Politics
- Connecticut School Officials Blast NRA’s Reaction To Newtown | ThinkProgress
- The 10 Craziest Quotes From The NRA Press Conference | ThinkProgress
- Wayne LaPierre’s Newtown statement pilloried by US newspapers | World news | guardian.co.uk
- Newtown parents react to brazen NRA response – CBS News
- Wealthy Wingnut Art Pope Steps Up to Screw North Carolina | Crooks and Liars
[…]…Yes, elections have consequences, and North Carolina now has a hell of a consequence to contend with. Via the NewsObserver, this report about Governor-elect McCrory’s appointment of Art Pope as “deputy budget director”, a title invented for him by the soon-to-be governor of North Carolina.
Pope, who owns Variety Wholesalers, a retail chain that includes Roses and Maxwell stores, has been working as McCrory’s transition co-chairman. His new title will be deputy budget director, but that’s because by law the governor is the budget director. Pope will be the top staffer in developing the governor’s budgets.
In recent years Pope has used his money to bankroll groups that advocate conservative causes, such as the Civitas Institute and the John Locke Foundation. He also has close ties to Americans for Prosperity, another conservative advocacy group.
Brace yourself, North Carolina. That appointment is similar to the impact of appointing Charles Koch as director of Health and Human Services. It means there will be draconian cuts to services in your state, the poor will become poorer, and billionaires will add more billions to their coffers. Maybe they’ll be able to hire some cheap labor to build new mansions there or something.
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