Ashvegas Political Hit List: Moffitt company caught plagiarizing, federal funds for RAD, more

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By James Harrison

Where to begin? A lot has happened since the last Hit List. Let’s dive in.

RAD rakes in funds

It’s been a big week for the River Arts District, and it might get even bigger. Before considering a resolution to adopt a development plan for Riverside Drive on Tuesday, Mayor Esther Manheimer announced the city would be the recipient of $14.6 million in federal funds for implementing the River Arts District Transportation Improvement Plan (RADTIP). There’s more. U.S. Sec. of Transportation Anthony Foxx will visit the RAD Friday, where he is expected to “make a transportation funding announcement,” according to this Citizen-Times report. Is there more big news in store for the RAD today? We’ll see.

County incentives to Wicked Weed

The latest incentives package from Buncombe County will go toward Wicked Weed Brewing, which will reap nearly $75,000 from an agreement spurred by recent plans to move into space in Candler. According to this Citizen-Times report, Wicked Weed is guaranteeing an investment of $6.5 million and 75-full-time jobs in exchange for the grant. Money from the county’s $1.3 million sale of the spec building to Wicked Weed will be put toward a new sports complex in Enka. The brewery currently employees 130 full-time workers.

Moffitt called out on sourcing

News broke last week that a company owned by state Rep. Tim Moffitt provided content to state legislators for use on their own websites without giving credit to to the source. A study conducted by the group Progress North Carolina uncovered at least 75 instances of what they called plagiarism. Commenting to the Citizen-Times, Moffitt and a staffer for his company, InTouchNC (the same group which published the controversial Raleigh Digest insert) acknowledged the issue, and added that Moffitt’s involvement with the company was limited. Meanwhile, Moffitt’s Democratic challenger Brian Turner, refrained from commenting.

Fracking forum today

Gov. Pat McCrory will be in the same area as opponents of his positions fracking, as he attends a meeting today of the UNC Board of Governors at Western Carolina University. The governor will be long gone by the time the state Mining and Energy Commission holds a public hearing on the state’s new policy, also at Western. By the way, no fracking is planned for Western North Carolina, the Sylva Herald reports.

Ready for Cooper?

We’re not even to November’s mid-term, and pundits are keeping an eye on the 2016 governor’s race. Last week, the Raleigh News & Observer reported Gov. Pat McCrory and state Attorney General Roy Cooper are essentially tied in campaign cash (Cooper has yet to formally announce a bid). Fast forward to this week, where in remarks to a group of Charlotte Democrats, Cooper took a shot at the policies of McCrory and Republican lawmakers across the state. After describing state Republicans as “extremists,” Cooper stopped shy of declaring a candidacy. But really, it’s only a matter of time before that happens.

Senate race

Did you see the debate? You probably heard about it. Last Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan and state Speaker of the House Thom Tillis met for the first time on stage, and largely traded barbs picked from the attack ads you’ve been bombarded with for months on end. In fact, the most notable coverage from the debate focused on Tillis’ “mansplaining” Hagan—referring to her as “Kay” while the senator addressed Tillis by his title of “Speaker.” Meanwhile, the tide in the race may have changed this week. An analysis of polls by Nate Silver’s new FiveThirtyEight website shows Hagan’s lead over Tillis has grown in recent weeks, pushing her to the position of favorite in the race. Of course, anything can happen between now and election day, so we’ll see if the surveys hold. And if you’re still interested in reading about the candidates, a comparison of the pair’s votes and stances on issues during their one session spent together in the North Carolina General Assembly in 2007-2008 is worth taking a look at.

See ya next week.

James Harrison recently returned to Asheville after working as a government reporter for Nooga.com, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Follow him on Twitter at @jharrisonAVL.

16 Comments

RedHotPoker September 16, 2014 - 5:16 pm

hey folks, is the droll, lily livered NC AG Roy Cooper the best person they can get behind for Guvnuh? He’s a PITIFUL choice, absolutely NO leadership skill and he’s scared of the people he’s trying to please…a wimp.

RedHotPoker September 16, 2014 - 10:01 am

County Commissioners are TAXPAYER THIEVES by ‘incentivizing’ YET ANOTHER profit making business, a practice which REAL LEADERS should seek to abolish.

People who give away OPM need to be held accountable, perhaps in PRISON.

This is not only ‘wicked’ it is EVIL…I suggest a local boycott of wicked weed and shame them into oblivion for accepting such incentives…ditto Mr. Pilos’ recent windfall of $765,000…

theOtherBarry September 15, 2014 - 12:12 am

Oh and BTW, Mr. Peck, thanks for helping to distribute my interview with Rep. Moffitt on drones.

