Pope money flows in Wake Commissioner race
Submitted by scharrison on Tue, 10/26/2010 - 12:36pm
I wouldn't want to play Monopoly against this guy:
Pope and his family gave $16,000 to GOP Commissioner Joe Bryan and an identical amount to fellow Republican Commissioner Tony Gurley. Pope said he also gave $4,000 to Republican Commissioner Paul Coble, whose report wasn't available Monday.
"I don't think it's shocking for Republicans to support Republican candidates," Pope said.
"Whatever someone contributes doesn't have an impact on my beliefs," Gurley said. "They know what my beliefs are. A contribution is a recognition of what I've shown in the past."
Riiight. Hold on a second while I slip on my Wellies; the shit is getting very deep.
Here's the breakdown of top contributions:
Joe Bryan (Republican incumbent)
Raised: $73,585
Contributors: N.C. Homebuilders Association PAC, $6,000; Variety Wholesalers CEO Art Pope, $4,000; Katherine Pope, $4,000; Joyce Pope, $4,000; Amanda Pope, $4,000; Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors, $3,000; Captive Aire Systems CEO Bob Luddy $2,000.
Tony Gurley (Republican incumbent)
Raised: $80,995
Contributors: Personal loans from Tony Gurley, $34,000; N.C. Homebuilders Association PAC, $6,000; Variety Wholesalers CEO Art Pope, $4,000; Katherine Pope, $4,000; Joyce Pope, $4,000; Amanda Pope, $4,000; N.C. Realtors PAC $3,000, Captive Aire Systems CEO Bob Luddy $2,000.
As you can see, the hometicks are still writing fat checks in addition to the Pope family. But I'm not sure their dwindling support base would appreciate 25% of their total (quarterly) contributions going to just two county commission candidates, even (especially?) if it is a dense county like Wake.
You may have noticed
an even heavier than normal concentration of stories about the Puppetmaster gracing the front page here at BlueNC lately. But that increase doesn't come close to the increase in Pope's spending, and the influence that's bringing to nearly every legislative district where a seat is being contested, not to mention county and municipal contests.
I try to restrain myself from using grandiose terms (is using the word "Grandiose" itself an attempt at grandiosity?), but "all-encompassing" comes to mind when I think about his political behavior in this election cycle.
We may not be able to stop it, but we can shine a light on it, and just maybe blunt some of its impact.
Welcome, Plutocrats!
Plutocracy: Our "free-market" betters in action
You don't have to get your fill of plutocrats now at election time.
The legal think-tank lawsuits will come fast and furious once the election is over.
Shall we have a contest for plutocrat-funded legal entity names designed just to file lawsuits against anything not reactionary?
How about "Citizens United for A Free North Carolina?"
Definition of plutocracy here: rule by the wealthy or power provided by wealth.
Gimme that old time plutocracy
Did you know?
The United States employed plutocratic voting rights as recent as WWII?
It looks like we're getting back to the good ol' days.
Sing to the tune of Gimme That Old Time Religion
Gimme That Old Time Plutocracy!
If you want to get
any mileage out of it, it simply must have the word "American" in there somewhere. ie, "Americans For (fill in the blank)". Or how about, "Americans For American Americanism"? I guarantee you, I could start up the AFAA PAC/Foundation, and tons of money would flow in from people who couldn't comprehend the joke. ;)
He's manufacturing doubt about climate change, too
Another eye-opening investigative article was published this morning about Art Pope's politically-charged attack on climate science.
The article, A Pope of climate denial, is definitely worth the read.
North Carolina is a forward-thinking state that has done many good things to protect our beautiful land and abundant natural resources. We were the first state in our region to pass a RES, creating tens of thousands of new clean energy and energy efficiency jobs. It's a shame that we must claim such an underhanded, corporate benefactor as one of our own.
The man who would be king
Couldn't get elected, now he's buying our state government.
But what's really sick is how the free marketeer Puppets on his payroll have so twisted their their views of democracy to countenance such despotic behavior.
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.
Pope money in Mecklenburg
Americans for Prosperity has spent at least $125,000 in the NC House District 103 race on mailers and phone calls to go along with the NC Association of Realtors $50,000
We are getting killed with outside money.
www.votenewman.com
Sheesh
I bet there are dozens of U.S. Congress races that don't have that kind of spending. Sorry to see that, Gray.