They Said It! Another Democrat Leader Admits Mismanagement

"We're seeing a mismanaged government, that has to be corrected," N.C. Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight (D-Dare) upon being re-elected to a record ninth term to lead the N.C. Senate.

(Binker, Mark, "Senate Democrats: let them eat cake, oh never mind," Capital Beat, 12/17/08)

NCGOP E-Letter - December 17, 2008

Problems of the Future Won't Be Solved With Failed Proposals of the Past

By Linda Daves
Chairman, North Carolina Republican Party

A special committee given the task to generate solutions to the many problems encountered by the state's transportation system was given a year to discuss the options and make recommendations. After a year's work, what is their plan to turn the state DOT around? Raise taxes. I can't say I didn't see this coming. Not only is raising taxes in this economy a terrible idea. It's uninspiring. It's unbelievable the people were promised solutions from this committee who took a year to come up with a plan that could be developed in five minutes. Additional revenue is always the preferred path of failed government bureaucracy.

The very existence of this committee and their proposed "solutions" demonstrates the problem. When the state faces serious problems, the Democrat leadership in state government commissions a study so they can tell their constituents they are "looking into this issue." The newly formed committee then takes a year to generate a plan that was likely already the preference of the few folks in control of state government. When new problems ensue, repeat cycle. There are no new ideas, no innovations, and no thinking outside the box to solve the problems of tomorrow before they can arise. We have a reactive state government and not a proactive one.

The state DOT provides the perfect example. Government bureaucrats want more of our money. This is not exactly breaking news. However, the state DOT and its top officials have already proven there is no amount of money they can't waste through poorly managed budgets, lack of professionalism and competence. Think about this for a moment. The state DOT is wasting so much money even the federal government won't invest more in them. Why should North Carolina taxpayers be expected to do so? Giving the state DOT more of our money without overhauling the way business is done in that department is just throwing good money after bad. In the private sector, when these kinds of shortfalls happen, people lose their jobs. In government, they receive additional funding. Overhauling DOT should be top priority. We need new management to develop new ideas because the stale plans of the past are only digging the people a deeper hole. We must create the opportunity for excellence in state government. Then we must demand excellence from our leaders. …

Click here for the full post…

They Said It! Rand Admits Wasting Taxpayer Dollars
“We’ve thrown money away in the past. Now, we’re going to make sure we can justify every penny we spend.” N.C. Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand (D-Cumberland)

(Johnson, Corey G., "Rand says financial efficiency vital for government," Fayetteville Observer, 12/16/08)

Click here to visit the Seeing Red Again blog…

MORE WASTE UNCOVERED IN STATE BUDGET
Easley Asks Agencies to Find Budget Cuts: What Took You So Long?

By Brian Balfour
Red Clay Citizen
December 11, 2008

Governor Easley's office issued this press release yesterday, summarizing Easley's latest memo directing state agencies to "develop 3 percent, 5 percent and 7 percent reduction options" in preparation for next year's budget.

Kudos to Easley for being proactive on the issue, but the nature of the directive raises some questions. The memo includes guidelines to agencies regarding where they should search for spending reductions. Among the guidelines are:

-- Funding priority should be given to statutorily mandated or ''core mission'' government services.
-- Elimination of duplicative and underperforming programs.
-- Streamlining and consolidation of programs, offices and services.
-- Reduction in operating funds due to service efficiencies.
-- Reduction in layers of management and administration.
-- Budgeting receipts where appropriate to offset appropriation requirements.

Why does it take a "budget crisis" and a directive from the Governor to force state bureaucrats into such obvious scrutiny of the expenditure of tax dollars? Shouldn't they already be giving priority to "core mission" government services? Further, why are taxpayer dollars even being spent on programs and services if they don't fall under government"s "core mission"? Does government have a "core mission" and a "non-core mission"? If lawmakers and agency heads were responsible stewards of our tax revenue, they wouldn't be waiting for such a situation to take these measures - it would be a constant, ongoing process. …

Remember this when left-wing groups and politicians cry out for more tax dollars.

Click here for the full post…

The Taint of Scandal Envelops Democrats

By Donald Lambro
Townhall.com
December 17, 2008

WASHINGTON -- Over the past four years, the Democrats blamed the Republicans for ushering in "a culture of corruption" that they charged had infected every nook and cranny of the government.

The lobbying payoffs and influence-peddling scandals did indeed bring down a number of Republicans, though it turned out that many Democratic lawmakers also had received tainted contributions from the same lobbyists or their clients. But that got less attention from the national news media.

