Editor’s Note: What follows are four letters to the editor submitted in response to Rick Brand’s letter to the editor which appeared in The Daily Dispatch on August 9.
When submitting the letters, the author expressed a desire to remain anonymous not because of their message, but because he feared that ad hominim attacks by comment posters would detract from his message. Because Home in Henderson has a policy of allowing anonymous letters to the editor, and because it publishes anonymous columns by Miles Gloriosus and Whisky Tango, it has respected the wishes of the author in question.
Home in Henderson has not edited the letters for style, grammar, or content.
Don’t Brand-ish Zoning
To the Editor:
Regarding Rick Brand’s 8/9/06 Henderson Dispatch editorial:
Again, the minister is “Brand-ishing” a dangerous “weapon” to the community. Unfortunately, the “zoning weapon” lacks a “safety mechanism” to prevent harmful deception in our county. Evidence of that surfaced during a recent Henderson-Vance Economic Partnership meeting. The good reverend may sit in places of truth when in the Almighty’s house, but other places he sits don’t seem so pure.
As reported by The Dispatch on 7/28/06, Vance County Commissioner Tommy Hester said, “There’s 80 dumb counties in this state, because they got it (zoning) and we don’t.” “And they aren’t growing either,” Brand observed sarcastically.
Did Commissioner Hester and Rev. Brand imply that 80 counties in North Carolina have countywide zoning? Did they also imply that all was well in those counties “just because of zoning?”
If so, they’re wrong.
It’s the same message delivered by some county commissioners and staff several months back when zoning was promoted as the most needed thing next to food and air.
However, in the 2/18/06 Dispatch , commission candidate Scott Hughes cleared the matter by stating during an interview, “Only about 50 percent of the counties in the state, approximately 54, have countywide zoning.” “In Warren County, they only have 100 percent zoning in Warrenton, Norlina and some parts of Kerr and Gaston lakes.” said the former Vance County EMT and deputy sheriff
Hughes remarks were in response to Hester’s statements. Hester, who supports zoning all of Vance, said in a Daily Dispatch article Friday (2/17/06) that the county (Vance) is surrounded by others that have 100 percent coverage.
Hester was wrong!
Hughes was right!
Further, Hughes accurately stated that in the counties that have adopted countywide zoning, few if any property owners were allowed reasonable input to the process. More important, he pointed out that zoning is inconsistent between areas- causing more damage to some property owners than others.
Hughes may be quite a young man, but recent confirmations by the NC Department of Commerce indicate that he knows the facts better than his elders. It’s about time for a commission candidate that speaks the truth.
Meanwhile, I guess some people will just continue to say things- whether truthful or not.
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel if someone seeks the truth on Sunday… they ought to seek it Monday through Saturday as well.