Recent editorials from North Carolina newspapers:
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April 7
The News & Observer of Raleigh on political fundraising
On Monday, the day before his indictment was announced, Robin Hayes said he was stepping down as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party because of health issues. By Tuesday, the public learned that what was driving Hayes from office wasn’t only his ailments, but the ill health of North Carolina’s system of political fundraising.
The indictment handed up by a federal grand jury accuses Hayes of trying to funnel bribe money to state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey on behalf of Greg Lindberg, a major political donor who owns a business subject to regulation by the insurance commissioner. Hayes, a former congressman, is also charged with three counts of making false statements to the FBI. Lindberg and two other people were also charged following an investigation that started when Causey, a Republican, took his concerns about attempted bribery to the FBI.
The details are still emerging and those indicted maintain they didn’t break the law. But the outlines of the case and actions that are not in dispute show a system of political fundraising that invites corruption and may be rife with it. The central problem is that while donors are limited to $5,400 in contributions to a state candidate, they can make unlimited contributions to a state political party.
That distinction encourages donors to get around individual contribution limits by giving large amounts to the party with a tacit understanding that a hefty share of that contribution will find its way to a specific candidate. That winking agreement is a constant temptation in the Democratic and Republican parties. In this case, the indictment says Hayes gave in to it by helping Lindberg channel $250,000 to Causey’s campaign from contributions he had made to the state Republican Party. The trouble Hayes and Lindberg ran into, investigators say, is that their intention was revealed during calls and meetings, at least some of which Causey recorded.
The obvious fix would be to place limits on how much individuals can give to state political parties. That bill should be offered as soon as possible. Another improvement would be to restore and expand public financing for elections. The insurance commissioner, other Council of State offices and appellate court races were eligible for public financing before the Republican-led legislature ended the program in 2013.
But this case also occurs in a wider context in which unlimited donations are a threat to the integrity of government.
The Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling allowed corporations and unions to give unlimited amounts to groups that support but are not working in conjunction with candidates. Meanwhile, there are too many ways for businesses, unions and individuals to give money in support of candidates and officeholders without their identity being disclosed. This so-called “dark money” has shaped elections and increased cynicism about whether government is responsive to the public or to unknown political contributors.
The actions described in the indictment show the rot in the system of funding campaigns. Lindberg contributed heavily to both the state Republican and Democratic parties - and former Democratic Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, now the state Democratic chairman. Members of the General Assembly received his largesse, and Lt. Gov. Dan Forest was Lindberg’s greatest beneficiary.
Hayes’ indictment shocked many in the capital, but those who deal in increasingly unlimited and undocumented political funding should have been surprised only that charges took this long to come. Campaign finance laws do not adequately protect the public trust. Until that changes, the public will have to rely on the conscience of officials like Mike Causey.
Online:
https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/editorials/article228790759.html
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April 8
Winston-Salem Journal on wind turbines:
A bill making its way through the state legislature would place a permanent ban on the “construction, operation or expansion” of all wind energy facilities - turbines - in all or parts of 39 eastern North Carolina counties. This is an unnecessary and counter-productive proposal that would be bad for the state’s environment and destructive to the state’s struggling eastern rural areas.
A previous temporary ban on commercial wind energy development, which turned some economic opportunities from North Carolina to other states, expired at the end of 2018. But State Bill 377, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, would make its provisions permanent. The bill is opposed by local environmental groups and, certainly, by North Carolina landowners who are currently benefiting from investments in wind energy, as well as other residents whose private property rights would be curtailed.
Brown has called his proposal a “compromise bill,” since it allows wind turbine development in Brunswick, New Hanover and a portion of Pender County. He claims a ban is necessary elsewhere to support military installations where, he says, pilot training or radar facilities might be endangered by large turbines.
“If we lose any of those (military) bases, it would be devastating, in my mind, to eastern North Carolina. If you look, we have agriculture and we have military, and we don’t have much else,” Brown said.
