America is the land of opportunity. Each year, waves of immigrants come to this country seeking out a better life for themselves and their families. To those who follow the rules and legally cross our borders, I admire them for their courage and determination. Unfortunately, many immigrants come here illegally and obtain fraudulent documentation such [...]
Corruption Archives
- Aug18
Teachers Union Buys A Spot Inside Perdue’s Inner Circle
Remember how the National Association of Educators (NEA) spent $2.2 million helping Bev Perdue get elected governor? Well, it looks like it has bought them a seat in her inner circle. From the News & Observer: Dawn Shephard Pope is Gov. Bev Perdue’s new teacher adviser. The governor’s teacher adviser is a liaison between the [...]
- Aug05
Bailouts R’ Us
The latest $26 billion federal bailout package passed yesterday claims it will protect another 4,500 teaching jobs in North Carolina. If you remember, earlier this year Gov. Perdue transferred over $100 million in lottery revenue to protect another 1,700 teacher and other staff positions. So we’re protecting 6,200 school positions that normally would have been [...]
- 1Aug05
Larry Leake must go!
This story about Larry Leake is just the latest in a long growing list of reasons why he should resign immediately. He has been on the board for far too long and it is time to go. By inserting himself into an ongoing investigation he has disqualified himself from sitting as a member of the board [...]
- Aug03
Gov. Perdue speaks about new Ethics Bill
Gov. Bev Perdue speaks about HB 961—a major ethics reform law— in a signing ceremony from the Old House Chamber in the State Capitol. Standing behind the Governor are Rep. Paul Stam (R-Wake), Speaker Joe Hackney (D-Orange), Rep. Deborah Ross (D-Wake), Rep. Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), and Sen. Josh Stein (D-Wake).
- Aug03
Politicians Refuse Accountability in Ethics Bill
One can only speculate why the ethics bill signed yesterday by Governor Perdue did not include a provision that would make politicians personally liable for campaign finance penalties. Perhaps it has something to do with the ongoing drama that is the Perdue Campaign and its failure to report $56,000 in flights taken during the 2004 [...]
- Jul27
Asheville Investigative Journalism Training
Do you often have a hunch that something in your state or local government just isn’t right but you don’t quite know how or where to start investigating? Do you feel strongly about exposing government waste and abuse and believe that citizens deserve greater transparency from government agencies? If you answered yes to these questions, please consider joining us this Friday in Asheville [...]
- Jul26
Potential Scandal in Perdue DOT
It looks as though the Durham Herald-Sun may be on to something. Early this morning, an article was posted to the newspaper’s website outlining a scenario in which the Perdue Administration could be implicated in a convoluted plot to skirt local zoning regulations in Durham. Such an accusation is certainly worth examination, although the relationship [...]
- Jul20
In Kim Strach’s Defense
If you are a woman working in a high-powered job, you should think like your husband. Actually, your husband illegally shares privileged information at home because he wants you to think like him. This is what Governor Perdue’s lawyer John Wallace has made clear to Kim Strach. Deputy Election Director Kim Strach is under fire [...]
- Jul16
Highway Patrol Commander resigns
Highway Patrol Commander Randy Glover has submitted his resignation, according to a report on WRAL.com. “This morning, I met with Highway Patrol Col. Randy Glover and (Crime Control and Public Safety) Secretary Reuben Young,” Gov. Bev Perdue said in a statement. “After a brief discussion, I accepted the colonel’s resignation.” Perdue did not say why [...]
- 2Jul16
More Ethics Issues for ABC Stores
Per the Greensboro News-Record, it appears as though another of North Carolina’s Alcohol Beverage Control Boards is in trouble. This time it’s Greensboro’s ABC Board General Manager Katie Alley that is accused of unethical actions including accepting gifts from liquor companies. Troubles in Greensboro come only months after controversy over exorbitant salaries exploded in New [...]
- Jul08
News & Observer at it Again
Seemingly, the case of former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley is moving forward and so-called missing pieces are starting to filter into play. According to the News & Observer, “Judge Howard Manning issued an order today giving lawyers for The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer, several other newsgathering organizations and the conservative John Locke Foundation permission [...]
- Jul01
Secretary Marshall in Bed with Lobbyists?
This past Tuesday, the North Carolina Democratic Party held a fundraiser in their headquarters that was attended by Gov. Bev Perdue, members of the Council of State, a handful of legislators (including Speaker Joe Hackney), and an unknown number of lobbyists. The gathering was held the same week that members of the General Assembly were [...]
- Jul01
S.B. 1114
S.B. 1114 has now passed the third reading of both the Senate and the House. Apparently neither body saw the potential for patronage that this bill creates; however, it is now up to Governor Perdue to take a stand. If the Governor wants to crack down on government corruption as much as she claims, one would [...]
- Jul01
A More In-depth Look at No-bid Contracts
Several weeks ago I wrote a Bad Bill of the Week for SB 1114 – a bill that would remove the bidding requirements for municipal contracts in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Asheville, and Mecklenburg County. In a more recently published article in the Chapel Hill News, I address the arguments of the bill’s supporters and further [...]
- 1Jun30
Budgeting 101
In all the moaning and groaning over the just completed budget deal, Senate Majority Leader Martin Nesbitt (D-Buncombe) candidly quipped, “There’s not enough money for anyone down here to be proud of”. See article. There you have it, the unvarnished political philosophy of your Senate leadership: bring home the bacon. So much for doing the right [...]
- 2Jun25
What Should be Bad Bill of the Week
One of the worst bills in recent memory, SJR1456, “A Joint Resolution Honoring the Dook Blue Devils on Winning the 2010 National Basketball Championship,” was passed yesterday in a joint session of the General Assembly. Whereas the previous men’s basketball national champion, the University of North Carolina, is an asset to the state because of [...]
- Jun23
Campaign Ethics Idea
The Raleigh News & Observer’s Andrew Curliss has observed in a recent post that there are some potentially good ethics regulations missing from the ethics bill (HB961) currently being considered at the General Assembly. One suggestion that stands out would “require candidates to sign their campaign reports subject to perjury violations.” Currently, campaigns are required [...]
- Jun22
Irony of the Ethics Bill
The bill (HB961) is 34 pages, was sent out late last night after being hammered out in darkness, and was considered for little more than an hour in the Senate Judiciary I Committee. Ironically, it is a bill entitled “Government Ethics and Campaign Reform Act of 2010.” The portion of the act that strengthens ethics [...]
- Jun21
Senate approves Internet sweepstakes ban
The Senate Monday night approved a ban on Internet sweepstakes cafes in North Carolina. It does not prohibit sweepstakes used for products sold in stores. The measure passed 47-1. The one dissenting vote was from Democratic Senator Julia Boseman of Wilmington. She is sponsoring a bill that would legalize the sweepstakes games and tax them. [...]