Will the backlash against “Congress” imperil Walter Jones?

Beaufort Observer

Is the Super PAC a substitute for term limits?

March 30, 2012

There’s a storm brewing in Eastern North Carolina. And Walter Jones may be in the eye of that storm. He has been targeted by the Campaign for Primary Accountability (CPA). And if recent results in Ohio, Illinois and Alabama are any indication of things to come, Jones may face the fight of his life in May. CPA has targeted him in the May primary.

Here’s how CPA defines “the problem:”

AMERICANS ARE FED UPThere’s one thing all Americans are fed up with: Trillion-dollar federal deficits. They destroy jobs, burden future generations with crushing debts and benefit only the corrupt, entrenched establishment in Washington, D.C., which wants ever-greater control over our lives.

We’re also disgusted with a Congress that is, directly or indirectly, responsible for these problems. How disgusted? In November 2010, the approval rating of Congress was just 17%, which was the lowest in our history.

But in that same month–when the approval rate of Congress was at an all-time low–86% of incumbent members of the U.S. House of Representatives were re-elected! Imagine working for a company that is losing money, lays off half its workers, pollutes the river but then gives its top executives huge bonuses. Something clearly is wrong with such a system, and it’s high time we did something about it.

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMMore than 80% of congressional districts are controlled by one of the two political parties. Most general elections aren’t even close. The incumbent wins in a landslide, with an average margin of victory of 26%. Most long-term incumbents–the ones who control Congress–come from one-party districts. The general elections in which they cruise to victory election after election are really fake fights, like the ones in pro wrestling.

THE REAL CONTEST IS IN THE PRIMARYBut here’s the killer. Primaries are far less competitive than the general elections. During the past decade, House incumbents were as likely to die in office as to lose a primary election. Incumbents enjoy other huge advantages. They write the rules by which elections are conducted, get favorable coverage from the media simply because they are in office and have lavish travel expenses and other perks of office. Lobbyists shower them with campaign funds.

It’s just not right.

Driven by frustration with Washington, citizens are hungry for a way to regain control of a runaway federal government. We’re desperate to end the fraud, mismanagement, corruption and crime. For far too long, Americans have mistakenly pinned their hopes on a political savior, a white knight, or some other figment of our imaginations, who will win the presidency, roll up his (or her) sleeves and “clean house.” Others place their trust in a political party or ideological “movement.” If bitter experience is any guide, we’ve been wasting our energy, money and time. The way to regain control of Washington is to regain control of Congress. Congress, after all, is the most powerful branch of government, and the most powerful members of Congress are entrenched House incumbents.

PRIMARIES ARE THE OPPORTUNITYPrimaries, remember, are where very few people bother to vote and where a small fraction of the electorate decides who will run in November and return to Washington. Remember that 10% of voters participate in the dominant primaries. This equates to an average of only 40,000-50,000 voters in each district. As pathetic as this seems, the low turnout in primaries represents a real opportunity. That’s because just a small percentage of voters in any district can change the outcome of the primary and, therefore, change who will end up representing that district in Congress.

Jones has come under scrutiny as never before as a result of his voting record in recent years. He was elected, and touts himself, as a “conservative.” Yet he has the most liberal voting record of any Republican in the North Carolina Delegation and one of the most liberal records of all Republicans in the House. Some have pointed out that he has been in Congress long enough that he should have risen to a leadership position but he does not chair any significant committees. His challenger in the Republican Primary, Frank Palombo, contends he has lost touch with the “people back home.” Others contend it is not so much losing touch as it is “the arrogance of incumbency.” That is where CPA comes in. It is their stated objective to make incumbents compete for their seats.

What compounds Jones’ problem is a growing and intense negative reaction against incumbents. Congress itself has some of the lowest approval ratings in history, and it has not changed with the change in partisan control of the House in 2010. But in the past surveys have shown that while a heavy majority of people express frustration with “Congress” they still vote for their incumbent. Incumbents have seldom lost.

But that may be changing. The previous efforts to unseat incumbents has tended to focus on the General Election, where partisan politics played a key role. However, the approach CPA is using is to focus on the primary where viable candidates are challenging incumbents. That may change the End Game. Indications are that the popular backlash against “politics as usual” and the shift of attention to the primaries may portend trouble for Jones and other entrenched incumbents.

