So now north Carolina is chicago?

12/15/2008 1:40:51 PM

No it isn't. The Democratic Party in NC is a different machine that makes a similar product.



[Edited on December 15, 2008 at 2:01 PM. Reason : need more pics in this thread]

12/15/2008 1:51:07 PM

okay lol.

12/15/2008 1:59:10 PM

12/15/2008 2:01:45 PM

Governor's ex-in-law gets raise

Quote :

"RALEIGH -- In the waning months of Gov. Mike Easley's administration, his former sister-in-law is getting a pay raise and more security in her state job. Judy Easley, who was married to the governor's brother, went to work for the state Department of Cultural Resources a month after Easley was sworn in for his first term in 2001. She was a top assistant who reported to the head of the agency, and her job was to keep tabs on about 100 boards and commissions associated with the department. She had a particular emphasis on working with the Governor's Office on who was appointed to those boards. In March, her job classification was changed, making it more difficult to fire her. Her title is "administrative services manager." Across state government, certain jobs, often referred to as patronage positions, are considered so intertwined with a governor's agenda that officials are given wide latitude in hiring and firing. The vast majority of state jobs, though, are governed by a set process for discipline or dismissal. Judy Easley's job was brought under those protections earlier this year. The change, which came with a new job description and more duties, included a 10 percent raise. She now makes $70,500. The change was made without Gov. Easley's knowledge and reflected the work that Judy Easley was being asked to do, said Staci Meyer, acting secretary of the cultural resources department. "I made a business decision," Meyer said in an interview. "She is such a valuable piece of what we do. Don't hold it against her because her name is 'Easley.' " Judy Easley, through Meyer, declined to comment. The governor questioned why the changes would produce criticism. "She's been an outstanding employee for eight years," Easley said in an interview. Earlier this year, Easley's wife, Mary Easley, got an $80,000 pay increase and new responsibilities in her job at N.C. State University. She will now make $170,000, although she was later required to raise $55,250 of it. Mary Easley was already under scrutiny for her participation in a cultural exchange trip to Russia and Estonia that cost $110,000. An audit found that roughly 40 percent of the expenses were unreasonable or unallowable. Judy Easley accompanied the first lady on that trip. Meyer said that since Easley's time in office is winding to a close, there have been few new appointments to boards and commissions. As a result, her job has been more focused on keeping tabs on the work of the boards. Meyer said that since the job had become less political, she changed the job description and the exemption to the personnel law. Then, in November, the department's western administrator retired. The department is under a hiring freeze because of slowing revenue, and Meyer said she could not seek applicants. She asked Judy Easley if she would be willing to work from the Asheville office, located in Biltmore Village. Now in addition to coordinating boards and commissions, Judy Easley will be responsible for the historic collection at the western residence the state maintains for governors, as well as programs in the west, such as historic preservation efforts. "The very things that she's been doing from Raleigh are desperately needed in the western part of the state," Meyer said. "We needed somebody on the ground to enhance the services we provide." "

Also check out the NC government salary database: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/data/story/418239.html

Accorinding to it, the 2nd highest paid government worker in Wake County is Lawrence Wheeler of Cultural Resources. "Job Title: DIRECTOR STATE MUSEUM OF ART"

The 1st highest is the State Treasurer. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/data/story/418239.html?appSession=880138360644293

12/18/2008 9:34:28 AM

1) Those numbers are out of date
2) Those numbers are incomplete and do not include everyone
3)

Quote :

"The change was made without Gov. Easley's knowledge and reflected the work that Judy Easley was being asked to do, said Staci Meyer, acting secretary of the cultural resources department."

12/18/2008 10:56:28 AM

okay lol

12/18/2008 11:01:23 AM

So you are contending those number are complete and up to date? Because I'm currently looking them and I do not see a single person from my department listed. So in other words you are ignorantly posting again.

12/18/2008 11:03:42 AM

What's your department?

12/18/2008 11:04:52 AM

entirely insignificant.

Also, Richard Moore isn't the highest paid state employee in Wake county.

12/18/2008 11:06:27 AM

Dude, I won't investigate your department or send emails or anything like that. But c'mon, the numbers don't lie.

Who is the highest paid employee of Wake County?

12/18/2008 11:11:58 AM

It ain't Richard Moore, who happens to be the State Treasurer until January 9th. He only makes $123,000.

12/18/2008 11:13:50 AM

Oh no sorry, didn't even look at the name of 1st just the dept.

