Legislative Report---January 2012
Since the rescue of our economy should have the highest priority as we start 2012, Heritage has suggested several rules for Congress to follow when passing spending bills. They should adhere to the House budget level; they should restore the regular parliamentary order and stop rushing everything through as a crisis; they should insist on keeping the defense spending level as decided by the House, and make no more cuts; they should swear off back-filing defense spending until later, since we can’t believe they will make up for cuts now with more funding later; and they should reject other gimmicks that lead to higher spending, such as responding to weather disasters that have already occurred.
Financial problems are rampant, not only on the federal level, but in many of our state governments. I have a list of the top ten states that can’t pay their bills. They may surprise you. Number 10 is New Hampshire, 9 is Connecticut, 8 is Washington State, and 7 is North Carolina. We have a $5.8 billion shortfall. For better or worse, to balance the budget the GOP legislature got tough and made across-the-board cuts to public health, elderly and disabled services, K-12 education, higher education, and the state work force. They slashed 21% of funding to a program that pays for nurses and social workers in low income schools, and because of that, 20 schools were left without a nurse or social worker. Number 6 is Vermont, 5 is Maine, 4 is New Jersey, 3 is Arizona, 2 is Illinois, and number 1 is Nevada. In Nevada, home values have fallen 44.5% and the poverty rate is up 26%. They raised taxes significantly, cut dental and vision services from Medicaid coverage for adults, reduced financial aid funding, and reduced state employee wages. Here we are in desperate economic straits all over the country, but one couple doesn’t seem to get it. Michelle Obama’s make- up artist, Derrick Rutledge, who also works for Oprah and Patti LaBelle, is sometimes summoned by Michelle on short notice for the fee of $15,000 a day. The White House is quick to point out that this is not a tax-payer expense, but it hardly represents the lives of the so-called 99%.
In a recent address to the Air Force Academy, General Mark Welsh made this statement: “Leadership is a gift. It is given by those who follow. You have to be worthy of it.” Patriot Post Editor Mark Alexander followed up by saying “Our nation’s crisis of confidence, and the resulting decline of our economy, our society, and world standing, is irrevocably linked to Obama’s leadership deficit, and that deficit is the consequence of his being wholly unworthy of the gift of leadership”.
The President has said he’s not willing to wait for Congress, so he will continue to use executive privilege whenever he feels he needs to. He has recently made several appointments that will result in a few people having control of huge amounts of money, and making crucial decisions that will adversely affect us all. Obama disguises many of his decisions by making them quietly on a Friday night when they conveniently miss news coverage. Are you aware that high-ranking Taliban officials have been released from Guantanamo in exchange for opening an office in Qatar for future Taliban talks and negotiations? It has also been announced quietly that Obama will be sharing our missile defense technology with Russia in a show of good faith. How can we possibly believe Russia will not decide to give it all to China, or North Korea, or other rogue nations?
You’ve probably heard that Atty. Gen. Holder has stated that Voter ID is racial bias. Everything is racial with him. However, a study done by American University has found that people without a legal ID suitable for voter identification comprise 1/10 th of 1% of the population.
Here are some items of interest: All the Super Bowl ads have been sold for an average of $3.5 million for 30 seconds. The highest was $4 million. Now that’s capitalism!
North Carolina’s new voter registration numbers for December are Rep-4217, Dem-3885, and Unaff-9573.
A January Gallup poll tells us that 40% of Americans label themselves conservative, 35% moderate, and 21% liberal. Does that mean people are finally getting the message?
Americans for Prosperity tells us the American 15 year old boys rank 35 th out of 57 industrialized countries in math and literacy. Americans shouldn’t rank 35 th in anything that is good. We need to work together to restore our American exceptionalism.
It took Christopher Columbus 70 days to discover the New World. It took 410 days to build the Empire State Building. Today it is 1000 days and counting and the U.S. Senate still has not passed a budget.
And finally—The President went to Disney World last week to promote tourism, never mind that his visit prevented all tourists from going to Disney World that day. Our job is to send him from Fantasy Land into retirement so the rest of us can live happily ever after
Legislative Report---November 2011
The Occupy Wall Street protests have been in the news for several weeks now, and are becoming more violent as the days go by. Local eastern Carolina people on a trip to Washington D.C. for the Defending the American Dream Summit earlier this month, saw violence firsthand as they emerged from the Washington Convention Center. They were confronted by about 1000 protesters, eager to show their anger against Americans for Prosperity. These protests all around the country have received support and sympathy from such groups as the US Communist Party, the American Nazi Party, the Socialist Party, the Marxists, the Revolutionary Guards of Iran, the Communist Party of China, the Black Panthers, American labor unions, and individuals such as Louis Farrakhan, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and President Obama. What exactly are they demanding, other than a $20 minimum hourly wage? A recent report from Heritage had a list, including tax reform that hits the rich, forgiveness of all student loans, total amnesty for illegal aliens, single payer healthcare, increased regulations for corporations as well as the environment, education mandates, and the recall of all military personnel around the world. And even as they scream their protests in cities all across the USA, they demand more free speech.
