Category Archives: News

Obama The Divider

Obama The Divider

Peter Wehner 10.07.2011 – 1:45 PM
A Washington Post story from earlier this week reports, “There is a noticeably more aggressive, confrontational President Obama roaming the country these days, selling his jobs plan and attacking Republicans for standing in the way of progress by standing up only for the rich.” That report, if anything, understates things a bit. Obama has essentially given up on his governing responsibilities (at which he has shown himself to be terribly inept) in lieu of a fierce and near constant attack on his political opponents. I have my doubts as to whether that strategy will work. But the point I want to make is a different one, which is that Obama has become the most intentionally divisive president we’ve seen in quite some time.
It’s not unusual, of course, for the policies of presidents to divide the nation. And politicians running for re-election often highlight differences. But Obama now belongs in a separate category. Each day, it seems, he and/or his supporters are seeking to divide us. The rhetoric employed by the president and his allies is meant to fan the flames of resentment, to turn Americans against one another, and to stoke up feelings of envy, grievances, and rage.
This is not healthy for our country or good for our political culture. And while we all contribute to what constitutes public discourse, there is one officeholder, the president, who bears the greatest responsibility for creating a sense of common purpose and for reminding us that we are, in the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Yet the president is trying, with almost every speech, to pry us apart. It’s a strategy he clearly believes is necessary for him to win re-election. But that doesn’t make what he’s doing any less shameful or any less hypocritical.
It was Obama, after all, who – more than any political figure in our lifetime – promised to heal the breach. That was at the very core of his message, and his appeal, during the last presidential election.
For example, in his announcement speech on February 10, 2007, it was Obama who complained, “We’re distracted from our real failures and told to blame the other party…” He would not sink to such depths, he promised us.
It was Obama who said in his 2007 Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Iowa, “I don’t want to pit Red America against Blue America – I want to be the president
of the United States of America.” It was Obama, in his March 18, 2008 speech in Philadelphia (addressing the controversy over the Reverend Jeremiah Wright) who said, “We have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division and conflict and cynicism… That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, ‘Not this time….’” It was Obama who told Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone, “I want us to rediscover our bonds to each other and to get out of this constant petty bickering that’s come to characterize our politics.” It was Obama who said during his acceptance speech on August 28, 2008, “If you don’t have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare voters. If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.” And it was Obama who said on the night of his election, on a stage in Grant Park, “I will listen to you, especially when we disagree… Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for too long.”
What he has done is the antithesis of what he said. Barack Obama has succumbed to virtually every partisan temptation, reached for every stale tactic, and bred division and conflict and cynicism across our land. He has resorted to petty bickering and pitted Red America against Blue America. He has even characterized his political opponents as “enemies.”
I suppose there are worse things a president can do, but this is bad enough. He is purposefully causing wounds that will be hard to heal – and he’s only just begun. Things will get uglier before they get better. Eventually, and thankfully, we will rediscover our bonds of affection. But it will require removing Obama from office before we do.

Polls Show Voter Disapproval of Perdue Remains High

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Congressman Jones on Obama's Jobs Act

Dear Mr. Lang:

 

Thank you for your recent letter regarding President Barack Obama’s proposed “JOBS Act”.  I appreciate you taking the time to contact me and I’m grateful for the opportunity to respond.

 

I can assure you that I share the President’s stated desire to reduce unemployment in America.  It is absolutely essential that Congress reform the regulatory, legal, tax, and fiscal environment in this country so that employers in America can grow their businesses and put unemployed Americans back to work.  I am committed to that cause, and vote accordingly on the House floor.  However, I disagree with the President’s notion that more government programs are the answer to restoring employment.  In my opinion, the record shows that more government intervention in the economy will impede, not stimulate, job creation.

 

Nevertheless, there are some elements of the President’s proposal that have merit.  Leaders in the House of Representatives have indicated their support for many of these proposals and I look forward to their consideration on the House floor.

 

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

 
Sincerely,

Walter B. Jones
Member of Congress

Men's Republican Club Meeting

Dear Crystal Coast Republican Men’s Club members and friends,

Our next meeting will be this Thursday, Oct.13 at Ribeyes Steakhouse in
downtown Cape Carteret.

The social hour starts at 6:30 PM. with the meeting starting at 7:00 PM.

Ribeyes is located at 104 Golfin Dolphin Dr., which is between Hardies and
Walgreens off Rt. 24 just east of the Hwy 58 stoplight.

The speaker for the meeting will be Frank Palombo, retired New Bern police
chief and announced candidate for Walter Jones’ congressional seat.

The meeting is a Dutch-Treat dinner meeting with dinner optional.
The menu can be seen at  http://www.ribeyessteakhouse.com/ribeyemenu.html

Spouses are welcome and encouraged to attend and we’ll see you at Ribeyes!

Steve Malay,  Secretary,    ph. 393-7747

"Occupy Wall Street" Demands

Read Demands of ‘Occupy Wall Street’ … and Try Not to Laugh

By Kerry Picket, Washington Times

The “Occupy Wall Street” protesters have listed 13 proposed demands from their website.

Demand one: Restoration of the living wage. This demand can only be met by ending “Freetrade” by re-imposing trade tariffs on all imported goods entering the American market to level the playing field for domestic family farming and domestic manufacturing as most nations that are dumping cheap products onto the American market have radical wage and environmental regulation advantages. Another policy that must be instituted is raise the minimum wage to twenty dollars an hr.

