Easley:  Special Session?

No, not so much. In a Q&A today after signing some anti-predatory mortgage bills, Easley said he's not sure a special session is the answer to the state's transportation funding issues.

Why? It's a question of consensus: Easley says he doesn't want to call the legislature back unless they can pass something quickly (and presumably something he likes). He doesn't want to bring them back for "two weeks, or three, or four, or five" to argue about it.  Funny, I thought that was kind of the point of having a legislature. Maybe not from his perspective.

Easley was similarly stern on the issue of State Banking Commissioner Dr. Donell Lewis, arrested in Raleigh yesterday on fraud charges.  Easley's reaction:  "I don't think he'll be on the commission by the end of the day." 

The Gov was more propitiatory about the HBCU athletic scholarship issue, which he wrote off as an "economic incentive" to keep the MEAC and CIAA tournaments in NC. (And no, I'm not really sure how the scholarships guarantee that.) But he also advised the legislature to leave economic incentives up to the executive branch - an opinion I'm not sure legislators would necessarily agree with.  Progressive wonk Chris Fitzsimon doesn't think much of Easley's explanation, either

Beason-a-rama

Over at Dome, Beckwith & Co. are busy running down an all-cash real-estate transaction between the state's former top lobbyist Don Beason and former state Rep. Theresa Esposito, brokered by Rep. Julia Howard (R-Davie), through an attorney that at the time was the business partner of yet another legislator, Bob Hensley.

Howard, who made $8,500 on the deal, told Dome there was "nothing weird" about the transaction.  NC Spin's Tom Campbell thinks there is - i.e., that it lined the pockets of several lawmakers.

Let’s see if we understand what we know about this sale. A Winston-Salem legislator decides to sell her condo. Now it is common practice among legislators to send e-mails, post notices, and even talk to other lawmakers, lobbyists, and staffers to inquire if they might know someone who might be interested. Instead of choosing any of the thousands of real estate agents in Raleigh, a realtor who lives in Mocksville is chosen to broker this Raleigh property.

For some mysterious reason, Don Beason, who has lived in Raleigh since dirt, decides he really needs to purchase real estate for his office, and what could be better than a condominium in a residential complex? And who would this Winston-Salem legislator choose to handle the closing but the partner of fellow legislator Bob Hensley?

The deal smacks of subtle influence peddling, a clever way to slide $8,500 to an influential legislator and a couple of thou to the law firm of another.

The rest of Campbell's newsletter is here.

Is it crooked?

Well, it certainly doesn't pass the smell test - but then again, not much does after Black, Wright, and other recent scandals. It doesn't look good, that's for sure. Still, even if we say (hypothetically) that it's all above-board, this is the sort of thing NC can expect as long as we continue to pretend we have a part-time citizen legislature without session limits. 

Here's how it works now: you, as a successful member of ____ Party, agree to give up 9-12 months' work out of the next 24 in return for the privilege of serving in the legislature, where all told, you probably won't make more than 40K, much of which will go toward your non-negotiable travel and lodging expenses. 

Sound like a good deal? No? Because it generally isn't.  Most legislators can make far more money by staying at home...and if they do decide to do business while in session, it has to be above any potential connection to reproach. 

It's one of those rare issues where conservatives and progressives tend to agree: this is no way to run a legislature.  As it stands now, no one but the rich and/or retired can afford to walk away from their day jobs for months on end to serve - and it's one of the primary reasons why so many promising young leaders bail out of the game. Either we call it what it is -- a full-time job -- and pay accordingly--OR, ban personal business deals during session, but institute term session limits so folks will know what they're giving up when they sign up for this gig.  In my opinion, anything in between is begging for more questionable deals.

Indy Shakeup

Whole lot of shakin' going on at the Independent Weekly, where former editor Richard Hart has stepped aside, replaced by former political reporter Lisa Sorg.  Not everyone's happy about some of the changes so far, including the dismissal of longtime Indy reporter Peter Eichenberger. Sorg didn't address that issue in yesterday's column, choosing instead to stick to pleasant generalities about community and change.

Still, the changeover is intriguing, and many say it's sorely needed. Folks who ought to know tell me many of the paper's former freelancers drifted away after Hart slashed their pay per article by up to two-thirds.  So Sorg has a big job in front of her - reassembling the diverse voices that used to make the paper fun to pick up, while nurturing key reporters who've been turning out some of the best work (in my opinion) the paper's ever seen. Stay tuned on this one - rumor has it more changes are on the way.  Good luck, Lisa!

Fave of the day:  Beaver v. Backhoe

Bessemer City, NC, officials are being outsmarted by rodents.  Don't get snarky - the rodents in question here are nature's own engineers, beavers. The AP reports Bessemer's beavers have been damming up creeks crucial to the city's water supply. City engineers have been engaged in mano-a-paw combat for some time. So far, the beavers are winning. 

Bessemer City interim manager Allan Farris says the city may consider trapping the wily rodents, for whom Farris concedes admiration: "The Army Corps of Engineers couldn't have built a better dam."  Maybe they could ship the beavers down to New Orleans.

Comments? Drop me a line.