Giffords Tragedy Becomes Political Helter-Skelter

This past Saturday, January 8th, I had the misfortune of reporting live on the radio what was right then breaking news; that an inconspicuous Congresswoman from Arizona had been shot in the head by a lone crazed gunman. After announcing the unspeakable tragedy that occurred, I prognosticated what type of political melee this event would devolve to, and how the right, the Tea Party, and the leaders in conservatism would be blamed for this. Turns out, I was not only right, but underestimated the level to which this would take place.

The facts about the incident were convoluted with conjecture at that time - and little has changed. However, we now know more about the shooter, Jared Loughner.

Loughner was an apolitical individual according to his high school friend, Zach Osler, who said on ABC's Good Morning America "He did not watch TV. He disliked the news. He didn't listen to political radio. He didn't take sides. He wasn't on the left; he wasn't on the right.". We now know that Loughner had an obsession with Congresswoman Giffords that went back as far as 2007; before any type of newfound Tea Party existed. We now know that Jared Loughner was a cultist of sorts with shrines and skulls and what-not in his backyard. We know that he liked conspiracy theory documentaries. We know that he was a fan of Hollywood psychological thrillers that delved into the darkness of man's consciousness, such as "A Scanner Darkly" and "Donnie Darko". We have found out that his reading list consisted of the father of communism's writings, Karl Marx; and Hitler's Mein Kampf. The guy is disturbed beyond comprehension; and if the initial argument was that the Tea Party influenced his actions; since we have found out that he absorbed no Tea Party rhetoric or followed conservatism in any way - then can we shift the blame to that media which he did consume - the mad rantings of paranoid tinfoil hattists, megalomaniacal dictators, and Hollywood schlock?

We know that Gabrielle Giffords is a former Republican turned blue-dog Democrat; hardly the type of divisive, Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi-type leftist that would be the focus of Tea Party ire. She is a staunch supporter of gun rights, and supports tougher border security. Gabrielle Giffords was virtually unheard of to people outside of Pima County, Arizona in this past election season - because she did not fit the template of the most liberal candidates that the Tea Party fought at a national level.

Given the overwhelming evidence of fact, it is not only logical; but absolutely conclusive to deduce that the right, the Tea Party, and/or conservatism at large had absolutely nothing to do with the actions of a crazed lone gunman who committed a reprehensible act of violence.

We also now know that the left-leaning media hotheads will never let facts stand in the way of paranoid delusions that they themselves evaluate as having political progress and gain attached to them. Virtually everyone from Keith Olbermann (who was on the air when the gun barrel was still warm) to our own Tricia Vance and the Star News editorial board has weighed in on this, attempting to blame the right and the Tea Party for this tragedy.

Some of the most ridiculous allegations arise out of the blogosphere; such as a blog with the official-sounding moniker "American Chronicle", in which the writer who calls himself "Christian Church" writes:

Conservative Tea Party Activists from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas say they will picket the funeral of Christina Greene, the 9-year-old girl who was murdered in cold blood during the Tea Party sponsored assassination rampage in Tucson, Arizona last weekend.

Gifford now lies in a hospital after Tea Party activist Jared Loughner shot and wounded her. Six others, including a federal judge and Christina Greene, were murdered by Loughner in cold blood. Tea Party activists in the state are calling the murder spree an "event." And they are using publicity from these murders to fundraise for their cause. Some Tea Party activists have pledged to use the money they raise to help defend the killer in court. Many Tea Party activists are calling Loughner a "hero."  http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/210649

These allegations are so unbelievably absurd, that they border on libelous. Referring to the insane Westboro Baptist Church crowd as "Tea Party activists" defies all logic. The extreme religious group is known for their hellfire and brimstone approach to all that they deem immoral, and regularly chant and wave signs that read such absurdities as "God hates fags" and the like. However, their motivation is not and has never been political; but merely religious extremism. Church offers no proof or evidence of his claim that Tea Partiers are using this incident to raise money, defend the killer, or are referring to Loughner as a "hero". That his paranoid and divisive mind can concoct such allegations seems to be sufficient enough to publish such dreck.

Here locally, the all-seeing, all-knowing Star News editorial board was quick to offer its wisdom on the issue, dutifully plagiarizing on the leftist template as of late, and exploiting the tragic death of 9-year-old Christina Green to futilely defend their position:

But the incident sparked a long-overdue national discussion, and it’s worth asking: What kind of example are we setting for the Christina Greens of the world when what passes for political discourse in this country consists of name-calling, foot-stomping refusal to compromise, schoolyard-bully tactics and putting elected officials “in the cross hairs,” even figuratively speaking?

