Category Archives: News

CCTPP Minutes, 3/15/2011

MINUTES OF CRYSTAL COAST TEA PARTY PATRIOTS

15 MARCH 2011

 

 

Meeting held at Golden Corral, Morehead City, NC

Meeting called to order at 6:05 PM by President BOB CAVANAUGH

Pledge of Allegiance led by LUKE KUKULINSKE

Invocation by DEBBIE RUCKER

No. in attendance – 29

 

Short discussion on the Japanese tragedy, earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown problems.

 

WAYNE WILLIS brought us up to date on the status of the board game he invented. He has engaged Matt McCastle (?), to develop and manufacture the software. He plans that by the last of June to have available a Power Point Presentation to show to the TEA Party attendees. We have told him we will place it in our web site sales catalog (and possibly other TEA Party web sites) and will, as agreed upon, receive 10% of the profits of items sold.

 

WAYNE apologized for missing the last couple of meetings. He has been in Florida, attending a Cooperative Power Company meeting where they discussed opposition to Senate Bill 3 (a bill forcing power companies to buy credits from wind power conglomerates. He said wind mills in the Pamlico would increase cost by 25 cents per kilowatt and with financial conditions as they are now, that is a big impact on the people.

 

KEN LANG, a nuclear chemist, said a lot of people think wind power is the way to go, while others think nuclear. A lot are anti drilling. However, after the problem in Japan many are very afraid of nuclear power now. He feels there is a lot of misinformation from the associated press (including Fox) being disseminated that is misleading the public. As for Japan, we will not actually know what the outcome will be there for many years to come. Nuclear power plants are built to withstand wind (like hurricanes), not earthquake tsunamis. California has had many small earthquakes but it has been a couple of hundred years since a truly big one. They are definitely due one.

 

KEN asked if everyone had read his letter to the editor last Friday about the school and budgets. He said Tabby Nance had called him and discussed the situation and what he thought needed to be done to bring our grade up from the “D” reported by the John Locke Society. She called back today and told him she had talked with Dan(?) at the Society and our system is not acceptable for NC Transparency (school grades, county statistics, lack of info availability on funding, and etc.) By this afternoon the Board of Education had provided enough information for her to get our rating raised to a B+ but she was still working on getting an A. He recommended that we all check out nctransparency.com (I hope I got this right, if not please forgive me) and keep up with how we are being rated. The state has pushed 8 million dollars down to the county to absorb, which the county is trying to get stopped. Insurance of 1 ½ million dollars on each school bus is mandated by the state but no insurance company has been found to take the responsibility of this covering. Comment was made that if the school buses belong to the state and are insured by them, then, why are we having to pay even more in insurance. No one could answer.

 

BOB introduced our evening’s guest speaker – LOCKWOOD PHILLIPS who had been invited to speak to us by KEN LANG.

 

Lockwood said he is disturbed by the media bias against the TEA parties. They have maligned the party ever since it’s beginning. When you watch the main stream media and what has been going on in Wisconsin, with the rowdy crowds and their destruction of their capital building; where are all the reporters and their disapproval of this disgusting display of violence? They are taking up for them and saying they are in the right which is in complete opposition to the comments made about the TEA party. When the TEA parties held their rally in Washington, we left the city cleaner than when we arrived. It did not take thousands to repair any damage from our being there. You did not hear any fowl language, inappropriate action, or see any violence. The TEA Parties are to be congratulated for being a better type of people; while still just as impassioned and intense.

 

He said he had talked to Ty Ruddy, from Jacksonville, who is greatly disturbed about the increased sales tax which has just layered another tax on top of the already tax base. While we have been hoping for change, it appears things are still like ice cream…..be it chocolate or strawberry, it is still ice cream…. or, be it Democrats or Republicans, it is still politics.

 

As Pogo, from the comics, used to say “We have met the enemy and the enemy is us!” We have done a very poor job educating the public. An example is the Coastal Resources on terminal groins. All sorts of restrictions are being thrown in the way. In discussing the cost of the groins, we find that many are taking the amount of money appropriated for dredging the port and referring to it as maintenance for the groins. It is being said that it will cost over 5 million dollars a year to maintain the groins. HOWARD GARNER said he is a native of Carteret County and remembers when the groins (or jetties as they were called then) were built at Fort Macon and he does not remember ever seeing or hearing of any maintenance being conducted on them. Others are afraid of the groins; saying about 240 homes are in danger. They believe the groins will cause the beaches to wash away faster and they say they have to have the spoils from dredging the port to replenish the beaches. Lockwood said he and probably one other person knows where the jetties are on Shackleford Banks. They have collected so much sand they are completely covered. He feels the same situation will occur on Atlantic Beach rebuilding the island naturally (with the jetties) and not having to pay to have sand pumped onto the beaches. While using our tax dollars to pay to replenish the beaches, the owners of those multi-million dollar homes begin to believe the beaches belong to them. We need to educate the politicians and the public that all those people walking on the beach are not home owners. The beaches belong to the public. They are ours. CLAYTON GILLIKIN said these beach front owners remind him of an old Indian who grew up down east. Every time a storm came up, he would say ‘dumb white people’. When asked why he would say such a thing, he said ‘how many teepees have you seen floating on the ocean’.

 

Lockwood said when the Town Creek Marina in Beaufort wanted to dredge out the channel (which had been kept dredged for years with the spoils being placed on a nearby spoils bank) they were told by the Corps of Engineers that they could not use that bank (which had been established by the Corps). All of a sudden it was no longer a spoils bank, but now was wet lands. They said they had checked and found sand, sea oats, and other type marsh land items, buried beneath the dumped spoils, so they refused to let the marina use the spoils bank. We have to stop this invasion in our rights. We need to tell the politicians they need to stop running for office, do what they were elected to do, and let them know how these things affect us the voters. We are tired of their lies. They are so used to just throwing money at situations that they have lost touch with reality.

 

Gas tax is supposed to be used just for the roads, but our politicians have been borrowing from the fund and not paying it back. Now we don’t have the money to pay the North Carolina tax payers who are due a refund; and they want to borrow funds from other accounts, to make these payments, just as they have raided the transportation account. If so, then next thing we know that/those account(s) will be in trouble due to funds not being repaid. Such borrowing has put us into the situation of the state pushing costs down to the counties. The counties are broke also. We need to inform the county commissioners to go back to Gov. Perdue and let her know some of these debts belong to the state and are their responsibilities; and the counties are not going to be pushed around any more.

 

In 2009 each person in Morehead City (including children) owed $2,185.00.

Charlotte/Mecklenburg residents owed approximately $2,325.00 to $2,330. That is only approximately $200.00 more than Morehead City. Stop and think of the difference in number of residents in each town. However, on the other hand, according to HOWARD, those living outside the town of Newport are being forced to pay more for fire protection than those in town. We, who live in the country, are having to foot the bill for those living in town.

 

Towns are net providers (not getting back as much as giving). We are going to have to become fee based communities. In order to keep the beaches clean, provide life guards, etc., we will have to charge fees for their use. Possibly the locals will be accessed to buy a sticker for maybe $1.00, while those from upstate, when they vacation here, might pay $10.00 for a pass. We can no longer sit with our hands out for the government to take care of us. We have to take care of our own.

 

It is our responsibility to take care of the issues. We have handed the keys to our education over to the Federal Government. A lot of our colleges are producing the next generation of widget manufacturers. They are not teaching critical thinking. Examples: our space program came from German citizens. They found they could come here and be rewarded for their ideas. Have we forgotten that this is what helps make America great? If we study the new innovations developed, we will find most of them were designed by foreigners. Technology is a great example.

 

We need less government not more. If we don’t have the money, then why are we wasting our time. We are just creating more entitlements. We need fiscal accountability. We are the voice of the silent majority. Don’t back down. Continue your letters to the editor; make those phone calls to your representatives; challenge them; use the League of Municipalities to your advantage. We cannot trust our politicians so we will have to make sure they uphold their promises.

 

HOWARD said we had learned at the meeting we attended last Friday night in Greenville, (speakers Joe and Henri McCleese) on becoming a lobbyist. (No it is not a dirty word.)

Joe said making a big show on Monday with a large crowd rallying for a certain cause, will attract attention on Monday, but by Tuesday, no one even remembers. However, if we have a couple of representative there every day, they soon recognize our name tags and are daily made aware that we are watching them.

 

Lockwood said we have to start at the local level (towns, county). Here in Carteret it averages out to about 6,000 residents per mayor. We need to get their attention. Tell them ‘if you want my money, you have to show me what you are going to do with it’. If we don’t do something we are headed for a train wreck. We have to hold them accountable.

 

TOM AUSTIN asked Lockwood if we could get the County Commissioners’ meeting agenda published in the paper earlier. We do not have time to familiarize ourselves with what is to take place in the short amount of time now given. Lockwood agreed it should be published earlier and would look into it and see if we can get it in the paper earlier.

