This is my first point of observation: blatant WASTE of tax revenue on a continuing basis without any accountability by the BOS and their county manager, who by the way has a questionable past that no one seems to want to look into. The BOS in all respects are the managers and bankers for the common good of the county-at-large. They should be fired for their past, current, and I’m sure to be soon future misdeeds. If the people in this county, with all the attention being put on this subject, don’t awaken to how they’re losing their tax money each and every day, then not demand and get a full accountability and transparency along with a fast halt to this charade, well, as the Bible says, “we reap what we sow.”

Also, why turn this natural area into Disneyland, if that’s even possible? Look around, the whole world wants more jobs — they’ve moved them offshore to China. The BOS needs to respect the land and respond to its needs. Jobs can always be created but if the BOS and associated management function at 15% efficiency, and the people accept this, then just what is in the process of happening will happen — a very few will buy cheap land and sell or develop it with a single goal: maximize profit.

And yes — “why the people of Cape Charles are not contacting the Inspector General’s office, or their state delegates about the questionable acts of the town council amazes me!”

For the record, as a “come-here,” I come here as someone who is retired from an active business life. I’ve chosen to dedicate my time to environmental and what I refer to as Community Based Economic projects — programs which I’ve had little success in discussing successfully on the Shore. I’ve had meetings with some of the Northampton Supervisors, along with other business people; I joined the Melfa Chamber of Commerce for two years, was introduced to Mr. McSwain shortly after he “came here” by a Supervisor who didn’t get himself re-elected for some reason or another.

I come here from an entrepreneur background. It involved general contracting — HUD-related building development projects, industrial manufacturing, and property acquisition. I’ve met and worked with some top names in the national business sphere as well as seen the results of corrupt political systems in action up close. I’ve observed a lot, done a lot, made mistakes that I learned from, and so when I started to look more closely at what was transpiring in Northampton County, some core issues became obvious.

Firstly, the people of this county have expressed their trust in and have elected these people that hold the position of management of their tax dollars in this county. So in a sense, if the people of this county elected these people as their representatives, well then, they need to reap what’s been sown, as any farmer understands. How else does one learn?

Secondly, from firsthand observations, the main issue that drives the demand for, and apparent need of, higher and more taxation money, has a single source: mismanagement on all levels of decision-making by the Board of Supervisors. This includes the Board’s hired management/development crew. In the short time I’ve attended Board meetings, I’ve seen the squandering of hundreds of thousands of dollars without any remorse whatsoever. Extend this a bit and you’re talking about millions of dollars. This waste of, or need for, tax dollars has little to do with providing services to farmers, aquaculture, and tourism industry, as Mr. Dufty repeatedly points out. It has everything to do with making money for a few people in the Board’s background. The background people obviously believe that they’ll benefit in the short term, regardless of the economic realities of our national and local economy, or the success or failure of what they’re proposing. Denying the fact that this county has a glut of undeveloped lots (for a reason, by the way), or foreclosed houses and failed business projects and other signs of national/local economic decay does nothing to address real issues that could bring a greater balanced prosperity to the Shore if one were a bit more efficient and creative.

These times demand elimination of “closed door” government. There is a call for greater government transparency, less squandering of tax money or selling the pristine Shore to developers so the idea of bringing in more tax dollars by Disneyland creations can fill the “inefficiency management gap” and continue onward towards the land of “full public non-accountability.”

Instead of demanding accountability and prudent decision-making from the Board by the citizenry, the Board’s glaring mismanagement is glossed over. Their demand for unbridled development is being allowed to occur according to the Board’s well-thought-out backroom hidden agreements. If anyone believes that this will be resolved in court after the fact, once started, it’ll be very costly and difficult to reverse. But if that’s what the citizens want, that’s what the citizens will get.

Dufty’s comment hits the nail on the head: “Northampton County has been managed by tax-and-spend fiscally-irresponsible leaders, and the proposed zoning ordinance represents just another nickel in that meter.”

After viewing firsthand how the Board slapped the faces of all the concerned mayors, scientists, past county officials, business, professional and organizational leaders and concerned citizens in the collective face on December 11, I’ll personally never attend another BOS meeting in Northampton Country — and certainly never invest money or time there in the future.