Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
NC Teachers Need to Educate Themselves on State Budget
Teachers in North Carolina might want to educate
themselves on the state’s budget and subsequent reforms before making wild
accusations like the attendees in Raleigh on “Moral Mondays.” These bused in fools are regurgitating the
bile of their puppet masters. The point
of distress for many of these protesters is that NC is cutting education
spending; their master’s degrees are worthless; tenure is abolished, and they
haven’t had a raise in the past seven years.
All of the above is false, except for the abolition
of tenure. The following Carolina
Journal article puts the state’s budget in perspective:
RALEIGH — Although authorized
spending on K-12 public education in the newly enacted state budget will
increase by nearly 5 percent over the previous school year, opponents of
education reform have orchestrated rallies, flooded the media, and vilified the
Republican-dominated General Assembly for its sweeping agenda.
Lawmakers adopted a 2013-14 budget conference report authorizing $7.9 billion in General Fund spending on K-12 education, which is up 4.8 percent over the $7.5 billion budget enacted for the 2012-13 fiscal year.
"Since 2010, Republican legislators have made it clear that their policy agenda included a handful of core education reforms eventually incorporated into the budget,” said Terry Stoops, director of research and education studies at the John Locke Foundation.
“These include the expansion of parental choice, elimination of teacher tenure and certain pay supplements, implementation of a school grading system, and development of a performance pay system for school personnel,” Stoops said. “Simply put, this budget is the culmination of an education reform agenda that had been laid out for the last three years."
Acknowledging there are naysayers who claim that the reforms are an attempt to destroy public education, Stoops said: “The truth is that these reforms discard or dismantle policies approved decades ago at the behest of a handful of special interest groups. Legislators both modernized and diversified public education in North Carolina."
Now comes the hard part, he said.
“Status-quo teachers and administrators, along with the advocacy groups that support them, will do everything in their power to undermine these new policies during their implementation. As such, Republican legislators must remain vigilant,” Stoops said. “Otherwise, these worthwhile reforms will flounder through no fault of their own."
Overall General Fund allocations to education increase the share of spending on education from 55 percent of the General Fund budget last year to 56 percent this year
Lawmakers adopted a 2013-14 budget conference report authorizing $7.9 billion in General Fund spending on K-12 education, which is up 4.8 percent over the $7.5 billion budget enacted for the 2012-13 fiscal year.
"Since 2010, Republican legislators have made it clear that their policy agenda included a handful of core education reforms eventually incorporated into the budget,” said Terry Stoops, director of research and education studies at the John Locke Foundation.
“These include the expansion of parental choice, elimination of teacher tenure and certain pay supplements, implementation of a school grading system, and development of a performance pay system for school personnel,” Stoops said. “Simply put, this budget is the culmination of an education reform agenda that had been laid out for the last three years."
Acknowledging there are naysayers who claim that the reforms are an attempt to destroy public education, Stoops said: “The truth is that these reforms discard or dismantle policies approved decades ago at the behest of a handful of special interest groups. Legislators both modernized and diversified public education in North Carolina."
Now comes the hard part, he said.
“Status-quo teachers and administrators, along with the advocacy groups that support them, will do everything in their power to undermine these new policies during their implementation. As such, Republican legislators must remain vigilant,” Stoops said. “Otherwise, these worthwhile reforms will flounder through no fault of their own."
Overall General Fund allocations to education increase the share of spending on education from 55 percent of the General Fund budget last year to 56 percent this year
I can commiserate with these teachers. I wish I had the ability to tell my boss, he
can’t fire me, because I have tenure.
Oh, and I would like to have a minimum 5% annual raise. And by the way, I’m going to retire at age 50
and you’re going to pay me an annual stipend, along with all my health care
bills, until the day I die.
Geez, I wish I had that kind of leverage.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Obama Doesn't Need a Stinking Congress
Emperor Obama declared before an obsequious crowd in
Illinois, that he will do whatever it takes to shove his agenda down our throats. By hook or crook, the legislative process
will not hold up the Anointed One. It
doesn’t matter what Congress says. He’ll
do whatever he damn well pleases. Hell,
after the election, he instructed his aides to find ways to bypass
Congress. This man is a totalitarian.
Recently, his majesty flipped the finger at our
elected representatives. He, once again,
authorized another round of aide to the Palestinian Authority despite
restrictions placed by Congress.
