The Republican way

A Republican-proposed bill to change the membership of many state boards and commissions is a blatantly partisan action. It will not just remove current members of the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission, Environmental Management Commission and Wildlife Resources Commission, it will result in more members, as Republicans say, with more “like-minded” thinking on issues that these commissions deal with.

That is pretty scary in that it would result in one-sided views on important issues, defeating the purpose of the appointments, which is to give a wide range of views. Deleting the requirement that a majority of the CRC not represent land development interests along with the requirement that most members live on or near the coast also is not wise, nor is it in keeping with the public interest. Also, if you leave no members with experience on the boards, you lose institutional knowledge.

And, do we really want a board like the Utilities Commission to represent only corporate interests and not at all the public interest, as is possible in the Republican scenario?

Unfortunately, Republicans seem bent on disregarding other views. Instead, their approach is “it’s our way, or the highway.” Not exactly a democratic view of governing, is it?

Gary Parker

Archdale