Providing Information and Commentary on Political Events and Citizen Activism that affect Western North Carolina from a Conservative perspective, also allowing respectful debate on the issues of the day.
Showing posts with label General Assembly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Assembly. Show all posts
COUNTY NC NEWS -- The North Carolina Association of Broadcasters has been forced to cancel their gubernatorial debate, which they were planning to sponsor in Asheville on July 20, 2008. The cause? Lieutenant GovernorBeverly Perdue still refuses to participate. Like a highway construction sign blinking "Expect Delays," Perdue has already declined forums at WNCN-TV, the Triad Today show, and two statewide debates on UNC-TV, all without explanation.
Responding to the cancellation, the Elect Pat McCrory for Governor Campaign Manager, Richard Hudson said:
"Apparently, Lt. Gov. Perdue thinks she is above being responsive and accountable to the very people she hopes to represent as governor. The culture of arrogance and inaccessibility that permeates from Raleigh politicians like Perdue is unacceptable. North Carolina deserves a governor who will be accessible to the people and openly discuss his or her positions on the issues that affect our state."
"Pat McCrory has been calling for debates across North Carolina for months and is disappointed that Sunday's event has been cancelled. He once again renews his call for the lieutenant governor to move beyond formal, structured speeches and allow the voters to hear a real discussion on the issues."
Source: NC County News (Read the whole thing over there)
The bill is moving through the House and Senate on its way to Governor Easley's desk. Drawing on recent experience, Easley had sought added powers for future governors in droughts that are sure to come. Now his successors are likely to get some of those powers.
Chief among the lessons of 2007-08 is that simply waiting for rain won't work in a state where water demand has increased more than reservoir capacity. We are, as Rep. Verla Insko of Chapel Hill put it, "no longer a water-wealthy state."
So we have to use water more wisely, along with creating new supplies. The bill requires municipal water systems to produce conservation plans, and gives the state the power to order up stricter measures in an emergency. Crucially, the state will be able to tell water systems with a surplus that they must share with nearby cities (and be compensated for it).
I note that the editorial does not mention this portion of the bill:
Section 4. (a): (9) Any member of the Commission or any person authorized by it, shall have the right to enter upon any private or public lands or waters for the purpose of making investigations and studies reasonably necessary in the gathering of facts concerning streams and watersheds, subject to responsibility for any damage done to property entered.
I suppose one might conclude that if the "person authorized by the Commission" needed to damage a fence in order to gain access to a property, or waltz through crops or expensive plantings to reach his or her destination, then the State would pay for the damages. This sounds to me like the State of North Carolina has given its agents permission to break and enter.
And no where in the editorial is a voice raised against the objectionable content of Section 6:
SECTION 6. The Environmental Review Commission, as part of its ongoing study of the allocation of water resources in the State required by Section 1 of S.L. 2007‑518, shall study whether and to what extent private groundwater wells and the use of water produced by private groundwater wells should be regulated by the State or units of local government. The Environmental Review Commission shall report its findings and recommendations, including any legislative proposals, to the General Assembly as provided by Section 1 of S.L. 2007‑518, as amended.
They are going "to study" whether or not private wells and their use should be regulated by the State or local governments. The editor apparently does not object to the government regulating the use of the well located on your property and paid for by you. What do you want to bet that you will pay for that well to "be regulated" as well?
And, in order to "monitor" your water usage, I imagine that they will put a water meter on your well, rather than relying upon your, or your neighbor's reporting.
Where are the voices raised in opposition to this criminally oppressive piece of legislation?
I will be conducting a survey of people running for office in this part of the state to get their opinion as to whether or not they support this legislation.
And one more thing that I have noticed...in their articles, the Legacy Media types rarely, if ever, refer to legislation by it's number that would allow readers to investigate the matter for themselves. In not one of the online articles is a link to the legislation or voting record provided to assist the voter in seeking further information.
Links for this legislation may be found in my previous post.
I had to dig to find out what the bill actually said, and how each member voted. It was not a pleasant experience, which got me to wondering...
