Free Republic

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley is being lauded by the nation's top teacher lobbying group as "America's Greatest Education Governor." The National Education Association planned to give Easley an award Thursday during the group's annual meeting in Washington. The NEA cites Easley for his "More at Four" program for at-risk preschool students and the "Learn and Earn" program, which allows high school students to graduate with a diploma and an associate's degree. Easley also got the Legislature to create a program that allows students to finish college without debt.

Mary Easley's 88 percent pay raise questionedWednesday, July 02, 2008 | 6:41 PM By Ed Crump Wife of N.C. Governor Mike Easley.RALEIGH (WTVD) -- There is more controversy surrounding First Lady Mary Easley in the wake of expensive taxpayer funded trips abroad by both the first lady and Governor Mike Easley. Eyewitness News has learned that Mary Easley got an 88 percent raise at her job at N.C. State University. Until this week, Mary Easley got paid $90,000 a year to recruit speakers to come to campus. Now her job duties have expanded to include directing a public safety program...

NC-GOV Mike Easley Endorsing Hillary This can't be a positive leading indicator for Obama, I would think. The timing is perfect to get more Democrats in the state to give her another look. And given that Hillary is taking her case to the superdelegates based on the popular vote - plus the Democrats' insane winner-takes-barely-more-than-the-loser system, she's got every incentive to contest North Carolina even if she is all but certain to lose the state. The Clintons are not going quietly.

"RALEIGH, N.C. - Gov. Mike Easley will endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, The Associated Press has learned." "Easley was expected to announce the endorsement Tuesday morning in Raleigh, the state capital, one week before North Carolina's primary on May 6, according to persons close to the governor and to Clinton. The individuals spoke on condition of anonymity because a formal announcement had not yet been made. Easley is a Democratic superdelegate who has served two terms as governor. His decision comes despite several recent polls showing Clinton trailing rival Barack Obama ahead of the state's May 6 primary."

HIGH POINT - As a boy, Gary Don Holt would roam the woods with his father and uncles, hunting for rabbits. It's been more than two decades since he had the chance. Arrested for marijuana possession in Onslow County in 1986, Holt is a convicted felon and must stay away from guns. When his father dies, he'll have to ask his sister to hold on to a family heirloom he has been promised: a shotgun passed from father to son for generations. Holt's felony at the age of 21 has robbed him of much over the years: jobs, jury duty,...

Raleigh — North Carolina cannot turn its back on anyone who wants a better education, including illegal immigrants, Gov. Mike Easley said Tuesday. Easley reiterated his support for a policy shift in the North Carolina Community College System that allows qualified illegal immigrants to attend any of the state's 58 community colleges as an out-of-state student. About 340 illegal immigrants are enrolled statewide, officials said. Easley said he understands why many North Carolina residents oppose the idea. But he said anyone who studies the issue would support it.

Gov. Mike Easley did not want an "heir apparent" in the Durham district attorney's chair, and that is why he extracted a promise from Mike Nifong not to run for the office when he was appointed to it in 2005, a state spokeswoman said Monday. In appointing Nifong to succeed former District Attorney Jim Hardin Jr. -- who became a judge -- Easley merely wanted a "placeholder or non-candidate" to fill the job until last year's election, said Easley spokeswoman Renee Hoffman. That way, those who wanted to compete at the ballot box "would be able to start from a...

Gov. Mike Easley said last month that picking Mike Nifong to be Durham's district attorney was the worst appointment of his career, and he said Nifong broke his promise not to run for the office. Easley told law students in New York that Nifong's decision to seek office in last fall's election almost prompted him to consider yanking Nifong from office. "I almost un-appointed him when he decided to run," Easley said. "I rate that as probably the poorest appointment that I've," the governor trailed off before adding "I've made some good ones."

N.C. Ethics Board To Consider Complaint Against Easley POSTED: 3:25 pm EDT June 2, 2006 UPDATED: 5:52 pm EDT June 2, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- A community group has accused Gov. Mike Easley in an ethics complaint of giving favorable treatment in a marina lease deal to a pair of developers with business ties to one of his campaign donors. Perry Newson, executive director of the State Board of Ethics, said Friday that the board will consider the complaint at its meeting Wednesday. He declined additional comment. Through a spokeswoman, Easley denied the allegations. . . .

Wearing a white Bush-Cheney '04 T-shirt, Jeff Hubbard was distinctly in the minority Tuesday night when Howard Dean popped into a pizza restaurant to roast President Bush before the State of the Union speech. Hubbard, 24, was surrounded by scores of true believers, the few remaining North Carolina Democrats who still think that Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, can help the party. And Hubbard couldn't have been happier. "I love Howard Dean. I had to see him," he said. "You have to like the man. He's done more for the Republican Party than anybody since Eisenhower." It's...

September 20, 2005 04:00 PM US Eastern Timezone Storm Surge Lifts Governors Barbour, Riley, Easley, Perdue & Perry, but Sinks Blanco, SurveyUSA Finds VERONA N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 2005--Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour-R went up 26 points in "Net Job Approval" from August to September, the largest increase of any of 6 Governors directly affected by hurricanes in the past month, and the largest increase of any Governor in the country, according to 50 separate but concurrent public opinion polls released today by SurveyUSA. Barbour went from a Minus 7 Net Job Approval in August to a Plus 19 Net Job Approval...

