The public does not think much of "the way things are done" in our state | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

    The people of North Carolina have a very low opinion of our governor, the legislature and "how things are done" in North Carolina.

    The News & Observer is reporting:

    North Carolina's Gov. Bev Perdue is the most unpopular governor in the country, according to a new poll.

    Perdue's disapproval rating has hit an all-time high of 59 percent, according to a new survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning firm based in Raleigh. Her approval rating is 30 percent, with 11 percent not sure.

    That makes her the most unpopular governor in the country of the 40 governors that PPP has polled, the firm said. That may also explain why the Republicans are doing their best to tie Democratic candidate Walter Dalton to Perdue.

    The survey found that 50 percent disapprove of the job the legislature is doing, while 23 percent approve, and 27 percent have no opinion. Voters have an equally unfavorable view of both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

    Click here to read the rest of the story.

    Meanwhile, Perdue's former "friends" are distancing themselves from her. For example, former House 6 Representative Arthur Williams, who was defeated by Bill Cook in 2010 and is now running for his old seat again against Mattie Lawson, used to brag about his close relationship with Perdue. Not anymore. Williams has not invited Perdue to campaign for him as he did in the past. But maybe that's because he is now a nominal Republican and Perdue is a lame duck. In a surprise announcement months ago, she announced she would not seek a second term. The move caught even her staff by surprise and some have speculated that she did so to avoid a nasty ethics investigation.

    Williams' ethics have been questioned also, having recently come under scrutiny for his involvement in a deal where the Beaufort County Committee of 100 secured state money that was apparently used to then purchase property from Williams. Part of the state money came from funds Perdue controls in her Department of Commerce.
Beaufort County Commissioner Jerry Langley (left) and ex-North Carolina Representative Arthur Williams (right) stand with N.C. Governor Bev Perdue at the Washington Civic Center after today's big economic development announcement.     photo by Brandia Deatherage of Beaufort County NOW
    Williams, in a recent presentation to the Downeast Republican Club is reported to have said that one of the reason he believes he is the best candidate for the House seat is because he "knows how things work in Raleigh..." and "...knows how to get things done." But these poll results appear to suggest that the "way things are done in Raleigh" is not how the people think their business should be done.

    The "way things are done ..." has recently come under attack here in Beaufort County also. The Economic Development Commission and its Committee of 100 have come under a relentless attack from several sources. But as Chairman of the Beaufort County Commission, Jerry Langley (pictured above with Perdue and Williams) consistently ignored questions raised about how the EDC and Committee of 100 were functioning, until the heat got so much he could no longer cover for them. Langley failed to address the issues raised about the EDC and Committee of 100 for months and continues to do so with regard to many of the issues raised. Langley is running for re-election but is expected to win easily as a result of the Limited Voting system used in Beaufort County and his strong base of supporters. Nonetheless, what the new poll suggests is that most of the people in the state don't like the way things are done.