The highest paid is

Name GERRICK, PATRICIA A
Salary $340,000
Job Title STATE INVESTMENT OFFICER
Division STATE TREASURER
County WAKE
Full time / Part time FT
Permanent / Temporary Permanent

12/18/2008 1:29:45 PM

Don't try to cover. You don't know who the State Treasurer is, yet you want us to believe you when you talk about systemic corruption in the North Carolina Democratic Party.

12/18/2008 1:49:58 PM

Yea, I know who Richard Moore is. My mistake.

Get off TWW and quit wasting my tax dollars.

12/18/2008 1:56:15 PM

Bullshit. I've given you two opportunities to realize your mistake and yet both times you didn't realize it, then you pulled out this bullshit about not looking at the name, yet you have the time to look up the name and position of the second highest paid individual.

12/18/2008 2:27:23 PM

Get off TWW and quit wasting my tax dollars

12/18/2008 2:35:57 PM

you can't take being called out?

12/18/2008 2:39:24 PM

I don't have the energy to argue with your blindness and arrogance.

12/18/2008 2:57:01 PM

blindness? I think the blindness is your claim that you were capable of looking at the second person on the list, but incapable of looking at the name a few pixels above it.

Fess up, you had no idea who the State Treasurer is.

It's arrogance to assume that your excuse will suffice an explanation for your ignorance.

12/19/2008 10:34:43 AM

You can dance around a minute point that I conceded a few posts all you want to. I don't have the energy to argue with the vicious denial you use to defend crooked party members.

And in other news:

Report: Retiree rigged jobs, raises at DMV

Quote :

"Internal investigative files released Friday say that Greene County patronage boss Eddie Carroll Thomas had "long-standing and widespread" influence over personnel decisions in one of the state Division of Motor Vehicles' largest sections -- Driver and Vehicle Services. Need a job? Send an application to Thomas. Want a troublesome colleague transferred? Talk to Thomas. Need someone to get you a new DMV job assignment? Thomas is "the man," employees told investigators. All this is considerable influence for a 73-year-old man who is no longer a state employee. Thomas was once a Transportation Department maintenance supervisor, but he abruptly retired five years ago after state records showed dozens of calls from his work phone being made to top officials across state government. State and federal investigations looked into two state contracts connected to Thomas' business partners and Thomas' role as a conduit for jobs and appointments at other state agencies. "I personally was shocked and offended by what was contained in the investigative report," DMV Commissioner Bill Gore said. "And I was offended not only as an administrator but as a citizen." Gore turned over the investigation to Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby on Nov. 4. A month later, Willoughby wrote that he would not pursue it. Part of Thomas' influence stems from his role as a political fundraiser. He raised money for both former Gov. Jim Hunt and current Gov. Mike Easley. An internal Easley campaign document from 2000 showed Thomas had been tapped to raise $40,000 from Greene County, among the state's poorest counties. Employees told investigators that Thomas had the ear of the section's head, Wayne Hurder, who became the DMV's second-in-command in August 2007. In numerous instances, the files say, Hurder backed what Thomas wanted. Hurder, 61, was fired Oct. 31 for using his position "to exert improper influence in personnel matters," Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett said in a letter that authorized release of the investigative files. Hurder has denied any wrongdoing and is suing to get his job back. Hurder said that Thomas, who he acknowledges is a friend, held no influence over him. Hurder joined the DMV in 1993 and made $101,867 a year. Hurder told investigators he met Thomas five years ago. "Nobody speaks for me," Hurder said. "The district supervisors and others on my staff know that nobody can speak directly for me." Thomas could not be reached for comment. Costs to taxpayers The personnel moves cost taxpayers, Gore said. Employees who shifted to other offices -- without their direct supervisors' approval, or in some cases without their knowledge -- cost the state at least $80,000 unnecessarily. Hurder said the moves were made to combat manpower shortages. When it came time to interview job candidates for positions in the eastern part of the state, Hurder called upon Thomas' nephew, Danny Thomas, to drive from Morganton, 200 miles west of Raleigh, where he was a district supervisor. Records show those trips cost the state thousands in travel expenses. Thomas and another DMV supervisor, Mike Salisbury, handled much of the examiner interviews for jobs in the eastern part of the state. Salisbury, Danny Thomas, Hurder and other DMV employees would regularly join Eddie Carroll Thomas for dinner. Danny Thomas told investigators that his uncle and Hurder would discuss personnel matters. The files show an instance in which interviews for two examiner jobs in eastern North Carolina were supposed to be handled by Danny Thomas, but inadvertently got assigned to another supervisor, Nadine Barnes. She did not pick a person recommended by Eddie Carroll Thomas. Hurder ordered the paperwork redone to show the person Thomas recommended was one of the top two choices for two positions. "

Thomas

[Edited on December 21, 2008 at 5:09 PM. Reason : .]