Last week on Nov. 8, Atty. Gen. Eric Holder testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about Project Gunrunner, also known as Fast and Furious. He denied gunrunning was taking place and lied about his knowledge of the scheme in a consistent pattern of deception and perjury. He was asked about the cover-up of evidence at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Bruce Terry in December of 2010. He was asked why the federal agent who blew the whistle on the scam was fired for doing so, after 30 years of service. And, why Holder himself lied to Congress under oath about his knowledge of the event when he stated he had known of it for only a few weeks when actually if had been a year. Senator John Cornyn asked if Holder had apologized to the family of Agent Terry, or if he had even spoken to them. The answer was ‘no’. So Cornyn asked if he would want to apologize right then. Holder refused, and said that though he regretted the incident, he felt he had acted responsibly. He will be back in the witness chair again on Dec. 8, testifying before another Senate committee.
On Nov. 3, thirty three U.S. Senators wrote a letter to the Supercommittee, and took a stand against overspending and overborrowing. It stated that the plan to eliminate trillions of dollars must balance our budget within ten years; must place entitlements on a path to fiscal solvency; must include comprehensive tax reform that lowers rates and promotes economic growth with no net tax increase; and must avoid a further downgrade of our credit rating. Heritage Vice President David Addington said of the letter: “While the senators left out a crucial fifth criterion, which is fully funding defense to protect America, theirs is an important clear statement by elected leaders of what must be done.”
To prove that Republicans are not just the party of “no”, the National Federation of Republican Women sent out a list of fifteen bills passed by the House of Representatives that are now stuck in the Senate. The bills call for reducing regulations on the environment and on internet and broadband providers, regulation transparency, energy projects, tax reform, restarting off-shore drilling, and creating jobs in the gas, oil, and coal industries on our own continent. All these bills are being ignored by Democrats in the Senate.
A very disappointing decision on the constitutionality of the individual mandate to purchase health insurance was handed down recently by Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Silberman. According to Judge Silberman, Congress has the authority through the Commerce Clause to regulate whatever it deems necessary to be in the national interest. He compared the healthcare mandate to requiring businesses to serve all customers regardless of race. It is frightening that a supposedly conservative judge in the nation’s most important circuit court argues that Congress has unlimited power to regulate whatever it likes. Let’s hope that when the Supreme Court gets the case it will actually follow the Constitution.
And finally, the Taliban have begun celebrating our withdrawal of troops as a victory. The Obama administration has requested formal negotiations with Mullah Omar, but the Taliban leader has rejected that because, as he says, the Taliban have already won.
What can one person do, you ask? We can all let the elected officials in Washington and Raleigh know what we think. They know their job depends on us the voters, and if enough of us raise our voices, they will have to listen.
Legislative Report---October 2011
Now, back to the report. On October 17 th , we endured the 1000 th day of the Obama administration. Since he took office we are $14.9 trillion in debt, and he is asking for half a trillion more. We have 14 million people unemployed and have been above 9% for 840 of those 1000 days. The average worker has been without a job for more than 9 months. There have been 2.2 million jobs lost under his watch, despite the claim that his $787 billion stimulus would create 3.3 million jobs by last year. The president is now traveling all over the country demonizing Republicans whom he says have ditched his American Jobs Act, even though it was the Democrat controlled Senate which voted it down. These trips, including the recent bus trip through NC and VA, are nothing more than taxpayer funded campaign rallies. You’ll note that the governors and other high ranking officials in both states were AWOL during his visits. Even Gov. Perdue was conveniently on an 8-day economic development mission to China. He does love to hear his own voice though. It reminds us of a quote from Benjamin Franklin: “Here comes the orator, with his flood of words and his drop of reason”.
Attorney General Eric Holder has finally been subpoenaed for his part in the sale of thousands of American weapons to Mexico. This is a sting operation known as Fast and Furious, which has resulted in the death of an American border patrolman. Congress wants to know how much he knew and when he knew it. It appears he has lied about the time frame.
The Dept. of Justice hires many lawyers. During the Bush administration there was an attempt to keep the customary balance between liberals and conservatives. Eric Holder has been packing the Justice Dept. with radical racist attorneys who will remain there for a long time.
Eric Holder is known to have carried a small card in his wallet since 1971 that says, “Race defines the black man”. It’s frightening to think of the damage he is doing.
One item in the news this week was that a group called Working Families is paying between $350 and $600 a week to those dirty rowdy protesters taking part in Occupy Wall Street. Working Families is a known off-shoot of ACORN. Here is part of a column from Marybeth Hicks about Occupy Wall Street: “As a parent I say there are five life lessons the parents of the protesters should have taught them. Life isn’t fair; Nothing is free; Your word is your bond.(Did you not promise to repay your student loans?); A protest is not a party; Non-conformity for the sake of non-conformity is not a virtue. Moral: Only 4% of college grads are out of work. If you are among that 4%, find a mirror and face the problem. It’s not them. It’s you. So far, Occupy Raleigh has cost $40,000 for police protection.
