newsobserver.com projects - Jonathan Hill - Comments

Re: Smith paid for absences

Claudia_Rodgers — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:07:49 -0400

One more note of concern (I have checked below information, as provided in a previous Under the Dome blog, and determined it to be true and factual.)

Re: Sen. Smith's defense
Submitted by kimkim on August 13, 2007 - 2:16pm.

Regarding some of the votes that Senator Fred Smith missed

". . .

A few were high profile decisions, however. Smith missed votes to change billboard setbacks, divest state money from Sudan, allow judges to carry handguns and create a pilot program for publicly financed campaigns.

Two bills tie into his gubernatorial campaign theme of stopping illegal immigration. Smith missed votes on a bill that would help jailers determine the legal status of prisoners, and another that would require fingerprinting of drunk drivers who don't have valid ID.

He also missed a vote that ties to his theme of Democratic corruption. That bill will limit legal defense funds like the one created for disgraced former House Speaker Jim Black."

Re: Smith paid for absences

Claudia_Rodgers — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 17:19:26 -0400

Smith: Work in N.C. Senate won't suffer from campaign

http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2007/04/11/smith_work_in_nc_senate_wont_suffer_from_campaign/index.shtml

State Sen. Fred Smith, R-Johnston, is campaigning for governor, but that doesn't mean he is ignoring his duties in the Senate.

"I think I'm meeting the needs of the people in my district," he said Tuesday after leading a devotional at the Tuesday Morning Men's Prayer Breakfast at Wilber's. "It just requires long days, but that comes with the territory.

"I'm working hard to be a good senator in the 12th senatorial district."

Re: Smith paid for absences

chuckt — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:46:26 -0400

Fred Smiths detractors must be scraping the bottom of the barrel if this is all they can criticize him for. He is definitely the best hope the taxpayers have in the Governors race.

Re: Smith paid for absences

chuckt — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:46:25 -0400

Fred Smiths detractors must be scraping the bottom of the barrel if this is all they can criticize him for. He is definitely the best hope the taxpayers have in the Governors race.

Smith admits to making errors

JayBlair — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:01:31 -0400

Clerical error??? I thought Fred Smith was a businessman? Does he not have any internal controls set up to prevent, identify and correct accounting problems? Or, does he know from his business dealings with the State in highway construction that he can say one thing and never follow through with it and still take taxpayers' money?

Perhaps since Les Merritt is already auditing the other two candidates running for governor , he ought to add a third. In fact, please consider this post a formal request Mr. Auditor.

Re: Smith: Not absentee

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:41:34 -0400

The answer is here.

Thanks for raising the question.

— RTB

Re: Smith: Not absentee

maiapinion — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:44:05 -0400

And how do Democrats find the standing to complain about votes when many issues, supported by wide margins of our citzens, were allowed to die with no debate, discussion or vote on the GA floor

Which issues would they be?

Re: Smith: Not absentee

maiapinion — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:42:27 -0400

Why is it that whenever someone asks a question about a candidate - a valid question, as kimkim did, they are immediately asked "Are you on so and so's payroll?"

It's a valid question: Did Smith collect per diem for the days he decided that campaigning was more important than doing the job he was elected to do? I mean - if he made a value judgment, he made a value judgment. But the people of NC, who pay that per diem, have a right to know.

Re: Outing screen names

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:21:44 -0400

It's a type of gerco.

— RTB

Re: Outing screen names

gercohen — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:12:24 -0400

On sports blogs I use a screen name that does not identify me. It's much more dangerous there.

Re: Outing screen names

gercohen — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:10:05 -0400

what is a guebe?

FUNNY

Anglico — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:59:33 -0400

Do you think that by writing a COMMENT with CAPITAL letters you can turn your IGNORANCE into FACTS?

I'm SURE you do, otherwise you would not be trading in RUMORS and LIES.

For the RECORD, I am not, have not been, and will not be an employee or volunteer for ANY campaign, including the campaign of Beverly Perdue. And if you had any INTEGRITY, you would have checked out that FACT before you spewed your VILE.

The next time you want to PRETEND like you KNOW the person you're ATTACKING, get the name right. My name is JAMES.

Re: Outing screen names

greenlamp — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:26:34 -0400

gercohen leaves little to figure out for the informed screen name outer.

Re: Outing screen names

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:25:53 -0400

Well put, Mr. Hen.

— RTB

Re: 318 Votes Missed

greenlamp — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:24:47 -0400

Yes, you're partially correct that he missed 318 votes this past session but were any of those bills decided by one vote? Would Fred's vote have made the difference between it passing or failing? No.

Session is merely a scripted show for those to watch. Every now and then, people will try to disrupt the script and pull a quick one on the Senate floor but it rarely works because votes are typically a guaranteed thing by the time it reaches the floor in the Senate. The majority of the dirty work is done in committees where an issue that splits down party lines is more likely to be challenged and where a bill is actually crafted, amended, and prepared before NCGA leadership decides whether or not the bill will be heard on the floor of the House/Senate. If someone looks at the majority of votes missed they occurred after July 1st, the failed deadline for the budget and when most committee work had been finished for the session.

Lastly, some of the votes (25) that Fred missed were votes where he had an ethical excuse for not voting. For example, Sen. Smith did not vote on SB 658 "Amend Bank and Trust Company Assessments", which posed a conflict of interest for Senator Smith. Rather than criticizing Senator Smith for his missed votes, one would think he should be lauded for following the ethics rules put in place in the past few sessions to ensure public confidence.

Lastly, while he did miss votes it is unfair to say that the Senator neglected his work. These accusations are merely a political ploy by outside groups just trying to throw mud early in the campaign. Democrats' noses aren't clean either if that's the case. I believe it was Sen. Jenkins that randomly took off a few weeks to go play golf in Las Vegas (it may have been nesbitt, can't remember exactly which). Maybe someone could look at their records as well.