Demand two: Institute a universal single payer healthcare system. To do this all private insurers must be banned from the healthcare market as their only effect on the health of patients is to take money away from doctors, nurses and hospitals preventing them from doing their jobs and hand that money to wall st. investors.

Demand three: Guaranteed living wage income regardless of employment.

Demand four: Free college education.

Demand five: Begin a fast track process to bring the fossil fuel economy to an end while at the same bringing the alternative energy economy up to energy demand.

Demand six: One trillion dollars in infrastructure (Water, Sewer, Rail, Roads and Bridges and Electrical Grid) spending now.

Demand seven: One trillion dollars in ecological restoration planting forests, reestablishing wetlands and the natural flow of river systems and decommissioning of all of America’s nuclear power plants.

Demand eight: Racial and gender equal rights amendment.

Demand nine: Open borders migration. anyone can travel anywhere to work and live.

Demand ten: Bring American elections up to international standards of a paper ballot precinct counted and recounted in front of an independent and party observers system.

Demand eleven: Immediate across the board debt forgiveness for all. Debt forgiveness of sovereign debt, commercial loans, home mortgages, home equity loans, credit card debt, student loans and personal loans now! All debt must be stricken from the “Books.” World Bank Loans to all Nations, Bank to Bank Debt and all Bonds and Margin Call Debt in the stock market including all Derivatives or Credit Default Swaps, all 65 trillion dollars of them must also be stricken from the “Books.” And I don’t mean debt that is in default, I mean all debt on the entire planet period.

Demand twelve: Outlaw all credit reporting agencies.

Demand thirteen: Allow all workers to sign a ballot at any time during a union organizing campaign or at any time that represents their yeah or nay to having a union represent them in collective bargaining or to form a union.

Email from Senator Hagan re. Solyndra

September 30, 2011

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me regarding Solyndra.  I greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important issue.

Solyndra was a solar panel manufacturer founded in 2005.  In September 2011, two years after receiving a $535 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy, the company filed for bankruptcy.  The Treasury Department is currently investigating the loan guarantee approved for the Solyndra project, as is the Department of Energy’s inspector general.

Like you, I believe we must carefully monitor how taxpayer dollars are spent.  This is particularly important at a time when the annual federal budget deficit exceeds $1 trillion.  While I share your concerns about the loan guarantee awarded to Solyndra, I do not believe this incident is necessarily indicative of the entire Loan Guarantee Program, which has helped many important energy projects move forward in these difficult economic times.  Projects that have benefited from the Loan Guarantee Program include nuclear power plants, biofuels, and smart grid technologies.

As this matter is further investigated, I will be sure to keep your thoughts and concerns in mind.

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 Hagan on Obama Jobs Bill

September 27, 2011

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the American Jobs Act.  I greatly appreciate your thoughts on this important issue.

Proposed by President Obama in his address to a Joint Session of Congress on September 8th, the American Jobs Act (S. 1549) was introduced into the Senate on September 13th.  The American Jobs Act is a multi-tiered approach to creating jobs and revitalizing the American economy.  The legislation expands payroll tax cuts to small businesses by cutting the payroll tax rate in half on the first $5 million in wages paid by companies.  The bill establishes a national infrastructure bank to co-invest with the private sector in a broad range of national and regional road, bridge and other priority physical infrastructure needs.  Other provisions include reforms to unemployment insurance and help for small businesses in gaining access to capital.

Job creation, particularly in North Carolina, remains my number one priority. That’s why I introduced the Hire A Hero Act in February to give small businesses a tax credit for hiring our returning veterans.  I am pleased the President included a similar proposal in his jobs plan.  I have also re-introduced the AMERICA Works Act.  This measure matches employees with employers nationwide by giving priority consideration to training programs offering portable, national, industry-recognized credentials for American workers wherever they live.  The AMERICA Works Act builds on the success of the Manufacturing Skills Certification System, helps Americans get back to work, and sets our country on the right path to be more competitive in the global economy.

There is more work to be done, and I believe that the President’s proposal contains a number of worthwhile initiatives.  My bottom line:  I will continue to work with anyone in Washington – Democrat, Republican or Independent –  to achieve practical, bipartisan solutions to help jumpstart the stalled American economy and create jobs.

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, Sept 26, 2011

Folks,

 

Senator Kay Hagan is against a Balanced Budget Amendment.  Might of fact, the Senator’s own viewpoint on how government would balance the budget is “to take in at least as much revenue each year as it spends”.  That is right folks!  Senator Hagan believes the only way to balance the budget is to increase revenues to match spending instead of just simply decrease spending.  The only way government can increase revenues is through increasing taxes or fees.  That is our far left liberal Senator in action!

 

Please post Senator Hagan’s response to our website.

 

Eric

 

 

From: senator_reply@hagan.senate.gov [mailto:senator_reply@hagan.senate.gov]
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2011 9:48 AM
To: ebroyles@ec.rr.com
Subject: Balanced Budget Amendment

 

Letterhead

     September 26, 2011

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution. I appreciate your thoughts on this very important issue. I sincerely apologize for my delayed response.

There’s no doubt that Washington needs to get its fiscal house in order. You may be pleased to learn that the recently passed, bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011 (S. 365) will reduce our budget deficits over the next ten years by at least $2.1 trillion. It meets that goal by immediately cutting spending by $917 billion over ten years, and establishes a new bipartisan Joint Select Committee charged with producing another $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction. To hold the new committee and Congress accountable for coming to a balanced agreement, automatic budget cuts will take effect in October 2012 if an agreement is not reached.

