Lt. governor shows how renovation shoud be done

Editorial by Winston-Salem Journal, November 6, 2013.

When Lt. Gov. Dan Forest walked into his new offices for the first time, in January, his senses were apparently assaulted on two fronts.

As an architect and lover of beautiful old buildings, he didn't like that  the fine old Hawkins-Hartness House, an 1882-Victorian mansion owned by the state since 1969, had fallen into disrepair.

But, as a conservative penny-pincher, he couldn't have liked the idea of spending tax dollars to fix up his office, even if that money could have been secured.

Congratulations to Forest for finding a way to refurbish this beautiful old building almost entirely with private contributions and even some elbow grease from his children.

The Associated Press reports that Forest used his connections in the building trades and furniture industry to both stabilize and then upgrade the house. All told, the work done and the furnishings added could have cost the state as much as $270,000.

There are times when private donations to the state, and particularly to the favorite projects of officeholders, raise our suspicions. Skeptics wonder what’s in it for the donors, maybe future preferences on contracts or legislation?

To guard against just such insider shenanigans, North Carolina has fairly strict ethics laws. (They could always be stricter, but that’s a topic for another day.) And here’s another thing we like about the Forest project: According to the AP, Forest said his office coordinated the donated work and gifts with the state Ethics Commission.

When all was done, the renovation was unveiled in a May reception. Walter magazine, a glossy Raleigh publication, reported that the mansion “now offers a compelling combination of restored grandeur with a modern aesthetic.”

There have been times when the Journal has questioned what lieutenant governors do with their time, given their limited duties. In that light, we suggest that Forest head down the street a block and get to work on the Governor’s Mansion, using the same approach to spiff up those bathrooms that some officials had proposed spending nearly $230,000 in public money renovating.