Capital Politics
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Capital Politics / North Carolina News [Kicking can / Update X 2] House not ready to renege on Dix Park lease just yet
Posted by Bob Geary on Wed, May 22, 2013 at 4:47 PM
[Update x 2, 4 p.m. Wednesday] The House Judiciary Committee approved a substitute bill for Senate Bill 334 and sent it to the House floor. Does it renege on the state's lease with Raleigh? No and yes. It says the lease is invalid, but takes no action to dissolve it for a year. Does it allow Raleigh to proceed with planning for Dix Park? Yes and no. Raleigh is invited to negotiate with the state through April, 2014 — with all issues on the table. Rep. Justin Burr, who spoke for the bill, repeatedly suggested that rather than lease Dix from the state, Raleigh would be better served by acquiring it via an "installment sale." That's certainly true, depending of course on the price.
[I think the important takeaway from what happened today is that Art Pope was in the committee room and speaking for Gov. McCrory. So save Pope a seat on your park planning committee. Raleigh isn't conceding that its lease with the state is invalid — Mayor Nancy McFarlane and City Attorney Tom McCormick were clear that they consider it to be valid, because it is valid — but face it, if the state wants to dissolve/condemn that lease, it can't be stopped from doing so.
[Given that reality, the House version of SB 334 (assuming it passes the House and then — a minor if — the Senate) will give Raleigh/McFarlane and McCrory/Pope a year to see if they can thrash out a mutually acceptable plan to turn Dix into a destination park over time, perhaps with the eventual addition of the Gov. Morehead School for the Blind property. Adding some or all of the Gov. Morehead land — it's 40 acres, I was told — would allow Dix Park to link to Pullen Park via a pedestrian bridge or a trolley over Western Boulevard.
[I don't know that the two sides will be able to reach a deal in a year, frankly. There are a whole lot of moving parts to this negotiation. On the other hand, if both sides are serious — and Pope had his serious "I'm Art Pope" face on today, and you know McFarlane is serious — there's no insurmountable obstacle in their path, just a great many details that must be fitted together. Also, time is on their side ... in the sense that a great park evolves over many, many years, so what's allowed to be on Dix Hill today (i.e., the Department of Health and Human Services) is not necessarily going to be there 20, 50 or 100 years from today. As long as no one insists that something stupid, like leaving DHHS up there, also be permanent, a deal can certainly be envisioned.
[Update, noon Wednesday] WRAL has a story up in advance of the meeting. Sounds like the House leaders have decided to kick the can down the road a year — not tear up the lease just yet, but also not put a deal together with the city just yet. The city "blessed" this? More likely they've taken a vow of silence with a gun to their heads. The real stinker in this story would seem to be any language in the new bill that would lock both sides — i.e., the park proprietors — into leaving DHHS on Dix Hill indefinitely. Hard to have a great park when a state office complex is occupying the high ground — and you have no power to move them, ever. More later.]
A heads-up: Senate Bill 334, condemning the state's lease with Raleigh for the 325-acre Dorothea Dix tract, passed the Senate seven weeks ago but hasn't seen the light of day in the House — until now. The House Judiciary Committee has slated it for consideration tomorrow after the full House adjourns its session.
When that will be is unknown. Today's House session began at 2 p.m. There's no start time yet for the session tomorrow, nor any indication of how long it will go. Tomorrow's session is now set to begin at 1:15 p.m. with what looks like a light agenda. The Judiciary Committee will begin 15 minutes after the House adjourns.
Usually, post-session committee meetings are quickies, designed to move a bill speedily and without much chance for a big public turnout. It's possible the committee intends to amend the bill before sending it on, either to the floor or to another committee. We'll see.
The meeting room for tomorrow is set: 544 in the Legislative Office Building, the one behind the Legislative Building.
House Judiciary Comm takes up Senate Bill 334, to renege on lease w/ Raleigh 4 Dix Park acreage, after House session Wed. Time TBD, Rm 544.
— Bob Geary (@rjgeary) May 21, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Capital Politics [Updated x 2: Another 'Moral Monday' next week: AP] Progressives promising Monday protests while General Assembly's in session
Posted by Bob Geary on Thu, May 9, 2013 at 4:32 PM
[Update x 2, Thursday, May 9: The AP is reporting that next Monday will be another "Moral Monday" at the General Assembly, with non-violent civil disobedience again in the offing.]
