Easley Paves Road Ruckus [NC Governor's reelection team solicits bribes for campaign coffers]

The Daily Southerner ^ | Feb 8, 2004 | By SUE STUART, Staff Writer

[TaxRelief]

A state Board of Transportation member has resigned after e-mailing local leaders to ask for contributions to Gov. Mike Easley's 2004 campaign for re-election in exchange for helping to secure road projects for Iredell County. According to Richard Vinroot and the North Carolina Republican Party, Frank Johnson of Statesville said in the e-mail he set a goal of raising $50,000 to take to Raleigh. "You probably know that Mike Easley appointed me to this position and like a lot of politicians he is asking what I have done for him 'lately,'" Johnson allegedly wrote.

Johnson then added, "We need a lot of things here in Iredell that we won't get without a voice. We need to make that voice heard and that can be facilitated with monetary support for the Governor." The Board of Transportation confirmed that Johnson resigned from his post January 28. Johnson could not be reached for comment. Cari Boyce, a spokesperson for Easley's office, said that as soon as the governor heard about the e-mail, he asked Johnson to resign from his post. "This is the kind of public behavior the governor will not tolerate," Boyce said.

Vinroot called for an investigation of the Board members raising mon-ey for Easley. "We cannot have a leadership that engages in special favors and special interests. The DOT should not be used as a fund-raising tool for the Governor," Vinroot said. During the last session of the state General Assembly Easley signed House Bill 48 into law allowing an investment of $700 million from the Highway Trust Fund over the next two years to pay for maintenance, modernization and public transportation projects. The funds will increase the highway maintenance budget by nearly 45 percent and allow us to rehabilitate highways across the state. The project is known as "N.C. Moving Ahead."

Highways will be modernized with wider lanes and shoulders, traffic signal systems will be updated and substandard bridges will be replaced. Public transportation will be expanded with regional rail systems in the Triangle, Triad and Charlotte metro areas, and aging transportation infrastructures in both rural and urban areas will see major rehabilitation. And since these improvements will be funded by bonds already approved for voters, there will be no tax increase.

The DOT has already begun awarding contracts for two projects in each of the state's 14 highway divisions. The first round of projects covers 28 counties and totals more than $27 million. In all, about 800 road maintenance and improvement projects across North Carolina will be awarded. "Road priority should be based on need, not political contributions," said Ferrell Blount, Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. "When the idea of toll roads was first batted around, I didn't realize what the Governor had in mind. North Carolina has long been known as 'The Good Roads State.' Whether we have good roads now appears to depend on how much money is given to the Governor's re-election campaign. I thought we had already paid for good roads with taxes."

Bob Hall, director of Democracy North Carolina, added that Johnson was "guilty of making it very plain he understands how the system works."

In his first campaign report since the beginning of his campaign, Vinroot announced he has raised $321,000. Vinroot began his campaign for governor on Oct. 23, several months after his opponents. His future fund-raising plans include an appearance by Steve Forbes, president and chief executive officer of Forbes and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine. Forbes campaigned for the Republican nomination for president in 1996 and 2000.

Wednesday, Easley appointed a retired judge, Robert A. Collier Jr., 73, from Statesville to replace Johnson.

[TaxRelief]

I have a feeling we'll be seeing more corruption over the next few months.

[TaxRelief]

NC Ping*

Let me or MYkdsmom or Constitution Day know if you want on or off the NCPing list or if you think you've been accidentally dropped or ....

[Tax-chick]

Cari Boyce, a spokesperson for Easley's office, said that as soon as the governor heard about the e-mail, he asked Johnson to resign from his post. "This is the kind of public behavior the governor will not tolerate," Boyce said.

Translation: "That idiot - how could he be so obvious? Does he think he's in Arkansas or something?

[TaxRelief]

Exactly. Dead on. Whenever an Easley operative is caught, he tells them to resign.

Wanna really take a good look at the money in NC Politics and who's calling the shots? Check out this sight:

http://www.democracy-nc.org/moneyresearch/index.html

[Tax-chick]

Bump for later - Cub Scout car races this afternoon!

[billbears]

Heck after what the other governors of this state have done in the past, I think it's high time we give ol' Dick Vinroot a shot at it. He's ran enough times ;)

FYI, I'm just joking there, although I don't know who I'll vote for yet for governor

[Lee'sGhost]

"You probably know that Mike Easley appointed me to this position and like a lot of politicians he is asking what I have done for him 'lately,'"


Bwahahahahahahahaha!!! Ask not what your state can do for you; ask what you can do to buy your governor.

[Tax-chick]

ask what you can do to buy your governor

Do we have term limits here? It's more expensive when folks have to keep buying NEW politicians!

(Boys didn't win at the car races - obviously automotive engineering is not our family's strength!)

[Lee'sGhost]

Term limits? For governor, yes. Two consecutive terms. You can come back and run again after another governor serves, a la Jim Hunt. That was eight years Hunt, eight years Martin (GOP) then eight more years of Hunt.

Was this carved block race cars? Hint: use graphic on the axles.

[Tax-chick]

Hint: use graphic on the axles.

It didn't help! This is their 4th year of slow cars ... my husband thinks more power tools will be the solution next year :-).

Is it usual here to change parties when the incumbent governor isn't running? That was the procedure in Texas practically the whole time I lived there. In fact, they usually changed governors AND parties every term, until W was reelected.

[Lee'sGhost]

"Is it usual here to change parties when the incumbent governor isn't running? "

I'm not sure whether you are referring to politicians or voters, but in either case it would be UNusual for that to happen in NC. But there are so many people here now from other places that could be subject to change.

Hint2: I recall that lead weighs were allowed to meet the total weight target. You should make the wood an aerodynamic tube allow remove max wood weight and using max lead weight toward the front of the car. Be sure to sand ridges from wheels.

[Tax-chick]

I meant that in Texas, they'd elect a Democrat, then a Republican, then a Democrat, etc. Sometimes the same guy more than once, like Bill Clements, but often someone new. And in Oklahoma we elected a Democrat after the Republican got hit by term limits ... I wonder how things are going there since we left?

They've tried all kinds of things with the weights, too! I think we just don't have the touch. Our boys get so many other awards that it's only fair for someone else to win the car races.

[Lee'sGhost]

That's not the case here. It's almost always a Dim. But remember, Dims in NC have traditionally be pretty conservative. Things are changing. The GOP would have a chance if they had candidates who shined.

[Tax-chick]

Well, it sounds like things will be interesting in the next few years ... plenty of opportunities for the Horde and me to contribute!

[Lee'sGhost]

By the way . . . good morning.

[Tax-chick]

Thanks, you too! I hope you have a productive week :-). I wish it would get warmer ...