Archive for the ‘NC GOP’ Category

Today, North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes shared his thoughts regarding Beverly Perdue’s budget veto by the North Carolina General Assembly.  He added facts that the liberals have chosen to overlook. When the television commercials are running, don’t forget the bullet points .  The liberals running the television ads certainly have!

Thank you, Chairman Hayes, for reminding us of the truth.  Let’s not forget to thank the “Party of Five” that stood with the Republicans, either.

 

Chairman Hayes’ Remarks:

North Carolina faces high unemployment and historic budget deficits because of decades of out-of-control spending and failed policies from the tax and spend Democrats in Raleigh.  Governor Perdue had a chance to work with Republicans but chose to politicize her veto stamp to protect the status quo and to energize her liberal base for her re-election campaign.

“Fortunately for North Carolinians, the General Assembly reached a bi-partisan agreement to reject Governor Perdue’s $1 billion tax hike and right-size state government to provide a better future for North Carolina’s families, students and job creators.  Our state’s fiscal problems were not caused by Republicans but this budget is a responsible first step by Republicans towards putting our state’s fiscal house in order.”

Budget fulfills promises made during the 2010 campaign:

• Balances the budget, closing a $2.5 billion shortfall
• Allows the temporary sales and income tax increases to expire, putting $1.3 billion back into the hands of North Carolina taxpayers
• Provides tax relief for small businesses allowing them to expand and put people back to work
• Protects education – fully funding all classroom teachers and teacher’s assistants
• Brings state spending in line with revenues and places North Carolina back on the path to fiscal responsibility

 

Right-sizes State Government:

• Cuts state spending by approximately 4%.  Spending has more than doubled in the past 10 years.
• More than doubles the amount of money in the Rainy Day Fund – $185 million
• Allocates $125 million for renovation and repair of university and state buildings
• Fully funds the state’s retirement system

Creates Private Sector Jobs:

• Cuts taxes for EVERY North Carolinian by allowing temporary taxes to expire, reducing the state’s sales tax from 7.75% to 6.75%
• Implements small business tax relief – exempting the first $50,000 of small business income from income tax
• Creates nearly 14,000 private sector jobs in the first year (30,000 over the next two years) by returning nearly $1.5 billion to the hands of taxpayers of North Carolina
• Extends unemployment benefits for 40,000 North Carolinians whose benefits have expired

Protects Students and Teachers:

• Republicans believe that every child should be reading by the time they leave 3rd Grade.  Currently 23% fail to do so, yet only 3% are held back.
• Reduces class sizes in grades 1-3 from 18:1 to 17:1 – adding more than 1,100 additional teachers
• Protects every teacher and teacher assistant position currently employed
• Provides liability insurance for teachers and school employees to help ensure their safety in the classroom
• Does not pass down fiscal responsibility for school buses, tort claims and worker’s compensation claims to the counties like the Governor’s budget proposed – saving counties $75 million
• Allocates $100 million to the Public School Building Capital Fund to assist counties in building, renovating and upgrading schools with new technology.  Governor’s budget proposed only $55 million
• Creates a performance pay model for teachers and state employees to retain and reward our state’s best and brightest employees

Protects Health and Human Services:

• Over half of all the budget reductions in the Department of Health and Human Services have been achieved through savings with no loss of services.  We have also maximized the swapping of federal block grant funds for state funds.
• All DHHS treatment facilities, schools, mental health hospitals and contract beds have been preserved.
• All 23 optional medical services in the Medicaid program have been preserved.
• We have paved the way for major Mental Health Reform in North Carolina.
• We have achieved pharmacy and medication savings through new initiatives to increase utilization of generic drugs.
• We have restored the Governor’s proposed cuts to local health departments and senior services, and taken steps to lessen the financial burden on counties.