Jones is perceived by some observers as being especially vulnerable because of his positions on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He represents a heavy military oriented district. He has long called for pulling the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, a position that some consider surrender rather than insisting that our troops be given the support necessary to win. One retired Marine colonel told us: “Jones’ position is dispicable. While our troops were in harm’s way he advocated ‘cut-n-run.’ That does nothing but encourage the enemy. What we need are leaders in Washington that do not send our troops into battle unless they intend to let them win. War is hell, but once the President deploys our troops Congressmen should support whatever is necessary to get the mission accomplished.” At a recent public meeting in the district that comment got a standing ovation. Jones has come under withering criticism for the following:

We shall see how it all plays out.

If you have read this far you will most likely be interested in this article that recently appeared in the National Journal.

Carolina Journal News Reports

Perdue Aircraft Provider Seeks GOP Senate Seat

More than 90 percent of Ramsey’s campaign donations went to Democrats

Top photo from Ramsey’s website; bottom photo by Don Carrington
Businessman Randy Ramsey (top) is running as a Republican. He has been a long-time Democratic donor and is connected to at least four campaign flights for Gov. Bev Perdue.

RALEIGH — Carteret County businessman Randy Ramsey, who has made substantial campaign contributions to Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley, and the N.C. Democratic Party, is running in a three-way Republican primary for the 2nd District state Senate seat.

Ramsey is the owner of Jarrett Bay Boatworks, a boat-building company located in Beaufort. He is a registered Republican, but his past support for Democrats, which includes air travel for Perdue and a $2,000 contribution to her campaign in July, has outraged several Republican Party activists.

Before this year, he has given $3,750 to Republican candidates, but more than 10 times that amount to Democratic campaigns and to the state Democratic Party.

Ramsey told Carolina Journal that he gave to Democrats from eastern North Carolina and thought they would help his part of the state, but that he has “been disappointed” in them.

Moreover, either Ramsey or Jarrett Bay is connected with at least four flights provided to the 2008 Perdue campaign, based on records from an investigation by the State Board of Elections. Ramsey says he recalls providing two of the flights, but the records — provided by the Perdue committee — are spotty and incomplete, making it difficult to connect payments with specific flights.

Two former Perdue fundraisers face felony charges related to unreported or improperly reported flights during Perdue’s campaign for governor.

Air travel for Perdue

Perdue was elected governor in November 2008. Investigations and news reports later would reveal that she made extensive use of private aircraft for campaign and official business without paying the owners. Perdue has attributed the initial nonpayments to sloppy work by her campaign staff. A Perdue spokeswoman characterized the free flying for official business as “gifts to the state.”

Through an investigation by the Board of Elections, the public eventually learned that Perdue’s campaign had accepted dozens of free flights. After a hearing in August 2010, the board fined the Perdue committee $30,000.

A spreadsheet listing Perdue’s air travel from 2001 through 2008 became public information during the election board’s August 2010 hearing. That document listed a total of 243 flights, but the details of many of the flights were missing.

The records appear complete for a Sept. 26, 2008, flight in a Beechcraft King Air provided by Crystal Aviation. May 11, 2009, the Perdue campaign committee sent Jarrett Bay Boatworks Inc. a check for $629.34, listing it as a debt payment for air travel related to that flight.

Crystal Aviation is involved in airplane leasing, according to corporation records from the N.C. Secretary of State’s office. Randy Ramsey of Jarrett Bay Boatworks was listed as a managing member in 2004 and as a member in other years.

A Carolina Journal review of Perdue’s campaign reports could not match reimbursements for three other flights involving Crystal Aviation:

• A Feb. 21, 2008, flight listed as New Bern/Charlotte/Chapel Hill/ New Bern was attributed to Crystal Aviation Partnership and Trawick “Buzzy” Stubbs. No cost or payment information was listed. CJ could find no record of payment to Stubbs, Crystal Aviation, Jarrett Bay, or Ramsey.

Stubbs, a longtime friend of Perdue and the law partner of Perdue’s late first husband, recently pleaded not guilty to two felony charges related to the governor’s campaign funding. Stubbs was identified in the Board of Elections’ report on Perdue’s campaign flights as an architect of an “aircraft provider” program, along with Peter Reichard, the campaign’s former finance director. Reichard took a felony Alford plea in February in the state probe of the governor’s campaign.

• A May 4, 2008, flight listed as Beaufort/New Bern/Chapel Hill/Beaufort/New Bern also was attributed to Crystal Aviation and Buddy Stallings. The cost column reads, “cost sheet not completed.” CJ could find no record of payment to Stubbs, Crystal Aviation, Jarrett Bay, or Ramsey.

• A March 8, 2007, flight listed as New Bern/Chapel Hill/Charlotte/Chapel Hill/New Bern was attributed to Crystal Aviation and Buzzy Stubbs. Notes indicate the trip was part official business and part campaign. The total cost was listed as $1,260.60. CJ could find no record of payment to Stubbs, Crystal Aviation, Jarrett Bay, or Ramsey.