You may also be pleased to learn the Budget Control Act requires Congress to vote on a balanced budget amendment this fall. As you know, a balanced budget amendment would require the government to take in at least as much revenue each year as it spends. I take my oath to defend and protect the Constitution very seriously, and I closely scrutinize any proposed changes to our founding document. While I continue to believe that our budget deficits and debt are among the most critical national problems we now face,  I have concerns that amending the Constitution to fix it would restrict our ability to meet the needs of seniors and veterans as well as limit our ability to react to national emergencies. Getting our fiscal house in order shouldn’t require us to amend the Constitution. It just requires Congress to do its job.

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

Governor Perdue Suggests Suspension of 2012 Elections

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

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

Illegal Immigration Alert

From the Tea Party Patriots – Call your Congressman now!

 

HR 2885 – Legal Workforce Act
There are four problems with HR 2885 which is the second bill called the Legal Workforce Act,
the first was HR 2164.
Section 6 Preemption in HR 2885, must be removed or the bill killed.
The problems with HR 2885 are in the following sections:
• SEC. 2. EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROCESS
• SEC. 6. PREEMPTION
• SEC. 10. FRAUD PREVENTION
• SEC. 11. BIOMETRIC EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PILOT
PROGRAM
SEC. 2. EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROCESS
‘‘(ii) DOCUMENTS EVIDENCING EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION AND
ESTABLISHING IDENTITY.—A document described in this subparagraph is an
individual’s—
‘‘(IV) in the case of a non-immigrant alien authorized to work for a specific
employer incident to status, a foreign passport with Form I–94 or Form I–94A, or
other documentation as designated by the Secretary specifying the alien’s nonimmigrant
status.
Comment:
The original legislation, HR 2164, designated only the I-94 and I-94A. HR 2885 allows other
documents to be used at the discretion of the Secretary of DHS and could be abused for
political reasons. The I-94 and I-94A are sufficient documents for establishing identity and
authorization for employment.
SEC. 6. PREEMPTION.
Section 274A(h)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a(h)(2)) is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘(2) PREEMPTION.—The provisions of this section preempt any State or local
law, ordinance, policy, or rule, including any criminal or civil fine or penalty
structure, insofar as they may now or here after relate to the hiring, continued
employment, or status verification for employment eligibility purposes, of
unauthorized aliens.
Comment:
The state preemption, Section 6 is exactly the same in the new bill, HR2885, as in the previous
bill, HR 2164. It has not been removed. Currently 17 states have passed their own version of
E-Verify legislation. By next year 25 – 30 states could have their own state laws. The U.S.
Supreme Court in the Whiting Case has ruled that states can pass and enforce their own EVerify
laws. The state preemption in HR 2885 would prohibit the states from using E-Verify
to enforce employment laws to the benefit of American workers (American citizens or legal
immigrants with work visas.)
The state preemption in HR2164 was opposed by:
• Arizona Senator Russell Pearce (Author of AZ’s E-Verify law, SB1070 and other
legislation)
• Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (Co-author of SB 1070 with Russell Pearce)
• U.S. Congressman Lou Barletta (former Mayor of Hazelton Pennsylvania)
• NAFBPO-The National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers
• Daryl Metcalfe, Rep. Pennsylvania House of Representatives and founder of the State
Legislators for Legal Immigration
• Bay Buchanan, Co-Chair of Team America PAC. (One of the sharpest political minds in
the country.)
• Tom Tancredo, Co-Chair of Team America PAC. (Nobody worked harder inside the
Beltway for enforcement.)
• Phyllis Schlafly, Founder and President of Eagle Forum, (Has impeccable patriot
credentials.)
• State Legislators for Legal Immigration
• Patriot Action Network
Rep. Steve King R-IA said in his opening statement about HR 2885 in Judiciary on Thursday
September 15:
“…do you believe the Federal Government will enforce efficiently and effectively the laws that
we might pass in this Congress. The history of that, of immigration enforcement, doesn’t answer
that as a yes. I have concerns because of that. I want local government to help us enforce
immigration laws because the Federal Government is not doing the job.
Comment: cont…
Section 6 Preemption, is a state’s rights concern. Also, it is believed that the state preemption
is the reason for this bill, as it is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce which has been
an enemy of immigration enforcement for the past 25 years. The Chamber opposed the
Employer Sanctions in the 1986 IRCA amnesty, (Simpson-Mazzoli) and, among other things,
has sued the federal government to prevent requiring contractors with the federal government
to use E-Verify.
Employment is the biggest magnet attracting illegal immigrants. This fact is indisputable. If
states are prohibited from enforcing federal employment law and the federal government
continues its policy of defacto-amnesty through “Discretionary Prosecution,” Section 6 of
HR 2885 will result in the biggest single setback to immigration enforcement since the 1986
IRCA amnesty.
SEC. 10. FRAUD PREVENTION
(c) BLOCKING USE OF CERTAIN SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBERS.
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish a
program in which the social security account numbers of an alien described in
paragraph (2) shall be blocked from use for purposes of the employment
eligibility verification system established under section 274A(d) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a(d)), as amended by section 3 of
this Act, unless the alien is subsequently admitted lawfully to the United States in,
or the Secretary has subsequently changed the alien’s status lawfully to, a status
that permits employment as a condition of the alien’s admission or subsequent
change of status, or the Secretary has subsequently granted work authorization
lawfully to the alien.
Comment:
Section (c) from the original HR 2164 is not in HR2885. Blocking use of a SSAN is an
important part of reducing fraud. This section should be added to HR 2885. We need more
fraud prevention, not less.
SEC. 11. BIOMETRIC EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PILOT
PROGRAM.
Not later than 48 months after the date of the enactment of the Legal Workforce Act, the
Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation with the Commissioner of Social
Security and the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall
establish by regulation a Biometric Employment Eligibility Verification pilot program
(the ‘‘Biometric Pilot’’). The purpose of the Biometric Pilot shall be to provide for
identity authentication and employment eligibility verification with respect to enrolled
new employees which shall be available to subject employers who elect to participate in
the Biometric Pilot. Any subject employer may cancel the employer’s participation in the
Biometric Pilot after one year after electing to participate without prejudice to future
participation.
Comment:
The Biometric Pilot Program has been reduced from seven pages in HR 2164 to this single
paragraph. The merits of any biometric identification legislation should be debated separately
from E-Verify and legislation written in a way that specifies the limits of the program to avoid
government abuse and unconstitutional invasions of privacy.
Links:
• HR 2164
• HR 2885
• Morton Memo on Prosecutorial Discretion
• Whitehouse Blog Announces Defacto Amnesty based on Prosecutorial Discretion
• Dept. of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis protects illegal alien workers
• The HALT Act
• HR 2847 Agricultural Worker Program (500,000 workers per year)
Take Action:
Contact all members of the Judiciary Committee and identify yourself as a member of the Tea
Party. Below is a suggested script, modify as necessary. Be polite.
“My name is _____________ and I am calling Congressman/woman ___________ to ask that
he/she support an amendment of HR 2885-The Legal Workforce Act.
Section 6, the preemption, must be removed. If the states are prevented from enforcing
employment law to prevent illegal aliens from working in our country, there will be no
enforcement. Employment is the number one reason illegal aliens sneak into our country.
Please contact Congressman Steve King on the Judiciary Committee and tell him Congressman
______ will support an amendment removing the state preemption from the HR 2885.
States rights must be preserved and the states must not be prevented from enforcing the law that
can cut off employment to illegal aliens.
Thank you.”
Please report what feedback you get from the staffer, if any.
Member District
HR 2885
Cosponsor Party Phone
Rep Griffin, Tim AR-2
R 202-225-2506
Rep Franks, Trent AZ-2 9/12/2011 R 202-225-4576
Rep Quayle, Benjamin AZ-3
R 202-225-3361
Rep Gallegly, Elton CA-24 9/12/2011 R 202-225-5811
Rep Lungren, Daniel E. CA-3
R 202-225-5716
Rep Issa, Darrell CA-49
R 202-225-3906
Rep Ross, Dennis FL-12 9/12/2011 R 202-225-1252
Rep Adams, Sandy FL-24
R 202-225-2706
Rep King, Steve IA-5
R 202-225-4426
Rep Pence, Mike IN-6
R 202-225-3021
Rep Coble, Howard NC-6
R 202-225-3065
Rep Chabot, Steve OH-1
R 202-225-2216
Rep Jordan, Jim OH-4
R 202-225-2676
Rep Marino, Tom PA-10
R 202-225-3731
Rep Gowdy, Trey SC-4
R 202-225-6030
Rep Gohmert, Louie TX-1
R 202-225-3035
Rep Poe, Ted TX-21
R 202-225-6565
Rep Smith, Lamar TX-21 9/12/2011 R 202-225-4236
Rep Chaffetz, Jason UT-3
R 202-225-7751
Rep Forbes, J. Randy VA-4
R 202-225-6365
Rep Goodlatte, Bob VA-6
R 202-225-5431
Rep Sensenbrenner, Jim WI-5
R 202-225-5101

