|  |
April 2005 Archives
Still Don't Get It.
By Charlie Daniels
Note: This is not a blanket indictment of every college or university in the country. I know that there are schools and professors who practice real teaching and students who go to college to learn a profession and get a good education in the process. But we all know that there are the other kind, which seem to be more interested in indoctrinating their charges with radical politics and socialism than they are with teaching them anything useful.
If I had it to do over I would not have sent my son to college. As it turns out he majored in a subject he did not pursue. I don’t think he acquired very much practical knowledge and in essence wasted several years, professionally speaking, years that he could have devoted to the work he loves and eventually ended up doing.
Practically speaking it was a waste of his time and my money. And on top of that, some of his professors tried to fill his head with left wing trash, which thank God he was smart enough to see as the hogwash that what it was.
The atmosphere on some college campuses these days seems to be anti-God, anti-country, anti-military and anti-common sense. They are long on criticisms and pitifully short on answers.
I don’t have to defend God, because one day the knee of every college professor and every college student will bow and the tongues which deny his existence will acknowledge that He not only exists but that He rules the Universe and that His son, Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The anti-American feelings, I think for the most part are fostered by flower child, sixties, hippie-type teachers who have carried their socialistic leanings and blame America philosophies into the class rooms. They were wrong in the sixties and they are wrong now and will be proven so in the days to come, but in the meantime they are doing an enormous amount of damage to young impressionable minds.
I hate to say it, but if I don’t miss my guess they will all be hiding behind the military they hate before the war on terror is over, instead of chasing recruiters off their campuses they will be begging for their protection.
I sometimes wonder what will happen to these militant college students when they finally graduate and have to make a living in the real world. It’s easy to call the military baby-killers when you’re hanging out with a bunch of your buddies of like mind. But it’s a little different when you’re working next to ol’ John who happens to be a Vietnam Vet or someone who has a son or daughter in Iraq.
There is an America out here that a lot of college professors refuse to believe exists, where the skill you have for your job is the only thing that keeps you going. Where there is no tenure and where their idealistic barnyard scatology just don’t cut it. Where action, not words count.
The utopian world envisioned by these people is not utopian at all. It’s a world with abortion on demand, even a few minutes before the child is born, the military would be disbanded, we’d give up our atomic weapons and expect the rest of the world to do the same thing, you could marry a tree if you wanted to and rampant socialism would be the order of the day.
I guess the economic structure of the nation would be abolished and we would give 80% of our GNP to third world countries.
Lenin, Marx and Mao would be the honored names in history and Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson would be relegated to being statues in the nation’s capitol, if the capitol would still be in Washington, DC, I’m not sure they wouldn’t move it to San Francisco.
It would be a world of peace and love and flowers and a shiny primrose path for all the enlightened to skip down.
And it would probably last somewhere between twelve and fifteen minutes. After that all the flower children would be taking an Islamic oath or marched off to prison or beheaded.
I know this don’t ring well in the halls of academia but, “ We’re not the bad guys”
You can believe it now or believe it later.
Pray for our troops.
What do you think?
God Bless America
Charlie Daniels
Copyright © 2005 Charlie Daniels All rights under copyright reserved. Used by permission.
If your brother is the father of your child.
By Mike S. Adams
It sounds like one of those Jeff Foxworthy jokes, doesn’t it? “If directions to your house include what to do after you turn off the dirt road, you might be a redneck.” “If your grandmother wakes you up in the middle of the night and says ‘come look at this before I flush it,’ you might be a redneck.” “If you introduce someone to your brother and the father of your child and there’s just one guy standing there, you might be a redneck.” You know the bit.
But this article isn’t about a redneck. It’s about Julia Boseman, a North Carolina Democrat running for the State Senate against Republican Woody White.
Boseman, a New Hanover County Commissioner, is a lesbian activist whose political agenda includes support for gay marriage and state benefits for homosexual “domestic partners.” She promises to be a big spending liberal Democrat, the likes of which North Carolina has never elected to its legislature.
Furthermore, Boseman, whose “domestic partner” is the coach of UNC-Wilmington’s softball team, has been a controversial figure outside her role as a public servant. Recently, she and her “domestic partner” had a baby, which was made possible by a sperm donation from her biological brother. When the couple (Boseman and her “domestic partner,” not her brother) sought to have the baby baptized in a local church, many in the community were outraged.
Readers of this editorial probably wonder why a race for a State Senate seat in North Carolina is the subject of a national column.
I have a different question:
Why is the race between Julia Boseman (who, as of this writing, has 17 contributors in her county) and Woody White (with over 650 contributors in his county) even close?
The answer is to be found on the national website "http://www.victoryfund.org". The site includes the following plea to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-gendered voters nationwide:
“North Carolina is a Victory Legislative Horizon State, meaning that there are currently no openly LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, or trans-gendered) officials serving in the State Legislature. In 2005, the North Carolina State Senate will begin debate on a Constitutional amendment which would define marriage as between ‘one man and one woman.’ Now is the time that we must elect openly LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans-gendered) members to the North Carolina State Senate to protect our rights.”
The national site also includes the following criticism of Boseman’s opponent:
“(Woody) White has taken anti-choice stances and opposes any legislation that would allow gays and lesbians to adopt children and he would oppose any legislation that would allow gays and lesbians the same protections afforded to heterosexual married couples including opposition to any type of domestic partner benefits. He promises to ‘resist any efforts by the liberal gay community to pass laws allowing adoption of children, public benefits for same-sex partners, or becoming a special protected class as that term is interpreted by the Courts.’”
Finally, the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and trans-gendered lobbyists get to the bottom line:
“Boseman will need to raise in excess of $250,000 to be victorious in November.”
That is why Boseman, the Democrat, has raised more money than White the Republican, despite her paucity of local donations.
All across the country, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and trans-gendered candidates are preparing to launch a radical agenda in geographical areas where their ideas are not those of their constituents. They are influencing local elections by running highly financed national campaigns that depend on big money from donors who do not necessarily live in the state or even the region where “their candidate” is running.
