Category Archives: News

Who Shut Down the Government?

Who Shut Down the Government?
TownHall
Thomas Sowell | Oct 04, 2013
Even when it comes to something as basic, and apparently as simple and straightforward, as the question of who shut down the federal government, there are diametrically opposite answers, depending on whether you talk to Democrats or to Republicans.
There is really nothing complicated about the facts. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted all the money required to keep all government activities going — except for ObamaCare.
This is not a matter of opinion. You can check the Congressional Record.
As for the House of Representatives’ right to grant or withhold money, that is not a matter of opinion either. You can check the Constitution of the United States. All spending bills must originate in the House of Representatives, which means that Congressmen there have a right to decide whether or not they want to spend money on a particular government activity.
Whether ObamaCare is good, bad or indifferent is a matter of opinion. But it is a matter of fact that members of the House of Representatives have a right to make spending decisions based on their opinion.
ObamaCare is indeed “the law of the land,” as its supporters keep saying, and the Supreme Court has upheld its Constitutionality.
But the whole point of having a division of powers within the federal government is that each branch can decide independently what it wants to do or not do, regardless of what the other branches do, when exercising the powers specifically granted to that branch by the Constitution.
The hundreds of thousands of government workers who have been laid off are not idle because the House of Representatives did not vote enough money to pay their salaries or the other expenses of their agencies — unless they are in an agency that would administer ObamaCare.
Since we cannot read minds, we cannot say who — if anybody — “wants to shut down the government.” But we do know who had the option to keep the government running and chose not to. The money voted by the House of Representatives covered everything that the government does, except for ObamaCare.
The Senate chose not to vote to authorize that money to be spent, because it did not include money for ObamaCare. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that he wants a “clean” bill from the House of Representatives, and some in the media keep repeating the word “clean” like a mantra. But what is unclean about not giving Harry Reid everything he wants?
If Senator Reid and President Obama refuse to accept the money required to run the government, because it leaves out the money they want to run ObamaCare, that is their right. But that is also their responsibility.
You cannot blame other people for not giving you everything you want. And it is a fraud to blame them when you refuse to use the money they did vote, even when it is ample to pay for everything else in the government.
When Barack Obama keeps claiming that it is some new outrage for those who control the money to try to change government policy by granting or withholding money, that is simply a bald-faced lie. You can check the history of other examples of “legislation by appropriation” as it used to be called.
Whether legislation by appropriation is a good idea or a bad idea is a matter of opinion. But whether it is both legal and not unprecedented is a matter of fact.
Perhaps the biggest of the big lies is that the government will not be able to pay what it owes on the national debt, creating a danger of default. Tax money keeps coming into the Treasury during the shutdown, and it vastly exceeds the interest that has to be paid on the national debt.
Even if the debt ceiling is not lifted, that only means that government is not allowed to run up new debt. But that does not mean that it is unable to pay the interest on existing debt.
None of this is rocket science. But unless the Republicans get their side of the story out — and articulation has never been their strong suit — the lies will win. More important, the whole country will lose.

Letter to the Editor, Common Core

 

There are several Onslow County citizens that have been trying to stop the infliction of Common Core on the education system of this county.  We have tried to educate our fellow citizens in meetings and face to face discussions, as well as informing the County School Board about this “progressive” educational inhibitor. 

 

Recently I had the opportunity to talk before the school board about the increase in the school budget this would cause, but was only allowed 3 minutes.  I did not get to finish what needed to be said, so that information is what follows.

 

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My thanks to the Onslow County School Board for this opportunity to speak.

 

What I have to talk about has to do with the budget for the Onslow County School system and the affect Common Core will have on it.  According to the state of North Carolina, the cost for the Common Core Standards is an increase of $389 per student.  I am not sure if that is correct. 

 

There are Professional Development courses that are required to train the teachers on the new Common Core academic standards and methods.  This Professional Teacher Development will cost $1,931 per teacher.  There are 1,565 teachers.  That is a cost of $3,022,015.  There are the 26 Instructional Coordinators that are in the system and they will need the training.  That cost is $50,206.  I don’t know if the teacher’s assistants or the Instructional Aids will need the training, but there are 527 of them.  That would be a cost of $1,017,637.  This runs to a total of $4,089,858.  This is with a student to teacher ratio of 15 to 1. 

 

The records show the current student testing cost is about $10 per student.  The student testing under Common Core will go to $28 or $29 per student.  That is an increase of $18 or $19 per test per student.  The test questions will be made public after the test so each year new questions and tests will need to be developed so the cost will just go up.  These tests are purchased from an outside source.  According to the county records there are 24,046 students. With the increase in student testing charges of $18 or $19 per student per test that means the increase in testing cost will be $456,874.

 

I could not find any information on the cost of new text books that would be needed, so I am going to project a cost of $30 per book and I think that will be low.  This would be approximately $750,000 or in other terms, three quarters of a million dollars.  

 

So far that comes to a total increase in spending of $5,296,732.  Some of this will be one-time expenditures, but much will be reoccurring cost that will do nothing but climb over the years until the county and state can no longer carry the load and we have to turn our entire educational system over to the Federal Government.

 

This increase in cost does not include the cost of upgrades and improvements to local infrastructure.  Common Core testing in North Carolina will have to be taken on computers.  The state and local education authorities will have to examine concerns about bandwidths and technology.  Are there enough computers? Are the schools wired for the extra power requirements?  If they are going to be hardwired, are the schools wired for this with Cat-6 wiring?  Or are all the computers going to be on Wi-Fi with a central server in each school or will each school need several servers?  How about the additional bandwidth needed to connect each school with the central offices of the school system?  How often will the school system need to upgrade the computers in the classrooms?  Who pays for that?  I am guessing that will be the local county taxpayer.

 

There are many more questions to be asked and each question shows an increase in the cost of this “social progressive” system. 

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What I had not planned to bring up was the $75 million bond request they have upcoming this year nor the approximant $86 million that stills remains on the last bond they had.  I was also not going to bring up that in a conversation with an administrative staff member at one of the informational meetings they admitted that were going to request another bond in just 2 years.  With the proposed 2013 – 2014 budget having the education department taking up over 31% of the county funds, I have to ask: Just how much does the School Board want?  I have not had a raise in 4 years.  How am I supposed to pay these additional taxes?