Registers' [of Deeds] perks are public expense

In News & Observer via CarolinaJournalonline

 

This weekend, county registers of deeds from across the state will head to Boone for an annual association conference that is largely underwritten by vendors seeking business and the fee-paying public that’s on the hook for association dues and travel expenses.

Last year alone, the registers’ offices were required to chip in an additional $20,000 in public money to the N.C. Association of Registers of Deeds in the form of higher dues that for small counties nearly doubled what they previously paid. The $20,000 is expected to provide a fifth of the association’s estimated $100,000 in annual income for this fiscal year.

Here’s where some of that money gets spent:

A Constitutional Workshop in New Bern, NC

Dr. Troy Kickler & Dr. Michael Sanera

– Dr. Kickler is Founding Director of the NC History Project and Adjunct Professor of U.S. History at NCSU Dr. Sanera is Direcotor of Research and Local Government Studies and Adjunct Professor in Political Science, NCSU

 

Workshop #1 in New Bern, NC- What the Founders and the State Ratification Conventions Can Teach Us Today

 

Saturday, October 29, 2011
9:30 am – 3 pm

 

More info

Wasserman-Schultz and Gantt Mislead Public at Democratic Kick-Off

Host Committee is taking corporate and PAC $ for Convention

 

 

 

For Immediate Release

 

Contact:  Rob Lockwood: (919) 828-6423

 

September 6th 2011

 

 

 

RALEIGH, NC – Former Mayor Harvey Gantt today at the “Democratic Convention Kick-Off” stated that the convention would be financed by “you the people” and “not by corporations or PACs.” This is simply not true. The facts were reported in today’s Charlotte Observer, which highlighted that the “Host Committee” is in fact taking corporate money.

