Civitas Capital Connection - February 2010

CAPITOL CONNECTIONCivitasFebruary 2010 • vol. 1 • no. 3

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Failed Incentives: 900 Workers Sent to Unemployment Line • BrIan BaLFoUr

Prior to the formal announcement of the Dell plant locating in Forsyth County, press releases were sent by political leaders taking credit for creat-ing jobs. Scheduled to close at the end of April 2010, 900 workers will

lose their jobs at the massive Dell plant. The largest recipient of state “economic incentives” in North Carolina history, Dell is closing its doors less than five years after its much ballyhooed grand opening.

Over the last decade, North Carolina state government (along with many

Failed Incentives continued on pg 2

What once was touted as a project to create jobs in North Carolina and get people back to work

has now turned into a problem for the brains of the operation, Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight (D-Dare). It seems he may be capi-talizing on the multi-million dollar Jennette’s Pier project he encouraged. Despite the fact that most construc-tion jobs are temporary, jobs at the Nags Head site appear to have already been earmarked for employees at his family-owned business right after the economy took a turn for the worse.

Basnight Construction has been working on the $25 million fishing pier, which has a 16,000 square foot pier house attached to it, for several months. The state-funded project was awarded to Clancy & Theys – the general contrac-tor – within 24 hours of legislative approval in April 2009. Clancy & Theys already had subcontractors lined up, one being Kitty Hawk-based RPC. And RPC had already awarded a subcontract to Basnight Construction.

Marching orders for construction

Senate Leader’s Family Gets State Pier Contract

Basnight continued on pg 5

Civitas Poll April 2009

Do you approve or disapprove of a proposal to give every small business a 10 percent state tax

cut to help small businesses retain and create new jobs?

Not Sure11%

Ethical 9 %

Unethical80%

55%

Strongly approve

Somewhat approve

30.2%

Somewhat disapprove

7.0%

Strongly disapprove

Don’t know/refused4.5%

3.3%

1 Senate Leader’s Family Gets

State Pier Contract

Failed Incentives

2 Justice is No Longer Color Blind

3 Unemployment Statewide

4 Weak Voter Laws Breed Vulnerability

5 Increased Taxes Make Roads Worse

6-7 Legislators Directory

8 From the Editor

Scandal

of the pier were designed mainly by Basnight, whose presence in the Sen-ate dates back to the 1980’s. Emails

show he was involved with the project as far back as 2002. His knowledge of sky-rocketing construction costs and private pier businesses suffering in popularity, prior to legislative approval to fund the

project, didn’t seem to faze him as he moved the project forward, or stop his company, Basnight Construction, from bidding on subcontracting work.

T I M E L I N E

November 2008 – Basnight Construction listed as an interested subcon-tractor for work on the pier project.

December 4, 2008 – Basnight Construction awarded subcontract for pier pending the project being funded and Clancy & Theys receiving general contract.

April 14, 2009 – HB 628, funding for the pier, is given passage by the NC Senate and signed by Gov. Perdue that same day.

April 15, 2009 – Contract is awarded to Clancy & Theys for $25 million to construct N.C. Aquarium’s Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head.

August 5, 2009 – Sen. Marc Basnight submits letter of resignation from Board of Basnight Construction and transfers the 2,800 shares of the company he owns to his cousin Jimmy Basnight.

A Basnight Construction employee sits in his truck at the Jennette’s Pier construction site in Nags Head. Construction of the pier broke ground in May 2009. Photo by Jana Benscoter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

local governments) has become more active in creating policies that grant special tax breaks or provide direct taxpayer handouts to specific companies. Dell shut-ting down its facility is a costly reminder to state legislators and residents about failed corporate welfare policies.

A state package including tax breaks and cash handouts was put together for Dell and was worth approximately $260 million. This does not include any local incentives. They were awarded in exchange for a promise by Dell to create and sustain a certain num-ber of jobs.

The bulk of the package came from special exemptions in the state’s tax code that would allow Dell to not pay a large portion of their state franchise and corpo-rate tax bills. They also received a grant from North Carolina’s

2 February 2010 nccivitas.org

CAPITOL CONNECTIONCivitas

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Copyright 2009


Justice is No Longer Color Blind• BY KaseY GInsBerG

Defendants who have been convicted of first degree murder and receive a death

sentence now have another layer of self preservation on their side – the N.C. Racial Justice Act. The act, Senate Bill 461, encourages defendants to present evidence of “possible” discrimination in exchange for life imprisonment.

The same protections included in the act already exist in both the United States and North Carolina constitutions. The act, passed by the General Assem-bly in August, has extended the de facto moratorium on the death penalty in North Carolina.

In addition to clogging the courts and delaying justice for victims and their families, it will vastly increase the expense of carrying out the death penalty. That increased expense will be used by death penalty opponents that the death penalty is too expensive to use for murderers.

When debated, Rep. Skip Stam (R-Wake) said, “This bill is not about race, it’s about the death penalty.”

Death row inmates and defendants awaiting trial now have the opportunity to file additional motions under the act, amounting to countless hours of extra work and spending millions in state funds. Stam estimates this new law has imposed at least a three-year morato-rium on the death penalty as a result of endless paperwork and new hearings.

Under the act, defendants and their lawyers may request documentation pertaining to other capital cases in their area, interviews with jurors and law enforcement officials and study findings. By allowing this, it will burden District Attorneys, and their staffs, with compil-ing documents from archived files of cases that have long been closed.

In favor of it, Rep. Larry Womble (D-Forsyth) declared it simply, “a fair-ness bill.”

Yet, a family, no matter what skin color, who has suffered the loss of a loved one due to murder, may never see the light of justice. The existing ap-peals process adds several years from the date a defendant receives a death sentence to when that sentence is carried out. There is no estimate to how much time this new bill will add to the process. The additional delay of punishment is a dan-gerous weakening of our justice system.

Legislators have undermined the “deterrent effect of capital punishment,” meaning executions save lives by deter-ring murders. Statistical evidence shows that the possibility of a capital sentence prevents an estimated 25 to 50 murders each year, though House and Senate leaders seem determined to eliminate the death penalty in North Carolina.

North Carolina joins Kentucky as only the second state to pass Racial Justice legislation. For perspective, North Carolina was the 14th state to ban texting while driving and 24th to ban smoking in bars. Enacted in 1998, the Kentucky law was not retroactive, so current death row inmates were not eligible. North Carolina has granted the 163 inmates currently on death row the right to appeal under the new law.

