Endorsements, please!

I'm doing a happy dance here in Egypt because I just received my Orange County absentee ballot, with plenty of time to send it back to Hillsborough before Election Day. I'll be mailing it off in the next day or so.

If you're ready with your endorsements, I'd love to hear them. I'm especially interested in opinions on non-partisan races and anything else where a straight-party Democratic vote might not be the way to go.

 

 

 

 

Issues: 

Comments

Joan, send that absentee ballot in!!  Things are heating up like no tomorrow, with early voting strongly encouraged in the interest of shorter lines on the 4th of November.  I/we could feed you a day's worth of reading from various op ed pages warning against McCain & Palin.  Go with Dems all the way.  Kay Hagan coud unseat Elizabeth Dole.  Study the governor's race.  Neither candidate is great, but both are vastly superior to Mike Easley and one of them is a Republican. 

in making my voting decision, in general & specifically when looking at judges, is:
http://equalitync.org/pac/2008g

That list basically has no disagreements with the Orange County Democratic Party endorsement list (I just got my OCDP newspaper-guide thing in the mail today). The OCDP leaves the judicial race between Ervin & Kristen Ruth unmarked, but equalityNC says Kristin Ruth is worthy of endorsement so that has me leaning towards her until I do more research.

On a related note to the election, I am considering voting early. The downside is that is kind of fun to participate in the actual process of voting on the day of, and it is my understanding that early votes aren't counted until the day after the election (i'm not sure where i heard that or how accurate it is), but with NC as a battleground state I'd hate to think the state was called before my vote was counted. I mean I'm sure I would end up voting on election day provided I didn't suffer some traumatic injury that rendered me unconscious all day... and even then I might find a way to vote. But on the other hand I've heard campaigns are tracking how many people have early voted in certain areas and using that info to determine where to shift their resources (again I'm not sure how accurate this is).

So as someone who lives near my voting site, does it make more sense to early vote, or vote on voting day?

The downside is that is kind of fun to participate in the actual process of voting on the day of, and it is my understanding that early votes aren't counted until the day after the election (i'm not sure where i heard that or how accurate it is),

Actually, early vote totals will be available right at 7:30 as they get prepped when EV ends Saturday, November 1, all that's left is to tabulate. Election day precinct results come much later when the people in line at 7:30 have voted and a lot of other work by the election judges gets done.

 By voting early, Jake, you create one space in the line of hundreds voting at your precinct on Election Day.  Early votes go into the same hopper with absentee ballots and votes cast on 11/4.  Nothing gets counted until the big day.  Long lines on the big day, however, discourage voters who prefer not to stand for uncomfortable stretches of time.  We're looking at very long lines on Election Day this year. 

Early voting you  can go to the most convenient place -- Carrboro Town Hall is my personal favorite, Morehead Planetarium second.  The other day I spoke with many people who plan to use the CH Senior Center because they help elderly people.  But every precinct offers car-side voting; the helper goes inside to request assistance, and a BOE person provides it.  

I have the same romance about voting on Election Day.  One way to get over it is to work the polls on Election Day!  

 

By voting early, Jake, you create one space in the line of hundreds voting at your precinct on Election Day. 

Wake County early voting lines were so long in 2004 I already voted by mail  this year so as to open up a space in the early voting line! (BTW I'm working at an early voting site for the Wake County Board of Elections adjacent to the NCSU campus -- Pullen Arts Center)

I too suggest you vote  the Democratic ticket. Note that you have to mark the president separate from all the other state races. There have been several negative letters(mostly unfair in my opinion) about  Beverly Perdue in the newspapers but her positions on education, the environment , health and many other issues are much better than her Republican opponent. Please support Perdue for governor.

Loren Hintz

When exactly do they start counting absentee/early votes?

Generally early votes are tabulated right at 7:30.  Mail in absentees might take until later depending on the volume, but ususally are ready by 7:30. By the way, mail-in absentee voting is quite heavy in Orange.  Tuesday October 7 alone, 154 requests were received. Deadline for requesting a ballot by mail is Tuesday, October 28. Comparing requests through October 7 with the total for the entire 2004 general election shows the following (categories: OV - expat voters who are not registered, living overseas, and giving Orange County as the last place of residence, MIL - Military personnel, CIV- Civilian)

               2004     2008 

OV            172      221

MIL             72     110

 CIV          2353   2693

 

I'm with Cat on this one -- if you have flexibility and can vote early then do.

