McCrory working hard on selling out
Pat McCrory has been governor of North Carolina for one week, but he has managed to break his promise to clean up Raleigh and keep special interests out of state government, says our coalition partner, Progress NC, which has launched a website - www.paytoplaypat.com - to keep score on McCrory's selling out of North Carolina.
During his campaign, Gov. McCrory decried the "good ol' boy and girl patronage system of state government", but his transition has undermined his stated commitment to do things differently than his predecessors.
One of McCrory's first actions as governor-elect was to name right-wing financier, Art Pope, as his budget director. Pope and his immediate family contributed $20,000 to McCrory's 2012 campaign, and Pope's political and business empire contributed heavily to McCrory's election. Now, Art Pope has been given unprecedented control over budget, revenue, and tax decisions in North Carolina.
Art Pope is just one of several controversial cabinet appointees, including Aldona Wos, who McCrory chose to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Wos, her family and business employees donated over $200,000 to Pat McCrory.
But wait, there's more! McCrory's campaign created a new non-profit - the Foundation for North Carolina - to sell the public on McCrory's agenda by selling access to McCrory to raise money, charging between $25,000 and $50,000 to attend private retreats with the governor at Pinehurst and Bald Head Island.
Pay-to-Play-Pat McCrory is cashing in on selling out NC.
"If we have learned anything from McCrory's transition, it's that money can buy you a seat at the table," said Gerrick Brenner, Executive Director of Progress NC at a press conference in Asheville. "Whether it's private policy retreats at posh resorts or rewarding campaign bundlers with plum assignments, Pay to play Pat isn't going away." Check out the website http://paytoplaypat.com/ to learn more and share the news within your network.Pay-to-Play-Pat Sidewalk Ball
Click the image to RSVP.
If you could not afford a ticket to one of McCrory's inaugural balls, we've got just the ticket for you! Attend the Pay-To-Play Pat Sidewalk Ball. Join us and Progress NC on Saturday, January 12 from 6 PM to 7 PM outside one of Pat McCrory's many inaugural events so we can send a message to the media and to the public: not everyone in North Carolina believes in pay-to-play politics! We will be there in force, protesting the pay-to-play nature of McCrory's cabinet -- as well as McCrory letting organizations raise money by selling access to him. Signs will be provided. All you need to do is show up (evening wear optional)! Afterward, folks will gather at a local spot to relax and get to know one another. We'll talk about what we can do to unite, and to wake up North Carolina to the pay-to-play culture taking over Raleigh. For all the details and to RSVP for the Pay-To-Play Pat Sidewalk Ball, click here.