Carolina Politics Online

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina legislative leaders will form a committee to study whether offshore drilling is feasible off the coast.

Senate leader Marc Basnight said Thursday he remains opposed to drilling to explore for oil and natural gas reserves. Basnight is a powerful Democrat from coastal Dare County.

But Basnight and House Speaker Joe Hackney have agreed to create a legislative panel to look at environmental concerns and what the state can do proactively on the matter.

Rocky Mount Telegram

Oil prices have dropped below $50 a barrel, but that in no way means they won’t go back up again.  Despite that threat Marc Basnight wants to risk plaguing his constituents as well as the rest of the state with unbearable gas prices which many economists say could return.  Furthermore, he wants to keep North Carolina dependent on foreign oil, an exchange which puts money in the hands of groups like Al-Qaida, all in the name of faux environmental fears.

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue has been opposed to drilling. But her campaign said she would be open to the idea if a team of scientists said it was safe.

And of course she’ll find a team of “scientists” who she already knows will be opposed to the idea, providing she even follows through with this at all.  Perdue lied throughout her campaign so why do we have any reason to believe she won’t once in the governor’s seat?

For Immediate Release
Contact: Rebecca Yount

November 1, 2008
(828) 441-2006

Johnson = Rubber Stamp for Liberals, Bad for Our Economy

Not a single contrary position to party leadership

HICKORY – The McHenry for Congress campaign today called attention to the liberal economic policy positions on which trial lawyer Daniel Johnson has built his campaign. Johnson has not taken a position on any issue impacting our economy that is contrary to that of his political party’s liberal leadership, Senator Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

On Tax Policy:

Obama, Pelosi, and Reid support allowing the middle class and small business tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 to expire, resulting in across-the-board increases in the federal income tax, higher taxes on retirement and pension accounts, a 50% reduction in the child tax credit, and the return of the marriage tax penalty.

Johnson has called ruling out tax increases on the middle class and small business employers a “gimmick.” (source: Mitchell Chamber Debate 10/23/08)

On Labor Policy:

Obama, Pelosi, and Reid support card check legislation which would subject workers to threat and intimidation by union bosses.

Johnson supports this measure, cutting workers’ wages and incentivizing employers to relocate outside the country. (source: ELBA Debate 9/25/08)

On Energy Policy:

Obama, Pelosi, and Reid oppose an energy policy that encourages drilling for American oil and natural gas by denying states a share of the tax revenue.

Johnson opposes a comprehensive energy policy, calling drilling “shortsighted” and inaccurately claiming that “not a single person will be employed drilling for oil.” (source: Lenoir News Topic 6/24/08, ELBA Debate 9/25/08)

On Immigration Policy:

Obama, Pelosi, and Reid support a “guest worker program” which is Washington-speak for granting amnesty to immigrants who are residing illegally in the United States.

Johnson also supports an amnesty policy that will cost North Carolina taxpayers billions in new social service benefits for illegal aliens. (source: WJRI interview 9/3/08)

“With Daniel Johnson acting as a rubber stamp for Washington liberals, who is going to represent Western North Carolina’s interests in Congress? Patrick McHenry, that’s who. Congressman McHenry’s record is a reflection of Western North Carolina’s mainstream conservative values. By opposing every bad trade deal and taxpayer-funded bailouts, Patrick McHenry is not afraid to take on his own party when their policies will hurt our local economy,” said Rebecca Yount, campaign manager.

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Driving back from Washington, DC on Sunday, I kept passing these strange signs with weird looking symbols on them. It wasn’t until I got close to North Carolina that I realized that these were gas stations, and those weird symbols were low prices.

So in case you’ve forgotten what low gas prices look like, here’s a picture-

This picture was taken in South Hill, VA about 20 miles north of N.C. Once you hit the state line, the price of gas skyrockets. So thanks, enviro-freaks, for preventing us from increasing the supply of oil in North Carolina markets. I’m sure the caribou appreciate it.