Ramsey told CJ the Perdue committee reimbursed him for two flights, but he didn’t remember the details. When asked who asked him to make his aircraft available to Perdue, he said, “I don’t remember — don’t know who asked.”

NCSU board appointment

In June 2009, Perdue appointed Ramsey to the N.C. State University Board of Trustees. Ramsey filled the vacancy left by board chairman D. McQueen Campbell, who resigned at the request of UNC System President Erskine Bowles.

At the time, Campbell was the subject of news stories and investigations involving free campaign-related flights he had provided to Gov. Mike Easley, for his role in helping Mary Easley obtain a job at N.C. State, and for helping the Easleys purchase a lot in the Cannonsgate development in Carteret County.

In November 2010, Mike Easley entered an Alford plea to a felony charge of failure to report campaign expenditures. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that the evidence against him may lead to conviction from a jury. Easley, the first North Carolina governor with a felony conviction, paid a $1,000 fine.

Party loyalty

The 2nd Senate District is made up of Carteret, Craven, and Pamlico Counties.

The other two candidates are current GOP state Rep. Norm Sanderson of Arapahoe and Pine Knoll Shores Mayor Ken Jones. Incumbent Republican Jean Preston decided not to seek another term.

Some local conservative and Republican activists can’t stomach Ramsey as a Republican candidate.

“Randy Ramsey has been a major player in liberal Democratic ‘pay-to-play’ politics and is not representative of the conservative values of the Tea Party, or what we expect of the Republican Party,” wrote Ken Lang of Stella on the Crystal Coast Tea Party’s website.

A letter from Fred Decker of Newport, published in the Carteret News-Times, was also critical of Ramsey, and claimed the Republican state Senate leadership recruited him. “We don’t need people from Raleigh, Jacksonville, and Wilmington telling us whom we should select to represent us,” he wrote.

When asked if he had been recruited to run for the Senate, Ramsey told CJ that “recruited was too strong of a word,” and that he discussed his interest in running with Preston, state Senate leader Phil Berger of Rockingham County, and state Sen. Harry Brown of neighboring Onslow County.

Brown, the Senate majority leader, told CJ that Ramsey approached him about running for the seat and that the Senate leadership had no problem with it. “We were looking for candidates, and Norm Sanderson had not come to us at the time. We try to stay out of the primary,” he said.

When CJ asked Brown if he knew that Ramsey had been an aircraft provider to the 2008 Perdue campaign he said, “I had no clue on the flying.”

Most recent contribution

Last year, Perdue issued frequent criticisms of the budget passed by the Republican-led General Assembly. Perdue wanted to continue a 1-cent temporary sales tax that was scheduled to expire. She vetoed the budget bill, but the General Assembly voted to override her veto.

”Tonight, the Republican-controlled legislature turned its back on North Carolina’s longstanding commitment to our people to provide quality schools, community colleges, and universities — all to save a penny. I vetoed the Republican General Assembly’s budget because I believe it will cause generational damage to this state,” she said on June 15 after the override vote. “This budget is shortsighted and irresponsible. It cuts a full half-billion dollars more out of education than I proposed in my budget. It not only damages our education system but also hurts public safety, our environment, and our ability to care for those who need us most.”

The following month, on July 25, Ramsey made another $2,000 contribution to the Perdue campaign.

Ramsey’s donations to Perdue total $16,500. He also gave a total of $7,500 to Easley and $2,000 to former Democratic Senate leader Marc Basnight. Ramsey also gave $5,000 to the N.C. Democratic Party in October 2008 and another $2,500 in April 2010. He has made additional donations to Democrats.

In April 2008, just before the May primary election, Ramsey’s mother and three Jarrett Bay employees gave a total of $9,500 to the Perdue campaign.

Ramsey’s contributions to Republicans prior to this year total $3,750, including $1,000 to Brown and $1,250 to Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry.

Don Carrington is executive editor of Carolina Journal.

Here is a guy who says he’s a life-long Republican; A guy who has donated over $36,000 to Democrat candidates and the Democrat Party in NC, while saying that “they best represent the values of the voters in Carteret County.” A guy who never contributed a dime to Senator Jean Preston or Representative Pat McElraft. A guy who hasn’t shown up to a Republican fund raiser, or to a Carteret County Republican Convention. A guy whose campaign is largely funded by Democrat donors, and folks from Raleigh, NC State University, and some from states other than North Carolina. A guy who puts together a slick TV spot put together by a group of political wonks from Louisiana trying convince eastern North Carolinian’s that he’s a conservative Republican. This guy spins a yarn nearly as good as Obama!