Now the tide has turned against the Democrats on two fronts, and it is they who are being investigated on corruption charges just as they were poised to take over the White House and strengthen their legislative grip on Congress.

Rod Blagojevich's pay-to-play scandal, in which he has plotted to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder, has pushed the Illinois governor to the brink of impeachment. But it has also embarrassed and distracted the president-elect and his transition advisers, and a top election analyst says the GOP could end up winning the vacated seat.

Obama is not implicated in the scandal, but many questions were raised about whether his designated chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel -- a hard-hitting practitioner of Chicago-style politics -- is the "president-elect adviser" mentioned in the U.S. Attorney's complaint that details Blagojevich's plans to put Obama's seat up for sale. …

The smell of a scandal "might be building, though it's not there yet," said Jennifer Duffy, senior political analyst at the Cook Political Report. "But Democrats who have won on this message of culture of corruption now find the tables have turned on them, and they do have to be very careful that it doesn't get bigger," Duffy told me.

For Barack Obama, "it's a distraction he doesn't need right now," she said.

Scandal-wise, this has been a bumper year for the Democrats, who have seen some of their biggest names brought down by one investigation after another. …

Republican Party officials, however, were stepping up their attacks on the scandal -- perhaps a sign of things to come when the Obama regime takes over next month.

"The serious nature of the crimes listed by federal prosecutors raises questions about the interaction with Gov. Blagojevich, President-elect Obama and other high-ranking officials who will be working for the future president," said House Republican whip Eric Cantor of Virginia.

Still, while political analyst Duffy thinks the Blagojevich scandal "is pretty darn serious" for the Democrats, "I'm not sure this is serious for Obama; in fact, it's probably not serious at all."

More shoes will surely drop before this investigation is over. But the Republicans are going to keep pounding the Democrats on this one to make sure that they -- and the Senate nominee they pick -- will have little chance of retaining Obama's seat.

"The Republicans could have a chance to take this seat," Duffy said. "I think a special election would give them the chance to do that with a credible candidate."

Click here for the full article…

GOP LEADER: AUTO BAILOUT LEGISLATION FLAWED
Autoworkers and Taxpayers Deserve Better than Washington's Flawed Bailout

By John Boehner
Townhall.com
December 16, 2008

Washington has been abuzz lately with debate over possible federal action to save the American auto industry from financial collapse. American autoworkers and taxpayers deserve better than a taxpayer-funded bailout of the auto industry that simply guarantees failure. They deserve a plan that removes barriers and gives the industry a chance to be competitive again. I and some of my colleagues recently put forth a plan that would do this.

I opposed the recent bailout plan put forth by the Democrats who control Congress because I believe it is unworthy of American auto workers and unworthy of American taxpayers. It guarantees failure at taxpayer expense. If enacted, it would keep the American auto industry dependent on taxpayer money instead of giving auto workers the security of a viable industry that is back on its feet and ready to compete. It offers no guarantee that taxpayers will get their money back; instead it simply sets the industry up for further taxpayer-funded bailouts down the road. It would also put Washington politicians and bureaucrats in charge of the American auto industry – the same politicians and bureaucrats who racked up a $455 billion budget deficit last year.

American autoworkers and their families deserve better. A responsible plan should protect taxpayers and help auto workers and their families by allowing the Big Three to become competitive again. The plan I offered with my Republican colleagues would do this.

Our proposal, the American Automotive Reorganization & Recovery Plan, establishes firm benchmarks and a tight timeline for the companies’ restructuring. The Big Three automakers presented their plans for restructuring to Congress on December 2. Their plans included some worthy objectives, but no real details were provided with respect to how the companies would actually be restructured, or what the companies would do to ensure taxpayers get their money back. Our plan addresses this problem through benchmarks designed to ensure real changes are made that will allow the companies to get back on the path to prosperity. …

Most importantly, our plan emphasizes the use of government-backed insurance, rather than relying on a taxpayer-funded government bailout that replaces private investment. We propose that the government provide insurance, funded by the participants with a modest FDIC-like fee, that would expire on March 31, 2009. This would help to unlock immediate private investment in the auto companies while protecting taxpayers and providing a strong incentive for the Big Three to move quickly with their restructuring. …

Spending billions of additional federal tax dollars with no promises to reform the root causes crippling the industry’s competitiveness is neither fair to taxpayers nor fair to the millions of American families who depend on the industry for their economic well-being. Taxpayers and autoworkers deserve better than Washington’s flawed bailout. They deserve reforms that will let the industry compete again, without the heavy hand of government standing in the way.

