Want to Buy A Seat on the University of North Carolina Board of Trustees – For Wealthy People The Seats are For Sale

And You Don’t Even Need to Live in North Carolina

Rich people claim they like to do a lot of public service, and a lot of rich people do a lot of public service.  But some rich people just like the prestige of sitting on a prestigious Board of a public institution.  Such is the case in North Carolina with its wonderful University of North Carolina.  If you are a Trustee you get wined and dined, great seats at sporting events and you can be sure your son or daughter doesn't have to get all involved with qualifications in order to be accepted to the freshman class.

Speaker of the NC House Thom Tillis Auctioning off a seat on the UNC Board of Trustees

"I got $100,000, do I hear $110,00?"

Republican Speaker in North Carolina Thom Tillis, currently running for the U. S. Senate supported one person for the North Carolina Board of Trustees who lives in South Carolina (Mr. Tillis may have gotten confused about the Carolina’s.  The craziness of South Carolina Republicans has seriously infected their North Carolina brothers and sisters.)

Tillis also strongly supported G.A. Sywassink for the board, even after the Republican caucus rejected Sywassink because he lives in South Carolina. The House narrowly elected Sywassink after Tillis circulated a list of his preferred candidates that included Sywassink.

But more important for a Trustee of UNC to be living in North Carolina is giving money to Thom Tillis.

Sywassink, owner of a Charlotte freight company, had given $7,500 to Tillis’ campaign for the state House. In June, Sywassink gave $25,000 and Parrish gave $20,000 to the super PAC supporting Tillis’ bid for the U.S. Senate next year.

 But if one is a Democrat can one still get appointed?  Sure, it’s just that the cost is a little higher.

When his fellow Republicans questioned why House Speaker Thom Tillis backed a Democrat to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in March, the speaker had a simple reason:

R. Doyle Parrish had raised a lot of money.

“I would estimate he is directly responsible for more than $100,000.00 in financial support through personal contributions to my campaign committee and other candidates and through the Hospitality Alliance,” Tillis wrote in a March 21 email to House leaders.

But your sponsor may have to lie a little bit about your being a Democrat.

In reporting the results, The News & Observer noted that Parrish was the only Democrat elected by either chamber. Some House Republicans complained that they had unwittingly voted for a Democrat.

After reading the N&O report, Tillis responded with the email to his leadership team. He said he was embarrassed that he had led the caucus to believe Parrish was a Republican and that he did not know Parrish’s party affiliation. Tillis said he would have still sponsored him regardless.

And he sure would have, give $100 k to Speaker Tillis and you can pretty much get whatever you want.

And no, this is not a new practice by Republicans, Democrats did exactly the same thing when they ran the state of North Carolina.   It’s just that the Republicans are better at the hypocrisy than Democrats.

Jordan Shaw, Tillis’ spokesman, said Tillis was merely surrounding himself with supporters who share his vision. Shaw said the Board of Governors’ appointments took place in a rigorous and bipartisan fashion.

Shaw’s previous job was as spokesman for the N.C. Republican Party. When Democrats were in power, Shaw and former Republican Party chairman Tom Fetzer excoriated Democrats such as former Speaker Jim Black and former governors Mike Easley and Bev Perdue, who they said put North Carolina government up for sale to the highest bidder. Shaw said Republicans don’t.

“That is not how we do business,” Shaw said.

Actually Jordan that is how you do business.  So we are all waiting on your retraction.  Yeah we know, it’s a long wait.