What constituent service actually looks like
Moore County delegation to the NC General Assembly — pay close attention. 
State Rep. Charlie Miller (R-Brunswick) has introduced a bill doing away with The City of Southport‘s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). ETJs are much loved by elected municipal officials, town managers, and town planners. They give that crew all kinds of power over property just outside of town — and the property owners have little to no power to resist.
The property owners in the ETJ can’t vote in municipal elections. Their property IS outside of town. But they still have to live by whatever is dreamed up inside city hall. It’s the same principle the folks in Boston were motivated by that time they threw all the British tea into the harbor. Having folks you can’t vote for shove all kinds of unpleasant stuff shoved down your throat.
In Moore County – especially in Pinehurst – we have more than our fair share of cranky, relocated, geriatric busybodies who take great pleasure in lording over other people. Try to build something on your property around Pinehurst and you’ll have an angry elderly mob coming after you as though you are an agent of Satan. The old fogies have killed off a number of proposed projects with their noise. I always thought that – if you want to control what happens on a piece of property, beyond zoning ordinances already on the books – you should buy it. (I’m in the minority on that one around here.)
I can imagine that Southport has the same problem we do here in Moore County — loud old folks from points northward who have little respect for property rights.
It appears that, if this passes, the folks in Southport’s current ETJ would simply have their planning and zoning matters transferred to Brunswick County. Local bills – like Miller’s — tend to pass the General Assembly quite easily if there are no objections from any local senators or representatives.
Sounds pretty easy, eh? Well, our local delegation to Raleigh folded and ran from the local NIMBY cabal. Their friends in elected town offices down here expressed concern at losing control over these outside-of-town residents. (The residents in the current ETJ would simply be folded into the planning domain of Moore County government. It’s not as though anarchy would reign.)
So, the Moore County version of Miller’s bill got quietly pulled and turned into a “study” — which means it will be put in limbo for a long time, and eventually forgotten about. Studies are a great way of getting rid of things you want to go away yesterday.
So, senator McGinnis and reps. Moss, Sauls, and Jackson — keep a close eye on Rep. Miller. (He seems to have the hang of this constituent service thing. )
Optics. It’s all about optics. When the GOP doesn’t want to look too much like a RINO, they vote for a “study”. A huge waste of time and money, YET THE PLOY seems to fool so many. These folks think, Hey they are trying! Whatever. They are not or they would do the work of the people. The GOP has held the majority for years and yet….we do NOT have a Smaller Government or #2A without a permit. Who does the GOP serve? What has the GOP done while in power? Catered to the left! Some have gotten wealthy. Some are just drunk on power. Most of the true conservatives have left Raleigh.
Just another example of Pinehurst powers over the people of Moore county and thinking they know best.
ETJ is unamerican as it gets. Only people upset of getting rid of it are the people telling people what to do!
Yeah, I tried to do away with ETJ in the whole State when I was there. Good luck with that.
It would be nice to have more of our Republican legislators who actually represent their constituents. Too many of them either brownnose the corrupt “leadership” or prostitute themselves to the special interests, or both. If I wanted that type of “representation”, I would have voted for a Democrat.
Overhead from a legislator two years ago when speaking about the qualifications of a candidate running for the legislature. Basically the sitting legislator said that he/she liked the ones that didn’t know much because they do what they are told.
and there you have it……