The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 21

CiF 5B TO REACH US: Capitol State editor Bill Krueger (919) 8294522 bkruegernewsobservercom Capitol State assistant editor Stephen Merehnan (919) 829-8950 merehnannewsobservercont TO REACH US: Ca (919) 8294522 I Capitol State a (919) 829-8950 i ger ban IL I New position matches skills of state legislator lb New position matches skills of state lel because it is important to many people "I would be very careful to let ople know that I believe in God and that we ought to treat people in a fair decent and I would say Christian way" Hunt said "An awful lot of people in my party hadn't thought about that haven't seemed to care about that That's a mistake" manY it to let in God it people aid TMAn that WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21 2005 DID YOU KNOW? North Carolina has 4000 miles of tracks for freight railway service Infrastructurefreightrallwaysphp i IIIIMMOISIN THE NEWS Capitol It looks like the state Department of Cultural Resources has created a job right up former state Rep Michael Decker's alley if he's willing to drive nearly two hours to Midland or relocate The depart-UNDER ment is adver- HE DOME tising a position for a commulyA nity develop-ilia ment spedalist ould lig17 who NC Politics work at the Reed Gold Government Mine near Charlotte The job entails researching the "industrial history of the state including gold textiles furniture tobacco their related communities" Whoever gets the job will work with local nonprofit museums tourism development authorities and educational institutions Decker has a temporary position with the department doing largely the same work from his home in Forsyth County He has said in interviews that he has done extensive research on the gold industry in North Carolina Department spokesman Joe Newberry said the job will go to the best candidate "Is it a position meant for Decker? No" Newberry said "It's an advertised position and posted to the public" Decker's employment has become closely watched since he lost re-election to the House last year House Speaker Jim Black a Mecklenburg County Democrat helped create Decker's current job and paid for it with $45000 from a legislative "slush fund" tucked into last year's budget Decker switched political parties at the start of the 2003 session to help Black remain speaker The position was supposed to end June 30 but the department's records show it took $14474 in 1 federal money from the Tryon Palace to keep Decker on the job until the end of this month Newberry said that money had been budgeted for a position that was not filled The state Office of Budget and Management approved the expenditure Decker was the department's first-ever community development specialist The new position would be permanent with a salary range of $33790 to $52065 It was posted on Sept 14 The AROUND NORTH CAROLINA Former governors Jim Hunt left and Jim Holshouser chat at the NC Museum of History before participating in a panel discussion on state political leadership A variety of factors have reshaped politics in the past 30 years they say STAFF PHOTO BY TED RICHARDSON department will only accept applications until Friday It is contingent on "budget approval" according to the job advertisement The politics of change North Carolina politics has changed dramatically during the past three decades according to two former governors Tar Heel politics has been reshaped by migration from people from other states by the rise of 1 African-Americans and perhaps most of all by the rise of the Republican Party "This state is now a tossup" said Democratic four-term governor Jim Hunt who now practices law in Raleigh "That's not bad That means we have to compete" pete" Hunt and Republican former Gov Jim Holshouser appeared on a panel Monday night on "New Leadership in North Carolina Politics" at the NC Museum of His 4 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21 2005 THE NEWS I 7' DID YOU KNOW? North Carolina has 4000 miles of tracks for freight railway service infrastructurefreightrallwaysphp i impoommompmornmuu00mwm It looks like the state Depart- -4 ment of Cultural Resources has 4-xo created a job right up former state -0-- 1 Ikt sa k14' Ni-s- 16 Rep Michael Decker's alley if f- 4 ''t s- he's willing to drive nearly two hours to Midland or relocate --'i-- 0: The depart- i' 4 i UNDER ment is adver- i 0 cy tising a position i 0 4 ss THE DOME for a commu- ly)A nity develop- C' -4 '4 4r1F-14 a mok ment specialist KG Politics work at the As Re Government Mine near ''N Charlotte The 7 job entails researching the "indus- trial history of the state including 1 ''i-4 (- gold textiles furniture tobacco