Easley's arrogance
Submitted by James on Sat, 05/09/2009 - 9:42am
It's tempting to wish sucky politicians would just fade away into the sunset, but our collective interest in the rule of law demands otherwise, especially when stories about the arrogance of privilege like this one come out.
While he was governor, Mike Easley turned a small group of influential North Carolina businessmen into his own private air service, an arrangement Easley kept secret. Starting in 2003, Easley took at least 25 flights on private jets, some in apparent violation of campaign laws and ethics rules, documents and interviews show. Some flights were free. The value of others exceeded campaign contribution limits.
Here's a list of Easley's enablers from the article.
Easley, who has taken a job at the McGuire Woods law firm and is a national spokesman on education initiatives for the foundation of Bill and Melinda Gates, would not agree to be interviewed. His campaign lawyer, John Wallace, declined interview requests. Wallace also represents the state Democratic Party on campaign issues.
In the interest of at least the illusion of integrity, the state Democratic Party should dump Wallace like a dirty ashtray, just as McGuire Woods should dump Mr. Mike. In any case, McGuire Woods will have to update their slogan from "relationships that drive results" to "all the relationships that money can buy".
I'm sure Mr. Mike is already slipping into "poor old me" victim mode, just like every other arrogant asshole who thinks he or she is above the law. But victim or not, I hope Easley and all the privileged white boys surrounding him, get everything that should be coming to them.
It's not about wealth and power
It's about people using wealth and power to influence government in ways that create more wealth and power for themselves.
The most egregious example of this, in my view, is war profiteering. Right behind that is road profiteering by anti-government rich guys. These guys are more like beach, boat and car-crash profiteering.
Same as it ever was.
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.
Dell Murphy
Another Wildlife Resources Commissioner. Their antic of his fellow commissioners were recently featured in "The Insider," "Under the Dome," and "North Carolina Sportsman," (the magazine: www.northcarolinasportsman.com), the last of which was the most explicit in revealing the arrogance of commissioners Wes Seegars and David Hoyle (the senator' son).
Though sportsmen provided detailed and corroborated testimony about being threatened by Seegars and Hoyle for opposing the commissioner's pet proposals for rules, Perdue re-appointed Hoyle and apparently has no problems with Seegars remaining on as chair.
To her credit, Perdue did offer a muted chastisement to the Commission for claiming that its committee meetings were closed to the public, but the arrogant attitude revealed by that policy of exclusion is an entrenched feature of their M.O.
These are Easley's men -- and now Perdue's -- and their understanding of the games they're permitted to play in the name of "public service" comes right from the playbook that Perdue and Easley share.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing
-Edmund Burke
Hey there!
I was wondering where you wuz the other day. I was hoping you'd show up at James' so I could introduce you to my daughter Holli as "My fiancee'". :)
Conflict
I think James' event was in direct conflict with a fundraiser that I attended.
But I sure hate that I missed that introduction opportunity!!!
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing
-Edmund Burke
Dishonesty, arrogance, stupidity, and a total lack of regard
for constituents seems to be the hallmark of american politicians. Why not? They get away with it. Our own Wilmington City Council just returned from a Convention in Washington DC where they, and some of their spouses, dined at Ruth's Chris Steak House on the public dime. They were shocked to learn that some folks felt that was pretty stupid, particularly when city employees are being furloughed or fired due to the budget crunch caused by falling tax revenues.
I recall Easely and his bride going to Europe on our dime too, and spending lots of money for a chauffeured limo...and the list just goes on and on. Until we can get honest decent people to run for office, we're screwed. We just keep having to choose from the lesser of known evils and end up electing people who then forget their promises and spit in our faces.
Easely needs to go to jail.
Stan Bozarth