The National Journal (click here) recently rated Walter B. Jones as the most liberal Republican behind ten Democrats who are rated more conservative than Jones. Just click the link above and page down the list to see where Walter ranks. We can do better in eastern North Carolina’s Third District. It’s time to bring Walter Jones back home to Farmville.

Updated: February 23, 2012 | 5:38 p.m.
February 23, 2012 | 4:00 p.m.

Nan Hayworth, R-N.Y.: 47.3, 52.7

David McKinley, R-W.Va.: 47.3, 52.7

Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash.: 47.5, 52.5

Dave Reichert, R-Wash.: 47.8, 52.2

Todd Platts, R-Pa.: 48.2, 51.8

Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J.: 49.5, 50.5

Michael Grimm, R-N.Y.: 49.8, 50.2 (At the center of the House)

Pat Meehan, R-Pa.: 50.0, 50.0 (At the center of the House)

Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb.: 50.2, 49.8 (At the center of the House)

Chris Gibson, R-N.Y.: 51.2, 48.8

Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.: 52.3, 47.7

Robert Dold, R-Ill.: 52.7, 47.3

Richard Hanna, R-N.Y.: 52.8, 47.2

Charlie Bass, R-N.H.: 53.2, 46.8

Dan Boren, D-Okla.: 53.7, 46.3 (Most conservative Democrat)

Chris Smith, R-N.J.: 53.8, 46.2

Tim Johnson, R-Ill.: 54.0, 46.0

Justin Amash, R-Mich.: 54.2, 45.8

Mike Ross, D-Ark.: 54.2, 45.8

Ron Paul, R-Texas: 54.3, 45.7

Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio: 54.5, 45.5

Jim Matheson, D-Utah: 54.5, 45.5

Jason Altmire, D-Pa.: 55.8, 44.2

Mike McIntyre, D-N.C.: 56.2, 43.8

Joe Donnelly, D-Ind.: 57.2, 42.8

Tim Holden, D-Pa.: 57.2, 42.8

John Barrow, D-Ga.: 57.5, 42.5

Collin Peterson, D-Minn.: 57.5, 42.5

Henry Cuellar, D-Texas: 57.7, 42.3

Ben Chandler, D-Ky.: 57.8, 42.2

Jim Cooper, D-Tenn.: 58.3, 41.7

Walter Jones, R-N.C.: 58.5, 41.5 (Most liberal Republican)

Jim Costa, D-Calif.: 58.8, 41.2

Larry Kissell, D-N.C.: 59.2, 40.8

Heath Shuler, D-N.C.: 59.2, 40.8

Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif.: 59.5, 40.5

Nick Rahall, D-W.Va.: 59.5, 40.5

Jerry Costello, D-Ill.: 59.7, 40.3

Daniel Lipinski, D-Ill.: 59.8, 40.2

Gene Green, D-Texas: 60.0, 40.0

Bill Owens, D-N.Y.: 60.2, 39.8

Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.: 60.5, 39.5

Ron Kind, D-Wis.: 61.2, 38.8

Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa: 61.8, 38.2

Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md.: 63.8, 36.2

Terri Sewell, D-Ala.: 64.0, 36.0

Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas: 64.2, 35.8

Gary Peters, D-Mich.: 64.3, 35.7

Tim Walz, D-Minn.: 64.3, 35.7

Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.: 64.7, 35.3

Kurt Schrader, D-Ore.: 64.7, 35.3

John Dingell, D-Mich.: 64.8, 35.2

Joe Baca, D-Calif.: 65.0, 35.0

John Carney, D-Del.: 65.0, 35.0

This article appeared in the Saturday, February 25, 2012 edition of National Journal.

The race to fill Senator Jean Preston’s seat in the NC Legislature is heating up. A few weeks ago Rep. Norm Sanderson announced his intention of running for Senator Preston’s seat. Saturday, Ken Jones, Pine Knoll Shores mayor announced he would throw his hat in the ring. For weeks it has been rumored that Randy Ramsey, owner of Jarrett Bay Boat Works would also declare his candidacy for Senator Preston’s seat.

Rep. Sanderson is a staunch conservative. Ken Jones from all reports is also a solid conservative. But even though Mr. Ramsey is registered Republican, his politics is largely unknown, until you look at his political contribution and political associations as far back as 1997.  If you to follow this link to www.followthemoney.org a site that tracks money in state politics.  It shows that since 1997, Randall Ramsey has given $36,950 to Democratic candidates in NC. They include, Mike Easley, Bev Perdue, Mark Basnight and the NC Democratic Party.  During that same period of time he gave $2750 to Republicans.