Also surfacing this week was reference to the czars Obama has appointed without benefit of Congressional vetting. This number now stands at 45, with as many as 18 other unfilled or planned positions. Every time the President creates a new federal government bureaucracy there is an opportunity for a new czar. In fact, according to Judicial Watch, he is proposing a new group of czars as part of his American Jobs Act—the American Infrastructure Financing Authority. These newest czars will be given the authority to manage over a trillion dollars of federal funding for roads, bridges, buildings, waterways, and dams.
Here in North Carolina, the Marriage Amendment that passed in the Legislature will be on the primary ballot on May 8, 2012. As a result Governor Perdue made a curious statement reported in the Greensboro News and Record. She said, ”I’m going to vote against the Marriage Amendment because I cannot in good conscience look an unemployed man or woman in the eye and tell them that this amendment is more important than finding them a job.”
Civitas tells us that North Carolinians support the Marriage Amendment 62% to 31%. They support the Voter ID Bill by a 77% to 20% margin. They support the elimination of same day voter registration by 55% to 36%, and they support limiting legislative terms by 77% to 13%.
Carolina Journal reports that Republican legislators believe they have enough votes when they return to session next month to override Gov. Perdue’s veto on both opening North Carolina’s coastal waters to natural gas drilling, and authorizing hydraulic fracturing to recover inland shale gas deposits.
Heritage Foundation has a letter-signing campaign going on to cut federal spending in Washington. If you care about this, and we all should care a lot, please do your part and go to endthespending.com and sign the letter from Heritage. That’s endthespending.com.
Legislative Report ---September 2011
We are being told there are now nearly 46 million people in the U.S. earning less than $23,000 a year. That makes one of every seven people at the poverty level. No one likes to hear about people in poverty, except maybe President Obama who seems to be trying to make more of them. The media want us to think of poverty in terms of homelessness and hunger, but Heritage has some facts that may surprise you. In these households 80% have A/C’s, 75% have a car or truck and 31% have two or more. 66% have cable or satellite TV, 66% have at least one DVD player, and 70% have a VCR. 50% have a personal computer, and more than 50% of the families have an X-Box or a Play Station. 43% have internet access, 33% have a wide-screen plasma or LCD TV, and 25% of those have a TiVo. Also, 96% of parents stated that their children were never hungry at any time because they couldn’t afford food. Only 4% stated they had ever been temporarily homeless, and in fact 43% of poor households actually own their own homes. The average poor American has more living space than the average Swede or German. Poverty in America is nothing like poverty in third world countries. This is not to say they have an easy time, but media exaggeration of poverty conditions does not do America any good. The collapse of marriage and the erosion of the work ethic are the principle long term causes of poverty. In order to benefit the poor, welfare policy must require able-bodied recipients to work or prepare to work as a condition to receiving aid.
Here are the August Civitas poll numbers: 12,559 new voters were registered (1.582 Dems, 2,994 Reps and 7,759 Independents)
In a poll of unaffiliated voters: 44% approved of the job Obama is doing, 52% disapproved, 5% were undecided.
For Gov. Perdue: 44% had an unfavorable opinion, 39% were favorable, 4% had no opinion and 3% had never heard of her.
If you think ACORN is gone, think again. Obama’s Dept. of Housing and Urban Development just issued an $80,000 grant to the AHCOA—the Affordable Housing Center of America—which is an off-shoot of ACORN-- in apparent violation of the ACORN funding ban, passed by Congress and signed into law by the President in 2009.
Several months ago I reported to you that Obama had hired Cecilia Munoz, a V.P. of La Raza, as his Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. Guess what? According to Judicial Watch, since then, government cash infusions to La Raza have almost tripled—from $4.1 million to $11 million. La Raza is a radical Chicano organization. Most of the money (60%) came from the Dept. of Labor, which is headed by former CA Congresswoman Hilde Solis who has close ties to the La Raza movement. Labor Sec. Solis has launched a nationwide campaign to protect the rights of illegal immigrant workers, particularly those from Guatemala and Nicaragua.
There are so many issues we could talk about, like Fast and Furious or Solyndra, but I want you to hear something else. I’m going to close by reading part of an interview that Tim Russert had with then Senator Obama on Meet the Press in September of 2008, just 8 weeks before the presidential election. It shows us without any doubt the character of our Commander in Chief. USAF Retired General Bill Ginn asked Obama to explain why he doesn’t follow protocol when the National Anthem is played, referring to the U.S. Code Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171. It states that during the anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present (except those in uniform) are expected to stand at attention, facing the flag, with the right hand over the heart. And this is Obama’s reply:
“As I’ve said about the flag pin, I don’t want to be perceived as taking sides. There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression. The anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air, and all that sort of thing.