Oil has fallen below $100 a barrel, but Charlotte is still paying $120 a barrel prices.  The reason is Hurricane Ike and the lack of refining capacity in the Houston area to continue to meet the demand of the Charlotte region after the refineries were shut down or damaged.  The average per gallon price in Charlotte is $3.90 per gallon, roughly 40 cents above the national average. Here in York County, SC we are fairing slightly better than Charlotte.  I saw gas this morning at $3.69, but South Carolina is usually one of the lowest in the country, so this is not all that great of news.

That hurricane should be a major wake up call to Congress about the economic vulnerability of our nation.  When one storm can cripple an entire region of the country, that is a serious problem, not to mention a national security risk.  Osama can be sitting over in Pakistan right now stroking his beard and thinking to himself, “Gee, one big bomb in the Gulf of Mexico could wipe out half of America’s energy supply in seconds and cause an economic catastrophy never before seen.”

Yet, despite this threat and sizable inconvenience to the people of this region, candidates running for office like Larry Kissell, who is seeking to unseat Congressman Robin Hayes (R-NC08), refuses to support expanding domestic drilling to additional parts of the nation and instead insists on making his would be constituents wait a couple of decades for alternative fuel sources to be developed enough for practical use.  Presidential candidate John McCain continues to withhold backing of ANWR drilling, a project that would take up about as much space as the Douglas Airport in Charlotte and yet is stuck in the middle of an area roughly the size of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island combined.  While Obama states in his Web site that he supports shale drilling in the midwest and increased refinery capacity in existing oil fields, he still opposes offshore drilling in our own two states.  Furthermore, Lt Governor Bev Perdue had to be dragged kicking and screaming into saying that she would not be completely opposed to offshore drilling in North Carolina as governor, however her staunch resistance to this idea in the past casts doubt on her sincerity.

When Charlotte voters go to the polls next month these are some of the facts they need to be taking with them when making their decision.  Who is allowing you to live freely and who is taking it from you?

I received the following press release from the NRCC:

For Immediate Release: Contact: Press Office
September 25, 2008 (202) 479-7070*

Kissell Still Coming Up Empty on Energy

No Drilling, No Solutions

Washington – Despite an ongoing energy crisis in North Carolina and across the country, Larry Kissell adamantly insists that all will be wall as long as the country comes together to agree on a mysterious program, the details of which he refuses to divulge. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hit the North Carolina airwaves with an ad attacking Kissell’s opponent on energy, but no one not even Kissell himself can seem to figure out Kissell’s so-called energy plan.

Kissell likes to spin his non-plan as a solution to the country’s energy crisis, but every time he opens his mouth, it’s clear that he has little to offer the North Carolina voters who struggle with high gas prices every day.

When discussing the energy crisis at a campaign event, Kissell insisted upon giving a non-answer to a question about his non-plan:

Larry Kissell: We’ve got to have a program, not just bits and pieces.

Audience Member: Well what is your program?

Kissell: To pull everybody together and create a program that works.

Though Kissell refused to give any answer about what his “program” actually entails, his appearance
on WDYT Charlotte’s Mornings with Jon Robinson spells out a clear picture of just how big of a disaster Kissell’s energy non-agenda would be for North Carolina.

Jon Robinson: You mentioned energy. How about, would you support offshore exploration for natural gas off the North Carolina coast.

Larry Kissell: (Interrupting) No.

Robinson: or oil refineries…

Kissell: (Interrupting) No.

Robinson: What’s that?

Kissell: No.

Robinson: No? But you want energy independence… This is the power of the United States. What about oil refineries in the United States?

Kissell: (Interrupting) We can get it without having to do that. We do not have to sacrifice everything.

Robinson: ANWR…

Kissell: We do not have to sacrifice everything for the future, things for our kids? We’ve done enough of that already…

Robinson: So, the taxpayers have to pay more money?

Unfortunately for Kissell, this do-nothing, drill-nothing approach doesn’t hold water with North Carolina voters who demand immediate action toward lower gas prices and energy  independence.

I’m not a fan of Robin Hayes, but I am certainly not going to show Larry Kissell any support when he refuses to address this issue in a serious manner. North Carolina and the rest of the country is hurting over these high gas prices and this jackass refuses to support any common sense solutions and instead insists on speaking in platitudes about fantasy alternatives and a plan that doesn’t exist.   Kissell has so far proven that he isn’t a quality candidate for Congress and will be just another twit mucking up the works in D.C.

