Closed Doors and Loopholes

As the public and press bemoan the sorry state of ethics - or lack thereof - in state government, the news continues to give us prime examples of the culture in Raleigh that provides the fertile soil for these problems to fester. Let's start with the ongoing saga of former power lobbyist Don Beason. Reports are that he earned somewhere in excess of $100,000 lobbying in the first months of this year according to records filed with the Secretary of State's office. But Tom Campbell of NC Spin fame reports that there is a gaping loophole in the law that allows large consulting fees to be paid to lobbyist, ostensibly for something other than lobbying, which go unreported under current law. Mmmm, now exactly where did that $500,000 loan for Jim Black come from?

Then we have the ongoing debacle of the Randy Parton Theater in Roanoke Rapids. With all the shenanigans that went on in putting that deal together, you'd think that local government would be bending over backward to openly deal with the press and public about the financial records of the newly opened, and apparently not so good, shows. No way say town officials. Those records are private. If only the money to subsidize the project had been private instead of financed on the public's back.

And finally, we find out that several athletic scholarships will be financed by the taxpayers in a provision slipped into the final budget. Now it's not a lot of money and certainly won't go far in meeting other more pressing needs but it emphasizes the closed door process involving the budget. And again according to Tom Campbell, the $40 million dollar appropriation for a cancer center at UNC - CH isn't just a one time expenditure but an ongoing one to most everyone's surprise.

We need openness and reform in state government. The press and the public need to be unrelenting in an effort to pull open the closed doors and close the loopholes. The time for reform is long since past due.