Civitas Review Online

Let the Voting Begin

Susan Myrick — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:12:38 +0000

The ballots are ready to mail to voters who want to vote by mail. Contact your friendly Board of Elections office for more information.

What Took You So Long?

Brian Balfour — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:02:31 +0000

Gov. Perdue issued a memo to state agencies to begin preparing plans on how they would cut their budgets by 5, 10 and 15 percent. From the N&O:

The state’s top budget officer sent a memo to a wide swath of state officials Thursday ordering up plans for next year’s budget, which is expected to have a $3.3 billion hole in it. The stark news: Agencies must write plans on how they would cut 5 percent, 10 percent and 15 percent on a permanent basis. Officials will be asked to find underperforming programs, unnecessary services and redundant employees.

To see the memo, click here.

As indicated in the N&O article, the memo directs state agencies to look for reductions in the following areas:

 Eliminating duplicative and underperforming programs.

 Reducing layers of management and administration.

 Streamlining and consolidating programs, offices and services.

 Reducing operating funds due to service efficiencies.

But shouldn’t finding these inefficiencies and unneccessary expenditures be an ongoing process? Why do government officials wait until a “budget crisis” before they begin to examine how they spend our money?

Indeed, if this kind of scrutiny and responsibility would have been exercised on a regular basis over the last 30 years, North Carolina’s state budget would easily be balanced even during this recession.

Making a Dime on Your Time

Jana Benscoter — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:54:33 +0000

It’s always an adventure when you print the facts:

“North Carolina’s top-paid legislator in 2009 earned 48 percent more than the average state government employee earned in the same year, and 54 percent more than the average private sector employee. The top-paid legislator was Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight, D-Dare, who collected $86,211.48. The top-paid legislators also hold the highest offices in the state General Assembly. Among the 25 legislators collecting the highest compensation in 2009, the vast majority were Democrats; only six were Republicans.”

According to NC Policy Watch, a Leftist think tank, the “distorted” legislative pay that is at issue was calculated by General Assembly Financial Services Controller Wesley Taylor. Taylor might be one more person to include in NC Policy Watch’s retort, particularly this statement, “It is the latest ridiculous misrepresentation by the think tanks on the Right in their ongoing assault on government and everything associated with it.”

The next response from NC Policy Watch might be that the respective sentence is being taken out of context, so pretty much what you just did in response to said article. We at Civitas and John Locke are presenting the facts. We did not ask for mostly Democrats to be in office and “receive” more than the average public and private employees in 2009.

That said, with the short session over and the long session on deck, is now the time to start thinking about increasing compensation for our leaders when unemployment has remained in double digits for months? Do legislators need to be working as many hours to take care of state business? For example, do legislators need to be making u-turns back to the state Capitol to sit on a study committee to decide whether to regulate beauty pageants when session has ended and 9.9 percent of North Carolinian residents are not working?

And in terms of the money, is being taxed at $13,951 the same as being taxed at $45,000? Legislators often do not work on Fridays too. As said in the NC Policy Watch article, “But lawmakers don’t make $45,000 a year. That’s how much they receive. The comparison to other state employees or private sector workers is absurd.”

“Rank and file members of the General Assembly earn an annual salary of $13,951 for a job that keeps them in Raleigh for roughly six months for long sessions held in odd numbered years and three months for the short session that convenes in May of even-numbered years.”

Who said legislators shouldn’t be compensated? But are the hours they spend legislating and the amount of money they earn accurately reported? Then again, asking NC Policy Watch to make compensation rates an apples to apples comparison is often a flat-line request, considering their interests align with promoting a far-Left agenda.

NC Policy Watch Viciously Fights to Defend the Hand that Feeds It

Andrew Henson — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:24:52 +0000

While discussing my article concerning heir apparent to the UNC Presidency Tom Ross on the Bill Lumaye Show, and conversing with the condescending Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch, I regret that I was cut short in my attempts to bring complete clarity to the issue at hand and respond sufficiently to my left-wing counterpart. I feel it necessary to respond to the fallacious remarks and vacuous blatherings of Mr. Shoffield, despite it giving undue dignity to his words.

First and foremost, the fervor with which Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch defends Tom Ross is not very surprising when you follow the money trail. NC Policy Watch is a project of the NC Justice Center, which from 2008-2009 alone received nearly $2 million from Z. Smith Reynolds. You’re not exactly a disinterested source, are ya Rob. There goes your credibility.

Secondly, his remarks against my age: Yes, I am young. That was a truly brilliant observation, and just as obvious as it is irrelevant, and just as irrelevant as it is inconsequential. My age is not and should not be the focus of this discussion. The subject of the story was about Tom Ross and his connections to ACORN et al., and on that issue I preferred to stay. My role in this whole discourse is merely that of providing facts. It’s a shame you have such little regard for young people. I pity your interns.

