I read with interest Rep. Alma Adams’ op-ed defending the N.C. Legislative Black Caucus Foundation’s controversial schalarship program. I’ll cut right to the money quote, where Rep. Adams goes hip-hop on foundation critic Joe Sinsheimer:
…Sinsheimer’s claim that funds are raised to support family members is exaggerated, untrue and unfair….What’s up, anyway, when a registered white Democrat viciously attacks black Democratic legislators and says to the state party chairman that his investigation only focuses on African-American Democratic legislators. His scrutiny appears racially motivated.
Adams says the foundation and N.C. Black Legislative Caucus are “separate entities independently governed,” despite the fact that she is chairwoman of both the caucus and the foundation. She makes the case that the foundation issued the scholarships to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), not to the individual students. Therefore, the foundation had no idea exactly who was getting a scholarship:
Because some schools did not always provide feedback, the foundation did not always know who got what or whether funds reached students.
Adams says the fiundation is currently reviewing its scholarship policy. Good. It ain’t that hard, says Greensboro’s Steele Smith:
I’m a proud member of the Summit Rotary Club. We give multiple youth scholarships every year and one of our most basic requirements is that a recipient not be the child of a Rotarian, plain and simple. We also send youth on cultural exchanges to other countries and again, a recipient can’t be a Rotarian.
I’ve got a suggestion for every North Carolina political leader, foundation officer/member or anyone else concerned about ethical behavior; adopt Rotary’s four-way test for all you say and do; is it the truth; is it fair to all concerned; will it build good will and better friendships; and will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Ask those four simple questions and you will have gone a long way toward resolving the need for ethics committees and the like.
