North Carolina – Republicans
Tales of Corruption
Republicans made great hay in 2010 and 2012 over then-ongoing investigations of Democratic politicians, like John Edwards, Mike Easley and appointees of Bev Perdue. Suddenly the shoe is on the other foot. Such are the perks of high office. Now there are two investigations of possible illegal activity, one involving the coal ash spill…
Read MoreCoal Ash
When it comes to avoiding another coal ash spill, the problem may not be (as the environmentalists believe) the villainy of Governor McCrory. The problem may be more subtle. Going back decades, the career state employees over at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have told Duke Energy it was handling coal ash…
Read MoreCommon Core and Ernest Hemingway
I’m very, very nervous… Democratic State Representative Marcus Brandon said. Disagreeing, Republican Representative Michael Specialecountered, What’s the price of selling our souls? When it comes to keeping ‘Common Core’ the politicians in Raleigh have divided into two armed camps. Rep. Michael Speciale is dead-set against it. Rep. Marcus Brandon is for it. …
Read MoreA Sign?
“This is a miracle from God that just happened.” – David Brat, who rocked the political world Tuesday by upsetting Eric Cantor in a Virginia Republican primary. Well, that’s certainly one explanation. A more earthly one came from former Representative Thomas M. Davis III, another Virginia Republican: “There are some very angry people upset…
Read MorePicking Winners and Losers
Everybody knows Republicans, and especially conservative Republicans, don’t like government subsidies. They’re corporate welfare. They’re government picking winners and losers. And interfering with the free marketplace. That’s why Republicans opposed Obama’s solar energy subsidies like Solyandro – a solar business ought to be able to stand on its own two feet and if it…
Read MoreWho’s the Boss?
Governor McCrory is starting to look like Bev Perdue without the dress. He started out this legislature saying he’d be more assertive. Then Senator Berger released his budget and showed everybody who’s the Real Boss in Raleigh. McCrory clearly doesn’t like Berger’s budget. But it’s not clear what he’s going to do about…
Read MoreSomnambulance
Horrified by the vision of legions of fired Democratic state employees, back when Jim Martin was elected Governor, Democrats changed the law so Martin couldn’t fire much of anyone – then announced (with a show of virtue) they’d gotten nasty old politics out of the state government. But the best laid plans of…
Read MoreThe Origin of Teacher Assistants
Here’s some history on teacher assistants – and a hint about why Senate Republicans want to get rid of them: They’re Jim Hunt’s creation. In his first race for Governor in 1976, Hunt proposed what he called the Primary Reading Program. As Lieutenant Governor and ex-officio member of the State Board of Education, he…
Read MoreHandcuffs, Gears and Ferris Wheels
The sound of handcuffs clicking onto more sit-in protesters echoes the grinding gears of North Carolina’s political machinery. Those shackled, disgruntled citizens apparently feel they have no other way to protest how Republicans are treating the poor, the sick, the disabled, teachers, etc. But one reader of this blog writes: “No group is…
Read MoreTax for Teachers?
As Democrats look to counter Senate Republicans on teacher pay, they should look outside the revenue box. The 11 percent raise/end tenure plan caught the headlines and seemed to catch Democrats (and Governor McCrory) off guard. Democrats responded that the plan would gut education, UNC and Medicaid to fund an election-year pay raise that…
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