioner Meetings and the Board of Education meetings nothing gets done.

     Do not misunderstand me both Russell Tucker and Charlie Albertson have supported bills I do not like as well as some I do like, but this is the first time any one has took the control and influence from the citizens to let their voices and opinions make a difference. You can put a check mark in front of Russell Tucker on that one.

     Let me make sure you understand that I understand, Erika Churchill who is the attorney for the North Carolina General Assembly said the consent order has not been overruled, overturned or vacated to date. To me this is lawyer talk which says it may be … what it is saying is that it has not been, not that it can’t be. So if it could have easily been done we would not have needed Russell Tucker. It was known to be difficult so we asked the man we put in Raleigh to help, but he is afraid he will loose a vote and turned us down. As I said before his excuse is pitiful. Russell we may be rednecks, but we are smarter than that.

     Even if the effort failed, you would have least tried to help those who have helped you.

     Now for a word about one of the boards that continually seems to be laughing at the Duplin County Citizenry … Board of Education.

     It seems when the BOE may be getting in a tough corner about the administration they bring up building schools. The topic of buildings gets folks all perturbed as they are afraid they will be left out or re-districted and their children will be in a worse education mess. So the administration mess is put on a back burner to come up again when the building gets to a place the BOE don’t want it.

     By the way don’t you think the Chairperson Emily Manning has been on the BOE long enough and its time to replace her? SOG

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August 3, 2009

      I solidly believe in free enterprise, but something seems a bit wrong with today’s measuring device.

     A lady put together a hotdog for me at a station where I stopped to buy gasoline for my car. A fine tasting hotdog it was too. As I sat down to eat it, I picket up a Time magazine from the table to read an article or two. In this magazine I read that since the melt down of our financial system Goldman Sachs had made a huge pile of money. During a three month period, March thru June … one quarter of a year, this company has made a profit of 3.4 Billion dollars. That amounts to 1.6 million dollars an hour. This will be some over a million dollars per employee at pay out time. This is one of the companies that was bailed out during the save e’m deal with tax money. Their past business wheeling and dealing had put them on the verge of bankruptcy. They had flubbed the dub and were going out of business. The gracious goodness of our financial system government gave them money to get out of their dilemma. The lady that created that delicious hot dog for me was probably paid the minimum wage, or maybe a little more. Let’s see now that is $7.25 an hour against $1,600,000.00 an hour. Seems like an unfair wage scale.

     A part of that $7.25 an hour pay she made went to help pay the $one point six million dollar … well actually part of her pay was in the $3.4 Billion.

     I don’t mean part of the loan; I mean part of the profit Goldman Sachs made since March.

     Again, let me I say I believe in the Free Enterprise system, but this seems a little much. I don’t know how to make it right. I feel there is a way and it should be found and put in motion. We tax payers will be forced to bail the big bankers out again in a few years and as long as the politicians and the money greedy make the plans and rules. It will remain on us poor and middle class folks to be dragged along that dusty and or muddy road to replenish again.

     Sachs is not the only one either; many of the Wall Street Banks are pulling the chains we are tied with. They are telling the world if they are not given special privileges the world will go bankrupt, jobs will be lost etc. and we will all suffer. They say that as they go home in their fancy cars all dressed in their clean $5,000 plus suits.

     If someone invents a thing that sells and the person makes Billions of dollars that is OK. Even a sports person that makes millions a game is OK ... they are providing things that a person can buy or not buy, we have a choice. The money game is not that way … we must have it to operate with. Money may be the root of evil, but it is Adams apple too. The bankers have proved they do not care about the rest of the people as long as they what they want.

     The Billions they are handing out to help folks buy new cars are in that same category. Any time you spend money in which taxes are paid on you are helping someone pay for a car they can not afford… us tax payers are doing that.

     We are just passing a problem on to our future. A bad deal is a bad deal and the one that got into it needs to get himself out.


      A few years back when I was attending each and every County Commissioners meetings I remember a motion coming up stating no building or any what ever would be named for a living person. Only after a person died would his or her name be used to identify any county owned property.

     It must have not passed as I have noticed several properties, etc. being named for people who are still alive.

     I have nothing against the people who were recently honored and really believe they are good and deserving. However, we never know what someone may do or get into. Once they are dead we know what they have done and if their life is one we want remembered in regards to a building, etc. We do not know the future of a person, but we will know the past deeds.

     I fully believe the county commissioners should pass a rule, regulation, ordinance, bill or what ever to stop this from happening again.

     I agree with Jimmy Dixon’s words in his column of last week when he wrote that a committee should be formed to look about the county to find and investigate people who may be named to honor a county owned building or some other property. So both the county and the person would be honored. SOG

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July 13, 2009

      Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today works just fine for me especially when we are talking about the present school Superintendent, Wiley J. Doby, Jr. What I ‘m saying … is go right now and cancel his contract and send him down the road away from our school system. Don’t let him touch it again. I think he has done more than enough harm to our county school system and to leave him in a Duplin County school office longer will just harm it more.

     I understand if we cancel his contract now we tax payers will have to pay him for the remainder of that contract. Think about that for a moment … if he stays we will have to pay him the same amount anyway and he will be in the system disturbing its goodness even more. … so lets pay him and get him out of Duplin County’s education system. From what I am told he has around $150,000 left on his present contract. Again we will have to pay it if he stays or goes so let’s pay him and get rid of him once and for all. I’m sure there is a person in the Duplin education system that can temporarily fill in at the super’s office until his job contract expirees. Afterwards the board can search for someone the county would have more confidence in.

     I know the economy of our area is not at its best and lots of us are hurting financially, but to keep the education system as it now is will hurt our children and our county’s future even worse. I vote to give him the money and send him on his way.

     I have had teachers and principals tell me of the mess he is making in the education system in Duplin County and they are afraid to speak out about it except in confidence.

     As best I understand it many of the administration folks are in favor of him. Here again think about it … administration folks are hoping they are headed up the pay ladder for more money. Thus, if this man manages to get additional money and less responsibility for his job. Those following him will reap the benefits.

     There are those who believe the system is here because we pay for it to educate our younger generation and not to supply carefree dollars to those working in the system. That’s right there are some folks who delight themselves by teaching/learning our youth. I think antics like Doby is pulling keeps school teachers in that underpaid category and they need money to live on like every one else and right now teachers are underpaid.

     Sitting back on our behinds waiting for something or someone to push the board of education into action is a no way to solve this problem. We already know they are afraid, short sighted, ego starved, admittedly weak and can not see the problem right in front of them. They are afraid, ashamed and uncomfortable to admit they made a mistake in hiring him. The citizens of Duplin County are going to have to get up and take a stand and need desperately to do it now.