 

Lockwood left us with the admonishment ‘Now is our opportunity to get things done. Don’t waste it.’

 

Items scheduled for tonight’s meeting that did not get covered, will be taken up at our next meeting on March 21, 2011.

 

Meeting adjourned.

 

Minutes submitted by Secretary PEGGY GARNER.

 

The Seven Republicans Who Voted to Keep Funding NPR

Two of the seven Republicans who voted to continue funding NPR are right in my backyard. Thanks to the Washington Examiner for publishing this list. Obviously, these Republicans can’t be serious about cutting spending if they’re willing to continue funding state-run media.

Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis.
Rep. Chris Gibson, R-N.Y.
Rep. Richard Hanna, R-N.Y.
Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Ohio
Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash.
Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Ohio
Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga.

In addition, Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) pulled an Obama and voted present.

 

The Lonely Conservative

2 ex-Dem leaders charged in fake tea party scheme

Mike Martindale / The Detroit News

Pontiac— Two former high-ranking members of the Oakland County Democratic Party are facing various election corruption charges in a bogus tea party scheme, Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper and County Sheriff Michael Bouchard announced Wednesday.

Former Democratic Party Chairman Michael McGuinness and ex-operations director Jason Bauer, both of Waterford Township, were arraigned Wednesday before Oakland Circuit Judge James Alexander.

They face charges related to Independent Tea Party filings, false affidavits and forged documents that occurred between July 23 and July 26 last year.

Both stood mute to the charges and were released on $25,000 personal bond each, pending an April 13 hearing before Alexander.

The charges include felonies that carry up to 14 years in prison. Neither could be reached for comment.

Cooper and Bouchard announced the charges during a joint press conference conducted to discuss the findings of a one-person grand jury seated by Oakland Circuit Judge Edward Sosnick.

“The election process is sacred … this is not a partisan statement,” Cooper said, noting her Democratic affiliation and that of Bouchard, a Republican. Bouchard said 23 questionable election filings across Michigan — eight of them in Oakland County — involved an effort to create the illusion of an Independent Tea Party and its candidates on November’s ballot.

The goal was to woo away voters in local elections who might otherwise vote for other candidates, presumably Republicans, authorities allege.

While creating such a party in itself is not illegal, Bouchard noted that the alleged forging of documents and putting people up for political office without their involvement — including at least one “candidate” who told investigators he had no knowledge that he was on the ballot until notified — is criminal.

The scheme included bogus candidates for two County Commission seats and a state Senate race, according to a copy of a grand jury warrant released Wednesday. None of the candidates won.

“The presumed intent was to get people drawn to tea party politics and siphon votes off (from other candidates),” Bouchard said.

Bouchard said the investigation of possible election corruption is continuing and included an unnamed “party leader in Lansing.” The sheriff did not elaborate.

County Executive L. Brooks Patterson petitioned for a grand jury inquiry into possible election corruption in August following complaints received by then-County Clerk Ruth Johnson and an investigation initiated by Bouchard’s office at the request of Cooper.

Both McGuinness and Bauer are charged with three counts of forged records, uttering and publishing, a 14-year felony; three counts of election law, false swearing, a felony punishable by five years in prison; and one count of election law, false swearing-perjury, also a five-year felony.

Bauer is also charged with three counts of notary public violation, a one-year misdemeanor.

Both resigned their party posts following allegations in August that suspicious filings were notarized by Bauer.

Several months ago, Bauer was suspended from the Oakland Democratic Party after it surfaced that he encouraged interns to write bogus “help me” letters from nonexistent residents in support of a medical program backed by a Democratic commissioner.

mmartindale@detnews.com

(248) 338-0319

Email from Senator Hagan re. Earmarks

March 16, 2011

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about congressionally directed spending items in appropriations bills, which are more commonly known as earmarks. I share your concerns about using taxpayer dollars wisely and the need to rein in our national debt as soon as we possibly can.

As you probably know, earmarks are project-based requests that usually benefit municipalities, universities and community-based organizations. In 2007, Congress instituted strict reforms in both the Senate and House of Representatives that brought more transparency to the appropriations process. Since that time, Congress has reduced the number of earmarks by more than 50 percent. Senators making project requests were required to post them publicly on their Web sites, including the name and location of the intended recipient, the amount requested, and the purpose of the project. Funding for these requests is not guaranteed; they must be reviewed and approved by both the Appropriations Committee and the full Senate.

Given the size of our national debt and the urgent need to reduce it, both Republicans and Democrats have recognized the need to rein in federal spending, including earmarks. At the end of the 111th Congress, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye pledged to forego earmark requests for two years, which the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform recommended.

The Commission showed tremendous leadership and produced a set of bipartisan recommendations to help us get the national debt under control. To read its final report, which was released on December 1, 2010, please visit http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/. On December 3, 2010, I was one of 14 senators who sent a letter to the White House and the bipartisan congressional leadership, urging them to address our pressing fiscal challenges by considering the Commission’s report.

As Congress considers deficit-reduction measures and budget proposals for fiscal years 2011 and 2012, I will certainly keep your thoughts about earmarks and federal spending in mind. I look forward to working with my colleagues in a bipartisan fashion to put our fiscal house back in order.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Signature

Kay R. Hagan

We Can’t Be Too Nice about This Revolution by NC Renegade

To see video go to Randy’s Right

MoveOn.org in Garner, NC

 

March 16, 2011 by randyedye

This is the second video from the Moveon.org meeting in Garner, NC on 3/15/11. The moderator starts his presentation concerning their plans with:

“We can’t be too nice about this. We’re going to have to do this revolution, do what they do in Wisconsin to get anything out of the powers that be”

The article that is read in this video is “Power Concedes Nothing Without a Demand”
by Chris Hedges. I encourage everyone to read the entire article.

The liberal class is discovering what happens when you tolerate the intolerant. Let hate speech pollute the airways. Let corporations buy up your courts and state and federal legislative bodies. Let the Christian religion be manipulated by charlatans to demonize Muslims, gays and intellectuals, discredit science and become a source of personal enrichment. Let unions wither under corporate assault. Let social services and public education be stripped of funding. Let Wall Street loot the national treasury with impunity. Let sleazy con artists use lies and deception to carry out unethical sting operations on tottering liberal institutions, and you roll out the welcome mat for fascism.

cont…

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/power_concedes_nothing_without_a_demand_20110314/

EPA Vote: Who wants to be a U. S. Senator?

Published: 9:12 AM 03/16/2011
By Phil Kerpen

The U.S. Constitution is crystal clear on where legislative power resides. In fact, it’s the very first thing after the preamble. Article I, Section 1 says: “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.” But in the Age of Obama, it’s a different story. The legislative powers are being exercised by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats. Now the Senate will be put to the test of whether each senator is OK with that state of affairs, or whether they actually want to take responsibility for writing the laws. That’s the fundamental question at stake as the Senate considers the McConnell Amendment to stop the EPA’s global warming power grab.

Read the rest at Daily Caller.

Take Action! Call your Senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote YES on the McConnell Amendment or go here to send an email!

A Message from Americans for Prosperity

Senator Mitch McConnell, along with 43 co-sponsors (including Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia), is forcing a vote on S. 482 (the Energy Tax Hike Prevention Act) as an amendment to the Small Business Innovation Research Act re-authorization bill. The vote could come as soon as today but it will probably come some time this week.

Unelected regulators are usurping the legislative power that the people, in the Constitution, granted to Congress. We must demand our senators step in and stop this regulatory tyranny.

President Obama is now pursuing his entire failed global warming agenda – decisively rejected as the cap-and-tax energy tax and in the 2010 election. In Obama’s words: “Cap-and-Trade was just one way of skinning the cat; it was not the only way.”

Indeed, the EPA is actively pursuing a bizarre legal theory that the 1970 Clean Air Act was designed as a global warming law, and that pursuant to it they can regulate just about everything that moves, as well as most industrial facilities. When it’s fully phased in, their plans include over 18,000 pages of appendices that would regulate every industry in the U.S., cause electricity prices to skyrocket, and greatly diminish our freedom and prosperity.

Please call your senators NOW and tell them to vote YES on the McConnell Amendment to stop the EPA’s global warming power grab.

Your senator and their phone number is: Sen. Richard Burr
Phone: (202) 224-3154

Click here if your senator’s name and number did not appear.

Click here to give us feedback on how the call went.

If you would prefer to send an email, click here.

This is one of the first big Senate opportunities to stopping Obama’s outrageous regulatory agenda (see www.ObamaChart.com for more). Please take action and pass this important message along.