No thanks!  We have enough of those.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 18, 2008
Contact: Brock McCleary
(202) 225-2576

McHenry: Stimulate Economy by Lowering Gas Prices & Making Tax Cuts Permanent

WASHINGTON – With leaders of the Democrat-run Congress in the process of developing a second economic stimulus bill, Congressman Patrick McHenry today issued the following statement.

“We must strengthen our economy and create jobs by addressing the energy crisis and making the middle class tax cuts permanent.  It is undeniable that high gas prices are a primary cause of the economic recession. Last year, we drained $1 trillion out of the American economy by importing 66% of our oil from dangerous and hostile foreign regimes. And yet the Democrat-run Congress passed a bill this week that effectively blocks offshore drilling and any hope of increasing the production of American oil and natural gas, which would create millions of new jobs in the energy sector.

“Small businesses and middle class families can not afford to pay higher taxes right now.  Increasing taxes now would devastate the economy of Western North Carolina.  That’s why Congress must act to make the small business and middle class tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 permanent.”

###

Brock McCleary
Communications Director
Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10)
(202) 225-2576 (o)
(202) 368-2730 (m)
brock.mccleary@mail.house.gov

The House passed H.R. 6899 last night, otherwise known as the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act.  As I touched on yesterday, this is the House version of Lindsey Graham’s “Gang of 10″ bill that will do absolutely nothing to open up oil reserves off of our shores and lower gas prices.  This bill is nothing more than political cover so that politicians can go into the November election lying to their constituents that they voted for offshore drilling, when they didn’t.  Most of the coastal oil reserves will remain untapped under this bill and will have no effect.  Furthermore, the states will get no royalties from the drilling, so which state is going to okay this and take the slight risk of an oil spill without any revenue from it?  None of them will and Nancy Pelosi knows that.  Let’s not forget the tax increase the oil companies will receive as well which will get passed on to you and me when we’re buying our gas.

So who in the Carolinas voted for this hoax?  Who will lie to you between now and Election Day and claim they voted to lower your prices at the pump?  A lot of them.

Voting aye were:

• G.K. Butterfield (D-NC-01)
• Bob Etheridge (D-NC-02)
• Walter Jones (R-NC-03)
• David Price (D-NC-04)
• Mike McIntyre (D-NC-07)
• Robin Hayes (R-NC-08)
• Heath Shuler (D-NC-11)
• Mel Watt (D-NC-12)
• Brad Miller (D-NC-13)
• Bob Inglis (R-SC-04)
• John Spratt (D-SC-05)
• Jim Clyburn (D-SC-06)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aaron Groen

September 16, 2008
202-225-2071

Foxx slams no energy bill for stealing from North Carolina

Bill introduced last night would bar NC from oil revenue off its own shores

Washington, DC-Congresswoman Virginia Foxx today voiced strong opposition to legislation drafted behind closed doors that will prohibit North Carolina from receiving revenue from new offshore oil drilling. Instead all revenue from new offshore drilling leases will go straight into federal government coffers. The bill, HR 6889, does not allow for any amendments and was written and introduced without Republican input.

“This bill is a slap in the face to the state of North Carolina,” Rep. Foxx said. “It would lock North Carolina out of a share of the $2.6 trillion in tax revenue from new drilling right off our shores. What a sham.”

The new 290-page legislation was introduced just before midnight last night, only hours before it is scheduled for a vote. It does not allow amendments or Republican alternatives. In addition, bill was written behind closed doors and did not go through the normal committee process.

“This bill is wrong for North Carolina and it is wrong for America,” Rep. Foxx said. “Is Speaker Pelosi so concerned with placating her extremist environmental backers that she has to push through this legislation to lock coastal states out of oil revenue?”

“Today’s farce of a bill not only steals North Carolina’s new coastal energy revenue, but it also locks us out of the energy debate. Thanks a lot, Speaker Pelosi. This bill is a perfect example of the House
Democrats’ broken promises.”