But these candidates rarely talk about their agenda in public. They usually wait until they are elected to spring their true plan on unsuspecting voters. That is why Boseman’s website currently shows no picture of her together with her “domestic partner.” That is why her biography makes no mention of her “domestic partner” or the child they produced with the sperm donated by her brother.
Since the voters of North Carolina do not share their values, the Boseman campaign adopts a two-pronged strategy; First, buy the election with out-of-state contributions from New York and San Francisco. Second, spring the radical LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans-gendered) legislative agenda on the voters immediately after assuming office.
Such a strategy can only work if the public is unaware of what is happening. I wrote this article because I want voters to make an informed decision. Regardless of where you live, you need to know if your local candidate is supported by "http://www.victoryfund.org".
I don’t want to challenge Julia Boseman’s right to use her brother’s sperm to “father” her child. Nor do I want to challenge her right to be openly gay. I just want her to be open and honest about her real political agenda.
Mike S. Adams called Julia Boseman’s law office for confirmation of all facts in this article. She would not return his calls.
MIKE ADAMS (www.DrAdams.org) is a criminology professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and is a regular columnist for Townhall.com.
MIKE ADAMS is a criminology professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and is a regular columnist for Townhall.com.
A Call to Action
By Marge Carpenter
TRUTH - When arriving in Raleigh, Legislators are eager to serve their constituents, but often find many temptations lurking in the halls of the General Assembly. A shield of protection is often sought through the chapel programs.
DEDICATION - You may remember the 2001-02 Legislative session as the longest session in history. I remember it as one where I, as a newly elected member of the House, witnessed first hand the high moral standards in government that were set by my in-laws, Senator Bob (R, Macon) and Helen Carpenter. For most of the 16 years as her husband’s Legislative Assistant, Helen Carpenter coordinated the Legislative chapel programs. An opportunity to share in building a spiritual shield of protection and to keep one’s spiritual compass pointed in the right direction could be found in these programs. Chapel services featured guest speakers of a variety of religions; prayers were offered for the sick, and great hymns were sung to praise the Lord. Hymnals, bibles, special prayers and literature from guest speakers, were all available to those who sought refuge in the tiny chapel located between the Senate and House chambers. Helen Carpenter also arranged for worship leaders like Anne Graham Lotz to address an auditorium full of folks; the chapel being too small for all who desired to hear the wisdom of a great Christian leader. Folks praised Helen Carpenter for going the extra mile to organize such inspiring opportunities.
During that time, never once did a Legislator or any other person at the General Assembly approach me about removing items representing Christianity from the chapel.
QUESTION - Do you believe it is a coincidence that Senator Tony Rand chose this year, the first time in 16 years without Senator & Mrs. Carpenter in the Senate, to take a swipe at dismantling Christianity at the General Assembly Chapel?
MISCONCEPTION - Perhaps Senator Rand is invoking a common misconception referred to as “the separation of church and state”. (It is as common as the myth that there is “no money in the state budget” . . . yet didn’t I just read about Decker’s new state job?) Educated folks realize that the phrase “the separation of church and state” is not written in the Declaration of Independence or the Bill of Rights. Although Thomas Jefferson receives all the credit for this phrase, he actually did not even participate in the writing of the First Amendment. His phrase was written in a letter more than a decade after the First Amendment had been put into law! Furthermore, reference to God actually appears four times in the Declaration of Independence. Well, if history doesn’t serve your purpose, rewrite it! Sadly, the media has touted the phrase so much that some folks believe that there is a law separating church and state!
STATE LAW - In all the infinite wisdom of the NC State Board of Education (I jest), North Carolina history was about to be wiped from the school curriculum. That is exactly what a law ratified during the 2001-02 session of the legislature stopped. This new law mandates students to received two courses in NC History – one in elementary and one in middle school. Even more to the point, and quite pertinent to the fiasco of removing items representing Christianity from the Legislative Chapel, this law allows that:
“A local school administrative unit may display on real property controlled by that local school administrative unit documents and objects of historical significance that have formed and influenced the United States legal or governmental system and that exemplify the development of the rule of law, such as . . . the Ten Commandments, . . . “
Imagine that, this bill passed the House 94 to 18 and passed the Senate 44 to 6. This new law allows the posting of a Christian document in a government building. It was supported by an overwhelming majority of both chambers. It was supported by Republicans and Democrats.
SAD BUT TRUE - An aside for our far western readers: I was serving in the House in a 2-member district with Rep. Phil Haire (D, Jackson). He was one of the 18 who voted against this bill in the House. That is, he voted against NC History and against local school administrations posting of the Ten Commandments.
COMMENDABLE - Senator Tony Rand voted IN FAVOR of posting this Christian document in a government building.
CONCLUSION - Now, let’s draw the comparison. Is that not what the Legislative Building is . . . a government building?
Is the Bible not the book containing “The Ten Commandments”?
Didn’t Senator Rand support the posting of The Ten Commandments in public school property?
Therefore, shouldn’t the Bible, at the very least, be allowed in the chapel of a government building?
For Senator Rand to remove bibles, hymnals, and the cross from the Legislative Chapel, all I can do is conclude with a phrase that a current TV host, Dr. Phil McGraw exclaims quite often when perplexed by another’s ridiculous actions, “WHAT WAS HE THINKING?!”
CALL TO ACTION - Christians, get active. Find out how your elected officials vote. Demand that Christian values serve as a cornerstone for legislation. Although the Bibles, hymnals, and cross were restored to the chapel, what is next? Do not allow Senator Tony Rand, Representative Phil Haire, or any other elected official to remove our Christian values from our government.
Marge Carpenter
Mdcarpenter2004@charter.net
Highway Robbery - Part 2
By Senator Fern Shubert
Anyone who thinks road money in North Carolina is spent based on public need obviously hasn’t traveled around the state to see the vast disparities in road conditions. Not surprisingly, given the fondness of the press for the insiders who currently control Raleigh, most papers have managed to ignore the mess the insiders have made of the highway funding process.