their related communities" Who- 0 ow i ever gets the job will work with lo- 1 tk cal nonprofit museums tourism 'r 1 development authorities and edu- cational institutions Decker has a temporary posi- I tion with the department doing i largely the same work from his home in Forsyth County He has (4 45:07 0 0 said in interviews that he has done extensive research on the gold in- 0 7 4 dustry in North Carolina 7 Department spokesman Joe Newberry said the job will go to 'N the best candidate 't "Is it a position meant for Decker? No" Newberry said "It's Former governors Jim Hunt left and Jim Holshouser chat at the NC Museum of History before participating in a panel an advertised position and posted discussion on state political leadership A variety of factors have reshaped politics in the past 30 years they say to the public" STAFF PHOTO BY TED RICHARDSON Decker's employment has become closely watched since he federal money from the Tryon department will only accept ap- African-Americans and perhaps lost re-election to the House last Palace to keep Decker on the job plications until Friday It is con- most of all by the rise of the Re- year House Speaker Jim Black a until the end of this month New- tingent on "budget approval" ac- publican Party Mecklenburg County Democrat berry said that money had been cording to the job advertisement 'This state is now a tossup" helped create Decker's current budgeted for a position that was said Democratic four-term gov- job and paid for it with $45000 not filled The state Office of Bud- The politics of change emor Jim Hunt who now prac- from a legislative "slush fund" get and Management approved tices law in Raleigh "That's not tucked into last year's budget the expenditure North Carolina politics has bad That means we have to corn- Decker switched political parties Decker was the department's changed dramatically during the pete" at the start of the 2003 session to first-ever community development past three decades according to Hunt and Republican former help Black remain speaker specialist The new position would two former governors Gov Jim Holshouser appeared on The position was supposed to be permanent with a salary range Tar Heel politics has been re- a panel Monday night on "New end June 30 but the department's of $33790 to $52065 shaped by migration from people Leadership in North Carolina Pol- records show it took $14474 in It was posted on Sept 14 The from other states by the rise of itics" at the NC Museum of His- AROUND NORTH CAROLINA Lottery approval When it comes to the lottery most North Carolinians like the sausage but don't like how it was made While North Carolina voters strongly favor a lottery they frown on how it passed the Senate last month About 56 percent of the voters disapproved of the Senate vote after some of the maneuvering was described by a pollster the Senate leadership promised no new votes and then the vote was taken when two senators were absent Only 36 percent approved of the way it was handled according to a statewide survey of 800 registered voters conducted Sept 8-12 by Tel Opinion Research a company based in the Washington DC area The poll was conducted for the Civitas Institute a conservative think tank It had a margin of error of less than 4 percent Of those surveyed 52 percent said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who supported the lottery 31 percent said they were less likely and 13 percent said it would make no difference The rest of the poll will be made public today at a Civitas lunch at the Clarion Hotel at noon lottery like the lw it was Aina vot- ery they the Seale voters vote afring was the nised no vote was mrs were 'red of the rding to a egistered 12 by Tel )n DC ucted for of percent likely to who sup-percent ly and 13 make no I be made 3 lunch at on tory in downtown Raleigh Holshouser an attorney in Raleigh and Southern Pines said education will continue to dominate state policy because it is even more critical with the closing of so many manufacturing plants Even mechanics must know how to operate computer equipment today he said Hunt offered a cautionary note to his fellow Democrats He said Democrats need to do a better job of talking about spirituality tory in downtown Raleigh Holshouser an attorney it Raleigh and Southern Pines sai( education will continue to domi nate state policy because it i even more critical with the cloF ing of so many manufacturim plants Even mechanics mus know how to operate compute equipment today he said Hunt offered a cautionary not to his fellow Democrats He sal Democrats need to do a bette job of talking about spiritualit 1 By staff writers Dan Kane and Rob Christensen Kane can be reached at 829-4861 or dkanenewsobservercom and Rob reached at Court sides with builder of walkway A 11 411 11 ri dr Al'i Arik CI 111-711'rA lioli him 11 I irt Arcs 4-dr Greensboro FROM STAFF REPORTS 4 Greensboro Canton Raleigh 4 Salisbury FROM STAFF REPORTS 1 I 1 --'o-! 