Press Release – re. Immigration Enforcement

Press Releases

Contact: Catherine Fodor 202-225-3415
JONES BECOMES FIRST IN THE HOUSE TO WIN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACCOLADE
 

 

Washington, Mar 9 –  

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) received recognition by Numbers USA, a nationwide organization that encourages enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws.  Jones is the first member of the House of Representatives to earn the “5 for 5” status by cosponsoring five bills in Congress that if passed would “resolve most of our nation’s immigration problems.”  Throughout his nine terms in Congress, Representative Jones has maintained an “A” grade on immigration enforcement issues according to Numbers USA.

“I am honored by the recognition,” said Jones. “It is far beyond time for the federal government to meaningfully enforce our immigration laws.”

The list of the legislation sponsored by Jones follows:

–          H.R. 692: ending chain immigration and reducing the number of green cards issued each year by 250,000

–          H.R. 704:  ending the visa lottery that awards 50,000 green cards through random selection

–          H.R. 800:  requiring all employers to use E-Verify

–          H.R. 140:  putting an end to the practice of birthright citizenship

–          H.R. 100:  helping local officials enforce federal immigration laws.

Wind Power in Mass.

The Falmouth Experience: Life Under The Blades

March 7, 2011 | 7:29 AM | By Jess Bidgood

Encouraged by the Patrick Administration’s goal to expand wind power, communities across the commonwealth are considering or constructing wind turbines. In the town of Falmouth, some residents say a turbine installed last year has changed their lives  — and not for the better. This week, WGBH’s Sean Corcoran takes us to Falmouth to explore all sides of the issue in a special series, The Falmouth Experience: The Trouble with One Town’s Turbine.

In his kitchen table at his Falmouth home, Neil Anderson holds the calendar where he and his wife record their daily reactions to the wind turbine located nearby. (Jess Bidgood/WGBH)Jess Bidgood/WGBH 

In his kitchen table at his Falmouth home, Neil Anderson holds the calendar where he and his wife record their daily reactions to the wind turbine located nearby.

FALMOUTH, Mass. — Standing on his home’s porch, Neil Anderson points through the thicket of trees in his front yard and across Blacksmith Shop Road towards one of his closest neighbors: A wind turbine.

“Right now we are 1,320 feet, which is one-quarter mile south of Wind One, which is Falmouth’s first wind turbine. It’s been online since April. And we’ve been trying to get it stopped since April,” Anderson says.

Wind One, as the turbine is officially called, is owned by the town of Falmouth and is located at the town’s wastewater treatment plant, where it stands 262 feet tall to the turbine’s hub. That’s about 10 feet taller than the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown. The blades extend just shy of 400 feet, which is about half the height of the John Hancock Building in Boston.

Wind 1 stands 262 feet tall in Falmouth. As many as 50 residents of the town have complained of the health effects the turbine's noise and shadows have had on their lives.Jess Bidgood/WGBH 

Wind 1 stands 262 feet tall in Falmouth. As many as 50 residents of the town have complained of the health effects the turbine’s noise and shadows have had on their lives.

When it was installed last spring, Anderson didn’t think Wind One would cause a problem. For 35 years, he’s owned and operated a passive solar company on Cape Cod.

The energy conservationist in Anderson considered wind power a good principle. He wasn’t alone — before the turbine switched on, Falmouth residents almost universally welcomed Wind One as a symbol of renewable energy and a way to keep taxes down.

“I was proud looking at it from this viewpoint — until it started turning,” Anderson said.

But now, as many as 50 people are complaining about the turbine and the noise it makes at different speeds. A dozen families are retaining a lawyer for that reason.

“It is dangerous. Headaches. Loss of sleep. And the ringing in my ears never goes away. I could look at it all day, and it does not bother me. It’s quite majestic — but it’s way too close,” Anderson said.

Neighbors say this isn’t a debate about a turbine ruining their view, and their goal is not compensation. Some just want it turned off at night.

But Anderson can’t compromise. “This house has been my hobby, my investment, and we love it out here. We will move if we have to. Because we cannot live with (the turbine). No, we cannot,” Anderson said.

Wind One is expected to save the town about $375,000 a year in electricity. Heather Harper, Falmouth’s acting town manager, says Falmouth owes about $5 million on the 1.65-megawatt turbine.

Harper said one of the challenges of running the turbine is that the type of sound some neighbors complain about — that low-level pulse — isn’t regulated by the state. “The times I have been there I do not experience the impact of the effect that the neighbors have expressed that they’ve experienced. But I do believe that they are experiencing something that is very real to them,” Harper said.

Neil Anderson and his wife keep a log of how the turbine affects them. It shows nights of disrupted sleeping, headaches, and even mood-swings.Jess Bidgood/WGBH 

Neil Anderson and his wife keep a log of how the turbine affects them. It shows nights of disrupted sleeping, headaches, and even mood-swings.

David McGlinchey is with the non-partisan Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences in Plymouth, which provides science-based information to policy makers. McGlinchey says that while Wind One has generated complaints, other turbines of similar size, including a 1.8-megawatt turbine in Hull, have been mostly well-received.

“The existing peer-reviewed studies suggest that there are no health effects associated with the sound and noise from wind turbines,” McGlinchey said. “That being said, people clearly experience symptoms. People have headaches, people have their sleep disturbed, people are not living well next to them in some situations. In some situations they are. So, both sides are right.”

Wind advocates say Falmouth’s experience has made it nearly impossible to get other turbines approved on Cape Cod, and potentially across the state. Last week, Falmouth’s selectmen acknowledged the issue and agreed to turn off the turbine when wind speeds exceed 23 miles per hour.

It’s unclear how much relief this will bring or how long it will last, since selectmen said more permanent mitigation efforts still must be negotiated.

One looming concern of neighbors is a second turbine, one of the same size and make that has gone up not far from the first. Falmouth’s Wind Two is scheduled to be turned on sometime this spring.

More from this series:

Letter to the Editor, Oil Spill

10 March 2011

 

Editor

 

The silence in Washington about the possibilities of quickly opening the idled Gulf of Mexico oil platforms is deafining. Don’t even mention ANWR in Alaska. It seems, that the solution, one that the majority of Americans want, that of more domestic oil production, is “Gone With The Wind”. The current Administration apparently would sooner talk and talk about costly windmills, solar electricity, hybrid cars or opening the National Petroleum Reserve than do something with an immediate impact on the rising price of fuel.

Why in heavens name are we fiddling around talking about possible partial solutions that are at best twenty or thirty years away? How about right now, Mr Obama? What about the rising prices of goods/materials other than vehicle fuels which will make an exponential jump in our cost of living in just a few short months? Wind or a breeze is great on a hot day and solar is great for a tan, but come on Mr. President, we need action now.

We, the United States of America, have vast untapped oil/gas and coal resources in our country just waiting to be put to use. We presently have thousands of people out of work in the petroleum industry alone, all wanting to get off the government dole and collect a real pay check. So why are we not marshaling our available forces? What in the name of the American Public are you waiting for Mr. Obama? Is your goal to make us like Europe or some destitute third world country?

The Washington, Chicago and Los Angles elite you seem to represent, Mr. Obama, don’t have a clue about the reality of life outside the Beltways that surround their great, but impoverished fiefdoms. You claim to want the best for Our Country, but what price do you really expect us to pay? Well, we pay at the pump and we pay more and more each day for every thing, while you and yours, party in DC or fly around making fluffy fund raising speeches. All this on the taxpayer’s dollars or doner funds, nothing out of pocket for the DC elite or the well heeled politicians like you.

What about our rusting inefficient refining plants? Everyone knows that American refineries are really old, no new refineries have been built in the last 30 years. If we want lower cost and availablity of the various types of fuel and petroleum products then it is time to act. The Administration (Yours, Mr. Obama) must cut the volumes of EPA rules and regulations immediately and thereby allow private industry to quickly build or expand refineries with new clean technology. Mr. Obama, now is the time to create really good jobs across the country as you have promised for years. Help us keep our petroleum based industries like plastics, paint and polymers right here in the USA. Insure American industry stays right here at home and not in India or China. Keep our farmers in the driver seats of their tractors and combines. Keep our great trucking industry on the road, railroads running and our aircraft flying. We, Americans can come up with and produce more and cheaper products if the United States Government just gets out of the way and lets good old American Industry do it’s thing in the great old capitalistic way.

The answer to the American Domestic Oil Problem is simple; Drill and Refine in America. Results will be assuridly a lot quicker than the current expensive wind and solar power long term solutions that are touted by your advisors. The answer both yesterday, today and tomorrow, is black sticky domestic oil, drilled and refined right here in the old USA. Let Americans drill and refine America’s untapped resources now! Open up ANWR and the Gulf of Mexico and all the public lands that sit on top of oil or gas! There will soon be no dependency on Foreign Oil if you and the Congress act now, but we need you, Mr. President, to quit standing in the proverbial “school house door” with your Czars and obstructing Americas future.