Election day is not a day off for many people also enthralled with the romance of election day (and not reading OP) -- a broken machine in a crucial voting site can change the entire timing of the day, the ability of voters to get to work, day care pick-ups and the end of the school  day.

Thanks, all, for your comments! Just to be clear: I'm certainly voting Democratic for all the big races and would normally do so for everything (I shudder to think someone might have guessed I'd vote for McCain-gah!). I just wanted to make sure there wasn't some odd race with a terrible Democrat in the mix.

Jake, thanks--that link on judicial races is really helpful. Anyone else have opinions on the judges?

I am not sure that you should vote for the straight Democratic ticket, Joan.  Several Democrats on the ballot have done little to gain our support.  For example:

Bill Faison - If you live in his district, you should probably skip this race.  Faison has done a poor job in the legislature and is one of those who is forcing an unwanted airport on rural Orange County.  He is alos running unopposed and does not need your vote.  Why legitimize him?

Steve Yuhasz - Again, if you are in Yuhasz's district you should skip this race.  He is unopposed and has mostly promised us more strip malls and subdivisions for rural Orange County.

Walter Dalton - I don't know enough about this race, but he was the worst of the Democratic choices in the primary and I haven't heard one good thing yet.  And anyway, who cares who wins the Lieutenant Governor race?  Do we really want to put one of the most conservative Democrats in the legislature in position for a Gubernatorial bid in a few years?  Does he really need or deserve your support?

Beverly Perdue - Why Perdue ever became the standard bearer of the NCDP I cannot understand.  Perdue has been one of those Republican-Lite members of the General Assembly for a long time.  She was so difficult to work with in the GA that her fellow legislators were 100% behind her becoming the Lt. Gov.  - so they could be rid of her.  Now she stands to be our next Governor and oddly enough, she is not the most progressive candidate in that race.  Pat McCrory has been an avid supporter of public transit in North Carolina and built our first light rail system.  He even spearheaded the support for a ballot question on whether to RAISE TAXES to create that light rail system.  Bev Perdue will be another do-nothing Governor (just like Easley).

-A Died in the Wool Democrat

In answer to your question Jake, no votes are counted before the polls close on Election Day.  This includes early and absentee votes which could obviously be counted in advance. But here's where I'm a bit fuzzy: somewhere along the line, I heard that the absentee ballots kick in only in extremely tight races where they might make a difference.  This notion should not discourage absentee voting, so keep it to yourself.  - c. 
This is most reassuring, Fred.  Here we see absentee ballots afforded something like VIP status -- processed and counted on Election Day, numbers not revealed before the polls close.  Early votes go in the same hopper with day-of tabulation.  No machine print-outs until 7:30 on 11/4. 

BJ Lawson has my vote for Congress, since he seems better on almost all usual Democratic strongpoints than Price-- i.e. no corporate welfare, no lobbyists, no Patriot Act! (which Price unfortunately voted for), no war funding and no war, no bailouts for billionaires, no federal War on Drugs, that sort of thing.

Check out details on two local state senate races at ncsenateraces.wordpress.com. Much more content and candidate interviews soon to come on that site...
Any opinions on the district court judge races? Signed, the Lazy Voter

In the unopposed races, the candidates on the ballot are excellent judges and deserve our support for re-election - Beverly Scarlett and Chuck Anderson

In the contested races, Alonzo Coleman is the incumbent and Betsy Wolfenden is the challenger.  Wolfenden has used OP to make the case for her candidacy: http://orangepolitics.org/2008/05/mothers-legal-rights-violated#comment-2491 - but I don't find it convincing and I am voting for Coleman.

In the other contested race, we have two talented and experienced attorneys running, Glenn Gerding and Page Vernon.  This is aeffectively a runoff from the primary election last May.  Vernon was way ahead back in May (7,356 to 21,303) but we are required to have the matter back on the ballot this fall.  I am not sure that Gerding is really contesting the race at this point, but I think most of us are hoping he will run again at some point.

