Dear Board of Supervisors of Northampton County, Virginia
RE: I almost moved there, but thank God I didn’t!
Memorial Day 2015
After following this re-zoning fiasco you people have going on down there, which, incidentally, thanks to the modern miracle of the internet, is not only national, but international news, as well, as people all over the world tune into the latest citizen broadcast as to the progress of the fiasco, all I can say is thank God that I didn’t.
Having lived out in the country all my life, I am well aware of the ripe odor of chicken manure, especially in August, when it is hot and muggy, and how it crawls up your nostrils and seeps down your throat, and that was from a literal handful of chickens compared to the giant chicken factories you people are planning to saturate your county with.
And as I follow this re-zoning fiasco, I am reminded of your County’s Mission Statementhttp://www.co.northampton.va.us/gov/administrator.html, wherein is succinctly stated as follows:
The mission of Northampton County Local Government is to provide the necessary services to protect the health, safety, welfare, environment, and quality of life of our citizens consistent with the communities’ values and priorities.
This mission is accomplished by encouraging citizen involvement, preserving the County’s fiscal stability, traditional values and unity of our people through the implementation of effective and efficient government programs; consensus building; managing the County’s natural, cultural, and historic resources; planning for the future; and representing citizen needs and desires to other levels of government.
I think as you people read that over in the light of the conduct of this re-zoning fiasco, which is being watched by the candid world as they follow this train of abuses, you will see, as do I and the candid world, that your Mission Statement on your county website is false advertising.
You say the mission of Northampton County Local Government is to provide the necessary services to protect the health, safety, welfare, environment, and quality of life of your citizens consistent with the communities’ values and priorities, which, of course, would be the values and priorities of the actual people who live there, as opposed to New Jersey land developers or out-of-state industrial chicken-growing operations, and you say this mission is accomplished by encouraging citizen involvement, and preserving the County’s traditional values, which again would be the values of those who actually live there, as opposed to New Jersey, preserving the unity of your people through the implementation of effective and efficient government programs and consensus building, and representing citizen needs and desires, as opposed to those New Jersey land developers or Delaware industrial chicken-growing operators, to other levels of government, but a look at ATTACHMENT B, the SWOT REVIEW of your 5 YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2014 – 2018 Adopted by the Board of Supervisors on April 8, 2014 with Updated Status Reports as of 1/23/2015 – Katie H. Nunez, County Administrator and With Modifications as made by the Board on February 23, 2015, as part of the initial Board of Supervisors retreat on March 10, 2012, the Board of Supervisors and the Department Heads identified as Threats to the County the very people whose values you falsely say you are preserving, to wit:
* “No Growth Crowd” – perception of the county; few landowners for the majority of the land
* Perception of “not business friendly”
* Retirees/groups who don’t want change
* Well-organized special interest groups
* Impacts of belief that county is not business friendly; county has excessive regulations, etc. end quotes
By labeling your own citizens as a ‘No Growth Crowd,’ and by singling out retirees/groups who supposedly don’t want change as ‘threats’ to your plans to re-zone your county to open it up to out-of-state business interests who want a place to put their businesses where regulations to protect the health, safety, welfare, environment, and quality of life of the citizens who already live there consistent with the existing communities’ values and priorities ARE IGNORED, you clearly are not trying to build consensus, nor are you encouraging citizen involvement.
Quite to the contrary, and contrary to the Virginia General Assembly recognizing that the system of representative government in Virginia is dependent in part upon citizen legislative members such as yourselves representing fully the public in the legislative process, which you clearly aren’t if you label those same members of the public as threats, and the citizens of Northampton County maintaining the highest trust in their public officers and employees, which they obviously can’t, since you have rendered them into second-class citizens with your proclamation to the candid world that they are “threats,” you certainly appear to the candid world to be using your public positions to retaliate or threaten to retaliate against these same persons you have branded as “threats” for expressing their views on matters of public concern or for exercising any right that is otherwise protected by law in connection with this re-zoning.
Thus, it seems to me that to be truthful with the candid world who like me, reads your County Mission Statement, that you should change its wording to reflect those facts, that in Northampton County, Virginia, not all are equal.