Mr. Moffitt, along with Speaker Tillis, asserts that he has no idea how the legislation he co-sponsored regulating law enforcement use of surveillance drones (or depending on your viewpoint failing to do so…) got into the 2014 budget which was signed into law a month ago.

bit.ly/1m3TpmD (drag & drop)

Glad to have you on the Making Progress: News for a Change news team. This weeks show:

bit.ly/1uO2ak7

Tim Peck September 15, 2014 - 8:13 am

My pleasure, Mr. Summers. It was hilarious hearing Representative Tim Moffitt school you on how the legislature works. May it be heard far and wide.

I especially enjoyed his comment that he’s glad he could give your life meaning. Will you be playing the entire audio clip or just some of it?

theOtherBarry September 15, 2014 - 11:25 am

There was no “schooling”, there was evasion. I asked both Rep. Moffitt and Speaker Tillis “who put the drone legislation in the budget?”. They both claimed to not know, and then threw up unrelated issues in order to cloud the facts.

It wasn’t surprising – they both know how unpopular the loose restrictions on law enforcement use of drones will be when they sink in with their base. Genuine conservatives are as alarmed as anyone else over government having access to yet another technology to spy on innocent Americans. Rep. Moffitt, Speaker Thom Tillis, and the rest of those who sponsored and passed this bill are smart to hide collectively behind “I dunno” when asked who was responsible for putting it into law.

But just because it’s politically expedient doesn’t make it any less shameful, either for them or for the surrogates like you throwing up monkey dust to cover their backsides.

Both clips are available in their entirety on last week’s Making Progress show page:

http://bit.ly/1wdxn16

theOtherBarry September 15, 2014 - 12:38 pm

There was no “schooling”, there was evasion. I asked both Rep. Moffitt and Speaker Tillis “who put the drone legislation in the budget?”. They both claimed to not know, and then threw up unrelated issues in order to cloud the facts.

It wasn’t surprising – they both know how unpopular the loose restrictions on law enforcement use of drones will be when they sink in with their base. Genuine conservatives are as alarmed as anyone else over government having access to yet another technology to spy on innocent Americans. Rep. Moffitt, Speaker Thom Tillis, and the rest of those who sponsored and passed this bill are smart to hide collectively behind “I dunno” when asked who was responsible for putting it into law.

But just because it’s politically expedient doesn’t make it any less shameful, either for them or for the surrogates like you throwing up monkey dust to cover their backsides.

Both clips are available in their entirety on last week’s Making Progress show page:

bit.ly/1wdxn16

And yes, Rep. Moffitt’s jovial insults are always a joy.

Tim Peck September 14, 2014 - 8:11 pm

“Democratic challenger Brian Turner, refrained from commenting.”

Representative Tim Moffitt’s Democrat challenger doesn’t have much to say about anything at all these days. I guess he’s been muzzled. Good idea. He’s damaged property. Maybe he’s about to come out with some new secretly recorded phone calls with elected officials. A man can dream.

roo September 14, 2014 - 11:04 pm

Fire your writers.

theOtherBarry September 14, 2014 - 11:58 pm

“Democratic challenger Brian Turner, refrained from commenting.”

I don’t see in the AC-T article where it says this. How do we know that Turner “refrained”?

luther blissett September 16, 2014 - 12:44 pm

If that’s the best Mouthpiece can do, we can understand why he and the other minions need to plagiarize.

Tim Peck September 16, 2014 - 4:14 pm

It’s a quote from the Ashevegas post. It’s still there. You can read it now. Please direct you animus towards him.

theOtherBarry September 16, 2014 - 5:31 pm

It’s a quote from the Ashevegas post.

I’m pretty sure he’s referring to your response, Mr. Peck..

Tim Peck September 16, 2014 - 7:24 pm

In that case he is severely mistaken. Poor thing.

Tim Peck September 16, 2014 - 7:26 pm

Then you have limited exposure.

theOtherBarry September 13, 2014 - 11:47 am

the group Progress North Carolina uncovered at least 75 instances of what they called plagiarism

And that’s really the kindest way to describe this, implying that Rep. Moffitt stole pro-fracking propaganda from the oil/gas industry, and distributed it to 30-40 other GOP representatives websites.

There’s other words I might use…

Dick September 12, 2014 - 6:56 pm

Isn’t it funny the Moffitt is like a teflon don, nothing seems to stick to him.

I’m also amused how his latest tv add with his father is a piece of revisionist history. Seems he doesn’t remember that Bush was in office when the economy went south.

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