While western North Carolinians worked to shovel themselves out of the destruction and devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson continued to dig himself into deeper holes of hypocrisy and neglect of his constitutional duties.
On Oct. 9, for just the second time this year, he actually appeared to do the job the North Carolina Constitution assigns him — preside as President of the North Carolina Senate. He attended a mere five Senate sessions in 2022 and only six sessions in 2023. He’s missed 96% of the Senate meetings during the current session. Showing up to do the job taxpayers provide a $157,400 annual salary (plus expenses) for shouldn’t be a major news event.
During his unique appearance in the Senate chamber, he chastised politicians who sought to create division and cast aspersions amid the efforts to rescue and provide relief to those suffering from Helene’s wrath.
His words came as the Republican-dominated legislature — in unanimous bipartisan votes — approved a relief package crafted largely by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, the state Board of Elections and the Republican-led state Department of Public Instruction.
“I stood there as an elected official and thought about the foolishness of politics, arguments that people have, the accusations that people make against elected officials, the things that we see on TV, the commercials that we make, the campaigns we run and I, quite frankly, was embarrassed,” he told the state Senate. “Each and every one of us should commit ourselves — and I'm sure you have — to double down on our efforts to not be politicians, to not make empty promises, but to be the servant leaders we're supposed to be.”
Words are cheap. It takes integrity to stand up and honor the platitudes of a speech with actions that provide the true testimony.
On that count — as he has regularly done in his time in office and before — what Robinson demands of others isn’t what he displays in his own behavior.
When it was time to make sure those in harm’s way would have quick access to the resources necessary to help, Robinson was nowhere to be found. Twice he failed to vote, as a member of the Council of State, on a request for a declaration of emergency. He was the only one of the 10-member council (six Republicans and four Democrats) who failed to vote. Both requests (minus Robinson’s failure to participate) were unanimously approved.
Less than a week after the storm hit the western part of the state — at an event in Louisburg (260 miles east of the center of the devastation) — it was Robinson who went after Democrats Gov. Roy Cooper and President Joe Biden.
He described Cooper’s efforts as “abysmal” and, without a shred of evidence, said: “Joe Biden told the people of North Carolina they had no more supplies for us,” adding, “Ask the people of western North Carolina if Joe Biden’s response has made worth a hill of beans to them.”
In an op-ed, Robinson also went after Cooper and the efforts of those in state government responding as “sluggish at best.” A PolitiFact check found that the claims by Donald Trump and echoed by Robinson were false.
The truth is, as Robinson was speaking, thousands of federal and state relief and rescue personnel were on the scene or headed that way with supplies and to provide assistance.
A week later, it was that same Robinson who told the Senate, “We’re not here to play games,” adding he’d resign if he ever engaged in such behavior.
North Carolina voters don’t have to wait on an unlikely resignation from Robinson — but by their votes in about three weeks can end his tenure in a job he doesn’t show up to do anyway.
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