[Update, Tuesday, May 7: The NAACP called for a candlelight vigil and protest rally tonight outside the Legislative Building. Because of predicted bad weather, they've moved to Martin St. Baptist Church, 1001 E. Martin St., Raleigh. Start time is the same, 7 p.m. Details on the NC NAACP website.]
The original post from Friday is below —
On Monday, 17 protesters were arrested at the General Assembly. On Wednesday, the total rose to 22 as five students were arrested. It's only the beginning.
- photo by Bob Geary
- Rev. William Barber (center with group today at Martin Street Baptist Church
"We will not stop," Barber said. "We did not start to stop." He accused legislative leaders of using their power to hurt "the least of these" — the poor and those in need.
Barber called on the public to join these demonstrations and to "explore" whether they want to take the next step and engage in non-violent civil disobedience — in other words, be a part of the mass rallies, and perhaps be among those who are willing to be arrested.
The first such "Moral Monday" event will be May 6 — next Monday — with participants gathering first at 4 p.m. at the Davie Street Presbyterian Church in downtown Raleigh, adjacent to Moore Square on the corner of E. Davie and S. Person streets. One reason for the meeting at the church is to discuss how the General Assembly's police force is responding to the protests and what actions are likely to trigger an arrest.
Barber said state capitals have become the new battleground between progressive forces which have been on the rise for 50 years — the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham, Alabama "Children's Crusade" of 1963 was this week — and reactionary leaders determined to roll back the last half-century's social and civil rights gains.
Two years ago, Madison, Wisconsin was ground zero in this battle for the states. This year, it's Raleigh, North Carolina, where the election of a Republican governor along with veto-proof Republican majorities in both houses of the General Assembly have combined to unleash a torrent of right-wing legislation.
Barber, speaking this morning to supporters and the media at Martin Street Baptist Church in Raleigh, reminded everyone that the NAACP wrote to McCrory in December asking for a chance to work with the governor. Similarly, he said, members have been to the General Assembly trying to meet with House Speaker Thom Tillis, but he had no time for them. Barber accused McCrory, Tillis and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger of being the "George Wallaces of the 21st century," standing in the schoolhouse door against progress.
"it's got to stop somewhere, and [the public] has to rise up and say something," said the Rev. Anthony Spearman, an NAACP leader from Hickory.
Tim Tyson, a Duke University Divinity School professor-historian, said at least three notable progressive scholars from Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill have told him they'll be at the rally May 6 and are willing to be arrested. Other scholars may join in, Tyson said.
An unknown to me, and to everyone I spoke to in the group this morning, is whether the General Assembly's cops, who take their cues from Tillis and Berger, will allow demonstrators into the building next week — as they did this past Monday — and arrest them only if they step over some line that the cops announce on the spot ... or will they repeat what they did Wednesday, when they arrested student demonstrators for attempting to enter the building?
Barber said that preventing citizens from entering the Legislative Building may well be unconstitutional, especially since those arrested on Monday are only accused, not convicted, of the charges against them. "They may stop us at the door," he conceded. "But that doesn't matter. We're still going."
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Capital Politics UNC-CH senior arrested at the General Assembly: "I cannot in good conscience stand idly by"
Posted by Bob Geary on Thu, May 2, 2013 at 11:06 AM
- photo by Bob Geary
- Legislature's cops arresting Zaina Alsous (left, in custody) after she crossed the police line blocking entrance to the General Assembly yesterday. She was one of five students arrested during the NC Student Power Union demonstration.
Five UNC system students, members of the NC Student Power Union, were arrested at the General Assembly yesterday. They were part of a larger demonstration of about 100 students and others in the front of the General Assembly building, the purpose of which is explained in the statement released this morning by NCSPU.
When the protesters arrived on West Jones Street, police formed a line across the front of the building. Since the building is open to the public, it's unclear to me what authority they were invoking to keep selected people out. That said, when five of the protesters crossed through the police line, they were arrested. Others who were not part of the protest simply went around the line and entered the building freely. It suggests to me that the police were barring people from entry based on their political beliefs, which would seem to be a pretty clear First Amendment violation.
One of the students arrested, UNC-Chapel Hill senior Zaina Alsous, made a video prior to the demonstration explaining why she intended to engage in an act of civil disobedience. It's about 2:00 long — worth a look.
