Sep 24 2008
Winston-Salem based Hanesbrands has announced it will lay off 8100 workers across five countries in order to expand overseas operations in Asia. The laid off workers will be here in the U.S. and Central America and include workers in four North Carolina cities: Eden, Gastonia, Forest City, and Rockingham. So much for free and fair trade.
Sep 04 2008
What I don’t understand is why anyone bothered to break up the fight? It’s sounds like three good ole rednecks going at it over mama’s 30 year old Pinto. Hell, let them stab each other to death. It’s called natural selection. Horace and Judd? 
Aug 28 2008
At a campaign event this past Saturday, State Senator Steven Goss (D-Boone) touched on the issue of push polling and it’s negative effect. I don’t know if there was a specific instance in recent days that prompted him to speak about this during his speech, but should push polling be put under better scrutiny.
For those who don’t know what push polling is it’s basically when an individual or group try to influence someone’s vote or view of a particular candidate under the guise of a poll. In other words, they might call you up and say “Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for Joe Blow if you knew he eats babies?” Even though Joe doesn’t eat babies, the question leaves the impression that he does. It’s dirty campaigning. Probably the most famous was the push poll that went on here in South Carolina during the 2000 Presidential election where the Bush Campaign allegedly called up several thousand people and asked them if they would still vote for McCain if they knew he fathered a black child.
Generally, attacks on public figures are pretty much cart blanche (as yours truly takes great advantage of) and in very rare cases can they sue someone for libelous statements against them. However, if the claim is blatantly false, should that be grounds for prosecution and/or compensation by the offending party? It’s a fine line to walk because it’s not always black and white to determine whether or not an accusation is ture or false. The Obama campaign, for instance, is currently threatening several television stations to pull an ad about his alleged friendship with domestic terrorist William Ayers. He says the claims are smears and lies, but Obama clearly has at least a minimal relationship with Ayers. So how would an instance like this be decided under a slander lawsuit?
Aug 24 2008
SPRUCE PINE, N.C. — North Carolina state Rep. Phillip Frye was sentenced to probation, eight months after his drunken driving arrest.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reported Saturday that the Mitchell County Republican pleaded guilty to driving while impaired, just as he had pledged to do shortly after hitting a parked car near his Spruce Pine home on Christmas Eve.
Sounds to me like Frye pretty much got off scott free. He escapes any kind of meaningful punishment despite the fact he could have easily killed somebody and since he has no opposition in the general election he will continue on as a representative for the people of the 84th District. This would be a good opportunity for an independent write-in campaign. Voters don’t like drunk drivers speaking for them. A well organized write-in candidate could be successful at ousting Frye in November. Any takers?
Aug 24 2008
Democratic officials in Western North Carolina praised Obama’s pick of Biden as his vice presidential running mate on Saturday, while Republicans said the seasoned Delaware senator only highlights the presidential candidate’s inexperience.
Buncombe County Commissioner and Democratic superdelegate Carol Peterson said Biden brings “decades of experience” and proven leadership to Obama’s ticket.
The problem is these years of experience Ms Peterson points out don’t gel with the change and hope message Obama has been pawning off on America since he began his candidacy. While I personally like Joe Biden, he represents over 30 years of entrenched Washington interests, not something new and innovative.
In the end I don’t think Biden will do anything for Obama anyhow. Historically, Vice-Presidential candidates do little to help the guy at the top of the ticket. John Edwards being on the ticket for Kerry did nothing to aid him in winning North Carolina.
Aug 18 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 18, 2008
Contact: Brent Woodcox, Communications Director, 919-828-6423
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
Victory 2008 headquarters opening Tuesday
RALEIGH - NCGOP Chairman Linda Daves and special guests will attend the grand openings of three Victory 2008 headquarters on Tuesday, August 19.
WHO: NCGOP Chairman Linda Daves and special guests
WHAT: Victory 2008 Headquarters Grand Openings
WHEN & WHERE:
Asheville
16 Regent Park Rd., Suite 1
Asheville, NC 28806
10:00am
Hickory
1899 Tate Blvd. SE, Suite 1105
Hickory, NC 28602
1:00pm
Charlotte
1515 Mockingbird Lane, Suite 218
Charlotte, NC 28209
3:30pm
###
Aug 17 2008
WASHINGTON - The Tennessee Valley Authority approved a deal that will make it easier for a real estate company, partly owned by Rep. Heath Shuler, to build a marina on a Tennessee reservoir.Shuler sits on a congressional committee that oversees the federal electric authority.