The National Anthem should be swapped for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’. If that were our anthem then I might salute it. In my opinion we should consider reinventing our National Anthem as well as redesigning our flag to better offer our enemies hope and love. It’s my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East brethren. If we, as a nation of warring people, conduct ourselves like the nations of Islam, where peace prevails, perhaps a state or period of mutual accord could exist between our governments.
When I become President, I will seek a pact of agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity, and a freedom from disquieting oppressive thoughts. We as a nation have placed upon the nations of Islam, an unfair injustice, which is why my wife disrespects the flag, and she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past.
Of course, now I have found myself about to become the President of the United States and I have put my hatred aside. I will use my power to bring change to this nation, and offer the people a new path. My wife and I look forward to becoming our country’s First Black Family. Indeed change is about to overwhelm the United States of America.”
Just think---8 weeks later the liberals still voted him in!
Addendum:
After I read the above quote from Senator Obama, one of our CCRWC members responded that the quote may have been paraphrased to make Obama look bad. She was correct to make that point. I admit that I had not made the necessary checks on that quote. In fact these are not Obama’s exact words, and I apologize for falling prey to the internet. However, Obama’s actions speak louder than words. During the past 2 ½ years, he has shown disrespect for our country by apologizing to other nations around the world, by bowing to Middle East potentates, and by standing mute while the anthem is played. I personally recall him saying that he and Michelle attended flag-burning ceremonies in their youth. I stand corrected for accepting a bogus interview without authenticating it, but I remain convinced that this president does not represent the views of most patriotic Americans.
ON THE ECONOMY
In the latest sign Barack Obama’s economic policies have failed, unemployment ticked up for the second month in a row to 9.1% while job growth plummeted to an 8 month low. Hope still isn’t hiring in America.
The President calls the current status of our economy a temporary “bump in the road” but it looks as if we are heading towards a dead end.
- Debt is at $14.3 Trillion
- Unemployment is at 9.1%
- 43 cents borrowed for every dollar we spend.
- 2.5 million jobs lost under Obama
- Unemployment ticked up for the 2nd month in a row
Even Democrats are seeing the light on the President – “Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT): "I do think that President Obama has had a bit of a tin ear as far as the business community goes."
“BROKEN PROMISES” TV AD
The NCGOP produced a television ad “Broken Promises. The television ad highlights President Obama’s failed policies and broken promises to cut our deficit in half and not let unemployment go over 8%. As of today, the deficit has increased more under Obama than all other Presidents combined and unemployment has been over 8% for 28 straight months.
Click here to watch “Broken Promises”
(URL = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG4dO2eXQLs)
2012 ELECTION
The 2012 election will be a referendum on President Obama’s failure to lead and his broken promises related to jobs and the economy.
· Do the people of North Carolina want to re-hire someone who promised cut our deficit in half, but has raised the deficit more than all other Presidents combined?
· Do the people of North Carolina want to re-hire someone who promised unemployment would not go over 8 percent, but for 28 straight months our unemployment rate has remained over 8% and currently sits over 9%?
THE OBAMA ECONOMY BY THE NUMBERS
Jan. 20, 2009 (Inauguration)
June 2, 2011
Difference
· National Debt: $10.6T
· National Debt: $14.3T
· $3.7 trillion in more debt
· Unemployment: 7.8%
· Unemployment: 9.1%
· 1.3% higher despite stimulus
· Price of Gas: $1.84 p/gal.
· Price of Gas: $3.79 p/gal.
· Gas has more than doubled
· 2.5 Million:
Number of jobs lost under Barack Obama.
· $14.3 Trillion:
Current national debt.
· $3.7 Trillion:
The amount added to the national debt since Obama took office.
· $26.3 Trillion:
Expected national debt in 2021 under Obama’s Budget
· $1.65 Trillion:
Current federal deficit (largest in history & 3rd consecutive trillion dollar deficit)
· $5 Billion:
How much the Washington borrows every day to fund Obama’s spending spree
· 43 cents:
Amount borrowed on every dollar the federal government spends.
· $2.5 Trillion:
True cost of ObamaCare (when Dems budget gimmicks are removed)
· 73 percent
% of Americans who believe the next generation will be worse off economically (Politico 5/15)
· 62 percent
% of Americans who believe US is on the wrong track (Politico 5/15)
· 82 percent:
% of Americans rate the economy as poor (CNN 5/11)
· 61 percent:
% of Americans who disapprove of Obama’s handling of gas prices (AP/GfK 5/9)
· 72 percent
· 42 percent
% of Americans who drive less because of gas prices (AP/GfK 5/9)
% of Americans cutting back on groceries for gas money (Reuters/Ipsos 4/13)
· 55 percent
% of Americans think there are too many regulations, 36% disagree (Resurgent 5/25)
####
Paid for by the North Carolina Republican Party
May 27, 2011
There’s a reason people don’t trust politicians.
Too often, they make grand promises to get elected, but break them in office to avoid making tough decisions.
