After last Saturday's resolution at the MeckGOP convention where County Republicans rejected I77 HOT Lanes, circling the wagons was bound to happen. Those wagons appeared in the form of dozens of HOT lanes supporters, consultants, NCDOT officials, and two hand & picked media outlets at a meeting today in Raleigh.
For a while now, the WidenI77.org activists have been trying to meet with Speaker Tillis, and recently, a meeting was set for today at 1030am in Raleigh. Initially, the expectation was that this was going to be just a small sit-down between constituents and their representative in the Legislature.
Earlier this week, information began to leak out that there may be a few additional guests. A few dozen would turn out to be more accurate.
Wednesday afternoon a post popped up on Facebook outlining what appeared to be a "dirty trick" by Governmental HOT supporters on the activists of WidenI77.org.
Here's what happened
When the activists arrived, they went to the Speaker's office and then were directed to an adjacent building. Upon arriving there were about 40 people from various levels of state and local government as well as a consultant and NCDOT officials waiting for them. Then a bridge line was opened revealing another dozen or so people on the phone.
Some officials were apparently in Raleigh for "Town Hall Day", but apparently they found time to break away to head to this meeting. (For those keeping score here in Davidson, Town Manager Leamon Brice was there in person along with Commissioners Brian Jenest and Rodney Graham. Mayor woods was on the phone.)
The media outlets linked above somehow made the cut on knowing this event was coming as they had the conference bridge information. Several other media outlets were contacted this afternoon and evening, and to a one, they had not heard about this giant confab.
So, instead of a sit-down meeting with their representative - something that should be available to any citizen - the activists of WidenI77.org were treated to a press conference of sorts where they were allowed to ask one question each among comments by literally dozens of HOT supporters.
An overwhelming display of force, is that what passes as our new example of responsive government?
It seems more like that scene in Star Wars where the Death Star is rolled out to blow up defenseless Alderaan.
Correction: The consultancy represented at the meeting was KPMG per comment from Davidson Commissioner Rodney Graham below, not Parsons Brinckerhoff, the consultancy that has presented at other recent HOT lanes meetings.
IT SEEMS THE MOLE HILL OF THE HOT LANES OF I-77 HAS TURNED INTO A MOUNTAIN IN NORTH CAROLINA. AND WITH THAT NEW MOUNTAIN, THAT WILL LAST FOR AT LEAST FIFTY YEARS, ALL KINDS OF CREATURES CAN,AND WILL,CRAW OUT FROM UNDERNEATH NEWLY FORMED ROCKS IN THAT MOUNTAIN. AND WHEN YOU LOOK UP TO THE NEW MOUNTAIN IN AMAZEMENT AT WHAT HAS BEEN PRODUCED,DO SO WITHOUT OPENING YOUR MOUTH. LITTLE BIRDS, THAT HAVE BUILT THEIR LITTLE NESTS ON THAT NEWLY FORMED MOUNTAIN,HAVE A GOOD AIM WITH THEIR SMALL, BUT EFFECTIVE BY-PRODUCTS.....
ReplyDeleteThese politions whom the people supported, some, have failed to remember where they came from and why they are there.
ReplyDeleteWe shall never forget!!
Rick, as you mentioned I was at the meeting. It was in no way an ambush as it has been characterized. Kurt Naas and the other 3 people with him were allowed to ask several questions. In fact, I asked one question and was told by Speaker Tillis that this meeting was for the purpose of allowing the Widen I-77 group to ask questions, so my question was not answered.
ReplyDeleteSpeaker Tillis did invite one consultant (from KPMG) as well as two staff members and two people from NCDOT to the meeting. As he admitted, highway funding is very complicated and he wanted to make sure that he had people at the meeting who could answer questions. They did so. I felt this was a much more effective meeting than had Kurt, et. al. met privately with Speaker Tillis.
Yes, it was 'Town Hall Day' and since we were there, we went. It was a good meeting for elected officials as well.
Thank you.
Rodney, thanks for the comment and correction on the consultants present.
DeleteRick- thanks for following this.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Commissioner Graham's interpretation. After trying to get an appointment for weeks, Tillis' office told us to bring just a few people. We did not want, need, or expect a public gathering. What we wanted to do was share the results of our research and propose to the Speaker a number of ways to support GP lanes that would be politically palatable, and then hear what he had to say. What we got was political grandstanding.
What we walked into was absolutely an ambush. If the Speaker had "a firm grasp of the political and financial realities" as hand-picked media dutifully reported, why did he need to insulate himself with 40+ supporters? In fifty minutes I asked two questions and then had to sit and listen while the consultants and NCDOT types questioned our credibility. Tillis shut me down when I tried to respond. There was no give and take, no exchange of ideas.
After I took a day off work, rode three hours and hobbled into the meeting on a reconstructed knee, the Speaker did not have the courtesy to introduce himself personally.
Please plan on attending our debrief session this Weds Apr 3 7pm at Cornelius Town Hall. It promises to be interesting.