North Carolina Taxpayers
Get Cruise Bruised By Floyd Lupton Free Cruise
Lavish Cruise Supplied To Politicians July 1, 2006
The cruise had a live band booked for $1200, plenty of booze, shrimp, scallops, wraps, fruit and deserts. The harbor view included cruising tall ships.
The cruise was organized by the state Ports Authority, which invited every state legislator, plus numerous other top federal, state and local officials to join ports officials on the cruise aboard the North Carolina state owned Floyd Lupton Ferry.
The Floyd Lupton regularly runs between Cherry Branch and Minnesott Beach. A backup ferry was used to keep the regular route open, while the Lupton serviced the dignitaries.
Politiicans, say they had no idea the taxpayers were picking up some of the tab, with the Department of Transportation (DOT) provided vessel, the Floyd Lupton.
The Floyd Lupton crew and fuel were paid for by taxpayers at a cost of $2800, when it was pulled from the normal route, to furnish a lavish party of a select group of 200 dignitaries.
There was no word on the cost of food catering, but standard seafood catering runs in the neighborhood of $20 to $25 per person for private affairs. That would mean a catering cost of $4000 to $5000. Total cost for this private perk would be in the neighborhood of $8000 to $9000, or more.
Some of those politicians who enjoyed the taxpayer funded party were Rep. Marian McLawhorn, Rep. Pricey Harrison, North Carolina Commerce Secretary Jim Fain, Secretary of Administration Britt Cobb.
Rep. Mary Price Harrison, also known as "Pricey", by her peers, seemed appropriately named for this affair, is known for advocating for stronger ethics and gifts rules for legislators this year. She said later, the cruise doesn't appear in hindsight to be appropriate. Harrison further added, "I guess it's making me nervous to be a part of a state-financed boondoggle like this," she said. "I thought it was private funds paying for it."
The grand party was enjoyed on the tax payer tick, early into hurricane season on a few weeks after Tropical Storm Alberto pounded North Carolina dumping 2 to 5" of rain in most places.,
However, 8" fell in Ralegh, costing one 13 year old boy his life, and creating severe flooding, when rivers rose beyond their banks. Images show roads, which fall into the DOT budget, were washed out requiring extensive repairs, stranding residents, and preventing people from going to work. There were evacuations and closures with The American Red Cross of Nash County opening shelters. Progress Energy, said the utility had more than 2,500 outages in Wake, Johnston and Harnett counties.
In Lilesville, a portion of Grover Bennett Road was washed out. The rain was coming down so quickly that a pipe underneath the road gave way, causing the pavement to buckle after washing out at least a good 3-4 feet of pavement.
Brett Hildreth, fromm the Department of Transportation, said the pipe underneath the road was old and worn. "It’s rusted out," he said. "It’s seen its better years. We’re going to have to replace it with something bigger."
Perhaps North Carolina DOT should be spending their funds on those roads Brettt Hldreth says "have seen better years", instead of wining and dining politicians.
FEMA and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff acknowledged Florida and North Carolina rank as the most common victims of devastating hurricanes.
"What we've learned is preparation doesn't begin three days before a hurricane hits," Chertoff said. "It involves planning and preparation -- the kind of things that have been done in North Carolina -- that stands everybody on good stead when a storm actually hits."