When Senate Democrats slipped a provision in the 2001 Technical Corrections Act to take Highway Funds in unlimited quantities (whatever the party planners needed) to fund the First Flight Celebration, House Republicans caught the attempt to give a blank check to transfer road funds and got it removed. Did anyone bother to tell the public who tried to pull a fast one and got caught? Did they expose the leadership that thought weasel-wording a provision to make its meaning obscure and hiding it in a bill that was supposed to be a housekeeping bill with no substantive provisions was acceptable behavior? Did they point out that even though we managed to get rid of the blank check, the provisions requiring DOT to take over cemetery maintenance for selected counties remained in the bill? Didn’t see the article, did you?
When the papers recently reported the Department of Transportation’s plan to reallocate funds away from every western highway district and all but one Piedmont district to increase funding in every district on the coast, the press didn’t even question the fairness of the plan. (Come to think of it, when the rules on paving unpaved roads were changed so that the counties with no more roads to pave could keep getting the paving money, I didn’t see that reported either.)
I did question the reallocation, because I couldn’t understand how the counties with the worst roads that had been getting the least funding could have been getting more than their share. When I asked Secretary of Transportation Tippett the basis for the transfer, I was given a one page spread sheet that compares funding by region since 1999-2000 to the so-called equity formula.
In the first place the formula is ridiculously inequitable. This is not just my opinion. As former DOT Board Member Frank Johnson said after being kicked off the Board for telling the truth in public, “Shakespeare said ‘What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’ The ‘equity’ formula used to distribute money in the state of NC by any other name would stink to the high heavens.” In other words, the “equity formula” is very unfair. Why isn’t it discussed?
In the second place, why look at such a limited snapshot? Selective use of numbers is an old accounting trick that should have been challenged by anyone who knows any math.
In the third place, given the way DOT invented a need for the Moving On initiative to distribute a surplus of highway funds they discovered right before the last election and then discovered after the election that they were short of money, why would anyone take their numbers at face value?
A few years ago the papers took on the issue of corruption in DOT. A few of the underlings were thrown to the wolves, but there were no changes at the top of the pyramid. Now there is a new slush fund scandal. If the press will take a look, there are a lot more underlings who need to be sacrificed to protect their friends at the top. Better yet, maybe the press could start going after some of the people at the top.
As noted in my first Highway Robbery column, DOT insiders acknowledge the graft and corruption that exists. Even the general public is catching on to the fact that roads are built based on political pull rather than public need. The big money isn’t in minor graft; it is in contract fraud and cover-up and in using insider knowledge to make big money in real-estate development. Oh, and let’s not forget selling public benefits (like jobs and appointments and grants) for political contributions.
But since all the press is talking about so far are the slush funds that have become public knowledge, let me highlight a story that sums up the insider attitude. Elizabeth City was given $250,000 of state highway funds for beautification of a street that is not even part of the state highway system and has been promised an additional quarter of a million dollars for the project. Representative Bill Owens defended the spending by saying, "If you don't have (discretionary funds), then some things go strictly on a priority list, and there's some that are not getting done.”
He’s right, of course. That’s the whole idea of priorities.
It’s a pleasure to see the press finally report a fraction of what’s happening with roads. Perhaps this time they could take the time to trace the problem to its source, a broken legislative process, rather than settling for stories about the small change items.
OFFICIAL RECORD KEEPING M.O. OF MADISON COUNTY
By Ann Ryder
Marshall is the county seat of mountainous Madison County. It is a small town with a population of less than 1,000, approximately 20 miles NW of Asheville. The mighty French Broad River runs through the center of town. It is one of those rare rivers that flow south to north. It also overflows reliably so, every few years.
In Marshall, in the middle of the river, is an island. On the island is a school, built probably in the 1930s by the WPA. You get to the school via a bridge. Over the years, the students have enjoyed many days off due to their schools being awash with floodwaters. Finally, 3 years ago, a new school was built on land that was high and dry. The county then decided to use the old school building as a courthouse annex and moved county records and some of the offices there. Many of us smelled a rat as that's the last place where you'd want to put your important documents. Keep in mind that Larry Leake (first cousin to Wayne McDevitt, Gov. Hunts right hand man) has been running the county for the past 25 years. Prior to that, it was his father who was pulling the strings.
Last summers hurricanes brought multiple floodings to the island. After the flooding, the county moved the annex elsewhere, transferring most of the records. A few weeks later, two professional property title searchers working together couldn't find what they needed and decided to check the now abandoned old school building on the island just in case. Sure enough, thousands of old tax records were there, dumped in a heap. There is no doubt that permanent loss of these important records would have affected real estate buyers and sellers for decades to come. To those of us living in the county, this is just an example of Boss Leake's MO. Over the years, two or three of his former secretaries, as well as other individuals, have told me that he likes sloppy record-keeping. I have seen several county audits that can't reach a conclusion of accuracy due to missing records, incomplete files, etc. Perhaps we can determine the reason for this.
Back in the mid-to-late 1980s, federal authorities had come to Madison County. There was a whole lot of sweating and scrambling being done. One concerned citizen found and collected the sacks of records that had been thrown out behind the Housing Authority, and delivered them to either the sheriff or the feds I don't remember which. The Housing Authority had been scandal-ridden for years, with Boss Leake protecting the top man. In a report to the commissioners he states, "rather than finding fault with Sam Parker, the Executive Director of the Housing Authority, or the Housing Authority itself, I would instead have to extend to them my congratulations for a well-run program". The Housing Authority was bringing in megabucks via grants allegedly for the purpose of rehabing houses for poor folks. The funds were quickly siphoned off by putting cronies on the payroll, allegedly to do the carpentry, etc, cronies who couldn't do anything but scratch and spit, but were owed a favor or could be counted on for votes and campaign contributions. One relative bought building material from a supplier across the state line in Tennessee and had it delivered to the job site. He, of course, then billed it out at a considerable markup. Grass seed (enough for a golf course, according to HUD), meant to be sown at a new low-rent housing project, was diverted to a store owned by a friend of a friend for re-sale. This same merchant also handled the meat that was stolen from the school lunchroom. You could buy anything at his place. The store is now being run by the grandson, a convicted cocaine dealer who was paroled through the efforts of Boss Leake.