11 i'-v 1 I 4 l'i 0 t-or--- i-17-'1644 0 4 t' 4 4 a'slik ltr 4Y--o iw44 441c1 it 4 1 41 Sw 41 we 11 so '1'1'' tk ilc A i 0 -1 (1 looting the fund of more than $200 million to balance the state budget The latest defeat for former Transportation Secretary Jim Harrington and ex-Sen Bill Goldston came Tuesday when "The facts and circumstances of the case revealed that the present plaintiffs lacked standing to pursue their action against defendants" appeals court Judge Douglas McCullough wrote for the three-judge panel in an unanimous opinion The Attorney General's Office which represents Easley declined to comment The nding upholds Easley's contention that he has broad authority to balance the state budget A man disabled in 2001 when a tree fell on him while in a boat along the Cape Fear River can sue the landowner for negligence the court ruled Timothy Earl Wallen was hit by a boxelder tree as he and a friend steered a pontoon boat in the rain toward a boat ramp owned by the Riverside Sports Center in Cumberland County The boat was tied to a wooden pylon near the ramp when Wallen was hit leaving him unconscious and ultimately a paraplegic according to court documents Wallen sued Riverside and owners John and Sol Rose arguing they failed to inspect their property and remove dead trees near the pylons Cumberland County Judge Steve Balog sided with the brothers who said Wallen failed to show that the injury was reasonably foreseeable and that they were negligent In a unanimous ruling Tuesday a three-member appeals court panel reversed the decision million to iportation -Sen Bill facts and that the to pursue leals court the threevhich rept The nil-rat he has te budget a tree fell Fear egligence boxelder ttoon boat led by the alberland near ng him undegic acners John to inspect trees near dge Steve aid Wallen easonably gligent In decision BY Tim WHITMIRE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CHARLOTTE The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld legal sanctions a judge imposed on two plaintiffs who sued following the 2000 collapse of a pedestrian walkway at Lowe's Motor Speedway: In one case the appeals court ruled Superior Court Judge Erwin Spainhour correctly barred plaintiff Tammy Hepler and her lawyers from introducing certain evidence and contesting other evidence after they failed to meet deadlines for providing information and identifying expert witnesses In another the court affirmed Spainhour's dismissal of Robert Christopher Melton's lawsuit against the company that built the walkway after he lied about his tax returns More than 100 people were injured none fatally when a pedestrian bridge over US 29 in Concord collapsed as fans were leaving the track after a NASCAR race on May 20 2000 Investigators have said Tindall Corp which built the bridge used an improper additive to make the concrete filler at the bridge's center dry faster The additive contained calcium chloride which corroded steel cables that held the structure together leading to the collapse Spainhour was appointed to oversee all litigation stemming from the collapse After a 2003 trial established the speedway and Tindall were liable Spainhour began conducting other trials to determine damages in the case The appeals court's decision returns Heplees case to Spainhour for trial or settlement Costs from Ophelia keep rising Preliminary damage estimates from Hurricane Ophelia continued to climb Tuesday topping $405 million With several big bills yet to be calculated including the cost of cranking up the state's disaster relief machinery officials in four of the hardest-hit coastal counties added $55 million to the tally of damage caused by last week's slow-moving cyclone In addition Marine Corps officials reported $12 million in damage at the Camp Lejeune military reservation iti Ons low County most of it attributed to the storm's slicing off half of Rise ley Pier Other big-ticket estimates include $194 million in damage to homes at Kure Beach $155 million in damages to parks and public buildings debris cleanup and emergency services in Carteret County and $385000 in damage to homes and businesses in Brunswick County and an additional $200000 in emergency services costs Rescue workers help fans who were injured when a walkway at Lowers Motor Speedway collapsed in 2000 STAFF FILE PHOTO In other appeals court action: The panel upheld a lower court's decision dismissing a suit by two men who