Under the deal, The Highlands Development Group will receive access to 145 feet of Tennessee Valley Authority shoreline at Watts Bar Reservoir outside Knoxville so it can build a marina.
Not cool, man. Not cool.
Shuler serves on a subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which oversees TVA.
The project started in 2005 before Shuler decided to run for Congress, the Waynesville Democrat said Thursday. He had no contact with TVA about the project, and his name didn’t appear on the proposed swap because it was filed under the name of a limited liability company.
“We had no contact with the congressman,” Francis said.
I’ll take Shuler at his word, but at the very least he shouldn’t be on the committee that oversees the TVA. Even the appearance of impropriety is too much. I don’t expect my elected officials to be purer than new-fallen snow, but I expect them to avoid stories like this. Shuler seems like a good guy, so I hope he keeps his nose clean.
And by the way… why the hell do we still have the Imperial Federal Nanny working on the TVA???
Aug 17 2008
WOODFIN - Fifty-seven workers rounded up in Western North Carolina’s largest immigration raid face deportation in a complicated legal process, and they likely will have little representation, immigration experts and advocates said Wednesday.
Hispanic community advocates spent the day reviewing options for getting help to family members of Mills Manufacturing Corp. workers taken into custody Tuesday.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, crimmigrants.
Aug 04 2008
The Libertarian Party of Buncombe County plans to have its annual convention today at El Chapala Mexican Restaurant.
The party’s candidate for governor, Michael Munger, and its state chairwoman, Barbara Howe, will speak and answer questions.
The convention starts at 7 p.m. at the restaurant, 868 Merrimon Ave.
Jul 28 2008
There has been a lot of news over the past week about the illegal alien mother whose children were left stranded on the highway in the middle of the night after she was pulled over and arrested on I-85 by an Alamance County Sheriff’s deputy. I totally support the 287g program because the problem of widespread illegal immigration needs to be dealt with and 287g is an effective program, however I don’t think this particular incident was handled as best as it could have been.
To start, it wasn’t the police that left the kids alone. There was a family friend riding with them who remained with the children. The problem is the family didn’t know him all that well, which is problem number one, and after the cops left the guy took off leaving the kids by themselves fearing he too would be deported. Eventually the kids called their father in Maryland to come and pick them up.
The problems here are obvious. I have no issue with the mother being arrested and readied for deportation. She was breaking several laws, but the police should have taken the children with them as well instead of leaving them with this man at two o’clock in the morning on the side of the highway. This was a stupid decision and those kids lives were put in danger. Fortunately nothing happened to them, but they may as well have just been thrown into the water at the end of a fish hook. Common sense did not prevail here.
The father, Antonio Perez, said he got a cell phone call from the sobbing children around 2 a.m. They had been headed from their home in Western North Carolina to visit him in Maryland. Perez, who doesn’t have a license and had to get his uncle to drive him, arrived at 10:30 a.m. to find his children scared, exhausted, hungry, and distraught over the loss of their mother.
“They were left abandoned there in the middle of the street,” Perez said. “It was a horrible experience for them, just horrible.”
I’m sure it was very traumatic for them and it shouldn’t have happened, however Perez and his wife need to hold themselves accountable for this as well. The bottom line is if the two of them weren’t here illegally sneaking around the country with their children in tow this never would have happened to them. There is clear fault on both sides here, but I think the Alamance County Sheriff’s Department need to revise their policies somewhat so that similar incidents of this nature don’t occur in the future.
Jul 28 2008
ASHEVILLE – The top Republican vote-getter in the race to determine who will govern Buncombe County said he will drop out before the Nov. 4 general election.
Retired dentist and former City Councilman Joe Dunn said Thursday his frustration over local attitudes, the political system and the toll on his family drove his decision to quit the county commissioners race.
This guy was the top vote-getter of both parties back in the primaries and had a more than reasonable chance of getting elected in November. This is bad news for the county GOP and it may even cost them a potential seat on the commission. If I was a Buncombe Republican I would be a little peeved right now at Mr. Dunn. He is no stranger to politics. He has served elected office before. I find his excuse for dropping out of this race to be rather poor. Is he claiming that his political history wasn’t enough to prepare him for the challenges of a commissioner’s race? None of this should be a shock to him and to drop out after all of this time due to “the political system” is a weak excuse and he’s wasted the party’s time and money that could have been used for another candidate.
Jul 22 2008
The Asheville city councilman said he would resume his bid once at least eight county GOP parties in the 15 counties that make up the Western North Carolina district committed to what he called “core Republican Party principles.” He wanted the county parties to promise to hold elected officials accountable to those values.