Randy Ramsey is the owner of Jarrett Bay Boat Works and his company airplane was included in the first round of “unreported flights” for Governor Bev Perdue that became known as Travelgate”. (Ref. http://www.civitasreview.com/elections-campaigns/travelgate-perdue/)
This followed a pattern dating back to the Easley administration of political donors providing free air travel and political contributions in return for political favors or political appointments.  In Ramsey’s case, the political appointment was to the NC State University Board of Trustees.

Randy Ramsey has been a major player in liberal Democratic “pay to play” politics and is not representative of the conservative values of the Tea Party, or what we expect of the Republican Party.   I encourage you to do your own research and then if you come to the same conclusion, pass this information on to your friends to warn them that a major Democratic political player is running in the Republican primary for NC Senate.

We do not want a Democrat pretending to be a Republican run for the Senate seat currently occupied by such a fine Senator as Jean Preston. This is no way to honor Jean’s service by electing a RINO Democrat hack to her seat.

Democrat Contributions                      Republican Contributions

$2000  Mike Easley Gov       12/18/97          $500  David Hipps Senate           1/20/00
$500 Bev Perdue Senate       7/15/98           $500  Jonathan Robinson House 9/28/00
$1000   Mike Easley Gov       3/31/99           $500  David Hipps Senate           11/5/00
$500   Mike Easley  Gov        6/24/99           $1000  Cherie Berry Labor Com 12/10/03
$1000  Bev Perdue  Lt. Gov   6/25/99           $250   Cherie Berry  Labor Com  10/16/07
$1000  Scott Thomas Senate    6/29/00
$2000  Bev Perdue  Lt. Gov      9/22/00
$2500  Mike Easley  Gov          10/3/00
$200  Scott Thomas  Senate     8/26/02
$250   Scott Thomas Senate     10/01/04
$2000  Mike Easley  Gov           10/16/04
$1000  Bev Perdue  Lt. Gov       10/20/04
$2000  Bev Perdue  Lt. Gov       12/27/05
$2000  Bev Perdue  Lt. Gov        6/29/06
$2000  Bev Perdue  Gov            12/27/07
$4000  Bev Perdue   Gov           10/3/08
$1000  Marc Basnight  Senate    10/17/08
$5000  NC Democratic Party       10/17/08
$2500  NC Democratic Party       4/28/10
$1000  Marc Basnight  Senate     7/2/10
$1500  Michael Walters  Senate   9/16/10
$2000  Bev Perdue Gov               7/25/11
==========================================================================
$36,950                                                                    $2750

Please allow me to communicate something that I believe is of importance to all taxpayers in Carteret County.

My name is Terry Frank and I own Frank Door Company located in Newport, NC. I believe in civic responsibility as demonstrated by my two years of voluntary service on the local ABC Board of Directors and four years on the Carteret County Economic Development Council Board of Directors.

I chose to move my family and business here over ten years ago because of the quality of life, the quality of the workforce and the true sense of community I found here in Carteret County. My business has thrived and I feel that sense of community even more.

I believe that we need strong leadership from our elected officials

and I can offer the strength that comes from the real experiences of owning and operating a successful business.  This business perspective brings a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility and scrutiny of expenses. It is this perspective and my belief that with responsible leadership, Carteret County will continue to grow and prosper. I am willing to offer my time and expertise in this effort.

            Therefore, I will be filing to run for County Commissioner in District 3. I am asking for your support.

The decision to run came from of a strong commitment to my community and the belief that with your help we can make a difference. You can be assured that I will have your tax dollars and the role of government in supporting businesses at the center of my focus.

I have always been a Republican and believe strongly in its core principles and know they are what we need in 2012 to lead us out of this economic downturn.   I have also staunchly supported the Carteret County Republican Party and its candidates and have continually increased my participation in the party over the years.  I will take the opportunity to use my talents and business experiences gained over the past twenty-five years with Republican principles as a guide to assist Carteret County government.

Thank you,

Terry Frank

January 18th at 2:00 P.M., Legislative Office Building, Room 421, Raleigh, NC

As you know, NC 20 battled valiantly to protect the coastal counties from

outrageous increases in insurance rates back during the negotiations on House

Bill 1305 (HB 1305). We blunted much of the damage, but there’s no doubt that

we ended up experiencing some severe pain with the resultant bill due in large

part to the huge insurance lobby and the power that they wield in Raleigh. With

our recent victory on the Sea Level Rise issue behind us, it’s time to revisit

homeowners insurance. Our coastal legislators, led by Representative Tim Spear,

have arranged for a dialog between NC 20, the Insurance Commissioner, and the

coastal legislators. It will be in Raleigh on the date and time above.