The N.C. Racial Justice Act passed the House by a vote of 61 to 54. It later passed the Senate by 25 to 18. The bill became law Aug. 11, 2009. w

Lawmakers who voted for the Racial Justice Act (SB 461)Senate Republicans (0)Senate Democrats (28)Atwater Basnight Berger, D. Blue Boseman Clodfelter Dannelly Davis Dorsett Foriest Garrou Graham Hoyle Jenkins Jones Kinnaird McKissick Nesbitt Purcell Queen Rand (Resigned 12/31/09) Shaw Snow Soles Stein Swindell Vaughan Weinstein (Resigned 9/30/09)

House Republicans (0)

Adams Alexander,K Allen Bell Bordsen Braxton Brisson Bryant Carney Coates Cole Cotham Crawford Dickson (Resigned 1/21/10) Earle England Faison Farmer-Butterfield Fisher Floyd, E. Gibson Gill Glazier Goforth Goodwin Haire Hall Harrell (Resigned 9/20/09) Harrison Hill Holliman Hughes Insko Jackson Jeffus Love Lucas Luebke Mackey Martin McLawhorn Michaux Mobley Owens Parmon Pierce Rapp Ross Stewart Tarleton Tolson Underhill Wainwright Warren, E. Warren, R. Weiss Whilden Wilkins Womble Wray Yongue

House Democrats (61)

Lawmakers who voted against the Racial Justice Act (SB 461) Senate Republicans (20)Allran Apodaca Berger, P. Bingham Blake Brock Brown Brunstetter Clary East Forrester Goodall Hartsell Hunt Jacumin Preston Rouzer Rucho Stevens Tillman Senate Democrats (1)

House Republicans (51)Avila Barnhart Blackwell Blackwood Blust Boles Brown Burr Burris-Floyd Cleveland Current Daughtry Dockham Dollar Folwell Frye Gillespie Grady Guice Gulley Hilton Holloway Howard Hurley Iler Ingle Johnson Justice Justus Killian Langdon Lewis McComas McCormick McElraft McGee Mills Moore Neumann Randleman Rhyne Sager Samuelson Setzer Stam Starnes Steen Stevens Tillis West Wiley

House Democrats (3)

Not VotingSenate (0)

Excused Absence

Alexander, M (D)House (1)

Roll Call Senate #1094 House #1020

Albertson

Hackney (D) Jones (D) Tucker (D) Brubaker (R)House (4)

Goss (D)Senate (1)

Spear Sutton Williams

* For contact information, read pages 6 and 7.

Failed Incentives CONTINUED FROM PG 1

Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) fund. The JDIG fund is a pro-gram created to grant taxpayer dollars to corporations who create jobs – with the grants varying in amounts depend-ing on the number of jobs created.

The state’s use of targeted eco-nomic incentives reveals disappoint-ing results. For instance, an analysis by Raleigh’s WRAL News showed that North Carolina has awarded 95

politicians grant specialized treatment to specific corporations in the form of tax breaks or handouts, it is simply unfair to other companies not receiv-ing the same specialized treatment. It sends a signal to businesses that it is better to invest in highly paid lobby-ists to gain a competitive edge rather than invest in your business to more efficiently produce goods and services.

From an economic standpoint, the unfair competitive advantage granted to incentive recipients means

JDIG grants since 2003. Of those 95 recipients, 23 have already failed to deliver on their promised job creation numbers in just six years.

Raleigh lawmakers extended the JDIG program – set to expire late last year – during the 2009 legislative session. The extension commits more than $1 billion of taxpayer money to the JDIG program over a 17-year period.

The practice of economic incen-tives is not only unfair, but it also makes bad economic sense. When

Under the Racial Justice Act, district attorneys will face unnecessary procedural burdens. The act was passed during the 2009 General Assembly long session. Photo by Jana Benscoter

Failed Incentives continued on pg 3

3February 2010nccivitas.org


In a July 2009 poll conducted by the Civitas Institute, a striking 86 percent of people said they believed

voters should be required to show photo identification before casting their ballot in North Carolina elections. State elec-tion laws here are weak and ambiguous leaving the way clear for higher chances of voter fraud.

Requiring photo identification to vote is a start to real election reform. This change would go a long way to protect the integrity of our election process.

Names of deceased voters on the official voter registration list, voters who have relocated either in state or out of state but are still registered at their old addresses, or voters registered more than once are not uncommon occurrences in North Carolina. At this time, North Carolina only requires a person entering the polls to provide their name and address in order to receive the power to vote.

After the 2008 General Election, more than 4,000 voters were removed from the rolls because they had

Weak Voter Laws Breed Vulnerability• BY sUsan MYrIcK registered more than once. And, as of

January 2010, there were over 450,000 inactive voters on state voter rolls. That’s almost half a million people who are registered to vote whose information and addresses cannot be verified.

The General Assembly passed House Bill 91 in July 2007, “Registra-tion and Voting at One-Stop Sites,” that allows voters to register and vote during early voting (Same Day Registration). Voters who register to vote during Same Day Registration bypass the necessary verification process all other voters must undergo.

More than 6,000 people, who registered and voted in the weeks leading up to the 2008 election, never had their addresses verified. After all votes were counted and the election was certified were their verifications returned to the Board of Elections as undeliver-able. New voters voted, their votes were counted and then their voter registra-tions were denied. These voters were not required to provide photo identification.

Here are statistics that stand out from the 2008 general election:• Denied voters – 6,393• Removed duplicate voters – 4,801

House Members who supported Voter Identification Requirements (HB 430) House Republicans (50)

Avila Barnhart Blackwell Blackwood Blust Boles Brown Brubaker Burr Burris-Floyd Cleveland Current Daughtry Dockham Dollar Folwell Frye Gillespie Grady Guice Gulley Hilton Holloway Howard Hurley Johnson Justice Justus Killian Langdon Lewis McCormick McElraft McGee Mills Moore Neumann Randleman Rhyne Sager Samuelson Setzer Stam Starnes Steen Stevens Stiller (Resigned 6/15/09)Tillis West Wiley

House Democrats (0)

House Members who did not sponsor Voter Identification Requirements (HB 430)

House Republicans (2) Allred (Resigned 6/1/09) McComas House Democrats (69)

*Referred to the Committee on Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform 3/9/09

Adams Alexander,K Alexander,M Allen Bell Blue (Resigned 5/19/09) Bordsen Braxton Brisson Bryant Carney Coates Cole Coleman (Resigned 1/11/09) Cotham Crawford Dickson (Resigned 1/21/10) Earle England Faison Farmer-Butterfield Fisher Floyd Gibson Glazier Goforth Goodwin Hackney Haire Hall Harrell (Resigned 9/20/09) Harrison Hill Holliman Hughes Insko Jackson Jeffus Jones Love Lucas Luebke Mackey Martin McLawhorn Michaux Mobley Owens Parmon Pierce Rapp Ross Spear Stewart Sutton Tarleton Tolson Tucker Underhill Wainwright Warren, E. Warren, R. Weiss Whilden Wilkins Williams Womble Wray Yongue


• Inactive voters who voted and are inactive again – 4,696In all, over 15,000 votes in question

were cast – more than the 14,177 votes that then candidate Barack Obama won by in North Carolina.

