Carolina Politics Online

Cumberland County Democrats think they picked a couple of November winners Thursday night.

Attorney Phillip Gilfus bested two rivals and will serve out the term of Breeden Blackwell as county commissioner.

Nursing instructor and bookstore owner Diane Parfitt won a vacant state House 44 seat after someone else who sought the office bowed out.

The seat belonged to Margaret Dickson, a Democrat from Fayetteville.

State law allows local party officials to make binding appointments.

The Fayetteville Observer

State Rep. Hugh Holliman, a Democrat from Lexington, is one of the most powerful members of the General Assembly — but in the conservative-leaning district he represents, that can be both a blessing and a curse.

As the N.C. House majority leader, Holliman has his fingerprints on every major piece of legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. This year, in addition to helping write a state budget amid a massive shortfall, Holliman championed a statewide smoking ban at businesses. It will take effect on Jan. 2.

But Holliman may face his toughest test at home in the 81st House District, where Republicans and interest groups are already gearing up efforts to unseat him next year. His re-election fight in 2010 is likely to be one of the most hard-fought and closely watched legislative races in the state.

The W-S Journal

Holliman, one of our dis-honorable mentions in the Jackass of the Year contest, will hopefully learn that there are consequences to treating your constituents like 3-year olds who can’t make their own decisions. Anyone who wants to retire that conceited arrogant fascist has as much support as I can give him.

Two Republicans have already declared that they will run for Holliman’s seat. They are Rayne Brown, a social worker who ran against Holliman in 2008, and Fred McClure, a Davidson County commissioner.

Holliman beat Brown in the last election with 53 percent of the votes to Brown’s 47 percent. That was during a tide of Democratic victories up and down the ballot. Next year will likely be a much tougher environment for Democrats, and the 81st House District is one of the few true swing districts in the legislature.

Where Hugh Holliman Lives

State Representative Nick Mackey (D-Charlotte), one of our favorite punching bags here, has got himself a primary challenger in next year’s election.  Mecklenburg County Democrat African American Caucus Chairman (wow, that’s a mouth full) Rodney Moore announced yesterday morning that he’ll challenge Mackey for the Democrat nomination next year.

Mr. Moore, we here at CPO give you our fullest, unabashed blessing.  Have at him!

N.C. Rep. Nick Mackey pleaded guilty Tuesday to contempt of court for his failure to show up for a December 2007 trial of a client.

The judge didn’t impose a jail sentence or fine. Instead, he entered a prayer for judgment continued and ordered Mackey to pay $262.50 in court costs. Under prayer for judgments continued, defendants generally plead guilty but are not sentenced.

Mackey could not be reached for comment.

The Charlotte Observer

That Nick Mackey continues to hold a seat in the General Assembly shames our state and is a daily indictment of a Democrat Party that doesn’t have the nads to kick his ass out of their caucus.

Mackey, meanwhile, faces a hearing next month before the N.C. State Bar’s disciplinary hearing commission. The bar has accused him of failing to pay multiple years of taxes on time and of poorly representing a client. He’s also accused of failing to disclose on his bar exam application that he was twice suspended as a Charlotte police officer.

Mackey has denied the charges.

          It looks like the head of the Wake County NCAE had a fit of anger before writing a email to her members. Who was she angry at when she decided to write the email in question? The voters perhaps. Perhaps she just has anger issues when she does not get her way. Granted this is just speculation on my part, but they are worth asking.

News and Observer

“They don’t care about children and it [is] now clear that they don’t care about teachers…WE HAVE [to] PLANT OUR FLAG IN THE SAND HERE AND NOW,” Lanane wrote.

          Wow, you should have heard the stuff she said before the election and before John Tedesco’s runoff. This shows her lack of judgement and fairness when people go to her organization seeking endorsements. Lanane, Sutton, and many others truly need to apologize to the voters in Wake County. If not I expect the 2010 N.C. Legislative races to get really nasty when those supporting Democrats chime in.

The North Carolina Free Enterprise Foundation has released their annual business rankings.  The group rates each member of the general assembly in regards to how effective they were in fostering a strong business climate in the state.  The ranking are based off of various votes in the general assembly throughout the year.  Additionally, they take input from over 300 businesses across the state through a survey in which they rate members of the state government on their likelihood in supporting the interests of the business community.