There needs to be a better system for getting the news out to people about what exactly is going on in Raleigh in the General Assembly. We need to put some eyes and ears to the proceedings, and establish a way for people to easily share what their elected representatives are doing, voting, and saying.
Goodness knows we can't trust the newspapers to report anything other than what fits their agenda.
House Bill 2499 [HTML Version] [PDF Download] has advanced past it's second reading in the General Assembly.
In the following article, all sections in red are direct quotes from the legislation.
The bill has the innocuous-sounding title "AN ACT to improve Drought preparedness and response in North Carolina, as recommended by the Environmental review commission."
Here are just a few of the more egregious items I found with the legislation:
Section 4. (a): (9) Any member of the Commission or any person authorized by it, shall have the right to enter upon any private or public lands or waters for the purpose of making investigations and studies reasonably necessary in the gathering of facts concerning streams and watersheds, subject to responsibility for any damage done to property entered.
I wonder if this includes posted land. And you can guarantee this will be just another camel nose under the tent that will further threaten our nearly non-existent property rights.
And if you want to have nightmares, just read the amended § 143‑355.2. Water conservation measures for drought, which includes measures for requiring local governments to implement water conservation measures whether they are in a drought condition or not, at the discretion of the Secretary. This includes water source restrictions in multiple counties or municipalities when one are has been declared to be in drought, and the neighboring area is not.
And here is the biggie: SECTION 6. The Environmental Review Commission, as part of its ongoing study of the allocation of water resources in the State required by Section 1 of S.L. 2007‑518, shall study whether and to what extent private groundwater wells and the use of water produced by private groundwater wells should be regulated by the State or units of local government. The Environmental Review Commission shall report its findings and recommendations, including any legislative proposals, to the General Assembly as provided by Section 1 of S.L. 2007‑518, as amended.
Here is the smoking gun that was denied earlier...the regulation of private wells. The State of North Carolina will be investigating whether or not they will regulate your private wells, and that includes putting meters on wells, no matter what Joe Sam Queen said in this Sound Off Buncombe Video. How else will the State of North Carolina determine your water usage unless they put a meter on the wells?
People, this should be the time we pick up our pitch forks, torches, and buckets of tar to let our elected representatives in Raleigh know that we are watching them, and we are not happy.
There is much more that is wrong with this bill, especially in the enforcement section where fines and penalties are spelled out.
You can click on the links to find out how to get in touch with the representatives, and be polite with regardless of how they voted. Get your point across politely.
I am going to try to give a run-down of how the western delegation votes in Raleigh. If you think I should be tracking England, Frye, and/or Gillespie, let me know.
I had no idea it was so hard to round up this information on exactly what they voted on in one place. Of course, it would have been easier if I paid attention to the calenders issued by both Houses...
I have previously blogged on this subject before, and a letter has come to my attention from a reliable source regarding the machinations in the North Carolina General Assembly, former Senator (and current candidate challenging District 49 Senator Martin Nesbitt) RL Clark.
He responded to an article written in the Asheville Citizen-Times by Jordan Schrader, and has kindly allowed me permission to reprint it. I have taken the liberty to emphasize text in the letter, and made minor formatting changes and added hyperlinks where appropriate, and I have removed his address and telephone number from the correspondence:
Mr. Schrader:
Wish I could have sent this earlier today but I operate a business I had to attend to today. I have major concerns with the State Auditor being restricted by the N C Democrat controlled State Senate. The State Senate has been controlled (ruled) by one party (Democrat) for 0ne hundred fifteen years! I have read and re-read your front page article in today’s edition of the A C T several times.
I am troubled and perplexed but not surprised that the General Assembly Democrat power structure assisted by several Republican legislators would take such action to apparently protect one of it’s own (Senator Nesbitt).
Didn’t the auditor’s report say that they were simply trying to find out if the Ethics commission had all of these facts when they were contacted by the Senator about his need to disclose his son’s racing ream on his economic interest form? Especially when the Senator responded when asked if he had told them all the facts he replied, ‘I DON’T recall if I told them those facts.” Really?