Here's what the police line looked like before the protesters crossed it —
- photo by Bob Geary
- Part of the police line in front of the General Assembly as the NC Student Power Union protest began. Raleigh police are in the blue uniforms. The General Assembly has its own police force — they're in the gray uniforms or in plain clothes.
And the statement from the NCSPU —
Raleigh, NC — Yesterday, on May Day, the NC Student Power Union mobilized over 350 students from 10 colleges from around the state to participate in a demonstration against the legislature's regressive agenda.Students began their day with a rally at the NCSU Bell Tower and then marched to the Civitas Institute, a far-right think tank funded by multimillionaire and Deputy State Budget Director Art Pope. The demonstration raised opposition to the avalanche of backwards policies being advanced by legislators. They joined a broader coalition of workers, immigrant rights, and many other community organizations for a march from Moore Square Park to the NC legislature.
When the march arrived at Jones Street, students, young people, and others took over the street, and five sat down with a banner that read “We Demand a Future! Stop budget cuts! Stop racist voter laws! Stop attacks on workers!”
During the street occupation that lasted for nearly an hour, leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, the NC NAACP, the AFL-CIO, and the Southern Workers Assembly, among others, delivered messages of support and solidarity as students spoke out against the attacks.
Demonstrators then attempted to bring their demands for justice into the legislature and five were arrested — Jessica Injejikian (UNC Charlotte), Tristan Munchel and Dhruv Pathak (UNC Greensboro), and Zaina Alsous and Carissa Morrison (UNC Chapel Hill). All 5 were charged with disorderly conduct, and Morrison and Pathak were additionally charged with misdemeanor assault on a government official.
“We stand behind these 5 students who took a bold and powerful action today and put their bodies on the line to stop the attacks on the people of NC,” said Juan Miranda, a student at UNCG. “Our hope is that many others are inspired to join the fight back against these forces from destroying our state and taking us backwards. We will fight these charges to the end. The fact that these students were arrested simply for peacefully trying to enter and bring their demands into the 'People's House' is absurd, and the additional charges that Morrison and Pathak received are entirely baseless.”
In a statement, Pathak explained why he participated in civil disobedience. “Education should be affordable and accessible to all students. The right wing legislature and current budget proposal will make it harder for students to get into school and stay in school. My family struggles with finances everyday and has trouble making ends meet. The last thing I need is a multimillionaire writing the state budget who wants to take away my financial aid...That's why I took this action today.”
Students have vowed that they will be back to continue demonstrations throughout the summer with other organizations, and as long as is needed.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Capital Politics Rep. Deborah Ross to TTA, former Rep. Grier Martin on deck
Posted by Bob Geary on Wed, May 1, 2013 at 1:41 PM
It's one good progressive out, another ready to step back in: State Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Wake, is leaving the General Assembly to be general counsel at Triangle Transit. Former Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake, who was moved ("double-bunked") into the same Wake County district with Ross by the Republicans and stepped aside to let her stay in office, is willing to return — very willing, according to his Twitter account:
Former 4-term legislator Grier Martin will run for the House District 34 seat being vacated by Rep. Deborah Ross.... fb.me/KObFUbN7
— Grier Martin (@GrierMartin) May 1, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Raleigh City Council / Capital Politics Senate Republicans to Raleigh: Drop dead. (Contract? What contract?)
Posted by Bob Geary on Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 2:26 PM
As expected, Senate Republicans this morning started the wheels in motion to tear up the state's lease with the City of Raleigh for the Dorothea Dix tract because, the GOP legislators said, former Gov. Perdue shouldn't have signed it. Perdue, as is required for contracts involving state land, won the approval of the Council of State before finalizing the lease.
By voice vote, the Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee approved Senate Bill 334 and sent it to the full Senate, out-shouting the opposition Democrats. The bill is a condemnation measure to terminate the lease and recapture the land.
The idea that a valid state contract can be discarded by the General Assembly because legislators don't like its terms — or the governor who negotiated them — struck Senate Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt as "insane."
Yet the Republicans think anything done before they took over is fair game, Nesbitt said, from taking land away from municipalities to yanking Charlotte's airport away from Charlotte. "The people of this state," he said, "have a right to a little continuity of government."
Sarcastically, Nesbitt put the room on notice that any deals signed by Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, will be considered "bogus and void" by the Democrats when they regain control of the legislature.
