Bev Tackles Corruption
May 6, 2010 - by
I meant to write this a couple of weeks ago when Governor Perdue issued her fourth proclamation to end corruption but got diverted. However, with the routines and rhythms of life returning to normal I’m picking up where I left off.
Over at Democratic Headquarters, the Governor’s latest proclamation was greeted with pure joy. Waxing eloquent, in raptures, Democratic Chairman David Young started singing Hosannas saying the Governor had ended the revolving door between her administration and lobbyists – Perdue’s appointees no longer, he choralled, can leave their jobs and go to lobbying the next day.
Unfortunately, the Governor solved the wrong problem. Governor Perdue’s dilemma isn’t state officials leaving her administration to become lobbyists – it’s Perdue making lobbyists state officials. Take Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Lanier Cansler.
One minute Cansler was lobbying for clients who were paying him to help them get state contracts; the next – thanks to Perdue – he was awarding contracts to the same clients as head of DHHS. And he was still getting paid by the clients – or, to be specific, the clients were paying Cansler’s old firm which was in turn was paying Cansler which Governor Perdue’s intrepid Ethics Commission had ruled was all ethical.
Governor Perdue missed solving that problem.
The Governor has also announced state contractors will no longer be able to make campaign contributions to the officeholders who oversee awarding them state contracts. That sounded pretty good. Like no state contractor will be able to give to the Governor, who oversees all state contracts. (If you doubt about the accuracy of that statement just ask Mike Easley or, better still, Ruffin Poole.)
On the other hand there are whispers Governor Perdue might not define that line, ‘Who oversees awarding the contract’ – to include herself. That she is only limiting contributions to, say, the third assistant secretary who awards contracts for the state motor fleet to car dealers – and who has no dreams of ever running for office.
Finally, after she gave out $250 million in no bid contracts, the Governor announced she’s cracking down on back room deals by requiring all no bid contracts be reported on the Internet. Banning no bid contracts completely would be a crackdown. Reporting them on the Internet is like closing the barn door after the horse got out.
Here’s a different solution to the problem: Let’s go back to limiting Governors to one term. That might not cure all problems with corruption in state government but it would remove one of the biggest reasons Governors have for making back room deals.
Posted in General, North Carolina - Democrats
Bev Tackles Corruption
May 6, 2010/
I meant to write this a couple of weeks ago when Governor Perdue issued her fourth proclamation to end corruption but got diverted. However, with the routines and rhythms of life returning to normal I’m picking up where I left off.
Over at Democratic Headquarters, the Governor’s latest proclamation was greeted with pure joy. Waxing eloquent, in raptures, Democratic Chairman David Young started singing Hosannas saying the Governor had ended the revolving door between her administration and lobbyists – Perdue’s appointees no longer, he choralled, can leave their jobs and go to lobbying the next day.
Unfortunately, the Governor solved the wrong problem. Governor Perdue’s dilemma isn’t state officials leaving her administration to become lobbyists – it’s Perdue making lobbyists state officials. Take Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Lanier Cansler.
One minute Cansler was lobbying for clients who were paying him to help them get state contracts; the next – thanks to Perdue – he was awarding contracts to the same clients as head of DHHS. And he was still getting paid by the clients – or, to be specific, the clients were paying Cansler’s old firm which was in turn was paying Cansler which Governor Perdue’s intrepid Ethics Commission had ruled was all ethical.
Governor Perdue missed solving that problem.
The Governor has also announced state contractors will no longer be able to make campaign contributions to the officeholders who oversee awarding them state contracts. That sounded pretty good. Like no state contractor will be able to give to the Governor, who oversees all state contracts. (If you doubt about the accuracy of that statement just ask Mike Easley or, better still, Ruffin Poole.)
On the other hand there are whispers Governor Perdue might not define that line, ‘Who oversees awarding the contract’ – to include herself. That she is only limiting contributions to, say, the third assistant secretary who awards contracts for the state motor fleet to car dealers – and who has no dreams of ever running for office.
Finally, after she gave out $250 million in no bid contracts, the Governor announced she’s cracking down on back room deals by requiring all no bid contracts be reported on the Internet. Banning no bid contracts completely would be a crackdown. Reporting them on the Internet is like closing the barn door after the horse got out.
Here’s a different solution to the problem: Let’s go back to limiting Governors to one term. That might not cure all problems with corruption in state government but it would remove one of the biggest reasons Governors have for making back room deals.
Posted in General, North Carolina - Democrats