Dalton’s only hope

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Andrew Payne

There’s only one hope for Walton Dalton, the Democratic nominee for governor – demand the NC Utilities Commission rescind the Duke-Progress Energy merger.

Pat McCrory (R) is leading Dalton in both the polls and in the bank account. Dalton’s only hope is to throw a monkey wrench into the campaign; and Duke Energy may have the biggest wrench in the state.

As anger grows in Raleigh and elsewhere across the state where Progress Energy once loomed large, the former Charlotte mayor and political frontman for Duke Energy is bound to pay the price.

A former Progress director said that Duke Energy’s actions were ”the most blatant example of corporate deceit that I have witnessed during a long career on Wall Street.”

Dalton simply needs to connect the dots for voters in order turn the statewide electorate against Duke and the former Charlotte mayor.

Duke Energy’s next victim

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Andrew Payne

The North Carolina Utilities Commission duped. Progress Energy shareholders lied to. Thousands to lose their jobs. Raleigh no longer home to a community-oriented Fortune 500 company. Bill Johnson fired.

Duke Energy’s victim list is growing. Who’s their next victim? Pat McCrory.

As anger grows in Raleigh and elsewhere across the state where Progress Energy once loomed large, the former Charlotte mayor and political frontman for Duke Energy is bound to pay the price. Charlotte is home to Duke, now the nation’s largest utility.

Will it destroy McCrory’s gubernatorial hopes? That of course remains to be seen. But Duke Energy may have just turned the tide, reminding the state – rightfully or not – that Charlotte and its civic leaders like Duke CEO Jim Rogers are not be trusted.

Leadership

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Andrew Payne

The University of Virginia is in a tail spin. The campus’s governing authority, the Board of Visitors, ousted the University’s popular president, Teresa Sullivan.

The board announced the president’s resignation June 10, citing a desire to move more quickly on several areas of reform. The board voted on an interim president; he was scheduled to take over August 16.

Friday, the interim president cited the groundswell of support for Teresa Sullivan’s reinstatement as the motivation for the decision to suspend preparations to lead the University. On Thursday, deans and other University leaders unanimously called for Sullivan’s reinstatement. Afterward, the board announced a meeting Tuesday to resolve the issue.

In a letter, Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell writes: “But let me be absolutely clear: I want final action by the Board on Tuesday. If you fail to do so, I will ask for the resignation of the entire Board on Wednesday. Regardless of your decision, I expect you to make a clear, detailed and unified statement on the future leadership of the University.”

Now that’s leadership. Perhaps it will spread southward to North Carolina and solve the ongoing athletic-academic crisis at UNC Chapel Hill?

Bev: veto the budget – no money for eugenics victims

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Andrew Payne

Gov. Bev Perdue should veto the state budget that passed the General Assembly today because it does not include money for victims of the state’s eugenics program.

Between 1929 and 1974, North Carolina forcibly sterilized about 7,600 people whom the state deemed “feeble-minded” or otherwise undesirable. Many were poor black women.

An effort to give each surviving victim of the eugenics program $50,000 fell short Wednesday when it failed to get consideration in the N.C. Senate after passing the House. The $10 million allocation is not in the final budget.

Tell Gov. Perdue to veto any budget that doesn’t include money for eugenics victims.

Contact Bev now:
Phone: (800) 662-7952 or (919) 733-2391
governor.office@nc.gov

Investing in the state

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Andrew Payne

Four of Honest NC’s contributors are starting small businesses. Our goal – invest and give back to the state we love so dearly.

Nice Stache is composed of Melissa Church and Scott Heath, two Raleigh-based designers who are excited to bring you cool stuff to wear, awesome stuff to hang on your walls and whatever else their creative brains can think up. What you’ll see here is a collection of hand-screened goods, plus featured works by other artists from the beautiful state of North Carolina.

Matt Huffman Photography is a full-service studio specializing in commercial, wedding and editorial photography. After graduating from N.C. State in 2004, Huffman spent the next few years as a travel photographer, exploring the far reaches of Asia, Australia, Europe and the Pacific Rim. Huffman specializes in shooting on location across the state.

I’m starting Keynoma, a biotechnology research and marketing company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. As a low-profit limited liability company, Keynoma was founded for charitable-scientific purposes – to combat complications associated with traumatic brain injuries, especially among members of the military community. Keynoma will develop treatments and therapies to improve brain cognition, function and recovery.

Investing in Education

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Andrew Payne

Gov. Bev Perdue and I are fighting to increase our investment in North Carolina’s schools. “It’s the right thing to do for our children and it’s also one of the most important things we can do to create jobs.” I urge you to call your state representative and state senator and urge them to invest more resources in North Carolina schools. If you aren’t sure who your representative or senator is, you can use this tool.

Dear Col. Hare

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Andrew Payne

Col. George Hare
UNC-CH Department of Public Safety
285 Manning Drive
Campus Box 1600
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1600

Dear Col. Hare:

I am writing with regard to my arrest at the Board of Governors meeting at the General Administration Building on February 10 of this year. As a former member of the Board of Governors and a citizen who is alarmed at the rapidly escalating costs of tuition at our public universities, I travelled from New York to attend the meeting. I confirmed a reserved seat for the meeting by contacting Bart Corgnati, Secretary of the University of North Carolina.

While the Board of Governors meeting was underway, I had to leave the room momentarily to use the bathroom. Unbeknownst to me, an order had been given to campus security officers not to allow anyone to reenter the meeting room. So I was surprised and angered when I got to the door and was barred by Officer J. S. Carroll. In the moment, I thought that I had been singled out for different treatment because of my vocal opposition to the tuition increases then under consideration. I attempted to explain that I had a right to be in the meeting room, that I was a former member of the Board of Governors, and to show that I had a reserved seat on the other side of the door. But Officer Carroll and other public safety officers barred the way, pulled me back, and dropped me to the floor after I attempted to open the door. I was then arrested and charged with second degree trespass and resisting arrest.

I would like to apologize to Officer Carroll for putting him in an awkward situation and risking confrontation with the other public safety officers. I understand now that they were complying with a direct order not to allow anyone back into the room.

After I served for two years on the Board of Governors, I was presented with a resolution honoring my service. It concluded with the following:

“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina expresses its heartfelt gratitude to R. ANDREW PAYNE for his valuable advocacy and enthusiastic service to the University.”

It was in the spirit of that advocacy and service that I returned to the University on February 10. It was not my intention to enter into a confrontation with the public safety officers. I regret that miscommunication and misunderstanding led to a rapid escalation of emotions as I attempted to reenter the meeting.

Pots and pans, pots and pans

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Andrew Payne

When lawmakers return to Raleigh next Wednesday, May 16 to begin their “short session,” North Carolinians representing various factions will converge on the General Assembly for a cacerolazo – a pots and pans protest.

What is a cacerolazo? “A form of popular protest that originated in Latin America which consists of a group of people creating noise by banging pots, pans, and other utensils to call for attention.”

Many still outraged and disappointed over the Amendment One vote will take part: Bicentennial Mall at 10 A.M.

Awakening a sleeping dragon

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Andrew Payne

From our friends at Southerners On New Ground (SONG).

Votes against the amendment

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Andrew Payne

The below graphic shows the percentage (per county) of votes against Amendment One. Click the image for a larger version. Graphic courtesy of Kirk Schmidt.