Former hospital chief gets tailor-made job

Patsy Christian has gone from a gilded frame to a golden parachute.

Christian resigned her position last week as director of a new state mental hospital in Butner after reports about a portrait of herself she commissioned with money intended to benefit patients.

But the beleaguered administrator will remain on the state payroll at more than 95 percent of her former salary.

In a new position created just for her, Christian will work for the state hospital system "to improve overall quality management in the area of nurse training across the system and compliance with regulatory requirements," said spokesman Mark Van Sciver of the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Her new annual salary will be $114,056, down from the $119,759 she was paid as hospital director.

Hunt's happy with system

Jim Hunt says the superdelegate system worked.

The former North Carolina governor said the Democratic primary system he helped create as head of a national commission in 1982 turned out the way he expected.

"I think it worked pretty well," he told Dome. "It helped us get a good result and get the primary resolved. Suppose this thing had gone to the convention unresolved. ... I think that would have hurt the party's chances of winning."

Hunt was asked about the reluctant superdelegates, often Blue Dog Democrats from more conservative districts who did not want to be tied too closely to either presidential nominee.

"It's not an excuse that they don't want to be put on the spot," he said. "Politicians have to be put on the spot all the time. That goes with the territory."

Hunt said he would consider changing the number of superdelegates. Hunt said his commission recommended a much smaller group of "automatic delegates," but the party has since expanded it.

"The party ought to take another look at whether or not they want to have that many," he said.

Dole ahead, survey says

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole has a 10-point lead in her re-election bid, according to a new survey.

A recent survey for the Civitas Institute showed Dole, a Salisbury Republican, with 48 percent and state Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, with 38 percent. Libertarian candidate Chris Cole had 1 percent, and 13 percent were undecided.

In last month's poll for the group, Dole led Hagan by just two points. Other recent polls have shown Dole opening a wider lead against Hagan since Dole's campaign began advertising on television.

The live-operator poll of 600 likely general election voters was conducted June 11 to 13 by TelOpinion Research of Alexandria, Va. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Sales tax is a sticking point

Stop the bus. Some of our legislators may want to get off.

Rep. Becky Carney of Charlotte, chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee, postponed action Wednesday on her bill to give Triangle and other urban voters the option to pay for transit improvements with a new half-cent local sales tax.

Eleven of the Triangle's 23 senators and representatives are co-sponsors for Carney's bill and its Senate twin, but some delegation members want changes.

"There's still concern about the half-cent sales tax and what other options are out there," Carney said.

Rep. Paul Luebke of Durham opposes sales tax increases as unfairly burdening low-income residents. He heads the Finance Committee, which is in line to debate Carney's bill.

One transit advocate criticized the delay. "We're confused as to why the legislature is putting money into toll roads and providing giveaways to the trucking industry but not moving on this -- when we're paying $4 for gas, and support for transit has never been higher," said Christa Wagner, a lobbyist for the N.C. Sierra Club.

Rep. Deborah Ross of Raleigh said the Triangle needs to start building a transit network of buses, trains and streetcars.

"I guess people can put up roadblocks by saying their philosophy is more important," Ross said. "But I'm about getting the work done. If the people want it and they vote for a funding stream, I do not think we should stand in the way."