Legislature forces Easley’s hand on big boats

Say what you want about Mike Easley (and goodness knows, we at Policy Watch have over the years) but one area in which he is almost always a fighting progressive is when it comes to protecting average folks from predatory businesses that put profits ahead of the well-being of consumers and/or the general public.

Maybe it goes back to his days as A.G., maybe to a time before that, or maybe it's just good politics, but whatever the reason, Easley has almost always shown the kind of spine in this area that many of us have wished he would have displayed in several others. Whether it's confronting payday lenders and mortgage predators or generally appointing good folks to his staff and various regulatory bodies, Easley seems to have an instinct for doing the right thing when it comes to protecting the public from the bullies and bottom feeders of the market.

And so it is with the controversy over "big boats." In a classic Easley-esque move, the Guv vetoed the General Assembly's lame little giveaway to he boat manufacturing industry. Now, however, in a move of remarkable thick headedness, the G.A. has demanded that he call them back to Raleigh to consider a veto override. Got that? The state faces all kinds of serious problems and challenges and we're gonna' spend large sums of the public treasury to bring lawmakers to Raleigh to make sure that we can have dangerously wide boats being pulled down our highways and byways at all hours of the day and night.

(If you're wondering why, check out Laura Leslie's excellent post from last Friday in which she connects the dots on this issue to a big campaign contributor named Reggie Fountain.)

So, the Guv has issued the demanded proclamation and at least some of the honorables will be trailing back to Raleigh the day after tomorrow to spend thousands doing the bidding of one of those businesses the Guv usually bests. Let's hope he sticks to his guns and figures out a way to maneuver the G.A. into doing the right thing.