Around the horn: What, me worry? edition
Rep. Thomas Wright, the embattled New Hanover Democrat, gave one of the great Alfred E. Newman-like quotes of late to AP Reporter Gary Robertson in a story running over the weekend:
A defiant Wright remains in the chamber, casting votes from the same front-row desk that reflects his senior and, until recently, influential status at the General Assembly. Asked if he plans to quit, Wright offered an exasperated response."I was elected by the people of my district and I'm here to serve them," Wright said. "I'm voting and doing what I'm supposed to do, so what are you talking about?"
Yeah, no idea what could be the matter.
More from around the state.
- Meanwhile, Rep. Mary McAllister's troubles don't seem to be going away any time soon. More here.
- Honk if you're ready to pay more taxes for that new car or truck.
- My colleagues Taft Wireback and Lanita Withers continue looking into the A&T fiasco:
The program director allegedly forged her superiors' signatures on documents that cost taxpayers thousands of dollars in inflated charges.
She allegedly approved scholarship money for her husband at a rate three times higher than any other student in the N.C. A&T program she ran: $66,733.33 from Uncle Sam for a year's tuition and expenses.
She spent $13,478 on her own travel accommodations at what auditors called "high-priced hotels," averaging $328 a night traveling for the Future Engineering Faculty Fellowship , or FEFF, program.
And all that's before auditors got to questionable taxpayer-financed travel that former FEFF director Anita Huff allegedly approved for her daughters, computer and electronic equipment missing from the program, and the supervisors who should have caught these apparent missteps.
- Home cooking is great, but sometimes you get a hankering for a meal on the road. Charlotte's Mark Johnson explains:
In North Carolina, the lobbyists for Rent-A-Center, Time Warner Cable and other companies are prohibited from contributing to campaigns, such as Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue's expected bid for governor.
Friday night, at a Washington lobbying firm, lobbyists who represent some of those same companies at the federal level held a fundraiser for Perdue.
The donations and libations affair is an example of what some reformers believe are continued efforts to get around last year's sweeping reform legislation in North Carolina. At a minimum, they say, the episode highlights the law's limits.
- Look: Laura is as much of a work-junkie as I am.
- Chris Fitzsimon is watching House-Senate budget negotiations.
- Great line from Gary Pearce: "In other words, memo to the next judge: Throw the book at this guy. And the next judge apparently will be Terry Boyle. Who Democrats blocked from the U.S. Court of Appeals."
Coming this week: Budget negotiations will continue. The House and Senate will continue clearing out smaller bills while work continues on the big monsters like H 77, the renewable energy portfolio standards one.
And if you're interested in whether billboard companies should be able to cut down trees around their signs, the Senate version is in committee Tuesday.
Finally, yes, last week stunk - big time. Yes, I'm still here in Raleigh. Any lapses in blogging have to do with time spent on projects or other work for that funny rolled-up-paper-thingy we throw in the driveway every morning.