Now that the cacophony of voices dominating the airwaves for votes has diminished, constituents are now gifted with the same voices chattering about blame or credit for the outcomes. Republicans are staggering through the valley of the shadow of doubt, and Democrats are dancing through the streets of Oz. Though I’m often an optimist, there is little to give me hope in North Carolina.
We are a state capable of greatness. We have technological ability, wonderful cultures, educational opportunities, and diverse talents. In spite of this, it appears we are also one of the most corrupt states in the union. For all of this, the print or television media does little. For the most part, from the Executive Mansion down to the smallest of city councils, our elected leaders know that if they ignore the tough questions, reporters will stop asking them.
Readers of the Carolina Journal should be well-aware of the ongoing troubles of Speaker of the House Jim Black. Business associates and friends of Black indicted and convicted are but the beginning. He will most likely be re-elected anyway.
Readers are also aware of the bizarre twists and turns of an illegal ferry dredging in Currituck County that was linked to Speaker Pro Tempore Marc Basnight. The $800,000 operation triggered numerous guilty pleas from employees in the N.C. Ferry Division. Yet there has been no accountability for the total money authorized and spent on this endeavor.
Then there are the ongoing financial dealings of Gov. Mike Easley. New reports show that he apparently received special favors from donors at the Canonsgate land development in Carteret County. At the state level (as briefly written in the Charlotte Observer), Easley’s donors with the Mingo Tribal Preservation Trust turned $56,000 in donations into a $20 million profit when the governor’s office pushed several state agencies to purchase their land.
Despite the magnitude of the scandals, newspapers haven’t bothered to follow up on the story, and they haven’t demanded that the governor answer any tough questions. What’s worse, Easley and members of his administration know the press will stop asking questions if the governor’s office holds out long enough.
At the local level, city and county governments are often less than candid with newspapers in their respective towns. In some cities, the government’s policy is essentially to “not speak with the local paper,” one public official told me.
A public records survey performed by the North Carolina Press Association and the Associated Press several years ago offered a perspective on the problem. In the survey, cities and counties throughout the state each received requests for at least six items, as denoted in the open records laws. They were given up to 24 hours to comply with the requests. Overall, 88 of the 100 counties were included in this survey, yet only 27 percent of cities and counties complied. Where was the outcry?
Most local papers operate on a shoestring budget. Typically, they are staffed by a handful of reporters who cover a few beats. Sadly, investigative journalism—which could clean up cesspool politics—falls victim to a meager, yet questionable set of budgetary priorities. It appears that many elected officials know this. North Carolinians end up paying the price by having no recourse by which to hold their elected officials accountable.
Nationally, accountability caught up with several folks involved in the Abramoff and Foley scandals. There has been little, if any, accountability in North Carolina.
Recently, former Gov. John Rowland, having served time in prison for his own scandals in Connecticut, looked at the current scandals surrounding N.C. officials, and said, “I went to prison for far less.” With the political elite still in power, one wonders when their arrogance will have political, if not criminal, repercussions.
Chad Adams is vice chairman of the Lee County Board of Commissioners, director of the Center for Local Innovation, and vice president for development of the John Locke Foundation.