The Tea Party seems to be making a dent in over taxation and the bloated government problem. Well, maybe we Americans need to oil up a Tar and Feathers Party and get that energy engine moving towards Washington, too!

 

 

Austin M. “Gus” Wilgus

Email from Senator Hagan re. Federal Spending & the National Debt

March 14, 2011

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me regarding federal spending and the national debt. I share your concerns about the need to encourage fiscal responsibility and use taxpayer dollars wisely.

Our nation’s debt has been accumulating dangerously over the last decade, primarily as a result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. On top of that, the severe economic recession that began in 2007 led to lower tax revenues and higher deficit spending as Congress took steps to unfreeze credit markets and revive the economy. All of these factors combined to put us on a fiscally unsustainable path that must be rectified. I understand that our country cannot continue deficit spending far into the future and I am working to enact a number of policies that will help address our nation’s deficit and debt.

During the 111th Congress, I voted for an amendment to H.J. Res. 45 to reinstate the budget principle known as “pay-as-you-go,” which requires that legislation increasing the deficit be offset by measures that reduce the deficit by an equal amount. It will help ensure that we do not burden future generations with the bill of our policies today. That amendment was agreed to by a vote of 60-39, and I believe it is a good start to controlling deficit spending.

In an effort to strengthen the pay-as-you-go budget principle and reduce the deficit, I have supported numerous bipartisan amendments to establish a five-year cap on discretionary spending. Discretionary spending caps have a proven track record of controlling government spending and reducing the deficit. In the 1990s, both discretionary spending caps and pay-as-you-go policies were in place under bipartisan agreements, and produced four balanced budgets and budget surpluses from 1998-2001. The five-year cap on non-security discretionary spending in President Obama’s 2012 budget is a good start, but we must take a comprehensive approach to deficit reduction that includes entitlement spending and tax reform.

In addition, I also supported a proposal offered by Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) to create a bipartisan commission to address our long-term deficits. While that proposal did not receive the 60 votes required to pass, I was encouraged when President Obama announced plans for a similar commission co-chaired by former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, of North Carolina, and former Senate Republican leader Alan Simpson.

I was among the group of senators who advocated for the creation of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which President Obama created on February 18, 2010. The 18-member Commission was tasked with producing recommendations for reducing the deficit, and its leaders showed tremendous leadership throughout the process. On December 1, 2010, the Commission published its final report, which you can read here: http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/.

The Commission produced a set of bipartisan recommendations to help us get the national debt under control. Although a majority of commissioners supported the final report, it did not receive enough support to trigger automatic consideration in Congress. I do not agree with everything in the report, but I believe that the commissioners showed tremendous courage by addressing a wide range of issues, from tax policy to health care costs. Most importantly, their work will help keep the process of addressing our fiscal outlook moving forward. On December 3, 2010, I was one of 14 senators who sent a letter to the White House and the bipartisan congressional leadership, urging them to address our pressing fiscal challenges by considering the Commission’s report.

As Congress considers deficit-reduction measures and budget proposals for fiscal years 2011 and 2012, I will certainly keep your thoughts about federal spending in mind. I look forward to working with my colleagues in a bipartisan fashion to put our fiscal house back in order.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Signature

Kay R. Hagan

Email from Senator Kay Hagan re. the 111th Congress

March 14, 2011

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about the final weeks of the 111th Congress. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me.

As you know, this “lame duck” session was an unusually productive period for the United States Congress, due primarily to strong bipartisanship among Republicans and Democrats. While President Obama and congressional leaders struck a deal on a two-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts (H.R. 4853), I voted against this bill because it would add too much to the national debt. While I supported some provisions in the bill, I could not vote in favor of legislation that would add $858 billion to our national debt without offering any long-term solutions.

Also during the lame duck session, I joined 70 other senators who voted to ratify the START nuclear arms treaty with Russia, an agreement supported by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen. The treaty will strengthen strategic nuclear weapons stability with Russia and modernize our nuclear weapons and delivery systems. Along with Secretary Gates and Chairman Mullen, I also supported a repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy (H.R. 2965), which passed by a bipartisan vote of 65-31.

Two other important pieces of legislation passed during the final weeks of the 111th Congress will protect our nation’s food supply and ensure that our September 11th heroes get the health care they desperately need and deserve. The Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) seeks to reduce food-borne illnesses and prevent erroneous recalls that cost farmers, including ones in North Carolina, millions of dollars. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and I fought hard to add an amendment to the bill that will protect small farmers by exempting them from unnecessary red tape. The Senate also passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (H.R. 847), which will provide 9/11 first-responders with access to care for health problems stemming directly from their efforts to respond to the terrorist attack on our nation.

I have always felt that elected officials should do more to work across the aisle to pass legislation that benefits all Americans. I have strived to promote bipartisanship among my colleagues in the Senate and will continue to do so in the 112th Congress. I pledge to work with individuals from all political backgrounds as I champion the interests of North Carolina.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Signature

Kay R. Hagan

Stopping Policies That Drive Up Gas Prices, Destroy Jobs

Stopping Policies That Drive Up Gas Prices, Destroy Jobs

March 13, 2011 | Posted by Speaker Boehner’s Press Office | Permalink

 

This week, the House will vote on another round of spending cuts aimed at ending some of the uncertainty facing job creators so they can begin hiring again. And with high gas prices burdening families and small businesses, Republicans have launched the American Energy Initiative to stop Washington policies that are driving up prices and expand American energy production to help lower costs and create jobs. Learn more below and watch Speaker Boehner discussing the initiative here:

 

 

Obama Administration’s Energy Freeze Is Raising Gas Prices, Destroying Jobs

 

  • WATCH: Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) on Fox News discussing how the White House has blocked American energy production that would lower prices.
  • FACT: American energy production has declined by 16 percent on President Obama’s watch.
  • The Energy & Power Subcommittee approved the Energy Tax Prevention Act to block the EPA from imposing new regulations that will destroy jobs and drive gas prices even higher.

 

Republicans Focusing on Cutting Spending to Help End Some of the Uncertainty Facing Job Creators

 

  • House Republicans will host a forum this week for American employers to share their ideas for growing the economy and creating new private sector jobs.

 

Democrats Divided, Scrambling, Unwilling to Put Forward a Serious Plan that Cuts Spending

 

  • Republicans are united with the American people on cutting spending to promote private-sector job creation (and have already taken action), but Democrats remain as divided as ever.
  • For example, the House-passed H.R.1 received more votes in the Democrat-run Senate than the status quo proposal put forward by Democratic leaders and the president.
  • Rank-and-file Democrats said the spending cuts put forward by their leaders are “too timid.”
  • Just one day after President Obama said he was “prepared to do more” to cut spending, his political operation sent an e-mail imploring liberal allies to oppose GOP-backed spending cuts.
  • Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) drew a “line in sand” and said Democrats have already been pushed “to the limit” on spending cuts. But just two weeks ago, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said we should “stop drawing lines in the sand.”
  • Democrats keep repeating the debunked claim that they’ve “already put forward specific [spending] cuts that meet congressional Republicans halfway” – they haven’t.
  • In fact, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) offered his solution for tackling the deficit: more taxes.  He called raising taxes “a popular thing to do.”

 

Also Happening

 

  • While a positive step, the Obama Administration’s reversal on the prosecution of terrorist suspects held at Guantanamo Bay raises more questions than answers. For example: what is the plan for prosecuting 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed?

 

As always, we appreciate your interest in the new House majority and encourage you to stay connected with the Office of the Speaker on Facebook, Twitter, and on Speaker.gov. Have a great week!

– Speaker Boehner’s Press Office

 

 

 
SPEAKER PRESS OFFICE
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH)
H-232, THE CAPITOL
(202) 225-0600 | SPEAKER.GOV

The Left to Protest Voter ID Legislation in Raleigh

To Make Public Comment before March 15, click here

 

From the NC GOP:

Just wanted to let you know that the big government liberals all over the state are starting to activate to organize against the common-sense Voter ID bill!

Despite recent polling data that shows over 80% of North Carolinians support the Voter ID bill and restoring faith and confidence in our elections, the big government liberals and special interest groups are trying to keep this bill from passing!

These big government liberals and special interest groups are planning to stage a huge rally at a public hearing in Raleigh next Tuesday, March 15 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 643 of the Legislative Office Building.

Our Republican leaders in the General Assembly are cutting spending, cutting regulations on businesses, passed a bill to challenge the job-crushing “Obamacare” legislation but their efforts  have been met by Governor Perdue’s veto stamp.

We need to spread the message – the common-sense Voter ID bill will restore faith and confidence in our elections!

Let’s show Governor Perdue that we stand with 80% of our fellow North Carolinians and want Voter ID to pass because we want confidence in future elections.

Please send this to your members and let’s have a big  turnout next Tuesday!

Email from Walter Jones re. Fair Tax

Dear Mr. Broyles:

 

Thank you for your recent email regarding the Fair Tax. I appreciate you taking the time to contact me and I’m grateful for the opportunity to respond.