Looking over the rankings, nothing stood out to me as surprising.  The break down fell as you would expect, with the Republicans in both the House and Senate at the top of the list and the Democrats down towards the bottom.  Traditionally, Republicans tend to support free economic policies that allow businesses to grow and thrive whereas Democrats tend to support big government policies that stifle economic growth.  Despite that however, it must be noted that the highest ranking member in the general assembly is a Democrat.  State Senator David Hoyle of Gastonia scored a 90.8.  He was also the only legislator to break 90.  He bucked the trend for his party which is not unexpected.  He has always been a fairly moderate member of the legislature and I have always approved of his job as a legislator.  In the State Senate, Republicans took the next 17 spots.  The lowest scoring member of the Senate was that senile old biddy Ellie Kinnaird (D-Carrboro).

In the House, it was the same trend.  Republicans are in the top half while the Democrats are mostly in the bottom half.  Thom Tillis (R-Cornelius) had the highest score of 89.6.  The highest scoring Democrat was Jim Crawford of Oxford who placed tenth with a score of 82.9.  Just like in the Senate, the bottom of the list was held up by the usual left wing extremists:  Pricey Harrison, Paul Leubke, etc., what you would expect.

It will be interesting to follow this report in coming years because I think North Carolina’s business climate is beginning to lose its luster.  Although, Forbes did rank the state as the fifth best for business this year, but in growth prospects it ranked 33.  Once the full effect of the recent billion dollar tax increase kicks in, I think it will be more noticeable.

The Civitas Institute has released its 2009 Conservative rankings and the result is that the North Carolina State Legislature isn’t all that conservative. Well, there’s a shocker. This is the state that constantly raises taxes, hands out corporate welfare, and allows dangerous criminals to appeal their death sentence based on their race.

The rankings rate each state representative and senator on a scale of 0 to 100, 0 being not conservative at all and 100 being about as conservative as you can get. Nobody made it into the 90s. The best scoring member was State Representative Dale Folwell (R-Winston-Salem) with an 89.8. The State Senate was truly pitiful with only one member scoring in the 70s or above. That would be Senator Andrew Brock (R-Mocksville) who got just a 70.

Knowing the electorate of the state, it is very clear to me that the elected officials are not a remotely close representation of the people they are allegedly representing. It shows a clear disconnect between the government and the people and reiterates, as I have pointed out many times, the laziness and complacency of the people who keep putting them back in office.

At a gathering Saturday morning of 30 Democratic Party leaders from the 41st House district in western Wake County, Heagarty, former director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, was elected to replace former Rep. Ty Harrell.

Heagarty, 39, was selected from six candidates. The other five vowed to support him in next fall’s election.

A graduate of Enloe High School and N.C. State University, he is on track to receive his law degree from N.C. Central University in the spring.From 2000 to 2007, Heagarty was executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, a nonpartisan group that aims to improve the quality and responsiveness of election systems.

 The N&O

And what about Ty “Light Up the Night” Harrell? He had to resign after the House and the State BOE launched separate investigations into campaign finance irregularities. In July, his wife filed for divorce, claiming that Harrell was ”engaging in an adulterous affair with his mistress with whom he is still involved”, and that Harrell “would stay out until the early morning hours, spending time with other women and engaging in excessive use of alcohol.”

I remember seeing his wife campaign for him last November, and she filed for divorce in July. I wonder when she decided that enough was enough?

I’d also like to remind the residents of N.C. House District 41 that you knew that Ty Harrell was a tax cheat. It came out during his first campaign in 2006 that he was several years delinquent on taxes. But you still elected him, only to see him raise your own taxes. Nice. Then you re-elected him in 2008. You get what you vote for, District 41. When you knowingly elect a tax cheat, don’t be surprised if he proceeds to cheat on his wife and cheat the system too.

People have asked me why I am running for the State House 33 seat in the North Carolina legislature.
I have to respond that “We are losing our freedom and God given rights on a daily basis”.

People ask me why in a state so dominated by the Democratic Party why I am running as a Republican.
I have to respond that “My core principles are a best fit in the Republican Party. It is apparent with the level of corruption and quid pro quo that is happening in North Carolina, we are corrupt only second to Illinois”. Let me be blunt, the Democratic Party leadership is responsible.

I have been asked what we can do about jobs in North Carolina. I have been asked what we can do about returning this state and District 33 back to prosperity.
First we need to reduce the tax burden on the small businesses and people who are the spenders in this capitalist society. And at the same time we need to go back to zero based budgeting. It is common sense to only budget what we NEED and what we can AFFORD as a state.

Another question that has come up is the Defense of Marriage act.
Unlike my opponents I am fearless when it comes to defending marriage being defined as the union of one woman and one man at one time. This is especially important in District 33. I will put any opponent I face next year in the spotlight concerning this issue.

