Steve Mensing, Editor
♦On Monday September 16th at 6 PM the Rowan County Commission chambers promises to be packed to overflow with both commission watchers and regional media. Outside, from 5 PM to 6 PM, thousands are expected for the March on Salisbury: A Rally in Support of the County Commissioner’s Right to Pray in Jesus’ Name. Christian faithful are expected to flock to Salisbury from all over the county, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and from as far away as Tennessee and Georgia. No doubt there will be a spontaneous outpouring of prayer and gospel songs both inside the county building and outside on the nearby sidewalks. Inside County Commissioner Mike Caskey will lead the commissioners in the opening prayer.
No doubt the public commentary will be brimming with Christian commentary and likely songs of praise. Somehow the ACLU’s attempts to end sectarian prayer seems to have sparked more Christian prayer, sermons, and songs of praise during public commentary. As Rep. Carl Ford told the Rowan Free Press: “You can’t keep a good man down.”
The evenings agenda promises to be the most colorful in months. One of the Rowan County Commissioners will face censure for misuse of his public office and a discussion will follow on cutting back of the County’s Veteran Service Office’s Elaine Howe’s hours. This cost cutting gesture has nothing to do about former complaints about Elaine Howe’s job performance, it is based on the Rowan County Commissioners ability to locate sources within the county offering the same services at no cost to the county. These sources are trained nationally and will be able to provide superior services with quicker response time for veteran claims. It makes prudent sense to discontinue pouring money into a department when better services are available elsewhere for free.
