Our Informer

Fort Payne, Alabama and Hickory once benefited from thousands of hosiery manufacturing jobs. The greater Hickory area once shipped about 30 per cent of all hosiery products sold in the U.S. Fort Payne touted itself as the “Sock Capitol of the World.” In the last nine years, all that has changed.

On November 27, National Public Radio’s popular news show “All Things Considered” included a broadcast on the impact of globalization on the hosiery industry in Fort Payne. It noted that two-thirds of the 150 hosiery mills there have closed. Others are struggling, hoping that the tariffs on goods from Honduras will keep them competitive in the marketplace. The recent closing of Johnson Hosiery Mill was the third to shut down in Hickory this year. Both have seen thousands of hosiery jobs disappear. But the similarity ends there.

The NPR show noted that in Fort Payne, many of the old hosiery mills are now occupied by thriving new companies. Most of the 4,000 hosiery workers who were laid off have found new jobs with companies in former hosiery mills: Steadfast which makes bridges; Ferguson, a major plumbing supply company; a distribution center for Children’s Place; two new metal tube manufacturers; a high tech label maker. “For a town of only 13,000 people, this is a lot of new good-paying employment,” the broadcast said.

Jimmy Durham, the county economic development officer in Fort Payne, says business people in Fort Payne are committed to technologically-advanced education and some $2 million was spent to bring technology to the classrooms in Fort Payne. “It’s a major reason to locate here,” Durham says. Companies know that Fort Payne will provide a continual stream of well-educated high school graduates.

It takes leadership with vision. Durham also is chairman of the school board.

NEW ROLE FOR ALLRAN AND WARREN: Sen. Austin Allran and Rep. Ray Warren are members of a new Legislative Study Committee which will look at the impact of the drought on agriculture in North Carolina. They are the only representatives from Northwestern North Carolina. The committee will look at the response of farmers, local governments and the state to the drought and recommend improvements to the responses.

GOP CANDIDATES: Greg Dority, a Washington security consultant, and Sen. Robert Pittinger of Charlotte have announced they will run for lieutenant governor. Pittinger said he will not seek reelection to the Senate. Dority once ran for Congress against Frank Ballance, Democrat, who went to prison for misappropriation of state funds. That seat now is held by G.K. Butterfield.

We are approaching the holiday—the occasion—to give thanks for that which sustains us. In 2007, we can be thankful for people whose creativity are making our community a better place to live in….for the cultural institutions which feed our souls with limited resources…for friends who support us when we leave the mainstream of regional politics…for those who have stood by our side for a long, long time. We are thankful for memories of people who once inspired us to promote the “can do” spirit and who never whined about what others might think…we are thankful for people who profess love and affection for our communities and put their resources behind their voice…We are thankful for those who hold on to their optimism and believe their will be a day when bold, open-minded leadership will again move our communities forward.

WAR OF WORDS: Veteran newsman Charles Deal has earned the right to call a spade a damned old shovel. And he did this when he took on the right-wing John Locke Foundation in Raleigh, one of the many Beowulf entities funded by former GOP Rep. Art Pope. Pope has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to purge the legislature of Republicans who profess to be moderate. Moderate and progressive are words that are an anathema to Pope and his associates.

Deal in his Hickory Daily Record column lauded the citizens of Catawba County for approved a quarter of a cent sales tax increase. He said it was a fair tax as it involves all citizens contributing to government services. He also noted that Hickory has gotten a bum rap from the Locke Foundation which has identified the community with the highest per capita tax load in the state. (Shoppers from a seven-county region shop in Hickory and pay sales taxes).

Deal’s column was too much for John Hood, voice of the Locke Foundation and he sent an article to the HDR implying that Deal was a liar who deliberately misled the readers about the impact of the taxes. But this is a war Hood and the John Locke Foundation cannot win. Facts are facts and tilting at windmills will not change them. Approval of the tax was one of the more progressive steps taken by the voters and property owners appreciate the option.

MORGAN PAYOFF: Money is the mother’s milk of politics. Almost all candidates for office spend hours upon hours raising money. Some of the money is spent on their campaigns. If the candidate has no opposition or is an incumbent, he continues to raise money to contribute to other officeholders. (Collecting green stamps). And in some cases, the money goes to the personal accounts of candidates.

Richard Morgan, a former co-speaker of the State House of Representatives, has transferred $533,000 in his personal account over the past five years. He reported $365,000 was in contributions “plus interest on $100,000 he loan his campaign.” The action is not illegal under North Carolina laws and other legislators of both parties have put campaign money in their personal accounts as “reimbursements.”

Morgan, a powerful Republican who was chair of the Rules Committee under Speaker Harold Brubaker, was able to raise a lot of money. His cooperation with Speaker Jim Black resulted in the wrath of conservative Republicans, including Art Pope who poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into a campaign to remove Morgan from his Moore County seat.

NEW ROLE FOR CHURCH: Rep. Walter Church of Valdese has been named co-chair of a N.C. House committee to study issues around the high rate of home foreclosures. Church once headed a successful savings and loan institution and brings a lot of knowledge on the mortgage industry to the table. Church has served nine terms in the legislature and for years was the only Democrat from the area.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE CANDIDATES: Two of three candidates for President of the North Carolina Community Colleges system are well-known to Hickory Metro educators. Kennon Briggs, the current vice president for financial affairs and lobbyist, and Scott Ralls, former system economics and training official and now president of Southeastern Community College, are finalists.

Ralls helped in the initial funding for the Hosiery Technology Center at CVCC and was the speaker at the 40th anniversary meeting of the Carolina Hosiery Assn.

Gov. Easley pushed hard for Dan Gerlach, his budget guru, to get the job and he declined to reappoint two board members who refused to support Gerlach. Gov. Easley leaned hard on Marc Basnight, Senate president, and House Speaker Joe Hackney. It didn’t work.

