Attorney makes donation in support of Romney

Julian Robertson Jr. isn’t the only donor with deep pockets and local connections who has supported Mitt Romney.

Salisbury attorney Bill Graham personally gave $50,000 in June 2011 to Restore Our Future, a super PAC (political action committee) supporting the Republican presidential candidate.

Pita Raleigh LLC, a Salisbury company listed with Graham’s name and address by the N.C. Secretary of State, contributed another $50,000 to the group in December.

While the $100,000 total is sizable amount of money, it’s just a fraction of Robertson’s $1 million contribution — not to mention the $30.2 million raised by Restore Our Future through the end of last year.

Frugal senators

Both of North Carolina’s U.S. senators rank in the Top 20 members of the Senate who returned funds to taxpayers.

This week, Politico ranked 95 senators based on the amount of their annual authorized budgets returned to the national treasury in the combined fiscal years 2009 and 2010. The list excludes senators who served less than six months in either of those fiscal years.

Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican, returned 14.36 percent, or $1.01 million, of his budget for the two fiscal years. He ranks 19th.

Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan ranks 20th for returning 14.34 percent, or $890,952, of her budget.

No long commutes

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr introduced a bill Tuesday that would require all active judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to live within 50 miles of Washington, D.C.

“If Veterans Court judges have to travel across the country to get to their offices, it could make it extremely difficult for them to fully engage in their case work, manage their staff, and carry out their judicial functions,” Burr said in a press release. “By requiring judges to live near the court’s office, we can help ensure that veterans receive the timely decisions from the Court that they deserve.”

According to the press release, the bill aims to increase the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the court, as well as to reduce any costs that could arise if judges work remotely.

Failure to comply with the residency requirement would be grounds for removal for all judges confirmed on or after Jan. 1, 2012. The changes would be effective 6 months after the date of enactment.

‘The best brand’

N.C. Rep. Larry Kissell met last week with Liz Havlin, executive director of WearUSA, to discuss ways to revitalize American manufacturing.

WearUSA supports small businesses that promote American manufacturing and sell American-made products. According to a press release sent this week, Kissell and Havlin met in Kissell’s Concord office to discuss the group’s effort to recognize and support local businesses that have embraced the Made in the USA effort.

“It’s time we make a strong commitment to bring jobs back to America where they belong,” Kissell said in the press release. “I’m eager to hear from organizations like WearUSA that are dedicated to strengthening American manufacturing and promoting the best brand in the world: Made in the USA.”

Kissell currently serves as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Textile Caucus. Before being elected to Congress, he worked for 27 years in a textile mill in Montgomery County.

— Karissa Minn