NC councilman authors resignation letter in Klingon

A North Carolina town councilman decided to seek out the final frontier of local politics this week when he boldly tendered his resignation – in the fictional Klingon language.

David Waddell, who served on the Indian Trail council for two years, quit after deciding that resistance to the spending habits of his fellow council members was futile, he told FoxNews.com on Friday.

“I was just trying to do a thing in a light-hearted way, and kind of have some fun on the way out,” he said.

A plumber by trade, Waddell, who still had two years left on his term, said he consistently voted against spending plans such as a public-private contract for a sports complex and placing an $8.5 million park referendum on the ballot in the town of 33,000 people. But the measures were approved despite his opposition.

In his resignation letter, a copy of which was published by the Charlotte Observer, Waddell, a self-described “Goldwater Republican,” urges the city council to “teach (the) city (the) constitution,” concluding with a take on an old Klingon battle cry: “Perhaps today is a good day (to) resign.”

The Klingons are the main adversaries in the Star Trek television series.

Waddell said he translated the note using Bing, though he found the Klingon language – based on characters not known for moderation – to be a bit limited.

“They don’t have a word for ‘resign,’” Waddell said. “A better word would have been 'done.' 'Finished.'”

Waddell is now turning his attention to challenge Kay Hagen, D-N.C., for her Senate seat, running as a write-in candidate on the Constitution Party platform, though he admits he’s a long shot to win.

Still, Waddell hopes to inspire residents to follow the values of old-school conservatism – the values of which can be gleaned in the Klingon ways.

“They value integrity, honor and duty,” he says, “and that’s something that’s lacking in government.”