Gov. McCrory’s Cronies Get Big Raises as Teachers Struggle and His Poll Numbers Plummet

by Myron Pitts, Fayetteville Observer, August 15, 2013.

They call it “shared sacrifice.”

Reports have emerged that two twenty-something guys who work for the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services -- and who also worked on Republican Gov. Pat McCrory’s election campaign last year -- have received double-digit raises in this very-tight state budget.

From WNCN’s website:

The 35 and 37 percent pay increases come at a time when most other state employees, like public school teachers, received no raise at all in the state's new two-year budget.

DHHS Communications Director Ricky Diaz and Matthew McKillip, Chief Policy Advisor to DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos were the recipients of those raises beginning in April, after just a few weeks on the job.

Data shows Diaz received a $23,000 a year pay bump, bringing his annual salary to $85,000.  At the same time, McKillip began taking home an extra $22,500, bringing his annual salary to $87,500.

N.C. Policy Watch broke the story and later updated it with basically a “no comment” from McCrory.

This whole deal hearkens back to the generous raises Republican House Speaker Thom Tillis gave his people, while at the same time pushing for broad cuts in other areas and promising cuts to his payroll.

As I’ve written many times before, governance is all about priorities. Our leaders apportion money to people and policies they think are important, and neglect the rest.

Meanwhile, Gov. McCrory’s poll numbers continue to plummet, with the biggest drop coming after he went back on his campaign promise that he would not restrict access to abortion. He instead signed a bill that could close most clinics that offer women these service.

McCrory is now at 39 percent, with 51 percent disapproval, according to Public Policy Polling. It is the first time a majority of Tar Heels disapprove of the job he is doing.

Also, his cookie stunt didn’t go over so well, with 57 percent of people disapproving of him giving cookies to activists rather than talking to them.

In other findings, reported by WRAL, there are troubling signs for the GOP-oed General Assembly, too.:

… half of those surveyed said they believe the General Assembly's actions have embarrassed the state, and 47 percent said they have a higher opinion of the people involved in the so-called "Moral Monday" protests than they do of the legislature. Only 38 percent said they have more respect for lawmakers than the protesters.

Only one-third of respondents favor the $20.6 billion state budget lawmakers approved last month, compared with 52 percent who said they don't like it. An even larger percentage, 55 percent, said they dislike lawmakers' decision to eliminate the annual sales-tax holiday.

The one thing that will turn these numbers around is if the GOP policies actually help the state, and people can feel that improvement in their lives.

I’m skeptical that this will happen, but as they say about sports, “that is why you play the game.”

One thing’s for certain: The Republicans got their way and wholly own anything that happens in the next few years