Praying for reason

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners' fight to preserve sectarian prayer to open their meetings, which seemed close to ending just days ago, roared back this week as supporters trained their fire on Dave Plyler, the swing vote on the issue and the chairman of the board. Plyler should vote to cease further appeals of the case that could ultimately cost taxpayers several hundred thousand dollars.

The Rev. Steve Corts, backed by several fellow members of the North Carolina Partnership for Religious Liberty at a press conference Thursday, said that Plyler should think long and hard about his decision on the fight with the American Civil Liberties Union because "the political ramifications for him are going to be serious."

There was the strong implication that if Plyler votes for the county to drop the prayer case, he'll lose the backing of many Christian voters in the 2012 election. Plyler said commissioners have agreed to vote Feb. 22 on whether to appeal a federal judge's ruling against the county.

Corts and the partnership, a local group, have cornered Plyler. He said a couple of weeks ago that he'd vote to end the fight if the partnership wouldn't sign a new agreement guaranteeing it would pay the ACLU's legal costs should the Christian organization representing the county lose. It has already lost a major round. U.S. District Court Judge James Beaty Jr. of the 4th Circuit ruled the board's sectarian prayer (prayer to a specific deity)unconstitutional last month and ordered it to stop. The ACLU is seeking $127,000 in legal costs so far, Plyler said.

Corts said his group has raised $55,000, has pledges for another $100,000, can raise more money as needed and has offered a new agreement for the board to consider. But the agreement doesn't guarantee it will cover all the costs. Plyler said yesterday that he'll seek that guarantee at a meeting with Corts.

But even if the money comes through, the county's public accountability is already taking a beating. County Attorney Davida Martin, realizing that the sectarian prayer was illegal, declined to defend the county. Rather than retain an outside law firm, the county joined forces with the Alliance Defense Fund, an organization with a Christian agenda over which the county has no control. The local partnership from which it has accepted help -- the only thing standing between taxpayers and potentially high legal costs -- couldn't provide information Thursday about the number of members and churches it has recruited.

We applaud Plyler for taking a step Thursday to regain some accountability on this issue. A closed session had been scheduled between commissioners and the Alliance Defense Fund lawyer handling the case. Plyler successfully moved to open part of the discussion. The lawyer, Michael Johnson, contended that there's a good chance of winning the case. Commissioners Debra Conrad, who wants to appeal, and Walter Marshall, who doesn't, passionately stated their views, as did other commissioners.

Then, acting on earlier prodding from Conrad and Commissioner Gloria Whisenhunt to close part of the discussions on the issue, the board went into closed session.

If Plyler doesn't end this fight, the county will be in for more such closed sessions. And it could be in for a costly loss.

Walk, don't fly

We welcome the state's efforts to finally get serious about campaign-ethics reform. This can't happen soon enough. But from time to time, a bit of humor breaks the tension.

Such was the case last week after the State Board of Elections, acting on information received during a hearing involving former Gov. Mike Easley's campaign, sent out letters to all gubernatorial candidates in 2004 and 2008 asking if their "private air travel was properly accounted for and in compliance with contribution regulations, if not reimbursed." (Easley, a Democrat, has been penalized $100,000 for failing to disclose dozens of campaign flights piloted by a close political ally.)

One of the letters went to Dan Barrett of Davie County, a Republican who lost out in the 2004 Republican primary for governor. Barrett made a well-publicized campaign walk across the state. He didn't do any flying, he said this week.

He paid for the five pairs of shoes he wore out during the walk, he said, even though some people suggested that he should have asked Nike to sponsor his walk.

To good use

The city of Winston-Salem reported some good news this week: It has earned about $73,500 in the past three months by investing a $15.5 million refund from Dell, the computer plant that will close in April.

The money was a refund of city incentives, less about $39,000 for repaying early.

Forsyth County got a $7.9 million refund, less about $20,000 for repaying early. Its investment strategy, which earned about $8,000 over the three-month period, was more conservative. By policy, the county's only investment fund is blended, which mixes short- and long-term rates, said Paul Fulton, the county's finance director.

Earning interest is good. But the city and county should soon start working together to put the money back to its original use -- creating jobs. Finding a new tenant for the Dell plant would be an excellent start.