12/21/2008 5:04:40 PM

The News and Observer has been naming names and bringing their A-game against these fuckers lately. It's like they know that their only remaining relevance as a news organization is in exposing corruption.

12/21/2008 7:58:59 PM

Quote :

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina donated $643,000 to state politicians from the 2000 election cycle through 2008, the election watchdog group Democracy North Carolina says. No other company the size of Blue Cross has donated more to state politics, the organization said in a news release. State Sen. Tony Rand, the Democratic majority leader and chairman of a Senate committee on employees' hospital and medical benefits, received $36,000 from Blue Cross, making him the top recipient, the group said. The second-highest recipient was Senate leader Marc Basnight, who received $35,000. Blue Cross administers the health insurance plan for state employees. The plan is supervised by a legislative body. "This arrangement puts legislative leaders in the awkward position of monitoring themselves," Democracy North Carolina said in the release. "When substantial political money flows from insurers to legislators, the awkward position becomes more problematic to a skeptical public, even when legislators are doing their best to protect the public interest." Executives from Blue Cross contributed an additional $117,000 to state politicians during the same 2000-08 period, the organization said. The top recipients of donations from the executives were Basnight, Attorney General Roy Cooper and Gov. Beverly Perdue. Democracy North Carolina said that although the plan is in trouble, Blue Cross has a reserve fund in excess of $1.2 billion and gave its top six executives $10.5 million in salaries and bonuses in 2008. "

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1449024.html

Conflict of interest?

3/19/2009 4:55:39 PM

maybe there should be another party in NC that's not wedded to the Jesse Helms wing of the GOP or the movement to make colloidal silver legitimate medicine.

just saying, since i have no other argument w/ this thread other than to say that we're going to be choosing between knuckleheads in this state forever, apparently.

3/23/2009 6:55:38 PM

Quote :

"Easley pays for 2 cars The wife of former governor had been driving a dealership's Accord for weeks. Former Gov. Mike Easley and his wife, Mary, have apparently bought two vehicles that the family has been driving but did not previously own. Separate auto dealers say they have now sold the Easleys the vehicles -- a $30,000 Honda Accord and a 2000 GMC Yukon that Mary Easley and Mike Easley Jr. had been driving. Both were included in a story in Sunday's News & Observer. Division of Motor Vehicle records do not yet show the Easleys as owners of those cars. But DMV allows 10 days for submitting title work on cars purchased without borrowing and 20 days for transactions in which borrowing takes place. Usually, title work is filed at the same time as a purchase or within a few days, according to Joey Gardner, assistant director in the DMV's license and theft bureau. The N&O's report showed that Mary Easley was driving the Accord for at least the past six weeks, mostly commuting from her home to her job at N.C. State University. Hendrick Honda of Charlotte had bought the car in the final week of the Easley administration, paying a sticker price plus fees and taxes that totaled $30,557, records show. The car was bought by Hendrick Honda Jan. 7. Easley left office Jan. 10. The N&O also reported that the former governor, a Democrat, took a vacation to a small island off Key West, Fla., in March 2008 and that the trip was paid for by Rick Hendrick. Under state ethics rules, Easley generally could not accept such gifts as governor. One exception: Gifts based on personal ties and that did not appear to be related to lobbying. Easley and Hendrick said Hendrick did not lobby Easley. Hendrick Automotive owns 30 dealerships in North Carolina. Hendrick Motorsports sponsors four NASCAR race teams, and Hendrick is involved in a trade association that has secured racing-friendly legislation. In a letter to The N&O on Wednesday, Hendrick criticized the Sunday report as full of innuendo. In the letter, Hendrick repeated some responses included in the Sunday report, among them that he didn't discuss legislation with Easley and that his role in the trade association was ceremonial. In the letter, Hendrick said the Easleys have purchased the Honda Accord, something he says he previously told The N&O. He did not. 'A loaner' Prior to publication, neither Hendrick nor the Easleys would agree to interviews. They submitted written responses to questions about the car arrangement. Of the Accord, the Easleys had said only that it was a "loaner" Mary Easley was using until "her car comes in." Hendrick said prior to publication that "Mary has test driven three vehicles, and she is purchasing one." In the letter this week, Hendrick said the N&O's account of the Accord "was blown way out of proportion and downplayed the significant detail that the Easleys did purchase the vehicle." Last week, the Easleys and Hendrick declined to provide documents that would have shown the Easleys had purchased the car. Hendrick said the Easleys have purchased another vehicle as well but did not provide details. Still, this means Hendrick's dealership purchased the Accord from itself in January and now has re-sold it to a customer. Dealers typically don't do that, according to DMV officials. Usually, dealers keep cars as inventory, avoiding outright purchases because such transactions trigger taxes and fees normally passed on to customers. For example, in January, Hendrick paid $931 in taxes and fees on the Accord. A property tax bill on it would have been received by May. State law allows dealers to assign a car to a customer as a test-drive vehicle. The car gets a "dealer" tag and is driven on a permit good for up to 96 hours. The permit can be renewed. The N&O report also showed that Mike Easley Jr. had been driving the 2000 Yukon but it was owned by the Bleecker Olds Buick GMC dealership in Red Springs, near Fayetteville. Like the Hendrick Accord, the Yukon was purchased by the dealer from itself, this one in 2003. The dealership paid $16,935 for it, insured it and was paying the property tax bills. The former governor had said the Yukon had been part of a lease and that he had purchased it, but the records did not show that. The dealership is owned by Robert F. Bleecker. He said this week that Easley had purchased the car, but he was unsure of whether the paperwork had been processed. "But they have bought it," he said. Asked why Easley had thought it was part of a lease, Bleecker said he couldn't explain it. He asked for time to get some answers. That was Tuesday. He has not returned phone or e-mail messages. "

