Published: Sun, May. 25, 2008 12:30AM

Modified Sun, May. 25, 2008 05:13AM

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Gore has not convinced everyone that he's turning the agency around. He declined to comment about the firing of Ken Cassidy, an assistant district supervisor and 17-year DMV employee, citing a state law that keeps most personnel matters private. Cassidy had helped expose issues from Tatum's tenure, specifically the hiring of a friend of a DMV director and an emissions staff that didn't have enough work to do.

"That doesn't instill a great deal of confidence," said state Rep. Nelson Dollar, a Cary Republican who serves on two transportation committees. "It has the potential of sending a chilling effect through the rank and file of the DMV."

Jackie Holland, another former DMV district supervisor, said Cassidy's firing raised doubts about how much Gore has changed the management culture.

"I think he started out doing the right things and some positive things, but there's still a lot of the same old 'good ole boy' mentality down there," said Holland, who retired from the DMV in 2005.

Gore said he doesn't see an agency roiling in politics and scandal. He's familiar with the "Fayetteville mafia" criticism. But he thinks a lot of the suspicions and accusations stem from longtime employees upset at Tatum for hiring supervisors from the outside instead of promoting from within. Many of those new supervisors, he said, are among the best employees.

A judge with integrity

"If they are doing a good job, I don't care who hired them," he said, "and I'm not going to penalize them just because of what county they came from."

Gore, 56, is a former state Superior Court judge who has spent three decades running a courtroom, mostly in Bladen, Brunswick and Columbus counties. Court officials and lawyers there say Gore showed nothing but integrity on the bench and never shied away from tough cases.

"I don't see him sacrificing the overall quality of anything just to help somebody out," said Gore's replacement on the bench, state Superior Court Judge Douglas B. Sasser.

A stocky, 6-foot-3-inch man with a deep voice, Gore is serious and direct. But his office also reflects a sense of fun, with a miniature replica of his Mustang convertible, a Jimmy Buffett bumper sticker and a small jukebox radio. The first step visitors take into his office is on a Carolina Tar Heels rug.

Gore was in his fourth day of retirement, relaxing on the beach, when Easley called about the commissioner's post. Easley needed someone in a hurry and told Gore he was the man for the job.

Gore had nearly three decades of experience running a courtroom. But now he was being asked to run a state agency full of turmoil.

Gore had read the news reports about Tatum. Was Easley sure Gore could handle this?

"He said, 'Go to Raleigh and be yourself,' " Gore said. " 'Bring your common sense with you and just be Bill Gore.' "

Gore does not want to be the DMV commissioner once Easley's successor takes office in January, and he thinks that decision benefits the public.

It's evidence, he said, that the changes he is making are for the public, not his political future.

Some see 'Fayetteville mafia' favoritism

Longtime DMV employees who talk about the "Fayetteville mafia" aren't just referring to hires and promotions.

Fired DMV assistant supervisor Ken Cassidy said one of the first signs he saw that George Tatum's tenure would be marked with political favoritism was in 2005, when the division changed the names of the awards given to the outstanding performers in its inspectors academy. Cassidy said the awards used to be named after DMV patrol officers who died in the line of duty.

After Tatum took over, the names were changed to the secretary's award, the commissioner's award and the director's award.

Another award was created for marksmanship. It was named after Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat who is close to Tatum and Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett. Rand sold a downtown Raleigh condominium to Tatum in December 2006.

Tatum said the change reflected, in part, the fact that the DMV is no longer involved in road patrols. He said he and others named the sharpshooter award for Rand because he is a "deadeye" and has sponsored needed legislation to help the agency and the state's motorists.

Rand said he knew nothing of the award.

His son, state Superior Court Judge Ripley Rand, presented the award twice in 2006, according to graduation ceremony programs.