John Hood’s column today on the increased usage of certificates of participation by legislators to avoid getting voter approval for debt reminded me of one COP project I tried to chase down a few years ago. While millions of COP dollars were included in the budget for a number of juvenile and adult prisons, another mysterious $310,000 project was included for a ?structural pest control training facility? at N.C. State University. After asking numerous legislative staff, members, university officials and industry professionals who wanted this thing, I finally got it pegged to state Rep. Dewey Hill, D-Whiteville. His explanation:

?Local people in Bladen County and Columbus
County (Hill?s territory) worked with me on it,? Hill said. He said
pest-control businessmen in his area were ?getting crucified? by
Agriculture Department officials (with regard to inspections and practices) because ?they tried to do something
they thought was right, and it wasn?t.?

I never was convinced that Rep. Hill was really the one who wanted that thing, considering that former Speaker Jim Black’s son is in the pest control business. The passage of time now really makes it seem far-fetched.