Wanting special treatment by my town

The very notion that someone wants to be treated differently than the rest of the community irritates the snot out of me. This arrogant individual was practically a tyrant as mayor, and I had to suffer through his tenure. His brash attitude brought shame to my community. I do not disparage the good that he did in our town. Yes, he has developed properties here and in other areas. Yes, he served on our planning board with a questionable history thereon, and did do some good things as mayor. When he did good, I publicly praised him. When he did wrong, I criticized his public performance. However, to whine to our town council that he should be treated any differently than every other citizen in town is sheer hubris. If he is in violation of local ordinance, then there is a prescribed course of action necessary. Every citizen deserves equal treatment under the law. This man got equal treatment under the law and complained about it openly in a public forum, demanding special treatment. Sure, he did a lot of development, but he will probably never admit is that he founded his business with the help of our tax dollars. He ran the business successfully for years, but recently went through bankruptcy, and one way or another, that will most likely indirectly be at our expense. He violated state regulations in some of his developments (I know, having reported them and spoken with enforcement agents) and never remedied them. It was not until his property right down the street from here was purchased after bankruptcy that it got developed. It sat as an eye sore for a couple of years. The bottom line is that this man demanded publicly for an entitlement and a consideration that no other citizen in this town gets. I don't care if he was a former POTUS or my uncle. He deserves treatment that is fair and identical to everyone else in town. To complain about that is petty and is the very attitude that got us Congressmen that feel entitled to special treatment. Nope. Equal treatment under the law. If I don't cut my grass, I will get the same enforcement letter he got. That is the way it should be. Boo-frickity-hoo.

Yet another tax increase coming to Selma

I am going to make this simple. All Selma residents need to remember that if this next tax increase passes, Charles Hester, Jackie Lacy, and Debbie Johnson, 3/5 of the Selma Town Council, have been the ones who have been in office and brought us a nine cents per thousand valuation property tax increase. Their terms of office do not expire until a year from November or so. At least that is the next municipal election. We got a five cent increase two years ago. We are getting another four cent increase this year.

We found out that there are some things we can do without in this town. We found that we can exist sufficiently without some staffing positions. We found that we can cut budgets with no significant change in how the town does business.

I do not mind working to restore some pay increases and retirement benefits for town employees. However, the proposed 5% cost of living increase is far above the average for business, let alone government. When facing a budget shortfall at home, I simply cut spending. I had this discussion with a retiree just yesterday. He argued that we needed the increased taxes, yet at the same time said that in his fixed income situation that he has to cut his spending when the price of things go up. Well, duh! It is no different for government. Rather than reach into my pocket and increase my mortgage cost through higher escrow payments to cover increased taxation, the town simply needs to cut its proposed budget.

Every year, the Johnston County Council on Aging asks for town money. They do a good work, and I personally like Donna Creech. However, during a budget shortfall, I find it inappropriate to ask taxpayers for more money and then give it away. Only about 40% of the residents in this town are taxpayers, since about 60% of the residents are renters. Sure, there are landlords that pay property taxes, but the 60% have no real stake in our tax rate since it is built into their rent fees.

I have read the budget ordinance. It is still not a complete budget. I want to see MORE than a two page summary. If the town hall staff can print out a full line item budget, they can print it into a pdf file and make it available online as well.

Several months ago, Stan Farmer was boasting about how far ahead we were as a town in our revenues versus expenditures. Now we are facing a revenue versus expenditure shortfall? How do we go from a 3/4 of a million dollar surplus to needing another tax increase?

I could not care less what other town are paying in Johnston County. That argument is being used, i.e., that Selma has a lower tax rate than most towns in the county. What pisses me off is that NC is one of the higher taxed states around. We pay property tax on real estate, property tax on automobiles, vehicle registration, sales tax, state income tax, county property tax, federal income tax, excise taxes and fees, federal income tax, and the list goes on. I was told how much cheaper it was to live in North Carolina compared to New England when I was looking to possibly relocate here 20 years ago this summer. What a lie. And it is only getting worse.

Here is The Selma News article.

Property tax increase of 4 cents likely for Selma
By Rick Stewart, Publisher

Working feverishly right up to Tuesday night’s public hearing on the town of Selma’s proposed 2008-09 budget, town officials recommended a four cents tax increase and a $2 per month garbage collection fee hike.

It also appears likely that electrical rates will go up during the next fiscal year, said Town Manager C. L. Gobble, but he said until the town is given the new rate it cannot be passed along to the town’s electric customers.