With the introduction of one-stop (early) voting and unprecedented population growth, gone are the days of knowing everyone in our home precincts. We also have to recognize that groups like Association of Com-munity Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), are gaining influence and power. Such organizations target weak-nesses in our election laws and processes

Lawmakers who voted to continue Technical Modifications to Job Development Investment Grants (HB 1516) Senate Republicans (17)

Allran Apodaca Berger, P. Bingham Blake Brown Brunstetter Clary East Forrester Goodall Hartsell Hunt Jacumin Rouzer Rucho Tillman

Senate Democrats (28)Albertson Atwater Berger, D. Boseman Clodfelter Dannelly Davis Dorsett Foriest Garrou Goss Graham Hoyle Jenkins Jones Kinnaird McKissick Nesbitt Purcell Queen Rand (Resigned 12/31/09) Shaw Snow Soles Stein Swindell Vaughan Weinstein (Resigned 9/30/09)

House Republicans (34) Barnhart Blackwell Boles Brubaker Burris-Floyd Current Daughtry Dockham Dollar Frye Gillespie Grady Hilton Howard Iler Ingle Johnson Justice Justus Langdon McComas McCormick McElraft McGee Moore Neumann Randleman Sager Samuelson Setzer Starnes Steen Stevens West

Adams Alexander,K Alexander,M Allen Bell Bordsen Braxton Brisson Bryant Carney Coates Cole Cotham Crawford Dickson (Resigned 1/21/10) Earle (Resigned 1/21/10) England Faison Farmer-Butterfield Fisher Floyd, E. Gibson Gill Glazier Goforth Goodwin Haire Harrell (Resigned 9/20/09) Hill Holliman Hughes Insko Jackson Jeffus Jones Love Lucas Mackey Martin McLawhorn Michaux Mobley Owens Parmon Pierce Rapp Ross Spear Stewart Tarleton Tolson Tucker Underhill Wainwright Warren, E. Warren, R. Whilden Wilkins Williams Womble Wray Yongue


Lawmakers who voted against continuing JDIG (HB 1516)Senate Republicans (1)Brock

Senate Democrats (0)House Republicans (18)Avila Blackwood Blust Brown Burr Cleveland Folwell Guice Gulley Holloway Hurley Killian Lewis Mills Rhyne Stam Tillis Wiley

House Democrats (3)

Not VotingBasnight (D) Preston (R) Senate (2)

Excused Absence

Hall (D) Sutton (D)House (2)


Harrison Luebke Weiss

Hackney (D)House (1)

Blue (D) Stevens (R) Senate (2)


that other companies will be forced to cut back on its number of workers or close up shop entirely. Jobs “created” by the incentive program actually force more jobs to be cut at other companies not being granted the same specialized treatment.

In addition to the unfair competi-tive advantage given to certain com-panies, the higher state spending for incentives and tax breaks mean that taxes on those who don’t get breaks, including individual taxpayers, have to

remain high or are even raised to sup-port the incentives.

Targeted tax breaks and hand-outs see to it that consumer and entrepreneurial preferences take a back seat to political meddling. Continued use of government busi-ness incentives not only cause a loss of taxpayer’s money, but also develop dangerous relationships between busi-ness executives and politicians.

As the Dell plant closes don’t expect to see politicians there as the last worker leaves and don’t expect any press releases by politicians taking credit for the plant closing. w

Failed Incentives CONTINUED FROM PG 2

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when they conduct voter registration drives and get-out-the-vote programs.

North Carolina can boast of a few legislators who write and submit bills that would require photo identification when voting, but they are in the minor-ity. In 2009, House Bill 430, “Voter Identification,” (a bill to require photo identification when voting) was referred to the Committee on Election and Campaign Finance Reform to languish and die.

Requiring photo identification to vote is not a new idea. It is the first step to bolster security and ensure integrity in our elections. w



North Carolina Unemployment Rates by County December 2009

December 2009

Unemployment

6.2 to 9

9.1 – 10.810.9 - 13

13.1 -15.1

15.2 – 17.6

Data Not Seasonally Adjusted Source: Employment Security Commission of North Carolina 1_2010

The national unemployment rate has remained steady over 10 percent for quite some

time. In North Carolina, according to the latest report by the state Employ-ment Security Commission (NCESC), statewide unemployment reached 11.2 percent in December.

Contrary to government reassur-ance over the success of the economic stimulus plan, and claims that un-employment is leveling off, this latest report marks a striking 0.5 percent in-crease from November and an overall 3.2 percent increase in the past year. The unemployment rate has not yet plateaued, but what is more, the rate of increase in unemployment is also increasing – from October to Novem-ber by 0.1 percent and from Novem-ber to December by 0.5 percent.

In November, unemployment increased in 60 counties, in December the latest report shows that unem-ployment increased in 86 out of 100 counties. Rates decreased in nine counties and remained the same in five. Unemployment rates increased in all 14 Metropolitan Areas. There were 73 counties with unemployment rates above 10 percent, compared to 68 counties in November.

at a Glance: Unemployment statewide• BY staFF

Metro Unemployment Rates, December 2009 (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Source: North Carolina Employment Security Commission * All December 2009 labor force data are preliminary

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Unemployment by workers increased from 482,804 workers in November to 491,578 workers in De-cember, putting nearly 9,000 North

Carolinians out of work. The county with the highest unemployment rate in December was Graham County at 17.6 percent, while Orange County

had the lowest at 6.2 percent (not sea-sonally adjusted). The state has spent a total of $4.8 billion to fund unem-ployment benefits alone this year. w

North Carolina Unemployment Rates by CountyDecember 2009



Increased Taxes Make Roads Worse• BY JessIca cUster

Lawmakers in 2009 introduced new local taxes in order to finance public transportation

and light-rail expansion projects. These taxes will cost North Carolina residents a lot of money over the next decade while doing little to relieve congestion or fix roads.

