North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Donald van der Vaart seems to be shifting the mission of his department. Instead of protecting the environment he’s taken on the role of political attack dog and defender of industry. At a time when the General Assembly is stripping away common sense regulations that have been working for years, he’s trying to remove as much federal oversight as possible. In the process, he’s trying to put Attorney General Roy Cooper in a bad light.
First, van der Vaart announced that the McCrory administration was opposing the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. Then, he penned an op-ed that blasted Cooper for supporting the plan. The op-ed is a thinly veiled political hit job designed to help van der Vaart’s boss, Pat McCrory, by defining Cooper as a tool of the federal government opposing state control.
This week, van der Vaart is at it again. He’s urging Cooper to fight new federal rules that protect our water. Again, the public nature of van der Vaart’s actions scream politics, not governing.
The McCrory administration has taken a hit on environmental measures. The coal ash spill exposed a relationship with Duke Energy that sure looks a bit too cozy. Now, they appear to be trying to reframe the debate making it federal versus state authority and using van der Vaart as a political tool.
While politics is always at play in government, van der Vaart’s role as attack dog is unusual. Cabinet secretaries rarely get into fights with their bosses political opponents. Clearly, though, van der Vaart is combative on grounds that the GOP and McCrory must feel is good for them. They want to shift the debate from protecting our water and air to Washington verses Raleigh.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
Excellent points, Thomas. Helpful perspectives. Might want to change the ‘verses’ to versus.
Donald van der Vaart is engaging in political activity through his work as a state employee by opposing Cooper and campaigning for Patrick McCroney. What else would be expected of McCroney’s friend and advocate?
Pretty sure van der Vaart is also in violation of Section 5 of state statutes:
“Article 5.
Political Activity of Employees.
§ 126
–
13. Appropriate political activity of State employees defined.
(a)
As an individual, each State employee retains all the rights and obligations of
citizenship provided in the Constitution and laws of the State of North Carolina and the Constitution and laws of the United States of America; however, no State employee subject to the North Carolina Human Resources Act or temporary State employee shall:
(1)
Take any active part in managing a campaign, or campaign for political
office or otherwise engage in political activity while on duty or within any
period of time during which he is expected to perform services for which he
receives compensation from the State;
(2)
Otherwise use the authority of his position, or utilize State funds, supplies or
vehicles to secure support for or oppose any candidate, party, or issue in an
election involving candidates for office or party nominations, or affect the
results thereof.”
#2 looks like it was written to stop people from doing exactly what van der Vaart has been doing with these op-eds against Cooper.