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1469563.html



[Edited on April 3, 2009 at 8:54 AM. Reason : pic]

4/3/2009 8:33:56 AM

THE DEMOCRAT PARTY

4/7/2009 8:15:08 PM

Quote :

"Ex-congressman serves time at home Ballance is doing his last 3 months By Gary D. Robertson - The Associated Press Published: Tue, Apr. 14, 2009 05:37AMModified Mon, Apr. 13, 2009 11:50PM Frank Ballance, a former Democratic congressman from Warrenton, was released from prison March 23 and is now serving the last three months at home, said Gary Moore, a manager of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons' halfway houses and community corrections in North Carolina. Ballance, 67, pleaded guilty in 2004 to conspiring to divert taxpayers' money to his family and others through a charitable organization he helped start as a state legislator. He began serving his sentence in December 2005, but sentences can be reduced for good behavior. An electronic surveillance bracelet prevents Balance from leaving his home unless he receives permission, Moore said. Ballance will have to serve two years under supervised probation once his term ends June 23, Moore said. Ballance served in the General Assembly over two decades before being elected to Congress in 2002. He resigned in June 2004, citing his ill health. Ballance's attorney during his plea and sentencing didn't immediately respond Monday to a request for comment. The longtime telephone number of Ballance's Warren County home now belongs to a place of business. A phone call to Ballance's son wasn't immediately returned. Ballance, who represented the 1st Congressional District in northeastern North Carolina, was sentenced after reaching a plea deal in which he acknowledged conspiring to commit mail fraud and launder money. Prosecutors said that as a state legislator Ballance channeled $2.3 million in state money to the nonprofit John A. Hyman Memorial Foundation, which was founded to help low-income people fight drug and alcohol abuse. Ballance then diverted some of that money from its intended purpose, according to authorities. Prosecutors said Ballance dipped into foundation money to give his son $20,000 toward a Lincoln Navigator luxury sport utility vehicle; to pay his daughter $5,000 for computer services she did not perform; and to share $143,250 with his mother to pay for community programs. As part of his sentence, Ballance agreed to repay about $62,000 and to forfeit $203,000 in a bank escrow account to the foundation. Ballance spent much of his time behind bars trying unsuccessfully to void his sentence, arguing that prosecutors threatened to charge his son with a felony instead of a misdemeanor unless the elder Ballance pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Garey Ballance, Ballance's son and a former state District Court judge, received a nine-month sentence on a tax charge involving the $20,000 he received from the foundation. "

4/14/2009 8:01:00 AM

KEEP 'EM COMIN!

