Reform plan a grab for power (01/15/08)

To the editor:

In the Bluffton News Banner on Dec. 31, 2007, State Rep. Jeff Espich was quoted as saying, "I certainly think in the case of administrative offices in the courthouse, that it's time to make them appointed positions."

The article also said he believes it's time to address having three county commissioners, and that a modernized government structure with a single county executive and appointed administrative offices would be more effective.

This is a regionalism blueprint for dictatorship! Regional revolutionaries have targeted county governments for extinction because counties constitute the greatest potential challenge to the misuse of authority by a central regional authority in Washington.

The objective of county consolidation is to eliminate local elected officials by canceling local government bodies. Elected officials, responsive to the people, are to be replaced by appointed regional agents, who are not.

There are over 3,000 county governments in the United States. Each one is a self-contained lawful authority charged with doing whatever is necessary to apprehend, try and punish criminals. The sheriff, county judges and county commissioners are local chieftains sworn to defend and preserve the Constitution of the United States.

The sheriff is empowered to deputize every able-bodied man in his county to enforce the provision of the U.S. Constitution within the boundaries of his county, and to defend life and property during a time of crisis. The federal regional establishment has no hope of coping with even half of the counties of the land if they ever decide to enforce the Constitution as they are lawfully charged with doing.

Regionalism equals absolute power by the unelected. Gone is your constitutional representative elected government of the people and for the people.

Thank you very much. As I see it.

Paul F. Double

Ossian

Great man

To the editor:

Late on last Thursday afternoon, I noticed an obituary posted online for Sir Edmund Hillary. As I mentioned this to my circle of friends, I was very surprised to be greeted with, "Who was that?" from all but one. Sir Edmund Hillary was an international celebrity the likes of which are reserved for a select few in history. On a day in late May of 1953, he became the first man to achieve the summit of the world's highest peak, Mt. Everest.

A humble man, he never took credit for being the first to summit until well after the 1988 death of his beloved Sherpa guide, Tenzig Norgay. It is fitting to the testament of this truly great and humble man to note that the only photograph taken on that day was taken by Sir Edmund, and was of Norgay, not Hillary, standing on the summit known to all as, " The rooftop of the world."

This very famous photographic image has inspired many great climbers to achieve great heights. Sir Edmund always referred to himself as a simple beekeeper from New Zealand. He worked tirelessly the rest of his life to improve the health and welfare of the native people of the Himalayan region, an area and people he had come to love.

The last big obstacle to the summit bid of Everest, is known as The Hillary Step to this day, when the peak is achieved through the conventional route. He may not be known by many here, but in the world of climbing and in the hearts of native Sherpas, he will never be forgotten.

Sincerely,

James D. Fulks III

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