Yes, I want the children to be well educated, but Common Core will not get that job done.  Looking at the overall school budget and financial requests the $5 million plus that Common Core will cost in its first year may seem a small thing, but we need to stop spending money in some places now.

Common Core is not only costly, as well as not needed, it is a bad thing for the students.

 

Respectfully,

 

Thomas H. Austin

Citizen of Onslow County

The Bleeding Heart becomes The Iron Fist

by Dave Carter

Whatever the perceived shortcomings of Ted Cruz and his hardy band of stalwarts, they’ve performed a remarkable public service by highlighting the fate that awaits all who rub wrongly the translucently thin skin of King Barack the Petulant. The Spartans may have had their shields, Native Americans their tomahawks and arrows, the Samurai may have wielded his sword with all the deadly grace of a tiger in mid-attack, but pound for pound, nothing comes close to the audacious stupidity of “Barrycades” and people in pointy little Smokey the Bear hats, poised to protect America’s monuments from law-abiding citizens.

Welcome to liberal utopia, where barriers are not erected against terrorists or illegal aliens on our nation’s borders, but rather against citizens, and where wheelchair-bound veterans enroute to honor their comrades face tighter security than terrorists enroute to murder a US Ambassador.

Read More -> The Bleeding Heart becomes The Iron Fist

Letter to the Editor – 2 Million Biker Rally

Newport, N.C.

Sept. 12, 2013

TO THE EDITOR:

Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2013. What a day!

We met up with some riders from the Salisbury, N.C., area and a handful of others in Fredericksburg, Va., to head to Harley Davidson of Washington, D.C., in Fort Washington, Md.

Running on three hours sleep and anticipation. Arrived at the dealership at the scheduled 8 a.m. registration time. It was already hot. The sky was clear, just as it was on 9/11/2001. Anybody who wanted one was given a sticker with the name of a person who had perished on 9/11 to take with them on the ride. Stephen Huczko Jr. was ours.

Motorcycles of every description, size, make, color and custom combination. Men, women, children, black, white, young, old, tattoos, neon pink hair, clean cut guys, rough looking guys, demurely dressed women, some “trashy women.”

A sea of black leather vests. Patches depicting various political, social and religious opinions. A red bike with a charred NYFD captain’s helmet strapped on the back. (I admit I was misty eyed with that one).

Teal and black Harleys with matching sidecar ridden by two women. Lots of flags, American flags, POW flags, Don’t Tread on Me flags, PGR flags, Texas flags.

One guy from Australia, several Canadians. People from Texas, California, Arizona, Indiana (thanks to the Indiana rider who offered me a ride on his bike, which I had to decline), Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, New York.

I saw T-shirts, vests and patches from nearly every state, including Alaska. A young man handed out small American flags that he had personally driven to every crash site in one day.

Patriot Guard Riders, American Legion Riders, Hell’s Angels, Christian Motorcycle Association, The Brotherhood, Blue Knights, Purple Heart Riders, Rolling Thunder. These are just some of the groups and clubs represented.

A feeling of excitement, pride in America, people happy to be there, a totally positive feel to the day. Blue and white Washington, D. C., police helicopter overhead. A moment of silence at precisely the times of each attack. Heads bowed.

Then, promptly at 11 a.m., as planned, kick stands were up. No way to describe the sound and feel of, literally, acres of motorcycles. The bikes pulled out, staggered two abreast, non-stop, no breaks, for a solid 50 minutes (and that was just at this one staging location; there were more than one location).

Lots of D.C. cops at the site, all helpful and supportive. The street was lined with men, women and children, waving flags, cheering, waving the bikers on.

In D.C., people along the streets were waving, shouting their support, generally showing pride in America. The brainchild of one woman, and with only about three weeks of preparation time, this was an event of epic proportions. Planners intend to make this an annual event. God willing, I will be there next year. (Thanks to my grandson, David Allen Jones, for making this trip possible for me).

Most impressive: that people love, and believe in America so strongly, that they will, on very short notice, interrupt their lives and invest their time, money and energy to take a stand and make a statement. That, my friends, is what makes this the greatest nation on the planet, and no group of politicians can “fundamentally” change that. God bless America!

JENNIFER HUDSON

Ted Cruz asks for a Tsunami

From NCTEA…

As August winds down, it’s time for the next wave in Ted Cruz’s grassroots TSUNAMI.

-You’ve asked representatives for town halls and set up your own when the rep didn’t want to hear from you. Great job!

-You’ve asked your members of Congress to represent America and to stop Obamacare in September by signing the Mark Meadows letter (US House) and the Mike Lee letter (US Senate). We’ve added two more signers from NC – Great job!

-Your Republican National Committee passed unanimously NC’s resolution instructing Congress to defund Obamacare on the Continuing Resolution (CR). Great job!

Yet, US House leadership, which has the power to stop Obamacare before it starts, is still not willing to do it.

Ted Cruz has again asked the grassroots to bring a “tsunami” (FF to 6:08). Here we go.

4 phone calls from each 1 of us = The Cruz Tsunami:

1. Flood the offices of Speaker of the House John Boehner. Ask him to honor the Meadows letter, the RNC Resolution, the wishes of his caucus, and the American people:

Call Speaker Boehner at 877.976.7521 or fax his office at 202.225.5117.

Tell him you expect him to defund Obamacare through the CR and to NOT raise the debt ceiling. Not raising the debt ceiling means there will be no additional funds for Obamacare. Boehner is using the debt ceiling debate as a “shiny object” to deflect from the defund issue.

2. Flood Senator Burr’s office and insist that he represent us and sign Mike Lee’s letter committing to defund: 202-224-3154 or 800.685.8916

Tell him you expect him to back up his co-sponsorship of the Cruz Act to Defund Obamacare by signing Senator Lee’s letter. Co-sponsoring the bill is meaningless without the procedural context outlined in the Lee letter. Burr is using political cover by signing the bill and not the letter. Tell him funding Obamacare is “dumb”.

