Freeborn Lectures the Public
City Council Regular Meeting
City Hall, Asheville
August 22, 2006

Public Comment on Illegal Immigration Resolution
Asheville City Council
August 22, 2006

I support the resolution before city council asking our federal representatives to take action to enforce immigration laws currently in place and to supply the necessary resources that this enforcement might require.

However, I would also like to see the city of Asheville take action too.

I believe that the federal government has proven itself derelict in its responsibility to secure the borders and enforce the immigrations laws it has enacted.

And yet, that failure does in no way absolve local government of its responsibility to uphold the law.

While the lack of strong federal support is a problem, it need not be an absolute barrier to taking action at the local level. WE can move forward even while Congress stalls.

I would like to see majority support for the initiatives proposed at the August 15th worksession by council member Mumpower:

1. I.C.E. training for Asheville police
2. Detention and transfer of illegals
3. Sanctions against knowing employers of illegals

In anticipation of further action to reverse the crisis of illegal migration, I support the resolution.

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NOTE: Council member Robin Cape added an amendment to the resolution that so completely changed the character of it that Mumpower was forced to vote against his own resolution. The amended resolution voted on included fully endorsing the National League of Cities resolution which explicitly supports the abominable Senate Immigration Bill. Later, council member Freeborn went on an untempered tirade against Republicans.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)

— Photographer Joe Rosenthal, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his immortal image of six World War II servicemen raising an American flag over battle-scarred Iwo Jima, died Sunday. He was 94.
Rosenthal died of natural causes at an assisted living facility in the San Francisco suburb of Novato, said his daughter, Anne Rosenthal.
"He was a good and honest man, he had real integrity," Anne Rosenthal said.
His photo, taken for the Associated Press on Feb. 23, 1945, became the model for the Iwo Jima Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The memorial, dedicated in 1954 and known officially as the Marine Corps War Memorial, commemorates the Marines who died taking the Pacific island in World War II.

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The complete article....



The original photo



Doctored photo at a Pro-Illegal Immigration Website.


I'm sure that if The Action Club put up a Billboard with the revised photo on it, they would be called racist, or divisive. The people who support Illegal Aliens coming, and staying, in our country do not want dialogue that is logical. They want dialogue that is emotional and shuts down any and all opposing viewpoints.
The sooner we realize this, the better.

Or, Building Construction: Old and New

Tim's post mentioning how lottery proceeds were to be distributed got me to poking around. Here is what I found on this expedition:
The Public School Forum's Friday Report, which contains a chart listing the Impact of Lottery Revenue on Five-Year Facility Needs. The chart has four columns, one which list the school system, another which list the 5-yr estimate of facility needs, another which list the amount that the lottery might provide, and, most amusingly, a column which lists how many years it would take for the lottery to provide the five-year facility needs. In most cases, it is decades. Folks, I think we've been swindled. The state average is 60.2 years to give you a clue on the magnitude of the swindle.
The lowest number of years in our area is Buncombe County, with a 5-yr estimate of facility needs is $4,581,636, and the lottery might provide $1,949,579, taking 2.4 yrs to pay the needs. Macon County has the greatest number of years. The 5-yr facility needs coming in at $41,362,270 with the lottery possibly meeting $321,557 of that, taking 128.6 yrs to pay for the 5-yr facility needs.
The State Totals are: 5-yr Facility Needs $9,728,321,583, with the lottery providing $161,499,994, taking 60.2 yrs to provide for the 5-yr facility needs. Now you know why I call the NC Education Lottery, "A Tax on the stupid, for the stupid, by the stupid."

The chorus of illegal alien supporters who claim that they want to "dialogue" is growing.

The Action Club accepts their offer.

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“What we need right now is rational, intelligent dialogue about this issue.” -Edna Campos

"What then must we do? We must first say, publicly and strongly, that the solution to this problem will not be found in finger-pointing, stereotyping and scapegoating. Those dark tendencies have no place in rational debate around public policy." -Rev. Steve Runholdt

"What we need instead is an honest, ethical, measured and respectful discussion about how best to work out this important and complex issue of immigration reform." -Rev. S.F. James Abbott

"Owen Knapp who opposes what [the Action Club is] doing and wants to talk to someone in the Club" -Bill Lack

"In light of the recent media attention focusing on the billboards in Asheville that targets illegal immigrants, I am wondering if it would be useful for us to have a dialogue about developing a proactive and positive response that we could present to the media in an effort to turn around the negative and punitive attention this has generated in our community." -Debbie Braese, Catholic Social Services

"I'm OUTRAGED!" -Devon Stockard

I am a libertarian.