To be effective, we need a big turnout from coastal residents at this meeting to give

the Insurance Commissioner a clear understanding of the dissatisfaction and anger

that we feel over the treatment of coastal residents in the matter of insurance.

Our main goals in this meeting are to ask why huge amounts of Beach Plan

premiums (about $250 million per year) are being spent on reinsurance. One of the

outcomes of HB 1305 was to cap liability for the insurance companies at $1billion

and provide for a surcharge on insurance policyholders throughout the State in the

event of a catastrophic event. Equally important is the matter of base rates

themselves, which affect all of us. Why are they as much as five time the rates in

Charlotte? Really, how much is enough? We’ve never had a Category 5 and only

one Category 4 hurricane. Why do mentions of Katrina keep cropping up?

There are a lot of extremely serious questions that need to be asked and the

Commissioner, who is the representative of the people, needs to hear from us

directly and forcefully.

We are writing this in the hope that you will attend the meeting in Raleigh and bring

people from your county with you to demonstrate forcefully the extent of our

dissatisfaction. To begin the process, we will have a luncheon at the Cardinal Club

in the Wells Fargo Capitol Center building (150 Fayetteville Street, Suite 2800) at

12:00 noon to give all of the attendants a pre-briefing on what we hope to

accomplish. We can walk from the Cardinal Club to the Legislative Building for the

meeting and then back to the parking deck. There is a parking deck on Wilmington

Street right across the street from the Wells Fargo Capitol Center. If you bring your

parking ticket with you, the Cardinal Club can validate it for you. The cost of the

meal is $10 per person payable at the door of our private dining area in the Capitol

Room.

Please make every effort to attend and bring some very vocal people with you! Call

the number below to help us with lunch arrangements.

Board Members

Bill Price Bob Slocum Bud Stilley Larry Baldwin Missy Baskervill Rudi Rudolph Willo Kelly John Droz

Tom Thompson Daniel Scanlon Frank Heath Randy Keaton David Peoples Tim Buck Russell Overman

Mazie Smith Randell Woodruff William Cowan Bobby Outten David Burton Fred Bone Kathleen Riely

705 Page Road, Washington, North Carolina 27889 Office: (252)946-3970

Fax: (252)946-0849

If you don’t believe that the time has come to make a decision about which side you need to be on, watch the following video.

America has the luxury of a little more time than Europe but the amount of time may be short. The sides are being delineated and it is now the time for every man and woman to take a stand for good or evil. In the past, we could get by with shades of gray. Those days are gone as are the time to be silent in the face of evil.

David DeGerolamo

via NC Renegade

Brad Miller (D) US House of Representatives — NC District 13 made another appearance at the Occupy Raleigh event at the Capitol. Rep. Miller attended the first meeting at Moore Square two weeks ago. I wonder how many occupiers know that Rep. Miller consistently blocked a committee vote to release legislation out for a floor vote to audit the Federal Reserve in the US House. Rep. Miller’s hypocrisy knows no boundaries as he protects the nation’s largest private bank and then attends rallies whose purpose is completely contrary to his record.

News & Observer Report

U.S. Rep. Brad Miller of Raleigh, who arrived in mid-afternoon, said he was sympathetic to the protestors’ anger. “Protest movements don’t start in the legislature, they start with grievances,” said Miller, a Democrat. “I think they are mad at the right people.”

Miller deflected questions about whether the occupy movement was the left-wing counterpart of the Tea Party movement, and he said he wasn’t sure if the movement would help the Democratic Party. “It appears to be an independent protest, and I don’t know where it will eventually end up,” he said.

Elaine Marshall (D) — North Carolina Secretary of State

Elaine asked for the occupiers’ help. Does this include her important investigation of UNC’s football program?

Bill Faison (D) Chapel Hill, NC

I hope that the occupiers sitting in jail start to understand who is really the cause of our economic collapse. This is the consequence of putting your trust in a politician who is only pandering for votes. The problem is not the 1%: it is the politicians.

Mr. Faison is currently serving his fourth term in the NC House of Representatives. He is asking the occupiers to help him even though he has been entrenched in the General Assembly and represents what their movement is fighting against.

Although the organizers for Occupy Raleigh assured the crowd that the rally was non-partisan, this was not the case.  The Democrats and labor unions played the occupiers as well as Johnny played the fiddle in “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (or North Carolina).