3. If your rep is listed below, call and insist that they sign the Meadows letter. Tell them you expect them to back up their previous votes against Obamacare by signing on to the Meadows letter. A vote to defund doesn’t mean a vote to shut down government. Signing the letter gives procedural context to the Graves Defund Obamacare Act. Simply co-sponsoring the Act is only political cover. 

Virginia Foxx, District 5: (336) 778-0211 or 202-225-2071

Patrick McHenry, District 10: 800.477.2576 or 202-225-2576

Robert Pittenger, District 9: (704) 365-6234 or  202-225-1976

Renee Ellmers, District 2:  1-877-645-8764 or 202-225-4531

OR If your rep is listed below, thank him for signing the Meadows letter and ask him to stand firm:

 

Mark Meadows, District 11: 202-225-6401

Richard Hudson, District 8: 202-225-3715

Walter Jones, District 3: 202-225-3415

Howard Coble, District 6: 202-225-3065

George Holding, District 13: 202-225-3032

OR If your rep is listed below, ask them to represent you and to sign the Meadows letter to defund Obamacare. Democrats know the ACA is a train wreck, and we are asking them to be brave enough to stop it:

GK Butterfield, District 1: 202-225-3101

David Price, District 4: 202-225-1784

Mike McIntyre, District 7: 202-225-2731

Mel Watt, District 12: 202-225-1510

4. Call Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) 202-224-6342 or 877.852.9462

 

Tell her you expect her to listen to the majority of North Carolinians who don’t want Obamacare imposed on them. Point out that she and her staff are receiving 75% subsidies for Ocare provided by the taxpayers because Congress found out it was so expensive. Don’t let staffers tell you otherwise!

Thank you and Good luck!

Resources:

Who are the Biggest Chickens in Washington?

Congressional Republicans Don’t Need to Worry about the Defund Strategy Hurting the Party

What to do if My Representative Doesn’t Represent Me

 

Additional numbers for reference

US Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121

 

District Offices:

Rep. G. K. Butterfield, Jr. (D-01) (252) 237-9816

Rep. Renee L. Ellmers (R-02) 1-877-645-8764

Rep. Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-03) 800-351-1697

Rep. David Price (D-04) 919.859.5999

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-05) (336) 778-0211

Rep. Howard Coble (R-06) (336) 333-5005

Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-07) (910) 815-4959

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-08) 704-786-1612

Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-09) (704) 365-6234

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-10) 800.477.2576

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-11) 828-693-5660

Rep. Mel Watt (D-12) (704) 344-9950

Rep. George Holding (R-13) 919-856-9778

Senator Burr: 800.685.8916

Senator Hagan: 877.852.9462

Senator Barack Obama on the Debt Limit

This quote is especially to those who voted for this man twice.

READ IT…OVER AND OVER AND OVER!!!

The Quote of the Decade: “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America ‘s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America ‘s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, “the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.” ~ Senator

Barack H. Obama, March 2006

Pass it on and on and on

More "Not-So-Good" News About Obamacare

Morning Bell: The Next Threat to Your Privacy

August 9, 2013 at 7:00 am

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Who has access to your Social Security number, your bank information, and your tax records?

When Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges open, your data could be exposed to shysters and hackers, thanks to serious vulnerabilities in the system.

The exchanges are scheduled to open on October 1 (just 53 days away). But the list of implementation failures keeps growing, and the security of Americans’ data is threatened.

THREAT #1: Obamacare “Navigators”

Navigators are a group of people and organizations that are going to be facilitating signups for Obamacare’s insurance exchanges.

  • Example: Planned Parenthood has applied for navigator grants to work with consumers.
  • Danger: HHS will not require navigators to undergo “minimum eligibility criteria and background checks.” The Administration’s training program does not require navigators to participate in anti-fraud classes. And many states do not have plans for investigating unscrupulous navigators who may attempt to prey on vulnerable and unsuspecting Americans. Even California’s Democratic insurance commissioner—a strong supporter of Obamacare—admitted “we can have a real disaster on our hands” if scam artists posing as navigators get access to applicants’ Social Security numbers, bank accounts, and other personal information.

THREAT #2: Obamacare’s Data Hub

The data hub is a massive compilation of tax filings, Social Security reports, and other government data that will be used to determine eligibility for subsidized insurance.

  • Insecure? The hub isn’t scheduled to be certified as secure until September 30—only one day before the exchanges open for business.
  • Cutting Corners: The HHS inspector general recently released a report highlighting major delays in implementation of Obamacare’s data hub. The report amplifies what former HHS officials have been saying for months: The Administration has been cutting corners on data privacy for the exchanges, raising major questions about whether the data on the hub can be certified as secure—or whether Obamacare will place Americans’ tax and other personal information at risk.

The Obama Administration’s shoddy, slapdash approach to Obamacare implementation is placing the sensitive personal data of millions of Americans at risk. It’s one more reason why Congress should refuse to spend a single dime implementing this unfair, unworkable, and unpopular law.

>>> Jim DeMint and Mike Needham in the Wall Street Journal: The Only Way to Stop Obamacare Is to Cut Off Its Funding

Read the Morning Bell and more en español every day at Heritage Libertad.

Quick Hits:

Morehead City council hears budget complaints

TEA PARTY PATRIOTS CALL OUT COSTS (Mark Hibbs — Wednesday, 06/12/2013)

Tea party spokesman Eric Broyles of Morehead City spoke Tuesday in opposition to the city manager’s recommended 2013-14 budget, which includes a 4-cent tax increase.

The 4-cent tax increase included in the proposed 2013-14 budget had city officials seeing red Tuesday.

A red-shirted Crystal Coast Tea Party spokesman and his similarly attired cadre blasted the proposed spending plan during a public hearing at the Municipal Building at 202 S. Eighth St. and demanded a line-by-line review of expenses in the city manager’s recommendation.

That proposal increases property taxes from 28.5 cents per $100 of assessed value to 32.5 cents if approved by the council.  The new budget year starts July 1st.

“It is time for the city council to go back to the budget drawing board and bring forth a realistic budget that does not increase taxes”, said Broyles, who spoke on behalf of the tea party group and read aloud his letter to the editor published in the News-Times on Sunday.

