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Methinks Mr. Pope does protest too much

Submitted by James on Sun, 04/03/2011 - 10:25am

When it comes to indignant rants, Arthur Pious Pope III gives as good as he gets, with the level of rhetoric defending his actions directly proportional to damage he's done. His recent response to the boycott of his stores is instructive.

Art Pope Response to NCAE Teachers Union Threatened Boycott of Pope Stores
I am shocked that the NCAE, North Carolina’s teachers’ union, would threaten the jobs of the thousands of employees at our stores, in order to further their union agenda. The NCAE teachers’ union’s call for a boycott of our stores is nothing but political extortion, to try and stop me from supporting Republican candidates and conservative organizations, and instead to try and force me to support the NCAE’s Democratic Party allies and left-wing organizations.

I will not give in to extortion. I will continue to support education reform to improve our public schools over the teachers’ union opposition. I will continue to exercise the rights we all have in a democracy, to support the candidates of my choice and to make voluntary donations to the organizations of my choice.

The NCAE falsely claims that I am against public education. However, with over eight years of public service in the Legislature, and years of public speaking and writing, the NCAE cannot quote one thing I have ever said, written or done, to support the NCAE’s lie. As President of the Pope Foundation, we have donated well over a hundred thousand dollars to public schools.

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The analysis

I am shocked that the NCAE, North Carolina’s teachers’ union, would threaten the jobs of the thousands of employees at our stores, in order to further their union agenda. The NCAE teachers’ union’s call for a boycott of our stores is nothing but political extortion, to try and stop me from supporting Republican candidates and conservative organizations, and instead to try and force me to support the NCAE’s Democratic Party allies and left-wing organizations.

  • Most reasonable people understand that Mr. Pope is either (1) funding or (2) orchestrating a corporate takeover of every level of government in North Carolina. A statewide boycott of his trash stores is a reasonable response to his trash agenda. Union organizing is one of the few tools remaining to blunt the impact of his family money. Even if the boycott were nothing political punishment, it would be well-deserved.

I will not give in to extortion. I will continue to support education reform to improve our public schools over the teachers’ union opposition. I will continue to exercise the rights we all have in a democracy, to support the candidates of my choice and to make voluntary donations to the organizations of my choice.

  • No one is trying to stop Mr. Pope from doing anything. Indeed, our best hope is for his emboldened over-reaching. Meanwhile, we the people can and should continue to exercise our rights, the rights we all have in a democracy, to combat his efforts. Turnabout is fair play.

The NCAE falsely claims that I am against public education. However, with over eight years of public service in the Legislature, and years of public speaking and writing, the NCAE cannot quote one thing I have ever said, written or done, to support the NCAE’s lie. As President of the Pope Foundation, we have donated well over a hundred thousand dollars to public schools.

  • Arthur Pope's propaganda network is in the business of stretching the truth. Anyone who takes what he and his organizations say on face value is a fool. It's what Mr. Pope does that matters. And despite all the happy talk, his hundred thousand dollar contribution to public schools is a drop in the bucket compared to the $15+ million he spends every year to undermine the effectiveness of government, public institutions, and the middle class.

    Mr. Pope's business strategy is one of exploitation. He sites his stores in poor communities where people have no choice but to buy whatever he chooses to sell. Profits from those sales are fund his hostile takeover.

The letter goes on and on and on and on. Read it for yourself. The impression you'll get is one of an emperor with no clothes, defending a record on technicalities, even as he shreds the institutions he claims to support.

To my knowledge.

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Comments

Shocked?

Submitted by James on Sun, 04/03/2011 - 10:34am.

Shocked I tell you?

It's bad enough that Arthur uses his employees as doormats on the way to the bank. But to also use them as pawns in his war with teachers is just plain sick.

FYA

"Art" imitates life

Submitted by usernamehere on Sun, 04/03/2011 - 11:15am.

 

In answer to this:

Submitted by scharrison on Sun, 04/03/2011 - 12:00pm.

the NCAE cannot quote one thing I have ever said, written or done, to support the NCAE’s lie.

Just as people pay PR firms or lawyers to be their mouthpieces, Pope pays a network of writers and lobbyists to speak for him. And here's one from ten days ago that attacks the NCAE and the teachers it represents:

Should we continue to pay teachers using a salary schedule that rewards longevity over teacher effectiveness and student performance? Under the current salary schedule excellent teachers are essentially paid the same as ineffective teachers. Is such a policy fair to our teachers or our students?

Lawmakers can help address the current crisis by limiting salary supplements (i.e., masters, NBPTS etc.) to current recipients only. Long-term solutions must focus on variants of a merit pay plan for teachers. A full discussion of such is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say, the North Carolina Association of Educators’ (NCAE), an organization which functions as the state teachers union, will vigorously oppose any such proposal.

Art Pope can whine all he wants about being "unfairly targeted", but the evidence of his concerted attack on public schools, and the teachers and students who attend them, is overwhelming and impossible to hide.