Instead of creating transporta-tion reform that would improve North Carolina infrastructure, bills passed last session created slush-fund type accounts for politically-connected projects. The way money is supposed to be spent on projects is not going to mirror existing needs of commuters and drivers.

Introduced by Reps. Becky Car-ney (D – Mecklenburg), Lucy Allen (D – Franklin), Deborah Ross (D – Wake) and Bill McGee (R – Forsyth), the “Congestion Relief and Intermo-dal Transport Fund” (HB 148) was created to give money to local govern-ments and unelected transportation authorities. The bill allows six urban counties to levy (upon voter approval) a ½ cent sales tax increase and non-urban counties to levy a ¼ cent sales tax increase. The money is to be used for public transportation purposes, especially a light-rail system in the Triangle and Triad areas to provide congestion relief.

This will be a massive tax increase that will have little to no

impact on reducing congestion. The Triangle Transit Authority “projects” light-rail ridership numbers to equal roughly 2 percent of the current Triangle population. Realistically, HB 148 will relieve less than 1 percent of congestion but raises taxes on ev-eryone to subsidize the commute of urban workers.

Along with the urban counties, the non-urban county funds collect-ed will be used exclusively for mass transit, and not on road construc-tion or repair. This means that many rural counties will be encouraged to start establishing bus systems that will have few riders and will be a drain on local resources.

All of this while a recent study conducted by the North Carolina Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) concluded that North Carolina’s roads are a “D” grade and require $60 billion in infrastructure improvements. This bill does nothing to solve that problem and instead increases taxes and spends money on a tiny fraction

of commuters.Another newly created fund,

House Bill 1005, “Department of Transportation (DOT) Participation

in Fixed Rail Projects,” allows the state transportation department to fund fixed rail projects not paid by federal funds. It was introduced by Reps. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg) and Nelson Cole (D-Rockingham).

Effective July 1, 2009, it pro-vides a back-up funding source for state leaders to spend on constructing light-rail projects in the Charlotte and Triangle areas. This money will come out of a shrinking pot of money that is supposed to be used to build and maintain roads.

Attempting to fairly distribute state transportation funds 20 years ago, state leaders established the Equity Formula, which requires State Transportation Improvement Project funds (STIP) be distributed equally throughout the state. STIP finances over 2,000 transportation projects spending $13 billion, includ-ing funding for the state’s highway, public transportation, aviation and Governor’s Highway Safety programs.

To date, the Equity Formula distributes transportation funds with little objectivity and with a preference to building and not maintenance. The result; unnecessary roads built in some areas, while other areas are left with more potholes and traffic jams.

Newly passed legislation only makes the existing situation worse. As long as North Carolina’s 19-member, politically appointed board of trans-portation is in charge, roadways will continue to be a deterrent not only to its own residents but also businesses in this state. A study released in 2007 and authored by McKinsey & Co. points out the state DOT is ineffi-cient, unfocused and inflexible.

These two pieces of legislation do nothing to fix the structural problems in DOT or to build and repair roads. What they do is raise taxes and spend money on things that don’t make North Carolina the “Goods Road State” again. w

Lawmakers who voted for higher taxes without new roads (HB 148) Senate Republicans (9)

Senate Democrats (27)Albertson Basnight Berger, D. Blue Boseman Dannelly Davis Dorsett Foriest Garrou Goss Hoyle Jenkins Jones Kinnaird McKissick Nesbitt Purcell Queen Rand (Resigned 12/31/09) Shaw Snow Soles Stein Swindell Vaughan Weinstein (Resigned 9/30/09)

Adams Alexander,K Alexander,M Allen Bordsen Braxton Brisson Bryant Carney Coates Cole Cotham Crawford Dickson (Resigned 1/21/10) Earle England Faison Farmer-Butterfield Fisher Floyd, E. Gibson Gill Glazier Goforth Haire Hall Harrell (Resigned 9/20/09) Harrison Hill Holliman Hughes Insko Jeffus Jones Love Lucas Mackey Martin Michaux Mobley Owens Parmon Pierce Rapp Ross Spear Stewart Sutton Tarleton Tolson Tucker Underhill Wainwright Warren, E. Warren, R. Weiss Whilden Wilkins Williams


Lawmakers who voted against higher taxes without new roads (HB 148)

Senate Republicans (10)Allran Berger, P. Brock Brown East Forrester Goodall Jacumin Rouzer Rucho Senate Democrats (0)House Republicans (40)Avila Blackwell Blackwood Blust Boles Brown Brubaker Burr Burris-Floyd Cleveland Current Dollar Folwell Frye Gillespie Grady Guice Gulley Hilton Holloway Hurley Ingle Justus Killian Langdon Lewis McCormick Mills Moore Randleman Rhyne Sager Setzer Stam Starnes Steen Stevens Tillis West Wiley

House Democrats (0)

Not VotingSenate (1)


Bell (D) Hackney (D) House (2)

Apodaca Blake Brunstetter Clary Hartsell Hunt Preston Stevens Tillman

House Republicans (11)Barnhart Daughtry Dockham Howard Iler Johnson Justice McComas McElraft McGee Samuelson

Clodfelter (D)

Excused Absence

House (5)

Senate (3)

Goodwin (D) Jackson (D) Luebke (D) McLawhorn (D) Neumann(R)

Atwater (D) Bingham (R) Graham D


Basnight Construction was wait-ing in the wings for funding. A docu-ment obtained by the Civitas Institute from the N.C. Division of Aquariums shows Basnight Construction on a list of plan holders and as an interested subcontractor in November 2008, well before any bill was introduced in the Legislature. The pier contract was awarded in December 2008, nine months before Basnight acknowledged he was aware of his company’s interest in the project.

President of Basnight Construc-tion for two decades, the Senator’s history with the company began in 1973 when he founded it. According to the most recently available State-ment of Economic Interest filed with the State Ethics Commission on April 15, 2009, Basnight listed having a financial interest in the company greater than $10,000. Basnight served

BasnightCONTINUED FROM PG 1

The gas tax in North Carolina adjusts with the price of gasoline; on July 1st

the tax is set to decrease by 2 cents per gallon. The North Carolina Senate

passed a bill that will not allow the tax to decrease saying that the revenue is needed for transportation projects. Do you think the tax should be allowed to

decrease or kept at the same level?