But supporting wind energy could change that.
The Amazon wind farm that began operating early in 2017 in Pasquotank and Perquimans counties is now the largest taxpayer in both counties. It has provided more than a dozen permanent jobs with an average salary of $80,000 and more than 60 landowners receive lease payments for housing the turbines. The project has invested more than $18 million in local businesses. That’s the kind of long-term development that could keep our rural communities alive.
The first commercial-scale wind farm in North Carolina, it uses 104 turbines to produced enough energy to power about 61,000 homes each year.
And, anyway, the military says, “No problem.”
Brown tried to stop the Amazon wind farm using the same argument. But the military, which was very involved in the approval process, disagreed and said the wind farm didn’t interfere with its operations.
And North Carolina’s military bases are already protected from potential harmful impacts from wind energy development by a U.S. Department of Defense vetting process. Those who oppose redundant red tape should think that’s sufficient.
And then there’s our pristine shoreline. Wind turbines present much less risk than the seismic blasting and oil drilling offshore that some are encouraging. Offshore oil drilling always carries the potential of spills that can damage wildlife, shorelines and water for decades.
Whereas wind spills .
Despite ridiculous claims from some quarters, there’s no evidence that wind turbines cause cancer. There’s also no real problem with windless days, since mankind invented, some time ago, devices called “batteries” that can hold electrical charges.
Wind turbines aren’t a silver bullet to solve all economic woes. But our rural communities across eastern North Carolina, which have been depressed by shifting economic winds and devastated by extreme weather events, could benefit significantly from the investments of wind energy industries. And we needn’t risk any military resources to do so. Brown’s bill should be voted down.
Online:
https://www.journalnow.com/opinion/editorials/our-view-let-them-build-wind-turbines/article_20898233-c59f-552a-9170-f982fa64c265.html
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April 11
StarNews of Wilmington on local economy
From the closing of DAK to the failure of the once-promising Vertex Rail to ever get rolling, good news has been scarce in the local manufacturing sector. So it’s welcome news that a New Jersey-based light-manufacturing company is opening a 300-employee medical supply facility in Navassa.
This isn’t BMW, Boeing or another Dupont (DAK’s predecessor), but it’s a start. Although the average annual wage at the Pacon plant will be just over $31,000, such jobs tend to offer good benefits and steady work.
You’ve probably never heard of Pacon, but you may well have been on the receiving end of its products or seen them in a medical facility. The company describes itself as “a leading manufacturer of a complete line of single-use surgical drapes, towels, dressings and tape strips for kit packers and manufacturers of custom procedure trays.” (The company’s name harkens to its founding as a “paper converter,” the process of taking one form of paper and fabricating it into another paper product).
When we think about health care - a big driver of our area’s economy - hospitals, doctors and nurses come to mind. Those providers, of course, need lots of specialized supplies. Keeping hospital operating rooms stocked, for example, is big business. That makes us think that Pacon, founded in 1949, will be around for many more years. We’d also suspect there are opportunities for further expansion here.
There are several significant angles to the Pacon news:
First, the company will be part of our “traded sector,” meaning it produces goods here but sells them elsewhere. That sector is a vital part of a thriving economy, but is a category in which our area continues to lag.
Second, with Pacon moving into the old U.S. Marine Facility, a vacant building goes back into use. The building will undergo needed renovations and is expected to be ready by the end of the year.
Third, though we’d like to see higher wages, a light-manufacturing business such as Pacon leaves a very light footprint on the environment, a significant concern for Navassa, which has suffered over the years from industrial pollution.
This is no doubt good news for the area, and especially for Navassa. Local leaders and Gov. Cooper should be commended for their work to land the 300 jobs. The governor has made job creation in rural and economically distressed areas an important focus of his administration’s economic development work. We hope that Friday’s announcement was the first of many more to come for our area.
Online:
https://www.starnewsonline.com/opinion/20190411/our-view-300-employee-plant-needed-boost-for-wilmingtons-traded-sector
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