The Empire Whines Back

by | Mar 14, 2014 | Environment, NC Politics, NCGov | 7 comments

Welcome guest blogger Daniel Gilligan. Daniel is a researcher who has worked on political campaigns in North Carolina and across the country. 

 

Pat McCrory is at it again. Now he says we need to  “keep the politics out” of coal ash clean up, which has become an issue because the Governor’s former employer of 29 years dumped 39,000 tons of toxic slurry into the drinking water of the Dan River Basin.

This is a familiar refrain for this governor and his team. McCrory has said he wants “the politics out” of everything from transportation planning to control of Charlotte’s Douglas Airport, and shortening early voting. Clearly getting “politics out” things is an enterprise-wide excuse as McCrory’s DENR Secretary also said he thought he’d gotten “the politics out” of his department when the New York Times reported that under McCrory political patronage positions were expanded and regulators were threatened by Skvarla for having the radical notion that their customers were the citizens of North Carolina not the stockholders of Republican donors.

Why, with all the politics McCrory and crew have taken out of things by their account, it’s a wonder the good citizens of North Carolina still disagree about much of anything anymore. The Governor knows folks hate politics, so he seems to think he can insert anything he doesn’t like: such as people disagreeing with him or questioning his decisions, with the word “politics” and seem like he’s somehow above the fray.

The strange thing is, if he thinks “politics” is so bad, why’s he been a politician for 25 of the 56 years he’s been on this Earth?

When arsenic and other toxins are dumped into our water, when it seems like McCrory’s wealthy donors can be negligent and their customers will be left holding the tab, and when you’re shortening – sorry Governor, compacting – the hours of voting, citizens are rightfully going to have strong opinions.

That is what you signed up for. It’s not politics; it’s democracy.

Gov. McCrory claims he makes hard decisions and steps on toes then he whines he’s not doing any of that messy “politics” business. No wonder legislative leaders walk all over him; they see him for what he is: a typical, little schoolyard bully. He picks a fight and then runs away when things don’t go his way.

If you’re one of the “big kids”, say a legislative leader, you can cuss up a storm about the Governor and his wife and he’ll just sulk away. If you’re one of those “little folks” that looks at him the wrong way, he’ll take your lunch money, or in the governor’s case, your job as a Charlotte cook recently found out to his misfortune.

McCrory can whine about “politics” all he wants, but what gets us through tough times is leaders, not whiners and surely not petty bullies.

 

7 Comments

  1. Tim

    Every politician, democrat and republican , knows DENR stands for Duke Energy Not Responsible. Try making it otherwise and see how long you stay in office in North Carolina.

  2. Ted

    The cook deserved to get fired, we all agree there. It was also a great opportunity for the governor to show that he has a shred of political savvy, but instead he revealed just how thin skinned he is. Even the cook it will agree, it was worth it.

  3. Whizzer

    Just for what it’s worth, Daniel, the Charlotte cook deserved to get fired. He said so himself. You’ve got better stuff than that…don’t you?

  4. Eilene

    That was excellent writing. You should guest-blog some more.

  5. Mike

    Gee, geek. Moral Mondays and the dysfunction within the NC Democratic Party structure have little, if anything, to do with our Governor being an apologist for business interests, a weak-kneed runner for the NCGA majority, and a twister of the truth (e.g., his “compacting” voting hours spin, and his being supportive of public education).

  6. geek49203

    “McCrory can whine about “politics” all he wants, but what gets us through tough times is leaders, not whiners and surely not petty bullies.”

    Is this where I mention Moral Mondays? IS this where I mention the recent Dem party follies?

    You might be correct, but to believe that this is a reason why one side is better than the other is probably not believable. Or at least it’s debatable.

    • Thomas Ricks

      Moral mondays are not “Whining.”

      Whining about Moral Mondays is whining.

Related Posts

GET UPDATES

Get the latest posts from PoliticsNC delivered right to your inbox!

You have Successfully Subscribed!