I am officially registered as an Unaffiliated voter.

I did not choose to be Unaffiliated. I am an involuntarily disenfranchised libertarian who is forced by the state of NC to select Unaffiliated as my party. I was not given the option of registering under the party of my choice.

And that happens to be true for anyone that does not choose to register as either Democrat or Republican.

Unaffiliated voters are not nonpartisan. They are libertarians, they are Greens, they are Constitutionalists, they are socialists, etc. who have been dumped into this category of Unaffiliated.

Democrats and Republicans may not agree on a number of public policy issues but the one thing DO agree on is that they are committed to resisting giving up their consolidated political power and allowing ANY third party to be legitimately represented in the political arena.

And if I could, I would vote for a Libertarian Party candidate over a candidate from another party because that would genuinely reflect my fidelity to my personal political beliefs, regardless of whether or not that candidate has a chance of winning.

To do otherwise would be dishonest and deceptive.

You've heard the term "gateway drug." I believe that illegal immigration is a gateway crime. It is a simple, non-violent violation of the law that tends to lead to other more serious crimes.

Because their very presense in this country is a crime, illegal aliens live in an underground, anti-social culture where very little that they do in this country is actually legal. They have developed an outlaw mentality and they are turning to predatory activity as their preferred mode of interacting with society.

And I hold their enablers in the media equally culpable in those crimes.

Local activists and media continue to ignore the facts of reality and continue to conflate legal migration with illegal migration.

That's why the Action Club has hit a nerve with their billboard campaign. It puts the issue right in their lap and they are hard-pressed to ignore it.

When calculating the cost of the 90-Day Free Transit, include in your calculations:

-- Free food at the kickoff event
-- Free fares
-- Free gas for the buses
-- Free wages for bus drivers
-- Free maintenance for buses
-- Free loudspeaker equipment set up at the kickoff event
-- Free Vinyl banners hanging at the bus depot
-- Free promotional posters promoting the program
-- Free postage for mass mailing of promotional materials
-- Free handout literature promoting the program
-- Free quarter-page print ads in the papers.
-- Free full-color "Ride-for-Free" bus maps
-- Free 90-day "Ride-for-Free" logos painted on the side of buses
-- Free re-painting of buses at the conclusion of the free 90 days

I'd like to comment on our city council's response to Dr. Mumpower's presentation at the council meeting on August 15, 2006, proposing that the City of Asheville take a few reasonable steps toward reversing the crisis of illegal migration into our region; specifically:

1) ICE Training for APD
2) Detain and Transfer Illegals
3) Sanction Knowing Employers of Illegals

Council member Freeborn said, "If there is a program our chief thinks we should be participating in, that's fine. I don't see him asking for that." And the rest of city council basically sat there staring into space or making craven, defeatist remarks, signaling their utter indifference on the matter.

In my opinion, the majority on city council is basically saying: "We, as elected city council members are unwilling to take any leadership role in enforcing federal prohibitions against illegal migration into this region unless and until our Police Chief Hogan feels that it's important; if Chief Hogan ever does come to think it's important, THEN we'll consider HIS detailed recommendations."

I will be happy then to see our "progressive" city council follow Chief Hogan's lead. Although, that may happen closer to Election Day.

I believe that Police Chief Hogan, and many others who are indifferent now, WILL someday come to feel that prohibition against criminal migration into this region is a very important law enforcement issue, as well as a valid moral issue, and WILL begin to take steps to reverse their gross negligence in a matter that has risen to crisis levels and launched a thousand grassroots campaigns nationally.

Freeborn concluded his deliberations resignedly saying, "Currently, I'm not supportive of any of the [three] initiatives brought forward by Councilman Mumpower."

If this continues to be the view of the majority on city council, we may need to quite quickly find citizens to take their place who are genuinely concerned about national sovereignty and security, the rule of law, and the quality of life in Western North Carolina.

Question from writer in a letter to the editor read on WZGM: "When is some of the lottery money going to pay for kids' paper."

None of the "Education Lottery" money goes to K-12. It is all earmarked for administration (15%), prizes (50%), new and old construction (13%), and scholarships (.03%). - NC Institute for Education Policymakers.