That’s changing in North Carolina. The new Republican-led Senate unveiled a budget Tuesday that keeps our promises to cut taxes, reduce spending, and reform education and other crucial state services. It does all of that and closes $2.5 billion deficit Republicans inherited after taking control of the General Assembly in January.
The budget is a responsible first step toward right-sizing North Carolina’s government, producing a more educated workforce and helping job-creating businesses pull us out of the recession.
It’s also a reasonable compromise that legislative Democrats and Governor Beverly Perdue should accept.
Cutting taxes, creating jobs
By ending a sales tax hike Democrat lawmakers and Gov. Beverly Perdue promised to end this year but want to raise anyway, the budget returns more than $1 billion to the pockets of North Carolina residents and businesses, where it will help create thousands of new private-sector jobs.
Ending the sales tax is part of a robust jobs package that will return billions to the private economy by offering tax relief for small businesses.
Economists say the package will create at least 20,000 new private-sector jobs quickly and as many as 60,000 long-term.
Reforming education
The Senate budget spends more on education than the House version and implements reforms aimed at increasing graduation rates and the number of high-quality teachers. They include:
Developing a program to pay teachers based on performance, not seniority or academic credentials.
Adding more than 1,100 teachers to classrooms in grades 1 through 3 this year, and even more over the coming years. The goal is to fund one teacher for every 15 students in those grades. Studies show lowering class sizes significantly helps student success.
Creating a reading-intensive program to ensure students can read at grade level before advancing to fourth grade. Students are much more likely to graduate if proficient at a young age.
Adding five more days to the school calendar.
Other budget highlights
· A measure to extend benefits for those who have been unemployed for 77 weeks. The governor vetoed a bill that extended the benefits.
· Fully funding the state retirement system for the first time in years.
· Fully funding the Rainy Day and Repair and Renovation funds.
Read more
Read Senator Berger’s budget Op-Ed from Sunday’s Charlotte Observer.
Look for Senator Berger’s Op-Ed about reforming public education in Sunday’s Greensboro News and Record.
Senator Phil Berger
President Pro Tempore
North Carolina Republican Party Congratulates Governor Perdue for Bronze Medal
Under Perdue’s Leadership, North Carolina Posts Third Largest Increase of Taxpayer-Funded Jobs In the Country
Friday, May 27, 2011 (919) 424-5555
RALEIGH, NC – As reported in the Triangle Business Journal, a study commissioned by the American City Business Journals reported the state of North Carolina has added 78,000 government jobs since 2001, third most in the country.
Today, North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes made the following statement regarding the American City Business Journal study: “North Carolinians deserve a governor who will put forward fiscally responsible policies that will reduce the size of government and reduce taxes so the private sector can flourish and create jobs. We face a multi-billion dollar deficit because of Governor Perdue’s fiscal mismanagement and misplaced priorities and the only way to change North Carolina’s fiscal fortunes is to change governors.”
Click here for the American City Business Journal state-by-state report on government employment.
URL: http://www.ncgop.org/Perdue-Wins-Bronze
Paid for by the North Carolina Republican Party
www.NCGOP.org
Legislative Report---May 2011
We’ve been hearing a lot about Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposals, specifically how his plan would handle Medicare as opposed to Obamacare. Under Ryan’s plan there would be no change for anyone now 55 years of age or older. For those younger than 55 there would be private insurance plans for when they reach 65. The government would pay the first $15,000. The rest would be paid according to your private income plan.
Under Obamacare there would be cuts to Medicare providers. That would mean doctors would stop taking Medicare patients, and fewer doctors would mean more rationing. Statistics show why that should scare us. Let’s compare the percentage of men and women who survive a cancer five years after diagnosis: In the U.S. it’s 65%, in Britain 46% and in Canada 42%. The percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment within 6 months in the U.S. is 93%, in Britain 15% and in Canada 43%. The Obama health czar has said he “adores” the British plan.
Across our nation, actual wages earned in 2010 accounted for the lowest share of income since the government began keeping track in 1929---51%. A record 18.3% of total personal income came in the form of a payment from the government. This includes Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, unemployment benefits, and other 2010 programs. Medicaid isn’t counted because it is a state program.
There is some good news. Our Republican majority in NC is doing what is promised to do. The House passed their version of the budget last week. The reduced level of spending is only about 5%, which seems low, but they have worked these cuts without raising taxes. They have also promised that the “temporary” tax hike will expire and save the taxpayers $1.4 billion--the largest real tax cut in NC history. They passed the annexation bill that I spoke about last month. That bill implements a fair process for providing sewer and water services, and allows a protest petition for those citizens who do not wish to be annexed. The process can be stopped if 60% of property owners object. Also, Governor Perdue has signed the Fetus Protection Act into law, which Republicans have been working toward for years.