I was getting calls about all this from local folks who knew and trusted me. I tried to get the authorities interested, but they wanted proof. I don't remember how it came about, but I went looking for a particular cancelled check the county had used to transfer funds from one account to another in order to cover missing money. I ended up in the primitive cellar of the courthouse in Marshall where I found piles of cancelled checks lying on the floor, some in several inches of water. God was surely with me, because I found the check and it was still in good shape. I can tell you that it was a hairy experience. The courthouse was swarming with good ol' boys, but I got out of there and down to Asheville with my trophy. I went in to the feds with an I-told-you-so attitude and was stunned when they didn't exhibit any concern about the grant thefts just the manner in which I had obtained the check! I said that it was public property and I was entitled to it, and that it had been thrown away. They told me to put it back. I naturally made several copies of the check and then went into the water-logged cellar again and put the darned thing back.
The HUD inspector from Greensboro got here, and his investigation resulted in a letter stating among other things: "We are extremely concerned about the poor operation of this PHA [Public Housing Authority]. Therefore, we are hereby notifying the PHA that unless the necessary corrections are made, this office will consider reducing or withholding the administrative fee, deobligating units, or transferring the units to another agency." Any actions taken by the PHA to make the corrections needed must be documented and may be reviewed, on site, by HUD staff. Fiscal management, equipment inventory, and Housing Quality Standards are particular areas of concern. Among the MANY problems found: investigators pulled eight Section 8 files, at random, to inspect. They went out to the houses and found that five of the eight did not even come close to meeting qualifications. The houses were simply unfit to live in. The entire Section 8 program had to be re-hauled. The feds attempted to reconcile the books, but too many of the records were missing.
The feds remained a close presence and Parker resigned. He kept a low profile for a couple of years and then was given a state job as probation/parole officer. Still is. For some reason unknown to me, Parker was at the Board of Elections this past Election Day helping to count the ballots. His P/P boss Roger Haney was also there. Goodness knows why. A few years ago, Haney bought a piece of land on a major intersection in the county and immediately gave half of it to Leake. As far as I know, they're still partners in this enterprise.
Not too long after that, the county hired a new school superintendent. He suspended a teacher, with pay, while he conducted an investigation. The superintendent should have known better; that teacher belonged to a group of good ol' boy untouchables. For years, the parents had complained that this teacher would push and shove their children. When things got hot for him at one school, he would be transferred to another. What finally did him in was an outrageous act of intimidation and insubordination against his principal. However, when the superintendent attempted to dig into the matter, he found that there was no documentation in the teachers file. He had to re-instate the bully. During the meetings, the teacher was represented by Boss Leake. Then the new superintendent went after a grade-school principal who had a reputation for messing with the boys, yep. The superintendent was fired. He sued, and the school board was represented by Leake. The county recently hired a teacher as our County Manager even though there were several qualified applicants. While teaching, he married two or three of the pupils. Then he, of course, was named the girls basketball coach! The new county manager is Leake's first cousin, Wayne McDevitt's brother. Folks, it really ceases to be funny.
A couple in my neighborhood asked me to accompany them to the courthouse to retrieve some of their documents that the Clerk of Court had asked to see. Even though I had warned them most emphatically NOT to give the Clerk original papers make copies, I said they turned over their one and only set of records. I was with them when they asked for the return of their papers. The woman behind the counter actually laughed and said the papers had been lost, must have blown out the window, she said. I showed my neighbors that the windows had been painted shut and hadn't been opened in decades. They gave up and left the county shortly after that.
Currently we have the on-going case of John Lovins. He and his family have owned property in the county and paid taxes on it for several generations. He worked out-of-state for a while and then came back to settle here again. He found a new house on his land; a house built by a Madison County Politically Correct Person. He considered them to be squatters and raised hell. He was thrown in jail where he was denied his diabetes medication. He had to be rushed to the hospital twice. Every time he tried to use the court to straighten out the matter of his property, court was postponed or some other dirty trick was used. The situation is still in limbo.
When I first came to Madison County in 1981, I bought several parcels of adjoining land as a buffer zone for the home place. One parcel was 12 acres. The surveyor laid out 12 acres. I paid the owner for 12 acres. My deed says 12 acres. For 23 years, I have paid taxes on 12 acres. By now, you shouldn't be surprised to learn that when the timberman I had called to upgrade my timberstand showed me the plat that he had obtained from the county indicated that the 12-acre parcel is now 5.7 acres according to county records (except for tax purposes!). They had lopped off more than half of it and moved the boundary on paper accordingly.
Now you have some idea why Madison County does away with official records. And the ripping-off of grants is still the order of the day.
Boss Leake is the chairman of the state board of elections. In a recent Associated Press article, David Dill, Stanford professor and the founder of Verified Voting, was quoted as saying, "North Carolina has the worst election problem in the country right now."
The Rhodes Report
By N.C. Rep. John Rhodes
Non-profits / Non-Oversight
North Carolina provides funding for certain non-profit organizations or private agencies that receive state funds. Some do the necessary task of complimenting state services and can be viewed helpful, such as Volunteer Fire Departments, while others are obviously wasteful spending and receive little or no oversight. The leadership in the legislature has made sure that the lack of oversight will continue.
According to the office of the state auditor, in 2003 a whopping $601,654,532.93 (in 2003 alone) left the state coffers and went into these non-profits. Of that amount $53,898,791.28 went to, are you ready for this, out of state organizations. Over $53 million went out of state to organizations in 2003 to places such as Yale University - $145,000. I know the folks up at Yale are hard pressed for cash. Others include Virginia Dept of Transportation $906,000. North Carolina is so flush with cash for roads that it can afford to peel off a cool million to other states and Banaras Hindu University $115,000 to name a few. This kind of out of state spending mutes the argument that without a lottery, we’re losing millions of dollars to other states.
