N.C. FREE

Rustin to head Free Enterprise Fndn.

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:34:25 -0400

John Rustin will head a business advocacy group.

The Gastonia native, 42, will leave a position with the N.C. Family Policy Council to head the N.C. Free Enterprise Foundation, the successor to the now-defunct N.C. FREE.

"It will be providing similar information and services to N.C. Free, but the board of directors will have some other thoughts about new programs and services," he said. "That's kind of a work in progress."

After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1989, Rustin worked in state lobbying. From 1994 to 1997, he lobbied for companies such as General Electric and Abbott Laboratories at Hunton and Williams in Raleigh.

Since 1997, he has worked at the Family Policy Council, serving as director of government relations and vice president.

Update and Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly referred to the N.C. Free Enterprise Foundation as a lobbying group. It does not lobby.

In a press release today, the group also announced that James A. Rouse III will become chairman of the board of directors.

Rouse is director of government affairs for the N.C. Association of Electric Cooperatives.

Davis: Business will man up to labor

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:20:34 -0500

While labor made gains in North Carolina this year, big business got a little less organized.

At the same time that the SEIU and SEANC were playing a stronger role in state elections, the biggest advocacy group for corporate interests essentially disbanded.

But John Davis, the former head of N.C. FREE, said that doesn't mean business is any less powerful.

"Business still has the upper hand in this state," said Davis, now an independent consultant. "I think what you're seeing with labor is the beginnings of them becoming a serious player in North Carolina. They're a serious player at the state legislative level, but I think you're going to see them grow exponentially."

As head of N.C. FREE for 23 years, Davis said he didn't see labor spending begin in earnest here until the 2004 and 2006 elections, in part because of the growing role of so-called 527 groups, which can run independent political campaigns.

He cited SEIU's contributions to FairJudges.net in 2006 and to the Alliance for North Carolina this year as evidence of their growing role. While N.C. FREE is not around to represent business interests, he said groups like the N.C. Chamber may play a larger role, as will ad hoc groups like the one that opposed the transfer tax.

"I don't expect business to do anything but man up to labor," he said. "They have the resources to do battle politically, and they'll find some way to do it."

N.C. FREE shutting down

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:48:14 -0400

N.C. FREE is shutting down.

In a memo to its members today, Bill Brown, the chairman of the board, says that the pro-business research and advocacy group has struggled over the past year.

"Unfortunately, our financial problems are greater than our ability to solve them at this point," he wrote. "On Tuesday, October 28, the Board of Directors voted to cease operation of NCFREE effective October 31, 2008. This was not an easy decision to make but our only recourse at this point."

The note adds that the group is considering reactivating the N.C. Free Enterprise Foundation to focus on "narrowly focused research and educational activity."

"If they do so, I hope that the members of NCFREE will give serious consideration to lending their support to the Foundation," he writes.

The memo after the jump.

Davis: Obama will win N.C.

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:10:28 -0400

John Davis says Barack Obama will win North Carolina.

The freelance political consultant and former president of N.C. FREE argues in an Oct. 21 newsletter that the Democratic presidential candidate will win because of an anti-incumbent mood, an unprecedent organization and massive fundraising.

The Barack Obama candidacy for U.S. President, built upon a foundation of voter anger, has become one of the great success stories in American history; successful in great part due to his adeptness at navigating political turbulence. Obama has also capitalized on the other force in 2008 politics: generational change. Obama is 46 years old, McCain is 73. Expecting a 23-year-old new voter to vote for a 73-year-old candidate is like expecting a 60-year-old voter to vote for a candidate who is 110 years old.

He adds that the next oldest presidents were Ronald Reagan and William Henry Harrison, who died after a month in office.