     It confuses me somewhat that our citizens will get up and rally around folks wanting to cut hunting and trapping laws but, will sit home and not come out to help their children and their county’s future.

     There are other folks who are grinning and scheming to destroying our education system, but for right now we need to concentrate on Wiley J. Doby, Jr. We will set our sights on the others later. SOG.

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June 29, 2009

      Our governor, Beverly Perdue has confused me some what. She is going around the state yelling and screaming in a semi serious voice about how we need to increase the tax rate on several items and add a tax to things which do not have a tax at the present. By a semi serious voice I think she is not sure about what she is saying. I know for sure I am not.

     Back in February, I think it was she reached in and grabbed Lottery fund money. She knew the lottery was passed in North Carolina on the biases that it all went to help the schools. The citizens of this state voted to allow the lottery to happen in NC as long as the money was used to help the schools in this state.

      She apparently figured the state operations needed it worse than the education system. Now she is stomping, yelling and swinging her arms saying new and higher taxes are needed to help the education system. She is saying this after taking away school money. I do agree the school system needs more money and that is precisely why I voted for the lottery. Now she has the gumption to rob the lottery fund and then say the school system needs more money … the words I want to put here are not nice and would cause you to have a red face. My editor would strike them out anyway so I will just say “gosh darn.”

     While we are on the subject, she also took school money that was not in the lottery fund. She let the last lottery money to come thru and stay in the fund, but took school money from other places and according to the news will continue to take it. Even though she says the school system needs money … When I was a child it was called Indian giving when you gave someone something and then took back. I don’t want to blame this on the Indians, it was Beverly Perdue. “Gosh darn it”.


     I have told you stories about Studebakers, but not this one. Studebakers manufactured some fast automobiles. In the 1960’s they put together some very fast police cars. They were called The Studebaker Pursuit Marshal and they were supercharged.

     I don’t know if you remember Joey Chitwood or not, but he was one of the so called dare devil hell drivers. He drove stunt cars at county fairs. I saw him at the state fair in Raleigh. He would drive cars thru walls of fire, jump over cars and crash in to cars, drive cars with two wheels on the pavement and two in the air and so on.

     In August of 1963 in Indiana, Police Sergeant L.V. Parker pulled a Supercharged Studebaker Pursuit Marshal up beside Chitwood vehicle on an Indiana highway and motioned him over … Joey Chitwood was driving 130mph.

     I guess Chitwood thought no one would catch him at 130MPH but that Studebaker caused him to be red faced and get ticketed.


     I guess you have seen these billboards that have three faces on one side of the billboard signs. Though you can only see one face at a time. The faces are printed on several triangles that turn in unison every so often so a different sign will be shown. I don’t know about you, but I feel cheated when I drive by one of those signs. I only get to see one of the three signs, so I feel cheated out of two signs. I feel sure the advertisers wanted me to see all three.

     Remember July 4th is a day that should be tattooed inside your body on your heart & soul. Our past gives us reason for our life in the United States of America.

     I hope you fly your flag and give thoughts to how fortunate we are and how many people we owe. SOG

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June 15, 2009

      “We'll take this under advisement,” I hate that phrase, it is useless. It means about as much as it does for a person to put their lips together and blow air thru them … brazzzzzzzz. In 99.98% of the time the brazzzzzzzz you hear is more than comes from the statement.

     Duplin County citizens attended two meetings in regards to the schools in Duplin with many of them telling their disappointment and hopes for our schools, they all wanted to help. I would guess that around 1,600 or more attended the two meetings and attempted to advise those who run (I use that word run lightly) Duplin schools of some of the wrongs.

     After these folks took the time from their work and other activities to attend these meetings and give their hopes as well as parent and student knowledge of mismanagement, the board of education Chairperson Emily Manning told the crowd, "We'll take this under advisement".

     Which probably meant … OK now you have had your say and we can get back to running the schools as we were? Sad very Sad, but we continue to put up with it. Remember there is a vote day coming.


     I have owned my red 1953 sports coup Studebaker for several years and over the years have had several worn out or nearly worn out parts replaced.

     The car looks good and sounds good, it’s a V8.

     Each time I left it at a garage I asked the folks to fix a rattle in the front of the car. Pretty as it is and even the fact it sounds great that rattle causes an uneasy look on my face when I hit a bump and hear that rattle.

     I was sitting in the Rose Hill Restaurant one morning drinking coffee when Marty Bostic came in and said he and Wade Hall had opened a garage a few blocks away. I told him I had a 53 Studebaker and needed the oil changed and asked if he could do the job. It did not have a lot of miles on it but it had been over a year since it was changed. He said he could and told me to bring it on down, which I did.

     I told him about the rattle and ask him to fix it if he could. I went back to the restaurant and ate breakfast and later went to visit my cousin Thelma Batchelor Sanderson.

     When I got back to the garage the oil had been changed as well as other niceties that go along with an oil change. I ask if he could do anything about the rattle. He said yes and that they fixed it. I almost fainted because some good folks had passed over it. I asked what he done to find it and fix it. He told me they took the front end off the Studebaker found the problem and fixed it.

     He made my day; I no longer have that embarrassing rattle.


     I went to the movie Saturday in Goldsboro to see “Pelham 123”. I enjoyed the movie though it reminded me a lot of “Swordfish”. I liked both movies, but Pelham 123 had some very vulgar language in it..

     When I was leaving the theater I let the swinging door go sooner than I meant to and the lady behind me grabbed it. I caught it in the corner of my eye and turned and told her I was sorry I did not see her. She said it was alright she was looking at the picture of an ugly man and was not paying attention. Said she was not going to see that movie.

     Around 5:30 Saturday afternoon I went to L.E. Browns Sassafras Sing. Each year he has a get together of folks, food and music in his backyard. It is a great event to me, I get to see folks I have not seen in a year or more and hear some great music from old friends and new friends. It is one of those places if you can sing or play or both or do a dance you will get to show off.

     There is lots of hugging back patting and talking, laughing, smiling and even a tear once in a while. Folks are just out under the shade tree having a fun time. As I was talking with Delma Johnson I felt a tap on my back. I turned around and this lady said “Did I see you at the movie?” I told her as handsome as I was I had not been discovered yet. She said “No as we were coming out of the theater”. By gosh it was the lady I almost slammed the door on. I apologized again and we talked for a while.

