Wednesday, July 30, 2014

One Man's Pilgrimage: Mayor O'Neal Goes To Washington

It's time to Break It Down!


I’ve written a lot of posts, but I do not recall having ever written one that focused on the town that served as my adopted home during the last eight years of my primary and secondary education.  Check; cross that off the list.

In short order, I will introduce you to the Town of Belhaven, NC and its feisty, non-traditional Mayor, Adam O’Neal.  To set the stage, Belhaven is one of those poor communities that typically spring to mind when folks discuss the rural South.  It is nestled in a small Eastern North Carolina County (Beaufort), and according to the 2010 Census, the population was 1,688.  This is a net reduction from 1,968 enumerated in the 2000 Census.

The demographics and politics make for an interesting mix, on its face.  The racial mix of the population is split 37% white, 60% black.  Native Americans and Asians each comprise less than 1% of the population.  Hispanics/Latinos, which may be white or black, account for 2.69% of the residents.

So what makes the demographic-political mix so interesting?  The Mayor of this predominantly black town is not only white, but also Republican.  But that alone is not what makes this story interesting.  In the Age of Obama, we have become accustomed, if not desensitized to the strident nature of partisan politics, on both the local and national level.  So much so, that when New Jersey Governor Chris Christy embraced President Obama, and spoke kindly of him when the President visited New Jersey to offer federal assistance in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the vast majority of his GOP colleagues attacked him.

I can honestly say learning that the incumbent Mayor of Belhaven was white did not surprise me.  That he took a position in opposition to closing rural hospitals in general, and that he opposed closing Belhaven’s hospital in particular, also didn’t move the dial.  However, when I learned there was a Republican politician who was distinguishing himself by challenging the popular GOP position against Medicaid Expansion, and that this GOP pol and the Mayor of Belhaven were one and the same, well now you have my full and complete attention.

I visited Eastern North Carolina 3 out of 4 weekends this month.  I was already aware, via home-based connections that Vidant Health planned to close Vidant Pungo Hospital.  The scheduled closure was executed on July 1, 2014.  The CliffNotes version of the story is Vidant is a Healthcare Conglomerate that operates hospitals and medical facilities in 29 Eastern North Carolina Counties, serving a population of 1.4 million North Carolinians.  Vidant bought a number of rural NC medical facilities, including Pungo District Hospital (in 2011).

After two years, Vidant Health announced plans to close what had become Vidant Pungo Hospital because it was losing money.  The Vidant administration attempted to negotiate with Belhaven officials to take over operation of hospital.  Ultimately, Vidant Health concluded Belhaven was unable to assume responsibility for the facility, and closed it July 1st.

Mayor O’Neal is a passionate advocate for his community.  In his version of the big picture, the bottom line is Vidant Health traded the people’s health for profit.  To give a stronger, more targeted voice to his principal concerns, on July 14, 2014, he set out on a two-week walk to Washington, DC.  In taking his cause to the highways, byways, and streets, he sought to elevate 3 key issues:

·      Medicaid Expansion
·      Endangered Rural Hospitals
·      Vidant Pungo Hospital

In making his case, the Mayor argued before a crowd at a news conference in the nation’s Capital, at the end of his protest march, “The story of Belhaven is bigger than the trials of a single small town.”

In framing the specifics of the matter, he took to task both hospital officials and NC elected officials.  He suggested that Vidant put profit above people’s health.  He also criticized state officials for their refusal to accept federal funding to expand Medicaid.  It is these additional funds that pay the healthcare bills of many of NC’s poor.  Without these funds, many North Carolinians are being denied critical health care services.

UNC Chapel Hill researchers studied the economic impact of the 140 rural hospitals that closed in the 1990’s.  They found that within a few years, the unemployment rate in those communities rose by 1.6% and that the per capita income fell by more than $700.

Beaufort County’s unemployment rate was 8% in May, compared to 6.4% for the state.  Mayor O’Neal emphasized that the fight for the hospital could determine the future economic viability of a community surrounded by rivers and sounds.  He noted, “Not only have they taken emergency room services away from our town, they’re also taking every industry we’ve got away – which is retirees moving into our area.  They’re not going to come to move into an area without a hospital.”

Like a lot of high school graduates from the area, I left Belhaven shortly after crossing the stage and turning my tassel.  That was 42 years ago.  While I currently reside a few hundred miles away, in many ways it is light years.  Still, I spent a number of my formative years in that community. 

