The editorialists at the Winston-Salem Journal are delighted that voters in Tuesday’s primary “showed Forsyth County Commissioner Bill Whiteheart the door.” Such a decision paves the way for a moderate board of commissioners:
Residents might well see a positive shift in focus, because the board will lose one of its hard-right stalwarts — and its least effective one at that. Whiteheart has made no significant accomplishments and shown no leadership during his four years on the board. And his foot-dragging about cleaning up his property behind the Northside Shopping Center in Winston-Salem was an embarrassment to the board.
Now, the board’s longstanding conservative majority will likely weaken. Whisenhunt and Linville will in all likelihood hold onto their seats in the general election. But whether Plyler or one of the Democrats wins in that election, the hard-right on the board won’t be able to call the shots as easily as it’s been doing. It will lose a key “yes-man.”
The board and the county will benefit.
The N&R was denied the opportunity to write such an editorial about Guilford County Commissioner Billy Yow, who prevailed in his District 5 primary. But they’ve got $457 million in school bonds to keep them happy for a while.
Update: Let’s say Yow is a Yes! man: he was voted ‘Best County Commissioner’ in Yes! Weekly’s Triad’s Best 2008 list.