Kept at same level

49%

Tax allowed to decrease

46%

Not sure 5%

as the company’s President as recently as 2007. “Officially” resigning from Basnight Construction in August 2009, he transferred his 2,800 shares to Jimmy Basnight, his cousin, who is currently noted as the President.

Amy Faulk, a spokesperson for the Senator, said Basnight, in spite of his 2,800 shares, has not made any money from the company in 10 years. She emphasized he is not involved in day-to-day operations.

“The difficult economy has made less work available and his sensitivity was heightened due to that percep-tion,” Faulk wrote in an email. “Even though he stepped away years ago and stopped getting paid, once he found out the company was involved with this project he resigned to make it clear that he was not profiting or involved.”

Basnight Construction was awarded the subcontract from RPC in December 2008, as the lowest responsible bidder, pending approval

January 2010 Civitas Poll

Do you think it is ethical or unethical for companies owned

by members of the General Assembly to receive contracts

from the state for work?

Not Sure11%

Ethical 9 %

Unethical80%

Refused less than 1%

of funding for the project. That fund-ing came through House Bill 628, “Aquariums Satellite Areas Funding,” that was passed by the N.C. House on April 9, 2009 and by the N.C. Senate on April 14, 2009. Basnight voted “yes” on the bill.

Later attempts to strip funding for the pier were blocked through procedural motions by House and Senate leadership. Legislators who endorsed HB 628 – Reps. Tim Spear (D-Dare), Bill Owens (D-Currituck) and Daniel McComas (R-New Ha-nover) – claimed it was a way to create 555 on-site jobs, 1,250 off-site jobs and provide educational opportuni-ties for school children to learn about the ocean and green amenities, such as wind turbines. Officials calculated a $14 million benefit to the state economy after the pier is built.

The amount of money Basnight Construction is being paid and the scope of work being performed are currently undisclosed. w

Civitas Poll May 2009



1 Camden, Currituck, Pasquotank, TyrrellBill Owens (D) Rm. 635, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-0010 [email protected]

2 Chowan, Dare, Hyde, WashingtonTimothy L. Spear (D) Rm. 402, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3029 [email protected]

3 Craven, PamlicoAlice Graham Underhill (D) Rm. 1206, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5853 [email protected]

4 Duplin, OnslowRussell E. Tucker (D) Rm. 416B, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3021 [email protected]

5 Bertie, Gates, Hertford, PerquimansAnnie W. Mobley (D) Rm. 638, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5780 [email protected]

6 Beaufort, PittArthur Williams (D) Rm. 637, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5906 [email protected]

7 Halifax, NashAngela R. Bryant (D) Rm. 542, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5878 [email protected]

8 Martin, PittEdith D. Warren (D) Rm. 416A, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3023 [email protected]

9 PittMarian N. McLawhorn (D) Rm. 1217, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5757 [email protected]

10 Greene, Lenoir, WayneR. Van Braxton (D) Rm. 2219, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-3017 [email protected]

11 WayneEfton M. Sager (R) Rm. 508, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5755 [email protected]

12 Craven, LenoirWilliam L. Wainwright (D) Rm. 301F, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5995 [email protected]

13 Carteret, JonesPat McElraft (R) Rm. 603, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-6275 [email protected]

14 OnslowGeorge G. Cleveland (R) Rm. 504, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-6707 [email protected]

15 OnslowW. Robert Grady (R) Rm. 302, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-9644 [email protected]

16 New Hanover, PenderCarolyn H. Justice (R) Rm. 306A3, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-9664 [email protected]

17 BrunswickFrank Iler (R) Rm. 306A2, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-301-1450 [email protected]

18 New Hanover, PenderSandra Spaulding Hughes (D) Rm. 537, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5754 [email protected]

19 New HanoverDaniel F. McComas (R) Rm. 506, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5786 [email protected]

20 Brunswick, ColumbusDewey L. Hill (D) Rm. 1309, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5830 [email protected]

21 Sampson, WayneLarry M. Bell (D) Rm. 538, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5863 [email protected]

22 Bladen, CumberlandWilliam D. Brisson (D) Rm. 1325, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5772 [email protected]

23 Edgecombe, WilsonJoe P. Tolson (D) Rm. 307B2, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3024 [email protected]

24 Edgecombe, WilsonJean Farmer-Butterfield (D) Rm. 528, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5898 [email protected]

25 NashRandy Stewart (D) Rm. 1219, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5802 [email protected]

26 JohnstonN. Leo Daughtry (R) Rm. 1013, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5605 [email protected]

27 Northhampton, Vance, WarrenMichael H. Wray (D) Rm. 405, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5662 [email protected]

28 Johnston, SampsonJames H. Langdon, Jr. (R) Rm. 610, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5849 [email protected]

29 DurhamLarry D. Hall (D) Rm. 417B, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5872 [email protected]

30 DurhamPaul Luebke (D) Rm. 529, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-7663 [email protected]

31 DurhamHenry M. Michaux, Jr. (D) Rm. 1227, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-2528 [email protected]

32 Granville, VanceJames W. Crawford, Jr. (D) Rm. 1326, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5824 [email protected]

33 WakeRosa U. Gill (D) Rm. 1305, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5880 [email protected]

34 WakeGrier Martin (D) Rm. 2123, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5758 [email protected]

35 WakeJennifer Weiss (D) Rm. 532, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3010 [email protected]

36 WakeNelson Dollar (R) Rm. 1209, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-0795 [email protected]

37 WakePaul Stam (R) Rm. 613, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-2962 [email protected]

38 WakeDeborah K. Ross (D) Rm. 2223, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5773 [email protected]

39 WakeDarren G. Jackson (D) Rm. 301N, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5974 [email protected]

40 WakeMarilyn Avila (R) Rm. 1017, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5530 [email protected]

41 WakeChris Hegarty (D) Seat Recently Filled

42 CumberlandMarvin W. Lucas (D) Rm. 417A, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5775 [email protected]

43 CumberlandElmer Floyd (D) Rm. 1311, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5959 [email protected]

44 CumberlandCurrently not filled

45 CumberlandRick Glazier (D) Rm. 2215, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5601 [email protected]

46 Hoke, Robeson, ScotlandDouglas Y. Yongue (D) Rm. 2207, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5821 [email protected]

47 RobesonRonnie Sutton (D) Rm. 1321, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-0875 [email protected]

48 Hoke, Robeson, ScotlandGarland E. Pierce (D) Rm. 301C, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5803 [email protected]

