Editor, The Pickens Sentinel

Jevans@pickenssentinel.com

PICKENS COUNTY - A new political group in the county hopes to help inform voters on where candidates truly stand on issues important to conservatives.

Conservatives of Pickens County formed earlier this year, said Junius Smith, the group's treasurer.

The group will begin meeting monthly and there is no charge to join, he said.

"You must be a conservative and you cannot be an elected official," Smith said.

Members just agree with the group's definition of conservative, he said.

"A conservative follows God's law, believes in constitutional government, believes in limited government, believes that the government is accountable to the people, believes in private property rights, and is a person of conviction and understanding," Smith said.

Conservatives are also against illegal immigration, believe in transparency of government and resolution of conflict, Smith said.

"Transparency in government, where government business is discussed in public and not behind closed doors," he said. "We've got a lot of that in this county. Business can be discussed in private, but everything needs to be brought out."

Often, public input portions of government meetings are "vent sessions" that result in no resolution, he said.

"School board, they sit up there and it falls on deaf ears, nothing ever comes out of it," he said. "County council is a little better. They do try and resolve conflict."

Conservatives of Pickens County began "out of frustration" Smith said.

"We have politicians who run as conservative Republicans and vote like liberal Democrats," Smith said. "We really do not have a single conservative candidate in office right now. We have a lot who advertise themselves as such but are not."

The group stands against laws, such as Act 208, that they believe allow government officials to "raises taxes without a vote," through property reassessment, Smith said.

"This reassessment law allows the county auditor to underestimate the value of a mill," he said. "Millions of dollars go into the county budget or school budget and never come out."

Founding members are frustrated with the debates that have been held so far in the county and plan to hold their own, Smith said.

"We're not going to limit the candidates to 30-second answers," Smith said. "We're going to invite fewer candidates to each one and give them as long as it takes for us to ask question and them to answer them."

Tougher debates will scare off candidates who are merely pretending to be true conservatives, Smith said.

"In my opinion, these liberals who act like conservatives will not come because they can't stand up to the questioning," Smith said. "I hope they come. Maybe it will put them to thinking about what they're doing."

The group "will not necessarily support any particular candidates," Smith said.

"We want to inform the public about what's going on," he said.

The group hopes to have 500 members by the November election and 1,500 members by the first of the year, Smith said.

"We're well on our way," he said.

Conservatives of Pickens County will hold their next meeting 7 p.m. August 14 at Blue Ridge Bible Church on Belle Shoals Road in Pickens.