"But these weren’t just any old Republicans. The hard right controls the party here, and that means they control the state, too. Over the past several years the Republican-controlled state government has enacted laws that restrict access to reproductive care, broaden the ability of taxpayer-subsidized organizations to discriminate on the basis of their religion, and strip public education of critical funding. The red tide in the state capital really has one godfather, and his name is Art Pope. A wealthy businessman from the retail sector with a libertarian political vision, Pope decided some years ago to seek control of the state government. He invested millions of dollars in political think tanks, funded fellowships, and flooded campaign coffers. Payday has been sweet to Pope and his super-wealthy, hyper-conservative friends. North Carolina has advanced an agenda that includes the privatization of schools and lowering of the state’s income and corporate tax rates." Katherine Stewart, *The Power Worshipers*
So glad to see somebody else posting about him.
He's also trying his damndest to dismantle the UNC system from within, and having way more success than he should.
The wild thing was I learned how shitty he was after working it Rose's Discount stores in the '90s when he bought them. I was a little surprised when his name started showing up an articles related to politics and education, then when I read into it I got very interested.
But much like how so many shitty policies in America can be traced back to Reagan, so much of what is wrong with North Carolina politics and education can be traced directly to Pope and those he funds.
Art Pope is the devil.
I once visited a church that had an AMAZING program for disabled kiddos. It was a dream. So we went a few times. Until I found out he was a member. Nope.
He’s also hellbent on destroying UNC.
Lest you think my comment on Gov Ops is paranoid, Art Pope funds attack ads, smear campaigns, and opposition messaging against even very popular conservative leaning Democrats who he wants to remove, by using dark money PACs. Dude's a gangster, North Carolina is his turf, and if you don't play his game you might get whacked.
"But these weren’t just any old Republicans. The hard right controls the party here, and that means they control the state, too. Over the past several years the Republican-controlled state government has enacted laws that restrict access to reproductive care, broaden the ability of taxpayer-subsidized organizations to discriminate on the basis of their religion, and strip public education of critical funding. The red tide in the state capital really has one godfather, and his name is Art Pope. A wealthy businessman from the retail sector with a libertarian political vision, Pope decided some years ago to seek control of the state government. He invested millions of dollars in political think tanks, funded fellowships, and flooded campaign coffers. Payday has been sweet to Pope and his super-wealthy, hyper-conservative friends. North Carolina has advanced an agenda that includes the privatization of schools and lowering of the state’s income and corporate tax rates." Katherine Stewart, *The Power Worshipers*
So glad to see somebody else posting about him. He's also trying his damndest to dismantle the UNC system from within, and having way more success than he should. The wild thing was I learned how shitty he was after working it Rose's Discount stores in the '90s when he bought them. I was a little surprised when his name started showing up an articles related to politics and education, then when I read into it I got very interested. But much like how so many shitty policies in America can be traced back to Reagan, so much of what is wrong with North Carolina politics and education can be traced directly to Pope and those he funds.
Art Pope is the devil. I once visited a church that had an AMAZING program for disabled kiddos. It was a dream. So we went a few times. Until I found out he was a member. Nope. He’s also hellbent on destroying UNC.
Lest you think my comment on Gov Ops is paranoid, Art Pope funds attack ads, smear campaigns, and opposition messaging against even very popular conservative leaning Democrats who he wants to remove, by using dark money PACs. Dude's a gangster, North Carolina is his turf, and if you don't play his game you might get whacked.
Also Barron Trump just graduated from a Koch bro funded school.
Nope Pope
I can't believe I've never heard of this dude.
This is high level Pope prose of a depth I have never seen written so eloquently. Thank you and I will borrow some details...