From my vantage point of having spent a career in the executive branch of N C State government serving in the administrations of six Governors and two terms as a N C State Senator and during that Executive Branch career I had close personal relationships with two former Speakers of the N C House of Representatives, I have insights into corruption that are in my opinion somewhat unique. Why doesn’t a good investigative news reporter or perhaps a Federal Prosecutor look into the N C Democrat County KEY system used for political screenings for State employment?
In the 1980’s several private road contracting officials were sentenced to FEDERAL not State prison.
The Honorable Garland Garrett, former Secretary D O T, personal advisor to two Governor’s, sentenced to FEDERAL not State prison. [WRAL] [Video-Poker News]
The Honorable Frank Balance, former N C State Senator, and former U S Congressman sentenced to FEDERAL not state prison. [Wikipedia] [WTV D] [RaleighN&O]
State Judge the Honorable Frank Balance, Jr., Son of Honorable Frank Balance sentenced to FEDERAL not State Prison. [see Frank Ballance, above]
Former Department Secretary in a Republican administration, former lobbyist Don Beason, resigned under an ethical cloud. [Raleigh N&O] [The Meck Deck] [BlueNC]
There are many other examples. By a large percentage the majority are Democrats not Republicans!
My points in this email are concerns shared by substantial numbers of Citizens in WNC!
Not only do I agree with Auditor Merritt that limiting his authority is not necessary but in my opinion is a move by the Democrat power structure to keep in place
A corrupted Legislative Body. Perhaps I could be called to testify before a Federal Grand Jury.
R L Clark
Candidate N C State Senate District 49
N C State Senator
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
Asheville, N C 28804
###
Commentary
I don't expect anything to be done because people are too apathetic or are not aware of the corruption that has gone on in North Carolina politics for generations. Perhaps things would change if people were to call their State Representatives and State Senators and let them know how they feel about this issue.
A bill that would prohibit the state auditor from investigating violations of the state ethics act passed a key Senate committee Monday afternoon.
The bill would require the state auditor to turn over possible violations of the ethics act to the N.C. State Ethics Commission. The ethics act deals with possible conflicts of interest involving officials and their duties.
A similar bill in the House is scheduled for a committee Tuesday.
Lawmakers took up the change after State Auditor Les Merritt began investigating a senator over his son's business dealings. The N.C. State Ethics Commission sees no problem in the case. Merritt disagrees.
Since Under The Dome did not link to the press release, I will post it here in it's entirety:
Auditor Believes Legislation is Unnecessary, but Committee Acted in Good Faith
RALEIGH, NC – July 7, 2008
Today, State Auditor Leslie Merritt responded to the Select Committee on Government and Election Reform’s passing of SB1875. The bill entitled, “Clarify Auditor Hotline Authority/SEC,” seeks to clarify jurisdiction over Ethics Act violations and facilitate an increased flow of information between the Office of the State Auditor and the Ethics Commission. “Respectfully, I believe that this legislation is unnecessary because two watchdogs, the State Auditor and the Ethics Commission, are better than one when it comes to uncovering abuses in State government,” said State Auditor Leslie Merritt. Historically, a function of the State Auditor’s Office is to investigate fraud, waste and abuse in State government. Conflicts of interest between a State official’s public duties and private affairs are defined as “abuse” under well accepted government auditing standards. SB1875 may handcuff State Auditors from being able to release the results of investigations of “abuse” in a public report, despite the good faith efforts of this Committee to clarify the jurisdiction of the Ethics Act. “I believe that any new legislation should allow for a public, transparent review of the facts of a case and not create a climate of strict confidentiality. But, the legislature makes the law and the Office of the State Auditor will respect it while continuing to provide an independent review of anonymous tips sent to our fraud, waste and abuse Hotline,” Auditor Merritt concluded.