 

You’re exactly right –  America desperately needs fundamental tax reform. The current code is far too costly, inefficient and inequitable. Without question, this great nation can do much, much better. I strongly believe that Congress should quickly hold hearings on all proposals to scrap the code and institute a new system of raising federal revenue, including the Fair Tax. Democrats should have taken this approach when they were in control, but sadly that opportunity was wasted. Hopefully this will not continue.

 

We must keep pushing to raise awareness about the need for this critically important change. Thanks again for taking the time to contact me about this issue. If you have further questions about other federal matters, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

 
Sincerely,

Walter B. Jones
Member of Congress

Letter to the Editor: Where is Education Money Going?

On Monday, February 21, 2011 a group of people organized by the Carteret County Board of Education paraded their support for the Board of Education’s 2011 Budget before the Carteret County Board of Commissioners. The first thing that struck me during the public comments was a statement by, Cathy Neagle, the Chairman of the Board of Education. She said that the Board of Education’s budget would be finalized and ready for presentation to the County Board of Commissioners on or about March 15, 2011. So, I wondered just how did these people who were pleading before the County Commissioners for full funding of the Board of Education’s budget even know what was in the budget that at the time of the meeting was still unfinished, and just what was did they think was so vital in that unfinished budget to the education of the children of Carteret County? Or, perhaps, they were there just to make sure that the money from Carteret County taxpayer’s keeps flowing to the Carteret County Schools regardless of how the money is to be spent?

 

The parade of these concerned people pleading for full funding of an education budget that they hadn’t seen, or that they couldn’t have studied or critically evaluated is so typical of liberals who come to these meetings just to tell elected officials that it is critical for them to spend somebody else’s money so that the children can read, write, and add one plus one, or the sky will surely fall. They said “If you don’t spend more money, there won’t be enough doctors to take care of all the old people in Carteret County,” and “if you don’t spend more money the reputation of our school system will suffer and businesses will not locate in Carteret County,” and “if you cut spending on education, professionals won’t bring their families to live here because our schools will not be good enough.” Then there are the personal anecdotes they conjure up like “accidentally bumping into a group of hard working average citizens at the car-wash who out-of-the-blue start babbling about how “we just aren’t spending enough money on the schools in Carteret County and how they would be more than willing to pay higher taxes to save the children.” Several of these “school-budget cheerleaders” linked the level and quality of education directly to the level of spending, saying that “everyone wants their kids to be able to read and comprehend; we have to spend more to get better results.” One even compared Carteret County schools to foreign countries stating that “American education is now behind that of Estonia and Poland.” Well yeah, but we already outspend Estonia and Poland, and nearly every other nation on earth when it comes to education, and look what we’ve got to show for it! One might logically conclude from that lame comparison that throwing more money at the problem isn’t the solution. The only thing missing at this circus was the County clown who is constantly waxing so in-eloquently in our local paper; I almost missed him.

 

The arguments presented Monday evening by this group were simply fallacious. One only has to look at the Washington, DC voucher program to see that throwing money at education is not the answer. In the DC voucher program, student performance was better, while spending was about half that of the public schools in the surrounding area (that is, until President Obama ended the DC voucher program to the consternation of many DC residents). But closer to home, there is a private school in Carteret County where the per student cost is about half that of the Carteret County Public School’s cost per student, and the private school’s test scores are higher than those of the public school system’s. Why is that?

 

But if one needs even more data to persuade anyone but a liberal that more spending is not better, there are plenty of data available to analyze, although the Carteret County Board of Education doesn’t make it easy to find. The John Locke Foundation’s NC Transparency (http://www.nctransparency.com/) gives the Carteret County Public Schools a grade of “D” for transparency as to how our school tax dollars are being spent. The data is there, you just have to dig for it! It took me two weeks to get the salaries of the Carteret County School’s administrative staff through a County official. You can see it at this URL http://www.crystalcoastteaparty.com/carteret-county-school-administrative-salaries/ But the bottom line is, it is just plain hard to find out how the Carteret County School Board spends your tax dollars.

 

The second thing that struck me during the meeting was was another comment by Cathie Neagle concerning the funding of a capital expense project at East Carteret High School. This project was funded by a bond approved by the Carteret County voters in 2006 according to statements at the meeting. After approval by the voters, the project was managed very well and the cost of the project was significantly less than projected and approved by the voters. They certainly deserve praise for that. But the project then evolved to accommodate the left over money. Whether that is good or bad thing is not the point. The point is, that during the discussion, Ms. Neagle stated that “the objective of the Board of Education was to spend the money;” referring to the money left over following the excellent management of the capital project that had been approved by the voters. Now, it is this mind-set expressed by Ms Naegle that bothers me. As Milton Friedman, noted economist, said “There are four ways to spend money (video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RDMdc5r5z8&feature=related); “one way is when you (the government) spends somebody else’s money (the taxpayer’s) on somebody else (the schools).” Friedman argues that in this case those spending the money don’t much care about how much they spend because it’s not their money, and that they don’t much care about what they get for the money either because it isn’t their money. Sort of sounds like “our objective was to spend the money?”

 

By the time this gets into the paper, the Carteret County Board of Education should have submitted their budget to the County Commissioners. Maybe, just maybe the people who were so supportive of the phantom budget last month will now know what is in it. Then, just maybe, they’ll have a clue as to what the Board plans to spend your money on. In the mean time, you might want to call or write the Carteret County School Board and the Carteret County Board of Commissioners and ask them why the County got a grade of “D” on the NC Transparency web site. Don’t let them tell you they don’t know about it, because several people have already called and asked them why. Tell the School Board and the Commissioners you’d like to see the County get a grade of “A.” Ask them to post all of their budget information on-line so the public can easily access it, and see where the money is going. After all, it’s your money they are spending.

 

by Kenneth Lang

March 11, 2011

Meeting Minutes, 3/8/2011

MINUTES OF CRYSTAL COAST TEA PARTY PATRIOTS

8 MARCH 2011

 

Meeting held at Golden Corral, Morehead City, NC

Meeting called to order 6:05 PM by President BOB CAVANAUGH

Pledge of Allegiance led by JENNIFER HUDSON

Invocation by LYN BAKER

No. in attendance – 31

 

A Freedom Works Rally will be held at 9:00AM tomorrow in Raleigh to support the override of the Perdue veto on Obamacare. JENNIFER HUDSON, Republican Women’s Club member gave directions on how to get to Jones Street in Raleigh. Requested we contact all our senators (all except one who is currently out after having heart surgery). There is a list on the web of names to contact.

 

BOB CAVANAUGH reminded us about the meeting/seminar with Joe and Henri McCleese as guest speakers (training on how to become a lobbyist). It will be held at Parker’s Barbecue in Greenville at 6:30 PM until 9:00 PM. HOWARD and PEGGY GARNER, KEN and DIANE LANG, and BOB CAVANAUGH said they plan to attend.

 

BOB asked if anyone had seen Michelle Bachman on the Sean Hannity show reporting that when the Obama Healthcare was voted on, it was unknown that included in the bill was authorized funding (thus stopping the conservatives from defunding the bill). She was requesting the House not vote on any resolution until that $105 billion was refunded and taken out of the bill.

 

BOB reported that the Senate will be voting on the House Continuing Resolution (CR) this week. This is the CR that the GOP passed through the House and cuts $61 billion from the budget. Now we all know that $61 billion is NOTHING, but the Democrats in the Senate want the cuts to be EVEN LESS! We might have a small chance of pressuring the Democrats into voting for this bill so everyone please call the following senators:

Republican

CLAIRE MCGASKILL (MO) – 202-224-6154

JOE MANCHIN (WV) – 202-224-3954 (He said today that the teeny tiny 1.6% in cuts that GOP want is “TOO BIG”.

BEN NELSON (NE) – 202-224-6551

OLYMPIA SNOWE – 202-224-5344

JON TESTER (MT) – 202-224-2644

JIM WEBB (VA) – 202-224-4024 (He has stated that he wants to right the fiscal ship)

Independent

JOE LIEBERMAN (CT)

Democrat – Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak to

each of the following:

 

JEFF BINGAMAN (MN)

KENT CONRAD (ND) – (labeled a ‘fiscal moderate’)

BILL NELSON (FL)

BEN CARDIN (MD)

SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (RI)

BOB CASEY, JR. (PA)

AMY KLOBUCHAR (MN)

SHERROD BROWN (OH)

MARIA CANTWELL (WA)

DEBBIE STABENOW (MI)

DIANNE FEINSTEIN (CA)

 

Message to say when you call: “Stop playing games with our future. I get it and the American people get it. $61 billion in discretionary cuts is certainly not ‘draconian’ and if you want to be seen as someone who is serious, and who truly cares about the future of this nation, you will make no excuses and vote YES on HR1 and cut the $61 billion.