helped create the Highway Trust Fund The suit accused Gov Mike Easley and lawmakers of Conservatives gather to pay tribute to Helms fic stop Salisbury police said Luther Chambers 30 of Salisbury was charged Monday with first-degree murder hi the death of Laura Chambers 27 said Police Chief Mark Wilhelm Chambers was being held without bail at the Rowan County jail Wilhelm said a witness told officers that he was in the car with Luther Chambers and his mother when they visited Laura Chambers' house about 11 pm Sunday The siblings exchanged words and Laura Chambers was shot hi the chest with a 9 mm handgun Woman infant are found dead Greensboro police are investigating the deaths of a woman and an infant whose bodies were found in her apartment and whose missing car was found in Stafford County Va Lt CE Cherry said the bodies were found Monday night by a friend who entered the woman's apartment Cherry said the deaths were considered homicide Canton woman must repay money The former director of a downtown business booster group in Canton who admitted taking more than $14000 from the public was ordered to repay the money Gail Guy 51 former director of the Canton Papertown Association received no jail time when she was sentenced Monday by Superior Court Judge Karl AdIdns He ordered her to repay the money taken from 2000 to 2004 to Canton and the Haywood County Tourism Authority He consolidated two counts of misdemeanor larceny by trick and five counts of misdemeanor larceny and suspended Guy's sew tence for one year Salisbury man charged in slaying A man charged in the shooting of his sister dropped her off at a hospital where she died and he later was arrested during a traf at the Jesse Helms Center in Union County outside his native Monroe Ono SmithKline RJ Reynolds and Ford Motor Co were among the dinner's corporate sponsors while the Family Research Council the National Rifle Association and the Heritage Foundation joined other conservative groups in making large contributions Helms has endured serious health problems in recent years He underwent open-heart surgery in 2002 to replace a worn-out prosthetic heart valve Last year he was hospitalind for five weeks with acute gallstone pancreatitis complicated by a bloodstream staph infection He previously had undergone knee replacements four coronary bypass grafts and radiation treatment for prostate cancer long desired and finally attained in 1994 when Republicans gained control of Congress The dinner also featured a video message from President Bush who ticked off a long string of Helms' activities and accomplishments: his opposition to abortion and various arms treaties his support for anti-communist movements in Eastern Europe and Cuba his sponsorship of legislation calling for regime change in Iraq under Saddam Hussein "When Jesse Helms came to Washington in 1973 conservatives were a lonely crowd in Washington" Bush said "But over the course of three decades in the Senate the world moved in his direction" In addition to celebrating Helms' storied career the dinner marked the recent Random House publication of his memoirs "Here's Where I Stand' and it raised money for youth programs ryville at the dinner "In 1978 the Raleigh News Observer dubbed Senator Helms 'Senator No' said Dole whose husband former GOP presidential di- date Bob Dole led Senate Republicans during the heart of Helms' tenure in the chamber "And indeed he said no no to high taxes no to big government to enemies of freedom around world no to those who would undermine the culture of life and sanctity of marriage" Dole said As the audience gave him a sustained standing ovation Helms saluted and blew kisses toward Dole Helms 83 retired in 2003 after 30-year congressional career capped by a lengthy stint as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee a post he had '4- i 1 BY JAMES ROSEN MO WASHINGTON BUREAU ARLINGTON Va Con- servative leaders gath- ered from around the country Tuesday evening to salute former A Sen Jesse Helms hailing him as a historic trailblazer and attribut- Helms ing much of their current political success to him The candlelit ballroom ditmer at hi a suburban Washington hotel in drew 500 people among them a th broad range of conservative glitterati from columnist Bob Novak th to the Rev Jerry Falwell and for: so mer UN ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick ta North Carolina's current sena- sa tors Republicans Richard Burr of Winston-Salem and Elizabeth Dole of Salisbury joined Repub- a lican Reps Sue Myrick of Char- a lotte Robin Hayes of Concord it and Patrick McHenry of Cher- ti Is no the the a sj kt ''''F 1 Staff writer Rob Christensen contributed to this report tt.