Travis Porter, Durham attorney and lobbyist for the past 35 years, died of a heart attack Tuesday at his home. He was 76. Porter was a friend to a number of Catawba County businessmen with whom he went on fishing trips, among them Leroy Lail and his associates. Porter was chairman of the UNC Board of Governors and was involved in Durham politics during the 1960s and 1970s. He usually was identified with the more liberal side of the party, but he reached out to all segments. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church in Durham. We will miss a great lunch companion.

DOING IT RIGHT: Daniel Johnson kicked off his campaign to capture the 10th Congressional District seat with a swing through all counties in the district. His stop in downtown Hickory attracted several hundred cheering supporters, including Democrats and members of First Presbyterian Church where his father is a popular minister.

Two other Democrats, including Steve Ivester of Hickory, are vying for a chance to unseat Patrick McHenry who represents the far right of the Republican party. He was a protege of former Congressman Tom Delay of Texas.

Among those at the Union Square rally for Johnson were City Councilwoman Sally Fox and former City Councilman John Watts, who repeatedly clashed on issues.

POWER OF INCUMBENTS: Most incumbents in the Hickory Metro area held on to their offices in the recent elections. Among them was Morganton Mayor Mel Cohen who defeated a popular opponent who formerly was president of Western Piedmont Community College. Cohen is a visionary and under his leadership Morganton has developed a performing arts center, a city-owned cable TV and internet service, and a strong downtown revitalization program. After being in office for almost two decades, he has stepped on some toes. But his accomplishments have resulted in his re-elections.

PERDUE VISIT: Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue’s visit to Catawba County Friday brought together some 125 Century Club members of the county Democratic Party. Co-chairs for the event were Mrs. Sandra Deal and Mrs. Connie Bray, assisted by Mrs. Ann Gaither, former Highway Commissioner. The club is a funds-raising arm for the party.

Escorting Lt. Gov. Perdue was Lyndon Helton, who waged an energetic campaign in 2006 for the Senate seat held by Austin Allran. Helton remains an important figure in the county party.

Three competitive individuals who aspire to be the next occupant of the Governor’s Mansion will be in the Hickory region during the next week. They will be trying to raise money and build a core support organization.

State Sen. Fred Smith of Johnson County will hold a barbecue rally at the Shrine Club in Newton Saturday, Nov. 3. The previous night he will be in Craven County. Smith is scheduling barbecues in almost every county in the state, picking the style of barbecue suitable to the residents of the region. In Craven, of course, it will be eastern style barbecue with vinegar and red pepper. In Catawba County, it is expected to be some variation of Lexington-style with tomato sauce.

State Treasurer Richard Moore will attend a fund-raiser in Lenoir next Wednesday evening. Originally, Moore was to attend a Century Club Democratic Fund raiser in Catawba County. Retired Bank of Granite chairman John Forlines and business executive Hunt Broyhill, scion of a longtime Republican family, are hosting Moore’s event.

The Century Club meeting next Friday at the Catawba Country Club will feature Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue who is the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination, leading Moore in polls by 12 percentage points. She enjoys the support from most Democratic members of the General Assembly. Perdue also will be on the Catawba Valley Community College for a public reception at 5 p.m. Friday, November 9.

One of the three likely will be inaugurated in January 2009. Smith is the leading contender in the Republican race.

ALL ABOUT MONEY: U.S. Rep Patrick McHenry raised $166,000 during the third quarter of this year as he prepares to run for a fourth term. Reports show he has $198,000 in cash and he will need it. Daniel Johnson, a military hero and son of a popular Hickory minister, has announced he will be a Democratic nominee for the congressional seat, along with businessman Steve Ivester of Hickory. Johnson’s announcement was promoted heavily by the State Democratic Party headquarters, signaling expectations of financial support from state and national party sources.

SHE’S OUT…SHE’S IN: State Sen. Kay Hagan sent up trial balloons for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Elizabeth Dole. Then she said “no thanks.” But now she is back in the race, obviously the leading Democrat among candidates that include a wealthy Chapel Hill financier who is openly gay.

Sen. Hagan is the niece of former Florida Gov. Lawton Childs who died while in office. Mrs. Landon (Lila) Lane of Hickory is the daughter of Child’s legal counsel. She and Sen. Hagan stay in contact. Hagan has held her Greensboro seat for four terms and is co-chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. She is an aggressive campaigner.

DALTON’S LAUNCH: State Sen. Walter Dalton, a Senate Appropriations co-chair, has launched his bid for lieutenant governor, raising $100,000 at a reception recently in the Raleigh home of Wallace and Jeanette Hyde. Attending and bringing checks was a who’s who of Jim Hunt Democrats. Dalton will be in a primary field that includes Hickory native Dan Besse, former Clinton administration aid Hampton Dellinger, and Canton Mayor Pat Smathers. Among those at the reception was Senate President Marc Basnight who called Dalton a “forward-thinking leader.”

BEASON SENTENCED: Don Beason, a leading Raleigh lobbyist who represented Hickory and Catawba County, Monday was convicted on misdemeanor assault for pointing a gun at a motorist in Raleigh. The incident occurred at a service station near Cameron Village. He was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and court costs, with prayer for judgment for one year.

Beason quit his lobbying business after it was disclosed that he loaned former House Speaker Jim Black $500,000 during a legislative session. The loan was repaid and Black now is in prison for convictions of bribery and attempting to cover up illegal contributions.

GO FIGURE: Statewide candidates will spend thousands—even millions—of dollars in five North Carolina markets…five which serve 15 of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Why? Some 69 per cent of state voters live in those 15 counties. Over 50 per cent of North Carolina’s growth is taking place in just four of those counties.