Mr. Broyles said the budget was padded with increased expenses.  He said the city should not hire any new employees until it can properly take care of its existing staff.

A plan to offer pay raises for city workers and the addition of several new positions were cited in the proposed budget as the reasons for the proposed tax increase.  Of the proposed 4-cent tax increase, 2.5 cents would go to increase employees salaries and the other 1.5 cents would pay for new positions.

Each penny of the property tax generates about $185,000-190,000 in tax revenue.

The council did not plan to vote on the budget Tuesday during its regular meeting.  The board had announced it will wait until a special meeting set for 1pm Friday at the same location before considering adoption of the spending plan.  But council members stuck to the originally planned date for the public hearing held Tuesday.

The decision to vote on Friday was based on a planned meeting that day with a consultant who performed a study of the city’s employee compensation and recommended the raises to bring them in line with the labor market in the area, improve morale and curb turnover.

The tea party group’s gripe, as articulated by Mr. Broyles, was less about employee wages and more the departmental increases included in the city manager’s recommended spending plan, including line-item expenditures such as landscaping, office supplies, and contracted services he called inflated spending out of control.

City manager Dave Whitlow said the budget proposal includes about $800,000 less in general fund expenditures, compared to the current budget.  Much of the reduction is in capital expenditures, contributions to various organizations, operating costs, travel and training expenses and “a whole host of things”, he said.

Mr. Whitlow said his recommended spending levels in the proposed budget were more than $1 million lower than the total requested by city department heads, about $23.37 million.

The manager’s recommended $21.97 million budget includes $10.63 million in general fund expenditures; $2.99 million in expenses for fire and EMS service; $6.39 million in water and sewer operating expenses; $926,300 in solid waste expense; $860,000 in water and sewer capital projects; and a water and sewer capital reserve of $176,000.

Mr. Broyles said he found numerous expense items in various departments in the budget that soared in comparison with the budget for the previous year and actual spending.

Mr. Broyles and his group, prior to the meeting, placed sheets of red paper in every seat of the council chambers with the words “Taxed Enough Already” printed in large, black letters.  The group had also placed on every seat a sheet of white paper printed on both sides with tables of expense categories for each city department.

The tables listed actual current-year expenses, the manager’s recommended 2013-14 expenditures and the percentage increase for each line item, as calculated by Mr. Broyles.

Page numbers in the budget document were also cited for each item in the tables.

Increases were as high as 45,354.55 percent, as in the case of ‘Safety Program Supplies’ in the Fire and EMS department table.  The item, included on Page 95 of the budget, was budgeted in the current year at $2,000.  According to the budget document, actual expenses totaled $11.24.  The department’s request for 2013-14 for the same line item was $5,100.  The manager’s recommended expense was $5,000.

Other examples included a nearly 5,000 percent increase in landscaping expense in the transportation department, a 3,500 percent increase in cemetery, buildings and grounds landscaping expense and a 2,400 percent increase from $20 to $500  for maintenance and equipment at the Webb Library.

Mr. Broyles said he had expressed his concerns to two council members he considered fiscally conservative.

That remark prompted a stern response from Councilman Demus Thompson.  “You didn’t contact me”, Mr. Thompson said during the council remarks portion of the meeting.  “I’ve always prided myself that this body is not affiliated with any party period.”  Mr. Thompson pointed out that municipal bodies are nonpartisan, unlike county government, which he referred to as a mess and a half.  “I’m thankful I don’t have to stand up and say I’m a Democrat or I am Republican”, Mr. Thompson said, adding that “Mr. Broyles should reach out to the entire council the next time he has a concern.  We all have one vote.”

Contact Mark Hibbs at 252-726-7081, ext. 229; email mark@thenewstimes.com; or follow on Twitter @markhibbs.

Letter to the Editor on Proposed Morehead City Tax Increase

Letter to the Editor by Eric Broyles

Morehead City Taxpayer Alert

I do not know how many of our Morehead City residents required EMS services after reading about Morehead City Manager’s proposed 14 percent increase in property taxes reported in the Times-News on May 31, 2013.  After the initial shock and awe wore off, I decided to investigate into the truth of the matter.  I immediately talked with two of our “fiscally conservative” City Council Members and they confirmed to me this was the case. Continue reading →

HB 298 will test GOP leadership

 

h298
shadow
Beaufort Observer (April 28, 2013) — Depending on how this week’s action plays out, the story of HB 298 (The Affordable and Reliable Energy Act) may be the most significant thing to come out of the 2013 session. That’s a pretty far reaching statement, but consider this.

Many Republicans ran for office on a platform of putting a stop to “business as usual” wherein Big Money interests controlled what happened in the Legislature. But at this point in time, a small group of Republicans in the House have killed HB 298 by voting against it in committee. But a substantial majority of Republicans is said to favor the bill. Thus, what is set up is a real test of the Republican leadership in both the House and Senate. Continue reading →

The Muslim World Hates the US More than Ever

 

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2013/April26/261.html

The Muslim World Hates the U.S. More Than Ever
If there was one thing the left was certain about in 2008 it was this: George W. Bush had catastrophically undermined America’s world reputation with his unprovoked aggression and use of torture. The advent of Obama would reverse the damage. As Andrew Sullivan wrote in 2007, among best assets Obama brought to the “rebranding” of America was “his face.” The election of Obama and his friendly approach to the Muslim world would make the United States safer as well as more just.

No one believed this tale more fervently than Obama himself. His first official act was to direct the closing of Guantanamo Bay within one year and the elimination of harsh interrogation techniques. The “message we are sending around the world,” he intoned, “is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle … in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals.” In Cairo a few months later, he declared, “a new beginning” of relations between America and the Muslim world.

Obama participated in erecting a Bush straw man — a Bush who disdained and caricatured Muslims in general and committed war crimes in the name of national security. In fact, Bush had gone to great pains, within hours of the 9/11 attacks, to appear with imams and to stress that Islam was a “religion of peace.”

