Six Guilford County Commissioners are scheduled to adopt the County Budget on Thursday, June 21st which will include a tax increase of approximately 2.9 cent, no funding from the Arts, no funding for the YMCA, no funding for the Wyndham Championship Golf Tournament, less money for the schools and yes, no funding for the Civil Rights Center and Museum.

This budget has been put together by Paul Gibson, John Parks, Kirk Perkins, Kaye Cashion, Mike Winstead and Billy Yow.  Paul Gibson the Chairman of the board has purposely decided to leave the three African American Commissioners out of the discussion of putting together this budget simply because we will not support the building of a new jail at the cost of 105 million dollars that is not needed.  Instead he has decided to team up with Billy Yow. 

Billy Yow as you may recall is the Commissioner that in 2003 printed a Tee Shirt that was sold briefly on the Internet that showed a little white boy, holding a Confederate Flag in one hand and urinating on the letters of the NAACP.  Billy Yow is also the Commissioner that stated publicly during the search for a new County Manager in 2003, that he will not hire a Manager if he or she  was a member of the NAACP.

Over the past six months that Paul Gibson has been the Chairman of the Board, he has made it clear that he does not intend on including the African American Commissioners in the discussion of running this County.  Under his leadership we have had a record number of votes along racial lines.  We have brought this to his attention on several occassions, however, he has turned a cold shoulder everytime we attempt to talk with him. 

Let me remind you, Paul Gibson is a Democrate who ran at large.  Who campaigned hard in the African American community, visiting churches, going to BBQ's and kissing black babies.  In return the African American community voted for him and made him the highest vote getter in the election.  Since that time Paul Gibson has done a 180 degree turn on support for African American causes.

Billy Yow stated publicly at the last Commissioners meeting that he will not vote for a budget that included funding for the Civil Rights Museum.  Paul Gibson has agreed with Billy Yow to also eliminate all funding not just for the Civil Rights Museum, but funds for the Hayes Taylor YMCA, Atelier Art Gallery, Malachi House and a host of other programs that are located in the African American community.

Also as part of the deal for Billy Yow to support the budget, he has demanded that Rob Bencini the Director of Economic Development for the County be fired and Paul and the others have agreed to do just that.  To may it look smoother, Rob will be removed from his position as Director of Economic Development immediately or shortly after the budger is passed and the Manager will assign Rob to another job within the County.  This will be only a temporary situation, because Billy has also asked the Manager to contact the Guilford County Partnership to see if they can find a job there for Rob, so he can be gone from Guilford County completely.  For the record Rob is a White male, however Billy has made it clear that he does not care for Rob one bit.  Simply because Rob will not allow Billy to bully him around, like Billy does some of the other Department heads.

The budget that will be presented by the six Commissioners stated above will probably be the one that passes, however, I will present another budget for their consideration, that will have a lower tax increase, if not, no tax increase and will be able to fund the arts, other programs and give the school system more funds. 

Please come out on Thursday or tune in on cable channel 13 at 5:30 to see how all of this will play out.