In Washington, the Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act passed in the House 243 to 179. The NC contingent voted along party lines, with all 6 Democrats voting against it, and all but one of the 7 Republicans voting for it. The lone Republican “no” was Walter B. Jones. His staff assistant said that Rep. Jones believes the decision on drilling is a states rights issue, not for the federal government. His “no” vote, however, makes it appear to us that he agrees with the President and wants to continue the moratorium on drilling in the Gulf. The President obviously opposes this bill, but may not veto it because there are not enough votes in the Senate to override a filibuster. Watch for progress in the Defense of Marriage legislation which reads, “Marriage between a man and a woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.” If it passes, it will be on the ballot in Nov. 2012. It requires 3/5 majority to pass. Thirty states have already passed this amendment, and NC is the only southern state that has not.
North Carolina legislators are considering whether to accept $461 million in federal stimulus funding for high speed rail. Federal grants awarded to the state so far total $545 million, while NCDOT has applied for another $620 million. The rail line being considered would be between Raleigh and Charlotte. The NCDOT trumpets the supposed benefits of high speed rail, one of which is job creation, but a new analysis from recognized experts in the fields of urban growth and transit policy shoots down each of these arguments, saying there should be no question that this plan makes no sense for NC taxpayers. This proposal would create substantial risks while doing little to nothing to reduce traffic, help the environment, cut energy use, or create jobs. In its usual disingenious way, the Obama administration used a misleading counting technique which inflates potential job numbers by 300%. Gov. Perdue and rail supporters claim 4800 jobs would be created. The true estimate is 1200. The 4800 comes from counting 1200 for each year of the projected 4-year project. The report says NC should return the federal high speed rail funding, withdraw its pending application, and seek no more funding for the project. Far from being “free” money from Washington, strings attached to the grants would require subsidies from NC taxpayers. If construction costs and ridership figures miss projections, those subsidies would be even higher than expected.
Ladies and gentlemen, there is such an assault on our personal freedoms every day, be it the healthcare mandate, undocumented regulation of greenhouse gases, the right to carry a gun, right down to what we can eat and which light bulbs we must use. Ronald Reagan warned us many years ago when he said, “Freedom is not something to be secured in any one moment of time. We must struggle to preserve it everyday. And freedom is never more that one generation away from extinction. We did not pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
Legislative Report: August 2010 Ann Corby
Legislative Report—August 2010
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is not the time to sit back and observe what is happening to our country. Jobs and the economy are of course the most critical issues, but there are activities going on to undermine every right we have.
For example, I learned recently that President Obama is seriously considering granting blanket amnesty to all illegal immigrants by executive fiat, entirely by-passing Congress.
I learned about a 20 week extension to the 99 week unemployment benefits called –get this—The Americans Want to Work Act.
I learned that this administration is spending $10 million to train 3000 Sri Lankans, to become IT specialists in order to place them in U.S. companies abroad to take the jobs from U.S. workers who are already there. We are paying to train people to take away our jobs!
I learned that Obama is working on a plan to trash the 2nd Amendment and outlaw all private citizen’s guns.
I learned that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is behind the plans for the NYC mosque at Ground Zero, is on a religious outreach trip to the Middle East, paid for by our own State Dept., funded by the taxpayers’ money. His purpose is to promote religious tolerance, but he has stated in at least one interview that the U.S. is to blame for the 9/11 attacks, and that Hamas is not a terrorist group. NY Governor Patterson has offered to find state-owned property somewhere else in NYC if the Muslims are willing to move it. It doesn’t sound like it will happen, and anyway, I find it hard to understand why NY should have to give this group free land to make them do the right thing. The ACLU says the mosque represents the core of American diversity, and gives it their full support. Since when has the ACLU been worried about religious freedom? Remember the ACLU is a tax-payer funded charity.
I learned that one liberal judge in CA can overturn the votes of 7 million people who do not want same-sex marriage.
I learned from former UN Ambassador John Bolton that our president is seriously considering face-to-face talks with the leader of Iran.
I learned that the Massachusetts legislature has approved a new law intended to bypass the Electoral College system and ensure that the winner of the presidential election is determined by the national popular vote. Their 12 electoral votes will go to the popular vote winner in 2012. The goal is to get other states to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, and enact similar legislation. If they can get 270 electoral votes to go toward the popular winner that will be it. The Electoral College will be gone. They already have Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington state, and now Massachusetts. All blue states. Losing the Electoral College system would basically allow the major metropolitan areas to elect the president.
How many of you have heard of the Jefferson Manual? I learned that Thomas Jefferson wrote the rule book for Congressional members in 1812. It describes in great detail how Congress is to perform its duties, much like Roberts Rules of Order. One of the rules, and remember these were written to be mandatory, is that members will read every bill three times before it comes up for a vote. And every member must be present while the voting is taking place. They weren’t even allowed to be in the outhouse while the votes were being counted.
I learned that the Stolen Valor Act was struck down by the infamous 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and it is now okay to lie about receiving a military medal.
And finally, did you know one of the provisions in the 2000 page Healthcare Bill is a tax on the sale of gold coins? What does that have to do with healthcare? We have no idea what is in that bill.