Because Iraq had been Bush’s war, as Obama saw it, he squandered the hard-won victory by failing to obtain an agreement that would have kept a stabilizing American force on the ground, electing instead to withdraw completely. And because Afghanistan was the war that Bush allegedly neglected, Obama sent 33,000 more troops (fewer than the generals requested) — a surge that, unlike Bush’s in Iraq — failed, but not before causing 70 percent of the American deaths in that conflict.

Most of all, the Obama administration fled from the concept of a struggle against Islamic terrorism as if fighting jihadis (the small subset of Muslims who’ve declared war on us) were equivalent to warring against all Muslims. Orwellian language flowed. The war on terror became “overseas contingency operations.” When Major Nidal Hassan gunned down his fellow soldiers shouting “Allahu Akbar!” the president warned against jumping to conclusions (a caution he failed to show himself in the Trayvon Martin and Henry Louis Gates cases). His administration later dubbed Hassan’s attack “workplace violence” rather than jihadism or terrorism.

When Faisal Shahzad attempted to explode a car bomb in Times Square, the administration at first declared it to be a lone wolf attack, only later reluctantly conceding that the Pakistani Taliban had been culpable. When the consulate in Benghazi was attacked (undermining the administration narrative that al-Qaida had died with bin Laden), the administration conducted a prolonged disinformation campaign designed to deny the obvious.

Tiptoeing through language after the Boston bombings, the administration at first declined to use the word “terror,” perhaps fearing that to use the word would imply a Muslim connection. “You use those words and it means something very specific in people’s minds,” explained David Axelrod. Besides, he continued, the president suspected “tax day” protesters.

What has this excruciating torture of the language and elaborate “rebranding” achieved? The U.S. is not safer. Terror attacks have been attempted at the same rate as during the Bush years (and have been thwarted slightly less successfully). As for U.S. standing in the Muslim world, the Guardian reports that a 2011 poll found favorability ratings for the U.S. have plummeted. “In most countries they are lower than at the end of the Bush administration, and lower than Iran’s favorable ratings.” A 2012 Pew poll of six predominantly Muslim nations — Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan — found U.S. approval ratings below those during the Bush Administration and well under the popularity of China.

It’s one thing to create a bogeyman for political purposes. Obama did it to Bush in 2008 (for use against McCain), and he did it to Romney in 2012. It’s quite another to believe your own propaganda and make policy in response. Bush was no anti-Muslim bigot. If he erred, it was in believing too credulously in the readiness for western-style democracy in the Arab world.

As for Obama, his doubletalk about the nature of our enemies — jihadis — has achieved neither greater safety for Americans nor improved popularity in the Muslim world. He’s 0 for 2.

Poverty Professionals And The Crony Capitalists Who Love Them

April 15, 2013

by Bill Frezza

Poverty Professionals And The Crony Capitalists Who Love Them

Yes, it looks like a wedding announcement out of The Onion, but when it comes to making a killing off the never-ending “War on Poverty,” the marriage of convenience between the financial services industry and federal bureaucrats is no laughing matter.

The idea that government welfare programs could eliminate poverty, rather than temporarily alleviate its worst impacts during hard times, took root during Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society initiative. From modest beginnings, a panoply of federal welfare programs expanded and multiplied to the point where they now consume one-sixth of the federal budget—some $588 billion last year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

This is a lot of spending—even by contemporary standards—and this figure doesn’t even include the current explosion in unemployment benefits, as these are considered social “insurance” payouts rather than welfare. Nor does it include Social Security or Medicare, our largest and most rapidly growing federal expenditures. To make matters worse, these programs, which were designed to keep the elderly out of poverty, are entitlements not yet subject to means testing, so payments go to rich, middle class, and poor alike.

With anti-poverty programs enjoying meteoric growth thanks to the economic policies of the current and previous administrations, we may someday look back fondly on the days when we “only” had to fork over half a trillion a year to support the longest and least successful “war” in American history, with no sign of stopping. Continue reading →

Hobby Lobby May Close it's Doors

Letter from Hobby Lobby CEO, “True” according to Snopes.com

Subject: *Hobby Lobby, We may close*

David Sloan “The wisdom that comes from above is, first, pure, then
peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits,
without uncertainty or insincerity.” – James 3:17

By David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

When my family and I started our company 40 years ago, we were working
out of a garage on a $600 bank loan, assembling miniature picture
frames. Our first retail store wasn’t much bigger than most people’s
living rooms, but we had faith that we would succeed if we lived and
worked according to God’s word. From there, Hobby Lobby has become one
of the nation’s largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 500
locations in 41 states. Our children grew up into fine business
leaders, and today we run Hobby Lobby
together, as a family.

We’re Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles.
I’ve always said that the first two goals of our business are
(1) to  run our business in harmony with God’s laws, and (2) to focus on
people more than money. And that’s what we’ve tried to do. We close
early so our employees can see their families at night. We keep our
stores closed on Sundays, one of the week’s biggest shopping days, so
that our workers and their families can enjoy a day of rest. We
believe that it is by God’s grace that Hobby Lobby has endured, and he
has blessed us and our employees. We’ve not only added jobs in a weak
economy, we’ve raised wages for the past four years in a row.
Our   full-time employees start at 80% above minimum wage.

But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A new
government healthcare mandate says that our family business MUST
provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of our
health insurance. Being Christians, we don’t pay for drugs that might
cause abortions, which means that we don’t cover emergency
contraception, the morning-after pill or the week-after pill. We
believe doing so might end a life after the moment of conception,
something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. It goes
against the Biblical principles on which we have run this company
since day one.

If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million PER DAY in
government fines. Our government threatens to fine job creators in a
bad economy. Our government threatens to fine a company that’s raised
wages four years running. Our government threatens to fine a family
for running its business according to its beliefs. It’s not right. I
know people will say we ought to follow the rules; that it’s the same
for everybody.

But that’s not true. The government has exempted thousands of
companies from this mandate, for reasons of convenience or cost.
But    it won’t exempt them for reasons of religious belief. So, Hobby Lobby
and my family are forced to make a choice. With great
reluctance, we filed a lawsuit today, represented by the Becket Fund
for Religious Liberty, asking a federal court to stop this mandate
before it hurts our business. We don’t like to go running into court,
but we no longer have a choice. We believe people are more important
than the bottom line and that honoring God is more important than
turning a profit.

