Commissioners Waste More Tax Money Playing Petty Politics

Once again, it's "revenge" time for Union County Commissioners.

In case you missed it, in a 3-2 vote last night, a motion made by Commissioner Kuehler, passed and stated that the county attorney go hire (with your tax money) an "independent counsel" to investigate possible ethics violations against former commissioner Pressley and current commissioners Baucom and Mills.

First it was a long-term package deal to keep unethical Mike Shalati in power as county manager, done just days before Sexton, Stone and Lane lost power now we have another investigation? How much did this cost?

Let's get the facts straight. Irene Broaddus was a member of the non-policy making Public Works ADVISORY Panel, note the word ADVISORY, that created this firestorm. Ms. Broaddus wrote in emails to a development company that she would be willing to lobby and help get their project approved for a fee of several thousand dollars.

Who is Irene Broaddus? A long-time political activist who was friends with Parker Mills and is friends with Lanny Openshaw. Actually Mr. Openshaw credits Ms. Broaddus for encouraging him to get into politics. So what about the FBI? Well, when the newspaper prints emails that quite clearly show a possible "pay to play" scheme then there's a high probability you're going to get investigated. The SBI for a fact investigated, having interviewed several in this county. According to public, on the record comments, by Commissioner Baucom, he was never even interviewed.

So, commissioners hired outside counsel for an investigation that really was just that, an investigation. Bottom line, there wasn't anything illegal because there were no charges. Now if this was an investigation on something self-serving as defined by our own county ordinances then this would be different. The fact of the matter it wasn't and never was. The only person who committed any wrongdoing was Ms. Broaddus herself. It was unethical but not illegal mind you but had those emails not been printed, who knows what would've happened.

So let's wrap up this discussion in a nutshell. The county commissioners, who are always looking to "cut the budget," have now instructed the county attorney to PAY (how much is not determined but could be tens of thousands) for an outside attorney to conduct an ethics investigation on an investigation that was only an investigation.

This is like the current Obama Administration investigating the CIA. When is enough, enough?

And by the way, we are now spending money when we don't have a firm water allocation policy in place. This means no commercial construction (to offset high tax rate) and no residential (subdivisons aren't finished meaning lower property values and higher HOA dues) and we cannot water our own lawns.

Perhaps the real "pay to play" should be explored and all Union County citizens should ask Commissioner Kuehler why her OWN FATHER applied to be director of Union County Public Works after she was elected as commissioner. Friends, that's fact not fiction.

What say you?