The in-state non-profits total approximately $548 million. There are a total of 115 pages of non-profit grants in 2003 alone. To study all of these hundreds and hundreds of non-profits for fraud and wasteful spending detection would be staggering.
On Open/Net (a live television show produced in Raleigh) a good soldier in the legislature, Sen. Robert Pittenger (R) Mecklenburg and I recently teamed up against the House and Senate Democrat leadership to go head to head on the issues. According to Sen. Pittenger he requested additional oversight and investigation for a mere approximately 20 of these non-profits. The leadership in the Senate denied the request. What are they hiding and who is profiting from your tax dollars being misappropriated?
You may recall the non-profit scandal which funneled money to a non-profit, sold under the guise of caring for “the children”. The once N.C. Senator, turned congressman from the east, now has resigned from congress and is now a private citizen once again - he’s the guy that set the non-profit up. How many more of these scandals are out there? As long as “the gang” over in legislature remains in the leadership post, we may never know.
So how is state government responding to this dilemma? By continuing to turn their heads and look the other way and asking you to send more tax dollars to Raleigh because they’ve created another $1.3 billion budget deficit this year because of their wasteful and misappropriated spending. Interestingly enough the amount of money that has flowed to non-profits over the last several years has been $3,077,638,305. A total of 8,514 records showing where your tax dollars are going to non-profits can be found on the state auditor’s website at www.ncauditor.net. Citizens might find it interesting to go there and peel the onion, as I refer to it, and see the documentation of just where this money is supposedly going.
Some of these non-profits are worthy endeavors, many are not, but one thing has been proven as in the case above, it’s a conduit of choice for tax dollars to flow from state coffers for personal gain and could be dubbed the “Misappropriation Highway”. Your thought might be at this point, shut it down Rep. Rhodes, and expose it. My response: Well we’re trying, but we get blocked by the several likely suspects who run the place up here at the legislature. Maybe soon we’ll catch them asleep at the wheel and cause the whole House of cards to come crashing down. North Carolina is a state in transition, the way business has been done for decades here in Raleigh is changing as well. The dark veil that once shrouded state government is being stripped away. Keep hope in that.
Letter to NC Auditor Leslie Merritt
By Americans for Prosperity
The Honorable Leslie Merritt
Auditor
State of North Carolina
2 South Salisbury Street
20601 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0601
Dear Mr. Merritt:
Americans for Prosperity of North Carolina (AFP-NC), a grassroots organization of citizen leaders, is deeply concerned about a news story in the News and Observer today that reports that “leaders got funds to spend at will” on “projects not specified in the state budget.” The News and Observer cites House Speaker Jim Black, Speaker Pro-Tem Richard Morgan and Senate Leader Marc Basnight as the “leaders” who received these “reserve funds.”
According to the News and Observer, “$20 million in reserve money was distributed at the discretion of legislative chiefs (N&O, 3/16/05).”
Let me cite one recent example as reported by the News and Observer as to how these “legislative chiefs” are spending our reserve money: “House Speaker Jim Black worked with the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources to create and fund a position for the man whose party switch in 2003 kept Black in power – former Rep. Michael Decker of Forsyth County (N&O, 3/13/05).”
“When word of Decker’s new job came to light early this month, Black and his press secretary told reporters only that he had recommended Decker for an existing job (N&O, 3/13/05).”
However, “documents show that Allen Rogers, Black’s assistant for special projects, provided the department with salary recommendations, drafts of the position’s qualifications and a vacancy announcement on January 21, nearly two weeks before the position was posted on the department’s employment web site (N&O, 3/13/05).”
“Rogers’ email indicated that there was a “desired employee” for the job and urged that the job description be tailored to that person (N&O, 3/13/05).”
“The job was posted February 2…Two weeks later, Decker had the job at a salary of $48,000 a year, just under the maximum of the salary range position (N&O, 3/13/05).”
“Once Decker had the job, Black transferred $45,000 from a state fund that he controls to the department to help pay for it, according to a Feb. 18 email message to the department from another Black aide (N&O, 3/13/05).”
“In a telephone interview Saturday, Black confirmed that he helped create and fund the position to try to help Decker, whom he called a longtime friend and a credit to the state (N&O, 3/13/05).”
Today the News and Observer reported “the $45,000 that House Speaker Jim Black used to provide a state job to the man [former Rep. Michael Decker] who helped keep him in power came from a $5 million in reserve funds tucked into the state budget that were at his disposal.”
Speaker Black is quoted as saying, “if that money was spent recklessly, there would be a problem (N&O, 3/16/05).”
I suggest there is a problem as displayed by the recent political hire of former Rep. Michael Decker and the lack of accountability on the $20 million of taxpayer money that has been spent on “projects not specified in the state budget (N&O, 3/16/05).” The hire of former Rep. Michael Decker is nothing more than political patronage in its rawest form -- the lack of accountability on the $20 million is nothing more than an abuse of power and abuse of the taxpayers’ money.
Mr. Merritt, as the people’s auditor and taxpayers’ watchdog, you have advocated accountability, integrity and reliability in government. Therefore, AFP-NC formally requests that you investigate and conduct a thorough audit of all special “reserve funds” controlled by Governor Easley, Speaker Black, Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight and other elected officials who might have access or control of such special “reserve funds.”
The public deserves to know how many of these special “reserve funds” exist, who controls them, how much money is in each fund and how every single dollar has been spent. After all, it is the taxpayer’s money!