Respectfully,
Paul R. Plante
50 Liberty Lane
Averill Park, New York 12018
It should be noted that Mr. Plante’s long distinguished career fighting for and protecting this once great country is, as they say, ‘off the charts.’ His military distinction includes a Silver Star, two Purple Hearts, two Air Medals and two Army Commendation Medals. However there is so much more…Mr. Plante is variously acquainted with us and well the law of the land.
You sure you don’t live here, Paul? It definitely sounds like you have your finger on the pulse of Northampton county politics.
Paul may not live here, but we would all be much better off if he did. This is a true warrior who cannot walk away from a wrong, and has sacrificed greatly because of his honesty, integrity and resolve. If the majority of the Board of Supervisors (not you, Granville) had a molecule of the righteousness of this fine man, we would not be having this discussion at all, Write on, Paul., Write on.
David Boyd: Its easy today just like the man said, with internet and information access. The internet has allowed me instant access to both the Board of Supervisors’ voting records and their minutes of meetings, to having access to written records of abuses up and down the Delmarva Peninsula from the chicken industry. It is a shame Mr. Plante decided not to move to the Eastern Shore. It seems they could use a few more thinking folks like him to guide and enlighten some of those in power back toward the true mission of local government, instead of nefarious deeds done behind closed doors.
As the author of that letter, I personally would like to thank this newspaper for having the courage and political independence to print it.
Were the situation reversed, and it was a citizen of Northampton County, Virginia writing a letter to a newspaper up here in the Albany, New York area expressing fellow citizen support for citizens in this area fighting government tyranny and corruption, where there is a culture of government corruption growing like barnacles on a boat bottom, and the local newspaper is an extension of that culture of corruption, and thus, an organ of government propaganda, that letter never would have seen the light of day, or if it did, it would have been mangled and distorted by the editors to make the writer look like a fool.
One of the most basic necessities of a functioning democracy is a politically independent newspaper like this one.
So cherish it, people, for it is part of what makes you free.
In closing, I can only say that I wish we had it up here in corrupt New York state, but alas.
You got that right Paul. We do indeed have a very alive and healthy free press. Don’t know what we would do without that.
That is easy to answer.
You would be politically repressed and oppressed as we are up here in New York state.
You would find yourself, as we do, without a public voice with which to express your grievances.
For a culture of corruption such as exists here in New York state to be able to grow like barnacles on a boat bottom, it needs a corrupt press that is no longer free.
Once again, I say cherish what you have here with the Cape Charles Mirror, lest you end up like us, without the public voice you have right here.
And in closing, not only do I salute this newspaper for its courage and integrity in putting forth the views of common citizens, but I salute as well all of you who have chosen to stand up for your rights in this matter of the re-zoning.
It is a wonderful example of American citizenship in action, and I am inspired by your example.
I lived in Franktown in Northampton County for 10 years and still own property there that has not sold.
The letter writer is correct. When I moved there the first think the county administrator did was to increase (double) assessments to increase taxes. My taxes went from $1800 yr to $3900 yr.
I went to talk to the supervisors , Tankard, Murry, walkr, etc at the board meeting.
The supervisors sat there and let Richard Tankard do the talking. This turned out to be nothing more than false words. Everything I said is now happening. However I was talking to a very non caring board
A few years ago, I went to another board meeting and Willie Randall was there and again, he misrepresented facts to lie to room about increased taxes.
I for one will never trust the board of supervisors or the county administrator as they have a proved track record of deceiving the public.
I moved last year to South Carolina, things are cheaper here and there are doctors here.
Just would my house in Wellington neck would sell.
I’m going to put this out there. Fiasco is right. Your job description pretty much describes your title for the most part. If you are working to protect and unite people , you are pretty much a public servant. If you are out to destroy even part of a community , you are fit the description of a terrorist. So Mr. Plants , having said that I would like you to know that Northampton County could work if only people of all economic status could learn to coexist. Everybody has a right to respectfully live within their means. The zoning fiasco literally broke people economically and spiritually .