Dana Cope

Attacking Democrats whenever he gets a chance:

"We're satisfied that we got the best compromise out of this bill that we could possibly get as state employees, but I've got to tell you that the governor seems to be taking a lot of credit for this and essentially it's the exact same bill that's been sitting on her desk that she hasn't signed for a couple of weeks now," said Cope.

No, it's not. But I can understand your desire to (try to) make it look like supporting Republicans was a good idea. In actuality, it was one of the stupidest moves on record, but keep tying ribbons on that pig. It's amusing.

When the city-slicker announced he would build a new chicken coop for his small flock, the old farmers watched with amusement. When the city-slicker killed some of his best egg producers, the old farmers chuckled and winked at one another. When the city-slicker bought a skulk of red foxes to guard his new chicken coop, the old farmers laughed and slapped their knees. And when the city slicker published a newspaper column giving those new foxes a stern lecture about taking care of the remaining hens, one old farmer finally took him aside to offer a few words of advice

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, young feller, but it seems like you might want to find another line of work," said the old man. "You can blab all you want about what a critter should do, but there ain't no way those damn foxes is gonna take care of your chickens."

"You're probably right," sighed the city-slicker. "Think maybe I could get a job as the head of the State Employees Association of North Carolina?"

Cutting off your nose to spite your face:

A decision in July by SEANC's political action committee not to endorse General Assembly candidates this fall meant plans were shelved to spend more than $1 million largely benefiting Democrats, according to one of their leaders.

"It will send a message to those politicians that have taken us for granted," SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope said. "We're tired of them treating us like a giant ATM but never caring about our issues."

I hope you remember that when you find yourself standing around for hours in the lobby with your finger up your butt, only to have a page tell you, "Today's not a good day. Come back next month."

They're apparently more serious than we thought:

Wearing matching "Bring Jobs to North Carolina" T-shirts, Donnell Smith of Fayetteville and Shelitia Brooks of Raeford told people they were trying to create better jobs and more affordable health care.

What they didn't say is they're also trying to throw 8th District Democratic Congressman Larry Kissell out of office.

But could they also be inadvertently helping to throw Tim D'Annunzio "in" office?

Next Tuesday's Wake County School Board election promises to be a watershed event for race and poverty. I have followed the issue closely and today's Op Ed article in the Raleigh News&Observer by David Zonderman, "On school vote hangs our future", expresses what's at stake as capably as any observer.

Few recent school board elections have carried such historical and educational weight. Voters should remember the modern civil rights movement's struggles and realize that the fight for educational access and equity did not end with Brown v. Board of Education. That campaign for quality education continues today. In an increasingly diverse nation and an ever more complex world, all children need and deserve the best education possible in classrooms that reflect the rich and variegated human mosaic of America.

Last week the NAACP celebrated its 100 year anniversary. Saturday the NAACP of NC and partners led thousands in the 3rd annual “Historic Thousands on Jones Street”, the HKonJ rally in Raleigh to support a 14 point People’s Agenda for better schools and health care, equal justice, affordable housing, worker fairness, voting rights, environmental justice, and more. Point #1 advocates that “All Children Need High Quality, Well Funded, Diverse Schools”. Point #11 calls for “Collective Bargaining for Public Employees and Support Smithfield Workers Right to Unionize.”

The NAACP of NC and 12 local branches have signed on to support the NC Hope Coalition in calling for the repeal of the ban in GS 95-98 on collective bargaining by public employees. The Coalition has a core of 11 labor groups including the SEANC, SEIU and NCAE and was an important element of the HKonJ rally. Some marchers wore yellow gags with the words “Repeal 95-98”. Just Monday the NAACP again showed its support for NC unions by awarding Richard Burr, Howard Coble and Americans for Prosperity a “Hypocrisy Award” for the misleading "Defense of the American Worker" campaign which opposes the "card check" bill. Just yesterday the NAACP of NC again expressed support for the “Employee Free Choice Act” even as conservative patron Art Pope stood with Richard Burr to oppose it.

So it comes as some surprise that the Executive Director of SEANC, Dana Cope, and the Legislative Director of SEANC, Ardis Watkins, have together taken steps to undermine the school diversity policy in effect in Wake County and to give succor to opponents of public education and in some cases, collective bargaining.