“Why does Curt hate me so much?”
That question was posed by Mayor Matthew Block about a week ago during a telephone conversation with Staff Writer Katelin Gandee. She, of course, couldn’t give him an answer — and she shouldn’t be asked to answer for me.
But I can give a pretty simple response that has served me well over the years: I don’t hate anybody, ever, but there are some people I just don’t trust or respect. It goes with the territory. And I certainly don’t have to shake a hand to know whether I trust or respect someone. I’ve learned people can be one way face to face, and another behind your back.
All of that, and more, is the case with this mayor.
During my nearly 40 years in this industry, I’ve associated with many mayors — from smaller towns to larger cities. It would be silly to try and claim I’ve agreed with or believed everything each of them has offered. But nearly every one has been up front, transparent, cooperative and easy to work with regardless of the issue.
Not the case with this mayor.
I should give full disclosure by stating that the stories about this mayor found their way to me over in Elizabethtown, while with the Bladen Journal, long before I arrived in Laurinburg. My former co-worker, neighbor and friend, the late Scott Witten, would often share tidbits about how difficult, snarky and untruthful this mayor really was. But as I found out, those stories were merely the tip of a deep and twisted iceberg.
I will say this about the mayor: He is very intelligent, a social media genius and incredibly leadership-challenged.
He likes to post things on Facebook that simply aren’t true. I once was told that, if you don’t know something, talk like you do and people will believe you — even if what you say isn’t true. This is what the mayor has mastered.
For instance, to definitively claim the cost of The Exchange was doubled and the delivery changed to mail was all my doing is blatantly false. These things are a corporate decision, with no input from any editor.
Speaking of posting blatant untruths: Did y’all know that the construction of the new City Hall, including the approval of all construction costs, didn’t occur until after the mayor took office and had a series of backroom agreements that allowed him to secretly give support while publicly bashing the project?
Chew on that a moment.
It’s very hard to trust and respect someone who has an issue with and constantly bashes almost every other area mover and shaker. If there were only a couple, perhaps we could all understand. But since it’s most, then the real problem probably isn’t all of them, but him.
This mayor also seems to enjoy poking at the positive accomplishments of others, while claiming he has better ideas. The fact of the matter is, this mayor talks a lot but has accomplished little. Rather than help the city become a better place for its residents, he continually chastises any efforts by others with the attitude that his way is the only way. He just doesn’t seem to play well with others.
He is currently a candidate for a voting spot on the City Council, but let’s not forget the last time his name was on a local ballot — which was in 2018 as a candidate for the Scotland County Board of Commissioners. At the 11th hour, he implored residents not to vote for him because he had changed his mind … supposedly because he realized he wasn’t going to be able to change anything (i.e. he knew he would lose).
It’s my feeling that this mayor would rather rule over a kingdom than lead a community.
During a recent candidate forum, his real character shown brightly as he attempted to bully his opponent with a rant that was full of venom and no real substance. His effort was rightly short-circuited.
On top of all that, there are this mayor’s issues with the IRS, not paying his local property taxes on time, letting a number of properties fall into disrepair from Laurinburg to Southport, his drug and alcohol problems, his medical license being rescinded by the state of New York, being put on probation and not being allowed to write certain prescriptions by the state of North Carolina’s medical board, the fact that his own practice has gone over the cliff and he has been banned from working in some area hospitals.
As you read yesterday in The Exchange, this mayor also has little regard for the law — local, state or federal. That’s obvious from the number of traffic violations he’s received, his medical license woes and his blatant disregard of a federal law that doesn’t allow elected officials to block people from their social media accounts (he may claim he didn’t know, but he does). And it doesn’t matter, according to the law, if it’s his personal or city Facebook account that’s used to discuss government issues.
As for why he does it, his claim that he only blocks people who make “untrue comments or they are making personal attacks” is, well … obviously the pot calling the kettle black.
On top of that, Block’s reaction to that Facebook story shows just how much he cares about Laurinburg. He said those blocked can sue if they want because “the city has deep pockets.” So the mayor complains about the cost of a new City Hall to replace an eyesore of a municipal building, yet couldn’t care about causing a potential liability to the city. Nice.
As a leader, this mayor refuses to attend ribbon-cuttings and most community events, even after saying he will attend — making his word worthless.
So, no, mayor, I don’t hate you. But now you know how I do feel, and I’ll repeat something I said many months ago: If you think something is wrong, it must be right … and vice versa.
By the way, that bit about the new City Hall? It’s fake news … a la Block.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or cvincent@laurinburgexchange.