Civitas Review OnlineNorth Carolina's Conservative Voice

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The state Senate kicked off the short session of the North Carolina General Assembly with quick action on annexation and live gambling on the Cherokee Nation. A Senate committee approved two bills that would nullify annexations in nine areas of the state and change the way residents vote on annexations. The audience was packed with people who lived in those areas. They were all wearing red shirts protesting annexation.

The lawmakers thought they had solved the problem of involuntary annexations in the last session but cities involved took the matter to court and won a reprieve. The state is in the process of appealing the lower court ruling. The law in contention allowed land owners in target areas to gather enough signatures to block annexation. The cities claimed it was unconstitutional to only allow a voice for land owners and not everyone in the area and the court agreed.

The new proposals headed to the Senate floor would repeal all recent annexations and allow every registered voter in an area marked for annexation participate in the decision. Bill sponsor Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) says that should satisfy  the court and put an end to the long legal battle:

Another bill headed to the Senate floor would approve live gambling at Cherokee Nation casinos. Currently people only gamble on machines. Cherokee representatives and the Governor negotiated a new compact allowing the new games but it has to be passed by the General Assembly. If the legislation is approved the casinos would hire dealers for live games.

Sen. Martin Nesbitt (D-Buncombe) represents that area of the state and said the new agreement could mean 400 new jobs. He told the committee the casinos have already enhanced the economy of western North Carolina as well as the lives of members of the nation:

The state would get a cut of the revenue from the new 30 year compact. It would start at four percent and grow every five years. It could bring in as much as $90 million dollars over time.

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A proposed bill to limit inspections on new cars died today in the House-Senate Joint Transportation Oversight Committee. The bill would have exempted vehicles three or fewer model years old from inspections. Supporters argued that such inspections were unnecessary as new model cars rarely failed the inspections. The inspection program has also suffered from reports of widespread fraud. Opponents stated they were concerned about potential safety violations and the impact the bill would have on thousands of inspection station operators across the state. The committee voted against the bill by a 7-5 margin.

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Today’s article in the News and Observer is what we have come to expect from North Carolina’s Elections “Chief,” Gary Bartlett. Less than 24 hours after a video showcasing North Carolina’s non-existent election security and even before an investigation is launched by State officials, Bartlett  proclaimed “I think that when it’s all done, it’s not very credible.”

Project Veritas paid North Carolina a visit during this primary election to document elections processes including voter registration and voting.  Project Veritas is a 501 (c)3 organization formed by James O’Keefe, notable for exposing ACORN’s unethical and unlawful practices.  The Veritas investigators have been busy this election season exposing and documenting failed election processes in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Washington D.C. and Vermont where they demonstrated how easy it would be to access someone elses ballot without an identification requirement.  In North Carolina they also demonstrated the need for citizenship verification by showing how easy it is to register to vote by falsely claiming to be U.S. Citizens

In this article and in the same sentence Bartlett said our “laws are based on honesty and self-policing” and goes on to say that the work Project Veritas (to police the process) hurt the process.  Confusing – I know, if all we have is self-policing what are we to do?

Gary Bartlett, said his agency will investigate the claims in the video, saying it showed “a lot of things disturbing.”  He also said that they would investigate whether the people in the video “who tried to vote in the name of another violated state criminal law by impersonating a registered voter.”  O’Keefe and his investigators have heard this threat before, it is the standard  course of intimidation by the liberal left when Project Veritas uncovers embarrassing facts pointing to the appalling lack of security in ballot security and it comes as no surprise that Bartlett recites their talking points.  He has held his position as North Carolina’s “chief” election official since 1992, being appointed time and again by Governors Hunt, Easley and Perdue.

As you watch the video you will see that these young men never claimed to be someone else.  They choose their words carefully and never attempt to sign any document (although one pollworker in the video appears to want to physically force one of the investigators to sign a document).  In fact they never touch a ballot, always making the excuse that they need to go get their ID, while poll workers insist that an ID is not necessary.

The Project Veritas mission is to  ”investigate and expose corruption, dishonesty, self-dealing, waste, fraud, and other misconduct in both public and private institutions in order to achieve a more ethical and transparent society.”  I think they are being extremely successful.  New Hampshire, Minnesota and Mississippi all cited Project Veritas when they worked to make their elections more secure.

If investigations that shine light on the elections process,  hurt the process,  as Gary Bartlett suggests, then maybe  it is because the process is already broken.

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School choice continues to expand across the county.  Earlier this week,  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed legislation  to  broaden the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA)  program to include the children of active military personnel.  The law also makes students who attend failing public schools or school districts or those who have opted out of the state foster care system eligible for ESA. Under the original legislation,  only special needs students were only eligible for ESA.

Parents who choose to withdraw their children from a public school district or charter district can receive  up to 90 percent of state funding deposited in an ESA. Parents can use the funding for private school tuition, online courses , tutoring services, textbooks and even college expenses.  ESA  has no income requirements for families.  According to the Arizona Department of Education, the average amount for students approved for the scholarship was $13,000.

Last year North Carolina General Assembly approved legislation to allow parents  to claim a tax credit of up to $6,000 on the educational expenses of special needs students.   The Department of Public Instruction estimates that 120,000 students will be eligible for the credit.

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Per yesterday’s Wilmington Star-News, it appears a cap on North Caroilna’s gas tax will be on the table in the upcoming short legislative session:

 In the General Assembly session that begins Wednesday, the state’s gasoline tax could be a divisive issue.

Top Republican lawmakers and the governor – at least for now – agree the tax should be capped at 37.5 cents per gallon for the coming fiscal year.

But some area legislators think the cap is an unwise move unless another way is found to pay for road and bridge projects.

