NC Democratic Party

I have tried to volunteer for three different statewide campaigns over the last three weeks and have yet to hear back from any of them. Campaigns run on volunteers: not paid staff and consultants so I can't figure out why I haven't gotten a response from any of the three.

I have run five campaigns (4-1) and have volunteered on many more so I know how valuable volunteers are. Since they are not paid, they can go anywhere and work for anyone they want and generally are very committed to a candidate because of this. Volunteers knock on doors, make phone calls, stuff envelopes and do the things that keep campaigns in front of the voters.

In this time of shrinking donor contributions and media consolidation, I can't quite figure out this lack of response.

Or maybe it is because I blog at BlueNC.

There is a bill sitting on Gov. Perdue's desk today submitted by the Republican Legislature against Community Broadband. This has been written about by others on this blog. Today in the Huffington Post, Lawrence Lessig has posted an open letter to Gov. Perdue asking her to veto this bill.

Commercial broadband providers are not happy with this new competition, however. After spending millions in lobbying and campaign contributions in North Carolina, they convinced your legislature to override the will of local North Carolina communities, and ban these faster, cheaper broadband networks. Rather than compete with better service, and better prices, they secured a government-granted protection against competition. And now, unless you veto H. 129, that protection against competition will become law.

Yesterday's meeting of the N.C. Democratic Party State Executive Committee was an encouraging event for several reasons.

Gwen Wilkins from Nash County and the Chair of the 1st Congresssional District (and a Native American) was elected 1st Vice Chair of the State Executive Committee in another election at the meeting where David Parker was elected Party Chairman.

Stella Adams, formerly of Durham, ran for re-election for 1st Vice-Chair, but dropped out of the race after losing in the early balloting, Adams then threw her support to Wilkins. June Mabry later also dropped out in the race for 1st Vice-Chair and conceded the race to Wilkins.

Melvin Williams was elected Secretary, and Tony McEwen was re-elected 3rd Vice-Chair.

RALEIGH, N.C. —Democratic National Committee member David Parker of Statesville easily defeated current state Rep. Bill Faison of Orange County and former state party First-vice Chair Dannie Montgomery of Anson County on the first ballot. Parker will succeed outgoing Party Chairman David Young of Asheville.

As the Raleigh News and Observer reports, “ North Carolina Democrats Saturday chose a veteran activist, David Parker, to lead the party's comeback effort next year, that will include efforts to hold on to the governor's mansion and retake the legislature from the Republicans”.

The Democratic Party’s State Executive Committee (SEC) of over 600 members met to conduct a regular business meeting at the NC State University McKimmon Center.

Parker, 56, of Iredell County, took the gavel and leadership over the party immediately. He will serve a two-year term. He received 355 out of 632 total votes, party spokeswoman Kerra Bolton said.

Did anyone get a copy of an adobe acrobat document sent out by Stephen Gheen supporting Bill Faison for NCDP Chair?

If so, was wondering what your thoughts are about the content of the document.

Tried to catch up to the newly elected GOP leadership yesterday. Needed some items like press credentials and interviews for news stories about the legislative session that begins in two weeks. No go.

If you were also planning to try to find someone "home" at the LOB or the legislative building, I hope you have better luck than I did. I finally called Senator Phil Berger's office, where I was told they don't have any answers for me. They said to call back on January 25th: the day before the session begins.

My folks with Examiner.com in Denver, CO, will surely understand that those legislative stories can just wait, right?

Then this morning when news was announced on WRAL about Ralph Campbell I tried to contact Andrew Whalen at NCDP headquarters. Turns out he is gone and only working on "transition" on Fridays.

So much for the Greater Raleigh Capital area buzzing with political news.

I am reluctant to put this online, as I am not even sure I can legally, for a couple of reasons: 1) I am a Democratic Party officer in Wake County 2) will it be considered libelous? But here goes, as this is something many of you are confronting in your areas, too, I am sure.

I wrote earlier about the new creation of the "Coordinated Campaign" by David Young at the State Convention in July. I said in my post in July that I was just as afraid of our internal mechanisms in the State Democratic Party's Plan of Organization being side-stepped, as I was of Art Pope and his Republican posse. I sincerely, though regretfully, meant that.

I am doing research to write a profile for publication. The subject is P. R. Latta of Wake County. P. R. is being honored again this year by the Wake Young Democrat's Annual P. R. Latta Award Dinner, August 19th. The award was first presented in 2001.

I would like anyone with stories of P. R.'s work as a union leader and lobbyist, member of the county or state Executive Committees, or civic group volunteer to contact me with the information. You do not have to be quoted for attribution. Background material is appreciated, too.

I would like to publish the profile online the week of the Award Dinner, so I need any contributions by next Monday. My phone number in Raleigh is 919-781-7278.

Martha Brock
NC Statehouse and Election 2010 writer
Examiner.com

Wake County has only 173m, about 3.5%, of 5.1 billion alloted for NC stimulus recovery fund projects from the feds, according to Onvia Tracking. We are behind Cumberland, Wayne, and Rowan counties. We can do better and, if elected to the NC Senate in 2010, I'll work to "bring home the bacon" to our community.

Charles Malone
Raleigh

charlesmalonencsenate.com

Charles Malone