Other candidates, including Southeastern North Carolina’s Ilario Pantano, staged campaign events around weapons and used gun lingo in their speeches and campaign platforms.

Someone who disagrees with us on a political question is not merely wrong but an evildoer who hates this country and wants to hand it over to terrorists. “He’s a communist.” “She’s a wingnut.” “Take back America!” As if one group of Americans has a greater right to the country than the rest of the citizenry.

All that shouting threatens to silence the voices of reason, and that in turn hurts our democracy. http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110111/ARTICLES/110119942/1108/editorial?p=1&tc=pg

Our "democracy" is actually our Constitutionally-limited Representative Republic. Part of that distinction consists of a Constitution, which affords a Bill of Rights to citizens; among which the very first being the right to free speech. Posing a more severe threat to us all would be to limit or regulate what free speech is - which is apparently what the Star News is advocating for.

In the aftermath of the rampage perpetrated by Major Malik Nadal Hasan in Texas, the left was forgiving, even coining a new medical term to explain his actions - "pre-post-traumatic stress disorder". The president and other leaders of the left urged restraint of the national discourse. We were told to not jump to conclusions. We were informed of Hasan's "demons" and even suffered his being painted as some sort of social victim. Hasan was a Muslim, and fit the mold of someone which would draw the sympathy and defense of the left for his actions.

When Amy Bishop, the socialist, vehement Obama-supporting professor at the University of Alabama Huntsville shot and killed three of her colleagues at work, the story was virtually buried in the media. There was certainly no allegation that leftist rhetoric played a part in her actions, and the difference was that the right agreed. We were all able to chalk up that tragedy as nothing more than a psychotic sociopath acting out her evil on others.

However, when a person fitting the exact same psychological profile; with a history of disturbing behavior; and even stalking his victim for years shoots a Democrat member of Congress, suddenly restraint is out the window. Conjecture is king. Blame is delivered to political enemies with haste. Emotional response become fact. Rhetoric becomes discourse. Insanity becomes reason.

To blame the right, talk radio, the Tea Party, or any other faction of conservative media or vehicle for the actions of Jared Loughner; when no such connection exists even in the slightest regard; while giving a pass to that which he did consume on a regular basis, and which could conceivably incite rage and violence in an unstable individual, such as the mad ravings of documentary filmmakers who blamed the Bush administration for 9/11 and the world's ills at large; the darkest of Hollywood's psychological films; and the insane writings of madmen - is absolutely ludicrous. It is a position that defies rationality and reason. It is a precedent which must consume one's credibility in order to proceed.

The American political left suffered a sounding defeat in this past election season. Their tired message of "social progress" still comes without jobs, wealth, prosperity, freedom, or well-being. Their discourse does not connect with the American people at large. They have not been able to show any positive gains in any area of our society as a direct result of their political positions. They are desperate, and have devolved to investing everything they have left into attempting to tear down and destroy their opponents with libelous innuendo and irrational delusion. They work to try and regulate the very voices and opinions of those whom they disagree with. They attempt to manipulate the rule of law for their own agenda. They gladly sacrifice Representative Giffords, and any other victim who fits the template on their ill-conceived altar of political gain. Their mission is not to try and apply their message in a potable manner, and lift themselves up; but rather accept their position at the bottom and attempt to pull down their opposition to some sub-level below even themselves, with the desperate hope that in the end they will finally connect with the citizenry, after destroying all other avenues of thought that stand in their way.

Convention Center Advisory Panel Stacked with Insiders

The Star News reports that the Wilmington City Council is looking for "more community input" regarding the operation of the convention center through its Convention Center Advisory Committee (http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20101207/ARTICLES/101209707/1177).

So what do they do? Stack the committee with the same key players that sit on boards like the Chamber of Commerce, Wilmington Downtown Inc., the Planning Commission, and many other influential and powerful public boards and commissions:

The council voted Tuesday to appoint six members to the Convention Center Advisory Committee, but they also directed the city attorney to review the provisions for the committee to see if the council could add more at-large members.