 

URL:  www.ncgop.org/VetoOverride

 

Early this morning, a super majority of the North Carolina House kept a promise to taxpayers that a billion dollars in temporary taxes would expire at the end of this month. With all the cynicism in politics, it is refreshing to see politicians that signed AFP pledges against raising taxes keep that promise.

Voters should have renewed confidence in trusting some elected officials to keep their word. This afternoon the State Senate gave final approval to the North Carolina State Budget by overriding Governor (Beverly) Perdue‘s Budget Veto. We applaud this historic first-ever veto override vote. It has kept a promise to taxpayers, a promise that all too often has been broken.

Join me in celebrating the defeat of Governor Perdue and other liberals who attempted to raise another billion dollars in taxes.

As a member of Americans for Prosperity, you should be proud of the hard work to finally have a budget that funds core services, but that does not, for the first time in a decade, raise taxes.

We applaud the legislative leadership on passing this historic budget in record time despite the obstruction coming from the Governor’s mansion.

Dallas Woodhouse
North Carolina State Director
Americans for Prosperity

Like what we’re doing? Please consider making a donation to AFP-NC.  Your investment of $5, $10, or $15 will help AFP NC continue to fight against big government and out-of-control spending.

Governor Beverly Perdue (D-NC) is using her office to shill for campaign donations, again.   Is this the right thing to do?  Is this an abuse of her job? Is this fair to the taxpayers of North Carolina? The Governor sent out the following email before the ink was even dry on her veto.  Read it and decide for yourself:

Dear Friend -

Yesterday, after a great deal of careful consideration, I vetoed the proposed state budget sent to me by the Republican-led General Assembly.  I would like to take a moment to tell you why.

For generations, North Carolina has distinguished itself from other southern states as a place of opportunity, and a place that understands the value of investing in its people.  Education has been our hallmark – it has set us apart from our neighbors and propelled our economic success.

The Republican legislature has turned its back on our schools, our children, our longstanding investments in education and our future economic prospects. Their budget:

•   Shuns our most at-risk pre-school children by slashing Smart Start and More at Four, leaving these kids behind before they’ve even started Kindergarten;

•   Underfunds classrooms in K-12, forcing local school districts to lay off thousands of teachers and teaching assistants who will then be added to the unemployment rolls; and

•   Devastates our community colleges and universities in a way that will shut down programs, cause tuition to spike, and move career training and college degrees further out of reach.

Please stand with me once again and let’s keep North Carolina moving forward. (Donation link removed by KCC.)

Their budget will result in generational damage. It will tear at the very fibers that make North Carolina strong – not only our schools, but also our communities, our environment, our public safety system and our ability to care for those who need us most.

•   Our most vulnerable and sick will see medical and mental health services cut or eliminated;

•   Families will have limited resources as they care for their elderly, their disabled or their mentally ill relatives;

•   The natural environmental treasures that we cherish and that draw so many visitors to North Carolina will be at risk of permanent damage or destruction;

•   Historical sites that attract tourists and stimulate economic activity by commemorating our rich cultural heritage will be closed;

•   Just as hurricane season arrives, our ability to respond effectively to natural disasters will be hampered not just by cuts to crucial emergency management programs but also because this fiscally irresponsible budget leaves no money on the bottom line – that is, no reserve to help us deal with unexpected emergencies and disasters that can devastate the lives of our citizens; and

•   Fewer law enforcement officers will patrol our streets and supervise convicted felons, while victims will be forced to wait longer for justice.

Please stand with me once again and let’s keep North Carolina moving forward. (Donation link removed by blogger.)

The Republican legislature may be satisfied with a state in reverse, but I am not.

I will not put my name on a plan that so blatantly ignores the values of North Carolina’s people. I cannot support a budget that moves North Carolina backwards, especially since we have always been a state that leads the nation.

Please call your legislator and urge him or her to sustain my veto.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Bev Perdue

 

Before departing Cree on Monday, President Barack Obama signed a box for Cree leaders, left.   Cree execs were so proud, they tweeted out the photo at left from their official Twitter account.  A box is the least of their gift’s from Obama and his administration.