Perfect timing, Mark.

I also want to ask about your favorite, the soil and water conservation district supervisor. Roger Tate is running unopposed. 

I have no reason to doubt Mr. Tate, though I don't know him personally.  The soil and water conservation commissioners mostly (I believe) decide how to spend soil conservation grant money from the USDA.  I don't know of any major issue that has arisen about this matter in the 20 years I have lived here.  Anyway, I stand by my four year old endorsement of Mr. Tate:

http://orangepolitics.org/2004/10/the-other-stuff-on-the-ballot/#comment-20857

He is definitely no Libertarian.  It's comical, but I have gotten a lot of heat for my pathetic jokes about the NC Libertarian Party taking over state government via the Soil and Water Conservation Commissions.  They always email me about how awful I am - apparently because I have wondered aloud before:  Just what is the Libertarian Party's soil conservation agenda?

 But the only reaction I get is this sort of thing:

"Dearest Mark, Soil and Water is a non-partisan race. Hacks like yourself turned it into a partisan race. Your facts are as screwed up as the Independent Weekly, who followed the same thread.   DemocRATs like to say that they are open minded, so where does that leave you? Following your logic, if you had a 911 emergency, you would only want DemocRAT EMS personel to respond.  I was actually hoping to get a funny response from you, but I see that's impossible, being the smug and snide little person you've shown yourself to be. Perhaps by dropping the name calling and childish knee jerk reactions, you might see the world as the beautiful place that it is.  Remember, my friend, you are the elected official, therefore it is you who are in the public eye and thus subject to criticism, not I.  Yours in Liberty, [name withheld, but he was a Libertarian candidate for office]"

Still the Libertarian Party presses on with their quest for national soil conservation dominance:

http://www.lp.org/candidates/liberty-candidates-08/jack-wyatt

http://www.lp.org/candidates/liberty-candidates-08/bruce-reichert

http://www.lp.org/candidates/liberty-candidates-08/j-adam-mitchell

http://www.lp.org/candidates/liberty-candidates-08/jj-mccurry

http://www.lp.org/candidates/liberty-candidates-08/diane-rozek

http://www.lp.org/candidates/liberty-candidates-08/mike-mcintosh

http://www.lp.org/candidates/liberty-candidates-08/howard-horowitz

Also, here are the incumbent Libertarian soil and water conservation supervisors of NC:

Joy Elliott, Wake County Soil & Water District Supervisor
Jeff Goforth, Cabarrus County Soil & Water Commission
Renee Montague, Chatham County Soil & Water Conservation District
Robert R. Ritchie, Cabarrus County Soil & Water Commission
Robert Rosenthal, Durham County Soil & Water Board Supervisor

 

Well they've proved they can get down in the dirt. Maybe soon they'll prove to be all wet?

Perusing a file at the State Board of Elections website

ftp://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/data/2008_new_reg_200810.zip

I've found affirmation that voter registration in Orange is totally off the charts.  The file ONLY includes those processed through October 8, so it does not include the backlog at the Board of Elections office last Wednesday, nor those received Thursday and Friday (the last two days) nor those postmarked Friday that will probably show up tomorrow in Hillsborough (and the last few days are typically the heaviest).

Here is the breakdown:

TOTAL NEW VOTERS SINCE JANUARY 1:

19,199

DEM 52.07%

REP: 12.43%

UNAFF: 35.27%

LIBERTARIAN: 0.23%

 

Date breakout:

Since primary: 10,510

registered at early voting: 1,619

registered January 1 until early voting: 7,979

 

By age:

18-21 42.20%

22-25   15.36%

This backlog concerns me.  The workers at BOE must be processing new registrations around the clock, and the final push looks to generate more.  How many of these newly registered voters will get provisional status, not counted until who knows when because they haven't been processed yet?  We're talking about a significant percentage of provisional votes here, enough to turn young voters off after having done everything right so far.  Provisional status has a disappointing effect. 
If a newly registered voter shows up at early voting and is not yet on the list, they can wait a few days and come back, or vote a provisional. If they vote a provisional, between November 4 and 11 their name will be checked against the registration list and if it shows up the vote will be counted.  Personally, I'd advise anyone who registered the final week to wait until Monday the 20th to go to early voting.

