Gordon Myers

Not fired, but laid off

lbonner — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:04:23 -0400

Joan Troy, who tangled with state wildlife commissioners when she was a state employee, lost her job last week due to budget cuts.

Troy, who worked 16 years for the state, including nine for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, said she saw her RIF coming, because she had been marginalized at the office since the wildlife commissioners tried to fire her two years ago.

"They wanted to bury me and make sure I had no contact with anyone," Troy said from her Raleigh home. "I was actually the only employee banned from attending commission meetings. I was expecting the RIF."

Gordon Myers, the commission's executive director, said there was no plan to oust Troy - that her's was one of 7.5 filled jobs the office had to eliminate because of a $4 million budget cut. In addition, 15 vacant positions were eliminated, he said. Division directors at the agency made the decisions, Myers said, and commissioners had no say in them.

In 2007, Troy's conflicts with commission members lead to the forced resignation of her boss, former executive director Dick Hamilton.

Troy, whose job it was to propose and help implement the agency's rules, disagreed with commissioners on whether to ban boating within 100 feet of dams at nine lakes in the western part of the state.

Commissioners failed in their attempts to fire her in 2007. Troy returned to the commission office, but she said her job description was rewritten.

N.C. Spin's names in the mix for Perdue

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:54:12 -0500

N.C. Spin has heard some of the same gossip as Dome.

The weekly politics newsletter seconds some of the names we've heard tossed around for Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue's administration.

(Those would be Bryan Beatty and Scott Thomas for Crime Control; Crandall Bowles at Commerce; Clark Jenkins, Gene Conti and Lanny Wilson at Transportation; and Dempsey Benton, Bill Ross and Britt Cobb to stay.)

They also toss out some new names:

Cultural Resources: Kay Myers, wife of former state transportation board member and Democratic fundraiser Gordon Myers of Asheville.

Education: Howard Lee to remain chair of the board of education and J.B. Buxton to remain advisor to the governor on education.

Commerce: Former deputy Tony Copeland, now working for Longistics in Raleigh.

Environment and Natural Resources: Current assistant secretary Robin Smith, Richard Rogers and former UNC-Wilmington chancellor Jim Leutze.

Administration: Rep. Alma Adams of Greensboro.

Employment Security Commission: Current head Harry Payne to remain.

Office of State Personnel: Rep. Linda Coleman of Knightdale.

The usual caveat applies that the above names are just gossip. The Perdue transition team says the governor-elect has not made any decisions.

One in eight lobbyists reported '07 expenses

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:56:30 -0400

Only one out of eight state lobbyists reported any expenses in 2007.

According to a compilation of lobbyist expense forms, only 78 lobbyists reported spending any money on transportation, entertainment, dining, meetings or gifts last year. Another 526 lobbyists reported zero expenses during the same time.

Under lobbying laws effective Jan. 1, 2007, lobbyists must file reports with the N.C. Secretary of State on a quarterly basis noting the "fair market value" of any money spent on behalf of a client.

However, few lobbyists write much on the forms, which are filed separately for each client. Of the 93 expense forms with anything listed, 33 were for $100 or less. Only 15 forms listed more than $500 in expenses.

In all, the lobbyists reported spending $46,091, with roughly 60 percent of the money going toward transportation and lodging. Another $13,353 was reported as spent on food and beverages.

The single largest expense was $9,206 by lobbyist Gordon Myers for The Facility Group. He reported spending the money on travel and a conference.

Lobbyist Peter Gilmore reported spending $7,500 on behalf of the Dole Food Co. to sponsor a Farm Day.

And lobbyist Roger Bone reported spending $500 a piece for nine clients on the N.C. Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association's annual "Rush the Growler" party for legislators, Council of State members and their staffs.