In North Carolina, we have had a long and storied history in corruption in our state government all the way down to the local level that is far worse than what once was in Louisiana.
The North Carolina General Assembly has shown itself to be unable to act against it's own members, especially those in leadership position. Does anyone need to be reminded of the corruption of Speaker of the NC House Liston Ramsey?
Liston B. Ramsey of Madison County, in the North Carolina mountains, had been speaker for four terms and was seeking a fifth. He was the first speaker of the House in this century to serve so long, and he ran the House in a classically autocratic way. In fact, he and a few cronies in the House and Senate together could be said to have run North Carolina. Laws in that state are enacted after passage by both houses of the legislature; the governor's signature is not required. Nor does the governor have the power to veto -- the only governor in the nation so handicapped.
Mr. Ramsey and his friends used their power with abandon. They held closed-door meetings to determine the state budget and to allocate appropriations. The "Super Sub," a group comprising Democratic legislators, made almost all critically important fiscal decisions. When bills were marked up in open meetings, members of the House leadership even spoke in numerical code and refused to distribute mark-up copies to the public or the press.
Mr. Ramsey's arrogance extended beyond procedural matters, however. He and his "old boys" constantly stood in opposition to the policies of North Carolina's popular and able Republican governor, Jim Martin. On those few occasions when the speaker and the governor agreed on an issue, the speaker merely sought to make Mr. Martin look politically irrelevant and impotent. This in spite of the fact that the governor was elected statewide and the speaker's legislative district has a population of just 100,000.
Source: When a Speaker Fell By Ted Blanton. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Apr 17, 1989. pg. 1
It was common knowledge that the North Carolina General Assembly was corrupt back then. The Democrats held all the power and were unwilling to act, until it became evident that the tide of public opinion was turning. GOP gains in the General Assembly, and an overwhelming victory on November 8th, 1988 by NC Governor Jim Martin (R) over Robert Jordan (D) [56% to 44%] moved the Democrats to act to preserve their hold on the General Assembly...and North Carolina. They have retained that hold ever since, and realize that an ethics investigator who is not under the influence and control of the General Assembly could upset their apple cart.
They are bringing everything they have to bear against Les Merritt, for they cannot afford to have him investigating their questionable activities...they are circling the wagons to protect District 49 Senator Martin Nesbitt. They know if he can be investigated, they all can.
~PRESS RELEASE~ FROM: The Committee To Elect Paul Purdue DATE: June 21, 2008
Background: Bruce Goforth, on the House Committee on Education, has the opportunity to keep illegals from stealing spots in college which should be reserved for rightful citizens.
Paul Purdue, Candidate for NC House 115, is opposed to NC House bill 2717 and recently commented:
"Illegal aliens should not receive access to NC Community Colleges or public universities. Because college is a selection process, for every illegal alien allowed into our colleges, one North Carolina citizen student or American student will not get to go to college. Our NC Community Colleges are in place to help citizens of North Carolina get a better education and job skills, not to train illegal aliens to take jobs from North Carolina citizens."
"If this Bill gets though Bruce Goforth's committee, it demonstrates he is in favor of illegal aliens taking a rightful place from a North Carolina citizen!"
On the subject of immigration enforcement, Paul Purdue, a new American citizen states:
"As an adjunct to enforce existing immigration laws, I am in favor of requiring companies doing business with the State of North Carolina to use the federal government's E-Verify system to make sure businesses are only hiring legal U.S. residents."
It is time to tell Goforth to go home. Elect Paul Purdue. He'll DO what's right!
- The Committee To Elect Paul Purdue - NC State House District 115.
For years, the General Assembly has had links to audio streaming of both houses that suffered from quality, and if you missed something, that was it, there were no second chances to hear the audio.
Now, there is Voter Radio. Voter Radio has a player [launch player] that will play audio from past sessions (fixed schedule), and with other programming 24 hours a day.
They also have podcasts of each day's sessions available to download!