     Her husband was one of the performers on stage. She goes to the movies about as often as I do. Her name is Pat Turner and I think it was just amazing that we both bumped into one another twice in one day in such different places. She wrote a story about July 4th for a Wayne County news Magazine called Down Home, it is to be in the next issue. SOG

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June 1, 2009

      The County Commissioners made the best motion I have heard come from the bench in front of the commissioners meeting room in several years. They have decided to hire the Evergreen Solution folks from Florida to come up and give them some pointers on how to save money while governing Duplin County.

     I have suggested for years these commissioners needed help and by gosh on their own initiative they have jumped right in there and asked for help. Evergreen are the folks who gave the BOE suggestions at the expense of Duplin County, but BOE apparently believed they were smarter than Evergreen, so they ignored them. A note to remember it cost Duplin County $80,000 for the BOE plan which was mostly ignored and it will cost us $120,000 for the county plan. This is $200,000 and it is important the county do what every is suggested….they say they will… lets watch closely and bill the commissioners individually if they do not.

     I have attended the County Commissioner and Board of Education meetings for around 35 years. However, the last two sets that have held office have been so bad I quit going. It was frustrating to sit and listen to their egos and personal desires do the ruling. In fact the last two elections have been very unexciting and not very helpful for the citizens of Duplin County and this is an opinion shared by a lot of folks other than me.

     I do receive a CD disk recording of the commissioners meeting following the meeting. So I know “word for word” what goes on at their meetings and can go back time and time again to make sure what is said, but the BOE is apparently afraid for the voters to have a permanent record of what goes on at their meetings. I guess they love to be in secret and behind closed doors. So when a discussing comes up later about what was said at a meeting there will be a lot of “hear say” going on and “hear say” that is not allowed in court.

     The new budget has been released and I see things that need praise and some that need criticism, though criticism may be a little too harsh. The employee’s raises are cut out and I would not complain in this national crisis time, except for the health insurance showing a 14% increase. The county pays 100% of the employees insurance, but the employee’s family must pay the premium of their coverage. This means employees will be taking home less money. I don’t know if it is allowed, but this cut in take home pay may make many eligible for help for social services.

     Now for the Board of Education; I think they may have about killed the goose that laid the golden egg with their latest propaganda.

     The gasoline prices have increased again, I am sure you’ve noticed. The news media says the increase is from speculators not supply. People or companies with lots of money are buying up the supply and increasing the price. The report said there are tanker loads just sitting out in the ocean waiting to be delivered. The supply tanks are full; the refineries are running at half their normal rate.

     These speculators have plenty or maybe even too much money and don’t give a happy damn about the average person or this country. Apparently they are the kind of folks that will kick a guy when he is down; they sure seem to b e doing it.

     The board of education seems to look at life the same way as the speculators. They and their superintendent seem to be saying “to heck with Duplin County and their economic slow down” we want what we want and we are going to have it no matter what.

     Practically every, if not every county in North Carolina and even the state of North Carolina is cutting their budget because they just don’t have the money to fund it all. It is just hard to believe the members of the BOE are that hard hearted against the people of Duplin County. I understand the superintendent not caring, he is not a life long resident. I would guess he is just a short time visitor passing thru headed for retirement. The BOE members have families in this county.

     This thing about athletics is just ridiculous. Being the CC and the BOE are jealous of one another, suppose the CC were to say OK BOE you say you want to run all of the education business and you think this is the way to do it…remember it was your decision to end athletics in Duplin County. I wonder who would be careful about going to the country store for a snack or gas.

     We have heard a lot about needing seven members on each board and were asking the legislators to help us … well here is another idea.

     We need permission from the general assembly for a recall election of 12 officials !!!! It is time to take whatever means is available to get 12 new elected officials on these 2 boards who are most concerned with the welfare of Duplin County and its people and are not concerned about their egos and personal desired or the desires of a few select friends SOG.

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May 18, 2009

      One Hundred Million Dollars, you might want to read that again. Well let me put it to you as it is in numbers. It is one hundred then you put million behind it which is six zeros like so; $100,000,000. Now that we have the numbers, just what does it stand for? That is the budget figure for Duplin County’s Social Service budget.

     That is a whole lot of money and that is really not all the SS money coming into the county. Several more million is also coming, $55 million is coming in for medicade and there is still more, but lets stick with the hundred million.

     The population of Duplin County is few over 52, 000. A close estimate would be that each person (from new born baby to oldest grand pa and grand ma) would be entitled to around $2,000. each if that 100 million were divided up among the population. While you are figuring in your head what you would do with your two thousand dollars along with your wife’s and two children’s two thousand each, let me tell you that this is not Duplin County tax money. The majority of the money is from the federal government. That check will come again next year too.

     Let me back up here for a minute. This family of four I have been talking about would be entitled to about eight thousand dollars. That is if they were to get the dollars instead of services, but those dollars pays for many things and hires many people. In fact Social Services is probably the largest paying industry there is in Duplin County. That $100,000,000 keeps Duplin County going and has for years.

     Those six county commissioners we elected and are sitting behind that desk in Kenansville figuring the tax load for Duplin citizens have these figures in their commissioner material and they know jus t how poor we (the county) are. There are some people in this county who have a good supply of money, but the overwhelming majority is financially stressed. In fact the whole nation is financially stressed, that is except Wall Street, Washington and the Oil Companies. We working class folks are still paying million dollar bonuses to the un-needy at those places.

     The commissioners are about to get into the figuring of the new budget and it may be a good idea to contact them and ask for some relief, Alka-Seltzer won’t do it any longer and they have took our cigarettes away as well. So we need tax relief.

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     I feel pretty sure you have heard or read about the Duplin County Landfill illegally mowing grass and moving dirt. Shame shame.

     I do understand the landfill is a separate entity from other Duplin County entities such as the commons, court house, jail, garage and so on. I also understand it is all owned by the same people, Duplin County people and is separated in the accounting and legal department.

     The Duplin County Landfill has heavy equipment designed and manufactured to be used to move dirt and mow grass and is not in use at all times. Some of the time it is sitting at the landfill doing nothing. If it were in use more often the use value would be less costly. It was designed to be used, not to sit and be pretty. I am told the more it is used the less each use would be, and this includes repairs.

     There are places this equipment's use is needed other than its landfill duties. There are places where it could do the county good and save money. However, due the landfill holding the title, it was illegal for it to be used any other place. At least I have been told that.

     Commissioners approved around $38,000 a couple of weeks ago to pay back the Enterprise fund from which the equipment was purchased from in the first place. That means the equipment can now be used for any county need, including the landfill.