4/14/2009 8:59:50 AM

So Easley's son at Chapel Hill has been riding around in the free Tahoe...


Staff photo by J. Andrew Curliss - Michael Easley Jr. fuels up a Navy GMC Yukon. The vehicle is owned, insured and listed for taxes by Bleecker Olds Buick GMC of Red Springs.


Jr on the left.

Grand jury hears car dealer who helped Easley

Quote :

"A Fayetteville car dealer who provided a vehicle for use by the family of former Gov. Mike Easley has been interviewed by federal authorities as part of a grand jury investigation, the dealer's lawyer says. A lawyer for Robert F. Bleecker said late Thursday that Bleecker was working with investigators. "Bobby Bleecker has been advised by the U.S. Attorney's office that he is not the target of the grand jury investigation and that he is only a witness," Gardner Altman, Bleecker's corporate lawyer, said in a statement. "The company has nothing to hide. Bobby... cooperated fully and truthfully because he sees no reason why he should not respond to any of their questions." In previous interviews with The News & Observer, Bleecker has not explained why Mike Easley Jr., a UNC law student, was driving a 2000 GMC Yukon that a Bleecker dealership bought in 2003 and has owned since. Bleecker's dealership was the listed insurer of the vehicle and had made the car's property tax payments in Robeson County, home to a Bleecker dealership. The former governor had said the vehicle was part of a lease, but no records on file with the state Division of Motor Vehicles support that. Attempts to reach Easley late Thursday were unsuccessful. The N&O first disclosed the car's use late last month. The story also showed that Easley's wife, Mary, had been driving a car owned by a separate dealer, Hendrick Honda of Charlotte, for at least six weeks. Easley called it a "loaner." Rick Hendrick, the NASCAR team owner and car dealer, is a friend of Easley who flew him last year on a private jet to Hendrick's home on a secluded island near Key West, Fla., for a fishing trip. Hendrick paid for the trip. The Easleys have since bought at least three cars, including the Bleecker vehicle and two from Hendrick. The statement from Bleecker's lawyer does not identify the target of the investigation. Grand jury deliberations are secret. The U.S. attorney in Raleigh, George Holding, said late Thursday that he would not "confirm or deny there is a grand jury investigation." Holding is a Republican likely to be replaced by President Barack Obama subject to Senate confirmation. Easley is a Democrat. A DMV spokeswoman had said Wednesday she was not aware of any contacts from law enforcement regarding the Easley cars. Attempts to reach DMV officials Thursday were not successful. But The N&O has obtained new records that show the highway use tax on the vehicle driven by Easley Jr. wasn't paid in 2003. The tax, $535, was paid this month by Bleecker's dealership. It was due six years ago. Records show that after the N&O story was published, the DMV asked Bleecker to provide proof the use tax had been paid. On April 3, the dealership paid the $535, which amounts to a 3 percent fee normally charged on auto purchases in lieu of the state sales tax. That act indicates that Bleecker owned the car all along and that it was not part of a lease. Typically, a lessee would pay the highway use tax at the time of acquiring the vehicle and would also be listed on registration documents with the state. Neither was the case on the vehicle Easley Jr. was driving. Records show the former governor bought the SUV on April 2, after The N&O inquired about it. Easley bought the truck for $6,239, slightly below the Kelly Blue Book value for the same vehicle in excellent condition. The blue book value is around $6,800. Reached by phone Wednesday, Bleecker said he could not speak about anything related to the vehicle: "It's a pretty high-profile event now, so I have no comment." "

[Edited on April 17, 2009 at 8:22 AM. Reason : picture link]

4/17/2009 8:03:19 AM

Ok, I hate Easley as much as the next guy but I'm still looking for something more dastardly than "rich dudes look out for each other" in all that. Maybe a "I hate it when rich people get stuff for free that I struggle to pay for - especially when they could easily afford it."

I guess a grand jury wouldn't be looking into it for no reason though. Is it against the law to gift people vehicles?

Was there some sort of legislation that Hendrick and Bleecker were trying to get passed by buttering up the ex-governor? I guess I could buy into a theory that revolves around Perdue being nothing more than Easley's puppet and the dealerships are looking for exclusivity rights to government vehicle contracts.

