Jeff L. Thigpen Register of Deeds

Sunday, August 29, 2004

Blog Conference at Weatherspoon Art Gallery was HUGE SUCCESS!

First, I apologize to those in attendance at the Blog Conference for having to leave for a while to speak to the Senior Democrats. My wife and daughter too, because I got home late (because I just had to drop back by the Conference.) Outstanding! The only word for it....

The quality of the discussion about this new technology was great. The role of blogging in politics was good, but I got the most out of the impact blogging has on journalism and the media. As an elected official, blogging gives me more control over my voice. It can be frustrating when you are misquoted by the media in articles that "just don't get it right". It was captivating to hear fellow bloggers engage representatives from the News and Record, etc., who were in attendance about what makes a journalist, who has and controls "the facts" or "venue" for facilitating the reporting and analysis of the news. While I believe many were pleased with the News and Record's ability to adapt to blogging, there was a healthy debate about the role of the traditional media.

David Hoggard and Ed Cone did a great job of facilitating the discussion. The participants were first rate..... Jerry Bledsoe, Brad Krantz, The "Monkey" guy (help me) made some interesting comments, Allen Johnson and Mark Binker with N&R, Janet Wright, a city councilwoman from Chapel Hill and bloggers from all over the place!

Mike Barber's blog was unveiled... www.votemikebarber.com Mike and I had a brief discussion about how difficult it truly is to share information with the public as commissioners. Our deliberations are in "perpetual motion" in many cases and the need for discretion is needed in order to preserve our collective working relationships. But we agreed that this is an interesting challenge and I'm glad to see his blog is up and going!

When's the next one?!?




Friday, August 27, 2004

Jeff speaks to Annual Conference of North Carolina State Fireman's Association!

I spoke on a panel at the NC State Fireman's Association (http://www.ncsfa.com/ ) this morning with Congressman David Price, NC House member Verla Insko, Paul Miller, Executive Director of the NC State Fireman's Association and Luther Fincher, Fire Chief for City of Charlotte.

We talked about how Fire Chiefs can establish communications with elected officials, how to build credibility, and effectively lobby elected officials with issues related to Fire Departments. We had a local, state and federal presence on the panel and it was good to hear all the varying viewpoints.

It was clear to me that our First Responders (Fire, EMS, Law Enforcement, and Health) are in a significant budget crunch at the Federal level. The federal COPS program is being cut; Homeland Security funding is shifting revenue around at a net decrease in overall funding for Fire fighters; and the overall bureaucracy is not getting money where it should go in some cases across the Board.

I am clear that its important for local officials to understand what our first responders do; hold them accoutable for the monies they have; and advocate where appropriate at the state and federal level to make sure new programs get the revenue needed for implementation.

I have seen what first responders do first hand through my own life in Burgaw through my father's accident as a child and as a commissioner related to the Campus Walk fire a couple of years ago in my district.

Unfortunately, tragedy usually has to strike in many cases before we provide the resources needed. The reactive approach is normal. I hope we can change our culture politically to get beyond petty bickering and do the right things to help our Fire Fighters and others who support us at our most vulnerable times.




Thursday, August 26, 2004

Support and Sponsor the 2nd Annual Urban Literature Film Festival October 14-16th in Greensboro!

I would like to encourage everyone to support the 2nd Annual Urban Literature Film Festival (www.ulff.org) coming October 14-16th in Greensboro!

The Urban Literature Film Festival is dedicated to the promotion of urban-theme shorts, features and documentaries as a form of art, creative expression and livelihood. The mission of the ULFF 2004 is to produce a unique 3-day festival to provide innovative and distinctive film programs, networking and educational opportunities for youth, teachers, writers-to-actors-to-Hiphop activists as well as the needed exposure for the urban-theme filmmaker. By showcasing the best urban-theme films from around the world to an international audience of press, industry, film enthusiasts, film buyers and other aspiring filmmakers, the ULFF's mission is to act as a pillar of support by fostering unity, encouraging intelligent, creative and professional filmmaking, and procuring funding and distribution resources to take the proverbial business of urban-theme filmmaking to the Next Level Of Opportunity...

Good Friend and former high school basketball star at Pender High School--Leo Ballard can be contacted at Leo.Ballard@BellSouth.com or 558-9018 for more information or sponsorships! This is a prime example of the "creative capital" movement aimed at minority filmakers.

I encourage you to should support and financially sponsor his efforts , so give Leo a call!




Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Campaign event for Jeff Thigpen and Pricey Harrison at JP and Palmer McIntyre's house on Sept 12th!

