Remember to Vote on Tuesday: Labor Commissioner Run-off

On Tuesday, you will have your chance to greatly affect the state Democratic Party's ticket.

Why and how?

Simply, with the run-off election for NC Labor Commissioner on Tuesday, June 24th, and the infinitesmally small turnout we are destined to have, ONE VOTE - your vote - will have much greater weight than it ever would have had before for this office.

In what I personally estimate may be a statewide turnout of only 0.5% (maybe 1% max), Democrats will have their choice between two highly capable and interesting candidates:

John Brooks
Mary Fant Donnan

I encourage you to use the above link to their websites to learn more about them and ... most importantly of all ... remember to go vote on Tuesday, if you haven't already taken advantage of the early vote period.

With such a small voter turnout, a small blip in extra voters here and there in any county will have a tidal wave effect in the ultimate outcome. That is why those few areas where other run-off elections are occurring have become "Ground Zero" for the Labor Commissioner race. Among those areas are Sen. John Kerr's Senate district, Durham County, northeastern NC, Stanly County, Montgomery County, and Yancey County.

Regardless of how little or great the turnout is, on Tuesday night we will know which of our candidates is OUR Democratic nominee. (I also predict that we'll know the Statewide winner within 30 minutes of polls closing.)

And we will know which of our candidates will duly lead the charge in 2008 toward re-claiming the Labor Commissioner post for the working people, the small businesses, and the forward-thinking citizens of our great State.

Mary Donnan Leaps Into Labor Commissioner Race

A longtime Labor Department employee has leapt into the Labor Commissioner race.

Mary Fant Donnan, now employed with the highly-respected Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, filed her papers with the State Board of Elections this week. She serves as a program officer for that charitable foundation. During her time with the N.C. Department of Labor she worked during the administration of then-Labor Commissioner Harry Payne. Donnan and her family reside in Winston-Salem.

Wayne’s World will highlight more about Mary Donnan when her campaign provides further details. The same applies to information as it is supplied about other candidates seeking the 2008 Democratic nomination. Joining her thus far in the campaign to defeat Republican Cherie Berry – the self-entitled “Elevator Lady” – are Robin Anderson of Cary and Ty Richardson of Middlesex.

Robin Anderson, Labor Commissioner Candidate, Weighs In On Cherie Berry

As long-time readers, Tar Heel partisans, and friends of mine know, I chose not to run for Labor Commissioner in 2008. (See my August 2007 posting for the detailed reasons here at Wayne's World, http://eighthdistrictdemsnc.blogspot.com/2007/08/wayne-goodwin-announces-his-plans.html)

Within weeks thereafter from that posting, a slow trickle of prospective Democratic candidates for the job began contacting me. Naturally, they sought counsel, advice, and an endorsement. Due to my position as Chairman of the Eighth Congressional District Democratic Executive Committee I am prohibited from making an endorsement in a contested primary race. So, all I could do was to share my best advice and counsel to those who contacted me. And that I did.

Until last week, though, none of the prospective candidates wanted to "go public." With filing having commenced it is now okay for me to relay information about the race - in my discretion - to inquiring readers and partisans such as yourself.

Out of no fewer than than the seven persons who expressed an interest to me in running, thus far only two candidates have filed for the 2008 Democratic nomination for Commissioner of Labor.

The first to file was Tyrone (Ty) Richardson of Middlesex, North Carolina. He is a graduate of the Institute of Political Leadership.

The second to file was Robin Anderson, a Wake County attorney who is chairman of the North Carolina Personnel Commission and an appointee of Governor Mike Easley.

There is at least one other potential candidate considering a bid for Labor Commissioner. If she decides to throw her hat into the ring, then I will provide a posting here at Wayne's World about her as well.

With all of the above particulars now being said, Wayne's World wanted to share with you a press release received last night from the Robin Anderson campaign. It is a product of the highly-enlightening, highly-disturbing recent investigative series published in the Charlotte Observer about poultry workers in North Carolina and how state and national OSHA officials have dropped the ball. (Entitled "The Cruelest Cuts", I have linked this blog post to the series, and strongly encourage you to read it when you get a chance.)

Now on to the first punch of the political boxing match, this one thrown by Robin Anderson:

Raleigh – Robin Anderson, a Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Labor, had strong words for incumbent Cherie Berry following newspaper reports surrounding conditions at House of Raeford plants throughout North and South Carolina.

“The Commissioner of Labor has a moral and legal responsibility to protect the health and safety of workers, and to protect the interests of businesses that play by the rules. The newspaper investigation has brought national attention to North Carolina for conditions that are tragic and deplorable,” Anderson said. “It shouldn’t take an investigation by the media or Congress for the Commissioner of Labor to do her job.”

The investigation by the Charlotte Observer revealed that Commissioner Berry has hamstrung her Department, keeping it from fulfilling its duty to protect the health and safety of the workers of North Carolina through the use of inspections and fines.

The response of Commissioner Berry to the investigation was that her department should work with the Hispanic Community to make sure they are reporting violations.

Anderson countered that enforcement is a critical tool, both as a deterrent to violators and as a means of ensuring that businesses and workers alike understand that violations will not be tolerated.

“It is the Commissioner’s legal obligation to inspect these facilities and prosecute violations. It is obvious that Berry hasn’t done the job. It is time we replace her with someone who will.”

“You can't inspect a factory from inside an elevator.”

Anderson, currently the first female Chair of the State Personnel Commission, has practiced labor and employment law on behalf of individuals and businesses for 18 years. Prior to entering the private practice of law, Anderson served as a law clerk for Senior Justice Louis B. Meyer of the North Carolina Supreme Court. She earned her law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her B.A. cum laude in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
For further info contact:

William Cubbison
wccubbison@gmail.com
P.O. Box 17389
Raleigh, NC 27619
(919) 961-6011

If this press release is any indication, it is that Robin Anderson is going to run an aggressive campaign for Labor Commissioner. Voters, no doubt, will learn in an aggressive campaign how important the position is and perhaps come to realize that the news media sadly chose not to investigate the above (and related) issues about OSHA failings four years ago when the Wayne Goodwin campaign made a valiant effort to unseat the incumbent.

Wayne's World will publish information about other Democratic candidates for Labor Commissioner as it is received.