Most of the life lessons that frame my worldview were gleaned during the course of executing my varied household chores, or managing my paper route, or in the course of my summers spent priming and hanging tobacco, or in the too numerous to count church services that every PK (Preacher’s Kid to the uninitiated) is subjected to every Sunday…and many other days and nights.  So, even though I was not born there, in lots of ways, Belhaven will always be a part of me.  As such, I dedicate this post to my Homies-in-the-Haven.  And in closing, I offer a special thank-you; a shout out, if you will, to Mayor Adam O’Neal.  For many across the country, he put Belhaven on the map over the course of these past two weeks.  For me, he provided a poignant reminder that the community lives, and always will, in my heart.  If you didn’t know, now you know.  One Man’s Pilgrimage: Mayor O’Neal Goes To Washington!

I’m done; holla back!             

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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

"Turn Down For What?"

It's time to Break It Down!

OK, now that I have your attention, no, I am not talking about your drinking habits.  Far from it.  The matter at hand is much more sobering.  In fact the party animals can stop reading now.  This post is short story on geo-politics.

Undoubtedly, as a globally conscious citizen, you are a ware that a Malaysian airliner, MH-17, was shot down over the Ukraine, and nearly 300 souls were lost.  Set that to the side for a moment.

Over in the Middle East, Hamas and Israel are engaged in aerial combat.  As part of the hostilities, Hamas launched a missile that landed about a mile from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.

If you follow the high-tech war-making, or peacekeeping (take your pick), apparatus of the Israelis, you have heard of the Iron Dome.  The Dome, familiarly, is a sophisticated mechanism that is capable of protecting, in large measure, Israeli citizens from mortar and missiles hurled at them by their near-by enemies, in this case, Hamas.

So, understand, I have no intention to conflate the hostilities in the Ukraine with those in the Middle East.  That said it is important to be aware of both cases.  Coming on the heels of the still unaccounted for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, the recent tragedy there is all the more tragic.  In fact, there are at least a couple of families who lost relatives on both flights.  God rest all their souls.

 However, for the purposes of this post, my focus is Israel.  The United States of America has been Israel’s stanches defender and most ardent ally since the inception of the modern State of Israel on May 14, 1948.  There is a sizable Jewish population in the United States, along with an influential Jewish Lobby.

Historically, Israel has enjoyed robust support from the U.S., regardless of the Party in the White House.  While that is still true, President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have not exactly been soul mates.  President Obama has made no bones about his personal support for Israel, as well as the unflinching support of the U.S.  As a result, he continued to appeal to Jewish voters, and carried that segment overwhelmingly in both of his election bids.

Mr. Netanyahu has been a harder sell.  At times he has appeared to lecture the President, and on other occasions, he sounded tepid in his appraisal of the President. So it came as no surprise when “Bibi” immediately expressed his displeasure when the FAA banned flying into Tel Aviv.  Israel’s official reaction mirrored the Prime Ministers.  The official message is Israel in general, and Ben Gurion Airport specifically are safe, and America, and the airlines from Europe that have followed suit, should end the ban and resume flights immediately.

This is where I must admit I am not an enthusiastic “flyer.”  But, the FAA would not have had to tell me to skip a flight to Israel after a missile landed within a mile of the country’s main airport.  It’s not that I don’t trust Mr. Netanyahu and his colleagues.  I’d just prefer in this instance to err on the side of caution.  I have already conceded that the Ukraine and Tel Aviv are not the same.  Still, given the recent developments, my guess is Malaysian Airlines has opted not to fly over what amounts to the Ukrainian battlefield since MH-17 was shot down.  Why wait until after a tragedy to take affirmative action.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg felt so passionately about the matter he booked a flight to Tel Aviv on El Al (Israel’s flagship Airlines) last night.  Those who support Israel most strongly insist that the flight ban gives terrorists a prize.  Sober minds who lean neither toward Israel or the Palestinians see the curtailment of flights (which initially at least, is set to last only 24 hours) as a mere precaution, based on reasoned contemplation.

So, people, what do you think?  “Turn Down For What?”

I’m done; holla back!

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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Highly Seasoned Please; That's How I'd Like My Crow!

It's time to Break It Down!


A few weeks ago, I wrote about the pending Decision Part II, and the lack of surprise that LeBron James was opting out of his contract with the Miami Heat.  At the time, I really didn’t think it was surprising at all, because, I anticipated LeBron James would work the system, er, ah, I mean, explore his options, and unceremoniously re-sign with the Miami Heat.  Boy was I wrong.  Not only did The King ditch the Heat, he did what I considered the unthinkable; he returned to Cleveland.  And when I say unthinkable, I mean, for me, unthinkable.  So much so, that while I opined on a number of options, I did not even list the Cavs as a possible destination

Bloggers, journalists, columnists, and a host of highly opinionated types often regale us with their erstwhile personal prescience.  The thing is, none of us is clairvoyant.  As a result, on more than a few occasions, those brash and bold predictions are just flat out erroneous…just plain wrong!  Such was the case in my “The Decision II” post.