I support our BOE and know they have put on extra staff to address the increase in numbers. Ms. DeVine try calling Director Reams on Friday and ask her if they have processed all the new voters. They expect upwards to 40,000 early voters vs. 18,000 in the first May primary. They have also double the number of lap top computers for the polling site and have 5 sites open vs. 3 in May. About the only thing that has not been done is knock on voters doors.

 

I just went in to vote early, only to discover that when you vote early, you can't vote early.  (They don't open at the Morehead Planetarium until 9:00 a.m.)

Anyhow, I was planning to vote the straight ticket until, a few minutes before arriving at the Morehead, I heard on the Brad & Britt Show that Mark Chilton had endorsed the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Pat McCrory.  This stunned me, and suggests to me that there's probably more to the race than I had understood.  So could somebody please enlighten me?  I had never imagined voting for a Republican in a governor's race before; is there a good reason to do so now?

I suppose I will catch some heat from dedicated political partisans, but I try to vote for the more progressive candidate in any given election; and let's be real here, it's not always the Democrat.  I have watched both Lt. Gov. Perdue and Mayor McCrory from afar for many years.  I think it is clear that there is no truly progressive candidate in this race.  Perdue and McCrory have both taken conservative positions on many issues.  However, there are some areas in which McCrory has been doing a great job as Mayor of Charlotte and is now campaigning on important good-government reforms. 

First, McCrory has been a solid advocate for public transportation on both a local and state level for the last decade.  He spearheaded the effort to implement the LYNX light rail system in Charlotte (now up and running):

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/CATS/LYNX/home.htm

and his commitment to the issue has extended beyond Mecklenberg County.  McCrory has worked with the Mayors of other cities with public transportation systems to advocate for a more rational transportation future for us all.

Second, McCrory has promised to end political fundraising by members of the NC Board of Transportation.  BOT fundraising for candidates has been a traditional source of dubious decision making in the past - basically if you raise enough money for the winning Gubernatorial candidate then you get to be on the Board of Transportation.  This practice has led to a culture of ethically murky behavior within the Department of Transportation - several notable examples have been exposed by the media in the last year or two, but the problems have existed for many years.  As long as political fundraising plays a role in transporation decision-making in North Carolina, we will never get a transportation system that serves the people's needs first.

Third, I haven't been impressed by anything Perdure has done or said.  She claims to be very independent of Gov. Mike Easley, but it isn't clear that she has done anything at all as Lt. Governor.  The Lt. Governor's office has few official powers in state government, but it is a tremendous bully pulpit.  Perdue has squandered the opportunity to lead North Carolina rhetorically and politically, preferring to 'play it safe' in an effort to launch herself into the Governor's Mansion.  But I can't have any confidence about what she will do if she gets there.  Because she never told us who she really is or what she really stands for.

Therefore, although I disagree with both candidates on a range of issues, I know who Pat McCrory is and I know that he will be an advocate for clean government and rational transportation planning in North Carolina.  And at this point, if that were all we got from the next four years, then that would be far more than we have gotten in the last eight.

I really appreciate your perspective.  And believe me, I find it refreshing -- not the stuff of "catching heat" -- that you're willing to cross party lines.

With much genuine respect for my old friend Mark, the prospect of Pat McCrory in Raleigh makes my skin crawl. I'll grant that he has taken respectable stands on the Board of Transportation corruption and on transit in Charlotte, but once you dig below those two items, there ain't no there there. For example:

If the NC General Assembly were to pass legislation restricting abortion rights, McCrory would sign it. Perdue wouldn't.  Perdue has been a strong abortion rights supporter her entire career. On LGBT issues, as Mark K., has carefully explained, McCrory would be disastrous.

But there's much more to be worried about. For example, McCrory is a drill-baby-drill kind of guy - who has been lying to the electorate since Day One with the slick promise (pun intended) of free flowing oil and thousands of Big Energy jobs.  Why? Because he is a Big Energy guy. He has worked for Duke Energy his entire life, and even went to kiss the ring of Duke's CEO before running for office.  His personal net worth is completely tied to Duke Energy and he has supported the company at every turn, including the new mercury factory at Cliffside in the mountains.  