I have been asked about forced annexation and property rights in this state.
Those two issues are both separate and connected in some way. The municipalities are allowed to annex without reservations any blocks of unincorporated land in their zone of influence. And the Supreme Court allows a government to take from you to give to another private entity. These are both issues where we need to pass laws not allowing either one of these issue without those citizens approving it.

I have been asked about redistricting and how that will affect us in the future.
Republicans have to win the State House and or State Senate next year. And we need the help of independents and Conservative Democrats next year. Not winning is not an option. Gerrymandering, some of which has been struck down by the courts, disenfranchises many voters.

How are Republicans going to win?
We need the grassroots volunteers and most of all we need money. $20 dollars from many people will add up for us state level candidates, and donations of $100 will be critical. In my case I can expect my opponent to raise close to $50,000. My campaign as an example will need at a minimum of $20,000 to get out the mailers to like minded voters before the election. If 1,000 people gave $20 or even 500 gave $40 that would equal the minimum.

I am enthusiastic about the results of the School Board elections in Wake County. It was a bipartisan effort by everyone along the entire political spectrum that brought change to our schools. Unlike the current House 33 seat holder, I will be on a mission to do what is right for all of House 33’s citizens. Listening to the citizens will be my first priority.

While the State House election is next year, I would like to respond for one reason. Rosa Gill has decided to interject herself into our local non-partisan school board elections.

I would like to ask Rep. Rosa Gill-Democrat one question, “If you were doing such a great job as Wake County School Board Chairperson, and really cared for the children, why did you quit to take Dan Blue’s seat in the NC Legislature”?

News and Observer

I pay taxes so I have the right to ask for change. Excluding parents from the process and shipping their children across the county is wrong. The parents have as much at stake as anyone here. With the horrible graduation rates, the parents have had to pick up the slack from a HUGE and encumbered education district.

These letter writers are the same ones that accused Republicans of being status quo while they voted for what they thought was change. I turn it around and say that these people want to continue the failure of our children. They are fighting against positive real change with everything in their arsenals. Hypocrites maybe but status quo for sure.

John W. Pope Civitas Institute

In a recent USA Today article summarizing how states balanced their budgets this summer, Vice President of the National Taxpayers Union Pete Sepp declared, “With a few exceptions, states have been able to avoid the doomsday projections that big tax hikes were on the way.”

Unfortunately, North Carolina was one of those “exceptions.”

Democrats like Chairman David Young always use the class warfare theme of taxing the rich. Except in this instance they raised the sales tax and created many new fees. And of course a higher sales tax has an ever increasing impact on the poor and middle class. The more money they take out of your pocket means less freedom for you and more power to the government.

I do hope everyone sees through the smoke and mirrors being put out by the North Carolina Democratic leadership. Even a newly appointed Democrat in House 33 has only towed the party line. She has not voted against any Democrat bill. One has to wonder how many Democrats below the leadership actually read the bills.

If you disagree with the last tens years remember that off year municipal and next year’s elections are your opportunity to throw off the yoke of a possible socialist agenda. I do not use that word lightly and I do not throw it around. I implore you to fight back against the tide.  I am truly afraid of what is happening to us locally and nationally.

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina state Rep. Nick Mackey wants dismissed a State Bar complaint alleging he failed to file timely tax returns and failed to disclose his internal affairs problems while a police officer.

The Bar released Monday Mackey’s response to a disciplinary complaint filed in July against the Mecklenburg County Democrat. A hearing is set for December.

WCNC

I am so jealous that I don’t have a state representative as honorable and distinguished as Nick Mackey.  Did you notice the sarcasm dripping from my mouth?  One can wonder if Mackey will be able to make it through another election.  Sure, he did it before, despite all of the skeletons emerging from his closet, but he was challenging a white guy before.  This is what you get when racial politics take hold.  I would imagine a black candidate, unscathed, will emerge at some point to take him on in next year’s primary.  You would hope.

Unfortunately no, I’m not talking about Bobby.  The man of which I speak is now former North Carolina State Representative Ty Harrell (D-Raleigh).  Harrell has been under investigation for some funky campaign expenditures that don’t look much like campaign expenditures at all.  It sounds more like he’s been dipping his hand in the cookie jar.

Harrell’s campaign expense report for January through June of this year showed an unusual number of expenses for a year with no election. Many of the expenses were to restaurants at a time when Harrell had no source of income other than his nearly $14,000 legislative salary. In an earlier report, he listed paying $235 to a pricey children’s clothing store and $191 to Sharon Luggage, with both identified as a “committee meeting.” and the descriptions of the expenses often were listed as “donor recruitment,” “strategy meeting” or other explanations that the elections board found insufficient.

The elections board’s staff has since asked for more than 200 pieces of additional information on Harrell’s filings, an unusually large request.