Click here for the full article…

Poll: Americans opposed to auto bailout
Americans Resistant to Bailing Out Big Three

GallupNews
December 15, 2008

Americans remain resistant to the federal government passing legislation to bail out the big three U.S. automotive companies, and about two-thirds of Americans place a great deal of blame on the executives who run the automotive companies for the problems they face.

Click here to view the video…

They Said It! Rand Admits Wasting Taxpayer Dollars

“We’ve thrown money away in the past. Now, we’re going to make sure we can justify every penny we spend.” N.C. Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand (D-Cumberland)

(Johnson, Corey G., "Rand says financial efficiency vital for government," Fayetteville Observer, 12/16/08)

Is Corruption a Problem in N.C.?

With the news regarding Democrat Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his alleged attempt to sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat, North Carolinians are reminded of our state's own high profile corruption cases of the recent past. USA Today, meanwhile, released a study saying North Carolina was in the bottom third of states when it comes to corruption. The study is already drawing fire for ranking Illinois at 18th among states. Blogger Dan Gearino, on his Words Assembled Well blog, questions whether USA Today took into account the nature of N.C.'s corruption among top Democrat officials now in prison. We could not have made the point better ourselves.

Give us credit for our sleaze

In the wake of the latest allegation of political shenanigans in Chicago, USA Today published a state-by-state study of corruption to determine where it was most deeply rooted. It turns out that North Carolina was in the bottom third of all states, near the clean end of the scale. … My problem is that we don’t get credit for the quality of our political crooks. North Carolina’s corruption is top-shelf stuff, and we’re not getting recognized for it.

For instance, what other state can claim that its speaker of the House went to prison for (a) accepting bribes, (b) bribing other people, and (c) conducting his transactions in public bathrooms? By my reckoning, one House speaker selling out the integrity of the state in toilet stalls is worth ten small-town councilmen who get caught fixing traffic tickets or trading votes on zoning matters in return for Caribbean vacations.

Don’t forget that in recent years we also had both a U.S. congressman and a state agriculture commissioner go to prison for corruption, as well as the state representative our House speaker bribed (in an IHOP restroom, for the record). We even had an idiot prosecutor who wrongfully pursued a high profile criminal case in order to get re-elected. Sure, there was no money involved in that scam, and he only served one day in jail, but we should get extra credit for creativity. …

C’mon, USA Today. North Carolina’s corruption ranking deserves a second look. Give us our due. We’ll make it worth your while … if you catch my drift.

Problems of the Future Won't Be Solved With Failed Proposals of the Past

By Linda Daves
Chairman, North Carolina Republican Party

A special committee given the task to generate solutions to the many problems encountered by the state's transportation system was given a year to discuss the options and make recommendations. After a year's work, what is their plan to turn the state DOT around? Raise taxes. I can't say I didn't see this coming. Not only is raising taxes in this economy a terrible idea. It's uninspiring. It's unbelievable the people were promised solutions from this committee who took a year to come up with a plan that could be developed in five minutes. Additional revenue is always the preferred path of failed government bureaucracy.

The very existence of this committee and their proposed "solutions" demonstrates the problem. When the state faces serious problems, the Democrat leadership in state government commissions a study so they can tell their constituents they are "looking into this issue." The newly formed committee then takes a year to generate a plan that was likely already the preference of the few folks in control of state government. When new problems ensure, repeate cycle. There are no new ideas, no innovations, and no thinking outside the box to solve the problems of tomorrow before they can arise. We have a reactive state government and not a proactive one.

The state DOT provides the perfect example. Government bureaucrats want more of our money. This is not exactly breaking news. However, the state DOT and its top officials have already proven there is no amount of money they can't waste through poorly managed budgets, lack of professionalism and competence. Think about this for a moment. The state DOT is wasting so much money even the federal government won't invest more in them. Why should North Carolina taxpayers be expected to do so? Giving the state DOT more of our money without overhauling the way business is done in that department is just throwing good money after bad. In the private sector, when these kinds of shortfalls happen, people lose their jobs. In government, they receive additional funding. Overhauling DOT should be top priority. We need new management to develop new ideas because the stale plans of the past are only digging the people a deeper hole. We must create the opportunity for excellence in state government. Then we must demand excellence from our leaders.

Mileage tax among transportation funding ideas
By Mark Johnson
The News & Observer
December 11, 2008

A special transportation committee gave final approval Wednesday to a report that proposes a new tax on the number of miles a car is driven each year, as well as other options for generating highway and transit money.

The vehicle miles tax would be calculated during the car's annual inspection and likely would supplement or replace the gas tax. Legislators on the 21st Century Transportation Committee cautioned that a new tax is unlikely to advance during a budget crisis. …

Committee member Chuck McGrady, however, said the committee skirted the question of overhauling how the Department of Transportation operates after years of complaints about turf battles, political patronage and dysfunctional divisions.