His voucher proposal is not limited philosophically ... it is simply a matter of budget shortfall that constrains him from pushing it to a full-blown decimation of public education.  There are good alternatives to vouchers that should be explored first.

And perhaps most creepy, Pat McCrory is part of the Palin Porn crowd. Follow the link, but not if you're prone to nausea.

I don't like Perdue's tilt to the right on so many issues, but I like McCrory's even less. More to the point, Perdue has been taking the green economy seriously, and has excellent advisers who are helping develop her plans for a new approach to economic development. She's listening. Pat McCrory is drooling.

I likewise have a lot of respect for you, Jim, and I am not offended that you (and others) come to a different conclusion, but I jsut have to say:

"Perdue has been a strong abortion rights supporter her entire career."

Not based on my experience when I worked for NARAL-NC and she was in the legislature.

"McCrory is a drill-baby-drill kind of guy"

Sadly, true, but remind us the exact wording of Perdue's weak-kneed position on this . . . I think she said she wants to study the issue.  What is that supposed to mean?

"There are good alternatives to vouchers that should be explored first."

True.

"Perdue has been taking the green economy seriously"

True.

 

McCrory supports writing discrimination into the North Carolina Constitution through passage of a same-sex marriage ban amendment.  According to EqualityNC he opposed even the most basic protections for GLBT city employees, fought to keep Charlotte Pride out Marshall Park, and famously snubbed HRC's annual fundraising dinner.  I have a friend who works for the city of Charlotte who has watched with great dismay as McCrory has taken every opportunity during his time in office to ally himself with the anti-equality crowd including Operation Save America (I'll give you one guess who they're trying to save America from.)

In addition McCrory supports efforts to get executions started again in our state.  His responses to the current pause on executions clearly indicate a basic lack of understanding of the issue.  

Also, while Mark points out McCrory's position vis-a-vis the NC BOT, you fail to point out that Perdue shares the same position and supports additional measures including public financing and greater transparency in government.

Finally, as a former public school teacher in one of Charlotte's most "at-risk" high schools, I fear for the future quality of education in NC should McCrory's vochure plan gain further steam.

Well, I am not sure it's fair to say that Perdue shares McCrory's position on BOT fundraisers, as she has been using BOT members to raise campaign money - i.e. she looks like a part of the problem, not a part of the solution:

http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/sewell_hosting_perdue_fundraiser

And apparently Mr. Sewell has been using his position on the BOT to build roads that lead to his own property - exactly what is wrong with NC government.

As for the LGBT issues, I don't agree with McCrory at all, but I wonder how Perdue voted on the NC state "Defense of Marriage Act" when she was a State Senator - when her actions, rather than her words would have counted.  I am pretty sure she was in the NC Senate at that time, and I think only 2 Senators voted with the LGBT community - not including Perdue I am certain.

We were all disappointed when DOMA passed twelve years ago, even Orange Co's delegation supported it.  It was disgusting.  But that's not enough for McCrory, he wants it added to the Constitution.  Pointing out that Perdue, like Howard Lee and Joe Hackney, voted for DOMA doesn't advance the argument.  Voting for DOMA was bad, every politician in NC save for Ellie and Verla, are content to leave it like it is, but at Perdue isn't advocating to make it worse.

The point is that McCrory has used alienation of the LGBT community as a wedge issue for years.  He was doing it in the 90s when he first ran for Mayor and he's still doing it today, but with the added twist of proposing the inclusion GLBT discrimination into the document that purports to guarantee equality for all people of the state, see N.C. Const. Art. 1 Sec. 1. I remember McCrory's initial campaign for Mayor when he and the Democratic nominee Hoyle Martin were stumbling all over themselves to out-hate the other.  To McCrory's credit Martin won that disgusting battle but only by going so far as to say "If I had my way, we'd shove these people off the face of the earth."

I may not have overwhelming confidence in Perdue's abilities, but there's no way I'd support, and will discourage others from supporting, anyone who has allied himself with fundementalist right-wing evangelicals like Operation Save America.  The idea that McCrory is just a "safe Chamber of Commerce" Republican is dangerous.

