Do commissioners cancel each other out?
Billy Yow might have you think that.
Yow, the Republican two-term District 5 Guilford County Commissioner, is using a touch of the boardroom friction he gives District 8 Democratic Commissioner Melvin "Skip" Alston to help introduce his campaign website. A profile photo of Yow in apparent disbelief gazes across the site's banner to a shot of Commissioner Skip Alston, who has a raised eyebrow.
Scoop called Yow today to ask what he's trying to say with the image.
"When you look you see Skip (Alston) sitting over there. And without me, you see, he's a loose cannon," Yow said. Yow added that voters in his district should vote for him at least to keep Alston under control.
So we called Alston to see what he thinks about that.
"I have heated exchanges with all of them," Alston said about the board. "It’s not just Billy that I vent my frustration out with, and I can't say that anything is specifically aimed at Billy (Yow)."
Disagreements between the two have been noted before as the board sparred over budgeting, the jail and other issues. But the Board of Commissioners has 11-members, and most votes are decided by a greater margin than the two votes that Alston and Yow might use to cancel each other out.
Comments (2)
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Certainly, over time, Alston has been subdued! Thank goodness! Perhaps, I guess the late Mr. King flattened his sails. Yow is due some credit. Unfortunately, Yow is an example of a candidate, a commissioner, who has become to believe his importance is entitled and that he is irreplaceable! He simply has forgot "who brung him to the dance" or what dance he even came too!
For that he is in danger of being "like Maureen Dowd" indicated in todays column about "the Bill"-Clinton that is, in danger of being left with a legacy of subdued unimportance, a minor president (in Billy's case, a minor commissioner)!
We are looking for revised leadership and would be interested in who Lisa or Rick are! Who is the stronger candidate of the two and why! How they differ from Billy would be good to know as well!
Any information on them would be appreciated!
As for Alston- he already has achieved the title of unimportant (in the politics arena)-that is if he ever was!
We also would be interested in alternatives to Coble! He forgot what dance he went to as well!
Unfortunately, this season, there are many in that category, regardless of party!
Posted on April 15, 2008 11:57 AM
John, I only saw your name, and a first name at that, on your post. So I'm wondering who is "we"?
You say, "We are looking for revised leadership" and "We also would be interested in alternatives to Coble!"
I happen to be fond of Howard's sharp pencil and Billy's conservative common sense leadership, so I'm asking...who is "we"?
You can read more about what the GOP chairman thinks about the professionalism of Billy's opponent here:
http://www.busybeingbornblog.com/?p=57
Posted on April 19, 2008 12:21 AM