My family has lived the American dream. We want to continue growing
our company and providing great jobs for thousands of employees, but
the government is going to make that much more difficult. The
government is forcing us to choose between following our faith and
following the law. I say that’s a choice no American and no American
business should have to make.

The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against your
fundamental religious belief. They have exempted thousands of
companies but will not exempt Christian organizations including the
Catholic church.

Since you will not see this in the liberal media, please pass this on
to all your contacts.

Sincerely,

David Green,
CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

Letter to the Editor – 2d Amendment

 

Sunday

April 14th

Letter to the Editor

A rhetorical question..

After reading your editorial, ‘Are rights ever wrong?’ , I’ve reached the conclusion that there has been a shift in your position on 2nd Amendment rights.  So allow me to ask you a rhetorical question. Of all the people you know, are you really OK with the amount of liquor they purchase on a monthly basis?  You will note I did not say ‘consume’ but purchase for whatever reason.

It is a matter of record that there are far more deaths on our roads from alcohol related accidents in which many innocent children die. Why not pass a law that says that ALL vehicles on the road will be operated by a designated driver and there will be zero tolerance for any driver suspected of consuming even one drink before stepping behind the wheel.  The arresting authority will be mandated, by law,  to have blood drawn at the scene of any driver, of any vehicle, involved in an accident where injury has occurred.

Let’s apply this reasoning to our 2nd Amendment.  Suppose you suspect your neighbor of owning an illegal firearm as defined by our anti-firearm regime.  Why not encourage him/her to report this to the State Police for, say, a small reward of $500. Most of your readers don’t know that this law was recently signed into law in New York  State under the SAFE act.

The SAFE act,  Secure Ammunition & Firearms Enforcement act encourages state residents to report “illegal” gun owners in exchange for a $500 reward.  New Yorkers can call a “Gun Tip Line” if they believe someone they know has an illegal gun, according to CBS6Albany.com.  Hotline calls are answered by state police and tips are referred to local law enforcement.

Reminiscent of programs in Cuba or the former Soviet Union, the “reward for turning in your neighbor” program is another example of overreaching by an anti-freedom, power-hungry State administration.  It is outrageous, and it is un-American. These Gestapo like tactics were once employed in Germany during the thirties when true Germans were asked to report anyone harboring Jews or in the Soviet Union if your neighbor wasn’t on board with the Stalinist regime.

If there was ever a need for unrestricted ownership of firearms in our Country today it is apparent by the machinations of the Obama regime.  Some will argue that there is a vast difference between a drunk driver and private ownership of  a firearm and they are right.  In the case of a social drinker you take one person off the road. In the case of unrestricted gun control you enslave a Country.

Louis Call

New Bern, NC 28562

Christensen: GOP goes after the wrong kind of voter fraud

Commentary

 

Christensen: GOP goes after the wrong kind of voter fraud

By Rob Christensen — rchristensen@newsobserver.com

North Carolina has a long history of election fraud, although not the kind being debated in the halls of the legislature.

The way elections have historically been stolen in North Carolina is through the use of absentee ballots for obvious reasons – not only are there no photographs required but the “voter” doesn’t even have to show up in person.

For decades the Democratic organizations that ruled North Carolina would ship thousands of absentee ballots to machine-controlled mountain counties thatwould provide as many votes as were needed.

The 1920 governor’s race was almost certainly stolen that way. The machine-backed candidate, Cameron Morrison, finished second when the voting was completed on Election Day. But after 11 days of counting absentee votes trickling in from the mountain counties, he was declared winner of the Democratic nomination by 87 votes. That was at a time when North Carolina was a one-party state and Democratic factions stole elections from each other.

During the 1936 Democratic primary for governor, the state Board of Elections, controlled by the Democratic machine, sent out 108,250 absentee ballots in a runoff in which 480,000 votes were cast. Most were sent to mountain counties. A 1944 study found that the statewide percentage of absentee ballots cast was 6.7 percent, but in hard-fought mountain counties such as Clay it was as high as 26 percent.

Typically when absentee voting started, both parties contacted certain voters to see if they wanted to vote absentee. One label for these voters was “floating voters.” According to one mountain Democrat, whoever obtained the majority of those voters usually won.

Old mountain pols say the tradition of using absentee ballots to help steal elections continued into modern times.

Forged signatures used?

My colleague Scott Mooneyham, who writes for The Insider, recently highlighted two incidences of voter fraud related to absentee voting: an SBI investigation into the 2010 Yancey County sheriff’s race and the case of a Dunn city councilwoman who in 2002 was accused of receiving absentee ballots and returning them to the county board of elections with forged signatures.

In the sheriff’s race, the SBI is focused on allegations that jail inmates had their time reduced around the same time they filled out mailed-in absentee ballots witnessed and provided by sheriff’s deputies. The scandal was uncovered by theYancey County News.

Sheriff Gary Banks, a Republican, told the newspaper that the people interviewed were mistaken. The Dunn councilwoman pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor.

Loosening regulations

The Republican-controlled legislature says that fighting voter fraud is a priority. It cites voter integrity as the reason it wants to pass a law requiring voters to produce photo IDs at the polls. It cites fraud as a reason the state needs to cut a week off of early voting and end same-day registration.

But as far as new restrictions on absentee ballots? Not so much. In fact, House Majority leader Edgar Starnes of Hickory is proposing to loosen restrictions on absentee balloting by allowing third parties to collect multiple absentee ballots.

While other voting tools such as early voting and same-day registration tend to get used more by Democrats, Republicans more often use absentee ballots. During the 2012 election, Republicans mailed in 108,522 absentee ballots, while Democrats mailed in 62,210 ballots.

After getting some criticism for its see-no-evil stance, House Republicans did include a provision in their voter ID bill that would require people voting with absentee ballots to include their driver’s license number, Social Security number, or their non-operating license number.

But absentee ballots would still be the easiest way to commit voter fraud – a long North Carolina tradition.