Meanwhile, Paul, a friend of this blogger, works at Cree and is a dedicated conservative.  Amazingly, he was NOT “selected” from the pool of employees to attend the Obama speech.

Started by NC State University grads, Cree is a pioneer in its industry.  It did not need to visit the government trough twice, but because it did, it’s adding an additional manufacturing line and is hiring an extra shift.  Thus, the plant will be able to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Research Triangle Park has rebounded from the recession faster than any other place in North Carolina, say experts.  So why give Cree all the money and attention?  Green jobs, say conservative leaders, are a marketing gimmick.  Your blogger agrees that if they are so great, why does the government have to pay us to purchase “greener” doors for our homes, for example. It’s a feel-good thing.

Do we really want the government to buy jobs in a company that was already doing well?  This company threatened to leave North Carolina until the then-Democrat-lead Legislature paid them off to stay in the form of “economic incentives”.

Not acceptable.

CBS lead their evening newscast lead with the fact that jobs are over 13% nationally.  Here in North Carolina, unemployment, is over 9%.  They noted that BHO won a squeeker in 2008 in a state that tends to vote Republican in national elections.

Obama told the crowd at Cree today to have patience.  Yet people here in the Triangle region of North Carolina, have none.  They voted the Democrats out in the mid-term elections, replacing a Democrat NC General Assembly with a Republican Majority.  It is the first GOP-lead NC Legislature since reconstruction.  And they say they will vote Obama out in 2012.

That’s why the Obama administration and campaign is focusing on this state.  Sadly, he’ll be back and you can be certain that Katy’s Conservative Corner will bring it to you, along with the back story.

 

On Monday, President  Barack Obama landed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport at about 11:00 a.m. EDT and headed to Research Triangle Park, on the Durham side.  Joining him on Air Force One were, according to Jonathan Kappler of the NC Free Enterprise Foundation, were Congressmen G. K. Butterfield (D-NC, 1st) and Brad Miller (D-NC, 13th).

Kappler also reported that Rep. David Price (D-NC, 4th) and U.S. Senator Kay Hagan (D) were on the ground to meet the president on the ground.  Later reports mentioned Governor Beverly Perdue (D-Craven) being on hand, as well.  Additionally, there were a number of public officials including Chancellor Randy Woodson from North Carolina State University.  During the short trip out to “the park”, Interstate 40 was temporarily closed, backing up traffic for miles.

Upon arrival at Cree, an industry leader in low power lighting, he toured the plant and promised an “announcement” on jobs.  Oddly, Cree, and already successful company, accepted stimulus money for “job creation”.  Additionally, within the past two years, they threatened to leave. The North Carolina State Legislature, then lead by Democrats, immediately voted to give that company “incentives” or  corporate welfare to “keep” them in the Ole’ North State.

Further, Katy’s Conservative Corner has learned that, for Cree employees interested in the speech, they have the option by management to either take the day off or to work four, ten hour days.   Many employees are upset.  They didn’t ask the president to come and neither did corporate executives.  But, with money comes obligation.

See more here.

Update 1:14 Sometime this hour, Obama is scheduled to make a talk about his “jobs” report.  This should be interesting. Labor Union Report posted on Sunday evening that many of those jobs would be “created” in China.  This blogger is currently searching for that link.  North Carolina is expected to be a battle ground state in 2012.

Charlotte was selected by the Democratic National Committee as the location for their national convention over the objections of unions, nationally.  North Carolina is a right-to-work state, but it isn’t for lack of trying.  The SEIU and other large unions have been fighting for card check legislation for the last several years.

Update 1:48 p.m EDT

The good people over at NC Americans for Prosperity are joking  on Twitter that they have an office pool on how many times potus says investments when he means wealth redistribution.

Update 1:53 p.m. EDT Obama has taken stage telling unfunny jokes about how he has aged since visiting Cree when he was running for office.