McCrory's transportation policy as Mayor has been great for Charlotte.  I think both Perdue and McCrory are going to push transparency in government.  I'm choosing the candidate who I think will be a stronger ally (I realize this is all relative) for the other issues I care about -- health care (McCrory's central plank is a rehash of tort reform), criminal justice issues (McCrory's solutions:  more prisons and more executions), and equality (and I'm fine with admitting it: it's personal).

Mark K, I'm a former public school teacher with some experience in DC area schools who has come to believe that to protect any human institution from any significant competition is to doom it to become ineffective and wasteful over time.

I don't think charters and vouchers are a panacea, but have some hope they might spur school boards, district admin, teachers' unions and parents to shake up the strained, mediocre system that is letting kids' performance in this country slip compared to others.

Looks like McCrory's voucher plan is much more limited than Perdue would like us to think. If you have more info, I'd sure like to hear it.

So, that along with McCrory's transit success makes me wonder whether he might be a more effective change agent than Perdue, especially given the corruption problems under Easley and Perdue's watch.

I have to admit that I have only read about DC schools, but I've spent a lifetime in North Carolina. The problem with committing to vouchers (or charters) as a solution to NC's school issues is that  - unlike some parts of Orange County and I know this is an Orange County forum -  a significant part of the state is still rural and there is nowhere to use those vouchers. Under the no competition=doom standard, those county schools are doomed. I don't know that I've heard the answers to that dilemma from anyone, but I hate to see it fall off the radar.

 

 

 

Interesting Atlantic article this month about DC schools where the new mayor was able to cut away the school board and give extraordinary powers (and political cover) to a strong super.

 

Vouchers are only one aspect of education that needs a more thorough vetting in this election. I won't be voting for Perdue due to her stance against allowing illegal immigrants to PAY for an education. The benefits of education are well known. One year of higher education has been correlated with higher income, better health, and a reduced likelihood of interacting with the criminal justice system. What benefit does it serve the state to deny that opportunity to any one?

I may vote for the Libertarian candidate as a protest. It's really hard to see any significant difference between Perdue and McCrory when you balance out all their equally objectionable stances.

Folks be sure to make the distinction.  Charters are public schools open to all.  Vouchers provide families funds to go to private schools.  I support much of what charters are accomplishing and the alternatives they provide.  I do not support vouchers as I think mainly upper class people will use them and they could very well cannabalize the public school system.

David Beck

The only way to get a voucher is for your local school to fail to meet NCLB-mandated improvements. NCLB is horribly flawed but the goal of ensuring that schools meet the learning needs of their most challenging students is a good one. The schools here in CHCCS that don't meet their annual progress goals are typically those with the higher percentage of poor students. The threat of having to allow students in those schools to move to other schools within or outside of the system has forced the school system to be more creative and to focus as much on those who were not already above grade level before they started school as they do on all their gifted programs and AP courses. The threat of vouchers has forced all states to put more resources into teacher recruitment and education.

For years I held the  same opinion as Mark K that vouchers would kill the public school system. But while the legislation that created vouchers needs gross overhaul, if not total rewrite, I think the outcome has had a positive benefit on helping those students in schools that used to be ignored.  Ensuring equal education for everyone may need more than just publicly-funded schools.

I haven't heard anything from either Perdue or McCrory that would lead me to believe either will be a creative leader in the area of education. 

I also have great respect and a long-time working relationship with both

Marks and Jim and agree with Jim's post above.  The reason that I had

to hold my nose when I voted for her was her link to the, frankly, corrupt

but hopefully improving democratic government in Raleigh.  I lost my respect for

Bev Perdue when she participated in the shenanigans to get the lottery

passed. 

 

Humorousy, I went to undergrad school at Bucknell in Lewsiburg, PA.

We always joked that Lewisburg's most famous resident was Jimmy Hoffa,

who served his time there in the federal prison.  Now as a North Carolinian

for 42 years (my God am I that old?) I chuckle that our famous Lewisburg

resident, and very correctly so, is Jim Black.  I just don't see Bev Perdue

reforming the government in Raleigh as well as McCrory would. 

