#ncga: Jones Street pressure sent Decker packing
The governor’s office is spinning commerce secretary Sharon Decker’s resignation as a chance for her to seek bigger and better opportunities. But a well-placed source of mine from Jones Street says the honorables sent a loud-and-clear message to Team McCrory on Blount Street that Madame Secretary had to go:
“The public-private partnership is not working. She was wanting to have a special session on all of these incentives and handouts that none of us were thrilled with. She and her team at Commerce were just not even close to being on the same page as we were. If she hung around, it was going to be another rocky two years for economic development and the commerce department. And that was communicated to the governor and his team.”
My source tells me that installing DENR secretary John Skvarla as commerce secretary will be a well-received move over at the General Assembly:
“People like John. His line of thinking on business and economic development matters is much more in line with the majority of us over here. I think it’s safe to forecast this move as a significant shift to the right over at commerce. Conservatives should be pleased with this move.”
Skvarla seems to have MUCH more interest and probably MUCH more knowledge in matters of commerce. He knew next to nothing about natural resources and probably cared even less. I hope that DENR gets a qualified and caring individual to lead them out of the coal ash pit Skvarla made.
Most of you are, as usual, misinformed. John Skvarla used to restore rivers that had been jammed with pollution and trash. He was an environmentalist of the first order in this regard.
He will also be a great Commerce Secretary, as he does have entrepreneurial experience and is a business man. And clearly, none of you know that he is also a great Conservative. What a bunch of negative blowhards you are!
I am not sure what you are referring to saying that Mr. Skvarla restored rivers. Being the CEO of a firm that worked on mitigation banks is a far cry from running a state natural resources agency. Please qualify how he was an “environmentalist of the first order”. He led the charge to remove hard science in a natural resources agency!!!
Replacing one non-Republican cabinet member with another non-Republican cabinet member seems to be a move sideways. McCrory has had some bad appointments at DENR. Maybe he can find a conservative Republican to take over as Secretary.
MAYBE he will find someone who at least knows a little about the agency and its obligations to NC citizens and NC natural resources.
Raphie: You have just validated your bone fides as either a intellectual incompetent, or as a Progressive troll … but, I repeat myself. John Skvarla would fit in perfectly as a character in John Trumbull’s painting ” The Declaration of Independence”. He’s an accomplished entrepreneur, lawyer and stainless patriot. You must not get around much, Raphie.
JBP: My apology. Meant to include you in the above.
You’ve NOT mentioned ANYTHING that qualified him to head DENR. He spent his time there doing nothing but harm to the agency and the state’s environment.
I like my GOP Governors like Jim Martin who appointed Republican (and largely conservative) cabinet secretaries. McCrory appointed less than half Republicans, and many of their lesser appointments also tended to be non-Republicans. This thread from another site goes into a lot of the problems that entails for conservative policy:
http://www.talkingaboutpolitics.com/CommentDiscussionForum/tabid/74/aft/756/Default.aspx
Skvarla’s department in included in some of the discussion in that thread.
In eastern NC, the commercial fishermen have long been GOP stalwarts, a number having served over the years as Republican Party officers, GOP elected officials, and party contributors. For years, one of their biggest enemies has been the environmental activists of the CCA. Skvarla seems joined at the hip with the CCA which is one of the reasons I have very little use for him. One example is on a recent set of appointments to the Marine Fisheries Commission, the commercial fishermen had negotiated with the governor’s office on the names, and thought everything was set, not all their guys, but ones they could live with. When the actual appointments were made, their guys were all gone and the list had a strong CCA stench to it. On making some inquiries, they found that it was Skvarla’s crowd that was responsible for the changes.
One thing I think Skvarla has likely done with the commercial fishermen is got them all primed to donate to Jim Cain or whoever emerges as a primary opponent to McCrory. They feel betrayed and do not mind telling other Republicans about it.
You have it figured, Raphael. John is a progressive, in lockstep with Pat. I could expound for days on his ignorance of fishing ‘ s impact on N.C., and the economic impact of ignoring science, over the while of the CCA. READ THE BOOK WETLAND RIDERS, by Robert Fitch to learn about the start, and the impact of this “supposed” conservation organization. Oh, by the way, we have heard that Tom Murray is slated to take John’s seat. John lost his reelection bid for the House this year. He came to my community and told us that after he put us out of business we would have to “reinvent ourselves”. What a wonderful Republican ideal. Chuck Laughingstock can give his account. If you have any question, Jerry Tillman was the moderator. We need more Don East people like Jerry to take the reins of our government.
Sounds like an appointment that is really awful as a replacement, like going from the frying pan into the fire. From what I hear, he is a CCA robot. McCrory’s appointees, like that Al Gore clone Frank Gore-ham, have really been giving the east a good screwing, and this one would just make matters worse. Hopefully, someone will get to the governor and head this new disaster off before it happens.
Skvarla is nothing more or less than a big, ol’ fat hog who has been slopping at the public trough his entire career. From his physical therapy business to his environmental remediation business, he has perfected the model of looking for a government program to exploit and then sucking it dry. If that’s what conservative means by “job creation” then we are all well and truly screwed.