[Edited on April 17, 2009 at 8:15 AM. Reason : -]

4/17/2009 8:14:23 AM

time will tell hopefully

4/17/2009 11:21:47 AM

^^ well, given that some of these arrangements go back to when WEasley was governor, and for quite a while, mind you, I'd say charges of bribery aren't out of the question

4/17/2009 4:28:15 PM

let me get that jar for you

Quote :

"Easley campaign paid for vehicle feds are investigating Posted: Today at 6:40 p.m. Updated: Today at 7:12 p.m. Raleigh, N.C. — Former Gov. Mike Easley used campaign money to help pay for an SUV used by his son while Easley was in office, according to documents filed with the State Board of Elections. According to published reports, federal authorities are investigating Easley's relationship with automobile dealers, including the apparent free use of vehicles by the former governor's family. Easley couldn't be reached for comment Monday. Federal authorities wouldn't confirm or deny that an investigation is underway. Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand said that he and Fayetteville car dealer Bobby Bleecker have been contacted by federal investigators. One of Bleecker's dealerships provided a GMC Yukon for Michael Easley, the former governor's son. Mike Easley paid Bleecker Olds/Buick/GMC in Red Springs $6,884 for the SUV on April 2, shortly after reports about the vehicle appeared in the media. John Wallace, an attorney for the Mike Easley Committee, sent letters Friday and Monday to Gary Bartlett, executive director of the State Board of Elections, outlining the campaign's payment for SUV. "The committee has determined that the vehicle in question was apparently made available for campaign use in connection with the 2004 primary and general elections," Wallace wrote. "It appears the vehicle was used for personal purposes after mid-2005." About $6,710 in campaign money was used to pay Bleecker for the vehicle, according to the Friday letter. On Monday, the Mike Easley Committee cut a check for $2,911 to the State Board of Elections to cover interest for the belated reporting of the use of the SUV. Wallace said several quarterly campaign-finance reports from 2003 to 2005 also have been amended to reflect the use of the vehicle. Democratic political consultant Joe Sinsheimer, who played a role in the investigations that sent former House Speaker Jim Black and state Rep. Thomas Wright to prison, said he sees the early signs of a federal probe into Easley. "Did the governor try to enrich himself at the same time he was being a public servant?" Sinsheimer said. "That is usually at the heart of most public corruption cases." He said he believes investigators will also dig into a land deal Easley made with a private marina, as well as air travel supplied by the former governor's supporters while he was in office. "My guess is that this inquiry will spread out pretty quickly," he said."

from http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/4990616/

4/20/2009 8:30:11 PM

I voted McCrory. Fuck Easley, Purdue and their bunch. Easley's son i see occasionally around Raleigh and he is a straight up UNC douche faggot.

4/20/2009 10:32:08 PM

Thank you Sir! (Easley)

May I Have Another? (Perdue)

4/21/2009 12:16:23 AM

I was on a baseball team with Easley's son for 2 years and I liked the guy then. Of course, I was about 12 years old then.

4/21/2009 8:04:58 PM

State probes former lobbyist
It is looking into payment reports

Quote :