 

 

 

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz also made it a point to thank the ‘Host Committee’ for all their efforts to make this ‘the best convention in history.’

 

 

 

NCGOP Chairman Robin Hayes had this to say on the issue, “The Democrats have once again misled the public on how they are going to pay for anything. Taking corporate money is a violation of President Obama’s pledge not to do so, and they should not be allowed to campaign on faulty rhetoric. It begs the question: Does President Obama believe that it is okay for the ‘Host Committee’ to use corporate dollars to help his convention?”

 

 

 

“The new restrictions, however, don’t apply to the host committee itself.

 

$15 million for committee

 

Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers, who co-chairs the committee, is quietly raising up to $15 million for the committee, in part from corporate contributions. That’s on top of the $37 million in noncorporate contributions for the convention itself. Among other things, the money will go toward organizing and hosting events for the expected 35,000 visitors.

 

“We don’t have the same restrictions on the host committee that are on the (convention),” says Murrey.

 

Wells Fargo, for example, expects to donate an unspecified amount of money to both conventions, says spokeswoman Alexandra Ball. And Belk Stores is giving the Democratic convention $100,000.

Congress Really IS the Problem!

Another Prime Example of Gov’t Stupidity and waste.

 

No one seems to know what is going on in our government.
Take 3 minutes and Watch This, then SHARE IT with everyone you know… Only one example of PURE STUPIDITY by our leaders in Washington. BOTH SIDES!!
We the people need to invoke TERM LIMITS by voting anyone in Congress who has served more than 2 terms OUT!!!
2010 Mid-Terms laid the ground-work. Make 2012 the second cleansing!!!

 
CLICK ON LINE BELOW & TURN ON SPEAKERS

 
Diane Sawyer, ABC

Government Jobs Gone Wild – Video

Government jobs – This is truly shocking
Just a short video you really should and must see…..a real eye opener!
If you seldom watch a forwarded video, I urge you to watch this one.   I did not realize that the numbers
were this large and was very shocked.   It’s rather short so does not take long to view it….
If this doesn’t open you eyes nothing will

Hate Crime or Not

by Eric Broyles

After the firing of 31 shots at Representative Gabrielle Gifford and others, one would think we would be more mindful of what we say and the words we chose considering the polarized environment we live in, especially for those in a leadership role.  Even though there was no association or linkage between the gunman and the Tea Party, the Tea Party was blamed by many for the cause of the incident.

Apparently, Vice President Joseph Biden, Representative Maxine Waters, and The Carteret County Democratic Party Chairman Kenneth Humphreys have trouble controlling their derogatory comments and hate rhetoric.  Now we have a Vice President of the United States and The Carteret County Democratic Party Chairman naming and labeling all Tea Party members as “TERRORIST”.  Maxine Waters, a Representative of the people, recently condemn her Tea Party constituency to “HELL”.  In addition, Ken Humphreys also refers to Tea Party members as “THUGS” in the letter he sent to the editor called “Negotiating with thugs”, which was published in the Carteret News Times on August 7, 2011.   These individual’s reckless and dangerous verbal diatribe may have caused grievous injury to Tea Party members locally and nationally by putting them in physical harm’s way.

When you reference an individual or a group as “Terrorists”, you are reclassifying their legal legitimacy and status to that of Osama Bin Laden or Al Queda, especially if you are a high ranking government official like the Vice President of the United States.  This type of false labeling and branding willfully incites and targets acts of aggression and public disobedience against those so labeled.  Countries like Germany, Russia, China, Rwanda, and many more used similar dialogue and tactics to first incite and turn their populace against those of certain political and religious beliefs before marshalling in their programs of imprisonment and extermination.  These kinds of politically motivated doctrine(s) and program(s) of hatred and bias over time have resulted in the imprisonment and genocide of millions of innocent civilians.

Could the Tea Party or its members be the next sacrificial lambs because they exercised their 1st Amendment rights by speaking out against their government’s spending habits and governance?  Should we be concerned as citizens that a senior leader of our country has painted a bull’s eye on the back of every Tea Party member for their political beliefs?   Yes we should!  Politically based and inciting statements (e.g. – Terrorist, Racist, Thugs, and etc.) against innocent citizens and civilians, whose only intent is to spin more hatred and discord among the citizenry, have absolutely no place in society.  Today the Tea Party members, tomorrow it could be you!

Has a “Hate Crime” been committed as a result of the verbal actions of The Vice President, Representative  Maxine Waters, or Carteret County Democratic Party Chairman Ken Humphreys?  Several websites (e.g. – Wikipedia, Yahoo Answers, Freebase, and etc.) state, a “Hate Crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, social status, or political affiliation”.  Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, recently passed under the Obama administration in October 22, 2009 , states “A prominent characteristic of a violent crime motivated by bias is that it devastates not just the actual victim and the family and friends of the victim, but frequently savages the community sharing the traits that caused the victim to be selected”.  Additionally, Title 18 section 16 under the United States Code defines a violent crime as “(a) an offense that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another, or (b) any other offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense”.  Five states, including Oregon, now designate political affiliation violence as a “hate crime”.  Considering the number of recorded deaths in history as a result of political or religious persecution, I would consider politically oriented hate crimes as the #1 crime of all mankind.  Like most “Hate Crime” programs of persecution, it usually starts with hate rhetoric, labeling, and targeting of certain individuals or group(s) (e.g. – The Tea Party) before it advances to its next level of physical violence.  Hate crime or not?

