Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

In the news ...

The following two news articles of interest popped up in my Facebook feed this morning:

Rep. Robert Brawley has filed a bill to once again allow lobbyists to give unreported gifts to N.C. legislators. House Bill 640 "would roll back many of the ethics reforms passed by state lawmakers in the wake of the Speaker Jim Black scandal of 2006," reports WRAL.com. "The measure would repeal bans on gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers and relax requirements that lobbyists disclose such gifts."

Click here for WRAL's full story. I have asked Brawley for a response on Facebook; I'll post an update if he responds.

*** Edited: Rep. Brawley responded on Facebook last night. Here's what he said: 

"All the ethics laws passed after Jim Black went to jail, did nothing but make crooks out of honest people. If a person has integrity they will not be involved in unethical behavior, If they do not have integrity then no law will make them ethical, so I propose to allow people to deal with each other and report it. If the public considers the dealings unacceptable then they can speak with their vote. Much better than forcing it underground and acting as if it does not exist."

Also in the news this morning, WSOC-TV reports that due to contaminant levels, people should limit the number of fish they eat from Lake Norman and Mountain Island Lake. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, according to the report, says the water itself is safe, but it recommends that people eat no more than two meals a month of large-mouth bass and one meal a week of striped bass from Lake Norman. Also from WSOC's report: "The department also recommends that people not eat any channel catfish from Mountain Island Lake ... (and) that pregnant women and young children shouldn't eat largemouth bass or blue catfish from the lake, and everyone else should eat those fish sparingly."

15 comments:

Sue Spath said...

I think Rep. Brawley has lost his mind. He just tried to railroad through a bill that would allow his "friend" in Troutman to de-annex 23 acres in the middle of town. What kind of precedent does that start? Now he is trying to get this gift bill passed? Kinda makes you wonder what kind of gift he could possibly have gotten from his "friend".

Anonymous said...

Representative Brawley was ignoring the Troutman Board of Alderman to help a 'friend' de-annex 23 acres?

Who is the 'friend'? I was under the impression that Mr. Brawley was trying to help a constituent and that he was in communication with the Mayor of Troutman.

Voter in the know said...

Rep. Brawley is a RINO and to be honest he was booted out by the voters earlier in recent years. I know for a fact that he was not wanted back in the state legislature by those in his own party. He's had too many problems, we need regular folks in office who have some integrity and common sense. Greed knows no boundaries...
or political parties either!

Anonymous said...

In his first session Brawley is back to his old tricks.

For those needing a history lesson on Brawley, http://projects.newsobserver.com/taxonomy/term/35,1024

"According to Black's testimony, Brawley had agreed to cross party lines and support Black for speaker. But Black said Brawley told him about being approached by Brubaker to come back into the GOP fold.

Black said Brawley told him that Brubaker asked what it would take to get his vote back, and that Brawley told Brubaker he wanted $300,000 in a trust fund for his children."

Anonymous said...

Typical Brawley. Typical. I guess we know why he wanted to get back to Raleigh so bad.

Anonymous said...

Ok....Robert and the rest of the group needs to come home at next election. I have never seen a bunch of any more irresponsible legislators. So much for our sending "conservative" legislators to Raleigh. They all seem confused about what conservative means. It certainly doesn't mean submit crazy bills like allowing non lawyers to be judges....forcing people to go through a two year separation process before being divorced....allowing lobbyist to give undisclosed gifts to legislators....and I could go on and on....

Jaime Gatton said...

In case you guys missed it, I edited this post to include Rep. Brawley's response. Here's what he said about the reason he introduced the bill:

"All the ethics laws passed after Jim Black went to jail, did nothing but make crooks out of honest people. If a person has integrity they will not be involved in unethical behavior, If they do not have integrity then no law will make them ethical, so I propose to allow people to deal with each other and report it. If the public considers the dealings unacceptable then they can speak with their vote. Much better than forcing it underground and acting as if it does not exist."

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Anonymous said...

Brawley is a stain on Mooresville and Iredell county.

Anonymous said...

Rep. Brawley was not in touch with the mayor. The Mayor was not aware and neither were the Alderman. And noe he wants to legalize gifts again. Really?

Anonymous said...

I went to him for an issue. He talked a good game. I got zip. Now all I get is LinkedIn requests. Like I am going to play that. If he has time for that, he has time to do our business. And I mean OUR business.

Anonymous said...

How did this guy get elected? Why he just stand up on a big old soapbox and say he wants to line his pockets and get what he can get anyway he can get it? He is not there for us. He is there for himself. I already have learned the hard way. I called for some help and now all I'm getting is his Link In requests or whatever it is by email. He is a world class opportunist. Of course, an insurance guy would know the ins and outs of that. He knows how to deny and shaft you out of your claim but he knows how to make a profit. Typical insurance guy.

Anonymous said...

google law firm

Anonymous said...

This doesn't have anything to do with Brawley. I'm hoping the message will get to MGSD that a phone call every night is TOO much! They are asking people to come to the commissioner's meeting about bond funds but they weren't smart enough to ask for an appointment with the commission. If you look at the agenda, http://iredell.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=iredell_890ae30020df667d820302a4d48938b2.pdf&view=1 people will be wasting their time to go.

Anonymous said...

Iredell County is a police state. DUI checkpoints all over the place. I feel like when I leave my house to go to work now I'll be entering another country. I have to leave 30 mins early now just in case the sheriff nazi's have set up a road block so im not late for work. Im sick of this treatment as if we are all criminals. Checkpoints: Iredell County had the most checkpoints and “saturated patrols” in the area, with 276. Go sit outside a bar if you want to catch drunk drivers or stop letting drug dealers out of jail because they snitch. Im going to move from this hell hole in North Carolina.

Kiowa said...

Spoken like a true unethical back-stepping politician. He contradicts himself over and over and over again. The more they talk, the deeper it gets. Kirk Sherrill for NC House 2014 84th District.