Free Republic

CARY - When state Senate leader Marc Basnight throws a fundraiser, the big political players show up.On a recent evening, dozens of lobbyists representing nearly every major corporation or interest group in the state gathered under the crystal chandeliers of the grand ballroom at Prestonwood Country Club.The N.C. State University boosters wore red jackets to underscore their school's support. Former governor and corporate lawyer Jim Hunt, recovering from surgery at his Wilson farm, left his sickbed to preside.But perhaps the most striking figure was the host, Jim Goodnight, the Cary computer software magnate, a Republican who admires tax-cutting conservative Steve...

RALEIGH — After The News & Observer of Raleigh published a story in February about his contract dispute with Basnight Construction of Manteo, James Morris of Elizabeth City thought it would be easier to collect about $50,000 he was owed. But, as of Tuesday, Morris still doesn’t have his money According to Morris, Deputy Greg Padilla, who handles collections for the Dare County Sheriff’s Department, told him a few weeks ago that the funds in Basnight Construction’s bank account at RBC Centura in Manteo had been secured but not released. (snip) Seeking an update, Morris said Friday that Padilla told...

Thursday, August 14, 2003 7:38AM EDT Basnight calls for overhaul Among his ideas: privatizing Commerce By AMY MARTINEZ, Staff Writer RALEIGH -- Arguing that North Carolina is not doing enough to put people back to work, Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight said Wednesday that he has an economic development proposal that, if passed into law, could shake up one state bureaucracy and lower taxes for businesses. Basnight's proposal, largely the result of a series of meetings with business leaders earlier this year, calls for a study into whether the state Department of Commerce would be more effective as a...