Democrat State Lawmaker Campaigning With Your Tax Dollars

RALEIGH – It may come as no surprise that politicians often play fast and loose with taxpayers’ money, but it is especially egregious when lawmakers use your tax dollars to campaign for re-election.

That, apparently, is what one Democrat member of the N.C. General Assembly has been caught doing.

“Senator Joel Ford (D-Mecklenburg) sent at least one newly registered voter a letter breaking state ethics rules.

The Insider reported on mail sent from Ford’s office on official stationary encouraging them to vote and to follow Ford on Twitter where he regularly promotes his campaign. The letter appears to have been mailed using state resources, including official stationary.

Lawmakers are barred from sending this type of letter using state resources within 60 days of an election in which he or she is on the ballot in a contested race.

[…]

The letter was postmarked inside of the 60-day window, a clear ethics violation, which prompted the complaint filed by Real Facts NC Executive Director Daniel Gilligan.

Ford himself acknowledged sending the mail in question in an article from the Insider.”

It’s easy to see how a mistake like this can be made when politicians view tax revenues as theirs to spend on whatever pet project they’d like, in this case reelection.

Just goes to show how necessary it is to get new blood into representative government as often as possible, lest the career politicians begin feeling entitled to whatever the long arm of government can grab for them.