Foxx today also voiced opposition to provisions in the legislation that would permanently lock up more than 95 percent of offshore oil on the west coast and 88 percent of offshore oil overall.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx is available for comment on this legislation and how it will hurt North Carolina. Please call (202) 225-2071 to schedule an interview with Rep. Foxx.

Note: Gulf coast states like Texas and Louisiana currently receive a share of revenues from offshore drilling, which last year were about $9 billion. The Norfolk, Va. Virginian-Pilot
reports that this bill blocks “coastal states from sharing in a $2.6 trillion bonanza of tax revenue expected to flow from offshore fields.”

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COLUMBIA — Angry motorists called in more than 3,000 complaints of gasoline price gouging to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office since Hurricane Ike first threatened to make landfall.

Now, state officials have to decide what is criminal and what simply is a painful part of doing business.

The Post and Courier

There was a report on WBT 1100AM this morning that there was a gas station in North Carolina charging $7.32 on Saturday.  I’m sure that most of the gas stations were charging honestly, but I still believe that the wholesalers supplying them were unreasonably raising their costs to the stations.

Congress is poised to open offshore fields to more oil and natural gas drilling, including areas along the Southeast coast, a dramatic turn-around driven by price panic.

Any such bill would have been dead in the water a year ago.

If passed, the bill is expected to leave it to individual states to decide whether drilling would be allowed. The prospect prompted a state senator on Monday call for immediate action in South Carolina, and a revenue-strapped Legislature appears ready at least to take a look at the idea, the royalties and other money it could generate.

The Post and Courier

This is that “Gang of 10″ bill that Grahamnesty has been championing.  It’s garbage and it will only make it more difficult to initiate offshore drilling.  First of all, this doesn’t include any west coast states, so the Pacific is off limits even though we already know there is oil there and there are already abandoned oil rigs off the coast of California just sitting there that could be up and running in about two years.  Secondly, the Atlantic and Gulf states have to approve the drilling which mean even if the Federal ban is lifted, they can still oppose it, which Florida has already stated it will.  Third, none of the drilling can be within 50 miles of the coast, the inner-continental shelf, where the oil actually is.

This bill is nothing but smoke and mirrors from Democrats who oppose moving us off of foreign oil and gullible Republicans like Lindsey who fall for the sham every time.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 16, 2008
Contact: Brock McCleary
(202) 225-2576

Democrats Block Drilling By Offering No Revenue to States

Robs North Carolina of $23.8 Billion

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry criticized the leadership of the Democrat-run Congress for proposing an energy bill that effectively blocks offshore drilling by not offering coastal
states, like North Carolina, any of the revenue from offshore leases.

According to the U.S. Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Services, offshore drilling leases would deliver $23.8 billion in tax revenue for North Carolina.

As has been widely noted, with no financial incentive, states would almost certainly veto any drilling off their coasts.  As a result, pro-drilling Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, has pronounced
the bill “dead on arrival in the Senate.” (source: Congress Daily, 9/15/08)

This appears to be the objective of the House Democrat leadership which has previously stated their ideological opposition to drilling for American energy resources.  Pointing to another of the Democrats’
motivations, Landrieu “said some environmental groups opposed revenue sharing, arguing it would put pressure on states to accept drilling that the groups opposed.” (source: The Virginian-Pilot, 9/13/08)

“The Democrats want to appear to support drilling while rigging the legislation to ensure no drilling actually occurs.  It comes with a wink and a nod to extreme environmental special interests who bankroll the Democrats’ campaigns,” Congressman McHenry said.

Congress Daily reports that Senior House Democrats confess their proposal is a “political exercise” not intended as serious legislation that would address the nation’s energy crisis. (source: Congress Daily, 9/9/08)

“With no chance of becoming law, this hoax of an energy bill guarantees that Western North Carolina will be paying high gas prices permanently. That is unacceptable,” Congressman McHenry stated.

###

Brock McCleary
Communications Director
Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10)
(202) 225-2576 (o)
(202) 368-2730 (m)
brock.mccleary@mail.house.gov

The League of Conservation Voters put Dole on the list today because of what political director Tony Massaro calls her poor voting record on environmental issues and the fact that she’s in a close race with Democrat Kay Hagan.