Sen. Tommy Tucker, R-Union, assured one and all that the Republicans will be happy to renegotiate with Raleigh, though for only part of the 325-acre Dix tract, not all of it, and for a much higher price.
"You should hear yourselves saying that," Capitol Broadcasting Co. CEO Jim Goodmon told them moments later. "There’s no business person in the state who would agree with what you’re doing."
Goodmon, a member of the Dix Visionaries, one of the groups supporting Raleigh's effort to create a destination park on the Dix tract, was the only member of the public given a chance to speak prior to the committee vote. He ripped the Republicans for trying to back out of a negotiated lease.
"What lease are we going to not do next?" Goodmon wondered. "This doesn't make sense, and it's not honorable."
If the General Assembly can unilaterally void the current lease with Raleigh, Goodmon asked, what assurance would Raleigh have that, if it did renegotiate, a new deal wouldn't also be tossed by a future legislature?
Someone should tell MetLife, Goodmon argued, that its deal with the state could be in jeopardy. MetLife is moving some 2,500 jobs to Charlotte and Cary in return for promised tax incentives of more than $90 million — money Gov. McCrory has promised will be paid in future years as the jobs materialize.
"Nobody will trust doing business with the state," Goodmon said, if the General Assembly passes SB-334.
Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane was in the committee room along with other city officials trying to protect their lease. McFarlane and a unanimous City Council appear to be prepared to go to court should the bill be enacted, either to argue that the contract must be honored or, if it isn't, to claim damages.
Goodmon, whose company is a major economic developer in Durham, said the Dix tract "is extremely valuable" to Raleigh and a jury will decide what the city is owed if the state's condemnation power is upheld.
But the major damage will be to the state, he argued. Raleigh will pay rent on the land, and over time will invest — his guess — $100 million to $125 million developing the state's property as a destination park and a major economic development draw for the city, the region and all of North Carolina.
"You've got to understand how we feel on the other side of this lease," Goodmon concluded. "What I've said is perfectly legitimate ... and it's a matter of honor, we don't break leases."
The committee meeting ended on a combative note as Sen. Tommy Apodaca, a Republican from Buncombe County, objected to being "intimidated by the press."
He meant Goodmon, whose company owns WRAL and other media properties.
"I will not be threatened," Apodaca warned. "That is wrong."
"What?" Goodmon shot back. "I can't speak because of where I work?"
"I felt threatened by you, sir," Apodaca answered. His microphone wasn't on, however, and the chair quickly cut him off and gaveled the meeting to a close.
Capital Politics / Around Raleigh / Wake County Calling all Wake schools, Dix Park backers: Show-of-force time Monday at General Assembly
Posted by Bob Geary on Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 6:24 AM
The Wake County legislative delegation is meeting Monday at 4 pm in the General Assembly building on the first floor. It's an open forum and a chance to take a stand — with the county's Republican and Democratic legislators listening — on the inflamed issues surrounding the Wake school system and Dix Park.
Both the Great Schools in Wake coalition and Friends of Dorothea Dix Park have issued alerts asking their members and supporters to show up en masse — and, for the Dix Park crowd, wearing green.
Word of advice: The meeting room at the General Assembly is small-ish and a large crowd is likely. I.e., get there early if you want a seat.
However, a big crowd spilling into the hallways will send a message.
If you want to speak, here's the brief from GSIW:
Speakers must register by email to steinla@ncleg.net or telephone to 919 715-6400 no later than 11:00 am, Monday, March 25, 2013. Please provide the name of the presenter and the topic to be discussed.
Remarks will be limited to 2 to 3 minutes, with the time being dependent upon the number of speakers registered. If you plan to bring handouts, please bring at least 25 copies.
QUESTIONS? Call Candy Finley, Legislative Assistant (919 715-6400) with any questions.
On the schools front, the Wake school board is the target of multiple Republican attacks. The Republican majority on the Wake Commissioners board is trying to strip the school board of authority over school buildings — yes, that's not a typo. They can't do it by themselves, but the Republicans who control the General Assembly can do it, and that's just what they propose in Senate Bill 236.