Mayor pro-tem Earl Sheridan suggested the city consider adding more members on the board to get a better representation of the city as a whole. The committee includes the executive director of the visitors bureau, a hotelier in the Wilmington Convention Center tax district, the CEO of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, a representative from Wilmington Downtown Inc. and two at-large representatives.

Those key players are none other than Dale Smith, Louise McColl, Kim Hufham, Connie Majure-Rhett, Jackie Hodge, and John Hinnant. These folks all have been appointed to other boards by this same city council, and in some cases, multiple boards.

Louise McColl, who has gained notoriety as of late for her involvement in securing taxpayer money for the Gravely commissioning events such as "pub crawls" and plenty of fine dining for local V.I.P.s;, sits on the board for the Golf Course Advisory Committee, as well as the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees. Kim Hufham, Exec. Director of the Visitor's Bureau, sits on the Sister City Commission. Connie Majure-Rhett, in addition to her new role on the convention center board, is also the CEO of the local Chamber of Commerce, as well as a member of the heavily taxpayer-funded Southeastern Economic Development Commission. John Hinnant, Executive Director of Wilmington Downtown Inc., another heavily taxpayer-subsidized organization, is a member of the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee in addition to his new duties.

One may ask why in the world our elected leaders are so afraid of regular citizens. Could it be that they simply already have a pre-conceived agenda, and therefore need warm bodies friendly to their cause to simply play ball? All signs point to "absolutely".

It looks as if the convention center, and its careful masters, are in no danger of community input regarding its operations after all.

Chamber Awards... Itself

The Star News also reports that the Chamber has just given out its annual Business Achievement Awards (http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20101209/ARTICLES/101209640/1177?Title=Chamber-presents-achievement-awards&tc=ar). Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, Bill Sharbaugh of PPD, and Rob Kaiser, Publisher of the Greater Wilmington Business Journal were the recipients. Most notably, these men are all members of the Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors. So when the Chamber searches for local business leaders to give awards to, it seems to really narrow the field by keeping it strictly within the bounds of its own organization.

Kaiser, in addition to serving on the Chamber, is also a member of Wilmington Industrial Development - yet another heavily taxpayer-funded organization. Saffo was awarded for his work on the convention center - even though his capacity is that of an elected official - not a capital investor, or free market visionary. His ability to spend other people's money well, against their wishes, must have been recognized as the key element in his deserving of the award.

What's the lesson here folks? It seems we have quite a cozy relationship between politicians, committee appointees, and taxpayer-funded organizations. Like any animal, they have learned to rely on each other for their own existence. Like a well-oiled machine, they constantly serve themselves and each other almost simultaneously; operating on the principle of quid pro quo; existing only to validate each other's existence, and to achieve the ultimate goal - gaining more power, influence, and more of your money.
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Please add your name to this petition, demanding that taxpayer-funded economic development agencies submit to accountability and transparency standards, so that we as taxpayers know where our money is going and what we are getting in return: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/wilm-transparency/

Wilmington Downtown Inc. Needs Your Cash

In a recent email sent out to his entire list, Wilmington Downtown Inc. (WDI) Executive Director John Hinnant had this to say:

Please encourage the City of Wilmington to increase its investment in downtown economic development.

Give the City of Wilmington your input on spending priorities by completing a short online exercise at www.cityofwilmingtonbudgetchallenge.com by December 14. In less than five minutes, you can complete this brief exercise. I also encourage you to forward this email to all your friends and colleagues.

Please feel free to use any of the sources below if you have questions or would like additional information. Thank you in advance for your participation.

More information:

On the web: www.wilmingtonnc.gov/budget

WDI is one of the cornucopia of duplicative so-called "economic development" agencies that receive a chunk of taxpayer handouts every year, and contribute to the reason taxes went up across the board for both city and county residents this past fiscal year. The City of Wilmington defends its funding of WDI and others with the argument that outsourcing economic development is cheaper than doing it themselves. But what actually constitutes as "economic development"?

According to its website (http://www.wilmingtondowntown.com/), WDI is still promoting the tree lighting ceremony of Nov. 26th; an event called "King's Run", a 5K and 15K race through Wilmington in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr.; and various self-promoting of WDI's new iPhone app, and other social media. This is what is so important for taxpayers to fund year after year; and the reason for Hinnant's shameless email begging for more money.

It was recently reported that Wilmington is facing a $6 million shortfall in the upcoming budget, and the local media never reports the fact that the amount of debt owed the city reaching upwards of $30 million.

