North Carolina Homeowner's Association

Many of my friends couldn't understand why I got so upset when the incompetent State Board of Elections let Art Pope and his personal 527 electioneering machine off the hook this year. "What's the big deal?" they said. "Who cares if Art Pope spends all his money trying to influence elections? This is America. Free speech rules. Right?"

Free indeed, especially if you happen to be a member of the monied elite. In fact, the State Board of Elections has swung the door wide open for rich-guy electioneering on a scale that will soon make democracy a quaint memory in a world gone mad with corporate money. Following in the Puppetmaster's bloody footsteps, a new 527 euphemistically called the North Carolina Homeowner's Alliance has been pouring money into two legislative races to the tune of $71,000.

And who are the people doing this dirty work? NO. ONE. KNOWS. That's because the clowns at the State Board of Elections have allowed corporate money to contaminate our electoral process with not even a hint of oversight. The organization's Form 8872 Report of Contributions and Expenditures shows NO CONTRIBUTORS WHATSOEVER. A filing error? Maybe. But you can bet your sweet ass the IRS and the SBOE are not going to do anything about it in the next two weeks.