     Left as it was would unnecessarily cost us (the county) more tax money. Another earth moving machine could easily cost in excess of $30,000 to $50,000 or maybe even $100,000 plus and would sit idle doing nothing most of the time. I think the commissioners should instruct the county lawyer to figure out some way to make this work for the county, not against it. Under the present ruling if the Commons were to catch on fire and have a hundred horses inside and a landfill employee was there and could turn them out. It would be illegal for him to do so. Sounds stupid doesn’t it? And it is, just like the present deal about using the equipment. It sounds like some of the Obama figuring in Washington. Mark Twain said “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, then success is sure.” SOG

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May 4, 2009

      Let’s talk money. The Stock Market over filled their balloon and it burst. The banks made bad loans, cut interest rates they paid and over paid their officers bonuses and ran out of money. Many government programs gave loans that turned out to be grants and major auto companies over built and mismanaged their selves and became insolvent.

     We people went to work everyday paid our bills and invested our money into those businesses and programs. We discovered while those programs were going under many of their officers were receiving golden parachutes worth millions of dollars. The money to fund those golden parachutes came from we who were working. The federal government decided we who worked and paid taxes should now give grants and loans to these companies who knew in advance what they were doing and kept right on taking money and adding to their own personal millions.

     The governor of North Carolina has decided the 2009-2010 budgets should be cut to balance it. This makes sense to do and should have been done before it got into this mess.

     What does not make sense is taking part of the lottery money. The people of North Carolina voted to allow the lottery in order to raise money for education. The lottery money was stated to go only for education. I suppose our education portion of this is not to trust the North Carolina government.

     I personally think someone should sue the NC government for the return of all lottery money to the education fund. The only reason many people voted to allow the lottery in this state was to help our education system.

     In Duplin County the county commissioners indicated they would not raise property taxes this year. Some of their “Yea” votes were kind of weak and some sounded as they wanted to put some kind of an escape clause in the vote. I think it got thru ok, but I don’t guarantee it.

     I know they can not do just exactly what they are saying, but they can come close. In 2008 the county had a tax billing of $21,147,516.

     This revaluation year had property values being raised by various amounts. One piece of land may have had an increase of 15% while another slot had an increase of 50%. So if the commissioners keep the tax income at the $21,147,516 this year’s individual tax bill with varying value increases will not be the same last year. Some folks bills will go down and some will go up. Seems to me like it has to be that way, unless they do not use the new values and I think the state says they have to. I think they turned it over to Mike Aldridge to make it work and if things don’t come out just right guess who will get blamed.

     With the Federal Government, State Governments, Large and small companies cutting back on their budgets because of the lower availability of money I would think everyone would be trying to help out. However, in Duplin County the Board of Education refuses to budge. Let’s see now, what is that superintendents name, was it Doby. No that could not be his name; I used to have a Duck with that name and he did not care much about anything as long as he had his own water. Oh yes, I remember it is Wiley Doby . I guess he thinks Duplin is a rich county after all he does live at River Landing. Time magazine said if your income was $250,000 or above you were consider rich. Over the past several months it has been obvious to me that we can not blame all the nincompoopish things that have came from the BOE on the super. He has six accomplices.

     Hey wait a minute, I read where James Sprunt, the county and the BOE are joining on a College type High School. I sure hope it is not one of those things they use to get folks all hyped up on and then find some reason fake or real to blame someone or some thing and not do it. We have been disappointed by him and his crowd before. Is it something we need to get use to? I hope not.

     This county is a good county and it is made so by our mothers …. Happy Mothers Day. SOG

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April 27, 2009

      The seven board member proposal is not a “white” thing or a “black” thing it is a “people” thing and Duplin County people desperately needs an odd number of Commissioners & School board members on those boards. So each members intent will be shown. So the end result can be tied to several commissioners to whom the county voters can hold responsible. A six or any even number member board will allow the board member to hide his or her actual intent.

     Duplin County needs unstop the clog that is messing up our taxes, schools, sheriff, health, jobs, and other county business and a seven member board will show us who.

     The present set up of the Commissioner Board and the Education Board has six members each. This even number member set up allows positions, programs, finances, and any other business that would come under the rule of these boards to slip by with no public knowledge. This is simply not right or fair to the people who want the political system in Duplin County to honestly represent all the people of this county.

     I have been told of those who want to push their personal programs and friends thru the maze of confusion in this even number member mess. We can stop this buddy back patting from happening by adding one more member to each board. The magic number is seven (7).

     With a seven member board helpful ideas would not be shunned just because they may end up with a tie vote or unlikely vote.

     I have also heard there are those who think the seven member board would dilute or weaken the power of the black vote. I don’t know where these nay slayers were during the past national election when an African - American was elected by the American people to the highest office in the America.

     In Duplin County African – American candidates have received more votes than American – American candidates for the same office, so this “white black” thing should not be involved in this or even brought up in regards to it.

     To explain my “American – American” remark; I don’t think African – American is proper. If you were born in America that is enough, African, Mexican, Japanese, and so on is not needed and if it is then I should have American in front of my name as well, you know American - American…just sounds foolish to me.

     Our discussion is about seven (7) people on a voting board so there will be no ties that will negate the out come.

     In my opinion there should be an odd number of voters and each member would be required to vote and those who refuse to cast vote their, it would be an automatic Yes vote. Those who are authorized to abstain must not take part in the discussion about the matter to which the vote will be on. If they do involve them selves in the discussion and they refuse to vote, their vote would be counted as a yes vote.

     So help Duplin County get back into its honest way of carrying on a political meeting by asking for a seven member board. Make your political vote on the next Election Day count for something. Don’t let it be just brain mush with an even number board. I believe we who live in Duplin County live in one of the best county’s in North Carolina and ever so often we need to help her just a little bit and this is one of those times she needs us.

     Tell Rep. Russell Tucker his home county needs seven board members and please don’t put it off. We need your vote to get his vote and you have to make an effort to make it happen. The bill number is 550. 

     Russell.Tucker@ncleg.net. Raleigh office phone is 919-715-2721, and his home phone is 252-568-3295. SOG

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April 13, 2009

      We (Duplin County) have had a mess of round about attempts to change the number of board members on the Board of County Commissioners and Board of Education in an effort to start the county moving in the right direction again. We have finally struck it right on target with Senators Albertsons SB 550.

     What we need to do now is to tell Representative Russell Tucker we want a seven member board. Our six (6) member boards have figured motions into ties or around ties and it seems like our county’s business has fell into a stagnant swine lagoon. The two boards are not helping the county or one another, but are hurting us and the hurt is harming us. We need to add one more member so it will be an odd number of people on each board. So decisions can be made that will react to the publics good not the members.

