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Art Pope's Horatio Alger gospel

Submitted by Martha Brock on Mon, 01/21/2013 - 12:08pm

From an opinion piece published by Asheville Citizen-Times on Sunday:
see more at http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013301200020

Art Pope is not famous.

He is wealthy, though. And powerful. In fact, he probably has more political influence over your life than anyone else in the state of North Carolina. This includes the governor, the legislators or even the Rev. Billy Graham.

He’s like Billy Graham, though, in that he preaches a gospel. It’s a Horatio Alger story of pulling one’s self up by the bootstraps. That’s peculiar, since he inherited his money from his family, which started the Pope’s five-and-ten cent chain in Fuquay-Varina and later bought up the Roses variety stores. And he’s like the governor in that he successfully steers policy in our state. Patrick McCrory named Pope his chief budget writer on Dec. 20, so there’s no question of Pope’s influence...

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Comments

But he's not controversial

Submitted by James on Mon, 01/21/2013 - 12:55pm.

He's a river in Egypt.

And he isn't listening to us

Submitted by Martha Brock on Mon, 01/21/2013 - 1:43pm.

...and he made it clear that he doesn’t give detractors a second thought.

Martha Brock

That's bullshit

Submitted by James on Mon, 01/21/2013 - 3:33pm.

Art Pope once called the Attorney General's office, expressing concern about me and BlueNC. He also produced his very own vanity website to counter the growing belief that he's an unelected dictator.

Interesting that a senior official in the government doesn't give 45% of the people of North Carolina a "second thought." That's reason enough to fire the asshole all by itself.

But at least he's not a controversial figure.