"We haven't gone far enough," said McGrady, a Henderson County commissioner.

Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy, another committee member, cast the lone "no" vote on the final version of the recommendations, saying the vehicle miles tax unfairly penalized rural residents with long commutes and no public transportation. …

Steve Jackson, an analyst who focuses on transportation issues for the N.C. Justice
Center's Budget & Tax Center, criticized the report as lacking vision.

"The report offers no consistent vision for how to move forward," he said in a news release. "Given how fundamental our transportation problems are in North Carolina, this is very disappointing. The policy solutions suggested are more 1955 than 2055."

NCGOP E-Letter - December 10, 2008

DOT REFORM MUST BE DONE CORRECTLY
Professionalize DOT

Editorial
Winston-Salem Journal
December 7, 2008

North Carolina's loss of $25 million in federal transit funds -- temporary though it may be -- demonstrates that Gov.-elect Bev Perdue must appoint professional managers to head the N.C. Department of Transportation.

The Federal Transit Administration told North Carolina officials in November that they would not receive the funds because an audit found the state deficient in more than half of 21 areas of state responsibility regarding the money. …

The federal administrator's letter implies that the money will be distributed once DOT is better organized to receive it. And the state's DOT official responsible for the program, Roberto Canales, says the state is moving quickly to comply with the federal requirements.

Canales' assurances aside, this incident should be the final straw for North Carolinians vexed by DOT's repeated troubles. The department's problems go back decades, especially within its Division of Motor Vehicles.

North Carolinians know why this one department has had so much trouble. It is a dumping ground for political patrons.

Governors have filled the top spots in the department and most of the seats on the N.C. Board of Transportation with the people who helped them raise campaign funds. …

This is no way to manage such a large amount of public money.

There's a better way, and Perdue can look to the same pool of candidates spied by every town, city and county in North Carolina that needs a manager. The work force is full of professionally trained public administrators. Many of them have long careers working in transportation. Through education and experience they know how to run a government agency. …

Perdue says she will drastically reduce the political power of the Board of Transportation. But, without a corresponding move to professional management, that reform could actually be harmful. A political hack without a board to oversee him or her could cause a lot of damage.

To date, Perdue has not indicated her choice. We can only hope that she is poring over the resumes of real pros, not a list of campaign donors.

Click here for the full article…

EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM HELPS AT-RISK STUDENTS
Charters Deliver For At-Risk Students

By John Hood
Carolina Journal Online
December 8, 2008

RALEIGH – In a revealing example of Alexander Pope’s observation that “a little learning is a dangerous thing,” some left-wing politicians and activists in North Carolina seem to believe that because family structure and income exhibit a persistent correlation with student achievement, significant education progress is impossible without massive social programs or income redistribution. …

Recognizing that the old simplistic model of “dollars in, scores up” wasn’t panning out, many public educators and their defenders fell back on the almost-as-simplistic notion that public schools can only accomplish so much given cultural and socioeconomic conditions beyond their control.

Sure, studies show that demographics matter. All other things being equal, students from disadvantaged backgrounds tend to score lower and finish school less often than do those with stable home environments and household incomes near or above the median. But demography isn’t destiny. Socioeconomic explanations of test-score data tell us how the current system operates, and perhaps even that reformers of all stripes should avoid the temptation to overpromise. But they obviously can’t explain variances in school performance among students of like circumstances, or what results we could expect from an educational system featuring greater choice and competition. …

Consider the recent performance of two Southeastern NC charter schools run by the Roger Bacon Academy, a creation of entrepreneur (and John Locke Foundation board member) Baker Mitchell. Charter Day School in Leland and Columbus Charter School in Whiteville combine proven, phonics-based methods of teaching students of all backgrounds with firm discipline and a broad, classical curriculum. The two schools currently serve about a thousand students between them, and they do it at a lower cost than the public schools (because charters don’t get capital funding from Raleigh or their counties).

When the state’s 2007-08 test scores came out, there was a great deal of confusion and consternation across North Carolina, because the percentage of students deemed “at grade level” was so much lower than had been reported in the past. Though justified, the reaction overshadowed the lessons to be learned by comparing student scores across school types. As JLF’s Terry Stoops observed, the state's charter schools outperformed district-run schools on all but one measure.

At Mitchell’s charter schools, the lesson is unmistakable. Statewide, 56 percent of students passed the reading test and 70 percent passed the math test. At Charter Day School, the passing rates were 62 percent and 82 percent, respectively. But was this just because the charter school attracted students more likely to perform well?