“Senator Dole’s record proves that she’s working in the best interests of Exxon/Mobil, not the people of Raliegh/Durham,” political director Tony Massaro said in a statement. “For Chevron, not the people of Charlotte. For the lobbyists of big oil, not the people of small town North Carolina.”

Charlotte Observer

Is this jackass serious?  Does he really think this is going to have any legs when we’ve got $4 per gallon gas out there?  The majority of people want offshore drilling and some rinky dink extremist environmentalist group isn’t going to change their minds.

If the League of Conservation Voters are so concerned about ties to “big oil” they ought to ask Hagan about the thousands of dollars she and her husband have invested in oil companies.

Customers in western North Carolina reported gas selling for $5.99 a gallon and frustrated drivers tried to find low prices.

“I just feel these oil companies can pretty well do whatever they want to do,” said C.K. Baker, 55, of Louisville, Ky., as he bought gas at a suburban station.

As refineries closed, governors in North Carolina, Kentucky and Arkansas signed orders or made declarations allowing their attorneys general to enforce anti-gouging laws. Officials in Mississippi said they would require merchants to justify questionable increases.

Asheville Citzen-Times

I just heard on the radio that there is a gas station in Indian Trail charging $5.39 for regular unleaded.  They interviewed the station manager who said the reason they raised the price so high is because they had to pay $5.31 for the gas they received from their supplier last night, so a lot of this could be a case of suppliers gouging to profit off of a disaster.

In South Carolina — where gas prices increased about 20 cents a gallon on average Friday — Attorney General Henry McMaster said gas stations that price gouge would face criminal prosecution. He said each case would be investigated separately to see whether prices were raised to an “unconscionable” level.

20 cents on average??  What part of South Carolina was that?  Try over a dollar up here in the border counties of the Charlotte Metro area.  The Citgo down the street from me is at $4.99 this morning. It was under $4 yesterday even after it jacked prices up.

This is another reason why we need to expand drilling in this country and push auto makers for more fuel efficient and practical alternative fuel vehicles.

Gas stations all over the Charlotte area are jacking up their prices because of Hurricane Ike making landfall in Houston this evening.  It’s understandable that prices may rise slightly due to the shutting down of refineries during the storm and the anticipation that some may be heavily damaged.  However, there is no excuse for what I saw this morning riding into work.

I live in Rock Hill in South Carolina, where gas is always considerably cheaper than over the state line in North Carolina, generally around 20 cents, because our gas tax is much lower.  Yesterday gas prices were around $3.55 on average in Rock Hill.  I leave for work this morning and I get to the BP on the corner of India Hook and Celanese where the price of regular unleaded this morning had jumped to $3.95.  Then a little further down Celanse was a Shell Station that was only at $3.65.  Then about a half a mile down the road from there at the I-77 interchange was another Shell Station charging $4.12!

I get into Charlotte and on Woodlawn Road the gas stations were only charging in the mid $3.70s and $3.80s, much cheaper than in South Carolina.  So I would like all the defenders of the oil companies to tell me now how this is the “market at work” and the appropriate free market response when there are such huge discrepancies within less than a mile.  You can’t tell me some of these gas stations aren’t taking advantage of Ike to rape the consumer.

Regarding last night’s debate in which Libertarian candidate, Michael Munger, was snubbed and not invited to participate:

Perdue said McCrory wants to drain public school funds to provide vouchers, which supply money for students to attend private schools.

Vouchers, which I don’t support, won’t drain public school funds because if you remove the child from that school the district obviously won’t need the money allocated for that child anymore since won’t be there.  That’s pretty simple logic.  Plus, the money that would be allocated to the private school would be less than the per pupil cost from the public district anyway.

The two tangled again over oil drilling off North Carolina’s coast, with McCrory questioning Perdue’s shift from opposing drilling over the summer to now pledging to study it. “The technology hasn’t changed in three weeks,” McCrory said.

This change in Perdue’s position on drilling just shows her twisting with the political winds of the day.  She’s not telling the truth anyhow.  She won’t allow drilling off of the North Carolina coast if the Congressional ban is lifted.