The state gas tax is currently 38.9 cents per gallon, the highest rate ever in North Carolina. It increased from 35 cents a gallon on Jan. 1. The tax is recalculated automatically twice annually – Jan. 1 and July 1 – based on a formula linked to wholesale gas prices.

For several years, North Carolina capped the state gas tax at 29.9 cents per gallon. But in 2009, they decided to scrap the cap and instead turn it into a floor – ensuring that what was previously the highest the gas tax could reach would be the lowest it could possibly fall. North Carolina’s combined state and local gas taxes are 8th highest in the nation – roughly 58 cents of every gallon of gas you purchase in NC goes to taxes (local, state and federal).

Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) intends to change that.

“There’s no question that North Carolina’s gas tax is too high,” Berger said. “We do intend to cut the gas tax during the short session as we promised last year.

Other lawmakers, however, can’t seem to part company with other people’s money.

But state Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, chairman of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee, opposes a cap on the tax without another revenue source in place to make up for lost money for road and bridge maintenance.

Rabon said he didn’t believe motorists would notice the slight decrease in the gas tax expected July 1.

How about we let consumers decide what tax cuts we will “notice,” rather than you making that decision for us, Senator?

Just like the state’s General Fund budget, North Carolina’s transportation budget doesn’t suffer from a lack of funds. Rather, it is plagued by botched jobs, roads to nowhere, an out-dated “equity formula” which distributes transportation dollars based on region and not need, bureaucratic waste, and of course – good old corruption.

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Project Veritas, an organization formed by James O’keefe, paid a visit to North Carolina during the May 8 primary.  Watch the video to see discussions with non-citizens who are registered to vote in NC, UNC leaders and Board of Elections officials.  James O’Keefe is famous for exposing ACORN and formed Project Veritas, a 501(c)(3) organization, with the mission to “investigate and expose corruption, dishonesty, self-dealing, waste, fraud, and other misconduct.  As of late they have focused on election integrity and the voting processes in several states.

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The saga at NC Democratic Party took another strange turn on Saturday. Embattled Chairman David Parker submitted his resignation to the Democratic Party State Executive Committee, only to have the committee refuse to accept it. The move was widely seen as being engineered by David Parker himself. Mr. Parker has been under fire for his handling of a sexual harassment allegation against former Party Executive Director Jay Parmley.

Democratic Party leaders from Governor Bev Perdue to the newly minted Gubernatorial nominee Lt. Governor Walter Dalton had called for Parker’s resignation. Reactions to the events were varied with a spokesperson for Lt. Gov. Dalton stating that,“The lieutenant governor is surprised and disappointed” and Democratic guru Gary Pearce writing a tongue in cheek post on his blog Talking about Politics that: “There is only one logical explanation for what happened at the Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting: It was a vast right-wing conspiracy…”

The News and Observer had another more serious explanation. It was all about the benjamins.

To hear Democratic activists tell it, Parker is their hook up. Here’s how they say it works: Parker promised the party’s district chairs taxpayer money this election season, even though others wanted to spend it differently. So without him as chairman, local party activists weren’t guaranteed to get their money — a $1 million pot of state tax dollars split among them for get-out-the-vote operations, often without much scrutiny as to how it is spent.

This latest drama is likely to continue to sour relations between the North Carolina Democratic Party and the Obama Administration which had been widely seen as helping to push Chairman Parker out the door. News reports have suggested that the Obama campaign has grown increasingly pessimistic about their chances of winning again in North Carolina. The campaign has been alienated by the passage of the Marriage Amendment in NC right as the President was in the process of evolving his position on gay marriage, and by push back by labor unions against the hosting of the Democratic National Convention in a right-to-work state. Needless to say, it is looking like it might be an awkward time in Charlotte this September.

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“We look like Mississippi.” That was the tart response of  Gov. Bev Perdue last week to a reporter’s question asking her thoughts about the outcome of the marriage amendment.

With no election looming I guess Governor Perdue feels comfortable disaparaging the 1.3 million voters in North Carolina who didn’t buy the scare tactics of  Marriage Amendment critics and let their voices be heard where it mattered most: at the ballot box.

I take offense to Perdue’s unfiltered remark.  Her disparaging comment about the state of Mississippi is inappropriate and embarrassing to the people she represents.  Some say we should excuse as intemperate.  People say things they don’t mean and I get that. But isn’t interesting, three days later and Perdue or her office hasn’t issued an apology to NC voters or the people of Mississippi.

Action -or inaction – speaks louder than words — even stupid words.

May

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Democratic Governor Beverly Perdue offered her spending plan for the next fiscal year Thursday morning. It increases spending by nearly $1 billion and restores cuts made by Republicans in the previous session of the General Assembly, including Pre-K programs. Perdue’s budget relies on a 3/4 penny increase in the sales tax and a number of assumed savings to reach her spending target. The proposal also includes a 1.8 percent pay increase for state employees.

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) says the sales tax increase won’t be part of the Legislature’s final budget.

Perdue’s budget arrives late historically and legislative budget writers have already nearly finished their budget. They have been meeting constantly during the interim period. The word is we’ll see their spending plan the first week of session which opens May 16.

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It’s day four since Occupy Raleigh’s exodus from their campsite (located where Hillsborough Street and Edenton Street meet), but signs of their occupation remain. Despite a day of “beautification” and tearing down camp, piles of trash, camping supplies, and “artwork” still remain. Scavengers appear to have picked through any construction supplies that may still be useful, such as cinderblocks and lumber, but debris is still strewn about the lot. What once was a gravel and dirt parking lot now resembles a dump more that a “beautified” campsite; smells and all.

With no major cleanup initiative  it looks like the city and its taxpayers will be footing the bill to remove the… legacy of Occupy Raleigh, as suggested in an earlier article.