Obviously this November election is critical to get conservative candidates into office on the way to getting a conservative into the White House in 2012. We can’t just hope and pray. We need to take action as well. Even if the election goes overwhelmingly our way, we must be prepared for what will happen in the lame duck session between November and January when the new Congress is sworn in. This administration will use every trick of smoke and mirrors and slight of hand to pass climate change legislation, amnesty, and who knows what else. Don’t be caught by surprise. Remember to act as if it were up to you, and pray as if it were up to Him.
Legislative Report---July 2010 Ann Corby
The most recent of President Obama’s big government bills is the Financial Reform Bill passed last week after Sen. Byrd’s replacement was quickly sworn in to get the 60 votes required to stop the Republican filibusters. This 2000 plus-page bill ignores the problems caused by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, considering those institutions “too big to fail”. According to NC Senator Richard Burr, it also breaks the promise to the American people that all unused and reimbursed funds from the TARP funds would be used to pay down our national debt. Instead, the bill, named for Chris Dodd and Barney Frank who are heavily responsible for the financial meltdown, uses that money to pay for the creation of new government agencies.
Let’s take a brief look at what has happened to our economy in the last three years: The last Republican budget in 2007 had a $161 billion deficit. In 2008, under a Democrat congress and before the recession, the deficit rose to $459 billion. In 2009 the deficit was up to $1.4 trillion. As of June 2010, the deficit is already over $1 trillion with three more months to go.
The Club for Growth Congressional Scorecard has published a listing of voting behavior for all members of the House and Senate. The rating examines legislative actions that affect our pro-economic growth policy goals, including lower tax rates, limited government spending, death tax repeal, free trade expansion, tort reform, regulatory reform, and social security reform. Here in NC, Rep. Virginia Foxx has a highest possible score of 100, with Rep. Sue Myrick close behind with an 88. By comparison, Walter B. Jones has a 66, Heath Shuler a 27, and Rep. Butterfield a 4.
On the Senate side, Richard Burr rates a 96, and Hagan a 6. Those with scores 90 and above are easily recognizable---OK Coburn and Inhofe, SC DeMint, AL Sessions, AZ McCain, GA Chambliss and Isakson, KS Brownback, KY Bunning and McConnell, NV Ensign, SD Thune, TX Cornyn and WY Barrasso and Enzi. Unfortunately they are outnumbered by many Democrats like Reid, Boxer, Kerry, Dodd, Durbin, Harkins, Levin, Udall, Casey, and Rockefeller, all of whom have a grade of 3! Outrageous!
On Dec. 31, the federal tax cuts passed between 2001 and 2003 are scheduled to expire. President Obama will tell us he will only be raising tax rates on the wealthy, but here are the facts. The increases include the return of the marriage penalty, the cutting in half of deductions for dependents, a return of the inheritance tax, and higher taxes on all savings and investments. Allowing these tax cuts to expire would constitute the largest tax increase in American history, and will impact each and every American citizen.
We learned a couple of days ago that President Obama actually supported the release of the terrorist Lockerbie bomber to Scotland. At the time, he expressed his outrage, but new White House memos have proven otherwise. We also know that he is pushing NASA to reach out to the Muslim nations. And even more telling, is the fact he has said nothing about building the mosque at Ground Zero. Here’s something to keep you awake at night-- the most popular name for baby boys in the U.S. is Jacob. The most popular in England is Mohammad.
NC Rep Sue Myrick, who I mentioned earlier, has sent a letter to Homeland Security Dept. Sec. Janet Napolitano asking her to establish a task force to gather intelligence on Hezbollah’s presence along our southern border. Hezbollah is recognized by the U.S. government as a designated terrorist organization. They are the equivalent of Iran’s proxy army, and operate around the world. Myrick’s letter lays out, in detail, mounting evidence suggesting that Hezbollah is on our border and could be working closely with drug cartels. The task force she asks for would investigate issues raised by former intelligence agents. She asks for a public report as well as an intelligence report with policy recommendations based on the findings.
The Charlotte Observer did a story on her request that revealed a troubling response from Napolitano. Specifically, a spokesman stated “At this time DHS has no credible information on terrorists groups operating along the Southwest border”.
Sounds like we need that report.
Dr. Donald Berwick is the new Administrator of Medicare and Medicaid. He was appointed by Obama during a Congressional recess so that hearings would not get in the way of his appointment. He has been quoted in the press as saying “I am romantic about Britain’s National Healthcare Service. I love it”. Bear in mind that 50,000 surgeries are cancelled each year in Britain because the patients become too sick for the operation while waiting in line. Their healthcare service is known for its long lines, government control of treatment, higher death rates for many cancers, massive bureaucracy, and government waste. This is British healthcare reality and Berwick finds it romantic. He is also quoted as saying “The decision is not whether we will ration care. It is whether we will ration with our eyes open.”
