From my hometown of Raleigh, NC, we learn that dissent is a means to a criminal investigation
David N. Cox says he was merely exercising his right to petition the government, but a state Department of Transportation official has raised allegations that Cox committed a misdemeanor: practicing engineering without a license.
Cox and his North Raleigh neighbors are lobbying city and state officials to add traffic signals at two intersections as part of a planned widening of Falls of Neuse Road.
After an engineering consultant hired by the city said that the signals were not needed, Cox and the North Raleigh Coalition of Homeowners’ Associations responded with a sophisticated analysis of their own.
They came up with an 8 page analysis that shows that signals will be needed. That bit of citizen action has annoyed the head of the DOT
It did not persuade Kevin Lacy, chief traffic engineer for the state DOT, to change his mind about the project. Instead, Lacy called on a state licensing agency, the N.C. Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors, to investigate Cox.
Cox has not been accused of claiming that he is an engineer. But Lacy says he filed the complaint because the report “appears to be engineering-level work” by someone who is not licensed as a professional engineer.
Remember the days when one could offer advice without some weenie in The Government giving you a license? But, Lacy says he is not trying to shut Cox up. Anyone buying that? And, yes, the state engineer licensing board is actually going to investigate, and it will take 3-4 months. Someone needs to sue the hell out of Lacy as a representative of the NC government for NC Constitutional Rights violations.
PS: Looks like Memeorandum has linked the story up, and, it’s really strange when Matt Yglesias and I agree.
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Analysis isn’t engineering, for that matter people submit “drawings” all the time for permitting when doing additions or “improvements” without a contractor. If the “drawing” meets code a permit is issued without a PE (Professional Engineer) stamp.
[…] Head Of NC DOT Wants Citizen Investigated For Speaking Up Remember the days when one could offer advice without some weenie in The Government giving you a license? But, Lacy says he is not trying to shut Cox up. Anyone buying that? And, yes, the state engineer licensing board is actually going to investigate, and it will take 3-4 months. Someone needs to sue the hell out of Lacy as a representative of the NC government for NC Constitutional Rights violations. […]
Exactly Adobe.
If the dude is not selling his “engineering” services, then he doesn’t need a license. If he is not having structures built using his “engineering” then he doesn’t need a license.
If he only develops something to support his own argument in a petition of the government, then he has every single right to do that.
Gov’t Dude can complain as long as he wants, but, he doesn’t have to be listened to either.
Unfort, it sounds like he has cronies in the licensing agency. They should know the laws and rules of the road.
Hopefully, the GOP controlled General Assembly will say “hey, how about coming up and testifying what the hell you’ve done, Mr. Lacy?”
Speaking of old cronyism, I just learned that our new female Republican Governor and State Superintendent are learning how hard and how high that male cronyism wall really is. The new Super is trying to get some investigations going on how the previous Super spent the money and where it went. The State School Board is blocking her. Our new female Gov has gotten in to the mix telling them to straighten up or get out.
Supposedly as well (I have not confirmed this yet) but the board was looking at potential candidates for an open slot and threw out one candidate who was pregnant stating that she would be of no use to them in her condition.
I’d say, clean house! Or threaten an official governor-sanctioned investigation.
YOU GO GIRL!!