Stan Deatherage's Comments to the Beaufort-Hyde News

Author: Stan Deatherage | Published: October 17th, 2010


    Here below is a sneak-peak of Stan's answers to 5 questions asked by the staff of the Beaufort-Hyde News. The answers were to be limited to 150 words, which I followed as best I could.

1. What office are you seeking and why?

    I seek re-election to provide the experienced, conservative voice on the Beaufort County Board of County Commissioners that will not be replaced should I not be re- elected. In this election cycle, I am the only Conservative running, and I am the only candidate that possesses the essential management skills to keep Beaufort County government moving in the direction of pragmatism, and efficient use of our county's resources.

    Why is being a Conservative important? We Conservatives adhere to the Founding Principles of our Forefathers. When this nation was hewn out of a great wilderness, with adversity at every stage of our development, it was the devout principles of our Forefathers that sustained them, and ultimately us. As their adversity and hardship was challenged and overcome, our early leaders built a set of principles that kept them resilient. I look to those principles to guide my decisions, and provide me the strength to stand up to the special interests that consider the People's Government as their piggy-bank.


2. How are you qualified for this office?

    I have served 4 terms as a county commissioner, which stipulates that I have been elected in 4 separate elections. As a Republican elected in a Democrat county, I obviously enjoy bi-partisan support, which is a strong indication that the job I have done transcends that of the "political party hack," who seeks political rewards at the expense of the public's trust.

    Although I am proud of being previously elected, and re-elected, I am first and foremost a father of four and a husband to one. I have worked extensively to provide for my family, and I am encouraged now that the majority of my children have learned to do for themselves, through their intellectual growth through education, and their hard work every single day.


3. Do you support the initiative to partner or lease Beaufort County Regional Health?
System? Why or why not?

    My record on the continuing saga of saving Beaufort County Medical Center is well documented. My voting record firmly indicates that I am in favoring of saving the medical facility as a huge financial asset, and as medical service for the people of Beaufort County. I am in favor of a merger with a strong financial partner only if we can provide superior medical service to the people of Beaufort County, and most importantly, only if it is a good financial deal.

    Recently, at a Candidates' forum held at Beaufort County College, all of the candidates running for office (except for incumbent Ed Booth) were falling all over themselves to give away the Beaufort County Medical Center as soon as possible. Most notably, Democrat Candidate Gerry Evans, without even knowing the outcome of the bid process, said that BCMC should merge with University Health Systems of East Carolina, which is the Washington, NC "Group-Think" alternative to the actual better management of our county hospital complex. In that same vein of unrelenting sophistry, Commissioner Candidate Bertie Arnhols blamed the issue on all sitting county commissioners, and offered as her solution the immediate divestiture of BCMC, because the county's citizens did not consider the hospital a valuable and vital asset.

    I was the only candidate that firmly held the position that our local medical facility could remain independent if the hospital commissioners would only try management as an alternative to their abdication of their sworn responsibility. It is a most valuable and vital asset.


4. Do you support the town officials' proposal to construct a visitor center at the intersection of U.S. 264 and U.S. 17 in Washington? Why or why not?

    Yes, but the City of Washington is broke, and cannot build any more buildings anywhere unless they get financial support from a larger governmental entity, and that would not be Beaufort County's government. We are have our own table of issues set before us.

    If re-elected, I intend to continue to deal with issues that are much more important to the citizens of Beaufort County, such as, but ont limited to: the resolution to the aforementioned financial stability of the Beaufort County Medical Center, stopping the ongoing cost of illegal immigration at the county level, making sure that public safety in our county is more than adequate to keep our crime low, promoting real economic development that will provide real jobs for productive citizens, the more responsible education of our youth as we struggle to compete in a global economy, and the wise management of our public resources and our public's money.


5. What would you want written on your tombstone?

    Stan was a loving husband, and dutiful father, who made us laugh and kept it real.