In his bid to become North Carolina’s first Black governor, Republican Mark Robinson assails government safety net spending as a “plantation of welfare and victimhood” that's mired Black people in “dependency” and poverty.
Over the past decade, Robinson’s household has relied on income from Balanced Nutrition Inc., a nonprofit founded by his wife, Yolanda Hill, that administered a free lunch program for North Carolina children.
The income offered the Robinsons a degree of stability after decades of struggle that included multiple bankruptcies, home foreclosure and misdemeanor charges — later dropped — for writing bad checks.
“Yolanda’s nonprofit was providing a salary for her that was enough to support us,” Robinson wrote in his 2022 memoir, noting its growth gave him the freedom to quit his furniture manufacturing job in 2018 and begin a career in populist conservative politics.
A major issue, according to government emails obtained by The Associated Press, was a lack of documentation: missing menus, timesheets, prior approval for some expenses and confirmation of income eligibility for children receiving aid.
Some of her raises coincided with Balanced Nutrition receiving additional government pandemic aid, including a $150,000 grant in 2023 that was made possible through the American Rescue Plan — signature legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden.
In 2021, after he won statewide office and started drawing a public salary that is now $157,000 a year, Balanced Nutrition stopped reporting specific compensation information for members of Robinson’s family on its annual tax forms.
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Over the past decade, Robinson’s household has relied on income from Balanced Nutrition Inc., a nonprofit founded by his wife, Yolanda Hill, that administered a free lunch program for North Carolina children.
The income offered the Robinsons a degree of stability after decades of struggle that included multiple bankruptcies, home foreclosure and misdemeanor charges — later dropped — for writing bad checks.
“Yolanda’s nonprofit was providing a salary for her that was enough to support us,” Robinson wrote in his 2022 memoir, noting its growth gave him the freedom to quit his furniture manufacturing job in 2018 and begin a career in populist conservative politics.
A major issue, according to government emails obtained by The Associated Press, was a lack of documentation: missing menus, timesheets, prior approval for some expenses and confirmation of income eligibility for children receiving aid.
Some of her raises coincided with Balanced Nutrition receiving additional government pandemic aid, including a $150,000 grant in 2023 that was made possible through the American Rescue Plan — signature legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden.
In 2021, after he won statewide office and started drawing a public salary that is now $157,000 a year, Balanced Nutrition stopped reporting specific compensation information for members of Robinson’s family on its annual tax forms.
The original article contains 1,730 words, the summary contains 213 words. Saved 88%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!