Many of us in Moore County have been exposed to the Tim Lea treatment. He says one thing and does another. However Mr. Lea has done something which I think will explain to those of you who are unfamiliar with his methods exactly what I am talking about.
http://www.thepilot.com/news/2011/dec/11/board-apologizes-criticism-working-lands-plan/
You can read the above story for more detail, but here is the Reader's Digest version. The Moore County Commissioner's were presented a land use plan that has been in the works since December 3, 2007 when it was approved by a unanimous vote of the Commissioners. Two of the current commissioners, Craig Kennedy and Nick Picerno, were not on the board at the time of the vote. As far as we can tell the land use plan was crafted behind close doors with no input and no public hearings. Commissioner Picerno voiced his concern over the potential for more bureaucracy and red tape over our county. He also expressed his concern that the plan was done behind closed doors and with no public or even commissioner input.
Mr. Lea then at the next meeting apologizes to the staff as if there was some great injustice that had been dealt to the planning staff. So lets summarize. Tim Lea votes for a land use plan that appears to be just a bailout of farmers and more red tape and regulation. Then when a fellow commissioner makes the valid point that the plan was done "in a corner" as it were, Mr. Lea then makes a grand show by apologizing to the staff.
This is classic Tim Lea. Trying to kiss up to the staff for political reasons and also defending the behind closed doors methods of the planning staff while passing himself off as a "conservative".
Let's review some of Tim's flip flops.
1. Argued that taxes would have to be raised in 2008 when he was running for re-election. He challenged then candidate Nick Picerno's idea that tax increases were not necessary by asking where the "magic dollars" were. Then when the budget was scheduled for approval for that year he voted against it. It raised taxes like he wanted it and even insisted that it had to do, yet he voted against it.
2. Tim Lea wanted to build a jail. He made the motion to send it out for bid to the architects. He wanted the most expensive set up when it came to the design of the jail. Yet he voted against the current design which saves tax payer dollars.
3. He was a constant voice of opposition to what Michel Holden, David Cummings, and Virgina Saunders wanted to do. These three comprised the conservative bloc if you will. He fought to get Jimmy Melton, Larry Caddell, and Cindy Morgan elected. Then when they didn't crown him king....I mean chairman of the Commissioners he became the loyal opposition to the very people he worked to elect with the exclusion of Tim Lea lackey Cindy Morgan.
4. He rails about spending money and being a watchdog for the taxpayer, yet he used county employees on county time to work up a politically charged, factually inaccurate power point presentation which was nothing more than a re-elect Tim Lea memo.
5. He stirred up and encouraged the false charges levied against Southern Software, which two of the commissioners were at one time or are currently involved with, for conflict of interest. These rumors and outright lies were discredited. Yet Mr. Lea does not bring up issues involving his own conflict of interest. When he was chairman of the planning board, several cell tower permits that would bring in thousands of dollars of income were directed to Tim Lea's family and their property.
I could go on but you get the picture. Tim Lea is the scrappy-doo of Moore County. He fights about everything. He constantly tries to pick a fight with anything and everything and on top of all this he is just wrong on almost every major issue concerning our county. It's time to send him home. I hope a true conservative comes forward and challenges Mr. Lea in the upcoming 2012 primary.
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