Following a public hearing Tuesday night at which only Donna Creech, executive director of the Johnston County Council on Aging spoke, Town Council members voted to delay adopting the budget until next Thursday at 4 p.m.

Because the actual numbers in the budget were not publicly known until Tuesday night, Council decided to delay adoption to give Selma residents a chance to talk with Council members about the tax increase or any other items in the budget.
The budget adds a full-time planner to the town’s staff and adds the position of deputy town clerk to the budget. It also adds two new trucks in the electrical department and two new police cars.

Following up on the recommendation of the town’s strategic planning committee, the budget contains $8,000 funding to revitalize the town’s appearance committee.
Council members, meeting one-on-one Monday with Gobble, stressed to him, said Gobble, that they wanted to bring pay ranges back up to a higher level after two years of small or no pay increases.

With that in mind, Gobble presented a budget with a five percent across the board cost of living increase for all employees and a three percent town contribution to employees’ retirement program.

“It is imperative that the Town keep its pay plan up to day and stay competitive in the market place,” Gobble said in his budget message to Council.

The property tax rate will increase from 49 cents per $100 valuation to 53 cents per $100 valuation. The new fees and rates will go into effect on July 1 if Council approves the budget next Thursday.

A $2 increase in garbage collection I can comprehend, since the cost of fuel is increasing and I am sure that our contracted garbage collection company is passing some cost onto the customer, meaning the Town of Selma. Still, $18 a month for trash collection does almost seem high. I will compare with private contracted services that my friends in the country use for a point of reference.

One pitfall of being a town utility customer is that Electricities is a wholesale customer, not a retail customer of Progress Energy. Therefore, Progress Energy does not need a Public Utilities Commission (or whatever NC calls their regulatory agency) approval for a rate hike. That rate hike hits us whenever Progress Energy decides to make it happen, whereas direct retail customer rate hikes require agency approval. Thus, we get hit when the town gets hit and we already pay higher rates by the time the general public gets an increase.

We are getting hosed with a property tax increase, then will be paying a trash collection fee increase, and then get hit with a utility rate hike. There are many things about Selma that make me want to relocate. The same with North Carolina, for that matter.

Here is the blurb from WTSB's web site.

Selma Town Council Considering Raising Property Taxes
Selma residents could be paying higher property taxes. The town council is considering raising taxes 4 cents to balance their 2008-09 fiscal year budget. Residents could also pay higher electrical rates and garbage collection fees. The council could approve the budget when they meet again on June 26. The spending plan does include a 5 percent cost of living increase for employees. If the tax hike is approved, the property tax rate would go from 49 to 53 cents per $100 valuation.

Are you smurfin' me again? Liberal pablum in the local paper? Just shoot me.

I just read the opinion page of today's The Selma News, for which I write a weekly column. I was amazed at the letters to the editor this week. Though I like and respect Ray Jacklitsch, I am bewildered at his suggestion that the public and media are "lynching" Mayor Hester for his comment about a lynching. He is correct that there is little uproar about other issues in town, however, wrong is wrong and jumping on a situation such as this one is not the wrong thing to do. When you have a bombastic man attempting to steamroll over others and neo-fascist like run a town, then it is merely the law of sowing and reaping.

Ray's comment that baffles me, however, is that if the Jernigan building was spruced up and made prettier that the abhorrent behavior that was witnessed earlier this month at a town council meeting would improve. That is just plain absurd. Bad behavior is not brought on by an ugly room. It is brought on by an ugly heart.

I also read with interest the letter from Dr. Walt Caison. He and I do not see "eye to eye" on a good many things. For instance, his use of the term "democracy" in his letter. We do not live in, have never lived in, nor will we ever have a democracy in this country. We are a REPUBLIC. There is a HUGE difference. Another big difference in opinion is the reference to the use of the word lynching as part of "America's racist heritage." Sorry, but the word does NOT have racist connotations, the term was NOT used in reference to someone of another race, and lynchings were not always racially motivated in this country. So PLEASE STOP perpetuating the lie and racial guilt. That makes no sense. An educated man should have sufficient reasoning capability to see this simple point and concede it.

What I do agree with Dr. Caison about is the asinine complaining by Chucky Hester regarding the fact that there was a large crowd at the meeting for the public hearing. I agree that the approach by Hester is arrogant, laced with intimidation (just not from the lynching commentary), and suppression. Hester was obviously either afraid of or angered by the crowd of people who attended the meeting. Participation in the governmental process and just plain exhibiting citizenship should never be something for an honest man and good elected representative to fear or over which to take umbrage.

