Bad apples

Published September 10, 2013

By Joe Mavretic

by Joe Mavretic, former House Speaker and NC SPIN panelist, September 10, 2013.

There are about thirty-seven ways to get an appointment/job in a Governor's administration. The first is for the Governor to know you personally. He knows your character and capabilities. All other ways to get appointed/hired involve someone that the Governor trusts recommending you, advocating for you and vouching for your character and capabilities. Incoming Governors typically create a transition team of trusted advisors to identify, screen, advocate and recommend individuals to him/her. Based upon the recommendations of these trusted advisors, a Governor selects individuals whose character and capabilities fit his administration's needs.

In over thirty years of observing governor's administrations, I have not seen one that did not have a bad apple or two. Nearly every bad apple got into the administration based upon some trusted advisor's recommendation.

Some bad apples hang around for a long time and others surface fairly quickly. Once the press or television identifies a bad apple, the Governor takes the blame. This is the way it should be.

The only thing missing about bad apples is that the trusted advisor(s) who made the recommendation to the Governor seldom steps forward.

How honest it would be for a trusted advisor to step forward and say, " I made a mistake. I recommended a person who did not have the capabilities required for the task or did not have the character to serve the public. I regret that my judgement was so flawed and I apologize to the Governor and the people of North Carolina."

I think North Carolinians would respond well to a good serving of courage and candor about bad apples.