Carolina Politics Online

Voters could get a say in November on whether the state’s constitution should be changed to allow certain statewide offices to be appointed by the governor.

Currently, the positions — which include the lieutenant governor, superintendent of education and secretary of state — are elected.

This latest restructuring bill, which the House passed Wednesday, has the backing of such lawmakers as Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Richland, who says it will increase government accountability and efficiency. It also has the support of some members of the Legislative Black Caucus, like chairman Leon Howard, D-Richland.+

The State

How will changing these offices from being elected positions to governor appointed ones make the government more accountable and efficient?  What is to stop a governor from installing his own cronies in those positions?  If you remove the voters from the choice then you remove the accountability.  Bad idea.

Raleigh - The deputy director of the state Board of Elections testified Wednesday that state Rep. Thomas Wright failed to disclose the existence of hundreds of campaign contributions, adding up to nearly $185,000, and four bank accounts where the funds were deposited.

Kim Westbrook Strach told members of the special House ethics committee that the Wilmington Democrat also filed numerous incomplete or incorrect campaign-finance forms, disclosed some contributions months late, and didn’t disclose $8,900 in charitable contributions to a foundation he set up.

“Never in my time at the Board of Elections have I audited a committee that had this amount of nondisclosure,” she said.

The Wilmington Star

That’s because Wright is one corrupt SOB.  Not that the man has any honor or integrity to begin with, but he illustrated precisely how slimy he is when he had his lawyer play the race card earlier this week.

If he is elected, Jeter said one of his goals will be to set to it that Union County receives the “special treatment” it needs.

“Union County is the one county in the congressional district where we have double-digit unemployment,” he said. “It is a relatively poor county. It is a county that has relatively little political clout in terms of people supporting the county.

“Part of government is government should help those who need help the most and in our congressional district Greenville County is exploding, Spartanburg County is doing good,” he said. “Union County is existing but not with the quality of jobs, opportunities and public investments in infrastructure. I’m going to try to do everything I can to improve conditions in Union County.”

The Union Daily Times

No Mr. Jeter, according to the Constitution and our Founding Fathers it is not the role of the Federal Government to help anybody.  This “special treatment” he talks about is redistribution of the wealth.  Jeter will be a big pork barrel spender with our tax dollars so that he can enrich the pockets of his constituents.  No thanks.  We have enough of that fiscal chaos in Washington already.

DURHAM — A Republican running for lieutenant governor said Wednesday that he favors revamping the management of the N.C. Department of Transportation and the system the state uses to allocate road-construction dollars.

DOT is so “totally mismanaged” that the only solution is to fire state Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett, eliminate the board that supervises the agency and force it to rely more heavily on the private sector, said state Sen. Robert Pittenger, R-Mecklenburg, during a campaign swing through Durham.

“From a business standpoint, [DOT] is dysfunctional and politically-driven,” Pittenger said in an interview with The Herald-Sun.

The Herald Sun

Boy isn’t that the truth. NCDOT has been extremely wasteful and there was some extensive media attention on this a few months back. I do agree that Tippett should be replaced.

Joel Ford, a businessman who pledged to unify a divided party, was elected chairman of Mecklenburg County Democrats Wednesday night.

He’s the party’s first African American chairman in two decades.

“Today is a day of new beginnings,” the 39-year-old contractor told more than 250 members of the party’s executive committee.

Ford soundly defeated attorney Pender McElroy 489-362 in weighted precinct votes. He also won 27 of 44 votes cast by elected and party officials.

The vote could close a contentious period for the party that began with December’s controversial party election for sheriff. Local party activists chose attorney Nick Mackey only to see the election overturned by the state party. County commissioners ultimately appointed Mackey’s opponent as sheriff.

Charlotte Observer

Columbia, SC- South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler released the following statement in response to the call for an investigation into Gov. Mark Sanford’s role in the Port Royal deal.

“There should be an investigation into Mark Sanford’s shady deal. South Carolina residents don’t need politicians who use their power and influence for their own and their friends’ personal interests. This type of cash-for-favors politics is better suited for mafia movies and crime dramas than real life. It hurts our state more than it helps,” said Fowler. “From John McCain’s ties to corporate lobbyists to Mark Sanford’s cash-for-favors scheme, Democrats are ready to change how business is done in Washington and Columbia.”

The State

Yes, the Port Royal connection with Sanford should be investigated.  I think most reasonable people would agree with that.  However, this statement from Fowler should be taken with a grain of salt.  She is a political opponent so she will naturally demand any action that could possibly damage the Republican party and give an advantage to the Democrats be taken.

South Carolinians could face airport security delays starting this spring if Gov. Mark Sanford decides not to comply with a federal identification law passed by Congress in 2005.

The law, called Real ID, would allow government identifications to be issued only after new security measures have been met.

South Carolina, along with Maine, Montana and New Hampshire, have not complied with the law nor filed for an extension.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said states have until March 31 to file for an extension. If they do not, their driver’s licenses will no longer be acceptable ID for airline travel. Starting May 11, travelers would have to rely instead on a passport, a military ID or undergo individual screening before they can board a flight.

Sanford, like many other state government leaders across the country, has been critical of the new program, arguing it is an unfunded, multimillion-dollar mandate from the federal government. The governor signed legislation last year declaring South Carolina would not participate in Real ID.

The State

Screw the Feds.  I fully support Sanford in this effort to resist moving to the Real ID.  It’s nothing more than a Federal power grab and there is no way they can guarantee that people will be protected from identity theft.  Furthermore, this will cost taxpayers of this state millions of dollars a year and for what?  Will it really make air travel safer?  Not if they keep patting down old ladies and ignoring those who fit the standard profile of a terrorist.