Here is the Press Release that announced the start of Voter Radio:
RALEIGH – The nonpartisan N.C. Center for Voter Education has launched VoterRadio.com, an online radio station covering politics and elections in North Carolina.
With state lawmakers at work in Raleigh, VoterRadio.com offers live broadcasts and rebroadcasts of daily sessions in both the N.C. Senate and N.C. House. Each session can also be heard on-demand at VoterRadio.com, where visitors can also download podcasts of daily sessions.
Other programming on VoterRadio.com includes “Judge for Yourself: Election 2008,” a series of in-depth, one-on-one interviews with statewide candidates. With a runoff election for state labor commissioner approaching on June 24, voters can learn about the two contenders, John Brooks and Mary Donnan, by tuning in to VoterRadio.com’s live stream or by listening on-demand at VoterRadio.com/judge.
VoterRadio.com produces “The Voter Update,” a weekly newsmagazine covering Tar Heel politics. This week’s episode features an interview with N.C. House Minority Leader Paul Stam (R-Wake) and a look at Chapel Hill’s new Voter-Owned Elections program with Chase Foster from N.C. Voters for Clean Elections.
VoterRadio.com also covers special events and speakers of importance to North Carolina voters, including the Sunshine Day Conference at Elon University this spring.
“From airing live audio of state legislative sessions, to offering in-depth interviews with statewide candidates, the goal of VoterRadio.com is to empower North Carolina voters with facts about their government and the candidates courting their support,” said John Thompson, executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education.
In addition to being available at www.VoterRadio.com, programming from VoterRadio.com can also be heard 24-hours daily on iTunes Radio under the “Talk/Spoken Word” category.
The N.C. Center for Voter Education is a Raleigh-based nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving elections in North Carolina.
I have blogged about this before (see end of current post for links), and Buncombe Senator Martin Nesbitt has revealed that he has been the target of an ethics probe by the state auditors office:
RALEIGH --A state senator from Asheville, his son's Hooter's Pro Cup racing team and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina are at the center of a dispute over who has the right to police the state ethics laws.
The case surrounding Sen. Martin Nesbitt, an Asheville Democrat, has led to a bill that would prohibit the state auditor from investigating the recently overhauled ethics statutes.
“The Nesbitt case illustrates the danger of the misapplication of a complicated law,” said Perry Newson, executive director of the state ethics commission.
Nesbitt waived confidentiality and allowed Newson to discuss the case.
State Auditor Les Merritt, a Republican, released a report Tuesday in which he explains why he believes Nesbitt should have disclosed on ethics filings that he worked with his son's racing team. Nesbitt was an unpaid crew chief.
Merritt's report came several months after the state ethics commission advised Nesbitt he did not need to disclose his involvement with the racing team on his ethics form, an opinion they reiterated after Merritt began his probe.
Until recently, the team was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state's largest insurer. The General Assembly frequently deals with legislation affecting the health care industry and insurers.
We have seen the results of the Governor and his friends in Raleigh who have blocked every attempt at investigating corruption in North Carolina government, with a breakthrough only achieved by the Feds, then the state charges followed.
Just as with Jim Black, there were whispers of misdeeds for years...and the state would not act. The same allegations have floated around about Martin Nesbitt for years also. And now Blue Cross Blue Shield has withdrawn their sponsorship of the racing team that was at the center of the controversy.
A Wake Superior Court judge today sentenced former Rep. Thomas Wright to 70 to 95 months in prison after his conviction on three felony counts of fraud.
Wright, who was taken away in handcuffs, was kicked out of the state House last month because of allegations that he used his political sway to obtain a bogus letter from a state official to get a $150,000 bank loan, Sarah Ovaska reports.
Wake prosecutors also accused him of pocketing three charitable contributions, totaling $8,900.
Jack Betts has hit on a topic near and dear to my heart, video coverage of the North Carolina Legislature in action:
That thought occurred to me as I sat in the audience Thursday at the annual Sunshine Day observance at Elon University and heard state Sen. Eddie Goodall, R-Union, repeat his call for a study commission to assess the need for televising all legislative sessions and certain committee meetings.