Mumpower said Monday that he has received word that eight counties had signed on to his plan. But he plans to press GOP officials across the state to commit to the same values.
I said back when Mumpower suspended his campaign that I didn’t think it was a good idea and I’m still not sure that I agree with his methods here, but nevertheless he seems to have gotten what he wanted out of it. Agree or disagree, I do admire the man’s committment to what he believes in.
Jul 14 2008
Republican Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower has suspended his campaign to unseat incumbent Heath Shuler, saying he’ll eliminate about 80 percent of formal campaigning until at least half of the Republican leaders in the 15 counties in the 11th Congressional District commit to core party principles.
“I’m not going to be doing any fundraising or advertising—there won’t be any active campaigning for the Republican Party,” Mumpower said this morning. “I’ll put things on hold until I get party officials to commit to the principles and to the process of holding elected officials accountable.”
Mumpower, an Asheville City Councilman, said he was particularly troubled by a recent vote in Congress to override President Bush’s veto of the Farm Bill. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and Shuler, a Waynesville Democrat, both voted in favor of the override to move forward a bill that Mumpower says is laden with “pork and special interests.”
I’m troubled by the way things are run in Washington too, but isn’t that the reason Mumpower is running for office? How does he plan to help fix these things if he isn’t there to vote against them and take some leadership in the House? If you want to change things you need to step up and get involved. You don’t just quit and cry and say you’re taking your ball and going home unless the rules change.
I’ve been saying for a year that I doubt Shuler would be beaten anyway and now I am certain of it. Heath can relax and look forward to another two years in Washington. The Republicans’ train has stopped and reached the end of the line. This campaign is a joke.
Jul 02 2008
SALUDA – Republican Party officials have canceled their float in this year’s Coon Dog Day parade after a dustup with GOP congressional candidate Carl Mumpower.
Mumpower says Polk County Republican Party officials refused to allow him on their float because of his comments about President Bush.
Mumpower had said that if elected, he would support impeaching Bush for his “failure to protect America’s sovereignty” by securing the Mexican border.
After his comments, some party members talked to his staff and “uninvited” him by phone, Mumpower said.
The Polk County Republican Party claims that a decision was made to only allow the Republican County Commissioners to ride on the float because there wasn’t enough room. That may very well be the case, but it’s no secret that Mumpower isn’t held in the highest of light with the party establishment. They can’t handle someone in the party giving an honest critique of Bush’s failures as a President along with the implosion of the national GOP on the heals of them deserting their traditional values. Unfortunately for Mumpower, this constant bickering between his campaign and the powers that be in the GOP is going to cost him the election.
Jul 01 2008
Rose Curto, Mexican Consulate consular in charge, said the consulate was doing nothing illegal. It only provided Mexican citizens with passports and other documents and providing services, she said. “We were asked to come here, because a lot of people would like to have the services we offer in Raleigh, but they can’t travel the four or five hours” Curto said. She said the consulate does not check the residency status of people visiting the consulate. “We only certify their nationality and their identity,” Curto said. Mumpower said the visit by the consulate only exacerbates the problem of illegal immigration in the United States. “The two biggest exports from Mexico are people and drugs,” Mumpower said. “These consulate representatives are only here to support one or both of those business enterprises.”
Now really, who does Curto think is coming to see them? My bets are on the majority of those having an illegal presence here. And Mumpowers is right. Mexico is not a friend of the United States. They have been exporting their problems to our country for decades and our own Federal government is a player in it. It is foolish what we allow to go on in this nation. This is just another example of how the Feds are going to have been dragged kicking and screaming by the people to step up and stop this once and for all.
Jun 27 2008
Mumpower has said he would support the impeachment of President Bush because of his failure to address illegal immigration and that he will not accept any funding from the Republican National Committee or be beholden to that group in any way.
Yeakley said he doesn’t think Mumpower would’ve defeated fellow Republicans Spence Campbell, a Henderson County resident, or John Armor, of Macon County, in the primary had he made his bold proclamations before that election.
“I’m not sure I can trust him,” Yeakley said.
I think Mumpower is right on the money. Bush has intentionally left our southern border vulnerable to appease the Mexican government. Three of our border guards are in jail for doing their jobs at the hands of U.S. attorney Johnny Sutton who I have no doubt went after these guys under the direction of the Bush Administration. Sutton even a gave a criminal drug smuggler immunity to testify against our own border guards! I remember watching a hearing between a panel of Senators and Sutton and even the far leftist Dianne Feinstein was disturbed by Sutton’s practices.
