More McHenry News

While looking over the activities of Michael Aaron Lay during the 2004 election year my attention was drawn to a traffic ticket that he recieved in March of 2005. Originally, the ticket drew my interest because Mr. Lay continued to show his voter registration in North Carolina, but on the day of the ticket his residence, his vehicle registration and his license were all from Tennessee. Out of curiousity I pulled the ticket from Gaston County, and I noted the time of the infraction. Michael Aaron Lay was pulled over at 4:57 am on a Thursday morning heading down Highway 321 in Dallas, Gaston County. Presumably Mr. Lay was leaving his "home" in Cherryville on his way to I-40 and Knoxville, TN where he was attending law school. My question is this: Is it really appropriate and seemly for a 29/30 year old Congressman to be sharing his home with a 23/24 year old law student on a weekday/school night such that the young college student is up at 4:30 am and headed back to school at 5:00 am. In my opinion there are only a few good reasons for a young man to drive 3 1/2 hours on a Wednesday after classes to spend the night with someone and then get up the next morning at 4:30 and drive the 3 1/2 drive back to make his classes. I cannot imagine what legitimate tasks in this "Age of Information" could not be accomplished over phone, fax and internet. If this young man's visit was not for inappropriate reasons, at least our Congressman should realize and avoid such an obvious "appearance of impropriety". Michael Aaron Lay is a young man compared to Patrick McHenry. It should be obvious to the Congressman and anyone else that a single man in Patrick's position would be well advised to avoid overnight guests who find it necessary to scuttle out of town on a school night before the sun is even up.