The following ballot question was adopted for inclusion on the November Ballot by the County Commissioners at their March 2010 meeting:
[ ] For [ ] Against Local Sales and Use Tax at the rate of 1/4 percent (.025%) in addition to all other state and local sales and use taxes

May 4th 2010

Trouble within EMS.

At last night’s Board of Commissioners meeting it became obvious that there is a split between the paid members of Emergency Services and the volunteers who man Unit #3 in Rocky Hock.

Congress appears bound and determined to reform our health care system. Maybe I overlooked it, but I cannot find any reference to health care in my copy of the Constitution, which every member of Congress has sworn to uphold. Conveniently ignored is the 10th Amendment, which reserves for the States and the people any powers not specifically delegated

To: chowan.commissioners@lists.ncmail.net
Subject: Budget considerations

I know you are getting lots of feedback so I will keep this short. Regarding the 5 Budget options you were presented, I request you adopt Scenario "A" for the following reasons:

As we look towards our future one of the bright spots in our economy has been wind generation.

This industry has made over 350,000 new jobs and is growing. Unfortunately for our country the greater amount of these towers are manufactured overseas leaving only two plants in Ohio producing them.

A plan came to me that our proximity to Nucor steel, the existence of a rail spur, the Chowan River for moving raw materials and a industrial park gives us a golden opportunity to establish a wind generator manufacturing and assembly facility.

We already have skilled workers and fiberglass people attached to our boating industry.

There is money available for such an undertaking from the Golden Leaf Foundation and the newly established federal tax credits.

We as a community have two opportunities: one is to establish a home grown industry, two, is to solicit one of the Ohio companies to enter into a southern operation using their expertise.

We are looking at a host of well paid jobs both semi-skilled and high skilled.

We must approach this matter as a concern for the greater good of our community and our country.

In reference to my earlier letter about Chowan Commissioners restricting freedom through a ban of smoking outside government buildings, below is a news article from the 1/27/09 NY Times, ( see: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/us/27belmont.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=smoking%20ban&st=cse) illustrating a logical extension of where such policies lead. Elected leaders are contantly confronted with the decision of "how much loss of freedom is too much?" and when to use force to prevent one citizen from hurting another. Do you restrict the freedom of everyone in order to keep smoke from offending one citizen?

This is a letter urging the citizens of Edenton to attend the February 10th meeting of the Town Council - 6 pm at the Council Chambers.

The Council has voted 3-2 to purchase with the help of taxpayer funded grant money, property on both sides of Coke Avenue where it meets E. Church St. for the construction of a public park.

In my opinion this is the greatest boondoggle next to the Justice Center. The Town Council needs to reign in their spending. The state is broke, the county is broke. Their theory of it not costing the tax payers anything is totally flawed, because where did the grant money come from? the taxpayers. If they are set to spend money it should be for job creation, soliciting companies to relocate here, and or create home grown business.

You can call the your councilman, e-mail him/her or voice your opinion at the meeting. Phone numbers and addresses are available on the Town of Edenton web site.

Most folks, including smokers, would agree that smoking is not something to be emulated or encouraged. However, our elected leaders, who set policies regarding tobacco products on county property should think about all sides of the issue before issuing policies that completely ban smoking. Why? Below is a copy of an email I recently sent our elected leaders following Monday night's Commissioner Meeting where they approved a ban on all tobacco products in the county health center AND on its "campus." I don't smoke and I wish no one did, but I think there is a larger issue here....

To all Commissioners,