49 Franklin, Halifax, NashLucy T. Allen (D) Rm. 419B, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5860 [email protected]

50 Caswell, OrangeBill Faison (D) Rm. 611, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3019 [email protected]

51 Harnett, LeeJimmy L. Love, Sr. (D) Rm. 305, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3026 [email protected]

52 MooreJames L. Boles, Jr. (R) Rm. 501, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5903 [email protected]

53 HarnettDavid R. Lewis (R) Rm. 533, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3015 [email protected]

54 Chatham, Moore, OrangeJoe Hackney (D) Rm. 2304, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-3451 [email protected]

55 Durham, PersonW. A. (Winkie) Wilkins (D) Rm. 1301, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-0850 [email protected]

56 OrangeVerla Insko (D) Rm. 307B1, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-7208 [email protected]

57 GuilfordPricey Harrison (D) Rm. 2119, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5771 [email protected]

58 GuilfordAlma Adams (D) Rm. 304, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5902 [email protected]

59 GuilfordMaggie Jeffus (D) Rm. 2204, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5191 [email protected]

60 GuilfordEarl Jones (D) Rm. 536, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5825 [email protected]

61 GuilfordLaura I. Wiley (R) Rm. 513, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5877 [email protected]

62 GuilfordJohn M. Blust (R) Rm. 1109, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5781 [email protected]

63 AlamanceAlice L. Bordsen (D) Rm. 530, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5820 [email protected]

64 AlamanceDan W. Ingle (R) Rm. 1019, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5905 [email protected]

65 RockinghamNelson Cole (D) Rm. 1218, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5779 [email protected]

66 Montgomery, RichmondMelanie Wade Goodwin (D) Rm. 1307, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5823 [email protected]

67 Montgomery, Stanly, UnionJustin P. Burr (R) Rm. 1315, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5908 [email protected]

68 UnionCurtis Blackwood (R) Rm. 1317, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-2406 [email protected]

69 Anson, UnionPryor Gibson (D) Rm. 419A, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3007 [email protected]

70 RandolphPat B. Hurley (R) Rm. 607, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5865 [email protected]

71 ForsythLarry Womble (D) Rm. 534, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5777 [email protected]

72 ForsythEarline W. Parmon (D) Rm. 541, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5829 [email protected]

73 Davidson, ForsythLarry R. Brown (R) Rm. 609, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5607 [email protected]

74 ForsythDale R. Folwell (R) Rm. 306A1, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5787 [email protected]

75 ForsythWm. C. “Bill” McGee (R) Rm. 531, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5747 [email protected]

76 RowanFred F. Steen, II (R) Rm. 514, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5881 [email protected]

77 RowanLorene Coates (D) Rm. 633, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5784 [email protected]

How do I contact My Legislator?House

For additional infor-mation on finding your legislator by county or to see how they vote, please visit civitasaction.org

WHY WE GIVE PARTY AFFILIATIONS:The Legislature is

managed as a partisan

institution. Lawmakers

segregate themselves

by party in matters

from daily meetings

to electing leaders.

They have separate

and taxpayer-financed

staffs. As such, gaining

a full understanding of

the vote of an individ-

ual lawmaker requires

knowing his or her

partisan affiliation.

This legislative directory provides legislative phone number and legisla-tive address. Jones St. zip code is 27601. The Salisbury St. zip code is 27603.



78 RandolphHarold J. Brubaker (R) Rm. 1229, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-4946 [email protected]

79 Davie, IredellJulia C. Howard (R) Rm. 1106, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5904 [email protected]

80 DavidsonJerry C. Dockham (R) Rm. 1213, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-2526 [email protected]

81 DavidsonHugh Holliman (D) Rm. 2301, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-0873 [email protected]

82 CabarrusJeff Barnhart (R) Rm. 608, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-2009 [email protected]

83 CabarrusLinda P. Johnson (R) Rm. 1006, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5861 [email protected]

84 Avery, Caldwell, Mitchell, Yancey Phillip Frye (R) Rm. 602, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5661 [email protected]

85 Burke, McDowellMitch Gillespie (R) Rm. 1008, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5862 [email protected]

86 BurkeHugh Blackwell (R) Rm. 606, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5805 [email protected]

87 CaldwellEdgar V. Starnes (R) Rm. 503, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5931 [email protected]

88 Alexander, CatawbaRay Warren (D) Rm. 306C, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-8361 [email protected]

89 Catawba, IredellMitchell S. Setzer (R) Rm. 1204, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-4948 [email protected]

90 Alleghany, SurrySarah Stevens (R) Rm. 509, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-1883 [email protected]

91 Rockingham, StokesBryan R. Holloway (R) Rm. 502, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5609 [email protected]

92 Iredell, Surry, YadkinDarrell G. McCormick (R) Rm. 1211, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5654 [email protected]

93 Ashe, WataugaCullie M. Tarleton (D) Rm. 2221, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-7727 [email protected]

94 WilkesShirley B. Randleman (R) Rm. 1025, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5935 [email protected]

95 IredellGrey Mills (R) Rm. 1111, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5741 [email protected]

96 CatawbaMark K. Hilton (R) Rm. 1021, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5988 [email protected]

97 LincolnJohnathan Rhyne, Jr. (R) Rm. 1323, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5782 [email protected]

98 MecklenburgThom Tillis (R) Rm. 1002, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5828 [email protected]

99 MecklenburgNick Mackey (D) Rm. 403, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5606 [email protected]

100 MecklenburgTricia Ann Cotham (D) Rm. 418C, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-0706 [email protected]

101 MecklenburgBeverly M. Earle (D) Rm. 634, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-2530 [email protected]

102 MecklenburgBecky Carney (D) Rm. 1221, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5827 [email protected]

103 MecklenburgJim Gulley (R) Rm. 1313, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5800 [email protected]

104 MecklenburgRuth Samuelson (R) Rm. 418B, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3009 [email protected]

105 MecklenburgRic Killian (R) Rm. 1010, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5886 [email protected]

106 MecklenburgMartha B. Alexander (D) Rm. 2208, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5807 [email protected]

107 MecklenburgKelly M. Alexander, Jr. (D) Rm. 632, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5778 [email protected]

108 GastonWil Neumann (R) Rm. 510, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5868 [email protected]

109 GastonWilliam A. Current, Sr. (R) Rm. 418A, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5809 [email protected]

110 Cleveland, GastonPearl Burris-Floyd (R) Rm. 1319, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-2002 [email protected]

