Friday, September 30, 2011

Doesn't this Sound Familiar, Greensboro's News Industry?


"A state lawmaker and a group of Democratic political donors
with ties to Gov. Beverly Perdue
are poised to sell land at a handsome profit for a tire plant
that's being lured with $100 million in state and local incentives...

Perdue's campaign has received more than $52,000 from five men
with an ownership stake in the ...industrial park proposed for the new facility.

The governor's son, Garrett Perdue,
is also a lawyer and site-selection consultant for an influential law firm
...Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice...,
that a county official said was advising the tire company.

...Womble Carlyle lobbyist Laura DeVivo has been talking with key lawmakers.

A legislator described a meeting in which DeVivo and other Womble lobbyists
worked with state officials to gain support for the proposed incentives package...

...DeVivo works on Womble's government affairs team, which also includes Perdue's son...

The proposed location ...is owned by a group of investors
that includes state Sen. Michael P. Walters, a Democrat from Proctorville.

A development company owned by David T. Stephenson III,
...is also listed as having a stake in the center.

Stephenson is a major Democratic contributor appointed to the board of Golden LEAF,
a foundation created by the state legislature to dole out hundreds of millions of dollars...

...money from the incentives package
would be used to buy a large portion of the 1,129 acre site
...at a price of $6,000 an acre.

Records show the investors bought the site in 2007 for $4.3 million,
or about $3,800 an acre.

Jim Bradshaw, director of Brunswick County Economic Development Commission,
said he was the one who first recommended the Mid-Atlantic site
for Project Soccer last winter.

Bradshaw also said he had no idea the owners of the proposed Project Soccer site
have been frequent contributors to the Democratic Party or Gov. Perdue.

Campaign finance records show Stephenson and members of his family
have donated more than $85,000 to Democratic candidates over the last 20 years,
including $14,000 to Perdue since 2004.

Records show $8,000 in contributions to former Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight,
the Manteo Democrat who appointed Stephenson to the Golden LEAF board.

Walters and his wife have donated more than $34,000 to elected Democrats other than himself,
including $14,000 to Perdue.

William E. Musselwhite, a Lumberton lawyer who owns a share of the land,
has given more than $22,000 to state Democrats, including $14,500 to Perdue.

Dennis T. Worley, a Tabor City attorney and another of the owners,
has given more than $28,000 to Democrats, including $7,700 to Perdue.

Kyle A. Cox, another Tabor City lawyer and part property owner,
gave more than $11,000 to Democrats, including $2,000 to Perdue..."

AP

1 comment:

W.E. Heasley said...

Ah, politicos through the mechanism of government bestow benefits on economic rent seekers and collect campaign contributions to boot. What a nice example for Public Choice Theory textbooks. Of course Bev likes education hence she is always willing to contribute. Very nice!

Logically, if we do not hold election for say two decades [Bev’s Freudian slip], and if the contribution keep rolling in, then North Carolina will end as The Duchy of Perdue?

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