Comments regarding  my Ponytail Patriot Interview 4/10/2014
 
 

 

Here is Pubby's interview from last night.  I'm sure he felt "different" being on the other end of the questions. 
 
Click on the arrow at the top if it doesn't load automatically.
 
https://soundcloud.com/ponytail-patriot/paulding-boc-post-2-commission

 
Not really.  I do wish that Candi would take a bit more conversational approach... most of the questions I asked were rhetorical and conversational interview styles let the interviewer explore the issue or question in greater detail.  I think it would have been a better interview had she employed that technique.  Her questioning style was more attuned to a written interview; the kind conducted via email where the person writes their responses. 
 
I remember once in grad school, we were given a question to respond to about the impact of some legal aspect of journalism - don't remember exactly the question but I do remember my question, which was how long an answer do you want - I could write a text book on that.
 

Great job Pubby.
One thing that has gotten my attention this election season... I enjoy listening to you. For some reason I typically agree more with what you say than what you write.

That was a true compliment mojo   Thank You ...  You got to know that it was surepip that convinced me to stop doing the news anchor job when we were doing the weekly video news because he just didn't like listening to me - (I actually think he liked listening to - and looking at - Taylor Austin more
 
Writing and speaking, at least for me, are wired just a little differently and I'm a lot more practiced at writing.  Writing is also more labor intensive.  I'm not as practiced as a speaker, probably because I write so much.  However, do watch out ... I've been known to get on a stem winder ... I mean really get on a roll on occasionally.  I say, dang, did I really say that? 
 
I haven't gotten there yet in this campaign ... and I may not ... but I hope a camera is on when I do   It will be a keeper.
 
 

Pubby You did a good job, And unlike some politician's you stayed with your platform of commercialization of the airport even though it is a very unpopular decision in POST # 2

 I stand for what I think is the right thing to do for the county and its future.  That may not always be a popular stand.  Politicians who do that are called either dumb or statesmen ... I'll not claim to be either but I do aspire to the latter.
 

Good Job Pubby!
 
I like your idea of automatically letting all new items on the agenda at the BoC meetings sit on the table for 2 weeks before being debated and voted on.
 
And yes, compromise would be nice, but it takes 2 in order to get any sort of compromise.
 
I wish our other candidates would step into the limelight and let us know where they stand on the current issues.

 
I think the leap is understanding that this is largely behind the appearance of secrecy ... and I know these folks were trying to do it on the down as well but they were doing it, IMO, within the law and within tradition.  And do know that the tradition is based partly on the notion that it is easier to ask forgiveness than it is permission.
 
The point of elections, however, is to authorize representatives to do things.  Ours is a representative form of government.  The goal of the tradition is to make it easier to push things through and the elected representative (and a post commissioner is a representative on the county's law making board) is authorized to vote however they think is best regardless of the popularity of the measure.  (I've never heard of a popular tax, for instance ... even when the tax is the same as last  year.)
 
What the lay it on the table tradition will require is that the commissioners and county staff up their communications game so that the community feel  and understand the needs and responsibilities the board members face in acquitting their duty.  Elected officials are going to do what they have to do but doing a better job of communicating the circumstances - educating the public as to their collective responsibility - becomes standard operating procedure.
 
My gut is that educating of the public as to the deeper, more complex nature of the issues faced, will be the best antidote to the slick willies of the world who use the media to manipulate the public on hot-button issues that, libertarians and liberals and even some conservatives feel ought not be the province of government anyway - especially local government.
 
I mean I'm already hearing BS on the campaign trail as well and I think it might be an expectation.  For instance, last night Candi asked me what kind of jobs I was looking to promote in Paulding.  I ducked that because that is not the post commissioners job to recruit jobs.  That is the task of the PCED and IBA and the job of the commissioners is to make sure they do that job well ... and provide them, when necessary, the tools and resources to do their job.
 
Hence, if I am for jobs, I'm supportive of these institutional entities.  I want them to have the resources to do a great job.  I recognize like any entity, perfection is an unattainable goal. I would hope they would be more open and communicative. I might even go so far as to suggest they too adopt the lay-it-on-the-table approach for acts they take. 
 
There are many other things the county commission could consider including establish ordinances that define, say, certain projects as projects of county-wide importance that must involve a public hearing before the commission before actions can be taken.   Whether that would be a good idea or not would be determined not by any sole post commissioner, but by the board acting in unison.
 
The point is that types of actions the board of commissioners can take requires that someone on the board take a realistic view of the problems that the county faces and has faced.  It may involve hearings to  determine what the issues were and  the legislative remedies - always designed to put doing the right thing as a principal.   That is what I was saying in the discussion when I said put the incentives in the right place.
 
My point is we need to look closely at the process of county government and figure ways to make it perform better and more efficiently.
 

I can't help but laugh.  Pubby compromise?  Now that's funny.

Zorro ...  You again confuse compromise with capitulation ...  'nuff said.
 

 
I have found that to be very true, a fun guy to talk to.

 
I know the folks who know stradial know this ... but this is one of the funniest guys walking around.  He needs to work on an act; seriously.  He could be the next Jerry Clower (he's too ugly to be the next Jeff Foxworthy.)
 
George Patton "Pat" Hughes  (aka: pubby)
 

 

Source: An Open Invitation to all local candidates from Paulding.com