Harrell has been living outside his district for more than a month at a friend’s house. His wife, Melanie Dupon, filed for divorce in July, alleging an extramarital affair.

In his letter to Hackney, Harrell thanked him, other lawmakers and voters for the opportunity to have served in the legislature.

The News & Observer

At least now he’s qualified to serve on the state liquor control board.  He ought to give Bev a call.

State Representative Jim Gulley (R-Matthews) has decided to retire from politics and I sure won’t miss him.  Thanks to Gulley, North Carolina inherited the corrupt and disgraced House Speaker Jim Black.  They were friends, so that was clearly more important than the constituents he was representing.  Hopefully the 103rd district will be a lot more careful in choosing his replacement next year.

Civitas:

According to House Bill 1005, “An Act to Allow the Department of Transportation to Participate in Funding Fixed Rail Projects That Do Not Include Federal Funds,” the state has now put it in writing that they are going to get funding for (light rail) one way or another.     

What is evident is that North Carolinians do not prefer to travel by train. Being cognizant of that information doesn’t seem to matter to some legislators who prefer to continue to side-step that fact.  Changes to the bill were endorsed by Reps. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg) and Nelson Cole (D-Rockingham). Only two areas in North Carolina are truly vocal about their desire to add light-rail services: Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham.  Of course with the state opening its checkbook, other areas will probably now get interested.

After spending almost $150 million dollars in taxpayer money the Triangle’s light rail spending proposal didn’t receive federal funding because the projected population density and ridership numbers weren’t sufficient. Light rail services don’t fall directly under the parameters of President Obama’s $8 billion recovery spending plan for high-speed rail service either. The state has already asked the feds for $76 million of that money. So if and when stimulus and U.S. Department of Transportation money begins to be pumped into the state, the backup plan is to spend our own money on said light-rail projects – just because. 

Instead of coming up with creative ways to pay for light-rail services, or making decisions based on sound evidence, lawmakers have chosen to keep taking water from the well and pursuing dead end deals. This is another indirect way of growing government and raising taxes.

From Civitas:

The nanny-staters are at it again with HB 1384 – Shopping Carts/Prevent Exposure to Germs. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Earl Jones (D – Guilford), would “encourage” retail outlets that offer customers shopping carts to make free sanitation wipes available near the store entrance.

The purpose of the bill is to “protect consumers from shopping cart handles that may be contaminated with bodily fluids, including blood, saliva, mucus, and urine, and fecal matter, by encouraging that the means to disinfect or sanitize nonporous surfaces on shopping carts be provided to the public.”

I don’t know about you, but if I see a cart with blood, urine and fecal matter on it – I’m telling the manger and leaving the store. A Clorox wipe is not going to put me at ease.

Of course, using the term “encourage” indicates that stores will not be required to provide such wipes under this law. But we all know what will happen if stores are not complying at a high enough rate – the next law will force retailers to comply, imposing yet another government cost on business owners.

Many stores that offer shopping carts already offer free sanitary wipes, but apparently not at the rate Rep. Jones finds acceptable. Store owners should be free to decide whether they want to supply the wipes, and customers would be free to shop only at stores that supply such wipes – if they choose to do so.

Thankfully, the NC House saw the uselessness of this bill and defeated it by a 44 to 73 vote on May 14, 2009. While it ultimately did not pass, it goes to show the types of bad ideas emanating from the hallowed halls of the General Assembly in 2009.

From Civitas:

Hard cases make bad law. That phrase is an apt description for why HB 1261 is this week’s bad bill of the week. HB 1261 sponsored by Rep. Nick Mackey(D-Mecklenburg) and Rep. Earline Parmon (D-Forsyth) criminalizes cyber-bullying and makes it punishable as a misdemeanor. While HB 1261 may have good intentions, that’s the only thing that is good about it. For starters, the legislation is ill-defined, near impossible to enforce and unnecessarily expands the powers of government.

Among other things, HB 1261 criminalizes the use of a computer or computer network “with the intent to intimidate or torment a minor.” The law also criminalizes statements, whether true or false, that would “tend to provoke or that actually provoke any third party to stalk or harass a minor.” These are broad, far reaching statements. How do we prove intent? How do we define intimidate, torment or harass? Unfortunately, HB 1261 fails to speak to any of these issues. HB 1261’s expansive scope will in reality work to limit basic freedoms of speech and give government more control over everyday life.

 HB 1261 limits our freedoms at a time when there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that cyber-bullying is a growing, prevalent and serious problem among teenagers. That said, one wonders: who’s doing the bullying?