On Friday, President
Obama waived congressional restrictions and ordered another $148 million to the Palestinian Authority,
claiming it was in the “national security interests” of the United States, the Washington
Times said
According
to the Times, the move comes as the administration prepares to host direct
talks in Washington between Palestinians and Israelis for the first time since
2010.
In March, the Times said, Obama directed about $500
million in aid to the Palestinians, bypassing congressional restrictions.
Secretary of State John F. Kerry said at the time that he
was seeking to give another $200 million to the Palestinians.
In late April, Obama did another end-run around Congress
and ordered $192 million in aid to the Palestinians.
Congress
is nothing but window dressing. We
really don’t have a separation of powers anymore. The House of Representatives
has the façade of originating spending bills.
But as we’ve seen, they’re irrelevant.
Laws are supposed to be introduced in Congress; instead, we have federal
bureaucracies writing regulations, which have the force of law; hence, another
end round of Congress.
To emphasize
the pathetic nature of our elected representatives, here is an excerpt from a
Newobserver.com article:
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. George Holding introduced
his first piece of legislation in Congress this week – a bill that would
require federal agencies to publish more information about rules they are
planning.
The Raleigh Republican calls the bill the All
Economic Regulations are Transparent Act. It would require federal agencies
once a month to report on all rules they plan to propose or finalize in the
coming year. The federal government would be required to post this information
on the Internet each month.
The bill would “help business owners know
what’s coming so they can determine what effect the regulations will have on
them,” Holding said. It also increases transparency by requiring federal
agencies to detail the effects of regulations, he said.
Holding has been a member of Congress since
January and was one of the last of 84 freshmen to introduce legislation.
So now, we’re begging these federal
bureaucracies to let us know in advance of their legislative intentions. Isn’t that special?
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/07/25/3058018/rep-george-holding-introduces.html#storylink=cpy
Sen. Kay Hagan Wants to Replace Fannie and Freddie with Another Government Agency
When I read that Senator Kay Hagan wanted to rid the
country of GSE’s Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, I couldn’t believe it. A Democrat wants to abolish a quasi-government
agency? This is practically unheard of. Here is a quote from the Charlotte Business
Journal:
“For too long, Congress
has ignored our broken housing finance system,” Hagan said in a statement
Tuesday. “It is time we come together, Democrats and Republicans, to resolve
this problem. This bipartisan bill provides an important road map for strengthening
our housing finance system and protecting taxpayers while ensuring access to
affordable, long-term mortgages for consumers.
“I look forward
to working with my colleagues to advance this bipartisan legislation that will
put our housing finance system on a stable path.”
And
“Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac continue to dominate the housing market — guaranteeing nine
out of every 10 mortgages made today,” Hagan's office says in a press release.
“Despite this unsustainable situation, real reform to the housing finance has
not happened since the financial crisis.”
Incredible! Finally, Senator Kay Hagan has opened her
eyes and sees the light. But then came
the caveat:
The bill would replace
Fannie and Freddie with a new government agency, funded by the financial
industry, that would offer insurance on approved home loans.
Currently, Fannie
and Freddie are in government conservatorship after they faltered in the
housing collapse of 2008. They have received more than $188 billion in taxpayer
aid, which is being repaid from profits as the housing market rebounds.
So Senator Hagan wants to
create another government agency that will end up being corrupted just like
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Unbelievable! Something must be in the D.C. water.
The Brad and Britt Show: Carpetbagger & Scalawag
If you’ve scanned AM radio in Charlotte, NC you’ll
notice a lineup change at the 3:00 – 6:00 drive time slot at 1110 WBT. Not even a year ago, the geniuses at this
station replaced Vince Coakley with a carpetbagger and a scalawag; two
unendearing qualities for a southern state.
Apparently, the geniuses who run that place believe their audience is a
bunch of country bumpkins who enjoy being berated.
Brad Krantz, the carpetbagger in this dynamic duo, promised
his NYC wife that North Carolina is just as progressive as the rotten
apple. When the Republicans took over
the General Assembly and the governorship, his tone became particularly
vicious. The same goes for his fat ass
toady, the scalawag, Britt Whitmore.
I hope these two enjoy their new digs at the after-drive
time slot. You know, the time everybody
is home enjoying dinner, family and relaxing.
Geez, I wonder when their contract is up. Ha!
