Government grilled cheese

— Photo of Gov. Pat McCrory by Max Cooper

The Council of Independent Business Owners (CIBO), a consortium of local proprietors established to “provide a conduit for the flow of information between business and government,” hosts semi-regular “power lunches” in downtown Asheville. The event is named as much for the hurry-up, multitask idiom as for the guest, often a person of some significance in politics or business.

On Aug. 26, Gov. Pat McCrory joined CIBO members and guests at Magnolia’s, an occasion for which there was “little notice,” as David Forbes reported, noting that the “announcement from the governor’s office went out two hours before the event, but more than a dozen protesters still gathered across the street, criticizing the governor’s passage of voting restrictions, rollback of environmental regulations, and legislation that would take away the city’s water system (McCrory let the related bill pass without his signature).”

Readers responded to McCrory’s surprise visit on mountainx.com and Facebook, some of which is excerpted here. Join the conversation in the comments field.

Via Mountainx.com

They felt they had to sneak the Governor of the Great State Of North Carolina in the back door to avoid a handful of well-behaved protesters across the street from the front entrance. CIBO/Magnolia’s actually went through the charade of holding all the parking spots in front of the entrance for his entourage, and then pulling the barricades aside minutes before his arrival and looking up the street expectantly … only to have the SUVs pull around back for [McCrory] to sneak into the building out of sight. Profiles in Courage he ain’t. — bsummers

Gov. Pat “Pinocchio” McCrory lacks profiles in honesty as well. — Lamont Cranston

So, government should run more like a business, eh? OK. I’ll take that as a directive … — Jonathan Wainscott

Don’t worry, business owners/people who have means. I got your back. And what’s good for you is good for me, so as far as I can tell, [and] that’s good for everyone because everyone is subjective and we’re everyone that matters. There. I wrote his platform. — Mike

Colleges don’t create jobs. How do you judge a school based on something they don’t do and your legislators refuse to do? — kristine cole

The word sleazy comes to mind when I read about this guy’s tactics. Really? Running a government like a business? Last I checked, nine out of 10 businesses go under (fail) in their first year. Doesn’t exactly sound like a sure thing, eh? It makes me wonder how those Greeks enjoyed the fruits of democracy because as we know, Adam Smith, the “godfather of capitalism” wasn’t even born yet. How the hell did they manage to run a country, develop fancy math, philosophy, debate each other and write fine stories without a modern business model? Hopefully history will be the judge. Will the NCGOP’s sleazy policies last for thousands of years like the Greek contributions to the world without using a business model as their template? I can’t wait to build a time machine to travel, say, 2,000 years into the future to read a North Carolina history textbook where “welfare queen,” “widespread voter fraud,” “feminazi” and “the sinister gay agenda” are still actually given credence. — boatrocker

Via Facebook

McCrory’s comments sound semi intelligent and reasonable as all good lies and misinformation does. The trickle-down bias and pandering to the retired, wealthy, six-month tourists who will do nothing except drain resources does not work and never has. The last thing we need is an influx of nonproductive retireees living off investment income. We need productive, educated young people. The good jobs come from their innovation. Retirees need only restaurants, lawn care and hospitals. That’s no way to sustain an economy. — William A. Weeks

I’m sad I missed him. I’d like to talk to him about a thing or two. — Sheri Barker

“You and I know people who move out of state for six months and one day to avoid our taxes.” Sorry, I don’t know Mr. Burns, Daddy Warbucks and Thurston Howell III. — Jim O’Hara

Is this the beginning of the end to Gov. McCrory? Using our state as a stepping stone to try to screw the rest of America! Good Luck, Pat — it’s not working. Hey, has a governor of any state ever been impeached? Just saying! — Bruce Bijesse

I do understand economics, and you sound like a cold-hearted idiot when you talk to people in such a condescending fashion. While you are building North Carolina as a business, people are suffering beyond belief. On top of that, you and your cronies are taking this state backwards instead of moving forward. We are the laughing stock of America. You should be ashamed. Judging from the people you have added to your staff from Salisbury, you really don’t have a clue. Rowan County is in dire need of good leadership, and you chose those we brought this county down to your cabinet. Just don’t think you know what you are doing. — Sherran Herman

Isn’t that how this North Carolina General Assembly operates also? Last minute without due notice? Judge colleges by the amount of jobs created? N.C. community colleges and their presidents lie through their teeth for funding now. We’re supposed to believe they will accurately report job creation? The definition of a created job will be a hoot. It’s unverifiable. A number like that would not be open to public inspection. It is nice to see that they are finally admitting the systemwide failure of the N.C. community college system to produce graduates. — Alan Rosenthal

Without the aid of the real governor, Pope, this stand-in governor could not find his rear end with both hands! Talk on, and let’s hear what other garbage spews forth. — Dennis Haywood Johnson

Wait, an alumnus from Catawba College is criticizing the education background of the state’s journalists? Also funny that he is playing the “relevant degree” card when he doesn’t have an economics degree, and when he just appointed a 24-year-old with a BA in English to be a senior policy advisor on health care policy. What a schmuck this guy is turning out to be. And I voted for him. — Chris Luper

Wow, Chris: Are you a fan of the Cato Institute as well? Koch brothers supporter? Fan of Ayn Rand? These are sad, sad days for our state. We are the new Mississippi/Alabama. Now that we stomped on the Constitution, let’s bring on the tax breaks for fracking. Sorry, but I am an angry man. — John Schweninger