Obama is standing in front of backdrop “Jobs Council – President’s Council on Jobs…”  He says Cree has “doubled in efficiency just since my visit 3 years ago.”  Says he’s helping to lead a comeback in clean energy revolution.

News 14 Carolina, a Time-Warner only channel reports Obama was last in the state when he visited Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, NC in December 2010.

Update: 2:01 p.m. EDT This “speech” is being carried on national television such as Fox News and CNN.  No need to blog the details of the speech.  However, we will continue to bring you behind the scenes reports.

Update: 2:05 p.m. EDT Fox News has cut their coverage but you can find all of it on their website, streaming live.

While Obama discusses “Smart Grid” technology, my poor mother-in-law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina feels certain that her power company is going to cut her power in the middle of the day or night.  She recently received a letter from her power company saying they now have the power to cut her power if she used too much during peak time periods.  This woman will not use a dish washer, uses barely any air conditioner due to poor circulation, and only washes clothes at night.  She’s the type of customer any power company would love.  They should, in fact, use her as their poster child.  Yet, they send her threatening letters.

The poor woman calls KCC’s family terrified, thanks to this smart grid technology.  It’s along the lines of Democrats scaring old people, making them think that Republicans are going to take away their social security.

Update: 2:11 p.m. EDT Obama says he’s optimistic about our future.   He cites the positive example (ha ha) of the automotive companies coming back from virtual death just two years ago.

Update: 2:12 EDT Obama ends his speech with no questions.  ”Hail to the Chief” plays and the president leaves the stage.  Looks like time for clogged Interstate 40 East, from the Research Triangle Park exists to the Raleigh-Durham airport.

Your blogger finds it amazing that zero mention was made by any of the Television channels or commentators about the stimulus money that Cree took or the Incentives that Cree took from our state.  What a shame.  Of course they can add a third line and work 24 hours a day now.  All of our money made it possible.  For you who don’t even live in North Carolina, Cree thanks you from the bottom of their heart!

This blogger is glad she doesn’t have to fly out until Thursday.  KCC is headed to Right Online, but that’s another story!  This ends the live blogging portion of the visit.

See also:

http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/republicans_blast_obamas_triangle_trip

On Monday, President Barack H. Obama is scheduled to visit  Cree in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.  He plans to discuss jobs and the economy and we can be sure he’ll take credit for any successes and blame the Republicans for all failures.  The man does not understand how to accept responsibility, nor does he know that by keeping his greedy administration’s hands off, businesses of all sizes can flourish and attract more jobs.

In the latest sign Obama’s economic policies have failed, unemployment ticked up for the second month in a row to 9.1% while job growth plummeted to an 8 month low.

As the Grand Old Party often says, “Hope still isn’t hiring in America”

The President calls the current status of our economy a temporary “bump in the road” but it looks as if we are heading towards a dead end.

-          Debt is at $14.3 Trillion

-          Unemployment is at 9.1%

-          43 cents borrowed for every dollar we spend.

-          2.5 million jobs lost under Obama

-          Unemployment ticked up for the 2^nd month in a row

Even Democrats have noticed Obama’s lack of business acumen.

Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) said ”I do think that President Obama has had a bit of a tin ear as far as the business community goes.”

He’ll cite Cree as a model of success but he won’t mention that the company took corporate welfare (a.k.a. government incentives), just to stay in North Carolina.  He won’t mention the fact that Cree was ready to abandon the Old North State just as soon as the government’s (i.e. taxpayer’s) money stopped flowing.

Yes, Cree has done some amazing things with the solid state lighting technologies they pioneered.  They invented virtually the first commercially viable blue LED.  But paying them money to stay in North Carolina should NEVER have happened.  This blogger doesn’t care that every other company is at the taxpayer trough.  Cree is successful enough to stand on its own.