Not only that, Republican legislators are threatening to redistrict the school board (again) in an effort to seize control of the school system in the 2014 primary elections. Senate Bill 325 contains their new gerrymandering plan, with the added insult that board members elected in 2011 for four-year terms would be tossed out of office 17 months early ... while the two Republican school members who remain from the 2009 elections would be spared the need to run again this year and would have their terms extended for six months.
All nine school board seats would be elected in the 2014 primaries, when the Republicans just happen to be expecting a big turnout as they choose a GOP U.S. Senate candidate. Will Huntsberry's story this week explains it all.
The Dix Park issue is equally outrageous. Gov. Bev Perdue, acting with the approval of the Council of State, signed a longterm lease with the City of Raleigh for the 325-acre Dorothea Dix Hospital tract. The state continues to own the land. The city intends to create a destination park there over the next 75 years as a major regional and statewide asset.
However, some Republicans in the legislature opposed Perdue's action. Now that she's out of office and the compliant Pat McCrory is in, they've filed bills intended to tear up the lease. The bills are Senate Bill 334 and House Bill 319.
Can they do that? Isn't a contract a contract? According to the Republicans, no contract with the state is safe if the General Assembly decides to change it. According to the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 10:
"No State shall ... pass any Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts or grant any Title of Nobility."
In other words, the General Assembly isn't the King of Anything and it's supposed to enforce contracts, not dissolve them.
Or so the Friends of Dorothea Dix Park and the City of Raleigh argue.
By the way, Senate Bill 334 is slated to be taken up by a Senate committee this morning. Notwithstanding its dubious constitutionality, it's expected to be approved and sent to the Senate floor for a vote — possibly next week.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Capital Politics Hey, Pat McCrory! You're national (bad) news for sticking it to the jobless.
Posted by Bob Geary on Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 4:19 PM
Gov. McCrory signed the bill slashing unemployment benefits in North Carolina, a measure which also makes North Carolinians the only folks in America who, if they lose their jobs, will not be eligible for federal emergency benefits as of July 1. Think Progress, the voice of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, found this outrageous ... in a story I just tweeted:
So not proud: N.C. Governor Signs ‘Unprecedented’ Gutting Of Unemployment Insurance thkpr.gs/YEd0Y9 via @thinkprogress
— Bob Geary (@rjgeary) February 19, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Capital Politics / North Carolina News Voller to Dems: March with me at HKonJ-7 in Raleigh on Saturday
Posted by Bob Geary on Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 3:57 PM
At his first press conference since being elected state Democratic Party chair, Pittsboro Mayor Randy Voller called on Democrats to take a stand against the Republican-led "radical, reactionary legislature" by joining in the 7th annual HK on J march and rally Saturday in Raleigh.
- from WRAL.com
- Democratic Chair Randy Voller
Voller was elected Saturday by the party's state executive committee. He said he'll have weekly press conferences in an effort to hold the Republican legislature and GOP Gov. Pat McCrory's administration accountable. His role, he said, will be "messaging" and waging a campaign of ideas on behalf of his party. He'll draw on other Democratic officials and activists to help him flesh it out, he added.
He started this morning by recalling the old "Where's the beef?" commercial. "Where's the jobs?" Voller asked. The Republicans are busy dismantling the political and governmental system that built the North Carolina economy over the last half-century, but so far — Voller said — they haven't offered anything to replace it or create new jobs in the state.
"It's easy to be against things. It's harder to build things," Voller said.
Democrats in North Carolina are living in a "bizarre universe," Voller went on, in which the nation is celebrating President Obama's election victory and gains by Democrats in Congress while in North Carolina the election resulted in total Republican control, including by veto-proof majorities in both legislative chambers.
In this atmosphere, Voller said, the Democratic party itself must challenge what the Republicans are doing while also presenting a different, positive agenda. Doing both will allow Democrats to reinvent themselves and bounce back. "It's time to reset, it's time to rebuild, and it's time to recommit with our party leaders, activists and enthusiasts to move this party forward," he said.
***
The Voller press conference lasted just under half an hour. You can watch it on WRAL.com.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Capital Politics N&O: Dix deal emerging, Council of State to consider on Tuesday
Posted by Bob Geary on Fri, Nov 30, 2012 at 2:32 PM
The News & Observer is reporting that the deal for Dorothea Dix is a 75-year lease by the state to Raleigh for $500,000 a year, with a 1.5 percent a year inflation factor.
The Council of State will take up the lease Tuesday at 9 a.m.
