news-record.com

Stories about former Gov. Mike Easley these days are like Chinese water torture: drip, drip, drip.

The latest drop is really more like a torrent -- millions of gallons of water that Easley's golf club diverted from a major reservoir during a severe drought in 2002.

A long dry spell prompted the governor to declare an emergency and appeal to the federal government for assistance. He urged individuals to conserve and issued an order directing water systems and businesses to reduce their consumption. He showed strong and vigorous leadership.

Yet, the Old Chatham Golf Club, where Easley was a member, was allowed to pump up to 450,000 gallons a day from a creek that feeds Jordan Lake, a primary source of drinking water for the Triangle.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reported the story Sunday after finding records dating back to 2002.

"Is using water from Jordan Lake to water a golf course a good use of the water?" a state official asked in an e-mail. The question was settled with "a call from the governor's office," according to another memo.

Officials contacted by the newspaper revealed poor memories for details seven years later. Easley declined to be interviewed.

Shortly after he took office in 2001, Easley's membership dues at the Old Chatham Golf Club were waived by its board of directors, The News & Observer reported. The generosity saved him about $50,000 while he was governor, but Easley didn't list it as a gift on financial disclosure forms.

Chatham County granted the club permission to tap Northeast Creek, counting the 450,000 gallons a day against the county's water allotment. During a crisis, the state could have stepped in to stop a low-priority usage but didn't. Whether Easley personally influenced the decision in favor of the golf club isn't known, but there are reasons for suspicion.

With state and federal investigations swirling around the former governor, this story seems to fit a pattern. All the drip, drip, drip finally may have gotten Easley in deep water.