As for Mumpower not taking money from the RNC, that’s his decision, but I think it’s a fool hearty one for him to make. Shuler will be well funded and he won’t be easy to beat. On the other hand, I don’t know that the RNC would have much money to give Mumpower anyway.
Jun 24 2008
The system, called E-Verify, is part of a larger immigration act sponsored by the Waynesville Democrat emphasizing border security, employment verification and domestic enforcement of immigration law. If passed, the legislation would cost $17.3 billion over 10 years.
Shuler had planned to meet with Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce members and the public at the Crest Center on Monday but could not do so because of unexpected business in Washington, his staff said. Jonathan Scharfen, acting director of U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services under the Department of Homeland Security, and N.C. Rep. Charles Thomas, who is sponsoring state-level E-Verify legislation, spoke about the system.
Jimmy Cowan, a district field representative for Farm Bureau Insurance, said the
E-Verify system looked like it could work, but he was concerned it could be tough on farmers who needed to hire quickly, and could leave immigrants unemployed and more dependent on social aid programs.
“You’re going to have farmers over here looking for employees … and also you’re going to have another pool of folks that don’t have the income that they currently have,” Cowan said.
Cowan is making excuses. Having to go through E-Verify is not going to cause any significant delay to a farmer who has an immediate need for workers. Regarding social aid programs, the unemployed illegals won’t be dependent on them if they aren’t made available to them. The result will be they will have to go back to where they came from and go through the system like everyone else.
The bottom line is Cowan is defending farmers wanting to hire illegal aliens so that they can pay them slave wages rather than hiring an American worker and paying him an acceptable market wage.
Jun 12 2008
WASHINGTON – Rep. Heath Shuler’s immigration bill got another hearing Tuesday, but time is running out on his plan to require employers to use a government database to screen out unauthorized workers.
Lawmakers acknowledged they needed to do something about the millions of illegal immigrants working in the U.S. But many at a House immigration subcommittee hearing cited numerous problems with mandating that employers use E-Verify, the Department of Homeland Security’s screening database, which currently is voluntary.
No surprise there. The Federal Government has no interest in actually solving this problem. If they did they would have done it years ago. The only reason it is even being discussed is because the American people have forced their hand on it. All those years of Republican control didn’t get the issue resolved and there is no way in Hell the Pelosi Congress will pay the needed attention to it.
Jun 09 2008
ASHEVILLE – City taxpayers will help subsidize a performing arts center, a film festival, golf and buses to the tune of $2.2 million next year, supplementing services and facilities meant to support themselves through fees.
The services are set up as enterprise funds, operating like private businesses, according to the city finance staff. User fees are supposed to cover the costs.
But next year, elected officials plan to subsidize four enterprise funds with $2.2 million in city money, $2.4 million in state and federal taxpayer dollars and $248,000 from another enterprise fund. The money will go to transit, festivals, including the Asheville Film Festival, the Asheville Civic Center and the Municipal Golf Course.
Less then two months ago, Asheville was projecting a $3.9 million deficit for next year’s budget if all services were to remain at current cost. There have been discussions among the City Council of rolling back tax breaks due to this projected loss. The posting I made on this subject was responded to by Gordon Smith, author of Scrutiny Hooligans, who said,
I don’t recall the frivolous spending you describe. It’s called an economic downturn.
How now, does the City of Asheville explain to the taxpayers that they can afford $2.2 million in frivolous expenditures that are not vital city functions?
May 27 2008
The probe stems from Nesbitt’s long history of helping his son run his racing team, which until recently was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Merritt, a Republican, deemed the Democratic senator’s ties to the team and sponsor a “potential conflict of interest” that he should have listed in a financial disclosure report, according to an Ethics Commission opinion released by Nesbitt. The auditor has not made his findings public.
The Ethics Commission said it advised Nesbitt in 2007 that there was no need to disclose the relationships.
I can kind of see where someone might question this. Blue Cross Blue Shield is a health insurance provider and that is part of a huge lobby for States and the Federal government, but it’s not really Nesbitt that has the tie to them, but rather his son.
At issue is Nesbitt’s statement of economic interest, a form filled out annually by elected and top appointed officials.
Its nine pages ask about a series of financial relationships, ending with a request to list “any actual or potential conflicts of interest.”
Nesbitt wrote he had none. He says listing Blue Cross Blue Shield, just because it does business with his 41-year-old son, Mart, and frequently comes before the legislature, would open the door to questions about countless other potential omissions.
“Hell, my granddaughter goes to the public schools, and I like her teacher,” Nesbitt said. “That’s not why I gave teachers a raise.”
And that’s a good point.
This is a connection to a connection. How many degrees of a relationship does a politician have to disavow?
