Frankly, I’m most concerned right now about who is doing what and why here on the home field. Local politics in Spruce Pine and Mitchell County have always largely played out behind closed doors with money and name often what determines who gets a seat at the table behind closed doors. Now that some of this kind of thing is seeing the light of day folks are trying to hide it, spinning and not telling the truth, assuming others will and should help hide what’s going on. I’m old enough to have lived through Watergate. Follow the money. It’s not the crime, it’s the coverup that gets people in trouble. Don’t shoot the messenger. While I think local political behavior, government, business and philanthropy have all suffered because of the overemphasis on national issues and politics, we could learn something from that long gone era of national politics. Follow the money, don’t get involved in the coverup, don’t shoot the messenger.