     All of Duplin County is knowledgeable of this. When Duplin was governed by a five (5) member board things were great and we were written up by newspapers and independent study groups as a progressive county. Duplin was always the center of attention; other counties were sending their employees here to see how to do things the Duplin County way. It aint so now, they go the other way and laugh when Duplin County is mentioned.

     With a seven member board the tie mess will be ended. The new member would be elected county wide.

     I think the seven member board will be a good thing. If you are not sure about it, then I ask that you look at who is against it. The board of county commissioners and the board of education are against the seven member board. That should be evidence enough that it is a good thing. Think about it. The boards that are controlling things now are against it … now that should make you think maybe they have fear of personal losses to in mind. We, you and I (I already have) need to tell Russell Tucker to vote for the seven member board. Me contacting Russell is not enough, you need to do so as well.

     Contacting him is extremely important in the passing of this bill. Tucker's email address is Russell.Tucker@ncleg.net. Raleigh office phone is 919-715-2721, and his home phone is 252-568-3295.

     The bill is SB550. There are other bills out there, but this is the one SB550. It will let you help your county.

     There are those out there who are against this sensible 7 member bill. I think they are trying to mislead us for their personal benefit. You have the phone numbers and email address above so please use them to help all of us.

     Russell always says that he votes the way the people want. If all he hears from are the ones opposing the bill...then it could be a problem. Let your voice be heard in support of. We are right in there with you…SOG

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March 30, 2009

      Who it happened to does not matter, the fact that it did happen does matter, and very much so in my opinion. First off let me clear up this sentence a little bit. When I say “who” does not matter, I mean as far as the system goes. As for the child and the child’s family and friends it does matter. It is just unbelievable that any such action would/could be allowed in a public school system especially in Duplin County.

     A lady phoned me very upset about her grandchild’s school lunch being taken away from her by a lunchroom employee after the child had selected it and sat down at the table to eat it.

     I was told the school child went thru the lunch room serving line and got her lunch. She sat down at a table with her group of friends to eat and this is when a lunchroom employee came to the table and took the child’s meal away saying she had not paid for it. This event happened in the school lunchroom in plain view of all the other children (students). This youngster is not a criminal nor was she acting in a deceitful manner. She was embarrassed, frightened and uncomfortable to say the least.

     Let me tell you a little more of the background. The student’s parents pay for the school lunchroom lunches by check like a lot of other parents. A check for a certain amount, say around $50.00 is sent to the school to pay for so many lunches. When the fifty dollars becomes used up the young student is told her money is out and more should be sent. Remember I said “young student”, well this young student forgot to tell her parents her lunch funds were used up. Therefore no money was sent to renew the depleted fund. I ‘m sure you have many ideas and solutions running around in your head in which this could have been handled or fixed. I sure had’em in my head, but school rules prevailed here. I believe if an adult had been around he or she would have paid the daily lunch fee and phoned the parents later. There are ways to stop things and fix things and there are ways to stop things and fix things and this way was handled badly.

     I have been told the principal of the school said this manor of handling lunch pay errors will not happen again. I have high praise to him for his solution of handling the after effects.

     I don’t know the price of school lunches and the amount does not matter, however the way the process is handled does matter and this recent handling is beyond rude.

     I can agree the money should have been there and I can agree an error was made on the student and parent’s behalf. A major error was made by the school lunch room employee. I can also agree that maybe the official school procedure was followed, but perhaps enhanced a bit. It was just an awful happening.

     I also know this is not the only time this has happened. It has happened at other schools and insulted and angry folks came away distrusting the school employees. I feel sure the principal at the latest school will do all he can to stop this from happening again, but shouldn’t it be handled system wide before anyone else fails to remember and distrust or more distrust haunts another school. Let us hope the young brain forgets soon, but the old brain will not forget or forgive so soon. Best way is to stop it, before it happens again.

     There are some over 800 lunches served daily at this particular school and some over 600 of those are free lunches. How could one lunch have to cause such a ruckus? The action taken seems beyond reason and inexcusable to me.


     I don’t know if you like sausage in the gut (link sausage) or not, but I sure do. I was at Bland’s the other morning and Bill Faust was cooking sausage. I asked if he got it from the folks in Faison and he said he did.

     One of the best things to do to make the sausage good is for it to be fresh. I know the folks in Faison deliver often and that means you got fresh sausage.

     To cook sausage for that special flavor is to do it slowly and Bill does just that. I don’t know if he learned his cooking method from his many years in the Boy Scouts cooking on an open fire out in the woods, but he knows. He uses a fry pan to do his cooking in and he moves the sausage around the pan turning it ever so often with a fork. When he takes it up you can see it is obviously done from the outside color. In case you have doubts just cut in to the link of sausage with your fork and take a look. That is if you can keep it out of your mouth long enough. The sight of the link and the aroma coming from that pork sausage takes me back to the days when there were no microwaves and a fry pan with a boiler lid on top of it held some fine fresh sausage sizzling away on mama’s wood burning stove. Just before taking the sausage from the pan a small amount of water was added for gravy.

     I think a lot of eating places do not serve link sausage because it is not a quick server. It has to be cooked a long time for it to get done all the way thru.

     I ‘m gone, I’m looking me a piece of sausage and a biscuit. SOG

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March 23, 2009

      OMG! I just can’t hardly believe it. It really sounds like Commissioner Reginald Wells favorite sayings “if is sounds too good to be true”, but it aint. It aint cause it did happen. Come to think of it, that’s kind of an odd saying for a minister. But hey, I am getting off the good or even great news of an event that happened at the Board of Commissioners meeting. It is unusual and seldom happens; in fact it has evaded the final gavels attention for some time now. I’m so happy about, but I also fear it will explode like a threadbare China made Fourth of July firecracker before I get it wrote down and in front of you.

     The County Commissioners voted 6 up to do a program that will save Duplin County Tax payers money. I know that may come as a shock to you, but it did happen. I am so proud of them helping the tax payers, I even began the words County Commissioners with capital letters and you read it right each of the six Commissioners voted to approve this.

     The Sheriff also had a good bit to do with this too, he finally agreed to ankle bracelets to use on some of Duplins not too dangerous criminals. He found a brand, a make, a style or kind he liked and now the in house jail population can be smaller. It doesn’t change the n umber of criminals we have under arrest, but it does change where we have to keep them.

     Duplin (we – cause “we” pay the bill) have been renting space in other folk’s jails to lock our prisoners in. Therefore it has been costing “us” (the tax payers) more money to house criminals in other counties jails than it does in ours, ours is full. We had to do something with the arrested folks before their trials. We all know lawyers get trials put off in an attempt get a judge who is more lenient on the crime their client is accused of. We (taxpayers) furnish the jail, the Court House, the Judge and other amenities however, the lawyer gets the big bucks, but that is another story.