Someone who's better at calculating the time value of money than I can you what the city's offer is "worth" versus, say, an up-front payment of X amount. $500,000 a year times 75 equals $37.5 million, which is pretty close to the $35 million that city officials think the land appraises for. (State appraisals were higher.)
The 1.5 percent inflation factor is some protection against inflation (that is, deflation in the value of the lease), but not much.
The N&O says the lease is for $68 million, but that doesn't mean the same as if the "price" were $68 million. Think of it this way: If the price of a mansion is $68 million, that's what seller wants for it right now, and if you don't have it in cash, you have to borrow it. Paying it out over 75 years — that's a bargain.
An unanswered question is whether any of this money is earmarked for mental health programs. Although, to be honest, any earmark would be subject to the same shenanigans as the lottery — that is, we earmark extra money over here, and cut the basic appropriation for mental health over there.
Assuring that mental health programs are properly funded is a job that will fall, in the first instance, to Governor-elect Pat McCrory — as I've noted elsewhere.
This deal is getting some pushback from mental health advocates. For example, here's a letter written to Council of State members by Bonnie Schell of Asheville (h/t, Martha Brock):
To the Council of State:I am opposed to the sale or lease of the 300 acres left out of 1,000 acres that was Dorothea Dix Hospital. Politicians and state officials sometimes serve in a guardian role of targeted assets and that is the case with this property dedicated from its inception to the welfare of those with psychiatric disabilities. The Mental Health Trust Fund has been depleted, and not for mental health services. NC dogs have more options for park exercise and relieving themselves than the minimally served youth and adults with mental health disorders have choices in where to live in their communities.
Raleigh wants to offer you 50 million less than the best appraisal because now is not the time to sell real estate. The land comes with certain liabilities: old buildings with asbestos, a landfill, black and white patient cemeteries that would have to be moved, a main building listed on the National Historical Registry. The assets of the Dix property to the state and Division of MH/DD/SA, however, are many. Well-built two bedroom cottages (where staff used to live) scatter the landscape and could serve as housing for trainings, transitional housing for homeless and mentally ill persons, sites for new or bare-bones-budgeted nonprofits such as NCMHCO which is there at the present time.
With a caterer, small conferences such as the Recovery Conference held two weeks ago in Winston Salem at Benton Convention Center could use the gym, auditoriums, offices, wards, and the free parking and safe night strolling. The rooms in the oldest buildings at Pinehurst are equally small and not lavishly decorated. I suppose a golf course is easier to envision as a training destination than a former asylum, but at one time Dix provided some of the finest nurse’s training in the country.
I don’t think you can rest comfortably in your minds to improve the modernity of facilities for 1200 to 1800 Division staff while NC rates in the lowest group of states on money spent per adult mental health patient. I don’t think we should modernize office facilities until we bring our mental health programs forward 15-20years to catch up with evidenced best practices that include peer support, supported housing and employment, respite care instead of revolving emergency room doors, recovery and wellness centers, clubhouse experiences, a life in the community that goes far beyond a prescription and with it the reduced life expectancy of 25 years compared to that of general population.
It would be hard to explain to constituents why you would decide to build new buildings on land you have to bid on when you own the most beautiful land in the state near Raleigh.
I urge you to put off selling or leasing the Dix property or any part of it without honoring the vintage request that all proceeds go into the MH Trust Fund.
I urge you to go back to the parties involved in a proposed collaborative for research, training and program development and see if the issues could be worked out. I implore you to consult with persons who have mental illnesses and those who provide services to them on what the highest or best use of this property might be.I invite you to have happy holidays knowing that you did the right thing by doing nothing until you can convene more information, look at more possibilities, bring more creativity and integrity to this issue.
Respectfully,
Bonnie Schell, MA,
Mental patient, taxpayer and voter, retired Director of Consumer Affairs for an LME
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Capital Politics McCrory will take his oath Jan. 5, deliver inaugural address a week later
Posted by Bob Geary on Tue, Nov 20, 2012 at 12:43 PM
Governor-elect Pat McCrory's staff disclosed his schedule for taking the oath of office, delivering his inaugural address and hosting a string of open houses and inaugural balls. He'll be sworn in on January 5, with the rest spread over the next seven days.
