Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
Tony ‘the Fixer’ Strikes Again
While John Edwards and Hillary and Barack Obama are running around the nation deploring the greed of corporate CEOs, North Carolina State Senate kingpin Tony ‘The Fixer’ Rand is helping the CEOs. At the end of the legislative session Senator Rand slipped through a bill to give Goodyear Tire and Rubber $40 million in “incentives”…
Jim Hunt’s Gift to Mike Easley
Governor Easley’s spokesman said the Governor plans to spend this month reading all the bills enacted by this year’s legislature and deciding whether to sign them or veto them. For which he can thank my old boss Jim Hunt. Jim Hunt first took office as Governor 30 years ago this year – in 1977. Back…
Video Poker and Strippers
I’ve got to – for once – agree with Gary. The most feared name in Democratic politics today is Joe Sinsheimer. There’s no substitute for good research and Mr. Sinsheimer’s carving out a niche all his own. His particular bone of contention is corruption. How effective is he? Ask Jim Black, Rep. Thomas Wright and…
Democracy: It’s Like Making Sausage
Here’s a story about how democracy works that’s a far cry from what they teach in high school civics class. Two years ago, three big waste management corporations decided to build mega-garbage dumps here in North Carolina. Not for garbage from North Carolina. But for garbage from Massachusetts and New York. They promoted their idea…
Give Back the Dirty Money
The North Carolina Democratic Party needs to shed the stink of video poker money. A federal grand jury in Asheville has indicted 21 people for illegally operating video poker machines in 15 western N.C. counties. The allegations include bribery of two Buncombe County sheriff’s deputies. Joe Sinsheimer’s complaint to the State Board of Elections this…
Meeker and Five Points
One of the mantras of the Urban Correctness crowd – of which Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker is High Priest – is “density.” “Density” is good. “Sprawl” is anathema. That’s what makes the flap at Five Points – involving the quasi-official, quasi-political CACs who’re usually among the mayor’s biggest boosters – interesting. Because they’ve decided “density”…
Governor as Snake Oil Salesman
Governor Easley has turned into the ultimate huckster. The suckers in North Carolina won’t buy enough lottery tickets, so, like a shill in a carny, he wants to jack up the prizes apparently on the theory that if he baits the hook with enough fool’s gold the suckers will part with more of their money.…
Sonny Boy Joyner
It’s one of my favorite political trivia questions: In 1972, George McGovern carried only two of North Carolina’s 100 counties against Richard Nixon. What are the two counties? Most people can guess Orange (Chapel Hill). But few guess the other: Northampton County in northeast North Carolina. Sonny Boy Joyner was the man responsible. He put…
Joe Sledgehammer
Joe (the Sledgehammer) Sinsheimer may be the most powerful person in Raleigh today. On Monday, he files another campaign-finance complaint with the State Board of Elections. On Tuesday, it’s the lead story in The News & Observer. Last year, Sinsheimer had the guts to take on Jim Black when no one else would. For his…