Taxpayers are doing all they can to keep their homes and feed their children in this economy; and the well-insulated taxpayer-subsidized groups such as WDI cannot see past its own self-interest, and self-perpetuation; and are certainly never too proud to keep asking for more.

In addition, how do we know the efforts of these groups actually equate to economic development?

Economic development creates jobs and a more robust and vibrant economy. How many jobs have tree lighting ceremonies and fundraisers created? The city never holds WDI's feet to the fire to really prove its existence, and justify its funding. Hinnant and WDI take advantage of their comfortable position of doing nothing but self sustaining activities, knowing that they will never have to prove that they are really developing the economy; and have gotten so arrogant, that they are asking for more money, despite this current economy (which, ironically, should be in considerable better shape thanks to "economic development" agencies); and despite the city's position of debt and deficit hitting enormous levels.

In this day and age, local government's do not need any economic development organizations that operate on taxpayer money. They should instead focus on fostering a more business-friendly climate, and offer a more streamlined government that operates on less. Another local, taxpayer-funded "economic development" organization, Wilmington Industrial Development (WID), pays its director over $320,000 a year! That's more than most key positions in the federal government, such as Secretary of State, the Vice President of the US, and many others. Meanwhile, they have accomplished nothing of any significance, as we still have unemployment hovering around 9% plus.

Paying these organizations to do nothing but sustain themselves, host private functions, and promote small local activities for tons and tons of taxpayer money that could go toward public safety and other much needed uses, is far beyond irresponsible. The amount of money paid to these directors is vulgar, and serves as an insult to the struggling taxpayer that must fork over their money for these causes. We need to rise up and do exactly the opposite of what Hinnant is demanding - that our governments withhold ANY and ALL funding of these organizations.

The Gravely Chronicles Part III: Spin Baby, SPIN!

The saga continues.

The Star News finally released their contribution toward the USS Gravely local funding fiasco on Tuesday. http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20101130/ARTICLES/101139971/1177?p=1&tc=pg&tc=ar

In the aftermath of the USS Gravely commissioning, several folks are still trying to get a total accounting of what our $50,000 was used for. The Star News received a vague report regarding some of the expenses:

About $25,000 for a fireworks show. More than $15,000 for transportation expenses. Another $2,000 to give hungry sailors their first taste of North Carolina barbecue.

Originally estimated at three weeks for a full report, the Gravely committee has revised their timeline:

Scheu said he expects the committee will provide local governments and the media with an accounting of the taxpayer funds later this week.

Again, there are several key factors apparent in this issue. First, the Chairwoman of the Gravely Committee is Louise McColl, campaign manager to both Mayor Saffo and Chairman Thompson. It was McColl who received the taxpayer money for the committee from both the city and the county.

...government critic Ben McCoy, points out that commissioning co-chairwoman Louise McColl is politically connected and has managed election campaigns for Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo and New Hanover County Chairman Jason Thompson.

"It wasn't long ago we had both governments on hands and knees begging us for more money," McCoy said. "A couple of months later, the boss walks into the room and says: ‘I need $50,000' and it's no problem."

McColl did not return calls for comment.

According to the Star News, local officials have stated that citizens critical of the political implications of this maneuver are "missing the big picture".

They say the event was historic for the Navy and Wilmington, showed the area's support for the military and generated tourism revenue and good will for the Port City.

Those benefits are well worth the $50,000 cost, officials say.

First of all, it is a known fact that the US Navy had chosen Wilmington for their location to commission the Gravely regardless of Louise McColl's ability to use her underlings in power to rob the taxpayers of $50,000. They were coming here anyway, which negates any argument for the money being spent in the first place. Second, the Navy operates on federal taxpayer money - I'm sure that they are quite accustomed to paying for the expenses of their sailors without being subsidized by local taxpayers wherever they port at any given time.

Jason Thompson, known for his charming wit and razor sharp intellect, had this to say:

"The people who can't see that are shortsighted with ignorance and spite and can't look at the common good,"

Ignorance. Spite. Can't look at the common good. These are qualities that your elected official bestows upon mere citizens begging at the gate for a little transparency from their all-powerful and superior government who governs from above, more learned and intelligent than the rest of us; we the peons - who know not what is best for even our own good.