     While this rural county of Duplin has more criminals under arrest than we have space to put them, our number two master “The State” says we must build more jail space. (Our number one master is the Federal folks) So with these leg bracelets we can allow them to stay home or some controlled place other than the jail. That is of course if they behave. If they don’t the bracelet will tell on them and they will but put in a cell with bars to keep them in place and away from other people.

     So, looks to me like the tax payer got a break at least one time this year. However, it may be a Bur Rabbit type of a deal. The Sheriff’s Office did get a new employee out of the deal.

     Now that the New Jail is temporally out of the picture perhaps a better and clearer picture can be given in regards to the new school proposal across from The Commons.

     My thoughts on a budget and our county employee’s thoughts seem to be some what different. To me, county employee included the BOC & BOE

     If I had as many schools in disrepair and shabby looking as the school system claims to have, I would try and refurbish, repair and renovate before I would build new ones. I believe I would get more bang for my buck in regards to construction and satisfy more parents and students ecology beliefs with this method.

     The idea is not where we can spend the most money, but where we can do the most good with the least amount of money, how can we help the people of Duplin County?

     When we see in the newspaper “Duplin is to Build, Spend, or Buy”. That is not some mystical person or business it is you…it is us….it is we…..it is our money…it is from our pockets. SOG

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March 9, 2009

      A friend and his two great granddaughters were going home following a visit in Wallace last week. The two great granddaughters are four and six years old. They were in the back seat car buckled up in child restraint seats. The six year old was large enough to get out of the child seats by her self, but the four old needed help to get out.

     The two were continually arguing about one thing or another and the longer the two youngsters argued the hotter the argument got.

     When they got home and parked in front of the house the argument continuing and the four year old said “pa-pa get me out of this thing I need to hurt her.”


     The Love Meeting held between the BOC & BOE a few weeks ago forgot to invite the little guy with his love arrows and apparently no one got shot with the love arrows or they were broken off after the meeting. The two boards met and talked about things with some good possibilities as to what could be, if they worked together. I heard some real good and important words with each board admitting that they both shared some like opinions. The talk seamed to say we are ready to get on with this thing. Not enough to hurt anyone, but enough to make things work.

     I for one was excited after listening to the CD recording of the meeting. I thought the two boards were ready to get together and make Duplin County a progressive county once again. I thought were ready to let the errors of the past disappear and let the future begin now … a new. No matter where the error began or who it may have been blamed on as of now it is gone.

     As to what I am now reading in the newspapers, I made some mistakes in my reading. I am not however, giving up, I think the joining together of the two boards is right there near the surface. If we can get those two or three folks who are causing this dissention to shut up the county will brighten up like the coming spring.

     Harry S. Truman said “it is amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit”….


     Our Senator and friend Charlie Albertson has got the bill presenting hots for Duplin County. His first bill to change the number of commissioners was an overwhelming delight to the voters and he got a magnanimous number of calls, emails, and letters saying change it. I was one of those patting him on the back and telling him to go for it.

     However, the plan would not work quite as he presented it due to the way it was adopted many years ago. Thus he has presented other bills and in my opinion are not quite up to the standards of his first one.

     I think he should wait until the new census and then present a bill to change the district lines again and it maybe advisable to change the voting number back to five. What ever may be possible one thing stands out most important in regards to things needing a change. The town of Warsaw needs to be in one district. It is now in three districts and look at the damage which has happened to the town, its schools and its people. If we start right now it will take fifty years, if ever to get it straight.


     It was medicine taking time at my friend’s home and the two great granddaughters were in line to get their dose. The six year old did not want to take her medicine. There were some sweet talking, bribing attempts, but the mouth was still closed tightly. The four year old looked up to her grandpa and said “pa-pa this is not going to be pretty. “ SOG

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March 2, 2009

      Senator Albertson found out his 7 board member motion would not work with out doing new study of the district lines so he changed his motion. The new motion is for the chairman to vote only in case of a tie vote. I liked the seven member idea, but the non voting chairman to me is a dud. No one would want to be the chairman if they could not vote.

     I do think it is time for a new study of the county’s voting districts. Duplin people have moved about and new folks have moved in and the old numbers are no longer true, as well as the thoughts along racial lines.

     The present set up has hurt several areas with the Warsaw area being hurt the worse. Warsaw was one of the best when it came to education, but no longer. Warsaw is the worse district in Duplin County. The citizens and their children are being punished for political reasons. The reason I say this is the district has three different commissioners from three different districts supposedly looking after it. Thus no one commissioner will get credit for it being good or being bad. Each commissioner representing the area can say it is the other commissioner fault, or take credit for any good that may accidentally happen. So the Warsaw district is left playing in the mud hole of yesterday while the rest of the county gets the fresh face look. Someone needs to help the districts become equal again .. remember one vote is one vote no matter what color it may be. If the local politicians don’t have the courage to do it, they should step aside and let someone with enough guts do it.

     Some more school stuff but under a different heading. I listened to the CD recording of the Board of Education and the County Commissioner meeting. I heard BOE members say the buildings are not what make well learned students. One said he graduated from 50 year old school buildings in Duplin and went straight to college in 200 year old buildings. Thus what’s needed are better teachers. To this member I say HOORAY. Now let’s get things moving in the direction of better education.

     Another great notion that came from the meeting was the upkeep of the schools. The regular upkeep of buildings, fixtures, and appearance of the schools would give a better feeling to everyone attending, administration, teachers and students. It was said that going by schools and seeing window blinds out of order such as hanging sideways and some slats missing would make the building a much nicer appearing place if they were fixed. Fact of the matter there were many minor things mentioned that money should be spent on to help make the buildings a better looking place and may even give those attending more pride in their school.

     There was talk about the BOE law suit and the amount of money (4 plus Million dollars) award being cut. I must say I was real happy to hear both parties saying there was a possibility of that happening. The BOC and the BOE are both represent the same people. There has been a revaluation of real property and the national and local economy is in the dumps and Duplin citizens need some normality in the financial arena for a while.

     The law suit may be changed but the fact the Schools need money will not change. A” lets help the county people” approach by all should be adopted.

     I also heard some confusion about district voting, and I admit it is a mustard looking mess.

     Let’s say the people in a district want a school for their district and no one else can have one until they get theirs. So the commissioner of that district feels he can not vote for anything but a school in his district. It does not matter who may need a new building the worse.

