ABLE Demands Transparency of All Taxpayer-Funded Economic Development Agencies

Sign the Citizen Petition Here
In response to the article previously released by Moody's Economy.com, which lists the Wilmington metro area as being number two on a list of only 22 national cities slated to plunge into a double dip recession, ABLE issued a press release on Wednesday morning demanding that both the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County immediately stop all funding of eonomic development agencies; and that a full investigative, and comprehensive audit be conducted by an out-of-state firm on each one of these economic development agencies. From the release:

"The scope of the audit is to include at least the past 10 years, cover all transfers of funds, analyze which companies received contracts for services, and report on the political implications of these and other activities. It is imperative that such an audit be executed immediately, given the severe threat of obfuscation, manipulation, and the destruction of material evidence and financial data. It is historical fact that the members of the boards of these agencies frequently transfer from one board to another, become selected to occupy seats on public boards such as the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, and even serve in elected political positions - which can then be used to appoint political allies to public boards, thus completing the cycle.

Download the Press Release Here

ABLE is committed to holding local government responsible for its fiscal decisions that impact the lives of the citizens in which it serves. Frequently, these economic development agencies have highly compensated staff and board members, and act with absolutely no public oversight. It is imperative that the public have complete knowledge of every activity that their money is used for. The press release continued:

Average citizens are intentionally kept out of the proceedings and not appointed to these boards, and members appear to be selected based on their political and/or business alliances. Given the culture of corruption that exists at the city, county, and state level; simply placing elected officials on these boards is not sufficient in providing transparency and accountability to the taxpayer and citizen. If there is resistance and impedance to submitting and completing such an audit; then such will be interpreted as being indicative of the secretive and suppressive nature of these agencies and their operations. In the interest of serving the public good, displaying transparency and good faith toward the citizen, and demonstrating that there is nothing to hide; these agencies should willingly succumb to such a comprehensive audit and reveal their operations to the public.

Download the Press Release Here

ABLE is also conducting a citizen petition for this purpose which can be accessed here.

City of Wilmington Aggressive FORCED ANNEXATION POLICY VOTE

URGENT CALL TO ACTION: This is a call to action for all members of ABLE and for all citizens of New Hanover County who are concerned about an overreaching government taking your property by fiat and force. The Wilmington City Council will hold its meeting at City Hall, 102 N. 3rd St., on Tuesday, August 17, at 6:30 PM. This is a critical meeting for our attendance as the council is expected to adopt its Comprehensive Annexation Policy which will essentially put into motion an aggressive strategy to annex by force virtually all of unincorporated New Hanover County.

To view the meeting agenda, click here. ABLE member Ben McCoy is on the agenda to speak during the public comment segment. Unfortunately, due to the active pursuit of diminishing the public's voice, request to speak forms must be submitted to the city clerk's office by noon the day BEFORE the council meeting.

CONGRATULATIONS BRIAN BERGER!

ABLE is proud that our candidate Brian Berger, has won the second primary runoff against long-time incumbent Bill Caster. The voters of New Hanover County spoke loud and clear, and said that they were sick and tired of Caster's big government, big spending, and big taxation policies. Our fight is not over however, we need to build on our momentum all the way to November to make sure Berger gets the nod in the general election. Thank you to everyone who helped secure his victory. Please continue to stay in touch, come to our meetings, and get out the vote for our candidates.

If you would like to help get Brian elected, please send us a note over on our Contact page. More about Brian and his positions here.

Brian Berger's website: VoteBerger.com

About ABLE

ABLE is a non-partisan organization based in Wilmington, NC committed to the identification, recruitment, and support of candidates for local and regional government office; candidates that subscribe to the ideals of limited transparent government, lower taxation, and sound fiscal practices. We believe that government at all levels is of, for, and by the people that it represents. We are committed to fighting and standing against corruption, backroom cronyism, and political machinery that serves only its own self-interest.

The forced annexation of the Monkey Junction area by the city of Wilmington, North Carolina was the impetus for the formation of ABLE – The Alliance for a Better Local Economy. The annexation proposal brought into sharp focus the impact that local and municipal governments can have on our daily lives; an impact that may have a more profound effect on your life than anything that happens in Washington.

Lessons learned from this experience point to the fact that our government was designed to be a participatory process. When we neglect to do our part, government can and will get out of control. We have a personal responsibility to be involved. We can take control of this process.

ABLE is dedicated to reaching out to all of New Hanover County: The City of Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Castle Hayne, Monkey Junction, Landfall, Porter's Neck, Ogden, and even the rest of Southeastern North Carolina. We are actively preparing for the May 4, 2010 Primary, and the subsequent general election in November of this year. At this time, ABLE can legally only officially support and endorse candidates who represent an area inclusive of New Hanover County - and cannot lend its official endorsement to candidates whose representative area includes portions of Pender, Brunswick, or and other surrounding counties. This year, we are supporting: Thom Goolsby for NC Senate District 9; J. Michael Hutson for NC House District 18; Brian Berger and Justin LaNasa for New Hanover County Commission; Ed Higgins, Don Hayes, Janice Cavenaugh, and Derrick Hickey for New Hanover County School Board. Please visit our candidates page for more information.