Somebody page Frank Dowd and the other serial hagiographers of Pat McCrory. That mess was so disgusting and disturbing I ignored it. But now comes word that a city of Charlotte contractor says he was asked to commit fraud by a city supervisor. Promises of complete investigation follow from Pat Mumford, Mac McCarley, and the usual suspects.
I got news for the head-in-the-sand crowd, scratch any local small businessperson who has interfaced with the city, county, or CMS and they’ll tell you more than you want to know about waste, fraud, and abuse. Mostly waste, which in some cases rises to the level of fraud and abuse. Like the businessman who tells the city how to save millions by changing they way the do things only to be told, thanks for coming by, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
In fact, let’s preserve for posterity Dowd’s howlingly absurd ode to the Age of McCrory for future reference. And remember, this was penned by a man who gave $2000 to Jim Black yet somehow totally forgets about him when discussing the topic of local political corruption. Take it away, Frank.
What lies ahead with one-party rule?
By Frank Dowd IV
Special to the Observer
Posted: Wednesday, Dec. 02, 2009Ethical scandals are as old as politics itself. You cannot open a newspaper without reading about another corrupt politician. I fear this constant drumbeat of scandal has made many of us cynical and immune to the devastation left behind by the moral failings of our elected leaders.
That’s what makes Pat McCrory’s 14-year tenure as mayor of Charlotte so remarkable. While Charlotte has had to endure the same political battles and economic growing pains as any other city, we have not had even the hint of the scandal or corruption that has embarrassed many other cities and states around the country.
As mayor, McCrory was accessible. His number was in the telephone book. He had no security detail when he traveled, no entourage hanging on for political perks. There were no hidden records, nor did the mayor profit from his time in office. He drove himself around the city and rode with police on patrol at all hours with no news media in tow for a convenient photo op. He was a proud cheerleader for our city and an effective spokesman nationally for our region.
McCrory’s squeaky clean record is in stark contrast to the business-as-usual corruption in our own state government – both in the past and now alleged against former Gov. Mike Easley – and the national embarrassment the governor of South Carolina brought down on his constituents. It’s a shame when the leader you elect becomes a national punch line. Neither political party is immune.
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon was convicted Tuesday of using holiday gift cards for the needy for personal shopping sprees. Kwame Kilpatrick, who came into power as the youngest mayor in Detroit history, lied under oath during a whistleblower trial, costing him his job and landing him behind bars. Consider New Jersey. The entire state deserves special recognition, after more than 44 people, including several mayors, assemblymen and rabbis, were arrested in July and charged with money laundering, selling counterfeit goods and corruption.
Who can forget infamous former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, impeached in January following his arrest for trying to auction off Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat?
Many scandals can be attributed to too much power being amassed by one political party. McCrory and the Democratic-dominated City Council and Mecklenburg County commissioners served as checks and balances on each other.
McCrory used the bully pulpit to urge Charlotteans to think of the long-term health of our region over short-term political objectives. That often meant stepping on toes of political groups of all stripes – whether he was advocating for light rail over the objection of conservatives or vetoing tax increases dear to his Democratic colleagues. Developers bristled at his insistence that they put sidewalks in their new developments, and folks in Raleigh cringed when McCrory would march with concerned citizens demanding more be done to fight crime. Believe me, I had my share of disagreements with McCrory over the years, but he was always willing to listen to different points of view, including mine.
For the first time in a generation our political institutions are dominated by one party – from the mayor’s office to City Council, county commissioners and school board down to the sheriff and district attorney. I hope and expect that our newly elected Democratic majority will emulate McCrory’s ethical leadership, including our young and promising new mayor, Anthony Foxx.
It takes courage to stand up to your own party from time to time, to do what’s best for your city and its constituents. When surrounded by those who agree with you, it is easy to become arrogant with power and immune to reasoned debate from those who may disagree – as President Barack Obama may be learning the hard way in his first year in office. Here’s hoping Foxx will take into account views of the minority while leading this great city – one built by working together and shunning the politics of greed and corruption so prevalent now in our state and country.
We Charlotteans have sometimes been accused of being too optimistic and confident about our future. Indeed, we have much to be thankful for, and one of those things is a spirit of bipartisanship, of working for the common good of all who live in this great city. That bipartisan spirit happens when our elected officials rise above personal goals and interests to do what is right and best for Charlotte and surrounding areas. Let’s keep that track record of impeccable leadership intact, from the top on down throughout city government. We can’t afford anything less.
Frank Dowd IV is chairman and CEO of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Co., a 108 year-old manufacturing company headquartered in Charlotte. Reach him at P.O. Box 35430, Charlotte, NC 28235.
Impeccable leadership….what is right and best for Charlotte. Classic.