Not at all. Among students eligible for free or reduced school lunch, North Carolina public schools as a whole posted dismal results in 2007-08: only 40 percent were proficient in reading and 57 percent proficient in math. But at the Roger Bacon charter schools, 56 percent of disadvantaged students were proficient in reading and 78 percent were proficient in math.

In other words, at Charter Day and Columbus Charter, the disadvantaged students matched or exceeded the average statewide performance of all public-school students. Is school reform possible without spending more money or redistributing family income? Absolutely. If you want to know how, take I-40 east.

Hood is president of the John Locke Foundation.

DEMOCRAT LEADERSHIP ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ON PROBATION SYSTEM
A deadly mess

Editorial
The News & Observer
December 9, 2008

The numbers are nothing less than frightening. Since the start of 2000, 580 people in North Carolina have killed someone while they supposedly were under the watch of the state's probation officers. That's right -- people who were supposed to be under that watch represented 17 percent of all convictions for intentional killings.

How can that be?

Let it be said that these criminals make their own bad choices, for which they themselves ultimately are responsible. But a properly functioning probation system would prevent a good deal of this mayhem. As things stand, the system, under the state's Department of Correction, has been poorly run. Too many of the officers apparently just aren't doing their jobs. There aren't enough officers and it's difficult to fill the ranks because salaries are low. And the tracking system that's supposed to be a tool to keep up with those on probation either doesn't work or hasn't been used properly.

Robert Guy, who's in charge under Correction Secretary Theodis Beck, offers a pitiful excuse for some cases. He says his chain of command has let him down. Beck says he's surprised by the numbers. Governor Easley said in a statement that more probationers need to be in jail, but he declined a request to be interviewed on the subject by The News & Observer. The N&O's Joseph Neff, Sarah Ovaska, David Raynor and Anne Blythe worked on the report. It is sad that the governor, even with just a month to go in office, would not be fully and publicly engaged in addressing this most serious problem.

Beck is leaving office on his own, retiring. Guy, who has held his job since 1997, looks like a good candidate for replacement after Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue takes office next month. And perhaps a few of those folks in the alleged chain of command need to go as well, because it appears to be a chain with many weak links. …

We are not talking here about some minor bureaucratic snafu. When the probation system doesn't work as it should, people die. The state must have a way of effectively monitoring those who are on probation and who may have tendencies to commit other crimes. Probation officers must keep up with them on a regular basis, and get involved.

At the same time, judges need to more closely consider whether probation is appropriate. Certainly in some cases it is, and it's far cheaper than stockpiling people in the state's ever-expanding prison system. But it's almost self-evident that, with more diligence on the part of the probation system, more people would be identified who ought to be in jail.

If more officers are needed, the General Assembly should provide the money for them. If salaries need to be raised, even in these tough times, so be it. If standards need to be higher and those who aren't getting the job done need to be given walking papers, so be that, too.

And so, incoming Governor Perdue, likely to face a huge budget shortfall and pressed to straighten out a troubled mental health care system, now also must make a priority of fixing a system of probation that has put the public at grave risk. …

Click here for the full editorial…

STATE LOTTERY SHOULD NOT EXPLOIT NORTH CAROLINIANS
Who has backbone to say enough's enough?

Editorial
Charlotte Observer
December 5, 2008

The State Lottery Commission wants to drag North Carolina even deeper into the gaming muck by pushing lottery tickets specifically on Latinos. That's wrong.

The chief reason? The lottery law prohibits targeting specific groups with advertising – and with good cause. Yet unless someone on the commission develops a moral conscience or somebody with clout says “Enough! Stop!” the state may be headed in that direction.

How about it, Gov. Mike Easley? Governor-elect Bev Perdue? Now would be a good time to step up and put a stop to this unseemly plotting before it goes any further.

Tom Shaheen, the lottery's executive director, says the state is missing out on dollars because some 200 of the 5,900 retailers that sell lottery tickets are in communities where at least half the people don't speak English. He wants to work up radio and print ads in Spanish, so those folks can get in on the fun. The ads would promote specific games or tickets.

First, Shaheen's crew will have to get around this edict, written clearly in the state lottery law: “No advertising may intentionally target specific groups or economic classes.”

Why is that clause there? Think exploitation. Think decency. A lottery is state-sanctioned gambling dressed in Sunday clothes. It preys on people who can least afford to lose their money, and it encourages gaming addiction. We need rules that keep manipulative advertising from suckering vulnerable populations, whether it's senior citizens or the poor.

