Heard on the Street
Completing the takeover
Not only have Republicans taken over control of the state legislature but now they are moving to infiltrate the boards and commissions of state government. Republicans won’t be able to dominate those positions unless or until they remain in power for some time or succeed in winning the governor’s race in 2012.
The Senate appointments give an indication of what to expect. Art Pope, Godfather of all things conservative, will be appointed to The Golden Leaf Foundation Board. A healthy serving of Pope protégées are taking posts on state boards including Kory Swanson, Executive VP of the Locke Foundation, on the Seafood Industrial Park Authority; Becki Gray from the Locke Foundation (and frequent NC SPIN panelist) on the Museum of Art board; Lyndalyn Kakdelis, of the NC Education Alliance, to the Teaching Fellows Commission and Les Merritt, former State Auditor and head of the Pope-funded Ethics in Public Service foundation to the State Ethics Commission. Other appointments include former Senator Hugh Webster to the Global TransPark board, Curtis Media Group News Director Rick Martinez to the UNC Public TV board and former legislator Fern Shuford to the Lottery Commission Board.
Who said board meetings have to be dull? We’re betting most of the meetings of the groups listed above will be quite interesting to watch.
Heard on the Street
Look for the Perdue veto on the budget to come Monday, the same day President Obama comes to Raleigh. Will it get lost in the shuffle of the day’s news? Is that the desired purpose? One way or another it is coming, even though the Governor recognizes her veto will be overridden. Call it a runon veto….Perdue plans on running on her stand for public education come 2012.
The legislature left town Thursday after frantic Crossover activity in both chambers. It will be a few days before the dust settles and we really know what was passed. Leadership in both houses indicate committees will hold final meetings Tuesday, then vote to override the budget veto. They could adjourn next Thursday, waiting to return when redistricting legislation is ready to pass.
What’s up with Redistricting?
Maps were drawn and circulating to some legislators before Easter. We were told they would be presented and passed shortly after the holiday. So what’s happened to this legislation?
For starters GOP leaders have used the maps as political leverage in budget passage. Incumbents who didn’t support the budget could find themselves in more competitive districts come 2012. The more important reason for the delay is that leaders are trying to pre-clear the maps with the US Justice Department or the US Courts prior to presenting them. Seasoned legislators recognize there’s almost always a lawsuit that follows redistricting and are trying to avoid the entanglements before they begin. No word on whether or not they can get that clearance…but you have to admit it is pretty smart to try.
Holding for AG
Eastern District US Attorney George Holding is resigned effective July 8th as has been expected. The US Attorney is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Holding served in the office since 2002 and was elevated to the top spot in 2006. With the election of Barack Obama it was customary that this post would be filled by a Democrat but it was mutually agreed to allow Holding to complete his investigations and prosecution of former Governor Easley and former Senator Edwards. Holding will be remembered for his work in bringing to trial former Ag Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps, former House Speaker Jim Black, former Congressman Frank Ballance, former Governor Easley and now Edwards.
The rumor mill has rumblings that Holding will be preparing to run against Roy Cooper for North Carolina Attorney General in 2012. That same rumor mill is suggesting that Wake Senator Richard Stevens will be running for Superintendent of Public Instruction against June Atkinson. Republican legislative leadership is rapidly moving to vest full authority to the Superintendent. Step two is to elect a Republican to the post.
I firmly believe it is long past time for Conservatives to “takeover” at all levels of government. The Democrats, Progressives, and Liberals have had control for far too long, and the fiscal debacle, the loss of liberty, and general discontent we are in is the result.
On the national level the Democrat controlled Senate is blocking most attempts made by the Republican controlled House to change the horrible policies set by the previous Congress controlled by the Democrats.
On the State level it is the Democratic Governor who is blocking the Republican controlled Legislature from doing its job. It seems similar activity is happening on the local level as well. All of the political gaming will drastically be reduced after the elections in 2012 when the rest of the Democrats are voted out of the Senate, the Governor’s office, and the White House. How is that “hope and change” working out for us to this point? Not too good after almost three years, and things are worse!
Socialism, the redistribution of wealth, and Keynesian economics has failed everywhere they have been tried, and this mess we are in is definitive proof that the Democrat agenda will also ultimately fail at the polls in November 2012.
The redistricting issue is one that the Democrats are in need of a towel to cry in once the maps are made public. They have had autonomy during the last one hundred plus years, and have gerrymandered previous maps to ensure that Democrats won elections. This is also an issue that I believe was long past due for the Republicans to “takeover”. The sleeping giant is awake, stretching, and getting ready to sit up. Watch for the fireworks when he is dressed and out the door.
Roy Cooper has done a fairly good job respectively, with only a few mistakes that followed the Progressive agenda. However, his refusal to join the lawsuit with the twenty six other States against Obamacare will be his undoing. We The People shall remain free from overbearing Progressive governmental control in our lives. It is a natural right bestowed upon us by the Creator.
It is my hope that we and our posterity be kept in liberty’s light, and become a shining example of freedom for the world to follow.
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