Though like Mark and most of us on this blog, a life-long democrat, I think

that there is a time to sweep clean any government that is dominated for

years by one party, whichever one.  It's happening now in the presidential

campaign, and needs to happen in the Raleigh campaign.  Thank God that

we have Joe Hackney and Verla Insko to represent us.

 

Thank God that we have Ellie Kinnaird, Verla Insko and Joe Hackney

 

Why did she co-sponsor the bill that gives a UNC Airport Authority Committee the right to unilaterally ruin a rural Orange County community and bypassing our local elected officials?
I don't mean to be picky, but UNC could have condemned the property on its own to relocate the airport.

....that the university did not have the moxie to do it on their own and needed political cover from Faison and Insko? Verla Insko lives at the end of the Horace Williams runway now and should know what she is attempting to inflict on others. Shame on her

Don't forget the genisis of the bill was in the house under 2725, which was neatly folded into S1925 as section III.

House Bill 2725-First EditionGENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2007
H
1
HOUSE BILL 2725

Short Title: UNC Operating/Capital Funds/Airport Auth.(Public)
Sponsors:Representatives Yongue, Insko, Glazier (Primary Sponsors);
Bordsen and Faison.
Referred to:Appropriations.


May 28, 2008
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate Operating and Capital funds to the board of governors of
the university of north carolina and to allow the university of north carolina
to create airport authorities to support the mission of the university, its
constituent institutions, or the university of north carolina health care
system.

………………………..adnausium

New voter registrations in Orange County 1/1/2008 through second day of onsite early voting registration. I believe this to be double what Orange usually gets in a presidential year.

Orange
D1105750.49%
R286713.09%
U790936.11%
L670.31%
TOT21900

Terri I don't think what we have is what most people mean by vouchers.  As a Carrboro Elem parent my understanding is that since Carrboro Elem failed one of the myriad NCLB standards 2 years running then the school system has to give another option.  I think the option is Estes Hills Elem or the new one, not a voucher.  To me, a voucher is basically a credit to cover some private school tuition. 

David Beck

Perhaps not as surprising as as Da Mayor's gubenatorial endorsement, but I stand by David Price. :) I urge those considering Mr. Lawson to take a hard look at what he believes.  I was looking at Rep. Price's ad in the Indy and was fairly shocked by Lawson's stand on specifids so I went to http://votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=102902 to get more info.  I don't think Mr. Lawson's stated views are at all what most of us consider "progressive".  For example, Lawson:

- opposes abortion in the case of rape or incest,

- supports the elimination of the income tax, corporate taxes, inheritence taxes, and capital gains taxes,

- thinks we should eliminate Federal funding for FEMA, International Aid, Medical Research, and the United Nations,

- appears to support partial privatization of Social Security.

There are many more postions listed at the link above. For the record, I do agree with Mr. Lawson and disagree with Rep. Price on some issues, such as ending the Death Penalty.  But overall, it's no contest.  Here's the link to Rep. Price's stated positions: http://votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=119

Mr. Lawson has succeeded in raising a lot of money and I heard one of his radio ads last night claiming to be a progressive w/o focusing on any real issues, other than vaguely "upholding the constitution".  So I hope people who are considering him as an alternative will take a close look at his stated beliefs.

David Beck

Just got this from the McCrory campaign.  As I said earlier, this guy turns my stomach:

 

You can tell the PacMan is getting desperate.  This email just came my way, courtesy of his hate-filled campaign.

-------------------------

 

Dear Newsmax Reader,

Gaston County, NC: A drunk driving illegal alien kills Scott Gardner, a school teacher, and critically injures his wife and two children.  This alien, Ramiro Gallegos, had been previously arrested five times for drunk driving and never deported as a criminal.  Nationally, 12 Americans are killed by illegal aliens each day.  Those casualty rates are higher than those in Iraq.  We are in a war at home and my opponent, regrettably, is on the wrong side.

In our first televised debate my opponent called for amnesty for illegal aliens, but she called it documenting undocumented immigrants. Her party’s platform has the radical notion that cops are too busy with parking tickets to handle arresting and detaining criminal illegal aliens.