You could argue that not running lottery ads in Spanish is discrimination against the state's residents who don't speak English. It isn't. It is refusing to exploit residents that frequently come here from poor communities, have cash to spend and may be more susceptible to the lure of easy money. …

How about it, Gov. Easley, and soon-to-be-governor Perdue? Who has the backbone to say enough's enough?

Click here for the full article…

Who Will "Fix" Our Economy?

By Brian Balfour
Red Clay Citizen
December 8, 2008

Not government.

Government cannot "fix" an economy - they can only break it. The only government action that can help matters is shrinking government's role and intrusion into the market. That's the prevailing theme of this article by Sheldon Richman.

"An economy is people pursuing their preferences by engaging in endless varieties of exchanges with others while coordinating disparate plans founded on unspoken expectations. It’s an amazingly orderly process — when it is allowed to operate in peace and without government intervention.

Unfortunately, governments rarely let it operate in peace. Government planning is power, and with only a few exceptions, most people attracted to top government jobs want to wield power. While they are incapable of fixing an economy — if that means restoring it to its consumer-serving function — they are capable of skewing it to their own purposes."

The massive power grab we are seeing now in DC will likely only get worse, and as government power over our economic affairs grows, our liberty recedes.

Click here to read the full post…

Berger, Stam retain Republican leadership posts

By Mark Binker and Jeri Rowe
Greensboro News & Record
December 8, 2008

Sen. Phil Berger, an Eden Republican who represents parts of Guilford County and all of Rockingham County, will serve a third two-year term as his party's leader in the Senate.

Democrats hold a 30-20 advantage in the chamber next session, so Berger will once again be minority leader, leading the opposition in a chamber his party hasn't won for the past century.

"We're going to try to do those things we've been successful at," Berger said after the election. "One of them being, we are communicating our position."

Berger said that Republicans would sharpen their message this year and provide specific counterproposals to what they see as missteps by Democratic leaders.

With Republicans next year only holding two of ten state offices elected at large - commissioner of Agriculture and Labor commissioner - Berger is one of the most prominent GOP voices in North Carolina.

Sen. Harry Brown of Jacksonville will be the Republican's deputy leader. Sen. Jerry Tillman, who represents Randolph and Montgomery counties, will be the Republican whip, a position responsible for counting votes.

Senate Democrats have not chosen their leaders for next session yet. However, Sen. Marc Basnight of Dare County told Scoop recently he planned to run again, and his chances of retaining his post are considered very good. Basnight has led his chamber's Democrats for 16 years and is widely regarded wielding influence rivaling that of the governor. …

Meanwhile, in the House,

Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam, a Wake County Republican, retained his post as House minority leader. Rep. Thom Tillis of Mecklenburg County will be the Republican whip. …

Click here for the full article…

NCGOP E-Letter - December 3, 2008

BROKEN DOT FORFEITS NEEDED FUNDING
U.S. withholds N.C. transit funds
The Federal Transit Administration doesn't like the way the state oversees local transit

By Bruce Siceloff
The News & Observer
November 28, 2008

The Federal Transit Administration has frozen $25 million in grants for mostly rural public transportation services across North Carolina, citing deficiencies in how the state Department of Transportation oversees local transit programs.

The federal agency says DOT's lapses have cost local transit programs in unspecified lost or delayed funds from Washington. ...

Yvette G. Taylor, the FTA's southeast regional administrator, said in a Nov. 4 letter to Canales that an audit found DOT deficient in 12 out of 21 areas of state responsibility. Her criticism centered on DOT's failure to submit an overall management plan describing how North Carolina allocates federal funds to local agencies and makes sure the money is spent properly.

"NCDOT will not be permitted to draw down FTA funds from any of the [fiscal year] 2008 grants until" Taylor's office approves the management plan, the FTA audit report said.

Taylor told Canales to fix shortcomings in how DOT manages grant money, helps local agencies with their planning and meets the state's needs for inter-city and charter bus service.

She said DOT has not done enough to make sure local agencies meet guidelines for vehicle maintenance, drug and alcohol testing for drivers and services for disabled residents, as well as equal-opportunity rules for hiring and purchasing.

Local agencies rely on DOT to distribute federal funds for a variety of transportation programs that help elderly, disabled, low-income and other mostly rural residents. ...

Click here for the full article…

BOYS WILL BE BOYS
Democrats Fight Amongst Themselves But Who Looks Out For North Carolinians?
Cooper criticizes outside-lawyer use

The Associated Press
Winston Salem-Journal
November 29, 2008

The office of N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper said yesterday that the state treasurer's office violated North Carolina law by hiring outside attorneys to advocate as part of a class-action lawsuit against mortgage-finance giant Freddie Mac.

