What would you ask?
Gov. Mike Easley is scheduled to meet the press Tuesday morning (10/06) next week. There's no specific topic, as he's basically granting an end-of-year interview request to a bunch of people at once.
So what would you ask him?
Yes, I have some questions of my own. But chances are at least some of you out there have something on your minds that I wouldn't have thought about.
And between the lottery, Dell's arrival, the newly empanelled legislative ethics committee, teacher salaries, teacher qualifications, the state budget, voting machine issues, recent executions and everything else going on related to state government, there's plenty of fertile ground to plow.
Just so you don't get too excited, here are a couple caveats: An individual reporter will be limited by time and the number of others in the room as to how many questions he can get off. Also, questions that are more political needling than actually aimed at eliciting a response aren't going to be much good to me.
Other than that, serve 'em up.
Reply via the comments link below or direct to e-mail at mbinker@news-record.com. If you want to make sure I get your question, send it by 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
My plan is to post audio of the session if I get a clean enough recording. Any of the questions submitted by you folks in the blogsphere that I use will get posted here with their answers Tuesday afternoon.
Comments (4)
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Mr. Governor, given your penchant for executions (Syriani, McHone, and Boyd), what do you think the appropriate punishment should be for Jim Black's recent transgressions?
Posted on December 2, 2005 4:07 PM
Ouch.
Mark. I've posted my thoughts on the Editor's blog (yesterday) - responding to John Robinson's request on this same subject.
After yesterday's experience with the Randolph County DA's office, I'd like to see the N&R step up to the plate.
Posted on December 3, 2005 4:04 PM
Mr. Governor, please tell us why you changed the law so that you could keep Bob Cordle on the State Board of Elections.
Mr. Cordle has raised the ire of fellow democrats who care about clean elections by his bizarre opposition to voter verified paper ballots.
Although you clearly don't like Jerry Meek, he was only responding to a plea from citizens from all over the state to replace Mr. Cordle with someone who puts the voters first.
Mr. Cordle repeatedly cited the ethically challenged organization "The Election Center" as his source of expert information and as reason for wanting NC to further drown in paperless voting.
Furthermore, his reaction to the lawmakers request for an ethics policy for election officals was embarrassing to say the least.
What bothers him about an ethics policy?
The Democrats, while being blessed with a majority in the state legislature, seem bent ruining themselves and the golden opportunity to have a great legacy.
Instead, there seems to be scandal everywhere, and the word "ethics" keeps cropping up.
Please tell us why Bob Cordle is on the Board of Elections, or why you want him there.
Posted on December 3, 2005 8:56 PM
I get it. I have to pretend I'm a reporter.
(1) Mr. Governor, ethics seems to be a big topic these days. Any comments on the website: www.jimblackmustgo.com?
(2) "Local" question, Sir. Mr. Governor, since the lottery scandal errupted, there seems to be an attempt by legislators to shift focus to healthcare. Do you have any comments on the website: www.asheboropediatrics.com? We understand the doctor wrote both your office and that of Attorney General Roy Cooper last year in order to request a criminal investigation, alleging abuses of local prosecutorial power & discretion, and your office has failed to intervene.
(3) Follow up question, Sir. Regarding abuses of power in government (the position even the News & Record took yesterday), is your administration really willing to look at the hard questions concerning healthcare and ethics . . . and look at other instances in which power and influence have been abused? How do you answer allegations of cronyism in state government - particularly as it relates to the investigation of the "disporportionate share" scandal?
(4) Of course, there's always the safe question. How's the weather in Southport?
Posted on December 4, 2005 10:22 AM