Feedback from a blog reader

I got this feedback in an email this afternoon from a blog reader in response to my last post. Enjoy.

I don't have a dog in the fight over in Selma and the comments from the Mayor....

...but please don't associate the Herald with the fine town of Smithfield. Remember, they dropped the name "Smithfield" years ago when they decided it was in their best interest to be a "County" paper. Thus now just The Herald.

I haven't seen today's edition, but I would suggest anyone to look at any recent edition and count the "true articles" about anything that is "Smithfield" related. You will find plenty about Clayton ... well, at least that was the case in Tuesday's paper.

Keep up the noise Troy! Some of us are listening!

More articles from "The Smithfield Heresy" on Hester and the ethanol plant

Here is an article about people who think that Hester's lynching comment was no big deal. Here is the Herald's editorial on the need to investigate an ethanol plant, as offered by East Coast Ethanol. I personally have offered to be one of the people who travels to visit, report, and be objective about it.

I do not believe that reaction to the lynching comment has been blown out of proportion, as was asserted by one citizen, quoted in the Herald's article. I also believe that it was not racial, contrary to the NAACP's assertion. I don't appreciate people explaining or excusing away Charles Hester's bad behavior. I also don't appreciate people automatically calling for his resignation, either.

Though I have offered to the majority of the Town Council members and town manager to be one of the citizen delegates to take up the offer to visit an ethanol plant, I doubt it will happen.

The Selma News covers Hester's lynching comment

I just wish that Charles Hester would be honest about his lynching comment instead of trying to perform damage control and denials. It was obvious to all in attendance who the comment was about. People are not as stupid as he is portraying them to be. It is insulting to read Hester's denials. Sure he has apologized repeatedly, and appropriately so. I am not against accepting the apology and moving on, however we should NOT tolerate the repeated offenses time after time. This crap is getting old.

From The Selma News:

Mayor’s comment garners much media, public attention
By Kelly Lake, News Editor 17.JAN.08


An off-handed comment made by Selma Mayor Charles Hester during a rezoning hearing last week has earned him much media attention. The mayor commented on the huge crowd that turned out for meeting and said maybe one day “we’ll have a lynching” and not have to worry about that anymore.

He apologized during the meeting to everyone in attendance and personally to one man who felt the comment was directed at him. Since the meeting, the mayor and his comments have been the subject of many print, web and television news articles. A video of the meeting, complete with his comments is posted on YouTube.

“I’ve apologized – many times,” said Hester. “That’s all I can do. I apologized at the meeting, to Council members, and to people I meet on the street. It (the comment) wasn’t directed at anyone.”

Public opinions about the mayor’s comments, for the most part, are the same – he shouldn’t have said it. However opinions seem to differ about what should happen now and whether or not the mayor’s comments had any racist meaning.

Hester says that he didn’t make the comment about any one person or race of people.

Others say it is time for Hester to step down as mayor and still others say it is time to let the issue drop.

Councilwoman Jackie Lacy said she expected the mayor’s remarks would grab media attention, “given the Jena 6 controversy.”

The word lynching carries with it a racial connotation, she said, especially when it comes from an official of the opposite race.

“Even though I believe he (Hester) is sorry, it still was an uncalled-for remark in public,” said Lacy.

Sylvia Cox, one of Selma’s black residents, said she doesn’t believe the mayor meant anything by the comment.

“I think it was a slip of the tongue,” said Cox. “It was not directed at black people. They (people in general) were lynching white people before they were lynching black people. Black people, in general, in this town don’t even go to the town meetings. There were maybe three or four at that meeting (rezoning hearing). They don’t even go to the polls for the most part. They have no right to complain.”

Cox said it’s time to “let it go.”

“Mayor Hester has apologized. Accept his apology and go on,” she said.
Others are worried about the image of Selma that is being portrayed on television, on the internet and in local news media. Hester said that while he shouldn’t have made the comments, he is not responsible for the negative media attention it has brought to the town.

“I’m not the one who got it on television or the internet,” said Hester.
Hester said a television news reporter tracked him down at church (Selma Baptist) last Wednesday and knocked on the door to get an interview.
Some people have called for the mayor to resign and have called on Council members to make that happen.

Councilwoman Cheryl Oliver said that elected officials are accountable to their constituency for the public remarks that they make and that remarks, such as the one the mayor made, are usually followed up on by the media as a matter of public record.