He's right to pursue a study; legislative leaders have not backed the idea of gavel-to-gavel coverage in either chamber, though of course commercial and public television stations provide varying kinds of new coverage on issues. But what the legislature needs is that kind of daily coverage so the public can see what's going on -- and what's not.
Anyone can afford to stream video these days 24/7/365 through the use of various free services. A tool such as streaming coverage would increase the awareness of North Carolinians of what is going on in Raleigh, and I'll bet that is the primary reason they'll fight tooth and nail to keep it from being done. Use the link to track the progress of Senate Bill 701, and let your representative know what you think about it. NC GOP Gubernatorial Debate Coverage
Those of you have have read this blog or Thunder Pig know of my fondness for presenting events via video. And that I prefer to present my coverage as "beginning to end" and let the viewer judge the events on their own merits, or lack thereof.
I plan on doing a live webcast of tomorrow's Gubernatorial Debate from the Bo Thomas Auditorium through the use of a borrowed laptop, and the Blue Ridge Community College Wifi Network. It may not work, because this will be my first test of the idea, but I'll be there to record the event with my cheap digital camera if my even cheaper webcam doesn't work (I paid $16 at Walmart). Surely our state government can do better than me, a simple blogger using borrowed equipment.
Rep. Trudi Walend, R-Brevard, announced today she will not run for re-election to the state House, ending her House service after five terms.
“When I first ran for public office in 1996 I had no grandchildren. Now I’m blessed with five,” she said in a news release. “It’s time for me to retire and have more time to enjoy these beautiful children as they grow so quickly in their distant homes. I will serve out the current term, retiring December 31, 2008.”
The 113th House district is made up of Transylvania County, Polk County and southern Henderson County.
Fasten your seat belts people, this one could get a little rough!
From the Carolina Stompers website:
What people do in the privacy of their own bedroom is their business. But to push your sex life on others is wrong. Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender groups like Equality NC and Faith in America are doing just that. Their sales pitch is civil rights. Slavery, segregation, and denying women the right to vote was wrong and Americans have come a long way since those days. But is the way you have sex a civil right?
Six months ago my wife and I sent an e-mail to my step father, Democrat NC Senator Martin Nesbitt. We asked why he is sponsoring Senate Bill 1534: Non-Discrimination in State Employment This bill would protect state workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
"Gender identity or expression." What does that mean? That means Martin Nesbitt is sponsoring a bill that would allow transsexuals or transvestites to teach his grandchildren and your children in drag in the public school classrooms. Teachers are state employees and in an area where weird homosexual castrations and the gay lifestyle is on the rise, this will happen if this bill is passed and there is nothing you or there employer can do about it.
Source: Carolina Stompers Senate Bill 1534 [Text] [PDF] House Bill 1788 [Text] [PDF] House Bill 1789 [Text] [PDF] An eagle-eyed reader spotted the error in the General Assembly Page, and shot me an email with a correction.Many Thanks!!! [TP 2.38pm 2007/11/12]
You've read what the Stompers have had to say, now what does the other side say?
From the Equality North Carolina Website:
This bill would protect state employees from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation, broadly defined to include gender identity or expression. It amends the State Personnel Act by adding sexual orientation to the list of protected classes for discrimination in hiring; denial of promotion, transfer or training; retaliatory demotion, reduction in force or termination; and harassment. Equality NC secured introduction of this bill by Sen. Charlie Albertson (D-Duplin) and 19 co-sponsors. This is the largest list of senators sponsoring pro-LGBT legislation in North Carolina history.
Equality North Carolina is a statewide advocacy organization that works to secure equal rights and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender North Carolinians.
What we do Equality North Carolina is your voice for equal rights and justice in state government.
Commentary
Like the Carolina Stompers, I have a problem with the phrase "This bill would protect state employees from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation, broadly defined to include gender identity or expression."
So, this bill, if passed, could result in your children being taught by someone in in drag because of the "civil right" of sexual expression. Tell me this isn't so.