The "common good" is a mantra of those big government types who wield power with an iron fist, and look down with disdain upon those whom they lord over with the politics of self-interest and personal consumption. This is the oligarchy; the chosen ones whose mere existence far surpass those of us who live to serve their wishes, who bask in their glory; who pine for their favor and charity; who beg at their table like dogs. Jason Thompson, ringleader to this elite establishment, and a legend in his own mind; scoffs down at you and I from his perch high above; warning us to cease any inquiry into their actions - for they are all for the common good; something that they have monopolized; and we know nothing about.

Thompson and Saffo say the local governments made money from the ceremony through sales and room-occupancy tax revenue, and that the high-profile event brings recognition to the area, boosting its reputation, attracting more tourists and bolstering the local economy in the future.

Thompson said the county calculated the estimated economic impact of the commissioning, which showed that the county will get a 21 percent return on investment for its contribution.

Who would dare challenge the power cabal with an argument like that? Never mind that increased revenue through room and sales taxes merely go directly to government, and in no way lessen the continued burden of taxpayers; and let's ignore the fact that terms like "bringing recognition to the area" and "attracting more tourists" cannot be measured, proven, or in any way ever tied to the $50,000 in taxpayer funds given to a political operative. We'll overlook the idea that this event "bolstering the local economy in the future" is a vague and baseless argument that will never be quantified, and is nothing more than feel-good lip service from governments who have made it their number one priority to deliver propaganda ahead of all other services. And when the county issues mathematical equations that show that the more taxpayer dollars are given away to non-essential functions, the better off we all are - you'll just have to trust them; since if you've been paying attention, you're already aware that they know what's in your best interest far better than you.

"Anytime I can give a dollar and get back two in real dollars, I would think the taxpayers would want to do that every time," he [Thompson] said.

Wow! Everything you ever thought you knew about money has been rendered obsolete. The great economists are all wrong. Financial experts have been put to shame. Jason Thompson has discovered a secret that no one has ever figured out. If you give Louise McColl one dollar, you get two dollars back in return! This is amazing! Why didn't he just say so in the first place? Hey - I've got an idea! Let's raise property taxes to 100% - give ALL of the money to McColl - we'll all be rich! What? Oh... you mean he completely fabricated that illusion to try and dissuade the public from investigating his little investment with our money? Whatever money generated in the economy was not because of our $50,000, given that they were coming here anyway? Shucks.

Scheu said the money donated by the city and county represented less than 25 percent of the total budget, with the rest of the money coming from private donations. The StarNews was one of about two dozen sponsors.

 So the total budget for "pub crawls", drinking binges, all-night partying, gluttony, and other economic development initiatives was over $200,000? That's got to be quite a lucrative venture for Ms. McColl. She is chairwoman after all - one can't just invest that much time and effort organizing keg deliveries and how many cheese balls to have made without being fairly compensated. I wonder if we'll ever know the truth about how much exactly that figure is? She did tell us at the last County Commissioner's meeting that no matter what, she's not going to stop bringing commissioning ceremonies here to Wilmington. Sort of a career planning move on her part.

Minus our $50,000 so generously given by our visionary leaders, the committee would have had over $150,000 in private donations to play with according to their figures. One would think that this would be quite enough money to set up a pretty serious bar tab. The ship contained 283 sailors - divide that by $150,000, and each sailor has an entertainment budget of a paltry $530.04. With the involuntary contribution of unemployed taxpayers facing foreclosure on their homes in many cases, that figure jumps to $706.71 per sailor. Now we're talkin'. Like my Grandfather always said, "If you can't get over 700 bucks in free money to party with over a weekend, there ain't no sense in joining the Navy".

Thanks Louise. And thank you Jason and Bill. Without your impeccable guidance and courageous leadership, that money may have been wasted on something stupid like public safety; thereby helping us move out of #97 of most crime-ridden cities in the US - on a list in which Los Angeles is #158. But at least now we understand that without taxpayer-funded pub crawls, our economy would be in the toilet.

Gravely Accountability to Taxpayers? Not So Fast...

$50,000 in taxpayer money to entertain sailors and wine and dine Wilmington's social elite? Sure - no problem. Accounting for where exactly that money went, what it was used for, and if any of it is left over? Good luck with that.

The issue is not with the US Navy; nor is this in any way a commentary against our fair city being honored with commissioning a new Naval Destroyer. This is about the political implications at the local level regarding this event.

