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OPINIONS
May 2, 2019 |
 |
 Wingate Lassiter |
What we need is leadership
in
place of more partisanship
Partisan politics continues to throw up roadblocks to progress in our state and nation.
The latest example is the Republican Party's response to Wednesday's rally and march by school teachers in Raleigh. Rather than addressing the teachers' grievances regarding the Legislature's shabby treatment of public education, here's what the GOP has to offer us:
"While teachers and school workers may be rallying for apolitical reasons, they are being used by the NCAE to accomplish partisan goals of electing Democrats and pushing the left's agenda," reads a statement issued this week by the Johnston County Republican Party. "Also, May 1st is recognized annually as International Workers Day, which also indicates this is not just about Education in NC."
Read the rest of the local GOP's statement on the daily JoCo Report>
Meanwhile, the nonpartisan Johnston County Board of Education showed its support for our school teachers and other employees this week by endorsing a proposed local school budget that would raise teacher supplements, increase funding for "instructional resources," and move wages higher for "support staff" including custodians and mechanics.
I say "nonpartisan" Board of Education even though our local political parties continue to endorse certain candidates for seats on that board. Fortunately, from what I've observed covering the school board as well as the "partisan" County Commissioners since the first of the year, there are no "party line" decisions being made regarding what's best for the citizens of Johnston County.
I wish the political-party labels were gone for candidates seeking election as county commissioner. And what good are such labels for other county offices like sheriff, clerk of court, and register of deeds? Or judges, especially? For these servants of all the people, there's no need for a "party caucus" to decide how to administer their duties.
In light of all that, I'm compelled to return to our nation's "mission statement" --- the Preamble to the United States Constitution:
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings and liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain this Constitution for the United States of America."
That's what our chosen leaders need to be about, not just setting themselves up for the next election.
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