Gov. Nice
If you haven't listened yet to Mark's interview with Gov. Mike Easley, I encourage you to plug in.
You can find audio segments at his blog.
Let me especially recommend this one, the governor's comments on the media.
At this point, I have to confess to not doing my job as a journalist, as defined by Easley.
"My job is to be nice to other people," the governor said. "Their job (journalists') is to be nice to me."
You can see the genesis of problems right there.
Easley goes on to provide an example of the media not doing its job -- The News & Observer's "hatchet job" on Correction Secretary Theodis Beck over the many failures of the state's probation system.
Easley says it's unfair to make a big deal over the fact that there are 61 killings per year by probationers because that's an improvement from 81 per year before he was in office.
OK, first, you can't necessarily believe Easley's numbers. The N&O reported there have been 580 such killings in the last eight years. That's more than 72 per year.
On further research, I see the average of 61 is for only three years, 2005-07.)
Second, the governor said 61 was "horrible," so what the heck is he bragging about? It's a "hatchet job" for a newspaper to report these numbers? The public shouldn't be told?
Well, then, "some young lady gets brutally murdered," in the governor's words.
"Some young lady" had a name, governor. It was Eve Carson.
The alleged murderers were on probation for other crimes and should have been locked up at the time of Eve Carson's murder for violating the terms of their probation.
Sorry for not being nice about this, governor, but that is a legitimate news story. It's a matter of public interest when violent criminals who ought to be locked up are allowed to run loose endangering innocent people.
So, what's the governor's answer to the problem? We've got to "get some of these executions going again."
Yeah, that's it. Execute them.
Just one problem: Probationers are NOT convicted murderers. People who are convicted of capital crimes and sentenced to death are NOT put on probation.
It's just an inconvenient legal necessity to hold the death penalty until AFTER one is convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to die.
But nice try, governor.
Comments (6)
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I rather say nice try Doug.
Easley, got a 100% free pass from the press.
If not for the Locke group and the country jocks, we have no idea , about the good ole boys in Raleigh!
Posted on December 29, 2008 5:43 AM
If not for the Locke group and the country jocks, we have no idea , about the good ole boys in Raleigh!* Doug Johnson
Hate to tell you Doug, but the good ole rich white republican boys in Raleigh and the republican talk radio hosts thoughout the state want you to believe they are the Joe the Plumbers and the Sara Palins of the 21 st century who will save the Republic with the same ole same old of bigot divided politics........
Posted on December 29, 2008 5:52 PM
Doug:
Please keep on not doing your job with the governor and all other elected officials.
Happy New Year!
Paul Daniels
Posted on December 30, 2008 8:27 AM
Thanks, Paul.
Nothing wrong with being nice to school board members, if possible, but our outgoing governor seems to have the expectation that the press shouldn't bother him with questions about problems in state government. And he's rarely answered questions, anyway.
Posted on December 30, 2008 9:00 AM
There's no relevance to bashing GOP or Democrats after this story. Other than to point out Gov Easley is a Dem. However, he is an incompetent, crooked, rudderless failure first. The N&O's series revealed that Easley and his appointees are inept in their duties. And as a result, he is leaving office with blood on his hands. To not have the simple decency to refer to Eve Carson by name is a pitiful example of Mike Easley's shallowness.
Mr. Easley, you are a disgrace to North Carolina.
Posted on December 30, 2008 9:59 AM
Whew! Not much to say after that except, Welcome, Gov. Perdue!
Posted on December 30, 2008 1:05 PM