Here's an edited version of the press release we received:
Governor-Elect McCrory Announces Inauguration Details“North Carolina has incredible people, talent and resources, and to start a North Carolina Comeback, we must bring all parts of the state together to put them back to work. This year’s inauguration will be focused on highlighting North Carolina’s untapped potential and setting a vision for the future of our great state.”
— Governor-Elect Pat McCrory
Raleigh, N.C. — Today, Governor-Elect Pat McCrory's transition office released the following scheduling details for the inaugural proceedings:After consultations with the Perdue Administration and the General Assembly, Governor-Elect McCrory will be officially sworn in on Saturday, January 5, 2013 in the Old Senate Chamber to ensure his cabinet and leadership team is in place prior to the General Assembly’s opening session on Wednesday, January 9.
Inauguration Festivities will be held on Saturday, January 12 in Capitol Square, where Governor McCrory will participate and deliver his Inaugural Address.
Between January 5 and leading up to his Inaugural Address on January 12, Governor McCrory will attend official and inaugural activities while holding public open houses across the state. Details of additional public and official events are forthcoming and will be released as they become available.
Additional scheduling details are forthcoming. A website has also been established for the inaugural proceedings: http://inaugural.nc.gov/.
Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 11:00am
WHO:Governor-Elect Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Prayer Service
WHEN:
Saturday, January 5, 2013
11:00amWHERE:
Christ Episcopal Church
120 East Edenton Street
Raleigh, NC 27601PRESS: CLOSED
Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 12:00pmWHO:
Governor-Elect Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Official Swearing-In Ceremony
WHEN:
Saturday, January 5, 2013
12:00pmWHERE:
Old Senate Chamber
North Carolina State Capitol, Second Floor
1 East Edenton Street
Raleigh, NC 27601Monday, January 7, 2013 at 5:00pm
WHO:
Governor Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Western North Carolina Open House
WHEN:
Monday, January 7, 2013
5:00pmWHERE:
Governor’s Western Residence
45 Patton Mountain Rd
Asheville, NC 28804
Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 11:00amWHO:
Governor Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Piedmont Open House
WHEN:
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
11:00amWHERE:
TBD
Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 5:00pmWHO:
Governor Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Eastern North Carolina Open House
WHEN:
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
5:00pmWHERE:
Tryon Palace
520 South Front Street
New Bern, NC 28562
Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 4:00pmWHO:
Governor Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Charlotte Open House
WHEN:
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
4:00pmWHERE:
TBD
Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 9:00pmWHO:
Governor Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Rock-the-Ball, Sponsored by the Junior League of Raleigh
WHEN:
Thursday, January 10, 2013
9:00pmWHERE:
Lincoln Theater
126 East Cabarrus Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Friday, January 11, 2013 at 6:00pmWHO:
Governor Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Governor’s Reception, Sponsored by the Junior League of Raleigh
WHEN:
Friday, January 11, 2013
6:00pmWHERE:
Raleigh Convention Center Grand Ballroom
500 South Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601Friday, January 11, 2013 at 8:00pm
WHO:
Governor Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Gala Presentation, Sponsored by the Junior League of Raleigh
WHEN:
Friday, January 11, 2013
8:00pmWHERE:
Raleigh Convention Center Exhibition Hall
500 South Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601Friday, January 11, 2013 at 9:00pm
WHO:
Governor Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Inaugural Ball, Sponsored by the Junior League of Raleigh
WHEN:
Friday, January 11, 2013
9:00pmWHERE:
Raleigh Convention Center
500 South Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 11:00amWHO:
Governor Pat McCrory, Council of State
WHAT:
Ceremonial Inauguration Festivities & Inaugural Address
WHEN:
Saturday, January 12, 2013
11:00amWHERE:
Capitol Square
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 12:30pm
WHO:
Governor Pat McCrory, Council of State
WHAT:
Inaugural Parade
WHEN:
Saturday, January 12, 2013
12:30pmWHERE:
Downtown Raleigh
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 1:00pm
WHO:
Governor Pat McCrory
WHAT:
North Carolina Open House
WHEN:
Saturday, January 12, 2013
1:00pmWHERE:
North Carolina Executive Mansion
200 North Blount Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 8:30pmWHO:
Governor Pat McCrory
WHAT:
Governor’s Inauguration Celebration, Sponsored by The Foundation for North Carolina, Inc.
WHEN:
Saturday, January 12, 2013
8:30pmWHERE:
Raleigh Convention Center
500 South Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
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