She said that she received one phone call after the meeting from a person asking the Council to consider requesting the mayor to resign. She was asked to pass the request on to fellow Council members.

“The comment was inappropriate and I am not expecting similar comments from the mayor in the future,” she added.

Councilman Eric Sellers took a similar stand.

“The mayor’s remarks were inappropriate,” said Sellers. “Our duty as elected officials is to carry out the business of the Town of Selma in a professional manner with the best interest of all of Selma’s citizens in mind. I do not believe that the mayor meant to offend anyone and I believe that he is sincerely sorry for what he said. It would be my hope and expectation that this type of incident would not be repeated.”

He went on to say that he has not heard from anyone asking for the mayor’s resignation nor would expect to.

“I certainly do not and cannot blame the media for picking up on this,” said Sellers. “That is a reminder to each of us regarding what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. At this point, I consider it a closed issue.”

Councilwoman Debbie Johnson could not be reached at press time.

The Smithfield Herald speaks on Mayor Hester's comments

First, a newsy article.

Some want mayor to quit
Comment made at Town Council meeting draws fire
By Jordan Cooke, Staff Reporter

SELMA -- Sylvia Henry had just settled into her seat last Tuesday night when Mayor Charles Hester called the monthly Town Council meeting to order.

Henry, of Jordan-Narron Road, had come to join more than 100 other people opposed to the rezoning of 106 acres near West Blanche Street. A South Carolina company was seeking the rezoning in hopes of building an ethanol plant on the land. The plant, if approved, would abut a parcel of land that Henry and her four siblings stand to inherit from their mother.

From her seat at the back of the meeting room, Henry didn't hear the next words Hester spoke. But based on the reactions from some in the crowd, Henry knew it must have been something controversial.

"All of a sudden, people in the audience were giving him up the country for what he said," Henry said.

Hester, viewed by some as a polarizing figure in town, had made the following remark: "We have a big crowd here tonight, bigger than we are used to handling. We have people in our community that stir up big crowds and we have one here tonight. Maybe one day we’ll have a lynching, and we won’t have to worry about that anymore."

Several people fired back at Hester, calling the remark rude and distasteful. One resident, Erin Downey of Campground Road, said Hester’s statement was a racial slur.

Hester apologized for his comment and, days later, told a reporter he regretted what he had said. "It was one thing I said, and I shouldn't have said it," he said. "I'm sorry."

But one man in particular said Hester's apology didn't go far enough. Tony Tetterton, owner of RVacation Campground on Campground Road, said he didn't consider Hester's statement racist. Rather, Tetterton said the comment was "a hateful remark" that was "unmistakably addressed toward me."

Tetterton said it was common knowledge that he had printed a flyer speaking out against the proposed ethanol plant. Tetterton said he thinks his efforts frustrated Hester.

Also, Tetterton suggested that Hester had a vendetta against him for speaking out against involuntary annexation last year. "I think what it all boils down to is that I was one of the people willing to point out that what the council did with the annexation was unlawful," Tetteron said.

Friends Tom and Kara Kuebler say they think Hester resents Tetterton for his passion for issues that concern him. "If there's an issue he’s concerned about, he voices his opinion," Kara Kuebler said of Tetterton. "He gets right in there and questions things like the annexation."

"That's been one of the big points of opposition with them," she added, referring to interactions between Tetterton and Hester. "There’s also been the quiet zone [for trains] issue. That was fine that they did not opt to approve that. But in my opinion, the mayor considers Tony ... he expects opposition from him. He expects things not to run smoothly because Tony questions things."

Tom Kuebler said Tetteron is just a "concerned citizen" whom Hester is trying to "demonize." He said Hester’s remark shows he is not fit to remain in office. Both he and his wife are among some Selma residents who want Hester to resign, he said.

"I would like to see him out of office," Kuebler said. "The thing that frustrates me is that he is deciding things for us that ... we don’t have a say-so in in any way, shape or form, except for what we can say at the town meetings."

"My mission is not to personally oust the mayor from office," Tom Kuebler added. "I'm just concerned about the decisions he makes because they affect us. He seems like a vindictive man, just for the comment he made. Here is a man with power that can abuse it."

Tetterton said he too would like to see Hester resign. He said Hester’s remarks at the Town Council meeting not only insulted him personally but also degraded the town.

"As an effective business leader for the community, what outside business would want to come to Selma now knowing they have to deal with someone like [Charles] Hester?" Tetteron asked. "He [Hester] has definitely tainted the ground. On a professional basis, he has tainted the ground with his remark."