This man has been handed $800 billion of taxpayers money, and will be responsible for implementing many new policies in Obamacare. Cong. Steve King of Iowa, who by the way has a 98 in the economic growth ratings, has a discharge petition in the House that will force a vote of repeal, if a majority of House members sign it. Currently 109 have signed, all Republicans, but still 69 Republicans have not signed. There were 34 Democrats who originally voted against the healthcare takeover, so Cong. King is working on them. For more information on this you can go to Americansforprosperity.org.
One quick item of interest--NCGOP chairman Tom Fetzer is a new father to Thomas Harrison Fetzer III, who is planning to run for governor in 2032.
And lastly, new member Jan Gronowski sent me this take off on Dr. Seuss and his Green Eggs and Ham.
I do not like this Uncle Sam. I do not like his healthcare scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks, or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals. I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like this Speaker Nan. I do not like this Yes we Can.
I do not like this spending spree. I’m smart, I know that nothing’s free.
I do not like your smug replies when I complain about your lies.
I do not like this kind of hope. I do not like it. Nope, nope, nope!
Legislative Report----May 2010 by Ann Corby
I’d like to go over a few important legislative items today that can hardly be ignored.
1) Cap and Trade, as introduced again by Senators Lieberman and Kerry, is no longer referred to as an environmental bill. That’s way too controversial. Instead of calling it a "gas tax", it now is a "linked fee", which will supposedly result is $7 billion strictly for infrastructure renewal. What will happen is it will create another slush fund for general use.
2)Then there’s immigration reform. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder was asked by reporters if the administration intended to sue the state of Arizona over its new law, even though it is merely enforcing the federal immigration law. He had the audacity to say he had not read the 10-page bill, nor had he been briefed on it, but he said the lawsuit is definitely an option being considered.
3) Senator Chris Dodd of CT, who is one of those responsible for the mortgage crisis, has been leading financial reform under the Dodd Banking Bill for regulatory reform. According to our Senator Burr, the legislation that passed a few days ago does not address the root causes of the economic crisis and fails to accomplish regulatory reform in a way that helps the average American.
Instead, it enables unlimited bailouts for the biggest banks at taxpayers’ expense, allows government bureaucrats to monitor credit card purchases, and does nothing to address Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bill passed 59 to 39. Republican Senators Collins, Snowe, Grassley and Scott Brown voted with the Democrats, with Brown reversing course to end the debate and the Republican filibuster. The next step is for the bill to be reconciled with the House version.
4)Those in charge of the newly passed Healthcare legislation are admitting that their cost estimates were a little off, and now say it will cost $115 billion more, or approximately twice what we were told.
On the international front, President Obama has announced that we have 5113 nuclear weapons in our arsenal. This number has been classified since the days of the Cold War. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton says she thinks it’s important to be as transparent as we can about our nuclear program because it builds confidence among nations. Obama claims releasing the secret information will enhance the national security, but on the other hand, he argues in court that any release of the names of White House visitors will result in a security crisis. The obvious conclusion is that national security is merely a game for this White House.
On another front, what are we to think when a New York City zoning board gives unanimous approval to the erection of a 13-story, $100 million mosque to be built adjacent to ground zero? The plan is to break ground on 9/11/2011.
You may have heard some ads sponsored by the Insurance Federation of North Carolina concerning House bill 813. This bill changes the way accident and injury cases are handled in our state’s civil courts. The current system is "contributory negligence", and this bill changes the system to "comparative fault".
Currently under the present system, the plaintiff cannot recover damages if their own carelessness caused the accident or loss. The new system of "comparative fault" permits the plaintiff to split the damages with the defendant so long as his negligence does not exceed that of the defendant. In short, it just means more people are likely to sue, and all consumers will end up paying at least 5% more for homeowners and auto insurance. The ads suggest we go to dontraisemyinsurance.com, but I went directly to the Insurance Federation of NC and the bill was explained on their homepage. Ask Rep. Underhill and Sen. Preston to say no.
To close, this is an excerpt from an editorial written by Terrence P. Jeffrey, Editor in Chief at CNS News.
Our Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution to create a federal government that would primarily carry out functions state governments could not. Most importantly 1) defending the country against foreign enemies, 2) regulating commerce with foreign nations, 3) regulating commerce among the states,, and 4) regulating immigration. Today we have illegal immigrants hauling massive quantities of illegal drugs across our international border, engaging in firefights with U.S. law enforcement officers on our sovereign territory, and distributing their deadly contraband and destroying the lives of American teenagers in communities in every state of the Union. President Obama and Congress are failing in their most fundamental duties.
Here is a graph of our "out-of-control deficits". The first one is from 2007, the last year Republicans controlled Congress. This is the $163 billion amount that President Obama continually tells us he inherited. The second one is 2010’s $1.6 trillion deficit from our Democrat controlled Congress and White House. Do you think maybe it’s time to stop blaming Bush?
The following link will take you to an op-ed piece that appeared in the New Bern Sun Journal on July 11, 2010 from Pat McCrory concerning legislation in North Carolina. this informative piece shows the methods used in getting items passed before the public really knows what has happened.
http://www.newbernsj.com/articles/state-88889-taxpayers-bill.html