When it comes to budget cuts, the Moore County commissioners are considering lopping off items in their own budget next year.

Possible cuts under consideration range from eliminating nonessential advertising to reducing or eliminating fees paid to the clergy to open meetings with prayer.

Clerk to the Board Megan Owrey Garner prepared a set of budget cutting options for the board's consideration at a Monday night meeting. The subject was back on the agenda for discussion at a work session held Thursday night.

If all the recommended cuts are made, they would total $14,297. The board's budget was cut 4.2 percent, or almost $10,000, for the current year, when all departments underwent sharp funding reductions because of the sluggish economy.

"If we're going to ask the departments to cut their budgets, we have to make cuts ourselves," said Board Chairman Tim Lea after Garner had completed her report.

"OBAMACARE' - Con-gressman Howard Coble took to the House floor Tuesday afternoon to renew his opposition to the health-care reform legislation supported by President Obama and Senate and House Democratic leaders.

The 6th District Republican said he visited four of his six counties during the previous weekend and could find no support for the bill known informally by critics as "Obamacare."

In addition to an appearance at the Moore County Republican convention Saturday, he also visited Davidson and Rowan counties as well as his home county of Guilford.

"Madam speaker, this proposal is a train wreck waiting to occur," Coble said. "We need no train wrecks," Coble said. "I will admit that some attention needs to be directed to the delivery of health care in this nation, but this is not the appropriate vehicle to deliver it. We need to scrap this bill and start anew with a sound proposal."

EARMARKS - Faced with opposition in the GOP primary election in May, Coble appeared to be on a roll this week.

His office reported that Coble not only favors a moratorium on all earmarks, but also he is co-sponsoring a bill to cut the funding hat would go to those congressional spending projects. He said banning earmarks is just the first step.

"Ending earmarks will not save taxpayers one brown penny," Coble said. "You have to cut the funding that goes to the earmarks. Banning earmarks alone just means that unelected bureaucrats in Washington will decide where the money will be spent. There would be no corresponding reduction in spending. That's why this bill to cut the money is the companion piece that is needed."

Coble is an original co-sponsor of the resolution sponsored by Congressman Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican, calling for reform of the spending and earmark processes.

"The system has become so flawed and viewed as tainted by the public that we should scrap it and start over," he said.

NO ACTION - The Moore County commissioners extended a lengthy Monday night meeting by entering into closed (to the public) session at the end of the regular open session.

However, when they returned to open session, the commissioners reported there was no action to take.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at (910) 693-2479 or by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.