There will be a Meet the Candidates event for me and Pricey Harrison, candidate for State House District 57 at JP and Palmer McIntyre's house (622 Scott Ave.) in the Lindley Park neighborhood on Sunday, September 12th.



Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Collaborative Planning for Schools in Guilford County....good idea?

Good idea.....let me know? Jeff


DATE: August 18, 2004

TO: Willie Best, County Manager
Dr. Terry Grier, Superintendent
Alan Duncan, Chairman, Board of Education
Mary Rakestraw, Board of Commissioners
Rob Bencini, Director, Community Development

FROM: Jeff L. Thigpen

RE: Collaborative Planning For Schools

I am writing to request that we convene a School Budget Committee meeting to discuss a project designed to facilitate collaboration among school boards, county commissions and planning departments in selecting sites for schools.

I have attached a one-page summary sent by Dr. David Salveson with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in the Center for Urban and Regional Studies about a collaborative planning for schools initiative. His organization is currently involved in pilot projects that are being implemented in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Macon counties.

I am requesting the meeting to allow Dr. Salveson to present the initiative, and begin a process of determining whether there is sufficient need and support among the Board of County Commissioners, the School Board, the Planning Department, and the elected officials in Greensboro and High Point, Jamestown, and the towns to go forward with this kind of initiative.

I hope this effort will be looked upon favorably and that it can be associated with the Guilford County Comprehensive Planning process.


ATTACHMENT:


Facilitating Collaboration in School Site Selection

The Center for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, along with the Orange County Dispute Settlement Center,is conducting a project to facilitate collaboration among school boards, county commissions, city councils and local land use planners in selecting sites for new schools. The project is aimed at understanding and improving the collaboration that takes place in North Carolina in selecting sites for new public schools. The project has been endorsed by the North Carolina Board of Education, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association.

The project stems from research conducted by CURS on the impact of state and local school board policies on the design and location of schools in North Carolina. As part of that research, CURS conducted focus groups with school boards and planners across the state. One of the key findings of the report was the need for better communication and collaboration among school boards, planners and county commissioners in choosing the location for new schools. The goal of this project is to help the key stakeholders coordinate their thinking and their actions regarding school site selection and local land use. For example, CURS hopes to develop a model collaborative planning process that could be used by communities across the state.

Initially, we will be working in two communities: Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Macon County. Although implementation of the project will vary slightly in each community, depending on the needs and interests of the participants, participation will likely involve two or three, half-day workshops. The workshops will bring together representatives from the local school board, county commission/city council and planning departmentin an effort to develop a model process and criteria for selecting school sites. The project will not cost participants anything.
The Center’s report, Good Schools – Good Neighborhoods: The Impact of State and Local School Board Policies on the Design and Location of Schools in North Carolina, can be downloaded for free from our website: www.curs.unc.edu/SGNE/Publications.htm.


Monday, August 16, 2004

Two Articles on Blogging in News and Record... What's your take on them?

This weekend there were two articles in the News and Record by Ed Cone and Matt Williams.

Please share your opinions on the articles and the potential impact blogging can have on county government and/or the Register of Deeds office?

Take care,

Jeff

Thursday, August 12, 2004

Keep Roger Cotten in your prayers today...

Roger Cotten is undergoing surgery for stomach cancer this morning. Roger is a good friend and I ask that you keep him and his family in your prayers at this time. I am hopeful Roger will have a speedy recovery and will be back on the campaign trail soon.

Roger served as county manager for 5 of the 6 years I've been on the Board of Commissioners. He is currently a candidate for the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.




Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Letter sent to Town of Burgaw re: Death of Mayor John W. "Junny" James

August 10,2004

Town of Burgaw
109 N. Walker Street
Burgaw, NC 28425

Town Manager Steve Candler and Town Commissioners,

As you know, elected officials like the late Mayor John W. (Junny) James make public service truly honorable. I send my heartfelt condolences to Judy, the James family, and the Town of Burgaw during this time of collective mourning. As the Thigpen family’s insurance agent and as a former county commissioner, Junny and I had great and sometimes comical conversations –ranging from speeding tickets and fender benders, to the complexities and similarities we have had serving as elected officials in a small town and a large county.

Junny is already missed, but most importantly he’ll be remembered as an example of a true public servant.


Sincerely,

Jeff L. Thigpen
Guilford County Board of Commissioners

Orioles win over Devil Rays at Leonard Rec. Center last night!