The U.S. Supreme Court has laid down three requirements for a group to receive protected status:
a shared immutable characteristic;
economic deprivation; and
a history of political powerlessness.
I think we can all agree that the subjects of this legislation do not share these characteristics.
This is all part of a Progressive Agenda that includes dividing people based upon a Group Identity Politics, that threatens to undermine the very things America was founded upon.
Don't let this happen. Call your state representative and ask that they not support the creation of a new special class of separate, but equal people.
S.B. 3 started as a measure to mandate that utility companies generate at least 7.5 percent of their energy from renewable energy sources, while also increasing energy efficiency measures. Much debate about the bill focused on later provisions that affected utility companies’ ability to recover construction costs.
The debate ignored a “slight catch,” Bakst said. “A bill that would require utilities to provide customers at least 7.5 percent of their electricity through renewable resources does not require that all the customers have to live in North Carolina.”
S.B. 3 allows utilities to meet about 40 percent of the renewable energy requirement by purchasing “renewable energy certificates” from out-of-state facilities, Bakst said. “These certificates are designed to allow for investments in renewable energy when electricity from renewable sources is not available inside the state,” he said. “The electricity that is purchased through these certificates likely will never reach North Carolinians.”
North Carolina will need these certificates because the state does not have much potential for generating renewable energy in state, Bakst said. “Southeastern states like North Carolina face extensive physical limitations on renewable energy,” he said. “For example, North Carolina does not have the same type of wind resources as many other states. The N.C. Utilities Commission’s own renewable energy consultant told the legislature it should pursue a target of requiring 5 percent renewable energy use, not 7.5 percent.”
Be sure you read the article I've pointed to, and the other articles related to this "Pork-Barrel Export Project."
So, the North Carolina Taxpayer will be paying for economic development in other states now? Instead of focusing on developing renewable sources of energy here, the North Carolina Legislature (and maybe Governor Easley), the Utility Companies, and Envirowhackos prefer to do it out of state?
Jim Black receives a fitting sentence with MORE charges yet to come!
Hey. A five year loan of $500,000 yields nearly $100,000 in interest if invested at all… Maybe more. So even if Jim Black gave the principal of the loan back, what did he do with the $100K? Simple. It is documented he gave money to the campaigns of other Democrats including our state Attorney General. What a guy!
No wonder the Governor would not prosecute the man. Everybody got a piece of pie. And this Governor may challenge Elizabeth Dole’s Senate seat? Oh yeah. We want this guy in Washington. No thanks.
This bull****t of one politician being allowed to shuttle funds to other campaigns has to stop. Period. You raise what you raise for yourself.
But no tale of Jim Black would be complete without a poem: --- Jim Black’s going to jail, He tried to weasel out, He’s looking awfully pale, There’s no more arrogant shout.
The man has finally caved, His days on earth will wane, He never again will rave, He’s probably in lots of pain.
He told Rhodes he wasn’t s***, On the floor of our own House, But when the piper split, Black was found a louse.
And now the story’s told, There’s not much left to fight, It never will get old, To know that Rhodes was RIGHT.
--- Thanks John Rhodes! YOU ARE THE MAN.
You felled the first tree in the forest of corruption. And you withstood the hatred spewed at you by every legislator bootlicker when you told the TRUTH. Who’s crying now Mr. Black?
Who’s next on the list John?
I saw about thirty names on a list of campaigns that received money from Black. Where is the Federal investigation into that? I doubt Mr. Attorney General will voluntarity investigate himself and his friends. After all, if Black was a master of getting tainted money, then it follows that some of those dollars ended up in those other campaigns. Maybe they should all just give the money back? Ya’ think?
And where was Jim Black’s contrition and offer to “help the poor”, when he was ripping off this state, redistricting against the will of the people, stealing control and foisting untold billions in new taxes on us all for things we don’t even want?
Erase his name from the 20 page HISTORY report he commissioned. What a joke.