Meanwhile, the North Carolina Republican Party has released an ad “welcoming” Mr. Obama to North Carolina.   The Democratic National Committee sees NC as a key state in 2012 and this blogger expects to see more of him.   Each time he comes, we will be sure to roll out the welcome mat.  KCC  cannot wait until the Democratic National Convention.  We’ll be there and will be bringing it all to you.

Enjoy the video and please donate to place this ad on the air.

 

WILMINGTON Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn), a 2012 presidential candidate, was scheduled to speak to the North Carolina Republican convention.  After being held up in Washington to vote, she sent along this video instead.

In case you missed it, or wish to see it again, here she is:

 

WILMINGTON, NC – Today, 1161 delegates from 90 North Carolina counties voted to elect the Chairman and Vice Chairman to lead the North Carolina Republican Party for a two-year term at the 2011 North Carolina Republican State Convention.  The vote took place in the Exhibit Hall at the Wilmington Convention Center in Wilmington, NC.

Robin Hayes was re-elected by acclamation as Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party.  Chairman Hayes has been serving as Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party since his election on January 15, 2011.   He is a former United States Congressman from the 8th Congressional district and a resident of Concord.

Wayne King was elected to Vice-Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party.  King is the 10th District Republican Chairman, former Chairman of the Cleveland County Republican Party and a resident of Kings Mountain.

This event was being live blogged so please scroll down for the latest updates.

3:39 p.m.  Eve Carr - Moore County has approached the podium to speak.  She is nominating Tim Johnson for another term as Vice Chairman by discussing his many accomplishments, including his 21 years in the Army.

First black American to hold position since party’s inception in March 1867, she says.  She calls him remarkable for founding the Fredrick Douglas Foundation.  She says he’s not perfect and he’s had his challenges but feels that he is worthy of election.

Rules allow for three seconds to the nomination. Don Yelton (Buncombe), Mike Roll (Cherokee) and a third person whose name your blogger missed were those seconding Mr. Johnson’s nomination.

Next, Wayne King, chairman of the 10th Congressional District is being nominated by Neil Moore.  Moore, 9th District Chairman from Gaston County, is giving a humerous speech telling the convention of King’s qualifications for the position.  He discussed the speakers King has brought into the district and his dedication to the conservative cause.

Seconding the nomination were David Sawyer (Swain), Frank Williams (Brunswick), and Nathan Tabor (Forsyth).

Now for the candidates speeches:

First, by random drawing is Tim Johnson.  Johnson says he did not choose this position.  He says that God chose him, “like he chose Moses…”

Johnson admitted making a mistake by passing out a flier stating that Congressman Allen West supported him for Vice Chairman.  He said he later came to understand that West doesn’t support candidates in primary races.  He thanked the Tea Party for their support.

Now, candidate Wayne King is speaking.  Says we Republicans have much work to do.  We have the right message, the right voters.  We support lower taxes and less government.  But we must get serious about cleaning up the mess …the mess made by the Democrats.

King continued, “We have a great record.  Look at the job that Speaker Tillis and Phil Berger are doing.  We have great ideas.”  We must stay focused.

“I know how to raise the necessary funds to pick up more seats in 2012.  We don’t just talk about it.  Talk is cheap.    We were successful, because we met the voters where they were.”

King also stated that he had the Tea Party support and concluded that he was “tea party before there WAS a tea party”.

3:50 p.m. Now it’s time for the voting to begin. Your blogger must quickly join the Wake County delegation so that she may cast her secret ballot.  Back in a minute with the results.

4:16 p.m.  The voting by secret ballot has concluded.  Each county’s delegation caucused and collected the ballots.

4:17 p.m.  A roll call vote is about to begin where each county chairman will report that county’s vote total.

4:29 Roll Call Continues. Your blogger’s helper and beloved husband, Rob Benningfield, is working on the vote totals now.

4:44  The vote is coming down to the wire.  Johnson is clearly ahead on the raw vote total but King could still win it on the weighted total.

4:45  Now roll call for counties that did not vote earlier.