Thirdly, ACORN: disregarding Rob’s abstract conjecturing on Andrew Breitbart, ACORN has in fact been involved in some very shady activity, so much so that the federal government stopped funding the organization in 2009 and ACORN has now fractionalized and gone under different aliases to avoid the warranted negative publicity. More explicit details of ACORN’s activity can be found in my Ross article.

Fourthly, Mr. Schofield refers to my article as “dishonest and inaccurate” amongst a series of slurs, mostly aimed at my former status of an intern. However, he has yet to point out how exactly anything that I have said is either dishonest or inaccurate. Z. Smith Reynolds does in fact give hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations with very far left leanings as I discussed in my article. Ross as Executive Director of Z. Smith Reynolds for nearly seven years was at the helm, funneling money into all of said organizations. It would stand to reason that anyone on the board of such a foundation would either be unaware of these donations or would support their agendas.

Click here to listen to our interview on the Bill Lumaye Show.

Hollywood Big Shots Out of Touch

Brian Balfour — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:19:57 +0000

Some Hollywod execs working in Wilmington just can’t understand why some North Carolina citizens may be upset that they are receiving special tax breaks unavailable to “the little people.”

Wilmington film industry representatives lashed out Wednesday against recent political ads – partly funded by PPD founder Fred Eshelman – which are critical of Democratic state lawmakers who voted in favor of better film incentives in North Carolina.

“It’s a total negative smear against the film industry,” said Kelly Tenney, a producer of the television series “One Tree Hill,” which films in the Wilmington area.

A new political group, Real Jobs NC, which is partly funded by Eshelman, paid for television ads and mass mailings arriving in mailboxes of voters across the state. One mailing sent to various legislative districts criticizes Democratic lawmakers, who, along with some Republicans, voted in favor of improving the incentives package that film production companies receive if they shoot movies in the state.

….

“They’re missing the point,” Tenney said of the ads. “The films have to come to North Carolina, and they have to spend the money first.”

On that last point, Tenney is right. But the point that he is missing is that the same can be said for every other type and size of business as well. Businesses of all sizes that operate in North Carolina will spend money here, too. The difference is that most other businesses won’t be able to enjoy the same tax breaks that Tenney and his politically-connected Hollywood big shots were able to “persuade” state lawmakers into granting them. And let’s not forget that research shows the net fiscal impact of these film tax credits are likely to be negative.

Another Hollywood exec was completely puzzled that anybody could perceive their special treatment as unfair:

Bill Vassar, executive vice president of EUE/Screen Gems, also was surprised by the ads.

“I have no other words for it other than it’s left us and me perplexed,” he said. “I don’t understand it.”

Perhaps I can help explain it, Mr. Vassar. The majority of hard-working people are tired of seeing power over the economy’s resources taken out of their hands and concentrated further to a small privileged political and politically-connected class of elitists. As I explained in a recent article:

Under this scenario of targeted “economic incentives,” a company can gain an advantage over its competitors by being relieved of one of its expenses (taxes). This advantage, granted courtesy of the political class, will help determine which businesses succeed or fail in the marketplace; and therefore influence who owns a greater share of the state’s means of production and how they are used.

Benefiting from this system, of course, are those businesses with the appropriate political clout receiving the tax breaks, along with the politicians eager to record public relations victories by claiming they are “creating jobs” as they dispense their political favors.

Consumers, on the other hand, are left with fewer choices and less sway over determining who controls the economy’s scarce resources and to what purposes they are applied.

In other words, power is shifted away from the masses and back to the elite class of government officials and the politically connected.

American views on public education

Bob Luebke — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:24:27 +0000

Education Next has released its annual survey on American education. The poll of 2,800 respondents included a nationally representative sample of adults. It also included samples of two special populations: public school teachers and adults living in neighborhoods where or more charter schools are located. A brief look at the findings is revealing.

Grading the Schools. Only 18 percent of Americans grade the schools with an A or B. More than a quarter of those polled graded the schools with a D or an F.

Local Schools. For whatever reason, Americans grade their local schools higher. A far higher percentage of respondents – 65 percent – is willing to give their local elementary school one of the two highest grades.

Charter Schools. Forty-four percent of respondents said they favor charter schools. In communities where there was at least one charter school 57 percent of parents favored them. Among African Americans, 64 percent support charter schools. Support for charter schools among Hispanics is at 47 percent.

Vouchers. 31 percent of respondents support a program that would “use government funds to pay the tuition of low-income students…to attend private schools”. Down from 45 percent in 2007.

Tax Credits. Support is higher than vouchers, but is slipping. In 2008, 64 percent favored tax credits. In 2010, the number dropped to 55 percent.

Merit Pay. When asked if, “a teacher’s pay should in part be based on student’s academic progress,” 49 percent of respondents said yes. Up from 43 percent last year.

Teacher Tenure. 47 percent of respondents oppose tenure, 25 percent of respondents favor.

Listeningi to most legislatures, you’d have a hard time believing these numbers.

For poll results, For additional commentary.

