Bill Cobey Calls on Mike Easley to Fire Aide Who Uses Threats to Pursue Governor's Agenda

NC GOP ^ | Sept 17 | Bill Cobey

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NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PARTY
1506 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, North Carolina 27605
Tele. (919) 828-6423 • Fax. (919) 899-3815 •
www.NCGOP.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 17th, 2002

An Offer You Can't Refuse

Cobey Calls on Easley to Fire Aide Who Uses Threats to Pursue Governor's Agenda

(RALEIGH) - A top aide to Gov. "Tax-Hike Mike" Easley has made public what many had already suspected: that this administration will stop at nothing, even using extortion and threats against state projects in local areas, to pursue this governor's political agenda.

According to the Wilmington Star, on Friday John Merritt, the Governor's senior assistant for policy and communications, responded in an outrageous manner to a letter from New Hanover County Commissioners' Chairman Ted Davis. Davis had written that unless the $4 million in local reimbursements to his county that had been withheld by the governor were not returned, "the board will have no alternative but to consider the adoption of a resolution which would authorize New Hanover County joining a proposed lawsuit" to recover the funds. (The Wilmington Star article can be found here: http://www.ncgop.org/news/Wilmington-Threats-091402.html )

"'Tax-Hike Mike' and his aides have resorted to extortion and threats against state projects in local areas to keep local officials in line," said Bill Cobey, Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. "What's next? Should county commissioners across the state be on the lookout for a horse's head to be placed in their beds at night?"

Merritt said the county commissioners "just can't fire this missile and forget it." He said "They're like a son getting mad at his father who's lost his job for not paying his allowance. Now, they're saying they'll sue the dad. There's a likelihood the father will throw the son out of the house if he keeps that up."

Davis responded "My position has always been that we are asking the state to come to the plate to do what they originally said they would do. We didn't want veiled threats that they will affect the budgets of other projects to solve this problem."

"I call upon Gov. Easley to do the right and honorable thing and fire an aide who would resort to threatening local officials to keep their mouths shut about what is in effect the robbery of funds needed for local uses," said Cobey. "However, it's obvious why this administration would illegally threaten road projects - "Tax-Hike Mike" Easley's chosen method of transportation is usually the luxurious state helicopter at $2,000 per hour."

-NCGOP-

For more information, contact Jonathan C. Jordan at (919) 828-6423.

---------------------------------------- Paid for by the N.C. Republican Party, Steve Long, Treasurer

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