It bears repeating, that Louise McColl, Chair of the Gravely Commissioning Committee, and incidentally campaign manager to both the head of our city government, Mayor Bill Saffo; and county government, County Commission Chair Jason Thompson; was easily granted $25,000 each from both governments for entertainment purposes related to the commissioning, which occurred this past Saturday, November 20. In the wake of this event, it has proven quite difficult to find out exactly what taxpayer money was used specifically for.

In an email to county and city leaders, your humble blogger made an official request for a complete accounting of  what taxpayer money was used for:

Mr. Thompson & Mr. Saffo:

Since both of you saw it fitting and necessary to give 50,000 in taxpayer dollars to your campaign manager for the Gravely commissioning, I am formally requesting a line item statement of all expenditures that said money was used for, along with receipts; and a statement of how much money is left over, and what happens to it. 

I assume that your respective managers had the foresight to request that such records be kept for auditing purposes. Taxpayers and citizens are entitled by law to know where every dime of their money goes.

Thank you.

Mr. Thompson, apparently irritated by such a request, responded as such:

You are right. There is a process prescribed by law to get said information. I suggest you follow it. If you need assistance with said laws please advise. 

 After a couple of emails parrying back and forth, Thompson had this to say:

Actually we gave the 25k to the friends of the battleship nonprofit. Louise McColl didn't get anything from us.

According to county documents, this simply isn't the case. The County Commission agenda item specifically references the USS Gravely Commissioning Committee was to receive the $25,000, as seen here:

Not only that, the funds used were contingency funds, set aside for emergencies and so forth. Apparently the official definition for "contingency" has been expanded to include pub crawls, steak dinners, dancing, mini-golf, movie passes, and ballroom galas.

After being confronted with clear evidence that it was the USS Gravely, not the Battleship North Carolina that received the funding, Thompson re-stated his position with:

Where does it say we paid Louise McColl? Until you ask or comment about something in the world of reality I for one am done discussing this topic with you. 

The animosity toward a lone citizen merely requesting that taxpayer money being used for an outside function be accounted for, is quite apparent. It seems that the chosen few inside the well-protected political fold can easily obtain subsidies from taxpayers; and subsequently be guarded against having ever to account for what exactly that money was used for. Unfortunately, the law is on the side of the hidden political interest - not the people. Greg Roney of the General Assembly Research Division, explains the law in an email:

An organization which is recognized by the IRS as tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code must make its federal tax returns available for public inspection. The federal tax returns would include information about expenditures. The organization does not have to provide public access to its books and records. The IRS has a helpful discussion on public disclosure at the following web site: http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96430,00.html. If the organization is incorporated in North Carolina under the North Carolina Nonprofit Corporation Act, then North Carolina law requires disclosure to members of the organization.

The local news media has been silent on the entire issue, until WECT reported yesterday:

WECT was referred to Louise McColl, the committee chair. While she was not required to report back on the committee's spending, after repeated media requests, she notified the New Hanover County budget department that she would provide documentation.

From: Louise McColl [mailto:louise@mccoll-associates.com]

Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 9:16 AM

To: Griffin, Cam

Subject: Re: gravely

It will be at least 3 weeks. I will let you know what the 25000 went toward. Have them contact me/Dave

Phone calls to McColl were not immediately returned. Late Tuesday night she replied that she would not be available for an interview until all invoices had been returned. She briefly discussed the large expense that putting on such an event incurred and promised that her company, McColl & Associates did not "make a penny" off of the event.

Until McColl's itemized budget comes in, no one can be sure, specifically, which activities and expenditures public money was used for. At her city council presentation, McColl listed a variety of activities such as fishing, the pub crawl and volleyball for the sailors. However, various other expenses involving transportation, food and security could also be on the list.

Full Article: http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=13560499

Unfortunately, McColl has the law on her side by remaining silent. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, the committee's expenditures do not have to be disclosed to the public. However, this law should absolutely not apply to taxpayer money. If public money is given to an organization of any type, the public should have absolutely every right and opportunity to see where every single dime of their money goes. At least one member of the NC General Assembly has expressed interest in taking a closer look at this law, and possibly changing or modifying it to allow for full disclosure of taxpayer funds.