" RALEIGH -- Don Beason, once one of the state's most powerful lobbyists, is the subject of an investigation into whether he directed clients to underreport their payments to him, according to an investigator's affidavit. In the four-page sworn statement filed in Wake County Superior Court, John M. Lynch, a special agent with the N.C. secretary of state's lobbying compliance division, wrote that he thought Beason directed some of 24 groups and companies for which he and his son lobbied in 2007 to include inaccurate information on state disclosure forms. "I have discovered a pattern of under reporting of the lobbyist compensation," Lynch wrote. "This under reporting is often done at the instruction of the lobbyist without any written or substantial justification." Lynch said Beason made one such request of the Albemarle Mental Health Center, a regional facility in Elizabeth City where administrative costs are funded by state and federal money. "I learned that the Center was being directed by Donald R. Beason to report a significantly reduced amount and not the actual amount of compensation," Lynch wrote. In his sworn statement, Lynch did not identify the 23 other groups whose records he reviewed. The N.C. Secretary of State's office did not respond to a request to release that information Monday or to specify which groups might have underreported money paid to Beason. State law treats many reporting violations as misdemeanors. The affidavit was part of a legal action that Lynch's agency filed in mid-March in Wake County seeking a judge's help in getting records about Beason from Progress Energy, one of his clients. The subpoena request was filed after the Raleigh-based utility declined for months to turn over records the agency requested, questioning the authority of Lynch's office, according to the lawsuit. Progress Energy was the only client that didn't initially provide records to the secretary of state's office, according to Lynch. The utility has since agreed to hand over its records, said Gene Upchurch, a Progress Energy vice president. Mike Hughes, a spokesman for Progress Energy, said in a written statement that the company obeyed all lobbying laws. "Progress Energy's professional relationship and dealings with Mr. Beason were handled in compliance with all applicable laws regarding lobbying compensation," Hughes wrote. In a brief telephone interview Monday, Beason said he wasn't aware that Lynch was investigating the matter. "They hadn't talked to me about it at all," he said. He did not respond to further questions or attempts to reach him. Beason's time as a lobbying powerhouse ended in summer 2007 when reports surfaced that he gave a $500,000, no-interest loan to now-imprisoned former House Speaker Jim Black. Before Beason shut down Beason Government Affairs, he represented some of the state's best-known businesses for years, including BB&T, BellSouth, Progress Energy, and IBM in dealings with the state legislature. Beason once earned fees as high as $50,000 from individual clients, but his total earnings were unclear because some clients didn't fully report the fees as the law required, The News & Observer reported in July 2005. In 2004, IBM paid Beason $60,000, but only $3,000 of that total was designated as a payment for lobbying. The company deemed the rest of the money a "marketing consulting fee." 'The basic right to know' Underreporting by lobbyists and the parties that hire them is not necessarily new, but the issue was addressed in state reforms that went into effect in 2007, in the midst of the Jim Black scandal, said Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, an open government advocacy group. That law also made some reporting violations misdemeanors, punishable by fines. "It's important to know how much a special interest is paying to try to work with an agency and what they want from legislators," Hall said. "It's part of the basic right to know that the public has in relation to private interests trying to get public policies to benefit themselves and not necessarily a larger public purpose.""

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1503999.html

His voter registration is listed as unaffiliated but he's been linked to Democratic politicians like Jim Black for $500 grand. That said, he also worked earlier in his career as a top aide to two Republican governors.

I'd say he's a Democrat.

4/28/2009 8:57:34 PM

kill all democrats.

democrat party out of nc.

4/29/2009 5:47:34 PM

ABC boss resigns over racist e-mail

A racist photo circulated after November's election prompts Gov. Beverly Perdue to ask Doug Fox to resign
RALEIGH --

Gov. Beverly Perdue asked for -- and received -- the resignation of N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Commission Chairman Doug Fox on Tuesday, just hours after newspapers provided Perdue's office with a copy of a racist photo illustration sent from Fox's e-mail address after last November's election.

The e-mail included an altered photo of the White House that turned the South Lawn into an enormous watermelon patch. The phrase, "There goes the neighborhood ..." was printed above the photo.

The e-mail was sent from Fox's law firm address Nov. 14 -- 10 days after Barack Obama was elected president. The message, which had been forwarded multiple times by others before reaching Fox, contained no text other than the subject line, "how true."

Fox made no mention of the e-mail in his resignation letter, suggesting instead that he was leaving voluntarily.

"I believe it is time to surrender the helm to someone new," Fox wrote.

But Perdue indicated in a statement Tuesday afternoon that the resignation was linked to the e-mail.

"I have accepted Doug Fox's letter of resignation," Perdue said. "E-mails and images of this nature are offensive and unacceptable."

Fox, who was paid $110,000 last year, offered to stay on and help his successor settle in. Perdue, who will appoint a new chairman, declined.

"The resignation will be effective immediately," said David Kochman, Perdue's communications director.

The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer contacted Fox last Thursday through the ABC Commission staff and e-mailed him at his law firm in Wilmington on Monday seeking comment. He did not respond.

Fox also has served for the past year as president of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, which represents the 19 states with government-run liquor sales.

On Tuesday morning, the newspapers showed the e-mail to Perdue's staff and asked for comment.

E-mail went to lobbyist

The lobbyist who received the e-mail from Fox, Bill Hester, refused to speak with the newspapers when contacted by phone and e-mail. He represents Southern Wine & Spirits, a major liquor distributor.

Hester is a veteran of the state ABC system, including 13 years with the Mecklenburg County ABC board. He abruptly retired as chief executive there in 2003. Hester and the board acknowledged differences and reached a $59,000 settlement -- half of his salary -- after his departure.