As some of you know, I play baseball with the Orioles in the Triad Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL). It's a league for players 30 and over. I've played for the past three years. To follow the Orioles, league standings, and get information on MSBL, go to www.triadmsbl.org

The Orioles won 8-5 over our arch rival the Devil Rays in an 8:15 pm rain completion game at Leonard Recreation Center baseball field last night. We started the game in the hole 5-0 and had a 6 run rally to take the lead. Thigpen went 1-1 with an RBI single. (Then I had to leave because the AC went out at Team Thigpen headquarters in Lindley Park! Ouch..) We are in a heated race for 1st in our division and I'll keep you posted.

It would be great to see some MSBL games played at War Memorial stadium next year when the Bats move over to the new stadium!




News and Record article on "10 teaching positions" this morning.

I appreciate the article related to the need for additional teaching positons. Just a few comments reflecting on the piece. I'm entitling these comments "MAGIC and Math"

POOF: (Now you see $100,o00, now you don't!) Just a week ago there were several commissioners supported the allocation of over $100,000 for a school resource coordinator and vehicle which was not approved. Now, no one can find that the same money for teachers. Linda Shaw challenged me to find the money for the positions she found to fund an SRO coordinator. YOU DO THE MATH: Well, at $50,000 a piece, we have just funded two teacher positions with the SRO monies. I'd suggest 1 other position be paid for out of the county manager's contingency fund. 2+1=3. It is true that 3 is not 10 and more work must me done. But we are now 3 for 10. In baseball, that's a career!

Public, don't be fooled. Rule #1: With Guilford County commissioners, all things are possible with 6 votes. :)

Friday, August 06, 2004

Recap of August 5th Board of Commissioners Meeting

Several highlights of the meeting included approval of GTCC and Parks bonds being placed on the November ballot; a prolonged discussion re: Inmate Welfare Funds; denial of a request for a School Resource Coordinator; and we allowed small child day care businesses to increase their limits from 5 to 15.

Clearly, the best part of our meeting was the resolution regarding the Triad Highland Games coming to Bryan Park in Guilford County August 20-21st! A piper with Deep River Pipes and Drums blew some powerful sounds directly from Scotland and I was honored to read the resolution to them. For more information on the Triad Highland Games, go to www.triadhighlandgames.org.

As always, we made some decisions that will really make a difference. And, as always, we looked horrible in the process of decision making (for a variety of reasons). I see Hoggard's Blog gives the reader his "OH MY GOD" perspective as an onlooker. I can't argue with much of his assessment and will not give excuses for our Board. Sometimes we need tough love. I must say I went through the "OH MY GOD" phase my first year as a commissioner.

Now, at times I have what I call a "Cookie" perspective as a commissioner. Basically, if you see me go to the back room and get a cookie, you'll know that during the "OH MY GOD" portion of our agenda--when my collegues are wrangling about issues that make no sense, taking positions for political leverage, or they are just bashing each other with rhetoric, I choose a different path--at least for a few minutes--then reengage with the power of sugar and peace of mind. If you see me bust a move to the cookies, you will know it's my own form of political yoga and will reengage shortly. The "Cookie" perspective reminds me of the "soda and pack of nabs" treat I used to get at times as a kid when cropping tobacco in mid-morning or mid-afternoons on a hot summer day. (If you can imagine, county commissioner meetings can be the equivalent of cropping the bottom leaves on a very long tobacco row at times.)

But seriously, the bond packages will be good for Guilford County and I encourage all to support them. The child care ordinance will enhance the capacity of small family-based day care centers to flurish and serve needy children.

I voted not to approve the school resource coordinator because principals and assistant principals in every school in Guilford County are cutting in their classrooms- from teacher assistants, to school supplies, and staff development for their employees in the school. The cost of the SRO position would cost us $110,000. Some school board members and staff would rather add 10 teacher positions at needy schools that have some level of discord for $450,000. I made a motion to bring both back to our board, but it failed for lack of a second. I am currently working to place the issue of 10 additional teachers in our classrooms for our next meeting. We should add the SRO position in our next budget.

On the Inmate Welfare Fund-- an issue that dealt with a small amount of money and a major portion of our time, I believed our Board should have funded the idenification system and other projects out of our contingency funds and worked with the Sheriff to fund other inmate needs. I made a motion to do exactly that, but it failed for a lack of a second.

Let me know your thoughts on the meeting....



Thursday, August 05, 2004

Comments I've heard from users of the Register of Deeds office

In the weeks leading up to the Republican primary election for Register of Deeds on July 20, I was approached by lots of folks who wanted to talk about the office. I do believe the office can be improved in substanial ways and it needs to start from the top. So I made a point to scratch them down.