It is time to tone down the irresponsible rhetoric that causes and escalate future “Hate Crimes” against certain segments of the population and innocent law abiding citizens.  Those labeling the Tea Party and its followers as “Terrorist and Thugs”  need to open the King James Version of the bible to Exodus 20:16 and read the scripture “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” and abide by God’s Commandment.  Furthermore, someone in the Democratic Party ought to tell Representative Maxine Waters that the Constitution does not give her the legislative authority or power to send a group of her constituency or citizens to “HELL”, only God has that right!   Even when differences exist among us, it is better to break bread and not war!

I have often asked myself over the past several days what Congresswomen Gabrielle Gifford would say and do considering the heartbreak and suffering she and others have had to suffer as a result of the hate crime committed against them one Saturday morning in January 2011?  I think she would tell us that society should stand up against this type of dialogue, whose only intent is to defame and incite the future commission of possible violence and “Hate Crimes” against a person or group for their political beliefs.  I do not believe any individual has the right to encourage or incite possible future acts of mob violence, individual violence and aggression, or hostility against innocent and law abiding Tea Party groups or its members for their beliefs in promoting fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free trade of American products.  Open civilized debate is one thing, but allowing and promoting hate mongering, branding, and labeling to continue has no place in a democratic society.

In the words of former Vice President Al Gore: “We must send a clear and strong message to all who would commit crimes of hate: it is wrong, it is illegal, and we will catch you and punish you to the full force of our laws.” In view of this, maybe it is time for both the North Carolina and United States Attorney General’s Offices to look into the inflammatory public remarks of individuals that are labeling and targeting Tea Party Groups and its members as “TERRORIST” and “Thugs”, to see if it constitutes a “Hate Crime”.

Byway talk ongoing; DOT gets fed grant

NEWS-TIMES

Published: Friday, August 19, 2011 3:05 PM EDT

BEN HOGWOOD

BEAUFORT — County commissioners learned on Monday that the only regulation related to a stretch of road heading Down East considered part of a state and federal scenic byway is the prohibition of new outdoor advertising.

And in related news, the Federal Highway Administration on Wednesday awarded the N.C. Department of Transportation a $201,120 grant to help mark the way of the route, called the Outer Banks Scenic Byway.

The grant is to improve the “byway traveler experience” along the route and the money will help fund the design, fabrication and installation of byway route signs and signs to byway attractions. These signs do not fall under the prohibition of outdoor advertising.

On Monday, the County Board of Commissioners was still trying to determine just how the area is impacted by the designation during its regular meeting, held in the boardroom of the county administration building. The board met with Jeff Lackey, the N.C. DOT’s scenic byways coordinator, as well as some other department officials. No vote was taken following the discussion.

Parts of highways 70 and 12 winding through the Down East communities are included in the Outer Banks Scenic Byway. The byway is one of 150 in the nation to reach this status.

But commissioners, who approved a resolution in 2008 nominating the roadway for scenic byway status, have been concerned about the impact associated regulations would have on the property owners adjacent to the road since earlier this year.

In May, East Carteret High School was told by the NCDOT it had 30 days to take down advertising signs it had placed on a fence facing Highway 70. One of the reasons the department gave is that the signs were out of compliance with laws related to the scenic byway designation.

But the NCDOT officials at the commissioners’ meeting Monday said those regulations were one of several that restricted the school from putting up signs in that area.

Mr. Lackey began the presentation by showing a brief movie describing scenic byways before commissioners cut to the chase. “I think some of the concerns that we have are namely about the regulatory affects of scenic byways,” said Doug Harris, the chairman of the board.

Mr. Lackey said the only real impact is the prohibition of new outdoor advertising signs. That does not include on-site signs, where a business places a sign on its own property.

Existing legal signage is grandfathered in when it becomes a scenic byway, Mr. Lackey said.

The signs at East Carteret were not only illegal because they broke this rule. They also didn’t comply with federal regulations regarding signs and they were also in violation of the county’s sign ordinance. “So they struck out,” said Commissioner Greg Lewis.

Commissioner Jonathan Robinson said the scenic byway designation was important for the area to help businesses in the Down East communities. “We need those jobs down on the eastern end of the county and we need to promote them,” he said.

Prior to the discussion, Lilly Miller of Straits spoke in support of the scenic byway designation. Her family operates a bait and tackle shop, and also rents out kayaks and conducts tours.

Business has been fairly successful this year, “but we need more customers,” she said. “We think the scenic byway is the vehicle, if you will, to get those customers to our area.”

She added, “There are plenty more people that don’t even realize Down East exists.”

Karen Amspacher, the chairman of the county’s Outer Banks Scenic Byway Committee, said she believed the byway would be the key to keeping the Cedar Island–Ocracoke ferry route operational.

Ms. Amspacher said the federal designation was an “honor” for the county. “For it to be recognized nationally is something to applaud,” she said.

This is Why We Must Elect Conservative Judges

From the Winston Salem Journal via Carolina Journal Online

U.S. judge blocks N.C. cuts to Planned Parenthood, at least for now

 

RALEIGH —North Carolina cannot withhold funding from Planned Parenthood until a lawsuit over that provision of the state budget has been resolved, a federal judge ruled late Friday.