 

NOTE: Points to make:

  • Over the last four years discretionary spending has risen by more than 24%
  • $61 billion in cuts accounts for only 4.7% of discretionary spending! That means that the increased spending from the last four years would still amount to roughly a 20% increase in spending.
  • $61 billion in cuts accounts for only 1.6% of the entire budget. The entire budget right now is a massive, whopping $1.3 TRILLION.
  • The federal deficit for the month of February 2011 – alone – was $223 billion.
  • $61 billion in cuts is equal to less than 8% of the stimulus package.
  • The Democrats’ budget leaves in place 99.72% of the current spending – while 95% of the American public want the deficit reduced and a majority favor spending cuts over tax hikes.

 

TREASURER’S REPORT

$1,300 currently in treasury.

 

APRIL RALLY

Don’t forget our rally at the Newport Flea Mall April 16. FRED DECKER said he had talked to Norman Sanderson and he looks forward to attending and speaking. Attempted contact with Americans for Prosperity but no response as yet. Reported that it will cost us $326.00 plus tax (about $360.00) fare for Rev. Montague to attend our rally. Last year when he was here he told us he was hoping to get a Black Conservative Group up and going. No one in attendance could report on anything about the group. All agreed that Rev. Montague was an excellent speaker and would contribute to the rally. Motion to pay his expense to get to Newport was made, seconded and voted approved.

 

WOUNDED WARRIORS

BOB said a lot of our newer members were not aware of our connection or relationship with the Wounded Warriors Project. He informed us that $8.00 from every shirt we buy or sell

goes to this worthy cause. Since many of us were unaware of their mission, he had asked a recipient to talk to us about his involvement.

 

Our guest speaker was injured in battle in 2008, paralyzed from his neck down, and was returned to his home base (MCAS, Cherry Point). Qualifying as a wounded warrior, he was reassigned to the Wounded Warrior Battalion in Camp Lejeune. Since this move did not qualify as a regular military transfer to another base or state, the military was unable to pay for his relocation. Also, in the process of being returned to the states, his pay records were lost and the military was unable to pay him even his regular pay, therefore; being a Cpl, with funds extremely limited, he was unable to afford the expense of being moved. Since the military frowns on and gives those who do not pay their indebtedness a black mark on their record, he did not know where to turn to for help since he was unsure if he would ever be able to pay back any debts he would incur. Enter the Wounded Warrior Project program with support and rescue. They totally paid for his movement from Cherry Point to Camp Lejeune. The program gave him gift cards for food, gas and necessities for a month and a half, until his pay could be reinstated, without asking for repayment. If not for the Wounded Warrior Project he believes that he would have become a helpless and homeless cripple. Since being assigned to the Wounded Warrior Battalion, he has received the medical attention he needed and given (at no cost) a special dog to help him. Each of these canines is specially trained to assist in walking, getting in and out of the shower, retrieving items needed, and many other necessary functions required. It costs $50,000.00 per dog to receive this special training. The dog is a gift to the recipient for life. If anything happens to the dog, the wounded warrior is given another canine help mate. These dogs usually come from the pound, are given biblical names, and extensive training. Our speaker said the best thing that had ever happened to him was receiving his canine best friend. (Example: when he was learning to walk again, the dog could sense any

unusual situation – like possibly losing his balance – then bracing his legs would ensure the warrior had something to catch himself on, giving him the confidence he needed to continue his therapy and provided help not only physically but mentally. He referred to his companion as the left side of his brain (which no longer works as it should). At one time our speaker did not even remember his mother’s name and was reading at the third grade level. He also said that the Wounded Warrior Project personnel liaison with the battalion and let them know of any activities or events (example handicapped Olympic competitions) that they might be interested participating in, with the Wounded Warrior Project footing the bills. They also help the warrior regain some of his previous interests’ abilities (ie. Skiing, golf, swimming and other sports). Our warrior’s prior enjoyment was ball room dancing.

 

He had surgery on his spine about a year ago and was in a coma for a week. He is now able to run and walk on his own, but has some speech, memory problems, and nerve damage. However, he helps with a local fire department (unable to lift or pull on hoses and equipment, but still does anything he is capable of). He also helps a local business with cleaning the guns used in their business. He is currently trying to hold down three jobs to the best of his ability. (This is more than many healthy people I know – secretary’s notation.)

He was asked what the TEA Party could do to help, other than buying more shirts. He recommended that we get permission to go aboard Camp Lejeune and visit with the residents of the battalion. Maybe we could have a cookout and get to know them. Most people just come by, have their pictures taken with the warriors, sometimes just to get their pictures in the paper, leave, and that’s the end of their help. We need to become their family and be there for them when they need someone.

 

He said he would try to get the owner of the dog training business in Wilmington, and maybe also a hospital psychiatrist to come and speak with us in the very near future. He also said he owes the Wounded Warrior Project more than he could ever repay. He thanks them everyday of his life, and prays they will always be around to help others.

 

BOB reported that he has gotten the permit for the April rally and will turn it in Friday. He also emailed Alex about helping with the sound system, but had not heard back. DENNIS TOMASO wanted to know what kind of advertising we planned to use: posters, banners, newspaper, radio (maybe the Swap Shop)? Probably will use all.

 

BOB reported that the Insurance company had reimbursed the TEA Party $200.00 for the items we lost in the fire.

 

RUTH PARKER reported she had collected $175.00 in donations from local businesses.

 

ERIC BROYLES announced that since time was getting late, he would appreciate everyone taking a copy of the handout, read and familiarize themselves with it and we would discuss it at our next meeting.

 

Meeting adjourned.

 

Minutes submitted by PEGGY GARNER, Secretary

From the Office of Governor Bev Perdue

Interesting SPIN…

 

House sustains veto

Gov. Perdue vetoed House Bill 2, titled the “North Carolina Health Care Protection Act,” citing questions about the bill’s constitutionality, necessity and unintended consequences.

On Wednesday, the N.C. House sustained the veto.

“This is an ill-conceived piece of legislation that’s not good for the people of North Carolina,” Gov. Perdue said last week when she vetoed the bill.

Gov. Perdue’s priorities remain jobs, education and resetting state government. She said this week she looks forward to working with the General Assembly on those issues.

The constitutionality of the federal health care law is already going to be decided in the U.S. Supreme Court, which made House Bill 2 unnecessary, Gov. Perdue said. There were also serious questions about whether the bill itself would have been constitutional and whether it would have cost North Carolina federal Medicaid funding.

To see a short video clip about Gov. Perdue’s veto, click here.

veto still.jpg

Gov. Perdue announces accelerated start dates for road projects

Gov. Bev Perdue announced that several Urban Loop projects scheduled to begin between 2014 and 2019 will begin earlier, because of available cash and cost-savings from a favorable construction environment.

While no additional money exists to add new Loop projects to the construction schedule, the N.C. Department of Transportation expects to see additional savings of about $50 million by being able to take advantage of today’s lower real estate and construction costs, which could move forward other Loops in their priority order.

At a transportation roundtable event in Charlotte U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood praised Gov. Perdue’s aggressiveness and leadership on transportation issues. Watch a clip here.

lahood still.jpgThe accelerated projects are:

Charlotte I-485 widening:

Construction will begin in 2012, two years sooner.

Greensboro Western Loop:

Part C (Bryan Boulevard to Battleground Avenue) – Construction will begin in 2013, one year sooner.

Part D (Battleground Avenue to Lawndale Drive) – Buying right of way will begin in 2011, eight years sooner.

Greensboro Eastern Loop:

Part B (US 70 to US 29) – Buying right of way will begin in 2011, four years sooner and construction will begin in 2014, three years sooner.

Wilmington US 17 Bypass:

Part B (US 74/76 to US 421) – All grading and structures work will be consolidated into one contract in 2013. Paving work will be done under a separate contract in 2017, completing the overall project in 2018, two years sooner.

 

Medicaid initiative saves money

Fullscreen capture 3102011 100026 AM.jpgAn N.C. Medicaid initiative to better manage utilization of prescription pain relievers and other powerful drugs has produced significant savings and improvements in quality of care.

Only a few months old, the controlled substances “lock-in” program limits Medicaid recipients who have a medical need for those drugs to a single prescriber and to a single pharmacy. The heightened tracking that results helps ensure Medicaid recipients are receiving appropriate treatment, and in appropriate amounts. Around 950 of 3,000 eligible N.C. Medicaid recipients are currently “locked in.” Early analyses show the lock-in program could reduce Medicaid expenditures by $9 million annually — $3 million of which would be state tax dollars.

The lock-in serves as part of Governor Bev Perdue’s strategy to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system.

“This is a perfect example of my priority of setting government straight,” Gov. Perdue said. “We’re providing better health care and saving taxpayer dollars.”

