THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 3, 1995 TAG: 9508310235
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 54 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Long : 150 lines
Now that the 1995 session of the General Assembly has adjourned, I would like to address some concerns raised toward the end of the session about a legislative provision that would have allowed an ABC permit at the Pirate's Cove Marina.
I would first like to admit that I made a mistake and to apologize to the voters of Manteo for my actions. This matter was not handled properly or in the best interest of all citizens of the town of Manteo, and for that I am truly sorry.
I would like to set the record straight about how this provision came into being and to address some concerns that have been raised in recent letters to the editor regarding my involvement in this matter. First, let me explain how this piece of legislation was initially enacted. The legislative provision that allowed for the issuance of an ABC permit at the Pirate's Cove Marina was added as an amendment to Senate Bill 57, which contained a number of Legislative Research Commission study recommendations for improvements to our state's ABC laws.
Being a Senate bill, this was first heard in the Senate, voted on and passed to the House for consideration.
The issue of an ABC permit at Pirate's Cove was never raised or discussed during deliberations on the bill in the Senate.
During a discussion of the bill in a House committee, the bill was amended to include the Pirate's Cove provision.
At that time, I had not discussed this provision with any representative of Pirate's Cove or the town of Manteo, nor did I participate in any way in the House deliberations. I was not even aware of the amendment until after it was passed by the House.
The bill came back to the Senate for concurrence. The Senate, at the request of the bill's sponsor, Sen. Richard Conder, initially voted not to concur with a number of changes made to the bill by the House that were unrelated to the Pirate's Cove amendment. There was no discussion of the Pirate's Cove amendment in the Senate.
After a few days, the bill's sponsor requested that the Senate concur with the House changes, and the bill was ratified on Thursday, July 20, without any discussion of the Pirate's Cove provision.
That weekend, I heard from several people expressing their concerns about the Pirate's Cove provision.
I spoke with Kermit Skinner, the Manteo town manager, and asked that the town board take a formal vote on the matter and indicate to me the direction they wished me to take. On Monday, July 24, the town of Manteo formally requested that the Pirate's Cove provision be repealed. I discussed the situation with Rep. Bill Culpepper, and he agreed with my opinion that the provision should be repealed immediately.
The very next day, the Senate amended another bill at my request that was before it for consideration. This amendment repealed the Pirate's Cove provision that had already been ratified into law. The Senate passed the amendment, and the House passed the bill with the amendment the next day.
I offer this explanation of the history of this legislation to show that there was no discussion of the Pirate's Cove provision in the Senate, that this provision was not initiated by me, that the provision was added to the bill in a manner that offered little opportunity for debate in the Senate, and that, when I was requested by the town of Manteo to take action, I did so immediately. I do apologize for my actions, however, and for the appearance of ``back room politics'' that has apparently been created in some people's minds. I would like to now address this appearance, which I believe to be untrue.
In one letter to the editor published on this issue, the writer indicated that people in my district who are not ``movers or shakers in the community or members of any of the important old families'' never get to know me or will not have access to me and my office. I have worked hard during my six terms in the North Carolina Senate to make myself and my office accessible to all. Based on the number of calls and letters that I receive in Raleigh, at my Manteo construction business and at my home at night and on the weekends, I believe that anyone will tell you that I offer whatever assistance I can to every person who contacts me. My legislative staff in Raleigh has been instructed to provide this same level of assistance, and they are accessible to anyone who calls on them for help.
Another comment I read that is completely untrue implied that the Pirate's Cove amendment was offered as a trade for something else - ``contributions, perhaps'' - and was concocted in a smoke-filled room. My vote has never been for sale, and the Pirate's Cove provision was not offered as a trade for any favor or political contribution.
I am often criticized in the Raleigh newspapers for using my position to secure benefits for my district.
I am proud that I am able to get for the people of my district some of the benefits that have been made available for years to other parts of the state but which have been denied for too long to those of us in the northeast.
I will continue to work hard for as long as you send me to Raleigh to see that northeastern North Carolina enjoys the same benefits as the rest of the state. I will also continue to work for a government that is managed efficiently, that spends taxpayers' dollars prudently and that enacts laws that are fair to all the citizens of our state. And I promise that I will never use my position to secure a benefit for one select group of people at the expense of others who are equally deserving. I do not stand for this type of politics, and my record proves this.
Anyone who still has questions about this issue is more than welcome to call my Raleigh office at (919) 733-6854.
Marc Basnight
Manteo
President pro tem
North Carolina Senate Dog for hearing-impaired
I wish to bring to your attention an issue that many people in North Carolina may not be aware of: people with disabilities and working dogs.
I have been naturally, legally deaf all of my life, due to nerve damage. But thanks to hearing aids, telephones with special amplifiers, vibrating alarm clocks and closed captioned decoders for televisions, I can function quite well in the working world. I still have trouble with sounds and speech discrimination. I don't sleep with hearing aids, making me especially vulnerable to any emergency situation that may occur.
This setback has recently been taken care of by the addition of a hearing dog to my life. Odie spent six months in training, learning to alert me to the sounds of everyday life: telephones, doorbells, knocks, alarm clocks, timers, smoke detectors, baby cries, etc. She even comes when someone tells her to ``go get Michelle.''
Odie has a license that I carry with me, an orange cape with ``Hearing Dog'' emblazoned on the side. She walks on my left side and behaves generally like a guide dog would. She is allowed access wherever I go, including restaurants, movie theaters, shopping malls, hotels, etc. Most people are curious, but very understanding.
I feel this letter is necessary to make people aware of this situation because it is unusual. Several times I have tried to rent beach houses or bed and breakfasts along the coast of North Carolina (Outer Banks and Wilmington areas), and met resistance when I mentioned that I was bringing my dog along. People say, ``Sorry, no pets allowed'' even though I try to explain that it is illegal to discriminate against working dogs. This happened several times, and I am frustrated.
I would appreciate it if you could help me make people aware of hearing dogs, as well as Seeing-Eye dogs and others who assist the physically disabled. It is illegal to charge any kind of fee, or to deny access to any place (public or private). I know that I can't possibly be the only person with this problem.
Michelle Brosnan
Raleigh ILLUSTRATION: POSTCARD
Here on vacation. Loving it! First time.
Here on vacation. Loving it! First time. Will be back. Read
your paper. Question: Why do the characters in ``Clam Dip'' look
like garlic cloves? It must be an Outer Banks thing. P.S. Liked
your article on mates. Elena Howard
Washington, D.C.
Editor's note: Regardless of readers' perceptions, the characters in
``Clam Dip'' are intended to look like clams.
by CNB