Across The Steppes Of Central Asia

As I read this article, in my mind I heard the strains of Borodin's music.

Would you believe a seven thousand mile journey of freight trains carrying high value cargo from China west across Central Asia through Russia and Poland to Holland? It's happening. The economics of it are fascinating, but also what it tells us about developments in the heart of Asia.

It all began in the late nineteenth century with the Trans Siberian Railway. Propelled by long-forgotten wars.

Now the sinews of commerce are tying the region together in unimaginable ways.

And we knew nothing about it.

Paean To Local Pols

Two years ago I posted some thoughts about how grateful we should be to to citizens who answer the call to public service and stand for election. Just by filing for election, they serve the cause of Democracy.

Candidate filing for municipal office in North Carolina ended at noon yesterday. For the Town of Oriental, thirteen citizens filed to compete for five seats on the Town Board of Commissioners. Two filed to run for mayor.

We should celebrate them all.

That being said, those of us who vote need to remember we are not selecting a homecoming queen. The six candidates we elect will have real legal authority and real responsibilities. The decisions they make can affect what kind of Town we live in for the foreseeable future - months, years, decades or in some cases forever.

Selecting the Town's governing body is not a trivial matter. We each have our own criteria for candidates. Here are some of mine:

1. Commitment to the residents and to the future of the Town;

2. Attention to details;

3. Planning ability;

4. Sound, mature judgment;

5. Management and oversight ability;

6. Willingness to review key officials, including attorney;

7. Pursues and recognizes excellence;

8. Listens to citizens and exchanges information with them. Openly.

Some of our incumbents are deficient by these criteria. If I criticize any of them, remember: It isn't personal - it's business.

I started this blog while I still served on the Town Board. I did not want to play my cards close to my vest. I was happy for voters to know where I stood. I was equally happy for other members of the Board to know. If I was working on a proposal, I wanted the public to read it. Not that my drafts were "take it or leave it" ideas, but I wanted to exchange views. Waving arms and shouting at meetings isn't conducive to sharing. And ad hoc actions during meetings often turn out badly. I put one of my drafts on the Town web site once and caught a lot of flack for it. That's when I started the blog. I encourage every Town Board member to follow suit. I dare them to follow suit.

Why I Didn't File

I have been asked several times today why I didn't file to run for either commissioner or mayor of Oriental.

Short answer: my suits against the Town. Although there is no legal bar to my running for office and serving in office, had I been elected, it would be awkward every time the Town met with its attorneys to discuss the case. As a practical matter, it just wouldn't work, no matter how much I want to see regime change.

On the positive side, now that I no longer serve on the Pamlico County Board of Elections, I am free to talk about any of the candidates. I am free to disclose information to the public without being accused of putting an official thumb on the electoral scales.

Somewhat the same applies to Oriental Town politics. When I was elected to the Town Board in 2007, I knew that I would have to trim my sails to some extent in order to build enough support for actions I thought were needed. Every time a measure was voted on, I had to balance my personal opinion against the knowledge that at the next meeting, I may seek the vote of someone opposed to me on this one.

This isn't necessarily the same as what has derisively been called "log rolling." It is just the common-sense practice of picking your battles. If your object of seeking office is political posturing, it doesn't matter. If your object is to do things - to take action on behalf of the community at large, you need to exercise a bit of restraint.

I still want to accomplish things for the Town, but I am neither mayor nor a member of the Town Board. Nor do I seek those offices.

I admit I was more than a bit annoyed on March 4, when the Town's attorney, Clark Wright, explained to the judge that he should dismiss my complaint because I am "politically disgruntled" and running for mayor. I had never met Clark Wright in my life, had never disclosed any political ambitions with him or discussed anything other than legal procedures associated with the case. Nor will I ever in the future.

I may, however, now feel more free to disclose to the public the vast amount of misinformation they have been fed about the "land swap." I was more than happy for this to play out in the courts. But the Town has made it personal instead of a dispute about law.