111 ClevelandTim Moore (R) Rm. 604, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-4838 [email protected]

112 Cleveland, RutherfordBob England, M.D. (D) Rm. 303, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5749 [email protected]

113 Henderson, Polk, TransylvaniaW. David Guice (R) Rm. 1015, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-4466 [email protected]

114 BuncombeSusan C. Fisher (D) Rm. 420, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-2013 [email protected]

115 BuncombeBruce Goforth (D) Rm. 1220, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5746 [email protected]

116 BuncombeJane Whilden (D) Rm. 1303, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-3012 [email protected]

117 HendersonCarolyn K. Justus (R) Rm. 1023, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5956 [email protected]

118 Haywood, Madison, YanceyRay Rapp (D) Rm. 2213, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5732 [email protected]

119 Haywood, Jackson, Macon, SwainR. Phillip Haire (D) Rm. 639, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3005 [email protected]

120 Cherokee, Clay, Graham, MaconRoger West (R) Rm. 1004, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5859 [email protected]

Senate

1 Beaufort, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Pasquotank, Tyrrell, Washington Marc Basnight (D) Rm. 2007, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-6854 [email protected]

2 Carteret, Craven, PamlicoJean R. Preston (R) Rm. 1121, 16 West Jones St. [email protected]

3 Edgecombe, Martin, PittS. Clark Jenkins (D) Rm. 308, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3040 [email protected]

4 Bertie, Chowan, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Northampton, PerquimansW. Edward Jones (D) Rm. 623, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3032 [email protected]

5 Greene, Pitt, Wayne Donald Davis (D) Rm. 525, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5621 [email protected]

6 Jones, OnslowHarry Brown (R) Rm. 521, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3034 [email protected]

7 Franklin, Granville, Vance, Warren Doug Berger (D) Rm. 526, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-8363 [email protected]

8 Brunswick, Columbus, Pender R. C. Soles, Jr. (D) Rm. 2022, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5963 [email protected]

9 New HanoverJulia Boseman (D) Rm. 309, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-2525 [email protected]

10 Duplin, Lenoir, SampsonCharles W. Albertson (D) Rm. 523, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5705 [email protected]

11 Nash, WilsonA. B. Swindell (D) Rm. 629, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3030 [email protected]

12 Johnston, WayneDavid Rouzer (R) Rm. 520, 300 N. Salisbury St. [email protected]

13 Robeson, HokeMichael Walters (D) Seat recently filled

14 WakeDaniel T. Blue, Jr. (D) Rm. 314, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5752 [email protected]

15 WakeNeal Hunt (R) Rm. 1102, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5850 [email protected]

16 WakeJoshua H. Stein (D) Rm. 410, 300 N. Salisbury St. [email protected]

17 WakeRichard Y. Stevens (R) Rm. 406, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5653 [email protected]

18Chatham, Durham, Lee Robert Atwater (D) Rm. 312, 300 N. Salisbury St.919-715-3036 [email protected]

19 Bladen, CumberlandMargaret Highsmith Dickson (D)Rm. 300C, 300 N. Salisbury [email protected]

20 DurhamFloyd B. McKissick, Jr. (D) Rm. 621, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-4599 [email protected]

21 CumberlandLarry Shaw (D) Rm. 311, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-9349 [email protected]

22 Harnett, MooreHarris Blake (R) Rm. 517, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-4809 [email protected]

23 Orange, PersonEleanor Kinnaird (D) Rm. 2115, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5804 [email protected]

24 Alamance, CaswellAnthony E. Foriest (D) Rm. 411, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-301-1446 [email protected]

25 Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly William R. Purcell (D) Rm. 625, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5953 [email protected]

26 Guilford, RockinghamPhilip Edward Berger (R) Rm. 1026, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5708 [email protected]

27 GuilfordDon Vaughan (D) Rm. 622, 300 N. Salisbury St. [email protected] 28 GuilfordKatie G. Dorsett (D) Rm. 2106, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-3042 [email protected]

29 Montgomery, RandolphJerry W. Tillman (R) Rm. 628, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5870 [email protected]

30 Alleghany, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin Don W. East (R) Rm. 1120, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5743 [email protected]

31 ForsythPeter S. Brunstetter (R) Rm. 522, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-7850 [email protected]

32 ForsythLinda Garrou (D) Rm. 627, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5620 [email protected]

33 Davidson, GuilfordStan Bingham (R) Rm. 2117, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5665 [email protected]

34 Davie, RowanAndrew C. Brock (R) Rm. 1119, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-0690 [email protected]

35 Mecklenburg, UnionW. Edward Goodall, Jr. (R) Rm. 332, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-7659 [email protected]

36 Cabarrus, IredellFletcher L. Hartsell, Jr. (R) Rm. 518, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-7223 [email protected]

37 MecklenburgDaniel G. Clodfelter (D) Rm. 408, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-8331 [email protected]

38 MecklenburgCharlie Smith Dannelly (D) Rm. 2010, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5955 [email protected]

39 MecklenburgBob Rucho (R) Rm. 1118, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5655 [email protected]

40 MecklenburgMalcolm Graham (D) Rm. 620, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5650 [email protected]

41 Gaston, Iredell, LincolnJames Forrester (R) Rm. 1129, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-3050 [email protected]

42 Catawba, IredellAustin M. Allran (R) Rm. 516, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5876 [email protected]

43 GastonDavid W. Hoyle (D) Rm. 300-A, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-733-5734 [email protected]

44 Burke, CaldwellJimmy R. Jacumin (R) Rm. 1113, 16 West Jones St. 919-715-7823 [email protected]

45 Alexander, Ashe, Watauga, Wilkes Steve Goss (D) Rm. 1028, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5742 [email protected]

46 Cleveland, RutherfordDebbie A. Clary (R) Rm. 515, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3038 [email protected]

47 Avery, Haywood, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey Joe Sam Queen (D) Rm. 1117, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-3460 [email protected]

48 Buncombe, Henderson, Polk Tom M. Apodaca (R) Rm. 1127, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5745 [email protected]

49 BuncombeMartin L. Nesbitt, Jr. (D) Rm. 300-B, 300 N. Salisbury St. 919-715-3001 [email protected]

50 Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania John J. Snow, Jr. (D) Rm. 2111, 16 West Jones St. 919-733-5875 [email protected]

This legislative directory provides legislative phone number and legisla-tive address. Jones St. zip code is 27601. The Salisbury St. zip code is 27603.