A spokeswoman for N.C. Treasurer Richard Moore said that his office disputes Cooper's legal interpretation and that Moore was only fulfilling his duty to work in the interest of pensioners.

Cooper and Moore have been posturing for position over the case -- a high-profile lawsuit that will likely put investor anger at the subprime-mortgage crisis into the courtroom.

Moore, who oversees the state's multibillion-dollar pension fund, hired two outside law firms to try to persuade a federal judge that N.C. Retirement Systems be the lead plaintiff in the suit. Cooper's office said that Moore failed to pursue a competitive-bidding process to hire attorneys and violated state law by not getting approval for such hiring from the attorney general and the governor.

"The treasurer's office violated the law, and the attorney general has a duty to make sure the law is followed," a spokeswoman for Cooper, Noelle Talley, said. …

Click here for the full article…

Easley Fails Econ 101
By Brian Balfour
Red Clay Citizen
December 1, 2008

Like most elitist politicians, outgoing Governor Mike Easley feels it is his duty to try and "stimulate" the economy. The arrogance of politicians who believe the economy is something they can control and manipulate better than the millions of producers and consumers freely engaging in mutually beneficial exchanges never ceases to amaze - and depress - me.

Now we have Easley jumping on the "stimulus" bandwagon by rushing into more than $700 million in debt financed public works projects. The selling point, as always, is that government spending will "create" new jobs.

Government spending can not create any new jobs. Politicians and the public need to understand this. The money for these jobs must come from somewhere. In this case, the public works will be debt-financed. As the state issues debt to finance government projects, less investment financing is available to the private sector. Thus, the government projects crowd out private sector jobs.

In the future, these government projects will have to be repaid plus interest. The added burden of growing debt will therefore most likely be financed by increasing taxes - sapping money from the private sector and costing jobs.

In either scenario, no net new jobs are created, and we are left figuring out how to pay for an increasing debt.

Click here for the full post…

TIME FOR CHANGE IN MENTAL HEALTH IS NOW
This 'culture' must change

Editorial
Wilmington Star-News
November 29, 2008

Just how long does it take for a so-called health care institution to develop what one official described as a "culture" of neglect and abuse? Years? Decades?

Whatever the answer, Cherry Hospital apparently lost its mission statement long ago. North Carolinians already knew about the shameful events that led to the death of a 50-year-old psychiatric patient who was left sitting in a chair, without food or water, for almost a full day.

The Raleigh News & Observer recently posted videos showing several staff members at the Goldsboro mental hospital chatting, playing cards and actively ignoring Steven Sabock and one other patient as they sat in chairs a few feet away.

Many of these same staffers later managed to find time to falsify paperwork that indicated they were dutifully attentive to Sabock, who choked on medication, hit his head and suffered a fatal heart attack while the workers whiled away the hours.

Three workers were fired and a few others got a black mark in their personnel files after Sabock's April 29 death. That might have been appropriate if this were an isolated case. It wasn't. On Tuesday, two former employees were sentenced to jail time for kicking and beating a Cherry Hospital patient. Other employees have been fired over the past year for abusing patients.

An official with the state Department of Health and Human Services who oversees state facilities said the problem is deep-seated. Rather than treating and caring for these vulnerable patients, workers routinely ignored or punished them - while fellow employees looked the other way, according to the DHHS official, James Osberg. …

The federal government found the situation at Cherry so deplorable that in September it halted payments to Cherry Hospital; state taxpayers are now picking up the tab for this expensive but subpar care. …

But if there is, as Osberg indicated, a "cultural environment" of tolerating mistreatment of patients, that's not sufficient. Osberg says across-the-board firing isn't permitted. Too bad. So start at the top, and keep going until the "culture" changes.

Cherry and the other mental hospitals are only a part of the mangled mess that is North Carolina's mental health system. Governor-elect Bev Perdue, who has some experience in health care administration, has pledged to make fixing this broken system a priority.

It will be difficult, as she heads into office facing a possible $3 billion budget shortfall.

But this isn't optional. North Carolina's mental health system is broken in many places. The people who need its services can't wait until the state can "afford" to treat them right.

Click here for the full editorial…

SCHOOLS NOT FRIENDLY TO PARENTS
Parents Need More Choices in Education

By Terry Stoops
Greensboro News & Record
November 30, 2008

Recently, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction released test results for the state's school districts and schools. State education leaders claim that North Carolina's testing program, the ABCs of Public Education, is "a major step forward in improving schools." However, during the last 15 years, the state's testing program has done little more than frustrate educators, confuse parents, and inflate assessments of student performance. Rather than tinker with a broken accountability program, we need to find new and better ways to gauge the performance of our public schools.