I deplore that.

Drama At The Board Of Elections July 19, 2013

My wife and I arrived at Pamlico County Board of Elections a little after 10:00 am today to find that everything was calm and orderly. Lisa Bennett and the newly appointed Board had everything under control. One incumbent Oriental Commissioner was sitting quietly at a table outside the office reading through the filing papers for nearly two hours. Perhaps in indecision.

At that point, we already knew that Bill Sage and Lori Wagoner had filed for mayor of Oriental, and ten candidates had filed for the five commissioner slots, including the former town manager and a slate of his supporters.

Two more candidates filed, both from the old village of Oriental. Finally the incumbent, Barbara Venturi, got up from the table, went into the Director's office and filed for commissioner.

So as filing closed, Oriental had two candidates for mayor and thirteen for commissioner. Here is the story from Town Dock.

If past elections are any guide, that won't be the end of the story.

Filing Deadline For Municipal Elections

The deadline is noon on July 19th at the Board of Elections office at Bayboro (for Pamlico County).

So far, for the Town of Oriental, ten candidates have filed for the five seats (all at large) on the Town Board of Commissioners. Two incumbents (Warren Johnson and Barbara Venturi) have not yet filed for commissioner and no candidates have filed for mayor.

There may be yet more surprises in store tomorrow.

In the rest of the county, filing vacancies are:

Alliance: Three commissioner slots;

Arapahoe: Mayor and one commissioner slot;

Bayboro: Full slate;

Mesic: Full slate;

Minesott Beach: one commissioner slot;

Oriental: Mayor;

Stonewall: Full slate;

Vandemere: One commissioner.

Note: There is no upper limit on number of candidates who can file. If there are not enough candidates to fill all of the elected seats in a Town, the County Board of Elections has authority to extend the filing deadline one week, but no longer. If there remain an insufficient number of candidates, vacancies are filled by write-in votes.

Pamlico County: New Board Of Elections Sworn In

There was a brief but well-attended ceremony at the County Board of Elections office in Bayboro at noon today. This is the time set forth in North Carolina General Statutes on the third Tuesday in July of every odd-numbered year, when newly-appointed Board of Elections members are sworn in for two year terms.

I was honored and deeply touched by remarks of the new Chair, Jennifer Roe and the Director of Elections, Lisa Bennett. It meant a lot to me.

I think the County is blessed with a good board that will serve the voters well in coming years.

Seventy Years Ago: Battle Of Kolombangara

The night of July 12/13, 1943, in the Solomons near Kolombangara, three light cruisers and ten destroyers of TG 36.1 (Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth) engage one Japanese light cruiser (Jintsu) and five destroyers (Rear Admiral Izaki Shunji) escorting troop-carrying destroyers. Japanese torpedoes damage U.S. light cruisers Honolulu (CL-48) and St. Louis (CL-49), and New Zealand light cruiser HMNZS Leander (which has replaced the lost Helena (CL-50)). Destroyer Gwin (DD-433), damaged by torpedo, is scuttled by Ralph Talbot (DD-390). Destroyers Woodworth (DD-460) and Buchanan (DD-484) are damaged by collision. Japanese light cruiser Jintsu is sunk by cruiser gunfire and destroyer torpedo; and destroyer Yukikaze is damaged.

At this stage of the conflict, nearly two years into the war with Japan,The US Navy still had no idea about the range, speed and explosive power of the Japanese 24" Long Lance torpedo, carried by all Japanese cruisers and destroyers. US forces continued to close Japanese surface ships to fire their own torpedoes, not realizing they were well within range of the Long Lance.

Cruiser Helena was lost a week earlier in the nearby battle of Kula Gulf.


A single Long Lance torpedo did this damage to the bow of USS Honolulu.

Today's New York Times Debate - Is North Carolina A Good Model For State Budgets?

No, it isn't.

Here's the debate.

Later today I'll give my take on the issue. The real question is: "good for whom?"