For additional infor-mation on finding your legislator by county or to see how they vote, please visit civitasaction.org



reinventing the Wheel While It’s In Motion

BY JANA BENSCOTER

F R O M T H E E D I T O R• S C A N D A L •

Reports of dubious employ-ment practices by a local Alcohol Control Board

(ABC) and possible liquor law viola-tions by another have citizens enraged. The corrupt actions have prompted Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue and top legislators to call for tighter control over how North Carolina sells liquor.

Documents obtained by the Wilmington Star-News regarding salary and bonuses paid to New Hanover County ABC Board Administrator Billy Williams, and his son, Assistant Administrator Bradley Williams have led to the resignation of all three members of the New Hanover County ABC Board.

The newspaper reported Wil-liams earned $232,200 in salary and $30,000 in bonuses. Bradley Wil-liams earned $115,500 in salary and $20,000 in bonuses. The two received the same bonuses for the past four years and thousands in longevity pay. Over the past five years, the Wil-liams’ pay had increased by about 50 percent.

Facing mounting criticism over his six-figure salary and bonuses, in early January, Billy Williams an-nounced his plans to retire in Febru-ary. He has held his current position for 42 years.

A recent survey of ABC adminis-trator salaries revealed Billy Williams had the highest paid salary of any ABC administrator in the state. The next highest paid state or local ABC official earned about $129,000.

Revelations of the salaries and news that the board failed to keep minutes of closed session meetings sparked intense public criticism in the Wilmington area. Personnel matters are discussed during closed meetings and protected by North Carolina law, however, if a decision had been made behind closed doors, it must be revealed after it has been decided.

Board members responded by saying the higher salaries were justified because the Williams’ helped to make the New Hanover ABC one of the most profitable alcohol operations in the state. Last year, the operation had about $30 million in sales and a profit margin of about 14 percent.

Three members of the New Ha-nover County ABC Board – Charles Wells, Richard Hanson and Steve Culbreath – submitted letters of resignation on Jan. 4. A public hear-ing, where board members were to respond to public questions, sched-uled for that evening was cancelled. Board members said their actions were intended “to allow the dissipation of misunderstanding emerging from a sector of the public’s perception of our performance as Board members of this ABC system.”

Also in early January, Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) agents reported that the Mecklenburg County ABC

Corrupt Actions by ABC Boards Spark Anger

Board and the Diageo Liqour Com-pany broke state laws when the liquor company paid for meals for ABC employees and guests. One holiday dinner bill was $9,300.

The report also listed other meals where liquor companies dined ABC board members or employees. One meal at the Ritz Carlton in Charlotte cost $12,700 and included $1,000 for Dom Perignon Brut Champagne.

News reports of the dinners prompted a flurry of criticism. ABC employees and the board chair, Parks Helms, repaid the costs of the din-ner for employees while the Diageo Liqour Company picked up the tip and the tab for guests. ALE alleged Diageo and the Mecklenburg ABC Board violated laws prohibiting mem-bers from giving or accepting any gifts of value.

A December 2008 evaluation of the North Carolina Alcohol Bever-age Control System, by the Program Evaluation Division of the North Carolina General Assembly said the current system is outdated and has not kept pace with the demographic and economic changes in the state.

The report also said the state has failed to sufficiently define the mission of the board at the local level and also highlighted how current statutes limit the ability of the state ABC commis-sion to effectively manage the ABC system.

Public Still Waiting on Reform

It’s difficult to understand how North Carolina students could potentially learn history while it’s happening. By the sounds of it, that’s what North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) officials are contem-

plating. What’s not being discussed is the financial aspect a change in history curriculum will have on future state budgets.

Being kicked around is an idea to institute a new history curriculum that would focus on teaching recent history on a global scale. Rather than focus on how America evolved into a nation and how it defined its place in the world, students would be taught different parts of a non-tested curriculum including controversial issues such as environmentalism.

What typically has been taught from beginning to end, history could be taught end to beginning and due to the course load, the early years would be eliminated in high school but added in middle school. Ninth grade students would take a “Global Studies” course, years 1945 to present. The topics in-clude globalization, human rights, climate change, international organizations (United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank), technology, and political, social and religious changes occurring in the second half of the 20th century.

Tenth grade students would take a “Civics and Economics” course and eleventh grade students would take U.S. History from 1877 to present. Much of value we’ve learned to appreciate would be lost.

This idea is currently only a proposal. DPI is allowing the general public to send their comments by emailing them to [email protected] through March 2.

Discussions have not touched on the cost to implement it. Education Analyst Terry Stoops of the John Locke Foundation said, “Probably 75 percent of the state’s teachers will have to make some changes to their instruction. We’re talking about an unbelievable expenditure of money and time. Social studies teachers will have to make enormous changes, even if only part of the current proposal goes through.”

Stoops wrote on the Locker Room Blog, “The proposal does not mention the first 250 years of American history. Even if it did, it would have to compete with a significant amount of content (including economics, American govern-ment, citizenship and personal finance).”

With such a dramatic curriculum change, discerning any academic im-provement in state tests would be lost. This push not only is coming from the state, but also from a movement to have national standards. Along with the problem of local control of education, a huge problem with national standards is who makes the decisions as to what is in the curriculum.

An argument could be made that this move would engage students because recent history is more relatable to them, such as the events of the Vietnam War, Sept. 11 and the Iraq War. One would think a state that ranks in the lower 20 percent of the nation for graduating its students would be interested in retain-ing good teachers rather than chasing them off with ill conceived curriculum changes. If adopted, teachers and students could be learning the same material at the same time – so who would be doing the teaching? w

FBI and IRS agents escort handcuffed Ruffin Poole, a top aide to Gov. Mike Easley (D), into the federal courthouse in Raleigh. One of his 51 count in-dictments was that he received free liquor for his wedding reception from the former head of the NC ABC System. Photo by Don Carrington

Liquor law violations could lead to tighter state oversight at ABC stores. Photo by Jana Benscoter

The Civitas Institute offers training in investigative journalism and expos-ing government corruption. We hold monthly meetings for those who want to learn more and connect with others to combat public corruption. For more information contact Bob Luebke at 919-834-2099, Ext. 135.

Scandal is a regular column in Capitol Connection that will explore public corruption in NC Government. Have a local corruption story? Email us at: [email protected] or call 919-834-2099. w

Civitas Capital Connection - February 2010

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Transcript of Civitas Capital Connection - February 2010