Governor’s schedule for the week

Monday, March 14

Office time, Raleigh

Visit Eaton Corporation, Arden

Speak to Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism, Asheville

Tuesday, March 15

Legislative meetings, Raleigh

Staff meetings, Raleigh

Press conference, Raleigh

Wednesday, March 15

Legislative meetings, Raleigh

Office time, Raleigh

Thursday, March 16

Office time, Raleigh

Sign proclamation for Wilmington’s Azalea Festival and greet Azalea Queen and Court at the Executive Mansion

Visit Northeast N.C.

Friday, March 17

Conference Call with weekly papers

Email from Sen. Hagan on Financial Regulatory Reform

March 10, 2011

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me regarding financial regulatory reform. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important issue. I greatly apologize for my delayed response.

The Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 (H.R. 4173) passed in the House of Representatives on June 30, 2010 and in the Senate on July 15, 2010. It became law on July 21, 2010. The bill reforms the current financial regulatory structure into a more stable and transparent system that will protect consumers, provide clear and fair regulations for financial firms, and restore confidence in the financial markets.

The legislation creates a Systemic Risk Council and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The Systemic Risk Council will promote market discipline by identifying risks to stability in the financial market, including the ability to authorize the Federal Reserve to break up banks that threaten the stability of our financial system. The CFPB will enforce consumer protection regulations for banks, mortgage-related businesses, payday lenders and other non-bank financial institutions with more than $10 billion dollars in assets. The CFPB will also have the authority to write rules related to consumer financial products such as mortgages, credit cards, and stock options. In addition, the bill eliminates the risky trading that banks engage in, called proprietary trading, and authorizes the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to oversee the liquidation of failing non-banks that pose a risk to the financial system.

The financial crisis exposed critical gaps and weaknesses in our financial regulatory system. Massive risks in financial markets went undetected by both regulators and market participants. Even if those risks had been exposed earlier, regulators lacked the power to mount an effective response. These systematic failures caused a dramatic loss of confidence in our financial institutions and helped to cause the worst downturn since the Great Depression. Congress had to take action to ensure that American taxpayers will never again have to bail out our financial institutions and that these institutions treat consumers fairly and responsibly.

I supported this legislation because it embodies common sense financial reform that protects consumers, levels the playing field for community banks and provides fair and clear regulations for all financial institutions. North Carolina is a leader in the banking industry, and both our state’s banks and its banking customers will benefit from the financial reforms found in the law. The law will close gaps and eradicate inefficiencies in America’s current regulatory structure. I am proud to represent North Carolina in supporting legislation that works to ensure that American taxpayers will never again have to bear the cost of a financial crisis.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Signature

Kay R. Hagan

Walter Jones Requesting Your Input on Federal Reserve System

Dear Friend,

In this Congress, I serve as Vice Chairman of the Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee in the House of Representatives. Our oversight responsibilities include reviewing the activities of the Federal Reserve System.

 

Next Thursday, March 17th, the Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee will hold a hearing at 10AM on the topic of Monetary Policy and Rising Prices. The three witnesses currently scheduled to testify are:

 

Prof. Joe Salerno, Pace University – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Salerno
Jim Grant, Grant’s Interest Rate Observer – http://www.grantspub.com/
Lewis Lehrman, investment banker and former member of President Reagan’s Gold Commission – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Lehrman

 

As you know, the Federal Reserve has been printing massive amounts of money as part of a policy they call “Quantitative Easing”. By June, the Fed will have printed roughly $2 trillion over the last two years. The Fed’s money printing is driving up prices for gas, groceries and bills of all kinds for businesses and working families. I strongly disagree with the Fed’s policy; printing money to drive up prices is hurting consumers, and it’s no way to create jobs.

 

This is why I want to hear from you. I would love it if you would provide me with examples of what you see happening with your bills in the real world, so that I can share them with the committee. Also, if you have ideas for specific questions you would like me to pose to the witnesses, I would love those as well.

 

Prior to the last Subcommittee hearing over a thousand people wrote me with questions, and I was able to use many of them over the course of the hearing. While time did not allow me to use all of the questions, or to relay all of the personal stories that people shared, my staff and I read every single one and their sentiments were shared with committee staff and officials.

If you have a moment, please email me through my website with your thoughts and questions for the witnesses at next week’s hearing. Please do not reply to this email, as my website is the best way for me to receive email from Eastern North Carolinians. Thanks in advance for your help. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

J

Walter B. Jones
Member of Congress (NC-03)

Call to Action: Defund Obamacare

From the Tea Party Patriots:
On Monday, March 14, The House of Representatives is planning to vote on a new extension of the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government.

Representatives Michele Bachman and Steve King report that the House Republican Leadership has not yet agreed to include a provision to rescind the $105 billion that was surreptitiously inserted by the Democrats in the Obamacare legislation.

We are urgently asking Patriots to melt the phones of all Republican Representatives today, Friday, March 11:

1. Urge them to pledge to vote “NO” on the next CR unless it contains a provision to defund Obamacare of the billions that were secretly and fraudulently appropriated by the old Democratic Congress..  If this is not done now, this funding will be self-perpetuating into the future.

2. Then, place a second call to the Speaker’s Office and urge Speaker Boehner to honor the will of the voters (who gave him a Republican majority and the Speaker’s Office) by including a provision to rescind the $105 billion with which Obamacare has already saddled the American Taxpayer.

You can find contact information at http://www.house.gov.

Why Democrats Love Unions

Just in case anyone wonders why Obama and his cronies are so hot to support labor unions particularly government employee unions check out the contributions.

Leading Union Political Campaign Contributors (1990-2010)
Democrats Republicans
American Fed. of State, County, & Municipal Employees $40,281,900 $547,700
Intel Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 29,705,600 679,000
National Education Association 27,679,300 2,005,200
Service Employees International Union 26,368,470 98,700
Communication Workers of America 26,305,500 125,300
Service Employees International Union 26,252,000 1,086,200
Laborers Union 25,734,000 2,138,000
American Federation of Teachers 25,682,800 200,000
United Auto Workers 25,082,200 182,700
Teamsters Union 24,926,400 1,822,000
Carpenters and Joiners Union 24,094,100 2,658,000
Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union 23,875,600 226,300
United Food and Commercial Workers Union 23,182,000 334,200
AFL-CIO 17,124,300 713,500
Sheet Metal Workers Union 16,347,200 342,800
Plumbers & Pipefitters Union 14,790,000 818,500
Operating Engineers Union 13,840,000 2,309,500
Airline Pilots Association 12,806,600 2,398,300
International Association of Firefighters 12,421,700 2,685,400
United Transportation Workers 11,807,000 1,459,300
Ironworkers Union 11,638,900 936,000
American Postal Workers Union 11,633,100 544,300
Nat’l Active & Retired Fed. Employees Association 8,135,400 2,294,600
Seafarers International Union 6,726,800 1,281,300
Source: Center for Responsive Politics, Washington, D.C.

Email from Congressman Walter Jones re. Federal Agencies abusing regulatory process

Dear Mr. Lang:

Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns regarding federal agencies subverting the will of Congress.  I appreciate you taking the time to contact me and I’m honored to respond.

I agree with your concerns and continue to be troubled by the rise in federal agencies issuing rules/regulations with no jurisdiction to do so, including the two that you mentioned in your letter.  As you know, when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued its “Net Neutrality” regulations, it did so without any authority from the Congress.  Just last month I voted for an amendment to prevent the FCC from implementing any “Net Neutrality” regulations because I believe that the FCC’s actions were a huge overreach.  I am also adamantly opposed to the Environmental Protection Agency’s politically biased rules and regulations, such as the greenhouse gas regulations, and have, and will continue to, support all initiatives to reverse these overreaches.  You will also be happy to learn that I am a cosponsor of H.R. 10, the REINS Act (Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act) which would require the Congress to affirmatively approve every new major rule proposed by the Executive Branch before it can be enforced on the American people.

Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts with me.  Please know that I will continue to stand up for the power of the Congress and against overreaches of federal agencies.  If I may be of any further assistance please feel free to contact my office.


Sincerely,

Walter B. Jones
Member of Congress

Email from Congressman Walter Jones re. Climate Science

Dear Mr. Lang:

Thank you for your recent email regarding climate science.  I appreciate you taking the time to contact me and I’m grateful for the opportunity to respond.

I understand and share your concerns about allegations of falsified science used to make the case for global warming.  You will be pleased to know that the House Energy and Commerce Committee has made this issue an oversight priority.  In fact, on Tuesday March 8th, the Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Climate Science and EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Regulations.” You can out more information about that hearing here: http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=8304.  I understand the Committee will hold further hearings on climate science and global warming as the year progresses.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact me about this issue.  If you have further questions about other federal matters, please don’t hesitate to contact me.