Who cares? Nobody listens to them
anyway.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
A Thumb Sucking Marathon by Libtards Near and Far
I’m amazed at the thumb sucking by libtards near and
far. I’ve had to read and listen to
their whining ever since republicans took control of North Carolina's General Assembly and
the governor’s office. The GOP inherited
a god awful mess and they are trying to straighten this crap out.
Decades of Democratic corruption and mismanagement
have come home to roost. Now the adults
have to step in and take the bull by the horns.
You know our state legislators are doing something right when that fish
wrap, New York Times pens a diatribe of the Tar Heel State. Their complaint is no different than the rest
of the teat squawkers that infest Raleigh on “Immoral Mondays.” Here is an excerpt, published by that other
liberal rag, the Charlotte Observer:
The cruelest decision by lawmakers
went into effect last week: ending federal unemployment benefits for 70,000
residents. Another 100,000 will lose their checks in a few months. Those still
receiving benefits will find that they have been cut by a third, to a maximum
of $350 weekly from $535, and the length of time they can receive benefits has
been slashed from 26 weeks to as few as 12 weeks.
At the same time, the state is also
making it harder for future generations of workers to get jobs, cutting back
sharply on spending for public schools. Though North Carolina has been growing
rapidly, it is spending less on schools now than it did in 2007, ranking 46th
in the nation in per-capita education dollars. Teacher pay is falling, 10,000
prekindergarten slots are scheduled to be removed, and even services to
disabled children are being chopped.
What the Times didn’t mention is
that North Carolina owes the federal government over $2 billion for unemployment
payouts. They also didn’t mention the
$178 million in benefits that was overpaid in a 12 month period of time. Now, I’m a contractor and therefore don’t
qualify for unemployment. I have to set
aside money for just such occasions. And
I guarantee you; I’m not sitting on my ass waiting for the perfect job. I have to find work, even if it means doing menial
labor.
As for making it harder for future
generations of workers to get jobs because of cutting back on spending for
public schools, I say hogwash. Local
communities should make that determination, not the state. If they need to hire teachers they can pay
for it. Also, you can have a first rate
education and no one will hire you if businesses are constantly under assault
by onerous taxation and hostile regulations.
But that kind of logic evades liberals.
A good
business climate attracts companies and stimulates an entrepreneurial spirit;
thus, people get hired and salaries grow higher. Productive citizens will not need a
government teat such as Medicaid and they can contribute to state programs via
a sales tax when they purchase an item.
I ask, what is wrong with that?
No, liberals would rather target and punish job creators, because it
makes them feel superior.
No one can ever accuse a libtard of
sound economic policies.
Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/07/10/4158035/nyt-hits-nc-legislature.html#storylink=cpy
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
A Website Dedicated to Exposing Liberal Organizations
This is exactly what we need.
H/T: I Own the World
ACLU to Challenge Same-Sex Marriage Ban in North Carolina
Gay marriage has become a hot topic in this
country. I believe the Supreme Court
made an unconstitutional ruling when they struck down Section 3 of DOMA. Basically, five justices decided our
federalist system is antiquated and our elected representatives are window
dressing when it comes to passing laws.
Ultimately, we have a judicial oligarchy who will dictate policy from on
high.
Obviously, this is a back door attempt at striking down a constitutional amendment that was approved by more than 60% of the citizens of North Carolina. But that doesn’t matter to the 25% minority that rules this country. They will use the federal courts to impose their will upon us all. Why not? They’ve done it for the past 70 years.
What I find fascinating is how marriage developed in
the state of North Carolina. Here is an
excerpt from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina:
Marriage in North Carolina, until 1868, could be
either by license or by banns (public announcements) in the county where the
bride lived. It is estimated that in
North Carolina two-thirds of all marriages prior to 1868 were by banns, as they
were quicker and cheaper than licenses.
If a marriage by license was desired, a marriage bond, which was free of
charge, was procured to ensure that there was no legal impediment to the union. The bond was not proof of marriage but only
of the intent to marry. The consent of
parents or guardians was required if either party was under age 15 and had not
previously been married. Those not
wishing to bother with licenses and bonds could publish the banns on three
successive Sundays and then be married by a clergyman or magistrate. No public record was made of this
procedure. An act of 1868 transferred
the power to issue marriage licenses to the register of deeds and made the
license the only legal public record of the nuptials.
