One wealthy donor reshaped North Carolina politics toward privatization and tax cuts

Evidence

The red tide in the state capital really has one godfather, and his name is Art Pope. A wealthy businessman from the retail sector with a libertarian political vision, Pope decided some years ago to seek control of the state government. He invested millions of dollars in political think tanks, funded fellowships, and flooded campaign coffers. Payday has been sweet to Pope and his super-wealthy, hyper-conservative friends. North Carolina has advanced an agenda that includes the privatization of schools and lowering of the state’s income and corporate tax rates. — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers, 80