Barnes and Cross versus Kost and Starkweather

By Jan Hutton
Posted Tuesday, March 4, 2008

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Chatham County, NC - As a longtime supporter of the Chatham Coalition, I have great concerns about the Coalition's recent statement of non-support for Patrick Barnes and Mike Cross, and, now the just-announced candidacies of Jeffrey Starkweather and Sally Kost. In the Coalition's commendable desire to "do right" for Chatham, something has been lost - the ability to appeal to a diverse group of supporters.

Chatham County has many folks who've lived here for generations. I would guess that Mr. Barnes and Mr. Cross represent a rather sizeable segment of this population. Ms. Kost and Mr. Starkweather have years of experience working in progressive organizations in Chatham and elsewhere. I believe we need to build bridges between these different constituencies in order to deepen our understanding of perspectives on various sides of issues. I believe that Patrick Barnes and Mike Cross have served as this bridge to the Board of Commissioners (BOC). Their presence on the BOC gives comfort, I imagine, to many folks whose voices they reflect.

My fear is that the candidacies of Kost and Starkwether will alienate many Chatham voters who are constituents of Barnes and Cross, and who voted for change in the last election. Does it merit creating a deeper wedge between Northeast Chatham and the rest of Chatham? Is it worth letting candidates for unhindered growth slip back in if the vote is fractured? I don't think so. I have the utmost respect for the actions/policies of the BOC over the last year; in fact, I couldn't be happier with the direction in which I see them moving. However, it took a large outpouring of people, from many different constituencies, to elect this current board. Without a strong, diverse voting base, it will be difficult to continue to "do right" for Chatham.

I've talked with a number of folks in my relatively large North Chatham neighborhood, all of whom helped to organize and canvass for the Coalition during the 2004 and 2006 elections. We are very concerned by this turn of events, and will not be canvassing for the Coalition in this election cycle. I hope Mr.Starkweather and Ms. Kost will, graciously, reconsider for the greater good of Chatham County.