The ruling by Judge James Beaty Jr. of Forsyth County gives at least a temporary reprieve to Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina while they seek to invalidate the portion of the state budget that would withhold funding for non-abortion services. The group, one of two Planned Parenthood affiliates in the state, said the injunction should allow them to keep operating until the lawsuit over the provision known as Section 10.19 is resolved.

“Based on the evidence before the court, it appears that Section 10.19 was adopted specifically to penalize Planned Parenthood” for the organization’s stance in favor of abortion rights, Beaty wrote, even though the law bars the group from using public money for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is in danger. Planned Parenthood in North Carolina provides a range of other services, from tests for diabetes and high cholesterol to screening for sexually transmitted diseases.

Federal judges in Kansas and Indiana have blocked at least parts of laws stripping Planned Parenthood chapters of funds, but officials in both states have appealed.

The North Carolina budget provision would have barred Planned Parenthood from funding for contraceptive and teen-pregnancy programs. The group says the loss of funding would lead to layoffs, the end of free or low-cost contraceptives for poor women and the closure of its Durham clinic.

“We feel like this is a tremendous win for women in North Carolina, particularly for those who are poor or uninsured,” said Paige Johnson, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina, which operates health clinics in Durham, Chapel Hill and Fayetteville.

Planned Parenthood Health Systems Inc. operates clinics in Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Asheville, Greensboro, Raleigh and Wilmington. That group was not part of the suit, but supported it. The ruling affects both Planned Parenthood chapters.

“The unconstitutional special provision in the budget passed by the NC General Assembly to ban funding to Planned Parenthood for preventive health care for women was an attempt to punish Planned Parenthood for our strong belief in advocating for and providing comprehensive reproductive health care for women and men in North Carolina,” said Melissa Reed, a spokeswoman for Planned Parent Health.

The next step in the lawsuit will depend largely on whether the state appeals Beaty’s injunction. If not, Beaty could have a final decision shortly, Johnson said.

A call Friday night to N.C. Right to Life, which had supported the provision in the state budget, was not returned.

The provision was part of a state budget passed by the General Assembly, which is controlled by Republicans. Although Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed the spending plan, the legislature mustered enough votes for an override.

In arguments before Beaty this month, state attorneys defending the General Assembly said the budgeting decision doesn’t unfairly punish Planned Parenthood because the group could apply directly to the federal government for family planning funds.

But in his 35-page ruling granting the injunction, Beaty said the provision’s legislative history makes it clear that the denial of funds was intended as political punishment for the organization. Beaty quoted statements by House Majority Leader Paul Stam, R-Wake, tying Planned Parenthood to the eugenics movement and saying, “We should not be rewarding the perpetrators of that program.”

A message left for Stam was not immediately returned Friday night.

Beaty also dismissed the state’s argument that the budget is consistent with the General Assembly’s policy of “favoring childbirth over abortions,” noting that the funds in question can’t be used for abortions.

The state, Beaty wrote, “has not presented any evidence or even contention to establish how Section 10.19’s ban on using (Planned Parenthood) for non-abortion-related projects is rationally related to a legislative policy of funding childbirth services over abortion services.”

With the injunction in place, Johnson said Planned Parenthood hopes to be able to offer its services as usual until the outcome of the larger lawsuit.

“We fully expect to win the case,” she said.

Letter the Editor, Another Billion (or two) Dollar Coins

I received an email from a TEA Party friend today that pointed me to an ABC News web source about another flagrant waste of taxpayer dollars.  The Washington Watch Dog segment of ABC News picked up this story from the National Public Radio news.  This in itself is hard to believe; that ABC, much less NPR, would air something negative regarding federal spending.

 

The story is that in 2005, Congress ordered the US Mint to make presidential dollar coins commemorating every dead US President.  The US Mint in Philadelphia is making 1.8 million coins per day at a cost of 32 cents each.  Folks, this is about $576,000 per day for these dollar coins that apparently no one wants. These coins are going into temporary storage at the Federal Reserve in Baltimore.  A warehouse full of metal shelving 8’ high storing millions of commemorative presidential coins.

 

The spending doesn’t stop there.  They must have a vault large enough for all these millions of unwanted coins.  So what are they doing about it?  They will spend another $650,000 to build a vault in which to keep the unnecessary and costly waste.  Of course the vault will not be built close to the point of production. No way, that would make way too much sense and cost less.  So, they plan to build the vault in Dallas; Texas that is.  Now they have shipping costs to consider.  Three million dollars of shipping costs to transport these millions of coins to a safe haven far, far away.

 

The really idiotic thing about this story is they plan to continue making these “fools gold” coins until 2016.  By that time the number of coins will be in the ballpark of 2 billion! For those progressive liberals who are arithmetically challenged, that is equivalent to $2 billion dollars, face value, just sitting in a vault.

 

And true to form, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), one of the co-sponsors of the 2005 legislation who put this boondoggle before our esteemed and most frugal congress, was asked by the reporter (or what we used to call a reporter) if he (Sen. Reed) had one of these presidential coins in his pocket at the time.  What do you think his answer was?  No! Of course not.  He didn’t want to carry the junk around either!

