Opinion, Out and About

Out and About

August 8, 2024 | Sandi Kemp

We have an article in this week’s issue about how much our county commissioners are being paid for part-time work – north of $70,000 a year. Some of our commissioners would say they are working full-time, but it isn’t a requirement to clock in, so we will just have to believe them, or not. There is at least one that I hope isn’t working full time – but probably is. His entire identity is based on being a county commissioner, and that is James Calkins. And, if county commissioners are elected for two terms, they receive retirement for serving eight years as an elected official. For instance, if James Calkins is re-elected, he has retirement pay of 3% of the average of his highest paid eight years in office. One dollar would be too much.

We don’t endorse people – but I don’t have a rule about non-endorsing. We’ve already written an editorial that James Calkins should resign back when he was calling out people that wanted to volunteer for our county and told them (and the world) that a person’s political party affiliation disqualified them for volunteer service. And, yes, I feel very strongly about this and for good reason. Calkins is not intellectually smart, and he is a poser, a player, a fake, not genuine, not honest, not fair, a suck-up and as slimy as any politician can get. He is a tool for the powerful in our county to get their way. I was in-fact told this by one of them. He is “useful” they said, off the record. Before taking office, James Calkins did not have a “southern twang” like he does now. He didn’t wear a cowboy hat or boots, but he does now.

Now, at this point someone would say, “tell us how you really feel.” Well, feelings are capricious, but feelings based on fact are not feelings – but a knowing. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that James Calkins is one of the most destructive county commissioners we have ever had. I just hope that people are smarter than voting for him again. I’m sure he has some purpose in this world other than single-handedly hurting our county and providing a good laugh at our expense in other parts of our state…probably the country.

I looked up the antonym of endorse and the following words appeared:

Oppose, condemn, protest, rebuke, renounce, reproach, decry, detract, and reject. So, you can put all these words in front of Calkins – and that is my opinion after having to interact and read about him and his antics for the past four years.

He wants transparency and demands it of others but still – after four years – he has not shared his biography and is the only county commissioner that does not have his biography online on the county commissioners web page. He must have a lot to hide. I’ve learned, especially in this business, “People are more what they hide than what they show.”

Quote of the week “People will tell you most of the story … and I’ve learned that the part they neglect to tell you is often the most important part. People hide the truth because they’re afraid.” Nicholas Sparks, (1965 – ) Author, Screenwriter

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