According to FAIR, North Carolina taxpayers now pay for more than $771 million dollars in primary and secondary education because of illegal immigration’s impact.  And it’s not just money that is being siphoned off from your children's or grandchildren's education.  The quality of the education is going down.

I could not believe that we are using an honors world history textbook that says Ronald Reagan increased the tensions in the Cold War but didn’t have space enough to discuss Reagan’s role in defeating the Soviet Union so decisively that it collapsed.

No, that history text didn’t have space for Reagan’s role in world history but the text did have space for a Spanish glossary.

I don’t know about you, but I'd rather have Ronald Reagan than a Spanish glossary in our textbooks.

Worst of all, my opponent supports the policy of the State Board of Education (a board she votes on) forcing a higher standard for school registration on our fellow Americans than on illegals.  That’s right.  If a citizen registers their child for kindergarten, he or she must produce a birth certificate.  All an illegal has to do is point to the child’s name and a date written in the family Bible.

We can’t have harsher requirements for the people who are here legally than for illegals.

I have worked hard to bring jobs to North Carolina.  But illegal immigration is taking jobs from inner city youths who have fewer opportunities for entry level employment to start with. How would you like to be one of these kids who doesn’t get pregnant, works hard in school, doesn’t join a gang, goes to church on Sunday, but when they go down to the fast food restaurant, they are told we can’t hire you because we need bi-lingual employees.

It just goes on and on and it needs stop now.

As Governor, I will work to take away the incentives like in-state tuition for people who aren’t even supposed to be here that pull illegals into North Carolina.  I’ll work to expand the 287g program to help local law enforcement arrest, detain and deport criminal illegal aliens.

Get tough on illegals with your wallet

My opponent has two ways to pay for attack ads.  First, she is in the pocket of Big Labor and they are protecting their investment over the years by running large numbers of false and misleading attack ads against me.  And if that is not enough, she can always write her campaign a personal check for millions.

In a previous race running for Lt Governor, Perdue ran ads portraying herself as the coal miner’s daughter that made good.  Even the Left wing rag, the Independent, harshly criticized the ad because it forgot to mention that her daddy owned the mine.

I can’t defend myself alone against her millions and the deep pockets of the Big Labor bosses. I can’t write a million check or borrow it from my father.  My only hope is citizens like you who are fed up with the corruption in Raleigh that comes from one party rule will send small contributions.

She has big labor on her side, but I have you, the people of North Carolina.

I need your help and the help of everyone you know.

I am daily under attack by big labor using secret 527 committees.  The only way that I can get my message out is with generous contributions from citizens like you.  Can you see your way clear to send $25, $50 or $100 today.  Even $5 or $10 would help out. 

Americans losing job opportunities can’t speak for themselves.  I will speak for all citizens who want this mess to stop.

Sincerely,


PS. My opponent talks a lot about change but has no interest in changing this dire situation.  There are good changes and bad changes, right changes and wrong changes. Removing the magnets that draw illegals into our state is the right change for North Carolina.

James

Might be good to send this email on to the N&O for verification and followup.

 

I utterly condemn and disavow the xenophobic fear-mongering that both (major) NC political parties are engaged in.  But you really aren't being honest with yourself by pretending that only the Republicans are engaging in this stuff. 

Perdue says she is 100% behind the 287(g) program as well.

http://www.bevperdue.com/release_details.asp?id=1113

Take a look at ABC's coverage of the gubernatorial debate:

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/politics&id=6340218

"When discussing the lightning rod topic of immigration during the latest debate, the candidates for governor sounded almost the same.

"They want illegal immigrants out of North Carolina and their comments have Latino advocates quite concerned.

"The first thing I will demand is that we get an immigration Court and an Immigration Detention facility right here in North Carolina," Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory said.

"We need to get folks out of the country who are here illegally, if they are accused of committing a crime," Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue said.

"Those statements alarm Tony Asion of El Pueblo, a Latino advocacy group in Raleigh. He says for Latinos, there is no good choice for governor.

"If you're getting beat up by your friend or getting beat up by your enemy. It doesn't matter. You're still getting beat up. And that's what's going on with the Latino community right now," Asion said."

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