In her email response reported above, it looks as if McColl is only planning to account for $25,000 of the $50,000 that she was given, and reluctantly at that. Organizations and committees should be not only willing, but absolutely forthcoming with their books regarding taxpayer money. It's the least they can do to since the good taxpayers have funded their operations. Citizens being treated harshly or vilified for demanding transparency and accountability regarding what their money is used for is completely unacceptable.

UPDATE: In an email from New Hanover County Manager Bruce Shell, I was told that the county has requested an accounting for their $25,000 portion given to McColl, and that I will be copied on that once it is received. No word still from the City of Wilmington. WWAY has now joined the fray: http://www.wwaytv3.com/first_3_update_your_tax_dollars_and_gravely_what_exactly_did_you_buy/11/2010

The Airlie Authority - Preservation Easement Hides Bigger Agenda

In just a few short days, the issue of an Airlie preservation easement has appeared on the radar, and generated a much public interest. The Wilmington Watcher exclusively reported to you from the New Hanover County Commissioner's agenda briefing meeting concerning the discussion the commissioners had regarding the issue. After concerns were addressed by Jonathan Barfield, Jason Thompson, and to some degree, Bobby Greer, the resolution passed unanimously at Monday's 2PM meeting of the New Hanover County Commission.

In an email from Commission Chairman Jason Thompson last week, after the agenda briefing, the Wilmington Watcher was told that "I felt like there were four no votes as presented." However, at Monday's meeting, all concerns suddenly quieted - the resolution had no difficulty receiving a unanimous five vote passage.

The final version of the resolution had some minor adjustments. Language that stated that the county would maintain the facilities in as good or better condition than they are now - was changed to simply reflect "as good condition". However, the primary concerns present in the resolution still remain intact. The Airlie preservation easement resolution still lays significant groundwork in establishing complete authority over Airlie in the hands of the Airlie Foundation, even though the county owns the land, and taxpayers fund Airlie's operations.

What is most noteworthy about Monday's meeting, is that after a public outcry to table the issue until the new commissioners could take their seat, no commissioner listed this as a concern before his vote. The Airlie resolution was carefully crafted by the Airlie Foundation and Ted Davis, and strategically placed on the agenda just in time for the last meeting featuring Greer and Caster - a safe vote for the wishes of the Foundation.

Also noteworthy, is that before the item was discussed, Ted Davis put on a pre-arranged production with County Attorney Wanda Copley by asking her if he had a conflict of interest in the issue, since he serves on both the Airlie Foundation and the county commission. After a long-winded explanation wrapped in what seemed to pass as legal definition, Copley said no. Not overlooked was the fact that Davis conveniently omitted the real issue that is a definite conflict. The issue of his being a member of the Corbett family, who sold Airlie to the county, and who still controls it. Copley never made any attempt to address this in any way.

After mildly manipulating the language in the resolution to appease certain commissioners and their faux concern, the resolution had no trouble gliding through. Public comments were not arranged until after the meeting when all votes had been taken, and commissioners were safe from the pressure of the public's will in rendering their decisions.

The effects of this resolution will keep the money flowing in from taxpayers to the Airlie Foundation - which is not forthcoming with their books; and how much of public funding is used to host out-of-work actors and wine and cheese galas so the local social elite can parade through, noses high, and appease their sense of civic engagement. Any attempt to reverse the decision would require a majority vote by the commission to undo the preservation easement - which would certainly cause a public backlash. Who would want to be responsible for removing Airlie from preservation status? However, such would be the only way to save the taxpayers money in tough times. With the resolution, the Airlie Foundation wields the unprecedented power over Airlie, and is relieved of any obligation or incentive to seek outside funding, or become self-sufficient in its operations.

The people of New Hanover County were patronized with a huge money grab and power shift cleverly shrouded as a "preservation easement". The Airlie Foundation is unelected, and therefore unaccountable to the public, so the public can easily be shut out from all inside occurrences, spending, and budgetary decisions by the Foundation. Surely there will be a couple of washed-up actors on hand at a soirée thrown in Ted Davis' honor for his unrelenting work securing "free" money for the Corbett family and the Airlie Foundation. The other commissioners will certainly be invited as well, for seeing the light and bowing to the wishes of those with whom their power is derived, and who they owe their political careers. They have served their masters well, as the emptiness of taxpayers' wallets will attest.