 

Then, Diane Sawyer asks this most probing question, “Why isn’t this one of the first cuts made?”  Wow, who would have thought this kind of in-depth investigative reporting would surface from B Hussein Obama’s state media.  Wonders never cease.

 

It makes one realize there must be thousands of other foolish money wasting laws in place.  There are probably so many that no one person has the foggiest notion of the count or where they are.  Sounds like a lot of other bills were passed “so we can find out what is in it.”  Wait, I am about to go off in another direction which is another story in itself and better left for another time. There is just so much to write about.

 

Come quickly January 2013.

 

Harry Thompson

Letter to the Editor – Join the TEA Party

  August 18,2011

 

To The Editor:

 

 

                   Come Join the Tea Party

 

Fourscore and seven years after this nation was founded it suffered the horrible effects of a civil war. Booth prevented the wounds of that conflict from being treated as Lincoln intended. Still the nation survived. A century and a half after the Civil War, the entire fabric of American life is again headed for destruction at light speed. Death by a thousand cuts is our destiny in ways unthinkable by Lincoln or Washington if common sense is not soon applied again to our national policies. This current challenge to the survival of the nation will not be overcome by more apathy.

 

Called by scholars “America’s Placid Decade”, the 1950s marked the end of peace and quiet in practically every aspect of American life. With only a few exceptions politicians have presided over half a century when the inmates ran the prison.  The insane have been in charge of the asylum. The majority of eligible voters slept through it.

 

The good news is that Independent voters have been aroused from the nap they started taking about 1960. In February 2009 these independents decided they had been Taxed Enough Already and started the second American TEA Party. Their half-century nap was over. As completely grassroots, non- homogeneous, and unaffiliated with any political party, these patriotic citizens are your only hope of a future for you and your descendants in this country. They proved it on November 2,2010.

 

If you intend to continue to live in the United States it is time for you also to wake up.  You are hereby challenged to begin participating in a local Tea Party group wherever you may live. In Carteret County you can get acquainted online at crystalcoastteaparty.com If there is not a group close by you start one.  The Tea Party organizations nationwide are composed of volunteer patriotic citizens. Their only goal is for good government for a “change”’.  Tea Party Patriots are doing all they can to save your country, but freedom is not free. Wake up from that long nap and help these republicans with a “little r” keep the American ship of state afloat.

 

If you don’t know what a republican with a little “r” is come to the Golden Corral at 6 on Tuesday night and  find out.

 

 

                                         Wayne Willis

                                         T.E.A. Party Patriot

Perdue Plays Politics as Unemployment Jumps to 10.1%


 

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Rob Lockwood: (919) 424-5555

August 19 2001

RALEIGH, NC – In a speech last night in Asheville, Governor Beverly Perdue announced that unemployment in the state would jump to 10.1%. Instead of focusing on solutions for an immediate cure, Perdue took the opportunity to mislead the audience as to the real reasons behind the jump, and chose to play the “blame game” instead. This revelation was announced on the eve of the Southern Governors’ Association’s Annual Conference about jobs, an excellent opportunity for Governor Perdue to learn what real leadership is and how to reduce unemployment from successful GOP job-creating governors.

 

URL: http://www.ncesc1.com/PMI/Rates/PressReleases/State/NR_July_2011_StRate_M1.pdf

 

More than 300,000 workers have lost their job since Perdue was sworn into office 3 years ago. She supported President Obama’s failed “stimulus”, a program that led to the loss of America’s “AAA Credit Rating”, and resulted in markets tumbling. Perdue’s failed economic policies, paired with her lack of objection to President Obama’s agenda, have led to the hemorrhaging of jobs in North Carolina. This morning it was reported that Bank of America will lay off more than 3,500 jobs in Charlotte. This is reflective of poor management of the national economy by President Obama, and no condemnation by Governor Perdue about how his policies have hurt North Carolina.

Letter to the Editor, Sheep and Goats

Letter to the Editor:

This is in response to the person that used the analogy in your paper that there are sheep and then there are goats, and that the Republicans are Goats because they follow their leaders.  You can always identify the party of the writer because some democrats never use their name to sign a Letter to the Editor.  But if is five or more paragraphs and just less than a book-from-the-Bible long, and it spouts the democrat mantra for the week, then Ken Humphries  is the author and he does use his name (I’m proud of you Ken).

If you ever tried to herd goats, you would be better off herding cats.  Come to a meeting of the local Tea Party Patriots and you will see that if there are 20 people there, then we have 20 leaders in attendance.

If the writer of the goat and sheep analogy placed the Republicans in the goat category, then that leads me to believe that the Democrats are sheep.

Below is a true article from USA TODAY (in your computer search enter “USA TODAY sheep’s jump off cliff” for a fact check).

USA TODAY
JULY 8 2005

First one sheep jumped to its death. The stunned Turkish
shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had
breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each
leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported.
In the end, 1,450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned (actually the fall doesn’t hurt, it is the sudden stop at the end), Aksam reported.
It was later reported that the sheep had joined the Democrat party about two weeks previously, just got through with their indoctrination the night before, and that day was their first test on what they had learned.  The oddity of this is that it started about 1792, but it only happens when Democrats of any breed get together ie: Lemmings.
The only other animal that can be indoctrinated into the Democrat Party faster than sheep is the human, but they were found to start a bubble out of plumb and some are scared to put their names on a newspaper article.
As you note, I did take some license with this article but the part of the sheep jumping is true.  But I did sign my name.

Roma D Wade II