I look forward to hearing of your findings and on behalf of the taxpayers of our state,
I am sincerely,
Chris Neeley
Director
Americans For Prosperity-NC
Illegal Immigration & Drivers Licenses
By Al Klemm
It appears that North Carolina has become the preferred destination for illegal aliens to get legal North Carolina Drivers Licenses. If North Carolina is so open to illegal aliens in this manner, why couldn’t they come here for other reasons? Possibly North Carolina could be a preferred destination for terrorists. Maybe North Carolina would be a good location to set up terrorist operations for future use. After all we are perceived as being friendly.
Let me tell you some of my experiences from the last couple of years:
A couple of years ago I went down and renewed my driver’s license. There were two Hispanics at the DMV. I assume they were Mexican but could be wrong. One Hispanic was taking a drivers test but didn’t speak English. The other Hispanic was interpreting for the first. The DMV employee would ask the questions, the interpreter would communicate the question and the 2nd Hispanic would answer the question in Spanish. The interpreter would then relay the answer to the DMV employee. Who was really answering the question I don’t know but I guess the Hispanic was successful in obtaining a drivers license. By the way, they came in together; the DMV was not doing the interpreting. They appeared to be friends and were similarly dressed.
I found it a very strange situation indeed and wondered if they were legal or illegal aliens. I don’t believe they were citizens.
After I left my last employer several years ago, a friend of mine who had worked for the same employer became personnel manager at a hog production company. Many of the farms were staffed totally with Spanish speaking employees. One of the first things he did was identify and terminate the illegal aliens. Many were legal and many were not.
You might ask why this is a big problem. Well, most illegal aliens who seek employment have a social security card. The problem is: it is a forgery. Is the social security card suitable identification for a North Carolina driver’s license? For that matter, what document can not forged with all the modern technology we have?
When I was running for the NC House the first time, a woman complained to me about illegal aliens. She said the NC State Employment Security Commission had sent her a Hispanic worker. The Hispanic worked for the woman for a period of time but than she found out that the social security card was forged and the Hispanic was an illegal alien. The North Carolina ESC had sent her an illegal alien for employment. Later I asked an official at the ESC how this could happen. His answer; “It is not our responsibility to verify whether a social security card is legal or not.”
I am personally against anyone being in the United States or North Carolina illegally. We live in dangerous times and are increasing the risk of terrorism by tolerating illegal aliens. It has also been shown that illegal aliens commit a disproportionate number of crimes and are a burden on our healthcare and school systems. I’m sure it’s contributing to North Carolina’s financial problems.
I’m not saying we don’t need immigration. We do, but it needs to be legal and virtually foolproof. Maybe a national database is needed with assigned unique numbers and pictures of the aliens. Maybe they should carry picture ID cards with the unique number. Maybe everyone, including the government, who employs or issues driver’s licenses to aliens, should be required to do background checks. This may not be the right approach, but we got to do better than we’re doing.
North Carolina needs to address the concerns with illegal driver’s licenses. I believe our Democrat led state government has been negligent. I do not want North Carolina to be the preferred destination for illegal aliens. There have been several articles in the newspapers about problems with illegal aliens. Many are serious. Many Republicans I talk to identify illegal immigration as a serious problem and one of the top issues our government must address.
Our governor and legislature need to act sooner than later. I fully support an investigation of the DMV. This is an embarrassing situation. This is just another failure on the part of our Democrat led state government. It is time for change!
Elect Republicans!
Why North Carolina Needs a Marriage Amendment
By The North Carolina Family Policy Council
On March 22, 2004 a homosexual couple in Durham sought a marriage license from the Durham County Register of Deeds. Upon being denied the license, the two men sued in District Court in an attempt to force the County to grant the license. After this lawsuit was dismissed, the two men expressed their intentions to file a similar suit in Superior Court.
Also in March 2004, two homosexual couples in Asheville approached the Buncombe County Register of Deeds and asked to be married.
On May 5, 2004 a homosexual couple in Charlotte applied for and were denied a marriage license in Mecklenburg County.
On May 17, 2004, in response to an order from the state’s Supreme Judicial Court, Massachusetts began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
CHALLENGES TO NORTH CAROLINA’S MARRIAGE LAWS: North Carolina’s existing marriage laws are very clear:
“A valid and sufficient marriage is created by the consent of a male and female person who may lawfully marry…” (NC General Statute 51-1)
“Marriages, whether created by common law, contracted, or performed outside of North Carolina, between individuals of the same gender are not valid in North Carolina.” (NC General Statute 51-1.2)
Despite the clarity of our marriage statutes, several same-sex couples have sought to gain legal recognition for their relationships, and one of these couples has challenged our marriage laws in court. Although this lawsuit altogether ignored NC General Statutes 51-1 and 51-1.2, which define marriage as the union of a male and a female, similar legal challenges are likely to be made in the future.
Of greater immediate concern, however, is the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples by the State of Massachusetts. As a result of this action, every state in the nation should be prepared to face lawsuits by same-sex couples who obtain marriage licenses in Massachusetts, move to other states, and demand the same recognition and status. It is highly likely that lawsuits will be filed in both state and federal courts challenging the constitutionality of state and federal laws that define marriage as between a man and a woman.
THE STATE MARRIAGE AMENDMENT: The only way to protect North Carolina and our strong marriage laws from legal attacks against the institution of marriage is to amend the State Constitution. Legislation has been introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly to do just that. Senate Bill 8—Defense of Marriage, sponsored by Senators Jim Forrester (R-Gaston) and Fred Smith (R-Johnston) and House Bill 55—Defense of Marriage, sponsored by Representatives Jeff Barnhart (R-Cabarrus), Jim Crawford (D-Granville), Dewey Hill (D-Columbus) and Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) proposes the following amendment to Article 14 of the North Carolina Constitution.
“Marriage is the union of one man and one woman at one time. This is the only marriage that shall be recognized as valid in this State. The uniting of two persons of the same sex or the uniting of more than two persons of any sex in a marriage, civil union, domestic partnership, or other similar relationship within or outside of this State shall not be valid or recognized in this State. This constitution shall not be construed to require that marital status or the rights, privileges, benefits or other legal incidents of marriage be conferred upon unmarried individuals or groups."