Sincerely,

Walter B. Jones
Member of Congress

Email from Senator Kay Hagan re. Ethanol Subsidies

March 9, 2011

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me regarding federal support of ethanol production. I greatly appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

Biofuels – transportation fuels produced from organic materials – have the potential to become a major source of renewable energy in America, and present important opportunities for our farmers to thrive in a clean energy economy. To reduce our dependence on imported oil and decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the federal government supports tax incentives, loans, and grants to encourage biofuel production. Likewise, the federal Renewable Fuel Standard requires a minimum amount of biofuels to be used in our national fuel supply by 2022.

Currently, corn-based ethanol and oil seed-based biodiesel account for the largest share of national biofuel production. When mixed with fossil fuels, these biofuels have the potential to improve our national energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, biofuels from food-based crops may also increase the cost of food for consumers and feed for livestock producers in North Carolina. Similarly, biofuels from food crops may result in increased deforestation internationally, which may increase total greenhouse gas emissions.

I strongly believe it is essential to decrease our reliance on foreign oil in order to meet emerging environmental challenges and enhance our national security. In order to do so, we must increase domestic energy production and continue to identify ways to use our energy resources more efficiently. In 2009, I supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Recovery Act funds have since been used to support North Carolina-based initiatives to develop and manufacture advanced battery and electric vehicle components. I also supported University-led research into next-generation biofuels that utilize non-food crops and will originate in North Carolina. These investments will create good jobs in our state and help reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

As your United States Senator, I will support a comprehensive energy strategy that will address vital environmental and energy independence concerns while enhancing American economic competitiveness. I will continue to monitor ethanol production in the United States and will take your thoughts and concerns into account while considering any future energy legislation.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Signature

Kay R. Hagan

Palombo may challenge Jones for House seat

March 09, 2011 5:50 PM
Freedom ENC

NEW BERN — Retiring New Bern Police Chief Frank Palombo has confirmed that he is looking into a run for the U.S. District 3 House seat held for the last 17 years by Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C.

An e-mail from the Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association stating that Palombo is going to challenge Jones in the next primary began circulating last week. It urges members to “get behind this early as Jones is already busy raising money” and says that “exploratory work is still ongoing, but early data looks very good.”

Palombo, a Republican, said Tuesday that a decision has yet to be made.

“I’m exploring all kinds of options and opportunities,” he said. “I have an interest in a government that works well. We don’t have that at the moment.”

Jones’ communications director said the he and his staff have been made aware of the possible primary challenge.

Jones’ political campaign manager, Jonathan Brooks, said since filing for the 2012 election doesn’t begin until February of next year, it’s too early to comment on possible runners.

“It is very early to be commenting on possible candidates. Instead, I think Representative Jones is focusing on serving the people of Eastern North Carolina,” Brooks said.

Palombo has been chief of police for New Bern since July 28, 1997. He also served 21 years with the police department in Clearwater, Fla. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Florida and a master’s in public administration from Troy State University.

He serves as a commissioner on two state groups — the State Emergency Response Commission and the Structured Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission. He is a past president of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police.

Palombo’s retirement is effective May 31.

Jacksonville Daily News

NPR on Expose Vid: We Didn’t Take the Money…and Exec Resigned a Week Ago

NPR has just issued a statement regarding James O‘Keefe’s undercover video featuring Senior Vice President of Development Ron Schiller.

(Read our original story and watch the video.)

In it, NPR spokeswoman Dana Davis Rehm, senior vice president of marketing, communications and external relations, says the organization is appalled by Schiller’s words, and that he will be leaving the company due to an already-planned departure. However, NPR reiterates his leaving has nothing to do with the video, and the company never accepted the fake actors’ money

Read the statement below:

The fraudulent organization represented in this video repeatedly pressed us to accept a $5 million check, with no strings attached, which we repeatedly refused to accept.

We are appalled by the comments made by Ron Schiller in the video, which are contrary to what NPR stands for.

Mr. Schiller announced last week that he is leaving NPR for another job.

In a follow-up e-mail with NPR, the company told The Blaze, “Ron Schiller’s departure has nothing to do with this video – we weren’t aware there was a video until this morning.”

UPDATE:

NPR is covering its own controversy, and has a blog post that is being updated here. Author Mark Memmot offers additional details on Schiller’s new position: he will become director of the Aspen Institute Arts Program.

 

See Story here

Undercover: NPR Exec Talks ‘Racist’ Tea Party and ‘Anti-Intellectual’ GOP, but is He Kowtowing to Muslim Brotherhood?

James O’Keefe, the controversial, undercover, conservative filmmaker, has released his company’s (Project Veritas) latest video today. This time, his group’s targeting publicly-funded NPP and catches one of the news outlet’s executives saying some suspect things. The video is sure to get some attention, but it’s not bulletproof, and there could be cause for concern.

To be sure, one of the NPR executives on the video, Ron Schiller (president of the NPR Foundation and senior vice president of development), is caught making damning statements. He calls the Tea Party “racist,“ decries the ”anti-intellectual” GOP, and claims liberals “might be more educated.”

He even attacks the supposed religious views of the Tea Party: “The current Republican Party, particularly the Tea Party, is fanatically involved in people’s personal lives and very fundamental Christian – I wouldn’t even call it Christian. It’s this weird evangelical kind of move.”

“[I]f Schiller represents the executive view at NPR,” Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey writes, “it’s not hard to imagine what kind of treatment those white, gun-toting, xenophobic Tea Partiers can expect from NPR’s news coverage.”

But the video also falls short of its intended goal: to catch NPR execs kowtowing to a fake Muslim Brotherhood front group. Schiller, as well as his companion, do not say anything shocking about glorifying the group per se, and it must be remembered that this is a donor meeting with $5 million on the line, not a policy debate.

That is not to say that Schiller is absolved from everything he said, but rather to give context. See and decide for yourself. I’ll update with some more thoughts in a bit:

Again, there is some shocking stuff there. But some things should be noted, including concerns:

1. Schiller does try to distinguish (somewhat) his professional views from his personal views. He fails. In the end, he’s at a work-related event. Trying to qualify something as “this is my personal opinion” doesn’t give him a blank slate to say whatever he wants and have it not reflect on NPR. Ironically, in the video Schiller blasts Juan Williams for doing this very thing.

2. Schiller does say that NPR is looking to feature Muslim voices. Guess what, Sean Hannity does the same thing. The Blaze does the same thing. All journalists and news organizations have a responsibility to present to the best of their ability all sides of the story. That’s why Hannity invited radical Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary on his program a few weeks ago. Even if you don’t agree with someone, they should still get a chance to say what they want. Glenn Beck has always said he’ll stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any MSNBC host for freedom of speech.

3. Some are pointing out that Schiller admits the station would be better off without federal funding, and use it as a “gotcha” moment. I‘m not sure that’s the case. I’ve worked in fundraising before, and it seems to me what Schiller is doing there is trying to remove a donation barrier. As he says, most “philanthropists” think NPR as almost fully-funded by the government, which certainly could prevent people from donating to the organization. If the government’s mainly funding NPR, why should donors?

4. It must be pointed out that Schiller does not overtly dignify the actor’s anti-Semitic comments. When the actor talks about Jews controlling the media, Schiller only  gives a half-hearted head motion. In fact, Schiller goes out of his way to point out that there’s no such thing as “Jewish influence” at NPR. That’s huge, and Schiller should be commended for that.

Unfairly, O‘Keefe puts Schiller’s response under the heading, “Jews Own the Newspapers, Obviously.” That’s not what he said at all. He said that there is Jewish influence at papers that are owned by Jews. That’s a far cry from saying “Jews own the newspapers, obviously.” In fact, Schiller’s associate, Betsy Liley, even mentions that NPR is funded in part by a Jewish organization. That doesn’t seem to be placating anti-Semitism.

5. When the actor first begins talking of the Muslim Brotherhood, the video cuts. The actor says the organization was originally funded by a few members of the MB in America, and we do not see or hear Schiller’s unedited, immediate reaction. The video instead cuts to Schiller’s talk about Muslim voices. Maybe that is his immediate reaction, but we don‘t know since there’s a video cut. That could be important, or maybe it’s not. But it’s definitely worth pointing out.

The video, in the end, not only raises questions about NPR, but it also raises questions about undercover, gotcha journalism that can sometimes border on entrapment. We’ll be discussing this more in the future.

For now, consider these points, watch the video again, and feel free to comment. We will be watching the story all day, including bringing you any reaction from NPR. By the way, we did reach out to NPR for comment. A spokeswoman declined to comment and said an official statement will be released today.

It also bears mentioning that yesterday video surfaced of NPR president Vivian Schiller issuing a challenge to find examples of NPR bias. It‘s doesn’t bode well for her that Ron Schiller’s comments about the Tea Party were made public today (note: Ron and Vivian are not related):

 

See videos here

UPDATE:

NPR has responded to the video. See our story on that here.