     To make a long story short. If each commissioner felt and voted that way no one would get a new building as each commissioner would only vote for their district. Money has to be put together and fix the worse first. The money to make things work comes from each tax payer, not just the ones in a single district.

     I am really proud both boards seem to be wanting to work together.

     I read about an idiot problem in regards to soil testing at the Commons. If everyone is working together to get things done, I cannot see why this would be a problem. If it is a federal issue … then maybe. SOG

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February 16, 2009

      There were five members on the local board of Commissioners as well as the board of education when I first began attending their meetings. It seemed business went along OK, but it was still politics and we know politics is a self serving affair.

     Some over twenty years ago a group of mostly African-Americans or the black race (which ever you prefer) got together and asked for the number of commissioners be changed from five to six so that there would be districts created in which minorities could be elected on both the county commissioner and education boards. Along with the number of members being changed, the request was to also have the district lines redrawn favoring at least two districts of black voters, so a black member could be voted on each of the two boards. The original request was for 2 of 5 districts but the Commissioners originally only offered 1. The idea of expanding to 7 districts with 2 for minorities was also discussed but the minorities wanted representation that was close to the percentage of population of 32% that was black. .

     The lines were redrawn and the numbers of board members were changed to six. Contrary to some gossip, there was no suit filed and Duplin County was not mandated to do so. In fact, I believe Duplin County was not covered under the Minority Voting Rights Act.

     The fear at the time of the change was that the boards would find themselves tied up in three to three ties or knowledge of ties causing very little action to happen. At first the ties did not happen, but as time progressed and political savvy was honed the action has drawn to a confusion of issues eliminating much of the action motions.

     Thus both boards are now in need of an uneven number of members so action on many subjects can take place rather than just be abandoned. It seems today’s members have learned the ways of stalling and aborting motions they do not personally want passed. With seven members it is more difficult to stall however they can be voted down and that my friend will show who is for and who is against the motion. The six member board allows members to say one thing and do another and hide behind the vote. The members can talk among themselves about a motion and vote which ever way that will tie it up. After the vote a member can say they were for the vote, but the threat of tie caused them to do different than they wanted. A seven member board will have enough members to make the vote to come to a conclusion, just like the five member board did. It should be mandatory that each member attending the meeting must vote. When a member refuses to vote it should be counted and listed as a no vote. Only stupidity would cause a person to ask to be elected to a board and not vote on a motion. You are either for it or against it.

     The seven member board would mean there would be one member voted on county wide, but he or she would have no more power than any other member. Our neighboring county of Wayne has this system. Actually, I am told there are only three counties which have six member boards.

     As we have seen by the past couple of elections in Duplin County race is no longer an issue at the poles. In the last national election a black American was over whelming voted into office where most all races were represented. Willie Gillespie has been elected twice in a district that was not set aside for minority representation but is heavily populated by whites.

     Duplin County needs desperately to come from this do nothing, laughable situation our two boards are dead locked in. We need to apologize to each other and make things happen. Work for the people of this county and leave the personal notions and motions at home or out in the field plowed under.

     Senator Charlie Albertson has said he would work for a bill in Raleigh for a vote to have seven members on both of Duplin’s boards. I think we should go out of our way to contact him and encourage his continuance of this. Our down home politicians need to be for or against motions on the floor and the motion needs to come to a conclusion. Seven members will cause that to happen. Senator Albertson maybe can change the voting number to seven, let’s ask him to. SOG

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February 2, 2009

      “J.R.” did it. Yes, that is right J.R. is to blame. I think most of you remember the TV show “Dallas” and character J. R. Ewing. J.R. was the ruthless son of Mrs. Ellie who was trying to out do his father’s deeds who had been an oil and cattle millionaire or billionaire. I think it was millionaire because our thinking was not into the billionaire money category back then. A hundred dollars was a lot of money in those days. In Duplin County twenty dollars was a lot of money. You could not have put twenty dollars worth of gasoline in an automobile gas tank in those days. Now days you can put a hundred dollars worth of gas in the gas tank, well a few weeks ago you could.

     Let’s get back to this J.R. character. He was worse than Snidely Whiplash. It was his delight to rip someone off, to cheat them out of a deal. He would over bid, under bid or place a side bid to make things go his way even if it meant his family would loose lots of money. It made no difference just so he won. In fact the closer to dishonest and underhanded it was the better he liked it.

     I’m not saying J.R. was the first or that he invented it, but he was the first to brag about it while boasting openly to the public with a proud snicker in his voice. He smiled and had a gleam in his eye while doing it. Previously, folks would try desperately to keep a dastardly deal secret and in the dark. No one wanted to be known as a person that would pull a con job on their own family. The TV program made it seem as if J.R. relished in the fact that he outsmarted someone, anyone.

     Those folks on Wall Street reminded me of this J.R. fellow and I think they kind of picked up the devil may care cunningness and unkind cleverness to be the thugs I think they are from J.R.’s unkindly deeds. I can just imagine how they might meet in a downtown bar and brag of their cleverness of taking someone’s money calling it a bonus for themselves.

     The tax payers of this nation have and are reaching into the future tax funds and have came up with BILLIONS of dollars to try and keep the country from going bankrupt or in a deep recession. These moneys we borrowed from our future were given to the money men, bankers, financiers etc. to keep the wheels of progress rolling and not sinking. According to the news reports those self serving slobs have lined their own personal futures and said *&%#%#@* with the USA. SLOB is a bad word, but I really wanted to use it with the L left out, however I doubt if it would have been printed. You see, I thought the whole population of the USA would be committed to help save the country from financial ruin, but these folks who gained the most in the first place seem to be saying they do not give a damn about the country, just them selves. That they are going to keep the money we gave to help the country in their own pockets and if things get too bad they will just move to another country with our money.

     We seem to have been suckered by the national crowd just as we were by the board of education right here in Duplin County.

     This one-up-man-ship between the board of education and the county commissioners needs to stop right now. You two boards of non caring people are messing with our children. If you want to fight like children, pulling hair and scratching each other do so out of Duplin County. Play your childish games where it does not hurt our children, us, or our county. You should be ashamed of your self, every last one of you.

     I’m beginning to think the board of education hired Wiley Doby as superintendent purposely just to raise this ruckus and keep things in the county in an uproar.

     I mean they know what is going on and how the people of the county people feel and they do nothing, but act dumb at least I guess it is an act. SOG

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January 26, 2009

      Senator Charlie Albertson says we should leave the thinking up to him. Said that is what we voted him in to office for. To do thinking about how much tax we need to pay. Least ways that is what I am reading from his statements in the newspapers.

