Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue launched a radio ad defending her record on civil rights and minority issues, Lynn Bonner reports.
What the ad says: "Hello, this is Harvey Gantt. I wanted to tell you why I'm supporting Bev Perdue for governor. The answer is that Bev Perdue has always stood up for us. We should all be put off by Richard Moore's outrageous negative attacks. Richard Moore's attacks twist the facts and should not be believed. Bev Perdue is a life member of the NAACP and she's been a leader in the fight for civil rights. Because of Bev's work, hundreds of minority-owned businesses have gotten loans, and last year 50,000 of our children received college scholarships. It's Bev Perdue we can trust to raise the minimum wage, offer free community college and work to create jobs. This is Harvey Gantt. Please join me, Congresswoman Eva Clayton and so many leaders you trust, and vote Democrat Bev Perdue for governor."
Perdue: "This is Bev Perdue, candidate for governor, and I sponsored this ad. Paid for by Bev Perdue Committee."
What the record shows: Perdue was a co-chairwoman of the Senate budget committee in 1999, when the legislature started a student financial-aid program based on need for UNC students. In the last school year, about 40,000 students of all races received loans.
To pay for the scholarships, the legislature has used tax revenue and investment returns from a fund that state Treasurer Richard Moore, Perdue's chief competitor for the Democratic nomination, controls.
In 1992, the state started a microenterprise loan program, which is run by the N.C. Rural Center. Since its inception, 1,305 loans have been awarded, and about 48 percent have gone to minority-owned businesses. Perdue helped appropriate money to support the loan program when she became a leader on the budget committee. As lieutenant governor, Perdue served on the 50-member Rural Center board.
Is the ad accurate? Broadly, yes, although it is slightly off on the student loan details.
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