Maybe the Most Bogus Poll Ever

I don't need to tell regular readers of this blog or anyone paying attention to my campaign for governor how fundamentally opposed I am to the state's policy of so-called corporate incentives. But now the NC Association of Economic Developers has gone and paid for what is maybe the most ridiculously one-sided poll I've ever seen. And to top it off the mainstream media, for example the News & Observer, has gone and regurgitated the press release telling us that everybody loves incentives.

This comes on the heels of the state being strong-armed again by Goodyear (they only got $26 million in subsidies to begin with) to reduce its cost of importing rubber through NC ports and Bruton Smith's demands of the state, Concord and Cabarrus County for about $70 million in incentives, give or take a little, not to close the Lowe's Motor Speedway track. Sock it to 'em Bruton. You deserve every penny of taxpayer money that you can shake 'em down for. Of course WRAL news does its puff piece about how NASCAR's whole future rest on the taxpayers adequately subsidizing ole Bruton. No wonder the economic developers are giddy about their poll results. Give the public a cooked up question coupled with a gullible media and how can you lose.

However,the conclusion that really caught my attention in the poll was headlined: "Electorate Backlash Against an Anti-Incentives Candidate". The message I get from this is that they're trying to fire a warning shot across the candidates' collective bows and the candidates better all jump on board the corporate give-away ship. And you, Orr, are going to get drubbed by the electorate unless you mend your ways and cave in on the incentives issue.

Well, those folks must not know me very well. First, I'm not changing any of my positions or beliefs because some poll says my position isn't popular. And besides I firmly believe that the rank and file voter is with me and over the next five months leading up to the primary, you can count on me to keep pounding my argument that we need to change our policy of corporate give-aways. I may win or I may lose but I'll sleep better knowing that I have fought the fight to bring fairness and sanity to our economic development policy.