After 1851 all justices and clergy were required to
return licenses for marriages they had performed to the clerk of court; these
marriages were recorded chronologically in the Marriage Registers of each
county, few of which have been published.
Therefore, the absence of a marriage bond in North Carolina does not
indicate that the couple was not married in the state, but only that there is
no extant civil record of it. The
percentage of extant records of marriages performed in North Carolina prior to
1868 would be generously set at 20 percent.
The counties with the largest number of extant marriage bonds are Rowan
and Orange.
I don’t believe there is a single record of a
same-sex marriage during that period of time.
In retrospect, we don’t have the same sense of community or morality
either
Libtards Sign Petition to Repeal Bill of Rights
If the above video is any indication, we are
doomed. We have people in this country who
will give away their God given rights for the promises of a wannabe dictator. And you can damn well believe these people vote. And look at the politicians they put in
office: Democrats who sneer at our Constitution. Worse, these officeholders look to divide us
by any means possible.
Here is a comment by D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes
Norton on what amnesty means for whitey.
Norton replied,
“Oh, yeah and you got to watch out because Texas -- when Texas goes full blown
-- the Republicans better have it good now because they are not long for this
world.”
“Meaning what?” Erbé interjected.
“Meaning that the
growth of the Hispanic population is going to mean the end of this section of
this – this southern section white party of old men and they know it,” Norton
said. –
Notice that this
woman has no concern about our Constitution or federalist system. No, it’s all about vengeance and political
gain. Basically, to her, it’s about
having power over others. What a sad
state we’ve come too.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Obama's Anaconda is Slowly Squeezing the American People
The Obama administration’s Operation Anaconda is
slowing ensnaring millions of Americans into their government health care
rubric. In North Carolina alone, it is
estimated that 1 million of our citizens will qualify for subsidized policies. Keep in mind this state has a population of
about 9.7 million. That is a huge
percentage. And that isn’t factoring in
businesses that are going to dump their employees onto these exchanges.
Here is an excerpt from a Charlotte Observer article:
Chaney Stokes is among an estimated
800,000 uninsured North Carolinians who are expected to buy subsidized coverage
on the new health insurance exchange. In addition, more than half of the
roughly 435,000 North Carolina residents who already have individual policies
are expected to switch to the cheaper, subsidized coverage.
The majority of state residents who
have other types of insurance – a combined 7.6 million covered through
employers, Medicare or Medicaid – are not likely to see dramatic changes in
their insurance.
Enrollment in the new insurance
plans begins in October and coverage starts Jan. 1. As a practical matter, many
North Carolinians will have two options: Blue Cross and Blue Shield or Coventry
Health Care of the Carolinas. Both have proposed multiple plans that await
approval from the N.C. Department of Insurance and the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.
Under the law, North Carolinians who
qualify for subsidies are expected to receive more than $5,000 a year per
household on average to offset their insurance costs, according to the U.S.
Treasury Department. Subsidy levels will vary depending on income and other
factors under the Affordable Care Act, which is often referred to as Obamacare.
Those who don’t get insurance will
pay a fine, starting next year at $95 or 1 percent of income, whichever is greater.
For Stokes, the 1 percent rule would likely apply, bumping up her potential
fine to around $320. By 2016, the penalty will be $695 or 2.5 percent of income.
This country is over $17 trillion in
debt, and we’re going to subsidize this monstrosity? And they have no idea on how they're going to pay for it. This federal government anaconda is squeezing
the life blood out of all of us.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/07/07/4152686/1-million-north-carolinians-will.html#storylink=cpy
Rafael Cruz at Free the People
This man knows about totalitarian government from first hand experience. We can see where his son, Senator Ted Cruz, gets his passion.
H/T: Weasel Zippers
College Kids Discuss Independence Day
This is pathetic. Progressive education at its finest.
H/T: Weasel Zippers
Celebrating Independence Day at New Bern, NC
I drove to New Bern, NC to celebrate the Fourth of
July. They had a drum and fife corps
along with the reading of the Declaration of Independence on the steps of Tryon
Palace.
The man reading is portraying John Penn. He was a
signer of the Declaration. The woman is
his wife. And the gentleman standing
nearby is supposed to be the last loyalist governor of North Carolina: Josiah Martin.
I seriously doubt Governor Martin would have been
present for the reading. If anything, he
would’ve had John Penn arrested.
They even had period music.
If you're a history buff, you'll enjoy New Bern.
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