Here are some of the comments I've accumulated over the last month alone..............

“ Ms. Payne talks about it operating her office without taxpayer dollars and that is wrong. I pay taxes and part of that 9 million in revenue is coming out of my pocket.”

"The office charges too much for 25 cent copies. The statute says a "reasonable charge". .25 is not reasonable"

“There is no sense of privacy when you use the office”

“The office itself is bland, furniture old, too much open space, no plants or pictures on wall, and it is just not pleasing to look at..”

“If you go to Wake and Forsyth counties, a third grader can see the difference. I went to Forsyth and the Register of Deeds recorded my document. I’ve never seen that happen in Guilford County”

“ Ms. Payne talks about it operating without taxpayer dollars that is wrong. I pay taxes and part of that 9 million in revenue is coming out of my pocket.”

“There is no sense of privacy when you use the office”

“The office itself is bland, furniture old, too much open space, no plants or pictures on wall, and it is just not pleasing to look at..”

“If you go to Wake and Forsyth counties, a third grader can see the difference. I went to Forsyth and THE Register of Deeds recorded my document. I’ve never seen that happen in Guilford County”

“I was the only person in line, and had to take a number”

“The online system is not easy to navigate.”

“The people who use the office regularly don’t have a problem now because they are the only ones who understand things.”

“I wanted to take my oath to become a notary public. I could not figure out where to go. No signs or anything.”

“The hallway going to the deeds office is like an airport terminal entrance”

“I have used offices in Forsyth, Rockingham, and Wake counties. They are so much better. I dread going into the Deeds office in Guilford.”

“The only time I see Ms. Payne is during an election year”

“The computers are out of the 70’s and the furniture is out of the 50’s.”

“The Deeds office has an excellent staff. Ms. Payne does not know what she is doing. She has not progressed”.

“Accessing plats are pretty good because Guilford County GIS runs it. Ms. Payne has nothing to do with it.”

“I feel like the office does not serve attorneys well. People need to understand that attorneys are working for citizens.”“I was the only person in line, and had to take a number”

“The online system is not easy to navigate.”

“The people who use the office regularly don’t have a problem now because they are the only ones who understand things.”

“I wanted to take my oath to become a notary public. I could not figure out where to go. No signs or anything.”

“The hallway going to the deeds office is like an airport terminal entrance”

“I have used offices in Forsyth, Rockingham, and Wake counties. They are so much better. I dread going into the Deeds office in Guilford.”

“The only time I see Ms. Payne is during an election year”

“The computers are out of the 70’s and the furniture is out of the 50’s.”

“The Deeds office has an excellent staff. Ms. Payne does not know what she is doing. She has not progressed”.

“Accessing plats are pretty good because Guilford County GIS runs it. Ms. Payne has nothing to do with it.”

“I feel like the office does not serve attorneys well. People need to understand that attorneys are working for citizens.”

These are real issues and they should be talked about.

In the coming days I'll be listing a Register of Deeds 101 course that I hope with be eduational and informative for all to see! It'll be a good primer for discussion.



Wednesday, August 04, 2004

National Night Out in Lindley Park and Sad News re: constituent and friend- Sam Foushee

I attended the National Night Out block party in Lindley Park last night at the home of Phil and Dana Gorham. Michelle, Elle and I spent a couple of hours with about 35 folks in our new neighborhood. We had great ice cream and lemonade and a good time!

I learned earlier in the day that a long time friend and Lindley Park resident Sam Foushee past away. I met Sam during my first campaign for Guilford County Board of Commissioners. He became a good friend and always supported my campaigns. He was thoughtful, insightful, and had a great sense of humor. The last time I saw Sam was on September 16th, 2003 in Wesley Long Hospital. I remember the date because I saw him in the hallway as my wife was in delivery of our daugther Elle. We shared some common words of encouragement. Sam was in a wheelchair due to a broken hip and I rolled him to a room as I followed my wife. It was quite a sight! I'll always remember Sam with great fondness!

I wish Sam's family well and they are in my prayers.

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Let's talk! This Blog is my PERSONAL INTERACTIVE PLATFORM for Thigpenfordeeds.com!

Let's talk!

From today forward, I will be providing frequent personal messages and updates of my progress through my campaign for Guilford County Register of Deeds!

I want your advice, input, and support to become Register of Deeds. What better way than to Blog my way through it! All my future press releases will be relocated to my web page to make this my primary personal communication vehicle over the next few months as a commissioner and candidate for Register of Deeds!

Let me know what you think about county issues and the Deed's office!

Take care,

Jeff