Monkey Business Report: Special Tholl Road edition
The news about how the proposed I-77 toll lanes will cost $20 per day round trip — plus word about the Spanish contractor’s woes — has whipped up quite a political firestorm in northern Mecklenburg County. Local politicians are running away from the toll plan like it’s radioactive. Several of them have issued pleas to Raleigh to delay the implementation of the deal. Davidson-area blogger Rick Short has a lot of the inside story HERE.
A lot of Thom Tillis supporters are trying to insulate their guy from the controversy by suggesting the concept was well underway before Thom even arrived in Raleigh in 2006. The problem
with that spin? Guerilla cameraman Chuck Suter has dug up HB 2318 — a piece of legislation sponsored in the 2007-2008 session by Democrat Nelson Cole and Republican Thom Tillis.
The bill authorized NCDOT to enter into public-private deals for road construction — kinda like the current I-77 deal.
State Rep. Robert Brawley (R) has helped keep the toll issue on the radar by introducing a resolution calling for a statewide referendum on tolling of state roads. I wonder how that one got past the speaker’s staff?
Now you see why Tillis recruited a liberal Republican to run against Brawley in the GOP primary, why Tillis pressured lobbyists not to contribute to Brawley, why Tillis rammed through a motion censuring Brawley, and why Tillis deployed one of the sleaziest consultants in Raleigh with a reputation as a smearmeister, Dee Stewart, to take Brawley out. In spite of all of that and being heavily outspent, Brawley only went down by about a hundred votes. In my book, Brawley is a hero and Tillis is a scoundrel.
You’re darn tootin’, Raphael.
All the smear and bully tactics, and Robert Brawley is still standing tall. He’s looking out for his constituents. Is Tillis looking our for his? Heck no.
i bet Tillis would like to choke Brawley. But it’s my understanding that Brawley’s name still hangs in certain NCSU athletic buildings as quite the wrestling champ. You take a guy that knows how to fight and isn’t afraid to, coupled with the will to do the right thing….and a weasel like Tillis wouldn’t stand a chance. All he can do is try to discredit and misinform and deflect. He wouldn’t know what the truth looked like.
Looks like the one man caucus is still a force to be reckoned with. His Republican colleagues should try to stand close so a little backbone and character might rub off on them. Are there any other Republicans out there with guts?
I can almost hear it now….
THILLI$ to BRAWLEY: (slamming door) “What do you mean introducing a referendum to let people vote on tholl roads? I have a relationship with Cintra!”
[I have a relationship with Thime Warner]
[I have a relationship with Duke Power]
[I have a relationship with Green Banking]
[I have a relationship with that Mass. law firm]
[My staff /roommate has relationships I don’t even know about]
[What? My constituents? I don’t have much of a relationship there.]
Nice piece of work, Guerrilla cameraman Chuck Suter. Well stated. The title of “Establishment Thorn” is well earned by you…and Mr. Brawley.
Remember, you will be paying higher natural gas and electricity bills in the future because of higher taxes on these utilities.
Thanks, a lot for those tax increases, Thommy! Also thanks for the rate increases due to your support of the renewable energy mandate.
This being out, like it is, ought to force a recall of Thillis as the Senate candidate. But, probably won’t. He is only slightly better than Kay Hagan, and for this reason…. Once he gets elected to the Senate, he is a Junior Senator from the State of NC, and the majority of the Senate that will be replacing Socialists, are TP. He will have to tow the line, to get any credibility with them. I voted for Brannon. The GOP, no matter which of the several candidates you voted for, sabotaged the primaries by supporting so many more desirable than Thillis, that they split the vote for all but Thillis, and ensured that he would be the candidate in November. Thillis is as dirty as most of the establishment GOP in DC. He, and others like him, that are overtaxing, growing gov’t, and trying to LORD over us, are the reason people are rebelling against the status quo as it is, now. Just my two cents, but I doubt NC gets a tholl road…