BREAKING: NHC Commission to Vote on Binding Resolution to Tie Taxpayers Hands to Airlie Indefinitely

In an unbelievable move at the county commissioner's November 10 agenda briefing meeting, item #17 on the November 15th meeting of the New Hanover County Commissioners attempts to rush through a binding preservation easement between New Hanover County and the Airlie Gardens Foundation. Commissioner Ted Davis, Jr., did not mince words when he said that he thought it was important for the board to go ahead and pass this before the two new commissioners take their seat. "No offense to Mr. Berger or Mr. Catlin", Davis said.

Clearly acting in typical lame duck session form, Davis sees more of a chance of passing this resolution with Bobby Greer and Bill Caster, long-time proponents for taxpayer funding of Airlie Gardens. "This is what the citizens want us to do," said Davis.

What wasn't discussed was that Ted Davis, Jr. is cousin to Albert Corbett, of the infamous Corbett family, the same Corbett family considered to be Wilmington royal elite; and the original sellers of Airlie to New Hanover County.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20041210/COLUMNIST02/41210008?p=2&tc=pg

Davis is acting as head cheerleader for the resolution, and did not issue any plans to recuse himself from the vote due to the obvious conflict of interest. In fact, when Commissioners Barfield and Thompson weighed in with reservations on the issue, Davis coolly replied that the Foundation would like to see this passed, and is requesting a unanimous decision of the commissioners.

The resolution, which can be found below, creates a binding deed of trust with the Airlie Foundation, in which gives complete control of the property to the Foundation. It also allows the Foundation to hold the county legally responsible for its funding. When the Airlie Foundation was originally constituted, the expressed intent of it was to seek out and obtain other sources of funding to sustain the gardens. http://www.nhcgov.com/AgnAndDpt/CCOM/Documents/Committees/Airlie.pdf

This current resolution attempts to remove any incentive for the Foundation to ever seek any alternative sources of funding, and ties Airlie Gardens to the taxpayer of New Hanover County indefinitely. State law prohibits a county commission board to bind future boards to anything, but being that this is actually a legal binding document, i.e. deed of trust, preservation easement, they may have found a loophole. The resolution also mandates that the county maintain the property and its resources at the same or better condition as they are now.

Ironically, several commissioners at the meeting kept repeating the sentiment that "this is what the citizens want us to do" - however, the citizens duly elected two new commissioners just over a week ago, and therefore it would seem that the public would rather the new board handle controversial issues such as this. This is a clear case of a lame duck session trying to force through a binding and lasting resolution that will tie taxpayer's hands to fund a project indefinitely.

Davis and the Airlie Foundation have a profound vested interest in the passing of this resolution. This would give the power completely to the Airlie Foundation (although the county purchased the gardens from the Corbett family) as to the fate of Airlie. In addition, the Foundation has complete legal authority to hold the county responsible for taxpayer funding. If the county decides it can't afford to fund Airlie in the future, there are legal repercussions that the Foundation can seek against the county.

This resolution is a bad deal for taxpayers, and a clear conflict of interest for County Commissioner Ted Davis, Jr. Commissioners Barfield and Thompson attempted to show some backbone and issued reservations, but were promptly put back in their place by Davis when he notified them of the Foundation's wishes. An air of reverence and fear descended upon the two dissenting voices, and collective support for the resolution was restored.

The public has expressed that it would like to see Airlie protected. But never has anyone in the public expressed the desire for a binding resolution and deed of trust that spans into the indefinite future, binding taxpayers forever. The public likes the idea of the Foundation constantly seeking alternative sources of funding, and there has been a loud cry for Airlie to become self-sufficient. For the commissioners to proclaim that they are doing with this what the public wants, without giving the public sufficient time to even become aware of the issue, or what is in the document is preposterous. It is obvious that Davis and the Foundation fear that the public would understandably not support this motion, would reject it outright, and that time is definitely not on their side. This why they seek to rush this through immediately, before the next commissioners meeting December 6, when Brian Berger and Rick Catlin take their seats as the two new commissioners.

The next meeting in which this resolution is to be voted on is scheduled for Monday November 15, at 2 PM at the old courthouse downtown, in the commissioner's chambers. Please write your commissioners and urge them to table this until the new board takes their seat, and the public has sufficient time to weigh in and issue their thoughts on the matter.

Email addresses for the commissioners are:

jthompson@nhcgov.com
jbarfield@nhcgov.com
tdavis@nhcgov.com
bcaster@nhcgov.com
bgreer@nhcgov.com
Agenda 2010 11-15-Airlie Easement