David DeGerolamo

via NC Renegade

Carolina Journal Exclusives

Measure would allow oil and natural gas production offshore and inland

RALEIGH — Republicans believe they will have enough votes when they return to session in November to override Gov. Bev Perdue’s veto of legislation both opening North Carolina’s coastal waters to natural gas drilling and authorizing hydraulic fracturing to recover inland shale gas deposits.

“We’ve been working very hard to get the votes and we’re close,” said Sen. Bob Rucho, R-Mecklenburg, a primary sponsor of Senate Bill 709, the Energy Jobs Act. “I think it’s within one or two votes,” and House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, are working with Rucho to secure more votes.

“The other day the governor said she’s starting to get her interest piqued in energy jobs,” Rucho said. “I talked with her one time in the last month about the fact we really do need to sit down and talk about what huge benefits there are for the state. I hope that she will recognize that … and move forward with this diversification of our industries.”

Rucho said the bill delivers jobs and economic development. A report by the Southeast Energy Alliance found that offshore gas production would create more than 6,700 new jobs and boost the state’s gross domestic product more than $659 million annually over 30 years. It could create another $10 billion in cost sharing of government revenues, or $484 million per year on average.

Inland shale gas production would add still more revenue and jobs, Rucho said. “Other states that are doing this, Texas and Louisiana and Pennsylvania, are having the least economic pain from the recession,” Rucho said. “Why not North Carolina?”

Opponents of the measure, led by environmentalists, claim that the hydraulic fracturing process that could be used to free inland energy reserves, aka fracking, poses dangers to groundwater. They also argue that oil and gas companies may be engaging in predatory practices as they seek to gain access to landowners’ mineral rights.

“We’re certainly working to sustain the governor’s veto,” said House minority leader Joe Hackney, D-Orange. “I know the speaker is working [the other side], so we’ll see what happens.

“I think the prevailing opinion is go slow, do a thorough study and make sure that our water is not impacted.” That was the approach written into House Bill 242, said Hackney, whose legislative district spans three counties that would be affected by shale gas production. “Most Democrats feel that way.”

Hackney said his constituents have been vocal.

“Mostly emails, lots, most all of them on one side,” he said. “Either they don’t want it at all or they want to go very slowly.”

“We are opposed to that bill. We are working pretty hard with other groups, cities and communities across the state,” said Derb S. Carter Jr., director of the North Carolina/South Carolina office of the Southern Environmental Law Center in Chapel Hill, who urged lawmakers to go slowly.

“The real concern here is the contamination of drinking water supply, both groundwater and surface water,” Carter said. “There are about 2.7 million North Carolinians whose drinking water would be affected if fracking were to occur. There’s nothing to harm a community more than to have their drinking water in jeopardy.”

The largest of the state’s three Triassic basin bands of shale where gas may be found stretches in a southwesterly direction from Granville County near the Virginia border through Durham, Wake, and Orange counties all the way to the South Carolina border. Smaller deposits exist in Rockingham and Davie counties.

Hydraulic fracturing is a process by which large volumes of water, sand, and a small amount of lubricating chemicals are pumped at high pressure into shale, helping to open small fissures in the rock so the gas can escape.

Carter said some chemicals used are known to be toxic, and companies sometimes refuse to disclose what chemicals are injected “because they contend they are proprietary information, trade secrets.”

Aside from the chemicals, the possibility of spills and a dearth of existing treatment plants in North Carolina for the used water, there could be danger to downstream water supplies, to aquatic life and chronic, long-term health and environmental impacts that may take years to surface, Carter said.

Jordan Treakle, mineral rights project coordinator at Rural Advancement Foundation International, a Pittsboro-based nonprofit working with farmers and landowners, said farmland could be taken out of production to accommodate the large volume of acreage needed for frackng. Chemical spills could make farmland unusable, many roads would be cut through fields and forests to set up wells and the volume of truck traffic over local and state roads would be heavy.

“Environmentalists just say no. No nothing. No jobs and no low energy costs,” Rucho said. “We did a lot of due diligence to make sure that we not only are opening up the energy sector but that we are protecting ourselves and protecting the citizens of the state,” Rucho said. That included looking at best practices from other states and studying environmental issues that have arisen.

“If we can’t find a safe way to do that, it isn’t going to be done,” Rucho said. “There were a lot of precautions in that bill,” including a $500 million fund for any emergencies that may arise.

The Senate bill also incorporates H.B. 242, requiring a comprehensive environmental analysis. A report of the findings is due in May. The first preliminary public hearing to gather information will be held tonight at 6:30 at the Lee County Agricultural Extension Center.