Further Documentation Rewards Legal Immigrants and Discourages Illegal Aliens

Karen Duquette — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:21:35 +0000

America is the land of opportunity. Each year, waves of immigrants come to this country seeking out a better life for themselves and their families. To those who follow the rules and legally cross our borders, I admire them for their courage and determination. Unfortunately, many immigrants come here illegally and obtain fraudulent documentation such as “borrowed” social security numbers, fake birth certificates, or easily obtained drivers licenses so they can enter American job markets. Identity theft, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) own assertion, is a federal crime.

However, instead of the DOJ focusing on the massive number of cases of identity theft among illegal immigrants, the Department instead files lawsuits against states trying to ensure their employees are here legally. This latest DOJ suit against Arizona and its network of community colleges highlights this issue.

In this case, the DOJ filed suit on behalf of Zainul Singaporewalla, who filled out a federal form stating his permanent resident status and produced both a driver’s license and Social Security card. After filling out this information, he was told to complete additional documentation and provide his green card. When he couldn’t present his green card, the college did not process his paperwork and declined to hire him. In its suit, the DOJ contends that the colleges acted illegally by requiring non-citizens to provide their green cards before they could be hired. The DOJ points to the Immigration and Nationality Act which protects U.S. citizens and aliens authorized to accept employment in the U.S. from discrimination in hiring or discharge on the basis of national origin and citizenship status.

Fair enough – legal aliens should not be discriminated against just because they are foreigners. However, what I don’t get is how showing a green card would be discriminatory? Under the same INS guidelines, employers may only hire employees who can legally work in the U.S.

Requiring solid information proving your legal status to work in the United States would not be burdensome or difficult for legal immigrants and permanent residents to demonstrate. Requiring such documentation would only benefit those legally here while deterring those illegally here. Why punish immigrants who played by the rules and deter people from coming here legally by diluting the legal documentation requirements so low that they mean next to nothing? It’s time to put some integrity and common sense back into our employment and immigration standards so that legal immigrants have a fair chance to live the American dream.

Great Film in the Charlotte Area

Francis De Luca — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:50:27 +0000

The Jessee Helms Center is screening 33 Minutes a film on missile defense by the Heritage Foundation Here are the facts:

33 Minutes Film Screening

September 9, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

TATE HALL at Central Piedmont Community College

1206 Elizabeth Avenue – Charlotte, NC 28204

After the film screening, attendees are invited to participate in a thoughtful discussion with The Heritage Foundation’s Mrs. Becky Norton Dunlop, V.P. of External Relations.

Go see it and understand that missile defense is not a cold war relic, it is very relevant to the world we live in today.

Florida provides blueprint for boosting minority student achievement

Bob Luebke — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:13:47 +0000

It looks like Wake County is finally getting serious about boosting minority student achievement. This morning’s News & Observer highlights how new data-driven guidelines supported by the new school board majority are helping to boost the percentage of high-performing minority students in gateway math courses. Under the old guidelines – which relied primarily on the judgments of individual teachers — many high-performing minority students were often shut out of key math courses which help to boost a student’s chances of being accepted to top tier schools.

The new policy is a step in the right direction. However, anyone truly serious about closing the minority achievement gap should not only expand access to needed classes but also look south. Florida has done a remarkable job of disproving the conventional wisdom about race and student performance. A quick look at average reading scores for Hispanics over the past decade on the National Assessment of Educational Progress reveals Hispanic average reading scores are higher than all racial and ethnic groups in thirty states. In addition, since 1998, reading scores for African-American students in Florida have also moved from below the national average to significantly above it.

How did Florida do it? Former Gov. Jeb Bush was the architect of a plan that focused on accountability, sensible reforms such as alternative teacher certification, limited social promotion and an emphasis on literacy and expanded parental choice in education. Florida also has the largest voucher program for parents of students with disabilities, 413 charter schools and is one of the nation’s leaders in online education. (For a larger discussion on Florida reforms see the article Demography as Destiny in Education Next ).

Florida has shown the reforms work. Why shouldn’t students in North Carolina have the same opportunities for success?

Thomas Ross: “Friends in Low Places”

Jessica Anderson — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:03:48 +0000

Thomas Ross’ support for radical, left wing groups just continues to grow. Yesterday, we exposed how he funded the nefarious organization ACORN and now, this report highlights his support for abortion and gay rights.

In the second installment of the three-part series examining the new President, I expose just how much money he funneled to groups like Planned Parenthood, Equality NC Foundation and NC Lambda Youth Network.

Why does this matter? Because:

The amount of money contributed under Ross’ leadership to such radical left organizations portends what will likely be an unfortunate shift of the UNC system from the moderate, non-partisan and businesslike leadership of Erskine Bowles. We can instead expect to see a more openly liberal, partisan direction coming from the central administration in Chapel Hill, at least if history is an indicator.

Be sure to read the full report here and stay tuned for tomorrow’s report uncovering Ross’ support for the Racial Justice Act.