DURHAM – The Republican and Democratic candidates for governor didn’t even make it halfway through their first televised debate Tuesday before they dueled over who wants to drill for oil off North Carolina’s coast.

“It’ll create jobs. In the long term, it’ll lower the price of gas and natural gas,” said Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the Republican nominee and an unabashed proponent of building oil platforms off the North Carolina coast.

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, the Democratic nominee for governor, said she supports drilling off the coast — of other states, where oil companies already have drilling rights. Perdue said she wouldn’t make a decision about drilling in North Carolina’s ocean waters until hearing from a team of scientists and engineers.

The N&O

How do I know Perdue is scared of this issue?

Perdue said in June that she was “100 percent opposed” to drilling off North Carolina’s coast. Last week, she pledged to consult experts. Perdue gave her new position on the day a McCrory ad criticized her opposition to drilling.

The drilling issue is scaring the pants off the Dems because they know they don’t have a viable alternative solution. Once you say, “No, don’t drill”, you’ve better be able to follow it up with a damn good idea that makes us energy independent and will lower gas prices. Since the best the Dems can do is to tell us all to cross our fingers, think happy thoughts, and blame it all on George Bush, they’re dropping in the polls.

Perdue’s smart enough to see that if she doesn’t find some viable solution to N.C.’s energy worries, she’s gonna find out what the crappy side of Election Day feels like.

politifact.com

In the debate over how much new oil drilling to allow, Sen. Barack Obama has made a simple but potent-sounding argument against moving too fast. Before opening up new areas to drilling, Obama says, the oil companies should be required to drill the acreage they already have.

But Obama’s statement, coming from House Democrats, suggests that ‘non-producing’ acreage where drilling is permitted is land that oil companies are ignoring. That is simply not true. Years of exploration and federal permitting must be completed before leased land yields oil or gas. As a result, we find Obama’s claim to be False.

Let the lies from the Democratic Party and Barack Obama begin. And of course the mainstream media will not report it. Spread the word about what an empty suit Obama is and anyone who supports and endorses him. I do believe that Dan Blue has publically endorsed Obama.

I passed a sign the other day in Cary, a suburb of bee-you-tee-ful Raleigh, N.C., that advertised gas at about $3.65 gallon. Damn near ran my car off the road out from the shock of seeing such cheap gas.

 

But in the next moment, it hit me. It finally happened. I was so accustomed to being treated like a Shawshank inmate every time I bought gas that even three-freakin’-sixty-five a gallon became as appealing as water in a desert. Then I got all sad and weepy. “What has happened to us?” I wondered.

 

Then I blamed the caribou.

 

Actually, it’s a bit unfair to blame the caribou for our inability to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The truth is that ANWR is so God-awful miserable that even the caribou don’t want to live there. They much prefer to live alongside the Alaska oil-pipeline, which despite the most dire predictions of environmentalists, did not usher in a veritable caribou holocaust. In fact, the caribou population has quadrupled since the pipeline was built. Still, the enviro-wackos persist in more scare-mongering even as gas remains just short of an arm and will likely set it sights on a leg next year.

Continue Reading »

NBC-17

High gas prices have made for less congested roadways across the country, and right here in North Carolina. With every fill up drivers pay 18.4 cents a gallon in federal tax and add another 29.9 cents a gallon in state taxes. But recent studies show Americans drove 12.2 billion miles less this June compared to June 2007.

We are not going to get any breaks from the current leadership in the North Carolina General Assembly. And it will only get worse if we re-elect the Democrats back into the majority. No, not all of the Democrats are tax and spenders. They do however vote right along with the 5 or 6 Democrats who run this state.

The Democrats borrowed over $800 million this year WITHOUT voter approval and will continue to do as long they remain in power. No attempt was made to make cuts to the state budget that would allow tax relief for us. They support out of control Annexation programs and continue their corrupt behavior on a daily basis. Why did the State Ethics Commission violate procedures and maybe our law in allowing a Perdue aid alone with filed paperwork? And why did the employee who noted it get fired after the note was deleted?

Is this what you want in state government or do you want CHANGE in North Carolina?

Electing Pat McCrory and a Republican majority will allow us to bring leadership and economic common sense back to North Carolina.