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0 0 <br />BOOK V PIGE 567 <br />assume this role with us as we begin this New Year together. We have <br />a lot of work to do as your elected representatives. It is my hope <br />that we can all work together for the betterment of Lee County. <br />This is a new Board with-new members and new ideas. Mr. <br />Dossenbach is currently President of the North Carolina Association <br />of County Commissioners. Mrs. Matthews is a current Director of the <br />National Association of Counties. Mr. Wicker has a long family <br />history in Lee County politics. He is past Chairman of this Board. <br />All of you can be proud, as I am, that our Commissioners are highly <br />regarded and held in high esteem by their counterparts across this <br />great State of North Carolina. They all bring credit to Lee County, <br />and I salute them and thank them as I know you do. I think I can <br />speak for Mr. Stafford in saying that we are pleased to be joining <br />this distinguished company. Meshing these talents will be our <br />directive. I will not be a party to exhuming old controversies, and I <br />hope the news media and others can resist such temptation. This is a <br />new day! We are going forward from this day in a positive mood. We <br />remain aware of everyone's concern for lower taxes, and I can assure <br />you all that all Commissioners know where you are coming from - we <br />are in that boat with you. <br />Many voters across this great country of ours are alarmed <br />and seriously concerned with the election process that we have just <br />witnessed. I share some of these concerns, but I want to talk this <br />morning with you about one concern of mine on the local level. <br />I feel compelled this morning to mention our local press. I <br />will be the first to tell you that the news media has a definite <br />place in our society, and I would be the first to defend it. We need <br />the press, radio and TV to communicate our message. In my opinion, <br />the local press is flirting with libel when they drag my good name <br />through two editorials of questionable intellectual content. Albert <br />Cox had as much to do with the infamous maps discussed in one <br />editorial and the termination of the County manager discussed in <br />another as did Bill Horner I, II, and 131 and I'll throw in Bill <br />Hodges for good measure. I invite these four gentlemen to seriously <br />reflect on their individual and collective responsibility for <br />incisive, accurate, objective and factual journalism. After they have <br />done this, I would ask them to provide effective proof reading before <br />releasing any art.icles and editorials to their press man. I might add <br />that I will be glad to meet with _ or 4 of them at a mutually <br />convenient time to more carefully cover this "waterfront% "Truth <br />in newspapering" should be their password, and bond if you please, <br />just as "truth in advertising" is mandated. Up front, this very <br />day, I want it understood that my reception and accommodation of the <br />press and other media will be in direct relation and proportion to <br />