Let the politics begin

By Mark Barroso
Posted Monday, February 18, 2008

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Pittsboro, NC - Okay parents, hide your children from the chat list for three months because the political season has begun: With a money solicitation from Mike Cross in the mail, it's time to debate the merits of one person or another to represent us.

It seems there are few writers on this chatlist that can't separate someone's job performance from their personal feelings about that person. Is it hoping too much that we could do that? Is it possible to criticize the Sheriff and other elected officials and still think they are honorable, decent, hard-working people? I think so. In fact, if you plan to vote it's your obligation.

I don't want to argue with anyone, but here are my reasons for opposing Mike Cross, a man who has done a lot of good for the county as a commissioner these last four years, but has made many errors of judgment as well. You may have different reasons for supporting him, and that doesn't make either of us wrong.

Strike One: Voting to approve Briar Chapel. He double-crossed the people who campaigned for him on this issue. I campaigned door to door for Mike and hosted a party for him in my house, and had egg on my face when he took our money and broke his promise to us to oppose it. I pleaded with him before the vote and he didn't even have the courtesy to respond to my email. In fact, I've written him several times over the years and he has yet to respond to any of them. Even Elizabeth Dole writes back.

Foul Ball: The no-cut, no-performance contract he "negotiated", yet didn't read (according to him) for the county manager. Unheard of in county government. Charlie Horn became insulated from any accountability to the commissioners and the citizens.

Strike Two: Supporting the Republican Carl Ernst over Tom Vanderbeck in the last election for petty, personal reasons, like seeing Tom as an obstacle to Cross becoming Chairman.

Strike Three: Leading the charge to put the Land Transfer Tax on the November ballot, ensuring that progressive democrats would lose the town races in Pittsboro to anti-tax conservatives, who had every reason to vote. The commissioners could have waited until the spring or fall of 2008 when turnout would be high for the Presidential race. Also, I never saw a high profile campaign to sell the LTT to voters that matched the Re-Max Realty blitzkrieg. Cross campaigned hard years ago when he proposed it, but lost steam when it mattered. Other commissioners share this bonehead move as well.

This isn't a litmus test for ideological purity. It's about keeping your promises.