To gain a better understanding of school districts' performance and learning environments, the John Locke Foundation recently graded the "parent-friendliness" of North Carolina's 115 school districts. This study used state data on teacher turnover, school crime, graduation rates, and eight other measures to compute average "grades" for the four areas that parents care about the most: administration, teachers, safety, and student performance. These grades were averaged, and school districts were ranked based upon their final grade.

Overall, the study concluded that North Carolina's school districts are generally not parent-friendly organizations. Most school districts received C's. No school districts received an overall grade of A, and only 19 districts received B's. There were 27 D's and five F's. …

So what common features can be found among the state's parent-friendly school districts? We need further research before we can pinpoint the combination of factors that contribute to success. However, school districts that fared well in this ranking were generally small districts with stable, high-performing teaching staffs. Most top-performing school districts, like Polk, Cherokee and Clay, enrolled fewer than 5,000 students. Of the top 10 parent-friendly school districts, only Lincoln and Carteret enrolled more than 5,000 students.

The lesson is clear. When it comes to meeting the needs of children and parents, smaller is usually better. On the other hand, socioeconomic status or income level did not appear to be correlated strongly to parent-friendliness. Five of the top 10 most parent-friendly school districts in the study had approximately half of their students eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch. Other top performing school districts -- like Alleghany, Richmond, and Martin -- had nearly two-thirds of their students eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch.

With no threat of losing clientele to competitors, many public school districts behave like the monopolies they are -- focused on strengthening the organization's position and goals first, and meeting the needs of children and parents second.

If we truly want to make parents full partners in their children's education, then we need to expand school choice in North Carolina.

Terry Stoops, a former public school teacher, is education policy analyst for the John Locke Foundation, a conservative think tank in Raleigh.

Click here for the full article…

PRESIDENT VISITS N.C. TO THANK VOLUNTEERS
Bush Honors N.C. Youth Program

WRAL.com
December 2, 2008

Greensboro, N.C. — President George W. Bush is thanking North Carolina volunteers who have served as mentors to children of prisoners.

Bush met with a few children and their mentors in Greensboro on Tuesday. After meeting with them privately, Bush said the children have ambitions and goals.

“By helping a child you can help the country,” Bush said.

Bush visited the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Greensboro. It has worked with Youth Focus Inc., a nonprofit agency, to match 220 children of prisoners with adult mentors.

The program is part of a national initiative, championed by Bush, that has provided mentors to more than 110,000 children.

Executive director of Youth Focus Chuck Hodierne said Bush made the analogy that everyone has to play the hand they’re dealt with, but “it’s what you do with that hand that really matters.”

The White House used the stop to emphasize Bush's efforts to support community groups as partners in solving problems. Bush encouraged anyone hearing about the mentoring program to consider taking part in it.

Bush made a second stop to present the President's Volunteer Service Award to Donna Hudson Turner. Turner is a 25-year volunteer at Hospice of the Piedmont. …

Click here for the full story…

Broken DOT forfeits needed funding

In case you missed it...

U.S. withholds N.C. transit funds
The Federal Transit Administration doesn't like the way the state oversees local transit

By Bruce Siceloff
The News & Observer
November 28, 2008

The Federal Transit Administration has frozen $25 million in grants for mostly rural public transportation services across North Carolina, citing deficiencies in how the state Department of Transportation oversees local transit programs.

The federal agency says DOT's lapses have cost local transit programs in unspecified lost or delayed funds from Washington. ...

Yvette G. Taylor, the FTA's southeast regional administrator, said in a Nov. 4 letter to Canales that an audit found DOT deficient in 12 out of 21 areas of state responsibility. Her criticism centered on DOT's failure to submit an overall management plan describing how North Carolina allocates federal funds to local agencies and makes sure the money is spent properly.

"NCDOT will not be permitted to draw down FTA funds from any of the [fiscal year] 2008 grants until" Taylor's office approves the management plan, the FTA audit report said.

Taylor told Canales to fix shortcomings in how DOT manages grant money, helps local agencies with their planning and meets the state's needs for inter-city and charter bus service.

She said DOT has not done enough to make sure local agencies meet guidelines for vehicle maintenance, drug and alcohol testing for drivers and services for disabled residents, as well as equal-opportunity rules for hiring and purchasing.

Local agencies rely on DOT to distribute federal funds for a variety of transportation programs that help elderly, disabled, low-income and other mostly rural residents. ...