Why I am supporting Cross and Barnes

By Judy Hogan
Posted Monday, March 3, 2008

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Moncure, NC - Why am I voting for Mike Cross and Patrick Barnes for Chatham County Commissioners (Districts 1 and 2) in 2008?

First, let me say that in March of 2004 I became part of the new Chatham Coalition Steering Committee, where I served, first, as Secretary and Volunteer Coordinator (2004), and later as Co-Chair for the Outreach Committee with Margie Ellison (2005-6). I felt good about all the candidates we endorsed and helped elect during this period, and I still do: Mike Cross, Patrick Barnes, Holly Duncan, and Norman Clark (2004); Carl Thompson, George Lucier, Tom Vanderbeck, Kathy Russell , and Rich Hayes (2006). I needed to give my writing and publishing more time so I left the Coalition Steering Committee in late 2006. In my opinion we had by then shifted the priorities of both Board of Commissioners (BoC) and Board of Education (BoE) to reflect better the wishes of the majority of Chatham citizens, and I sincerely believed in the integrity of all these people and have ever since been proud to have worked for them all.

I also supported, although not publicly, Sheriff Richard Webster and BoE members Gerald Totten and Deb McManus. I have lived and worked in other N.C. counties, and I think Chatham right now can be very proud of both these boards. They are fair-minded, open to citizen input, have a long range vision for what the county needs, and work very hard to bring to fulfillment the goals they espoused when they ran for office.

Of course, there have been a few times when I didn’t agree with them and when they didn’t agree with each other. They were all human. Perhaps they had some foibles. But how difficult it is at this time in our country to elect leaders with integrity who care about their constituents and the land they govern, whom we can trust to have our best interest at heart even when we aren’t watching.

The biggest political dilemma that I see everywhere in this country right now is credibility. How many elected leaders do I trust right now? Very few, and I trust all those serving whom I helped elect as a Coalition Steering Committee member and volunteer, as well as the three I supported privately.

Plato had some ideas about what it takes to make a good ruler back in the 300s B.C. He called this ruler a Philosopher-King. He should have matured and have learned self-control over his passions, not to mention, acquired wisdom, but he also should serve even when he didn’t want to. He shouldn’t want power for its own sake but be willing to rule because he was qualified and people trusted him.

Here’s the rub. This is the big issue for me. Not the mistakes people in office sometimes make, not occasional disagreements, or even foolishness ("He who is without sin let him cast the first stone"). I want to know if those I vote for are trustworthy for the people electing them. Do they intend to do their best for us, even for those of us who don’t vote for them?

Jeffrey Starkweather and Sally Kost are running against Mike Cross and Patrick Barnes. All four of these people are good people, all are intelligent. They all want to serve the county, and they will, I’m sure. I know them all well enough, however, to say that I have more faith in Mike and Patrick than in Jeffrey and Sally right now as future members of the BoC because I’m very disturbed that Jeffrey and Sally don’t see what I see, what I thought was obvious, that the present BoC is doing excellent work, is sharing their labor effectively, and is using all their different perspectives and talents to give us an unusual and truly valuable whole. I’m very sad that Jeffrey and Sally have chosen to run against the first Coalition candidates for BoC, whom they helped elect. And I’m very glad that Mike and Patrick are running again, and, yes, indeed, I’m voting for them again.

Sincerely, Judy Hogan, Moncure

"If we are clear in mind, heart, spirit when we choose, we summon to our aid resources we forget we have." Leyline 14, Feb 24, 2008