The General Assembly has mercifully gone home, but Civitas is still plunging the depths to dredge up bad bills:

Just when you thought you saw all superfluous spending from this year’s legislature, HB 197 floats to the surface. Introduced by Reps. McLawhorn (D-Pitt), E. Warren (D-Pitt), Tucker (D-Duplin) and Haire (D-Jackson) , HB 197, titled “Funds for Queen Anne’s Revenge,” authorizes government spending for continued research on the sunken ship.

Queen Anne’s Revenge is believed to be the flagship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard, which is said to have sunk in 1718 near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. The funds totaling $400,000, distributed over the next two years, will go to Queen Anne’s Revenge Project, a team of archaeologists who “investigate, interpret and preserve the remains of Blackbeard’s flagship.” The bill explains that the money will allow critical matching of federal and private grant funds already given to the project.

Beneath the water lies not only the begotten ship of the dreaded pirate Blackbeard, but a complete misuse of government spending. Amidst the crisis of rising unemployment and increased budget cuts across education, public safety and healthcare, it is irresponsible for our legislators to fund such underwater excursions. Researching history should be a priority; however, using public funds to support this project when private money already exists is not acceptable. Spending like this has already led to another shipwreck – North Carolina’s economy.

I’m not sure I agree with Civitas on this one. I’m as fiscally conservative as they come, but the Queen Anne’s Revenge is a national treasure that needs to be preserved and protected. Yeah, private funds are better than government funds for this project, but I’m not opposed to tax dollars being used for some historical preservation.

Robert Pittenger also attacked this project when he ran for Lt. Governor last year, and I remember thinking the same thing when he labeled this project as government waste. Teapot museums are waste. $25 million piers are waste. Historical preservation? Not always wasteful.

The General Assembly has approved a landmark bill that will allow death-row inmates to challenge the death penalty by arguing that there is systemic racial bias in the way that capital punishment has been applied.

Under the bill, which is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Bev Perdue, an inmate will be able to present statistical evidence showing racial disparities in how the death penalty has been used. If a judge finds the evidence convincing, the judge can overturn that inmate’s death sentence and convert it to a sentence of life in prison.

Similarly, in future murder trials in North Carolina, judges will be able to block prosecutors from pursuing the death penalty if they find a historical pattern of racial bias in the use of the death penalty.

The bill is seen by its supporters as a long-overdue solution to a history of discrimination that they say permeates the criminal-justice system and the system of capital punishment.

Opponents, including prosecutors and victims’ groups, say that the bill substitutes statistical data and historical trends for the particular facts of a case. It will, they say, set up an enormous roadblock for capital punishment and reopen old wounds for the families of murder victims.

The bill, which supporters named the N.C. Racial Justice Act, has been the subject of intense debate and legislative wrangling for months. Last night, the N.C. Senate voted 25-18 to adopt a version of the bill that had been approved by the N.C. House last month. In both chambers, Republicans opposed the bill, and most Democrats supported it.

The Senate’s vote sends the bill to Perdue, a Democrat. A spokesman for Perdue said that she will closely review the bill but is likely to sign it.

Winston-Salem Journal

I wrote and warned about the passage of this bill several times.  The result of this going forward is that every single black male that gets convicted of murder in the State of North Carolina will be allowed to fight and avoid the death penalty for no other reason than being black.  White murderers?  You’re gonna die.  Black guys?  Don’t worry about it.  You get to keep on living at the expense of the taxpayers for as long as your ticker keeps ticking.  They will fight what they claim, and yet cannot prove, is racial discrimination in the justice system with racial discrimination in the justice system.

The Democrats have run the state government since the mid 1800s with only one break where the Republican picked up the State House majority for one term.  The Democrats have been successful in state politics because they were of a more moderate, common sense breed than the national party and have been very pro-businesss with policies bringing jobs and industry to the state for several years now.  Unfortunately, those traditional old school Democrats in the legislature have been dying off and are getting replaced with more and more far left radicals.  With the passage of this bill the North Carolina Democrats have officially become a party of out of touch, senseless, emotionally based illogical moonbats.

Civitas weighs in-

At a time when state budget makers are warning about potential “deep cuts” to education and the need to “protect the classroom,” along comes HB 1128 – Funds for Healthful Living Coordinators, sponsored by Verla Insko (D – Orange).

The purpose of HB 1128 is to “provide one full-time healthful living coordinator in the central office of each local school administrative unit.” What would the newly invented position of “healthful living coordinator” entail? According to the bill’s language, “The healthful living coordinator shall design, support, implement, manage, and evaluate a district-wide coordinated school health program that will address childhood obesity prevention and other health related issues.”