jim black

I'm typically a Jack Betts fan. Yesterday's blog post, however, has left me extremely disappointed. Betts hints at racism in how Democratic leadership has treated Thomas Wright and then waits to the end of the post to back away. From Bett's blog:

House Speaker Joe Hackney’s announcement Tuesday afternoon that the Legislative Ethics Committee and the House will move swiftly to consider expelling Rep. Thomas Wright, D-New Hanover, made some folks wonder: Why would the House move against Wright when it never took action against former Speaker Jim Black, now serving time in federal prison?

Notice Betts attributes this to "some folks", without getting too specific. Also notice that Betts posts his charge in the form of a question.

State Rep. Thomas Wright has been indicted on five charges of obtaining property by false pretense and one charge of obstruction of justice. Wright, a Democrat, had close ties to jailed House Speaker Jim Black.

From the Charlotte Observer:

According to the indictment, Wright obstructed justice by failing to report $185,000 in contributions to his political campaign as required by state law. Investigators have said Wright spent much of the money on personal expenses, including purchases at Victoria's Secret and Circuit City.

:::snip:::

Another ironic flourish today, this one at the Carolina Journal, where John Hood slams Jim Black in a column about redistricting, while Don Carrington details the agony of Michael Decker, who proposed the bribe that eventually brought the House down.

Since Jim Black checked into an extended-stay facility in Lewisburg, PA the metaphors surrounding Joe Sinsheimer have been flying thick and thin. Guest number 50655-056 at the USP Lewisburg probably has a few choice metaphors of his own given that he once called a reporter "A sorry sack of s**t", a metaphor that was not forgotten by the NC Capital Press Corps.

Under the Dome wrote a piece called A new sheriff in town? noting that

Gary Pearce and Carter Wrenn agree that Joe Sinsheimer has become a force to be reckoned with in Raleigh.

Pearce called him Joe Sledgehammer saying that:

He’s honest. He’s not beholden to anybody. And he’s a hell of a good political researcher. He knows how to get information, and he gets it right.

Stronger ethics laws are great. But what North Carolina really needs to clean up politics may just be more Sledgehammers.

Since the news broke today about lobbyist Don Beason's lavish spending habits, I've been struggling to understand how and why this story has been covered up for so long. After doing some digging today, I have to conclude it's a pretty ugly picture of North Carolina's political press.

First off, Beason is not a household word in North Carolina, even though he should be. Up until today, the only definitive story on the influential Republican I could find was written in 2005 by Dan Kane, full of cushy stuff like this:

Top legislators say they like Beason, who was ranked as the most effective lobbyist last session, because he gives solid information and he's honest. "The operative word with Don Beason is 'professionalism,' " said Rep. Richard Morgan, a former Republican House speaker from Moore County.

But there might be other reasons for Beason's success, too. He has skillfully worked with his business clients to direct money to top legislators' campaigns and to cover the costs of their political meetings and events.

Dan Kane wrote that story in 2005, right? And now here we are in 2007, with everyone wondering who's the mystery man that funneled a half-a-million dollars into Jim Black's dirty pockets. And no one fingers Don Beason?

What gives?

The Insider is reporting that prosecutors say the mystery donor who loaned Jim Black $500,000 was Don Beason.
AP

Char-O

Dome, Binker

From the site, a partial list of clients:

Statement from Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, regarding the sentencing of former House Speaker Jim Black:

The ugly story of former Speaker Jim Black's abuse of power is not yet finished. New evidence of possible corruption involving a high-powered lobbyist linked to the video-poker industry demands the immediate and full attention of state and federal prosecutors.

From the beginning, Democracy North Carolina has pushed to hold the donors of illegal money accountable, not just the politicians. Now, with the revelation of a $500,000 "loan" from a video-poker lobbyist, we have come full circle from our original complaint in June 2004 alleging a conspiracy by the video-poker industry to funnel illegal donations into Jim Black's

Federal Judge James Dever removes himself from Jim Black's sentencing
     N & O | C O

Wilmington Journal has strong words:
     Open Letter to the NC Black Legislative Caucus

Charter School 100 cap should remain according to NC Center for Public Policy Research:
     AP @ CO | WLOS | NBC17

Charter schools performed about the same or slightly worse than traditional schools

UPDATE: Read the full report from NCPPR

The Charlotte Observer has this little blurb.

Tricia is an assistant principal at East Mecklenburg High School. More later.

Update I:

Here's a bit that will clue you in to her personality[Sorry, forgot to link to the CO for the quote]:

In their sole joint appearance, the four Charlotte Democrats vying to replace former N.C. House Speaker Jim Black agreed on most things at a Monday night forum. They would all try to revitalize east Charlotte, stop gang violence and get more state money for schools and courts.

So they sought to differentiate themselves in other ways.

"Your vote should be based on experience living in and knowing the district," said Lloyd Scher, a former Mecklenburg County commissioner. He was alluding to rival Tricia Cotham, who just got a home in the district last week.

In a self-congratulatory display worthy of kids on an elementary school playground, the do-nothing Republican Party spent the weekend giving atta-boys to John Rhodes and Fern Shubert, two early and persistent critics of Jim Black.

I'll grant that these two members of the NCPOG were instrumental in starting the Black ball rolling, but don't the Greeders have anything better to do than celebrate a guy like Rhodes, who apparently can't walk and chew gum at the same time?

Rhodes lost his seat in last year's GOP primary to a challenger who said his dustups at the Legislature had prevented him from getting work done for his northern Mecklenburg County district. A nonpartisan research firm ranked Rhodes as the least effective House member in 2005.