#ncga: Still shaking the Lumbee money tree

There were all kinds of private meetings in the office of speaker Tim Moore.  All kinds of cash has moved between Pembroke and legislator pockets.  SB554, allowing private developers to build and lease school facilities — while being paid rent with instructional funds — appeared to be getting more attention on Jones Street than HB2.

All indications are that the clock ran out for SB554 THIS SESSION.  Things wrapped up on Jones Street on Friday.  Senate president Phil Berger headed down to Robeson County that night to collect EVEN MORE cash from Lumbee politicos.

This legislation — which appears to mainly benefit a select few well-connected and highly-generous people — must be getting too hot to handle with all of the public scrutiny.  A total sum of cash AT LEAST in the low six figures has changed hands over this bill.  It won’t be allowed to simply die.

In all likelihood, it will be slipped into something rather innocuous like technical corrections or some other seemingly harmless, yet unrelated legislation.

Buying what you want or need from state government is outrageous and completely unacceptable –regardless of the party perpetrating it.  It’s absolutely shameful that we have a legislative system in place that encourages such practices.  

THIS is a big time fight for good government.  Keep your eyes peeled on this, folks. Keep the spotlight on the underhanded wheeling-and-dealing.  Maybe we’ll eventually find just enough shame left over on Jones Street to where those people will actually remember WHO they work for.