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Opinion
Smoky Mountain News
GOP turmoil continues, but facts do matter
Dispelling myths about indigent defense To the Editor: Thank you for dispelling the myth that indigent defense attorneys don’t get paid (http://www.smokymountainnews.com/news /item/20283). They might not make $100,000 but they do get paid. Thank you also for pointing out that out of 100 counties in this state only “about 15 counties” have a public defenders office. Thanks to TV and fiction books we have the fantasy that court appointed defense attorneys are dedicated defenders of justice. Instead most are trying to fit court appointed cases into an already busy calendar. And, as Danya Ledford VanHook pointed out, the lawyers are often “sole practitioners” which means no staff to do all the research and paperwork. However, any discussion of indigent defense expenses should include the fact that if convicted the defendant then owes the state for the cost of defense. When released the defendant is held accountable for those costs. In addition, the discussion should also include the question of accountability. The Indigent Defense Services have guidelines for the quality of defense provided. But how do they ensure that standard is met? How are defense lawyers graded, or are they? Who determines which lawyer gets which case? Is it possible for a judge to pick a particular lawyer because the judge knows that lawyer will get the results the judge wants? “The concern is that if lawyers know they’re only going to get $300 for a DUI case,
do about the outliers at a recent closed session held by its executive committee. As it turns out, the executive committee contains at least two people who are more aligned with the outliers. We reported that in that closed session party leaders passed a resolution that charged five members of the HRA with “party disloyalty.” Carr, a member of the GOP executive committee, told our newspaper that the terms we used to describe what happened in the executive session were incorrect. He said, in essence, that no one was charged with party disloyalty. That prompted one the HRA’s supporters to promptly say that Carr was Editor lying. All of this was in last week’s editing of The Smoky Mountain News. So, that’s how we go to this point. Carr would not tell our newspaper what was said in closed session. He told our reporter, and later told me, that he was ethically obligated not to reveal what went on behind closed doors. What he did say, however, was that the local party can’t make such a charge. And, before anyone could be deemed with being unloyal to the party, there would have to be a hearing at the state level and that anyone who was facing such a hearing
Scott McLeod
I’ve known Ted Carr many years, and he is not a liar. That charge has been leveled against him by at least one supporter of the five members of the Haywood Republican Alliance whose loyalty to the party has been called into question. Some background: The HRA is composed of Haywood County Republicans who have had, um, differences with the county GOP leadership and some of the candidates that leadership has supported. Those differences in philosophy and in political beliefs and in how to handle disagreements have led to noisy arguments in person and on social media. It’s not quite the greatest show on earth, but the infighting among Republicans in Haywood County over the last couple of years has been about as entertaining as the now-defunct circus that originally went by that description. The state GOP sent a letter to two who associate with the HRA in May informing them they would be charged with trespassing if they attended Haywood County GOP events. And at the March GOP precinct meeting in Haywood, the more traditional Republicans took control of the party apparatus from those who associate with HRA. (We have to choose adjectives here for different groups, so let’s call the current leaders of the county party “traditional” and the HRA members “outliers,” since their new organization — the Haywood Republican Alliance — isn’t recognized by the state GOP). We know that the traditional party leaders discussed what to
they’ll be quicker to just make a plea deal instead of going above and beyond to make the best decision for the client.” You are assuming lawyers do that, go above and beyond, at the current hourly rate of $55. The belief that “every person is entitled to competent, vigorous legal council” is just that, a belief. It does not mean that is the reality. Without some system for accountability, that belief will remain a fantasy. Sara Lee Hinnant Sylva
Trump, Meadows just don’t care To the Editor: President Trump’s campaign staff met with a Russian attorney in Trump Tower to discuss inside “dirt” about opponent Hillary Clinton in June 2016. The information has finally surfaced after months of denial by the Trump folks. Trump’s son, “Little Donnie,” has finally admitted to the fact. After the Tower meeting, Russia released damming emails about Clinton and the inside workings of her campaign staff. Did the Trump folks collude with an enemy of the United States to swing an election? It sure looks like it. America could have done better without Trump or Clinton in 2016, but I guess we had a bad choice in 2016. I liked Kaisich, Bush, Christie — anybody but Trump. President Trump is a lying dog, in my opinion, an obnoxious New York bragger with low-energy smarts; all talk and little knowledge about history or world events. He would
would be given the opportunity to present their case to state party leaders. I know Carr was choosing his words carefully in order not to violate his oath to keep closed session discussions closed. So he told us that, “no one was charged with ‘political party disloyalty.’ The article repeated a lie that a resolution was passed that would ‘bar individuals … from holding office … for five years.” In the state GOP’s party rules, it does say if someone is indeed found to be disloyal to the party they could be barred from holding office as a Republican for five years. But it hasn’t happened yet. Look, political infighting is as old as politics itself. Group people together and disagreements happen, plain and simple. We’ve dedicated a lot of ink to the fissures and fighting within the Haywood County GOP, and anyone can search our online archives to read these stories if they so choose. I’m not here to say who is right and who is wrong, though I will say the methods of some of the outliers leave a little to be desired and have been described by some as bullying and mean-spirited. But, back to Ted Carr. He’s been a pretty steady presence in the county GOP during the hullabaloo of the last several years. He’s opinionated but also reasonable. He and I have had many discussions on politics over the years. And he’s no liar. That, I can promise you. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)
LETTERS flunk a high school American history course. In fact, Obama is looking pretty good right now. The administration has long denied any collusion with Russia, but Little Donnie finally admitted the truth in released emails. Also present at the meeting was Trump son-in-law, weird, shell-shocked Jared Kushner, who now has top U.S. security clearance, and Paul “the Capo” Manafort, then-campaign manager and former Russian representative against Ukraine’s independence. Yes, Manafort dined and cozied up to Vladimir Putin at a gettogether in Moscow a few years earlier. Hmm. All of them had previously lied about meeting with any Russians, as have Attorney General Jeff Sessions and fired former NSA chief Michael Flynn. The Trumps and lies are synonymous — they are like peanut butter and jelly. Even S.C. Republican Trey Gowdy, who headed up the Benghazi investigation on Clinton, has joined the chorus against Trump’s lies: “If you had contact with the Russians, don’t wait until The New York Times figures it out.” I haven’t heard much from our esteemed Congressman Mark Meadows about his erstwhile buddy Trump. Meadows, it seems, is far too busy figuring out how to hurt poor people and help the rich get richer, especially on healthcare. Just remember Rep. Mark “gerrymander” Meadows’ creed: “Afflict the afflicted, and comfort the comfortable.” In other words, make the rich richer and the poor poorer —
and never, ever let the electorate know how badly they have been fooled. I noticed Meadows has recently moved closer to the airport in Asheville so he can be closer to Washington, where the Florida or French (?) native is truly focused. Meadows reportedly said moving to the airport area from Cashiers saved him three or four hours of drive time to the airport. Yes, Meadows loves the Washington spotlight. He certainly hasn’t had too many town hall meetings. Why meet with the masses? When you’re gerrymandered like Meadows, you are truly a Oneeyed Jack in the Kingdom of the Blind. James Budd Bryson City
Single-payer system is badly needed To the Editor: Conservative business owners are realizing that our dysfunctional health care system, driven by private health insurance, is cost prohibitive for businesses. Michael Grimaldi, past president of General Motors of Canada, states, “Canada’s public healthcare system significantly reduces total labor costs for automobile manufacturing firms.” David Steil, business owner and a former Pennsylvania Republican legislator, said, “Conservatives should be supportive of singlepayer because it costs less. When they look at the single-payer model they will come quickly
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