N.C. public-finance law for judges praised
A national research organization says North Carolina has one of the best models of taxpayer-financed campaigns in the country.
A new report by the Center for Governmental Studies, a nonpartisan group, examines a 2002 North Carolina law that allows for publicly financed campaigns for state appellate court and Supreme Court seats. Candidates qualify for the program by raising a set number of small contributions in the primary and are then given money for the general election.
In 2008, 31 of the 41 candidates for these seats received money from the program.
"North Carolina's judicial public financing program goes a long way to reducing the potentially corrupting influence of private contributions in judicial elections," Jessica Levinson, the center's director of political reform, said in a press release.
Though the report says North Carolina's law is strong, it suggests ways to improve it:
•Make taxpayers sign on to the program unless they chose to opt out. Taxpayers currently must opt in to the program.
•Consider money spent in both primaries and the general election when determining how much money to provide candidates when they are being outspent by candidates who opted out of the program.
•Allow candidates to publicly finance primary campaigns. Currently only general election campaigns are financed.
•Index the public money provided for inflation.
Mann is chief again
Judge Julian Mann has been reappointed as chief judge of the state's Office of Administrative Hearings.
It will be Mann's sixth consecutive four-year term, and four North Carolina Supreme Court chief justices have appointed him to the position over that time period. He was the second person appointed to the post after the office opened in 1986.
"He has a reputation across North Carolina, as well as across the country, for his knowledge of administrative law," said Fred Morrison, a senior administrative law judge who has worked with Mann for decades.
The office works to resolve conflicts arising from administrative law, such as when a citizen objects to an agency's ruling.
Burr bashes low numbers
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's campaign is going on the offensive against Democratic pollster Public Policy Polling, which is publishing a steady stream of polls suggesting Burr's re-election is in doubt.
Politico reported recently that the dispute hasn't attracted much attention from voters but is an important fight in Burr's re-election campaign because, "more than anyone else, the Raleigh-based firm is driving the narrative that the first-term GOP senator's reelection prospects are in jeopardy."
"What they're doing needs to be put into a proper context," said Paul Shumaker, a Burr consultant. "Their goal is to inject themselves into the political debate, and they need to be responsible and say, 'Our agenda is to promote Democratic candidates.'"
The company's Tom Jensen stands by its numbers.
"We're absolutely rooting in the race. We don't want Richard Burr to get re-elected. We wanted Obama to win last fall," Jensen said. "But our reputation is predicated on getting it right, and we're not going to cook the numbers just to tweak Richard Burr's nerves. They are what they are."
Kirk takes new job
Phil Kirk, who has done just about every job in Raleigh except run the Zamboni machine at Carolina Hurricanes games, has a new job.
Kirk is going to work for Brady Services Inc., an energy services company specializing in heating, air conditioning and energy efficient buildings in Morrisville. He will work as new business development/corporate marketing leader.
Kirk is a former president of the N.C. Chamber, former chairman of the N.C. State Board of Education, former state secretary of Health and Human Services, former chief of staff to two governors and a former state legislator.
Most recently, he was vice president for external relations at Catawba College.
By staff writers Benjamin Niolet,
Kevin Kiley and Rob Christensen