Skip Alston and the Guilford County Commissioners' Siege

Over the last couple of days, we have seen a couple of diametrically opposed interpretations of the changes that have been taking place in Guilford County.

The News and Record has an editorial today that bemoans the secrecy with which changes are taking place.  The editorialist says if these matters are not aired openly, then "this comes across as a brazen power play in which Alston and Arnold intend to micromanage county government as de facto co-managers".

Scott Yost in the Rhino Times, however, presents a completely different picture.  He describes a "new and improved Skip".   He says Alston is demonstrating a more business-like approach, stressing financial efficiency, inflaming fewer outbursts and allowing Republicans to speak more.  He says the county commissioners will have earlier, more substantive input in the budget process than had been possible in the past.

And David Hoggard posted an item yesterday that suggested Alston's change is perhaps based on opportunism, because he had come to the realization that more would be possible for him if he were to leave behind his old ways.   Eight days ago, I had posted my own misgivings regarding what the Republican county commissioners were doing in collaboration with Alston.

Does anybody remember the following bit of recent history?  When Steve Arnold ran into some financial/legal trouble, Alston extended to him an olive branch, and suggested Arnold should remain on the Board of County Commissioners in spite of his difficulties.

I think Arnold, Alston and the rest of the commissioners on their side owe the public a complete explanation as to why the former staff was insufficient.  Removing from a large organization nearly all of its top staff is a risky proposition, and it needs to be justified.  We saw what happened in the case of the Greensboro Police Department.

I am glad there is apparently going to be an exhaustive review of county spending, and that bond projects are being postponed.  We need to see, however, what this process will produce.  For instance, will Alston do all he can to protect social services and health department spending, and try to stick the Sheriff's Department and criminal justice with most of the cuts?  Will there be, at long last, a genuine effort to assert more tight controls on the county school system's operational and capital spending?

Said David Hoggard in his post: "The question of how easy it is for a tiger’s stripes to change so quickly hangs heavy on my mind, however."

Indeed. 

In fact, as far as I know, tigers' stripes do not, as a general rule, change at all.

Comments

[bobbysitter]

Anytime someone in government uses the words "Trust Me", I don't. In order for government to suceed it must be open and transparent. If it is not either of these things then it is doomed to fail and will never gain the trust of the people.

[Joe Guarino]

I agree, bobbysitter. This entire series of events still has not been adequately explained to the people of Guilford County.

Some parties with an interest in this episode will react strenuously against the concept of cutting county spending. I wonder if that is motivating some of the early criticism. But it is not what motivates my concern.

I would be happy to see work groups focus on how to do that-- but an open process will arouse debate and opposition. And that will make it more difficult to achieve the cuts desired. But that is the price of democracy and accountable government.

[Stormy]

I am doubtful about this coup of the top management of the county government, replacing them with favored people, who don't exactly have the requisite experience and skills for the job. This suggests to me that Alston and Arnold have some objectives that they want to achieve, and they didn't to have to get there by "convincing" existing management of the worthiness of those objectives. Is it possible that they were removed as a impediment, and replaced them with people that can be more easily directed? This may be result in a worthy result for the county, but it has a certain "Chicago" smell to it.

[Brenda Bowers]

I will never trust Skip Alston. However I have had considerable respect for Mr. Arnold in the past. So I want to trust that Arnold won't do anything criminal. However I tend to put stock in that old adage, "lay down with dogs and you will pick up fleas."

At any rate I feel I can safely predict fireworks at the Courthouse if what Hammers reports about Fox's temperament is true. There would be problems for anyone coming into the managers position under these circumstances (recall the resentment McNeill encountered), but to put a hot head at the top is just plan not the thing to do. I wonder what these men are thinking!

At any rate, it is going to be another typical Guilford/Greensboro side-show to watch unfold. And this being the case, I must say I really don't understand why you all aren't more appreciative of the lengths our city and county officials go to to keep their public entertained. Geez people! BB

[keith]

joe here is what i posted at hoggard's blog on skip alston

North Carolina General Statutes mean nothing to skip alston all you have to do is look at how he is his own treasurer and check out what was written about his campaign contributions here

http://triadwatch.blogspot.com/2008/08/guilford-county-commissioner-skip.html

and we are going to trust him with a plan on a multi million dollar budget and he can’t even fill out a campaign form correctly.

Amazing

[Joe Guarino]

Stormy, I think I agree with your assessment that Arnold and Alston perceived existing management as being "in the way" of their achieving their objectives, whatever they may turn out to be.

Brenda, I agree there is a certain amount of entertainment value. The only problem is that people's livelihoods are at stake. So just as in the case of the GPD fiasco, it is important this is done right. It is true in government that personnel is policy; and Arnold and Alston, at least on the surface, seem to be acknowledging that. BTW, I have overall felt positively about Steve Arnold in the past also.

And Keith, you make a great point. If Alston cannot do his campaign finance reports correctly, why should we entrust anything to his direction?

[Delow24]

Just give it three or four months. It won't be long until Skip sticks it to those who supported him. If they are not black then they better watch their back.

[Joe Guarino]

Delow, of course, that is the risk for the Republican commissioners who supported him. I remain uneasy regarding this particular arrangement. Thanks for your comments.