"He should step down as mayor," Tetterton added. "You can't, in a public forum, suggest that someone should be lynched and expect that no one would be upset."

When asked by a reporter to respond to statements about his character and effectiveness as mayor, Hester repeatedly declined to comment. And when asked by phone if he had any concerns that his silence would add fuel to his critics’ fires, Hester responded in an unexpected manner.

He hung up.

And the editorial in the Herald.

Selma mayor crossed the line

Mayor Charles Hester thinks he knows what is best for Selma — say, an ethanol plant — and he has no tolerance for people who oppose his will. That is likely why the mayor wanted to lynch the person who rallied his neighbors against the proposed plant last week.

It's tempting in the aftermath to call for the mayor's resignation; he crossed the line when he called for a lynching. But perhaps demanding Mr. Hester's resignation goes too far. Recently, a Golf Channel announcer suggested that Tiger Woods' fellow players might want to lynch the world’s No. 1 golfer if they hoped to beat him on the course.

That announcer got suspended but kept her job.

Besides, Selma needs Mr. Hester and his leadership, particularly his fiscal conservatism. What it doesn’t need is a monarch, and we're willing to give Mr. Hester another chance if he now realizes he cannot impose his will on Selma. Last week, he faced a room full of people who did not share his vision for Selma, and while that no doubt frustrated the iron-willed mayor, we hope it opened his eyes too.

We hope also that Mr. Hester will take from this episode that running Selma is a partnership that requires compromise. Just as important, we hope that Town Council members now know that the mayor’s voice is not the only one in Selma government and policymaking.

Mr. Hester has been generally good for Selma. He has restored fiscal discipline while courting business investment in town. And if he truly learned a lesson last week, we think Mr. Hester will be an even better mayor.

Good job, Chucky. Thanks for bringing shame to Selma.

As I blogged earlier and shared on my internet talk show, Straight Shooting, Selma Mayor Charles Hester made an inappropriate remark at the last Selma Town Council meeting during the opening remarks. He made reference to a lynching. Specifically, he was referring to Tony Tetterton. Tony gets involved in local affairs and has again injected himself into this situation. I do not have a problem with this, by the way, and actually applaud him for doing what he feels is right. If more people would do this, our nation would see a lot more benefits.

Charles Hester denies that his remark was directed specifically at Tony. Of course we all know better. Tony is the one who really got the ball rolling, so to speak, on getting opposition to show up for the public hearing. The mayor has thought of Tony as a trouble maker for some time. We all knew that the comment was directed at Tony. Some at the meeting said that the comment was "racist". No, there was nothing racist about it. Negroes were not the only ones ever to be lynched in this country. As a matter of fact, they were not even the most lynched population in this nation. Anyway, enough about that.

There were at least three TV stations covering this story, from the angle of both the proposed ethanol plant and about the commentary by Hester. Just this morning on the WNCN channel 17 news was carrying the video of the remark. Yesterday, I met channel 17's reporter. By the way, Barry, the GM over at channel 17 has a habit of hiring beautiful women. I have seen it and had the opportunity to be around some of them a few times. Thanks, Barry.

Charles Hester's comment was inexcusable. He is an abrasive man, thinks it is fine to be obnoxious, and enjoys exerting power over others. I have seen this man throw a tantrum, purposely back his car into a political rival's car, make fun of others, insult people publicly, and try to remove knowledgeable and competent people from town boards. He has been a disgrace to the town with his methods and his attitudes. I am ashamed to have this man as our town figurehead.

Hester has tried to minimize the damage by saying that it was an accidental discharge, just something that slipped out of his mouth, and that it was just "Hester being Hester". He has also said that he did apologize at the meeting. He did, and I have to accept that he did, regardless of how sincere I believe he was at the time. I find it ironic that Mayor Hester decided to wear a suit and tie for the WRAL interview and even tape the interview outside of Selma Baptist Church, where he attends, helped build the church, and even teaches Sunday School (I am told. I am glad I don't and would never attend one of his lessons.)

He said that people taking the comment personally is just small town politics and that those claims are because people do not like him. HELLO, Chucky!! NOBODY is more guilty of small town politics than YOU are!! We who live here and have been around you for any significant amount of time know this for certain. In a small town, it becomes entirely obvious to whom Hester was referring. That is just plain hypocritical.

Here are links to the various stories on the web about King Charles Hester.

WRAL web coverage

NBC17 web coverage

WTVD web coverage