4:46 p.m. Wayne King wins! Congratulations to both Mr. King and to Mr. Johnson.  Johnson won the raw vote total but with the formula that has been in place for decades, Wayne King clearly came out on top.

We appreciate the service of Tim Johnson and thank him for his dedication to our party!

This ends the live blogging portion of the Vice Chairmans Race.

Please keep refreshing your browser to keep up with the latest posts.

3:47 p.m.  Chairman Billy Miller is calling the convention back to order.   He’s asked the convention to refrain from excessive talking.  The mic system is not very loud, and the delegates toward the rear of the convention center are having difficulty hearing.

3:51 Chairman Robin Hayes is reporting that Andrew Breitbart has a terrible case of pneumonia.  But with the glory of technlogy, after the luncheon on Saturday, the convention will reconvene a bit early and hold a “town hall” style meeting with Mr. Breitbart  live and online here in the convention center.

3:53 Credentials Committee Report – Jason Lemons

Lemons reports that things didn’t go quite as smoothly as “we thought”.  However, they did get everything straight, and he thanked his numerous volunteers who helped him get everything straight.

The convention is now going through a roll call of all 100 counties to get an accurate delegate count to ensure that the credentials committee report is in accordance with report of each county.  There is quite a bit of misunderstanding of the parliamentary procedure involved.

In this blogger’s opinion, at least 30% of the delegates on the floor Friday have never attended a State Convention and thus may be unfamiliar with the process.  Chairman Miller is kindly walking them through the process, along with handling proposed amendments to the credentials committee report.

4:13 Stand by.  Credentials Committee is briefly discussing a matter.

4:25 p.m.  The report is in. There are a total of 693 delegates credentialed for Friday. The convention added the 11 alternates were added as voting delegates for Friday, bringing the delegate count to 704.  Quorum for the day is 353.   If it appears that a quorum is not on the floor, any delegate can call for a quorum and business is suspended or concluded until a quorum is reached.

4:34  Many, many more delegates are expected on Saturday, when the elections of the State Chairman and State Vice Chairman will be held.  The credentials committee will again issue a report for those who have arrived for Saturday  and the bulk of the convention action will occur then.

4:36  There has been a lengthy discussion for at least the last hour over the timing when one had to be registered Republican to be able to register and be a delegate to this convention.   Apparently, this affects only one person here today.  We are not providing details as we value a living readership.

4:39 p.m. Quorum has become 354 rather than 353 because  of the lengthy debate over the seating of one individual.    On to the rule committee chaired by former State GOP Chairman Linda Daves of Mecklenburg County.

Mrs. Daves suggested several changes to the rules of the 2011 North Carolina State Republican Convention due largely to typos.   She also advised the delegates how to make motions, propose rules changes, etc.  During debate, if a delegate stands up to speak, that delegate may not debate again until everyone else who wishes to debate has been heard.  This assures that everyone is freely heard.

Mrs. Daves’ committee further suggested that wording be changed to indicate that there are two credentials reports, one Friday and one Saturday.  Everything else is basic grammar changes.

Today has been mostly procedural and not all that exciting to first time convention attendees.  This blogger believes that a few delegates and their children may have slipped out to enjoy the afternoon on nearby Wrightsville Beach.

As a veteran of over 20 annual North Carolina State Party conventions, KCC promises all political junkies that Saturday’s event will be much more exciting.

5:09 p.m. After a lengthy debate, again, the rules have been adopted.

5:11 p.m Now debate is moving into the Platform and Resolutions.  Usually this is exciting and takes a lot of time.  However, with dinner due to begin and your blogger’s hotel some distance away,  we sadly won’t be able to cover this for you today.

KCC ends this blogging session and will be back online at 7 p.m. when Rep. Allen West (R-Fla) speaks to a “Salute Our Troops” Tribute Evening Banquet.    Our next post will come to you from Hilton-Wilmington Grand Ballroom on North Water Street.  Until then…