Christensen: 919-829-4532

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/04/13/2823044/why-the-gop-is-going-after-the.html#storylink=cpy

35 Questions About Common Core: Answers for North Carolinian's

35 Questions About Common Core: Answers for North Carolinian’s

Over the last several months, the Common Core State Standards Initiative has attracted considerable attention from the state and national media. As a result, North Carolinians have begun to consider how these changes will affect their public schools.
Unfortunately, readily accessible information about the Common Core is often hard to come by. The purpose of this primer is to introduce North Carolinians to the Common Core State Standards by answering some of the most frequently asked questions about common standards and tests. North Carolina taxpayers should use it as a first step in an ongoing effort to assess the massive changes underway in our public schools.

You can download the document here

http://johnlocke.org/research/show/spotlights/284

Dr. Stoops discusses CC

http://cjtv.carolinajournal.com/display_video.php?id=1913&type=5&__utma=1.567662802.1363311955.1363462146.1365681934.3&__utmb=1.1.10.1365681934&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1365681934.3.3.utmcsr=johnlocke.org|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/&__utmv=-&__utmk=248878343

great site to read, run by 3 moms in Utah http://whatiscommoncore.wordpress.com/

Our NC GOP legislative leadership needs to get with the program

via Beaufort Observer Online

H 494 and the Restoration Movement
Our GOP legislative leadership needs to get with the program

 

tillis_stand_up
shadow
April 08, 2013

Thom Tillis may have just killed his chances of becoming North Carolina’s next U. S. Senator. Depending on how some other current trends play out, Tillis may find that H 494 may very well drive a stake through the heart of his run for the Senate. Here’s how we see that possibility playing out.

These are unusual days in American history. We have a president who has effectively annihilated the U. S. Constitution. If you have any doubt about the truthfulness of that statement simply click here and here. The inescapable conclusion any intellectually honest person must come to is that traditional precedents established and adhered to for years no longer are “the law.” Moreover, what is equally clear is that both the Federal judiciary and the Congress are totally impotent to “preserve and defend the Constitution, either as textually written or as interpreted by judicial precedent.”

H 494 simply calls for the restoration of the original federalism upon which this nation was founded. Tillis is unwise and foolish to assert that duly elected members of the NC House have no such right to render an opinion on the constitutionality of any issue affecting their state.
shadow

The fact is that the original construct of federalism upon which the United States of America created the Union has been turned on its head. What we have today is most certainly not what the Founders intended, and what the sovereign states signed onto. No honest constitutional scholar would argue that “indefinite detention” or warrantless searches, no matter how justified, were envisioned by the Framers. And that list is virtually endless, all the way down to the light bulbs in your home.

We would posit that, at some point, enough knowledgeable and courageous people in this nation will reject this bastardization of the Founding Documents, and even the established precedents, and take a stand to return this nation’s laws to the original intent. Common sense would indicate that it will happen either peaceably or violently. If it is done peaceably it wil be operationalized by leaders stepping up and demanding that the illegal actions be overturned, nullified if you will, and state action interposed in their place. Continue reading →

Why Is Obama's Growing DHS Army Buying Armored Vehicles?

There are several articles like this posted on the internet; however, this is from a well-known, reputable source. Why is this not on the news? Why aren’t our elected representatives calling for hearing? Why is Obama gearing up for war on the streets in the United States? Call, write, and email Congressman Jones, and Senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagan and ask why they are not protecting their constituents from what appears to be preparation for attacking US citizens. Not only that, why can’t our government cut this kind of radical, over-the-top spending instead of cutting security in airports and laying off teachers as Obama has said Sequestration will do?
Posted 03/05/2013 06:26 PM ET

Security: In addition to stockpiling over a billion bullets and thousands of semiautomatic weapons the feds would deny U.S. citizens, the vehicle of choice for fighting the counterinsurgency war in Iraq is appearing on U.S. streets.

The sequestration question du jour is why the Department of Homeland Security, busy releasing hundreds, if not thousands, of deportable and detained illegal aliens due to budget constraints, is buying several thousand Mine Resistant Armored Protection (MRAP) vehicles?

And just who are they intended to be used against?

This acquisition comes on top of the recent news of the stockpiling by DHS of more than 1.6 billion (with a ‘b’) bullets of various calibers, enough by one calculation to fight the equivalent of a 24-year Iraq War, and the ordering of some 7,000 5.56x45mm NATO “personal defense weapons” (PDW) — also known as “assault weapons” when owned by civilians.

Additionally, DHS is asking for 30 round magazines that “have a capacity to hold thirty (30) 5.56x45mm NATO rounds.”

The Department of Homeland Security (through the U.S. Army Forces Command) recently retrofitted 2,717 of these MRAP vehicles for service on the streets of the U.S. They were formerly used for counterinsurgency in Iraq.

These vehicles are specifically designed to resist mines and ambush attacks. They use bulletproof windows and are designed to withstand small-arms fire, including smaller-caliber rifles such as a .223 Remington. Does DHS expect a counterinsurgency here?

After IEDs began to take a toll on U.S. military forces in Iraq, the Pentagon ordered a large supply of MRAPs.

“They’ve taken hits, many, many hits that would have killed soldiers and marines in uparmored Humvees,” Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a recent interview.

A DHS officer, Robert Whitaker, stationed in El Paso, Texas, recently proudly described the agency’s new armored toy as “Mine-resistant … we use to deliver our team to high-risk warrant services … (with) gun ports so we can actually shoot from within the vehicle; you may think it’s pretty loud but actually it’s not too bad … we have gun ports there in the back and two on the sides as well. They are designed for .50-caliber weapons.”

This is needed to serve warrants? Perhaps it might have been useful at Waco.

So the question is what does DHS need 1.6 billion bullets, 7,000 Ar-15s and 2,700 armored vehicles for?

What are they anticipating or planning for, and why are few in the media and Congress asking about it, particularly in the light of daily apocalyptic bleats from the administration about sequestration cuts?

Read More At Investor’s Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/030513-646857-dhs-buys-special-armored-fighting-vehicles.htm#ixzz2MogSqnOi
Follow us: @IBDinvestors on Twitter | InvestorsBusinessDaily on Facebook

Greg Brannon For US Senate (to replace Kay Hagan)

Come my “Trusted Friend” and your next US Senator, Wednesday,  February 27, 2013 at the Greenville Hilton:  TIME 1:00

Is the next Rand Paul in North Carolina?

