Though many opponents are calling for his resignation, U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance says he wants to focus on his constituents.
Posted on 02/19/2004 7:49:12 AM PST by Constitution Day
Ballance vows to keep job
By Latisha R. Gray, The Daily Reflector
U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance said he will continue representing the people of District 1, despite criticism and an ongoing federal investigation of a drug and alcohol counseling program he founded.
Ballance, a Democrat from Warrenton, said he was not willing to discuss the issue at a forum Tuesday night at J.H. Rose High School. With many opponents calling for his resignation, Ballance said he wanted to focus on the needs of his constituents.
"I'm not going to go into that," he said. "It's been hashed and rehashed. I want to stay on the message of what I can do on behalf of the people. I want to talk about creating jobs. I'm not interested in discussing that matter."
A state audit conducted last October found that the John A. Hyman Memorial Youth Foundation had $325,000 of questionable expenses, ranging from payments to Ballance's daughter, mother and some political donors.
The FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice and the state Attorney General's office now are conducting investigations into the matter.
The foundation, chaired by Ballance, was established in 1985 to provide drug and alcohol counseling. In the last 10 years it has received more than $2 million in state funding.
"Congressman Ballance is an embarrassment to North Carolina and the 1st District," said Greg Dority, in a telephone interview Tuesday. "I called on him to resign. He is under tremendous pressure, and it's only going to get worse for him. This issue is not going to go away."
Dority called for Ballance's resignation during a speech at the Republican Men's Club of Beaufort County earlier this month. Dority, a Republican, was defeated by Ballance in 2002 for the seat, which has been vacated by Eva Clayton.
State GOP Chairman Ferrell Blount of Bethel called for Ballance to resign during a news conference in Greenville on Nov. 5. Blount's statement came on the day a federal grand jury began hearing testimony about the program.
Others, including state Superior Court Judge G.K. Butterfield have questioned Ballance's ability to represent the district. Butterfield, a Democrat, recently established a polling group to see if it would be feasible for him to contest Ballance for the seat.
"We will continue to do our job until we are either voluntarily or involuntarily replaced," Ballance said, receiving a large applause from the audience. "I work for the people, and I will leave the discussion of my services in the hands of the people in the first district."
What Ballance did discuss was the large number of unemployed citizens within the district. In a letter to the president, Ballance asked Bush to help bring in jobs to the nearly 32,000 unemployed and to re-examine his proposed tax cuts.
"We cannot have a country where people do not have jobs," he said. "Bush's policies are wrong for America. We don't have to criticize him as a person, but we can criticize his policies."
Since his election in 2002, Ballance said he has sponsored a number of economic development bills, along with conducting a job drive that placed nearly 300 people with jobs in a single day, he said.
"We ship our jobs overseas and ship products into America and expect people with no jobs to buy these products," he said. "We're all in favor of technology and progress, but we have to keep people working."
Besides jobs, Ballance answered a number of questions from the audience of around 30 people concerning law enforcement, agriculture, education and gas prices.
Gwendolyn Johnson, 49, of Greenville said she was impressed with how Ballance handled the wide variety of topics.
"I'm new to the area," she said. "I moved from Utah, and I wanted to get involved and meet as many of our representatives as possible. There have been a lot of hot issues, with jobs leaving and a need for housing. But I think he handled everything well."
Ballance, along with his staff, will continue touring the 23-county district today stopping in New Bern and Williamston, and will later travel to Edenton and Goldsboro. District 1 includes parts of Pitt County and other counties as far north as Northampton and as far south as Jones County.
Latisha R. Gray can be contacted at lgray@coxnews.com
This is a related item from the Under The Dome column in today's N & O.
Not on radar screen
The allegations of misuse of state money by the John A. Hyman Memorial Youth Foundations have generated lot of heat for its founder and benefactor, U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance.
But despite plenty of media coverage and a months-long federal investigation, a poll commissioned by a possible challenger to the Warrenton Democrat indicates a majority of people in the district still don't know much about the foundation's troubles.
Superior Court Judge G.K. Butterfield said this week he recently commissioned a poll of 400 likely Democratic voters in the district, which covers most of northeastern North Carolina, to help him decide whether to run. The poll found that 58 percent of them were not familiar with the Warrenton foundation's problems.
Butterfield would not say whether those results would discourage him to run.
A state audit last fall found more than $325,000 in questionable spending over a roughly three-year period. The foundation, which conducted drug and alcohol treatment and prevention programs, gave thousands of dollars in grants to pastors who made campaign contributions to Ballance, paid his daughter for work she never completed and provided jobs for campaign staff.
Butterfield, a longtime friend of Ballance, said other factors will help him decide. Ballance has said he will seek re-election, but has not made an official announcement.
The primary is also scheduled for July 20, a day when many expect turnout to be low. Other Democrats may decide to wage a campaign.
"I continue to have an interest in running," Butterfield said. "I'm still evaluating the feasibility, but right now there are so many unknowns."
MKM
People were calling in anonymously to tell about all the shenanigans going on with the Hyman Foundation and he started looking into it.
Frank Ballance beaucoup dinky dao...
J
Now, I can dream about this having coattails and dragging Easley and the entire Democratic party in this state down with it can't I? I know, wishful thinking.
MKM
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