Gov. Mike Easley climbed into Hendrick Motorsports' No. 48 car at the Executive Mansion today, blasted out of the driveway and promptly lost control, missing a parked Mercedes sedan and a utility pole by mere inches. He crashed a retired No. 48 car into the wall at Lowe's Motor Speedway two years ago this week.Updated: 3:28 PM Gov. Mike Easley is pushed from a curb after he lost control of a borrowed race car. The incident occurred seconds after he peeled out of the Executive Mansion driveway in downtown Raleigh. Easley narrowly missed crashing into a utility pole and a...

Last Monday, the day before the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the state's 2005-07 spending plan, Gov. Mike Easley's office came out with some good news for the state's budget situation. The governor's office reported that state revenue collections were projected to be $428 million more than anticipated.That should have sent senators jumping for joy. Common sense would have said that such a spike in revenue collections would mean that lawmakers could scale back the litany of tax increases and fees that they had planned. Common sense did not prevail. Instead, Senate budget writers proceeded with their plan to increase taxes...

Some N.C. tax targets not part of U.S. effort Increases on liquor, candy, movie tickets, more may be contested Associated Press RALEIGH - Gov. Mike Easley is seeking sales tax increases on a variety of consumer items, arguing that the jumps are necessary and driven by a nationwide effort to streamline some taxes. But not all of the second-term Democrat's proposed increases apply to goods that are part of that effort -- and they could face significant opposition. Easley has proposed tax increases on items such as phone bills, liquor and cable television. But his planned increases on movie tickets...

Raleigh – Feb 23 Governor Easley’s $16.9 Billion state Budget proposal falls short of promises made in the recent campaign and in his State of the State remarks to the legislature, according to state Senate Republicans.“Fiscal responsibility and controlled spending are budget no shows,” said Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham).  “This budget proposal represents more broken promises and poor choices,” Berger said.The Governor’s budget released Wednesday continues the recent trend of new programs and increased state spending  after months of warnings and complaints that state coffers were $1.3 Billion short on existing commitments.“I just don’t see how you can...

Easley campaign returning money from topless club owner The Associated Press Published: Feb 3, 2005 Modified: Feb 3, 2005 2:40 PM CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Gov. Mike Easley's re-election campaign will return donations it received from a Charlotte-based operator of topless bars. Easley political adviser Mac McCorkle offered no reason for the refund to David "Slim" Baucom, who runs 17 topless clubs, including 12 in North Carolina. Easley, who won re-election in November, has returned contributions from other club owners in the past. Campaign finance reports at the State Board of Elections show Baucom gave $8,000 to Easley during the 2004...

Last updated: January 15. 2005 12:02PM The state's second-most-powerful Democrat says fellow party member Britt Cobb should concede defeat in the still unresolved race for agriculture commissioner. "I personally believe that the people have already settled it - that they voted for (Steve) Troxler and he should be commissioner," Senate president pro tem Marc Basnight told the Winston-Salem Journal. Cobb trails Troxler, a Republican, by 2,287 votes out of more than 3.3 million cast. But because a voting machine error in Carteret County resulted in 4,438 ballots being lost, the State Board of Elections has twice ordered new elections. Both...

Beloved conservative icon and former Senator Jesse Helms will be coming to Kinston, Saturday, to stump for Patrick Ballantine and Richard Burr. Jesse Helms will be at Kings Restaurant in Kinston from 11 until Noon, Saturday, on Highway 70. Here is the Ballantine eastern barnstorm schedule: 7:00 - 7:30 pm Currituck High School Football game Barco, NC Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004 8:30 - 9:30 am Wayne County Breakfast Madison's Restaurant 413 New Hope Road Goldsboro, NC 9:15 - 10:00 am Wayne County "Feast in the East" Goldsboro Fairgrounds (off 117) 11:00 - 12:00 pm Lenoir County Rally and Brunch Special...

Three weeks ago, seven men were charged with gang raping a woman in Huntersville. Most people probably don't associate Governor Mike Easley and the Division of Motor Vehicles with the crime, but there is a connection. All seven men charged in the rape have two critical things in common. All are illegal aliens. And all seven have driver's licenses issued by the state of North Carolina, Huntersville Police Detective A. Dempski confirmed for Creative Loafing last week. Perhaps these men would have come here anyway and committed this crime if they couldn't get a license so effortlessly from the DMV....

An economic incentives package intended to lure a Dell computer assembly plant to the Triad was shaping up Thursday to be one of the state's biggest ever. Legislators said the package, which still was being negotiated, could be worth up to $200 million over the next 20 years, surpassing most other efforts to bring jobs to North Carolina. Dell, a maker of personal computers based in Round Rock, Texas, is shopping for a site on the East Coast to put a 2,000-worker plant. Gov. Mike Easley has called a special legislative session for next week hoping to close a deal...