03/28/2024
Spread the love

By: Charlotte Smith

I’ve heard it said somewhere, “When we learn how to work together versus against each other, things might start getting better.” However, it seems in today’s time, it’s an “all about me” agenda and some of our leaders have forgotten the basic rules of working together.

It has been my observation, some people talk about making things better, but don’t want to concede if the plan for getting better means they have to go along with someone that doesn’t agree with them. It’s disheartening and the struggle is real in so many different areas I will not even attempt to name them all.

However, I will attempt to explain an example of this problem I have seen first hand for the simple fact that I’m fed up with people not wanting to work together for the betterment of our society.

Our Bladen County Board of Commissioners, I respect them. I thank them for our service. I could list many ways they have impacted our county in positive ways. On the other hand, I am left with the impression, some put their agenda on a higher platform, than they put their duties as county commissioners.

I addressed the Board of Commissioners on Monday evening at their meeting because three of the commissioners, whom are also members of the Bladen Improvement Political Action Committee (PAC), have been out at our voting polls encouraging voters to vote against the 1/4 cent sales tax. I was left flabbergasted and feeling that my point still was not made after the meeting.

Our board of commissioners have put the sales tax on our ballots for the fourth time this primary election. Every single time this sales tax has been on our ballots, the Bladen Improvement PAC has campaigned against it.

The county commissioners that are on this PAC, Commissioners Dr. Delilah Blanks, Author Bullock, and G. Michael Cogdell, have been at the polls with their PAC encouraging voters to vote against the Board of Commissioners endorsed sales tax.

Representatives of this PAC set up tables, looking like officials at all our polls to encourage voters to vote for their agenda by passing out sample ballots already marked the way they want the votes to go for candidates and the sales tax. They go to the elderly and homebound citizens to collect their votes as well. They keep track of who has voted and who has not voted by checking off a list of all registered voters for each district. This PAC does have a lot of power when it comes to our elections.

One of my concerns with this is why are the three elected commissioners, who are part of this PAC, pushing the agenda of the PAC instead of what the Board of Commissioners have tried to have passed four times now.

We pay our commissioners a decent salary to advocate for our needs. Dr. Blanks is my district commissioner and she is siding with the PAC over what would be better for her property owners and community.

When I asked the commissioners about this Monday evening, bickering and name calling started instead of letting me get my point across. They would not even follow the Robert’s Rules of Order at an official meeting. Our paid officials should agree to disagree and stand for the majority. Our elected officials should get out and talk with voters about what the voters want, not go out and push their own agendas, going against their board, and not explain the other side of the issue.

I ask our commissioners in the Bladen Improvement PAC and I ask the representatives of the PAC, is it too much to ask for people spending money on items that are not basic needs to pay a quarter cent more to invest back into our county so we can provide the services we so desperately need?

The commissioners put this sales tax on our ballot for many good reasons. The sales tax will not only help our commissioners supply the needs of our county, it will lower our property taxes. If the quarter cent sales tax is passed, the board of commissioners will reduce our property tax.

Right now, our property taxes are paying the county bills. The sales tax will allow us to glean money from not just property owners, but from visitors to our county, tourists and anyone else who spends money on the items the sales tax applies to in our county.

Everyone that lives here and visits here receives something from this county. Is it too much to ask these same people to help invest a small portion to better our schools, to better our emergency services, to better this place we call home?

If someone spent $100 here in our county on the items that are included in the sales tax, they would invest 25 cents into our county. Think about the widow home owner, you will be helping her by voting for this sales tax. Think about the businesses we may gain in Bladen County with lower property taxes.

We need people willing to work together to solve our problems. It starts in our homes, then in our communities and then the world. We have a lot of problems that need to be fixed. If we can’t work together to make things better at home, how can we expect our world to be better?

Peace and love,

Charlotte Smith

910-876-5393

 

About Author