Aside from environmental concerns, Treakle said there is evidence some energy-related leasing companies are conducting predatory practices, paying between $1.00 and $25 per acre in up-front bonuses while landowners in Louisiana receive from $2,500 to $25,000.

“Our concern is that these landowners are signing these contracts . . . without the help of an attorney and may not know what they’re signing up for” in terms of liability or fair compensation, Treakle said.

“I know that the (state) Attorney General’s Office has expressed interest in this issue. The North Carolina Department of Justice also has had some concerns. They have spoken to us about the issue and we have given them our concerns,” Treakle said.

“We’ve focused our efforts in Chatham, Lee, and Moore (counties) because that’s where these companies have been most active,” Treakle said. Leases have been signed for “between 9,000 and 9,400 acres” in Lee County, where there are up to 30,000 acres of gas-bearing shale. No leases have been filed yet with government agencies in Moore and Chatham counties.

Ted Feitshans, a mineral rights lawyer and extension specialist at North Carolina State University, said the No. 1 issue for landowners to be concerned about is whether they actually own the mineral rights. Some may have been transferred away during the state’s 1799 gold rush, he said.

“The company that they signed the lease with, at least theoretically, could sue them for damages. If they already started pumping the gas and somebody else owns the gas, it could be a very messy lawsuit,” Feitshans said.

“You could end up with abandoned equipment and partially drilled wells” if the company that signed the lease goes belly up, Feitshans said.

Leases could hold landowners liable for damages, fines and cleanup on their property and neighbors’ land.

Feitshans urges landowners to “Hire an oil and gas attorney who’s had some experience in negotiating gas leases. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of attorneys with experience with this in North Carolina.”

He’s holding a training session for attorneys for the North Carolina Bar Association Dec. 8 at its center in Cary.

Dan Way is a contributor to Carolina Journal.

Polls Show Voter Disapproval of Perdue Remains High
North Carolinians split on performance of GOP-controlled legislature
By David N. Bass
Sep. 30th, 2011
Carolina Journal Exclusive

RALEIGH — On the cusp of a difficult week in which she caught flak for suggesting that congressional elections next year be suspended, Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue got more bad news Friday morning: festering disapproval ratings.

Separate polls conducted in September by the conservative Civitas Institute and Elon University show that Perdue’s negatives remain stubbornly high. In the Civitas survey, 48 percent of respondents disapproved of Perdue, her lowest rating since October 2009.

The results are even worse in the Elon poll: Perdue earned a 51 percent negative rating.

Republicans shouldn’t be too quick to celebrate, though. Elon also reported that 41 percent of citizens disapprove of the Republican-controlled General Assembly, compared to 39 percent who approve. Twenty percent didn’t express an opinion either way.

“Beverly Perdue will face a tough re-election battle in November if North Carolinians continue to disapprove of the way she is handling the state economy,” said Mileah Kromer, assistant director of the Elon poll, in a statement. “If economic conditions fail to improve, it will be difficult for her to garner the necessary public support for re-election.”

Speaking at a Civitas poll luncheon in Raleigh on Thursday, former N.C. Republican Party chairman Tom Fetzer went a step further.

“Perdue will not be the Democrats’ nominee next year,” he said.

Fetzer, who now runs a consulting firm, said that one of two scenarios will play out: Either senior Democrats will convince her to step aside, or she will face a primary challenge from her own party.

Both polls also gauged North Carolinians’ stance on a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, banning same-sex marriage.

Fifty-six percent of residents oppose the amendment, compared to 39 percent who support it, according to Elon. In contrast, Civitas found that 62 percent of voters back the amendment and 31 percent who do not.

The Elon poll surveyed all North Carolina residents, not just registered or likely voters as Civitas did, which could explain some of the divergence.

The marriage amendment will appear on the primary ballot next year, currently schedule for May.

So, Governor Perdue wants to suspend election? Has she lost her mind completely now? She is suggesting suspending elections as one would expect from a dictator like Castro, Hugo Chavez, or Daniel Ortega. She is suggesting suspension of the election of a new Congress that will certainly reflect the principles of the majority of American’s? If this is the kind of government Beverly Perdue envisions maybe she needs to run for despot in some third world nation.

Read entire article from American Thinker, Dem Governor Suggests Suspending Elections .

In News & Observer via CarolinaJournalonline

Civitas has produce an interesting chart showing voter demographics in NC by county. The graphic shows registration by party and race. Check it out and enjoy –

Click NC Voter Registration