     I am also hearing rumors about Senator Albertson staying in office this term so he could help pick his replacement. I guess he don’t think we are smart enough to pick a senator. He may be right on that one, look who we have.

     I’m not quite sure how he is going to put our next NC senator in office, but I am going to watch closely. You got to remember it is a rumor, not a fact, but could become a fact.

     Some times we miss-read facts. The fact that someone has been in an elected office a long time, does not mean they are there because they are doing a good job. It could be that we are keeping this person in office because he has done the least damage. Look at their record. It is easy to revel in a crowd, but doing something outstanding on your own is a different story. Oh, there are those artificial things that members of a club do to singly praise themselves but they are meaningless. Like a kindergarten group that gets a star on their forehead for not getting chocolate ice cream on their shirt. We all are happy about the ice cream and mom is real happy about not having it on the shirt, but she is going to wash the shirt anyway.

     Let’s get back to the tax part. There was an election in Duplin County asking if the voter was for or against a sales tax of one quarter of a cent to help fund some school buildings. This tax if approved would bring in some $800,000.00 or so dollars. The Duplin County citizens voted it down, thus there would be no sales tax increase.

     However, the league of county commissioners has a new bill headed for legislation which can throw that no vote out and start collecting a sales tax anyway, because another county voted to do so. It is to allow all counties to change election results, not just Duplin, to enact by resolution or, at the option of the board of commissioners, any and all revenue options from among those that have been authorized for any other county, including local option sales taxes, prepared food taxes, impact fees and real estate transfer taxes; and to preserve the existing local revenue. You need to read this again and perhaps again. Too me this is a scary piece of legislature. It takes away our power of the vote and senator Albertson wants us to leave the taxing part up to him.

     I like Charlie, but he is not always right and in my opinion he can think no better than I can and quite frankly he does not know what I want, I do.

     I love my wife, we have been living together over 53 years and even though we disagree at times and I have never thought I was better than her and nether one of us can play a banjo professionally.

     The vast amount of money we are spending on “jail keep” seems to me to need a temporally fix. It may not be the best solution, but those ankle bracelets which sound off at the communication office when criminal who is wearing one goes outside of his restricted area would be a less costly solution.

     I do not know the intricacy of law, but it would seem to me if when the judge who orders the law breaker to wear an ankle bracelet he would state that if the bad guy or gal tampered with the bracelet and got it off, that would be the same as breaking out of jail and would be another crime. That second crime would justify this criminal to be sent to prison. No more Jail time, it is now prison time. Thus the bad person would not be the property of Duplin County.

     Oh yes, if anyone wonders why there are so many in the county jail. Simply go over to the Court House one day and see how many go thru the court system in a single day. Very, very few and it appears to be the attorneys fault or plan for it to happen that way.

     Let’s hope Obama’s election will help the nation better than our last county election helped Duplin County. Who is going to pay this bail out money back, I have heard all my life “you can not borrow yourself out of debt.”

     Let’s also hope the County’s elected officials (CC & BOE) will pay more attention to the fellow our NC Senator brought to town to tell us all that the rest of the state is laughing at Duplin. Our so called leaders have not listened or seemed to care when we the people of the county told them of that fact. Let’s also hope they will begin to cooperate with one another. SOG

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January 12, 2009

      I got a couple of Christmas presents that I had not used until a couple of weeks ago.

     One of the things I said I wanted for Christmas when I was asked was a tube of prunes. Sunsweet Growers of California puts out a tube of individually wrapped prunes for sale at the grocery markets. I ate a couple of these prunes back in the summer and I thought they were pretty good as a dried food snack. They are in a tube kind of like the potato chip and one day while watching a football game I popped the top on one of the tubes of prunes. It is printed around the top of the tube “Pitted Dried Plums”. I decided I would snack on these pitted plums while I watched the game. The clear paper was a little difficult to tear off each plum, but the taste was good once you did get it in your mouth. The advertisement on the side of the tube said “Bite for bite better than fresh fruit”. I figured I would be doing a healthy thing while watching the game rather than eating those fried potato chips. I ate about half of the tube of those plums.

     As I was leaving the house and got about half way to my truck following the ball game I got this urge to visit the bathroom and sit on the commode. I stopped for a moment and stood still to check my urges to make sure it was a bathroom call. It was and indicated I should hurry on about it. So I headed toward the bathroom fast pace walking. When I got back in the house and in the bathroom I remembered another Christmas present I was using for the first time that day … suspenders.

     This was my first time wearing suspenders. My brain was quickly trying to figure how to take these suspenders off. I remembered how long it took to get them adjusted correctly as I was putting them on with Donna helping me. The plum urge was getting more desperate. I remembered someone said to just slip the gallous off my shoulders. I started to do this but I had my jacket on. The urge was getting dangerously urgent. My brain was hollering to me “you got to get that jacket off, unbuckle your belt, get your pants and shorts down and do it now or watch out. I got my jacket off and looked for someplace to hang it up, the urge said throw it on the floor which I did. Never had a belt been so difficult to unbuckle…I felt the stuff that needed to come out already at the jumping off place. I barely got my shorts down in time. I was pulling them off and sitting down at the same time. The commode seat was not down, but things happened in the right place just in time. That porcelain rim was cold, but it was welcome in regards to the alternative.

     My suspenders fell into the water in the front of the commode, thank goodness wet was all they got into.

     I have learned prunes are actually plums. I knew that, but was not paying that much attention to my learning. Also they are not a snack food they are what they have always been a laxative type fruit. I plan to be a wee bit more careful about how many I consume at any one sitting in front of the TV.

     I have also learned you need to get used to wearing suspenders and try and figure when you may need to take them off away from home. I am sure glad my incident occurred while at home. In some of those public restrooms I have been in are not ones you want to sit down in, must less throw your coat on the floor.

     I guess I would have tried unzipping my pants and trying to crawl out that part of my pants to sit on squat at the commode. I actually thought of that while I was urgently trying to get my jacket off and action was about to happen.

     A couple of things you need to be on the lookout for … there is a group trying to get a bill passed that will allow a county to adopt or pass or join in with other counties who have had a tax type bill pass. The Sales Tax that failed in Duplin could be passed by the commissioners if any other county in North Carolina passed it…No matter if the people voted it down or not. There lots of other things that could be passed due too the fact some other county passed it…

     Another note worthy bill and this one is Federal. It is giving people who can not afford new car money to buy a used one and making it illegal for old, old cars to be on the road. People like me with old cars (my Studebakers) would not be allowed on the roads. Check all the reading on both bills there is a lot more to them than I have written here…SOG

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