Text cache of www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/224220.html



Perdue, in Charlotte, rips McCrory
The mayor's campaign chief dismisses the Democratic candidate's criticism, saying, �She's slipping in the polls.'
By Jim Morrill
[email protected]
Posted: Wednesday, Oct. 01, 2008

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, speaks during the North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform ethics forum Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Democrat Bev Perdue came to Republican Pat McCrory's backyard Tuesday and slammed the Charlotte mayor for �whining about crime� while vetoing a move to put more cops on the street.
Speaking to a westside group, Perdue also criticized her opponent for opposing children's health insurance and supporting school vouchers, which she said would take $1 billion out of public education.
Her appearance came as Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning firm from Raleigh, released a survey showing her in a tight race with McCrory. It found him winning independents and cutting into Perdue's edge among Democrats.
He was also running ahead of Republicans John McCain and Elizabeth Dole in urban areas.
McCrory campaign manager Richard Hudson dismissed Perdue's criticism.
�She's slipping in the polls,� he said, �and her rhetoric on the stump is getting more desperate and negative.�
McCrory has made crime a signature issue, arguing that the state hasn't provided enough prosecutors or courts.
But Perdue told the westside group and a Rotary luncheon that McCrory has stood in the way of putting more police on the streets.
She alluded to McCrory's 2006 veto � later overridden � of a city budget that included money for 70 new police officers.
�The city council said, �Yeah, that's what we need,'� she said. �The mayor said no.�
But the budget also included a 9 percent property tax increase, the first hike in 10 years and the reason McCrory gave for his veto. McCrory backed a budget proposed by the city manager that would have added 55 new officers.
Since he was first elected in 1995, the city has added 400 police officers.
Perdue said McCrory also supported President Bush's move to �eliminate 100,000 cops� from the streets. Bush failed to extend President Clinton's federal funding to augment local forces by that number.
Asked by a reporter how McCrory was involved, she turned to an aide. The aide later pointed to an article about a 1995 crime bill in which House Republicans eliminated $8.8 billion for new police officers. Instead, they offered a block-grant program that would have given states and cities more leeway in using the money.
McCrory, then mayor pro-tem, said then that the GOP bill offered �more local flexibility.�
Hudson called Perdue's claim that McCrory was �whining� about crime an �an insult to the victims� and victims' families.
Perdue did give the mayor a compliment of sorts.
�The mayor of Charlotte may be a good guy,� Perdue told the westside group. �He's a good mayor of Charlotte. And I'm asking you to let him remain as mayor.�
The PPP poll showed 44 percent of N.C. voters supporting McCrory; 41 percent, Perdue.
�Many Democrats are frustrated,� said poll spokesman Tom Jensen, �that Bev Perdue is not giving them any reason to vote for her rather than against McCrory.�








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