Copies of the altered image of the White House have been bouncing around e-mail boxes across the nation for months. The mayor of a small southern California city, Los Alamitos, resigned in February amid criticism for sending the same watermelon patch photo.

'That's pretty tacky'
State Rep. Alma Adams, a Greensboro Democrat and chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus, applauded Perdue's actions.

"That's pretty tacky," Adams said of the image. "It's insulting to our president."
Fox was appointed by then-Gov. Mike Easley, a Democrat, in 2004.

The ABC commission chairman is the state's top liquor regulator, but the commission's power is limited. It handles liquor law violation cases, sets prices and runs the state warehouse from which all ABC stores buy their liquor. The stores, though, are run by local ABC boards.
One of the three ABC Commission seats already was vacant.

Fox drew attention two years ago for seven trips over two years to domestic and international tourist destinations, such as Aspen, Colo., and Ireland. The trips were funded by the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, which received more than half of its funding from liquor companies.

Fox held event for Perdue

During the Democratic primary for governor last year, Fox held a campaign event for Perdue in April at his home that Perdue described as a "meet and greet," not a fundraiser. The event came two months after an executive with Southern Wine & Spirits e-mailed other liquor brokers asking them to contribute to Perdue's campaign because she would reappoint Fox and ensure changes that would benefit the industry.

Fox initially denied that he was raising money for Perdue during an interview on the day of the fundraiser. But then he said, "I'm not going to answer that."

A lawyer for Perdue's campaign dispatched a letter to the liquor executive shortly after the e-mail went out, telling him the comments were unacceptable and that the campaign would not accept any money raised by the message.

Perdue's campaign later returned more than $5,000 to donors associated with the liquor industry.

newsobserver.com/politics/story/1515324

I will have to say Perdue has been sorta cleanimg up.

5/6/2009 8:20:22 AM

Quote :

"Jesus, local NC Democrats are about as corrupt as you get. They have been in power for forever. And people come in here blasting this thread? Are you serious? When there are about a dozen threads on the first page of the soap box which are basically just Democratic talking point rants? Come on."

If the people of NC didn't like what was going on, the Dems wouldn't keep getting elected to the governor's seat

Quote :

"3 lawyers shielded Edwards affair Relationship also may have begun earlier than Edwards has claimed"

That was a poor personal life choice. It had no effect on the people of North Carolina and does not make him a crooked politician.

Quote :

"The first lady, an executive-in-residence at the school, gets an 88 percent raise to $170,000 a year"

Stephen King teaches writing and literature classes out in California, how much do you suppose they pay him? I bet its a lot more than what she's getting.

Quote :

"So Easley's son at Chapel Hill has been riding around in the free Tahoe..."

If that bothers you then we should take away all the cars our athletics department has given to the football team.

Give it a break people.

5/6/2009 10:02:57 AM

Perdue was elected on Obama's coat tails.

Willfully converting money from a political action committee for personal use is a federal crime. Edwards is facing a federal investigation. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090504/ap_on_re_us/us_edwards_affair

Comparing Easley's wife to Stephen King is preposterous.

I'd be fine if they didn't get cars. On the other hand, athletes are being rewarded for a combination of genetic luck and hard work/practice that got them into college sports. They are recruited. Easley just broke contribution/campaign laws.

[Edited on May 6, 2009 at 10:29 AM. Reason : link]

5/6/2009 10:22:01 AM

Perdue got more votes than Obama despite the drop off between the two elections. Christ you are retarded.

5/6/2009 4:04:09 PM

i voted for mccrory and obama

5/6/2009 6:15:28 PM

Perdue got the voting block that doesn't normally come out because of Obama. Where is your Republican thread?

5/6/2009 10:21:10 PM

he's right Jason...there should be a White Entertainment Television, too

5/7/2009 9:34:41 AM

haha...guess i wont be seeing doug fox anytime soon

[Edited on May 8, 2009 at 1:13 AM. Reason : .]

5/8/2009 12:50:59 AM

Quote :

"If that bothers you then we should take away all the cars our athletics department has given to the football team."

college athletes /= an elected official who is paid by money taken out of my paycheck

5/8/2009 2:50:46 AM

^^^^ lol racist

5/8/2009 3:17:08 AM

I was talking about the apathetic college kid block. You're the racist.

5/8/2009 8:35:05 AM

DEMOCRAT PARTY


[Edited on May 8, 2009 at 12:15 PM. Reason : .]

5/8/2009 12:12:54 PM