Each sentence of the amendment serves a critical purpose. The first two sentences are necessary to specify that only the union of one man and one woman at one time constitutes a valid marriage in North Carolina. The third sentence is necessary to defend against legal challenges from within the state as well as legal challenges resulting from marital recognition granted outside of the state. Sentence three, along with sentence one, also make it clear that bigamy and polygamy are prohibited. The fourth sentence is necessary to clarify that neither state courts nor the General Assembly can assert that the North Carolina Constitution requires the recognition of same-sex marriages or a “substitute” form of marriage, such as civil unions, as legal and valid in North Carolina.
WHY IS THE MARRIAGE AMENDMENT NECESSARY? Some lawmakers have told us they think our existing laws are strong enough, and that we don’t need to amend the Constitution in order to protect marriage. Fortunately, North Carolina’s marriage statutes are strong, but they are not immune from lawsuits, as we have seen already. Future legal challenges will be fueled by court decisions by activist judges in other states, and lawyers for homosexual couples will “judge shop” in an attempt to find a friendly venue in North Carolina for a lawsuit seeking to overturn our marriage laws.
Amending the North Carolina Constitution in the manner proposed above will provide the strongest support and protection for our existing marriage laws and the greatest defense against legal efforts to redefine marriage in North Carolina.
Copyright © 2005. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.
COALITION GOVERNMENT: PORK, PERKS, POWER AND PERPS
By CHRIS FARR
With all the recent media attention surrounding the secret House slush funds controlled by Republican Rep. Richard Morgan and Democrat Rep. Jim Black, maybe folks will finally get the picture that the “coalition government” isn’t so wonderful after all. Republican activists across the state who booted Rep. Morgan out of the party for his shenanigans must bite their tongues to keep from saying, “We told you so.”
After the 2002 election and Mike Decker’s infamous switch to the Democrats, Reps. Morgan and Black decided to “solve” the 60-60 split in the House by forming an unholy alliance hereupon called the coalition government.
From its inception, Republicans were suspicious of this back-room deal where the Morgan Five – Republicans Morgan, Brubaker, Howard, McComas, and Sherrill – undercut the negotiations underway to arrange a true, 60-60 power-sharing agreement with the Democrats. After the dust settled, we realized we were stuck with a deal that gave the Democrats sole control of the all-powerful Rules Committee and less than equitable representation on other House committees. The chance for equal power was lost.
Speaker Morgan defended his betrayal of the majority will of the Republican Caucus by saying he did it to save the gavel for Republicans. Huh? The gist of his argument was that other Republicans were poised to give sole control to the Democrats. So Republicans were supposed to swallow the notion that Democrat Black was offered sole control of the House and he decided to turn that deal down so he could share control with Republican Morgan. As Rep. John Rhodes would say, “That dog don’t hunt.”
After the 2004 election, the Democrats returned to majority status in the House even though there were more votes for Republican candidates. Black, being no dummy, gave Morgan the largely ceremonial position of Speaker Pro Tem. Why not? After all, the coalition government worked out perfectly for the Democrat agenda last session. Morgan delivered some Republican votes for the Democrat-controlled agenda and in return, he received just enough power to dole out perks and pork (from his secret slush fund stash) to his loyal coalition followers and punishment to Republicans voting against the coalition.
Philosophically, conservatives are distrustful of government in any form. But the coalition form of government particularly sets our teeth on edge. Most decisions are made by the powerful few. House members are regularly given just a few minutes to look at a bill (including the budget) before they are expected to vote on it. Debate is largely disallowed. The House coalition followers, a fluid mass of humanity including 12 to 25 Republicans and virtually all of the Democrats, fall into line and vote with their leaders. You see, they don’t need to spend more than a few minutes looking at hundreds of pages of budget items, they only need to look at Morgan and Black. The Republicans who voted against the coalition and the conservative debate they would bring to the table are rendered impotent. The result, championed by the mainstream press, is quick, efficient and oh-so-friendly.
Republicans prefer good old-fashioned partisan bickering, also known as debating the issues. With opposition parties there is plenty of debate which is what makes democracy work. There is also accountability. We want to know exactly where to point the finger when taxes are raised, budget holes are created and districts are gerrymandered. If there are no opposition parties and the Republicans are allies with the Democrats, then who in the world are the allies of the taxpayer?
If all this is not enough to convince you that the coalition is a bad deal for Republicans, let’s look at a few of the anti-Republican results of the coalition government spearheaded by Richard Morgan.
In 2003, Rep. Morgan and his cronies refused to work with fellow Republicans in drawing the legislative districts. Instead, his chief of staff worked with Democrats Black and Basnight and the Democrat Attorney General to draw the Democrat-supported plans that were eventually enacted. During the week which has been dubbed the Thanksgiving Week Massacre, Morgan released the plans a few hours before the vote took place and allowed no debate or amendments. In contrast, every Republican Senator voted against this Democrat plan.
Morgan was later key to the enactment of the statute that changed the venue for the redistricting lawsuit and created a new three-judge court designed to favor the Democrats.
Morgan agreed to pass the law that prevents parties from sending absentee ballot applications to voters, a law pushed by Democrat Senator Tony Rand because Republicans had beaten the Democrats so badly in absentee voting in 2002.
Morgan agreed with a series of plans which badly hurt the Republican gubernatorial candidate. First, he agreed to a delayed primary which proved to be a fundraising calamity for Patrick Ballantine. Then, he agreed to eliminate the ability of the Republican Legislative Majority to financially assist Ballantine.
Morgan also agreed to the non-partisan election of judges to make sure Democrats took away from the NCGOP the advantage of voters wanting conservative judges.
The litany goes on with raised taxes, continued sunset taxes, a $1.3 billion budget hole, and slush funds for Reps. Black and Morgan to reward their loyal coalition voters.
Pork, perks, power and perps. Is coalition government a bad deal for Republicans? Decide for yourself.
THE THOUGHTS HERE ARE MY OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS I REPRESENT.