Introducing Dr. Greg Brannon

Karl Rove made some news over the weekend when he said the GOP needed more Rand Paul’s instead of more Christine O’Donnell’s. Sincere or not, Karl Rove is absolutely correct. Candidates that are for Constitutional government and package together conservative and libertarian values are the future of a successful Republican party. These candidates must be articulate in their message and principled to back up their rhetoric. Senator Rand Paul is the best example of this. Senator’s Mike Lee and Ted Cruz are others that fit this description.

It is encouraging to see other candidates arise in that mold. In North Carolina, there is one. His name is Dr. Greg Brannon, OB-GYN. A strong Christian, devoted husband of 25 years, and father of 7, he has run his own medical practice since 1993 and has delivered over 9,000 babies. Brannon is a popular speaker to Tea Parties throughout North Carolina, and from that alone his name recognition earned him 5% in the latest PPP poll. In 2009, Greg created Founder’s Truth, a website dedicated to spreading the message that the Founding Father’s believed in and fought for.

You can find Dr. Brannon’s stances on the issues on his excellent website, HERE.

Here is Dr. Brannon’s video message on his run for Senate:

How is Brannon like Paul? They are both medical doctors, they are both active within the Tea Party movement, they are both devoted Christian family men, and they are both articulate speakers.

North Carolina will most likely be a safe pickup for Republicans in 2014. Kay Hagan won on the unpopularity of Elizabeth Dole and the popularity of Barack Obama, and in a trending red state she has neither of those things going for her. 2014 will be a down year for Democrats because many of their voters do not show up and vote in non Presidential elections, particularly the minority vote which is a large part of the electorate in the state. There is no need to settle for an uninspiring establishment figure; they helped get us into this mess in the first place.

A grassroots candidate is needed, and that is Dr. Greg Brannon.

Keystone pipeline is the key to the future

Keystone pipeline is the key to the future

Source: State.gov

By Bill Wilson — Everything we will ever need to know about the Obama Administration may come down to a single decision. And that is whether Obama, along with newly sworn in Secretary of State John Kerry, approve the Keystone XL pipeline from the Alberta tar sands to the U.S.

For, contained in that decision is not just the future energy independence of North America — the U.S. currently depends on foreign sources for 45 percent of our fuel — but perhaps the future prosperity of the American economy.

If completed, the expanded pipeline — there actually is another Keystone pipeline from Alberta  operated by TransCanada that already delivers about 590,000 barrels of oil a day — will add another 500,000 barrels a day to the mix.

The fact the Chinese are waiting in the wings to claim this energy for themselves would be reason enough to approve it. Beijing has offered to pay for building an alternative pipeline to the Pacific coast to have  the oil shipped there.

For now, global production keeps up with global demand, but developing economies like China and India — oil importers both — invariably are leading to higher demand.

Which means every drop we fail to develop here, whether in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, or fail to gain access to, as in Canada, is driving up prices at the pump. Continue reading →

The Feds Want Your Retirement Accounts

via AmericanThinker

 

February 22, 2013

The Feds Want Your Retirement Accounts

By John White

Quietly, behind the scenes, the groundwork is being laid for federal government confiscation of tax-deferred retirement accounts such as IRAs. Slowly, the cat is being let out of the bag.

Last January 18th, in a little noticed interview of Richard Cordray, acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Bloomberg reported “[t]he U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [CFPB] is weighing whether it should take on a role in helping Americans manage the $19.4 trillion they have put into retirement savings, a move that would be the agency’s first foray into consumer investments.”  That thought generates some skepticism, as aptly expressed by the Richard Terrell cartoon  published by American Thinker.

Days later On January 24th President Obama renominated Cordray as CFPB director even though his recess appointment was not due to expire until the end of 2013. Continue reading →

NC "Elections Bureaucrats Ran Amok"

via Civitas Institute

Elections Bureaucrats Ran Amok

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Susan Myrick in Elections & Voting

In a blatantly partisan move, the staff of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) successfully subverted state law to facilitate online voter registration in North Carolina by the 2012 Barack Obama campaign. In doing so they coordinated with partisans behind closed doors, lied about the NC Attorney General’s Office concurring with the SBE staff on the issue, and dodged oversight by their own board and the legislature. The end result was to add thousands of people to the North Carolina voter rolls illegally.

The SBE staff’s audacity is so breath-taking that it’s hard to believe, so let us emphasize:  The Civitas Institute has documented how SBE bureaucrats conspired with a private company, working for the Obama campaign[i], to facilitate a form of online voter registration for the 2012 General Election – in violation of state law. It’s a classic example of how bureaucrats ignore the democratic process and hijack an agency for partisan purposes.

Breaking the Law

Civitas initiated a series of public records requests to uncover this scheme concerning online registration in defiance of state law. Continue reading →

Endangered Species Act’s hidden costs

VITTER: Endangered Species Act’s hidden costs

Respect for private property at risk

By Sen. David Vitter

 

Friday, February 8, 2013

At least you have to give President Obama high marks for creativity in his latest attempt to curtail freedom and individual rights. Specifically, I’m talking about Mr. Obama’s assault on private property rights through the abuse of the Endangered Species Act.

I strongly support protecting endangered species. No one I know wants to see a species go anywhere near extinction. The far-left environmentalists in the Obama administration, however, have gone way beyond this by settling litigation with their allies in environmental groups behind closed doors. Through these secret settlements, they are advancing a much more radical, aggressive agenda than anything that is actually mandated by law.

This is a tactic called “sue-and-settle,” and it has become a central tool used to advance the radical environmental agenda. This is how it works: Far-left environmental groups sue the federal government — in this case, under the Endangered Species Act — claiming that the government is not satisfying its regulatory obligations. Then the groups and their friends in the administration draft a settlement agreement completely behind closed doors. No other stakeholder or representative of the public is provided the opportunity to shed light on how they might be impacted. The parties then get the judge to bless their agreement. That’s usually easy, since he doesn’t get to hear any opposing arguments and is often eager to get rid of what would otherwise be a complicated, time-consuming case. Continue reading →