I'd like to welcome aboard a new contributer, Tim Peck!
He is very active in the community and this blog probably makes the 21st iron he has in the fire.

I hope to see more people come aboard and post articles of interest to the citizens of Western North Carolina.

P.S. Note to Tim, feel free to add links to the sidebar as well.

Top Contributors 2006 RACE: NORTH CAROLINA DISTRICT 11


Heath Shuler (D) Challenger

Rivercrest LLC $25,200

Phillips & Jordan $15,300

Collins & Shuler Management $12,900

Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $10,500

AmeriPAC: The Fund for a Greater America $10,000

National Education Assn $10,000

Our Common Values PAC $10,000

PAC to the Future $10,000

Nelson, Mullins et al $9,400

US Postal Service $8,280

Charles H. Taylor (R) Incumbent

Livingston Group $12,500

National Beer Wholesalers Assn $10,000

Rely on Your Beliefs $9,073

Corning Inc $8,352

National Rural Water Assn $7,750

Alex Lee Inc $7,000

BellSouth Corp $7,000

Citizens Telephone $7,000

Holland & Knight $7,000

Progress Energy $7,000

All info found here, I added most of the clickable links. I will have commentary on the donor lists this weekend.

I will also point out the misrepresentations of the data as practised by The Asheville Waste of Times.

Federal Critters Voting

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S3711 aka Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act

Passed 71-25 with 4 Not Voting.

Burr voted YES

Dole voted YES

The bill is to open parts of the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas exploration.

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HR 5970 aka Cloture motion: Estate Tax/ Minimum Wage Bill

Rejected 56-42 with 2 Not Voting.

Burr voted YES

Dole voted YES

Motion to invoke Cloture on the Motion to proceed to consider HR 5970. (huh?)

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HR 4 aka Pension Protection Act

Passed 93-5 with 2 Not Voting.

Burr voted NO

Dole voted YES

Pension reform bill that is intended to help employer-funded pension plans remain solvent.

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Other Recent Votes.

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Recent House of Representatives activity.

HR 5970 aka Estate Tax and Extension of Tax Relief Act

Passed 230-180 with 1 Present, and 22 Not Voting

Taylor voted YES

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I have been watching the Shuler v Taylor race with interest, and have found the following in regards to the geographic sources of donations to the campaigns:

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2006 RACE: NORTH CAROLINA DISTRICT 11

Contributions by Zip Code


Heath Shuler (D) Challenger
28786 (WAYNESVILLE, NC) $26,900
37919 (Knoxville, TN) $23,750
28713 (Bryson City, NC) $19,860
28771 (ROBBINSVILLE, NC) $18,100
37923 (Knoxville, TN) $15,000
37922 (Knoxville, TN) $14,500
37862 (Sevierville, TN) $13,750
32967 (VERO BEACH, FL) $13,400
37912 (Knoxville, TN) $12,300
28803 (Asheville, NC) $11,850



Charles H. Taylor (R) Incumbent
28712 (BREVARD, NC) $23,700
28803 (Asheville, NC) $21,970
28804 (Asheville, NC) $15,693
20003 (Washington, DC) $11,750
28714 (BURNSVILLE, NC) $11,400
28806 (Asheville, NC) $10,450
28801 (Asheville, NC) $10,200
28732 (Fletcher, NC) $10,200
28730 (Fairview, NC) $10,000
28813 (Asheville, NC) $8,600


Top Metro Areas
2006 RACE: NORTH CAROLINA DISTRICT 11


Heath Shuler (D) Challenger
KNOXVILLE, TN $138,800
ASHEVILLE, NC $50,000
NASHVILLE, TN $29,848
TRI-CITIES AREA, TN-VA $20,000
JACKSON, TN $11,400



Charles H. Taylor (R) Incumbent
ASHEVILLE, NC $109,308
WASHINGTON, DC-MD-VA-WV $50,192
ATLANTA, GA $8,000
HICKORY-MORGANTON-LENOIR ,NC $6,900
CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL $6,000

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I have found all of the above at the Open Secrets website, a wonderful resource for those interested in digging deeper than The Asheville Waste of Times or the intrepid team of investigative reporters over at WLOST.

I think this should serve as a reminder to the Buncombe County Commissioners, or Commissioners any where in Western North Carolina, that if they zone, they gone. Even if they try to sneak it in as "Land Use Planning or some such double-speak.