CHRIS FARR IS THE CURRENT GOP 13TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CHAIRMAN. OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, SHE HAS BEEN PRECINCT CHAIR, CHAIRMAN OF THE CAPITAL AREA REPUBLICAN CLUB, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE WAKE COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S CLUB, MEMBER OF THE STATE EXECUTIVE AND CENTRAL COMMITTEES, AND HAS WORKED ON MANY CAMPAIGNS. SHE PRACTICES REAL ESTATE IN RALEIGH AND LIVES THERE WITH HER HUSBAND, TOM, AND THREE TEENAGE BOYS.
FARRFAM@BELLSOUTH.NET
A conversation with retired Senator Jesse Helms
By Judson Cox
Editor in Chief
The North Carolina Conservative
Dear Judson,
Thank you for your generous profile in the March issue of your publication. It still surprises me when I find something in any North Carolina newspaper that isn’t mad at me about something.
As you may know, I’ve just completed my memoir for Random House. Many of the questions you’ve asked are discussed at length in there. But you do not have the space to publish a book, so I will keep my responses for your paper brief.
NCC - Describe the state of North Carolina politics when you worked in the media.
I worked in the media from the late 30’s through the early 70’s. Politics in general became more liberal both nationally and within the state as the years passed.
NCC - What led you to become a Republican?
I became a Republican when a very wise young lady asked me how I could remain a Democrat when I didn’t agree with what they stood for and did agree with what the Republicans supported. I changed my registration when I realized that I had no good answer to her honest question.
NCC - How influential were the Congressional Club and the Young Republicans in your election, and in transforming North Carolina politics?
There was no Congressional Club for my first campaign. There was no organized state group of Young Republicans, but there was a dedicated core of young people who volunteered to do anything my campaign needed. They were indispensable. In subsequent years the groups you named had important roles in educating people about the real issues in Washington and Raleigh, and within the Democratic Party. That knowledge brought people into the GOP.
NCC - What led North Carolina to change from a solidly Democratic state, to a Republican leaning state? Has North Carolina’s political transformation been a social phenomenon, or a movement led by visionaries such as yourself, President Reagan and Sen. Thurmond?
North Carolina has not really changed its politics. This has been a conservative leaning state for generations. It was the Democratic Party that changed and in effect drove the conservative voters away.
NCC - How can Republicans win the state?
The big secret to winning elections is to get more votes than your opponent. My friend Representative Robin Hayes is a good example to study. His district was drawn to favor Democrats, but Robin decided he’d go directly to voters and let them know he shared their concerns and wanted to work hard for them. Then, when they elected him the first time he proved he was a man of his word. So, even though they redrew his district to make it even harder for a Republican to win, Robin continues to be reelected. He wins because he’s honest and he works hard as a campaigner and as a Representative.
NCC - What are the greatest challenges facing North Carolina?
We have to be a state where business is welcome and jobs are created. We have to demand value for what is spent and we need to continue to resist a lottery. Such schemes take money from people who can least afford to spend it to support an unneeded bureaucracy that eats money people thought they were providing for education.
NCC - What are the greatest challenges facing our nation?
The challenge is always before us. Whenever we lose sight of the principles that mattered to our founders we run into trouble.
NCC - What is America’s role in the world?
America must be the moral leader. It is not enough to have power. Power must be used to protect freedom and give all people hope for the opportunity to see the fruit of their own labor. We must stand against tyrants and on the side of growing democracies.
NCC - Should America remain a member of the United Nations, and why?
It may surprise people to know that I advocate the reform of the United Nations, not its abolishment. If such an organization did not already exist nations of good will would move to create it. The interests of the United States are better served by demanding reform and seeing that reform takes place than by removing our influence from the UN.
NCC - How has being a North Carolinian affected your personal and political values and beliefs?
My values and beliefs were imparted to me by loving parents, committed teachers, demanding mentors and wise elders. All of the people who helped mold me as a child and as a young person happened to live in North Carolina. I hope, and in fact I know, that they didn’t just represent what is best about North Carolina. They represented what is best about America.
NCC - Who was the most colorful North Carolina political figure you ever encountered, and why? If time permits, could you share an amusing anecdote about said person?
This is an area where North Carolina does excel. I have known more colorful North Carolina political figures than I have colorless ones.
NCC - How has your faith in God affected your personal and political values and beliefs?
I have tried at every point to seek God’s wisdom on the decisions I made, and I made it my business to speak up on behalf of the things God tells us are important to Him. That is why I fought against government funding of disgusting images that people dared to define as art. That is why I fought against abortion and that is why if I were still in the Senate I would be doing everything I could to defend the sanctity of marriage.
NCC - Has conservatism become the dominant philosophy in America, and if so, why?
It has become more acceptable to describe yourself as a conservative, but not everyone who uses that term about themselves really is truly conservative. I’m not comfortable with all the categories people want to sort themselves into to explain how they can be a conservative and support liberal ideas. Conservatism is a hard choice for a society that has become accustomed to big government and big entitlements promoted by liberals.
NCC - What is your vision for the future of our state and our nation?
My vision of the future would be a state and a nation where we were united in our desire to stand firm on our foundations. I want our young people to believe as we did that there is no goal too high to reach if they are willing to work. I want our government to encourage and protect freedom as well as our traditions of faith and family.
NCC - What can we do, as individuals and as conservative North Carolinians to make your vision for the future a reality?
We can live our own lives in a way that does not bring reproach on the principles we claim to support. We can commit ourselves to care for our neighbors in need instead of expecting the government to do it. We can protect our own marriages and train our own children so skeptics can see that we are sincere in what we believe. Then, we can advocate for what we believe and support those who share our values when they seek office. What I am suggesting is hard work and it can be slow work, but the rewards are well worth it.
My best,
Jesse Helms
U.S. Senate, Retired
“North Carolina… Where Education Isn’t Left to Chance!”
By Senator Eddie Goodall
Home
|
|
