"It's broken. It's a mess."

by Jeanne Bonds

Public relations is the art and science of managing information to persuade an audience. Governor McCrory has clearly adopted his PR strategy to persuade the people of North Carolina. By repeating the phrases, "It's broken. It's a mess," he is setting the stage for low expectations and the need for more time.

When he presses forward with new policies and stumbles, he can blame it on needing time to straighten things out from the mess he was handed. When things take longer 'cause it's government not Duke Energy, he can ask for more time. McCrory can ask North Carolinians for patience and understanding as he studies, manages, changes state government which will most certainly take him eight years. McCrory's party has held the purse strings since 2010 but he will argue that has not been enough time to straighten out the "mess."

In pre-swearing-in press conferences, in his first press conference as Governor and in an interview with NC Spin's Tom Campbell, McCrory consistently pressed the message that State government is behind technologically, building infrastructure is in disrepair and we need a focus on customers.

Clearly, state government buildings have taken last place in funding behind people and programs. Rarely will departments put new drapes and painting at the top of their budget priorities. Who doesn't know state government lags behind the private sector with IT services? I worked for a Chief Justice in the 1990s who said it everyday as we pressed for funds to at least build a system for the 1980s. The Courts' technology was held together by band aids and tape and today, is still far from tech savvy because of lack of funds.

Bottom line. IT costs some bucks. When you get behind, it costs more to catch up. Education and basic services in tough economic times have certainly taken precedent over some of the other needs. Just like a family chooses food, basic housing and utilities over other needs.

McCrory defined customers in his recent interview as those "who create jobs" but clearly businesses are not the only customers of the state. The Courts' witnesses, victims and juror customers are just regular people. Division of Motor Vehicles serves regular folks. Division of Social Services serves people.  Whatever strategy is deployed, to satisfy customers, he will need to understand that business is not the only focus of state government.

It's possible all of this will be effective PR speak for "I may be in over my head" so I need time to figure this out. Republicans have not governed the Executive Branch in twenty years and governed the Legislative and Executive Branches simultaneously since Reconstruction, there is no doubt a learning curve. But no matter how you define it, spin it or explain it, State government does not and will not operate like a business, as a whole. There are different purposes and different values. Certainly, some skills are transferable from the private sector to the public sector but the business of government is service to ALL customers, all people. Set the expectations low and ask for more time may be a strategy but the final analysis will be up to North Carolinians based on their values.

Jeanne Bonds is a Political Analyst and an NC SPIN panelist.