I see that the UPoR attempted to answer the question last week’s Charlotte Business Journal dispatch on Anthony Foxx’s new day job left hanging: Will Mayor Foxx lobby other big city Democratic mayors to buy buses from DesignLine?
Foxx says no. Further, Foxx, and evidently City Attorney Mac MCarley as well, believes that the mayor can work for DesignLine without conflict while both the city-owned airport and city-managed CATS decide whether or not to buy buses from DesignLine. OK. Given that I suppose it is likewise not a conflict for Mayor Foxx to work for DesignLine while DesignLine works out of a warehouse property owned by Childress Klein. Childress Klein only interfaces non-stop with city government on a host of development issues.
Other items of note:
- DesignLine CEO Brad Glosson gave Foxx’s campaign $4000 back in October, as did Glosson’s father, retired Air Force general Buster Glosson. Both men are registered Republicans and supporters of GOP candidates, including former Mayor Pat McCrory, according to state campaign records.
- DesignLine’s Baltimore effort has been repeatedly delayed with some questioning the value of spending $13m. to buy 21 hybrid buses, which will cost a total of $40m. to operate. The latest drop-dead date for DesignLine buses to start regular service in Charm City is January 11th, six months behind schedule.
- The company’s website is being re-worked, but the firm does not own the domain name — designlineusa.com — referenced in its own marketing material.
One thing is for certain, the days of Mayor Pat turning on the VCR for Duke Power’s new hires orientation program are long gone.
Update: SEC filings show that former Gov. Jim Martin is a director for DesignLine.
