Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue just rolled out an ‘old chestnut’ as she launches her campaign for Governor. She says she wants to appoint a new government ‘efficiency commission’. It’s hard to say whether the Lt. Governor is an eternal optimist of a hard-bitten cynic. The last three governors all had ‘efficiency commissions’ of their own, which, in the end, accomplished little or nothing. Does Mrs. Perdue think hers will? Or does she think voters have bought this ‘canard’ three times, so they’ll buy it again.

Unfortunately for the Lt. Governor, unlike our governors, her ‘PR’ campaign for an ‘efficiency commission’ died a quick death. Before the words were barely out of her mouth, Senate kingpin Marc Basnight, who supports Perdue, told the News and Observer, “I don’t agree with it…it would not find my support or the support of the Senate.” So much for that.

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