By FULLER ROYAL

What’s the Arkansas state motto?

“Thank goodness for Mississippi.”

With apologies to our friends in both of those states, that joke has been used for the better part of the last 30-40 years. For those who don’t know, it’s the punch line – or excuse – when a state finds itself 49th on any list. Usually, Mississippi was dead last – last in wealth, education, graduates, infant survival or employment rates. Legislators in Arkansas were always relieved to be 49th in those areas and not 50th.

With that said, I have to ask the question, “Has Columbus County become the ‘Mississippi’ of North Carolina?”

Today, even Mississippi has pulled itself out of the bottom and I’m afraid it has already pulled ahead of Columbus County.

Are there county governments out there looking our way, pointing us out to their own critics and saying, “Don’t complain, we could be Columbus County.”

I love Columbus County. I grew up here. I am as much a part of this community as anyone else. Janet and I chose to raise our children here.

We could have easily moved to the I-40 corridor or the suburbs of Charlotte and made much more money in our respective occupations.

But we chose to stay here.

But, now, we’re not entirely sure that we want our children to come back here. There’s nothing for them here. There’s no opportunity.

Friend and fellow Rotarian Steve Candela made a comment last week that really struck home.

“Do you know what Columbus County’s chief export is?” he asked. “Brains and youth.”

He’s right.

Our best and brightest go off to school and few of them return once they’ve earned their degrees in engineering, business or teaching.

They have no choice if they want to make it in today’s world.

So what happened? How has Columbus County ended up on the short end of things?

We have clearly lost our way. We have lost our vision. We don’t have a Moses or a Joshua as we wander this desert. We don’t have any champions.

Instead, we have the Columbus County commissioners.

Without getting into personalities, I will say that our current board, as a whole, has become dysfunctional at best and ineffectual at worst.

The good they have done has been overshadowed by self-indulgence and pomposity.

Their participation in, and attendance of, state and regional meetings on education, transportation, infrastructure, school funding and industry has been dismal.

Two years ago, scores of residents spent months creating a vision for the county’s future. Called the “21st Century Communities Plan,” it was initiated by the N.C. Department of Commerce and presented to the commissioners.

I wonder how many commissioners have read it and if any part of it will make its way into future plans. Does Columbus County have a five-year plan? A 10-year plan?

The commission can’t get past water districts, landfills and personnel issues.

Columbus County is one of two or three counties in North Carolina to have lost population since 2000.

Our schools are losing 100-200 students every year.

Nothing kills a county faster than a population drain. And too many of the folks sticking around are unemployed and unskilled.
Overall, our churches are losing membership. Civic club membership and attendance is at a 70-year low. Volunteers are harder and harder to find.

Thirty percent of our county’s workforce is on some sort of disability.

Things are so bad here that even immigrants – legal or otherwise – don’t come here for work – it’s just not here. Columbus County has one of the lowest percentages of Hispanic population in the state.

I truly believe that too many of our leaders – not just the commissioners – have lost sight of what public service is all about.

It’s certainly not about $12,000 or $6,000 a year salaries. It’s not about health insurance. It’s not about being re-elected at all costs.

According to the department of defense, military personnel with fewer than two years experience make $1,178 per month. That’s $14,136 annually – $136 more than the commission chairman makes.

We have the 11th highest paid commission in the state, yet our county employees struggle to make ends meet, and are among the lowest paid in the state.

I think no elected board member – county commission, town or school system – should be paid more than $1,500 annually. And no one should receive health insurance in or out of office.

Being a commissioner, a councilman or a school board member should be about service to community. It should be a higher calling – not a major source of income.

Where’s the sense of duty? Of giving back to the community?

We need successful folks in those offices who can make common-sense decisions for the future.

Columbus County has a rich history of people who have dedicated their lives to service without compensation.

Girl Scout leaders, Boy Scout leaders, Dixie Youth coaches, firefighters, EMTs, literacy council volunteers, hospital volunteers, Sunday School teachers, chamber of commerce volunteers, Communities in Schools volunteers … the list goes on.

There are thousands of people who have spent their time and meager resources in decades of service to this county.

Our leaders just don’t get it.

I see people at local stores scraping pennies out of well-worn purses to buy medicine, food or a cheap pair of shoes. Perhaps they are trying to buy a small toy for a grandchild.

There is a lot of want in this county. We’re poor. And we’re going to be poor for a long time.

If something’s not done to turn things around soon, we may not be able to turn things around.

I would like to extend an open call to the best and brightest Columbus County offers – please run for office, be it county government, city government or school board.

No office should ever go unchallenged.

We need a slate of candidates on both sides of the aisle that no matter which one we choose, we are putting in a good man or woman.

The rest of the world – including Mississippi – is leaving Columbus County behind. I’d really love to know that at least my grandchildren will some day have a chance to catch up.

“We’ve reached bottom and now we’re digging.”
Anonymous