With today’s post, I am defying that egotistical stereotype.  Even now I readily admit, I thought LeBron was more likely to do a self-imposed stint in the D-League than return to Cleveland, where majority owner, Dan Gilbert skewered him mercilessly.  In a now infamous open letter to Cleveland Cavaliers’ fans, Mr. Gilbert used the following terms to disparage LeBron and his departure:

·      Former hero
·      Deserter
·      Self-promoter
·      Narcissistic
·      Cowardly betrayal
·      Selfish
·      Shameful display
·      Disloyal
·      Heartless
·      Callous

In addition to that Top Ten list of denigrations, the Cavs’ majority owner noted, of James, “Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.”

And if all that was enough, in an effort to make his position crystal clear, Mr. Gilbert underscored his combination of displeasure and resolve by heaping on the this jewel of a coal lump: 

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE"

To that all caps slam, the Quicken Loans founder then added the piece de resistance: “You can take that to the bank!”

At the time, I remember thinking, this dude sounds as though he felt LeBron was a slave…rather than a man with a contract, who decided to exercise his options.  So yes, forgive me if I thought it unlikely that James would return to the employ of man who had rendered such a scathing review.  And I recognize the more enlightened among you may say, let the past be the past.  But the letter is hardly the past.  Penned July 8, 2010, it was on the team’s website at least until July 6, 2014.  That is almost four years to the day, and until just 10 days ago.

In my own defense, if I had one, I would note that I made my great prognosticatory blunder a day before the 2014 NBA Draft.  Let me hasten to add, even though the Cavs got the 1st pick, and used it to select a young man of whom I am quite fond, I would not endeavor to attempt to deceive you or myself.  I would have said the same things the day after the Draft that I said the day before the event.

Though I totally missed my call on the most important aspect of “The Decision, Part II,” where LeBron would take his talents, I was spot on regarding the nature of how he executed his choice.  It was everything the 2010 debacle was not.  It was low key and understated.  It was handled without hype, or at least with as little hype as possible, when the top basketball player in the world changes teams.  It was handled without rancor from the team James left, though a number of fans reacted less civilly than the team’s ownership. 

Perhaps because LeBron is not from South Beach, maybe because The Heat expected him to leave anyway, or just possibly because Micky Arison is, at his core, a better human being than Dan Gilbert, in contrast to the Cavs owner’s diatribe from 4 years ago, Mr. Arison issued a simple tweet expressing his thoughts:

“I am shocked & disappointed in today's news. However I will never forget what LeBron brought us for 4 years. Thanks for memories @KingJames.”

So, how was the chasm bridged that was created by Dan Gilbert’s letter?  Apparently, Mr. Gilbert flew to Miami where he met with LeBron and apologized (in private).  The “In private” part is significant, if for no other reason, because the letter was so very public.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, of Yahoo Sports, Gilbert told James:

"We had five great years together and one terrible night,"  "I told him how sorry I was, expressed regret for how that night went and how I let all the emotion and passion for situation carry me away. I told him I wish had never done it, that I wish I could take it back."

In the end, James established that he was the bigger man.  Undoubtedly, he could have leveraged a more public pronouncement, and he might have drawn the process out at least for the balance of the weekend.  But he did not.  He has grown in the past 4 years, and that was evident.  This time he opted to let Dan Gilbert’s wallet do the talking.  Aside from that, he of course recognizes that despite Gilbert’s braggadocio in the wake of him leaving Cleveland, over the past 4 years, while he was going to 4 NBA Finals and winning 2 Titles, the Cavs were so woeful, they received the 1st Draft pick in 2011, 2013, and 2014.  Oh yeah, in 2012, they got the 4th pick.  I can only imagine, in a Karma-like way, LeBron felt that Gilbert, the Cavs, and their fans have suffered enough.    

I also surmise that LeBron had his own motivations for returning home.  Sure, his legacy is important, and he felt he owed the fans.  But he also has a wife, a mother, and two, soon to be three kids, and their vote and influence was pivotal, I suspect.  Also don’t forget his homies in Akron.  They have to be thrilled.  And now that the King has actually conquered, by winning two Titles, his reign in Cleveland shall resume.  So, Thomas Wolfe, take that…“You Can Go Home Again!”  

Since apology seems to be the word-of-the-day, I apologize Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles (Lakers and Clippers), Dallas, Charlotte, Phoenix, Washington, and especially MIA.  Congratulations Cleveland! 


Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.  Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”  Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

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http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/7/11/5891629/dan-gilbert-letter-apologies-lebron-james-cavaliers