Book Tour Brouhaha?
There’s been all kinds of speculation about DOT secretary Tony Tata’s sudden departure from his post. Some of my well-placed folks
in the capital city tell me that Tata’s split with McCrory was, um. less-than-amicable. A LOT less.
What was the source of this reported tension? My sources are telling me Tata’s departure was the culmination of a long-running feud with the governor’s office about his writing career and the associated book tours. Said the source:
“McCrory’s people were clear. There were to be no book tours. Tata was insisting on going on the tours to promote his books. This went back and forth and back and forth. Finally, it reached a point where Tony basically said ‘Screw this. I don’t need this, and I don’t need you.’ And he just picked up and left.”
Hm, McCrory didn’t care about Tata’s epic fail on the implementation of the free voter IDs? Nope, a book tour dispute. If true, wow.
Tata was one of McCrorys best moves. Getting upset was not worth McCrorys time. DMV may have fouled up but its still one of the better run departments… Too bad…
“Tony basically said, ‘Screw this.'” That’s true, but apparently it wasn’t McCrory’s instructions TT was screwing…
Tata was terrible on policy. In his first weeks, he by executive fiat, stupidity gave NC Drivers Liccnses to illegal alien ”Dreamers”, A federal court decision in Arisona a few weeks after Tata’ blunder ruled that states had every right to deny Dreamers drivers licenses.
Tata was also asleep at the switch on management as shown by his screwing up his department’s duties on Voter ID.
Good riddance! But I do not expect anyone better as a replacement.
With the 2nd district race already crowded, why not encourage the General to run for Governor. There’s a noticeable void there and he would make a great ribbon-cutter while allowing the legislature to do the legislating.
Tata’s second book was “Rogue Threat”. It’s about terrorists hijacking a fleet of US Predator drones, and using them to attack Americans here at home.
And now, coincidentally, the State of North Carolina’s drone-testing program, partially under Tata’s supervision, is testing military drones at Blackwater and elsewhere, focusing on “Command, Control, and Communications”. The man in charge was recently the USAF General Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconaissance, who oversaw the development and implementation of all that hi-tech drone surveillance stuff they’re using in Afghanistan. Now he’s the FAA’s man in charge of developing domestic drone policies.
Can’t make this stuff up. It’s really happening, but no one in North Carolina will report it.