(Excepted from his recent Tea Party speech.)

It is my understanding, there is to be an ethics probe of the previous Union County Board of Commissioners. Ethics is not a word people associate with politicians and attorneys very often. The existing board claims it will dip into its $489,000.00 general fund enabling them to pay for this investigation. Correct me if I’m wrong, but is this $489,000.00 you as taxpayers keep in place for commissioners to spend as they please, or is there accountability to be considered? There is a statute in place, which allows a county to pay for legal protection of its commissioners. This statute does not apply until there have been charges brought into existence. The problem I see here is no return on money spent, stop and think, how is Union County taxpayers benefiting from this money going to attorneys? Attorneys again will be the ones in the win - win situation; they are at the bottom of a money funnel, which keeps legal action moving your tax dollars in their direction.

Why do you as taxpaying citizens of Union County, not demand to know, what gain you will receive; from tax money being spent by elected county officials? In a short question you ask, county commissioners, what return can I expect to see; from my tax money being spent in attempt to prove unethical conduct by previous board members? I believe this is fair question and each taxpaying citizen deserves a truthful answer.

Union County taxpayers now have another case pending in the NC Court of Appeals, filed by Mr. Thomas (Pinky) Marsh. Ladies and gentleman how this case moved into the Court of Appeals jurisdiction is far beyond me.

The law has been written by The NC General Assembly in statute form and is listed as (GS 153A-340). Union County is totally disregarding this NC General Statute in attempt to impose their regulating authority. The reason Mr. Marsh never received a citation from Union County is because they have no written law or regulation he’s broken. I think we all know if any legitimate law is broken, the offender shall receive a citation without delay, either that or be escorted to the county jail. This is the problem Union County has run into with Mr. Marsh; they have no law, rule, regulation, or ordinance in place he has violated. By definition under NC General Statute 153A-340 subdivision 3 of that subsection. No county government has regulating authority over a bona fide farm; unless it produces 600,000 lbs. of swine or more per year. This is written law established by the NC General Assembly to protect bonafide farms from county governing bodies attempting to dictate their regulating authority.

Taxpayers, Mr. Marsh’s case could make the Shalati lawsuit look minor. We have already put over $57,000.00 of our hard working taxpayers money into attorneys hands as of today, because of this unnecessary litigation. Ladies and gentleman this is only the beginning and $57,000.00 could be a very small amount as this legal dispute continues. Looks like another win - win situation for our county attorneys, coming at our taxpayer’s expense.

Reid Phifer has been an outspoken supporter of the position Pinky Marsh has taken on agritourism and its regulation.