Greensboro thinkers leading us back to sanity

First up, Ed Cone's recent column describing the true separation of powers our founders intended.

But government is not the only power to be reckoned with, and sometimes it serves as a necessary counterbalance to other forms of influence.

Suspicion of commercial interests was evident in the days of the Founders (they also believed that government could be too weak, which is why they took a mulligan and wrote the Constitution after the Articles of Confederation proved inadequate). Thomas Jefferson said that he hoped to "crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations." His successors, including Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, achieved greatness -- and helped save capitalism -- by standing up to corporate power.

Governor Perdue's first veto

Since vetoes are a fairly new (1997) and rare (less than 15 since establishment in the late 1990s) in North Carolina, it is noteworthy that a veto by the Governor of North Carolina has occurred today.

Multiple sources are reporting on the veto, but the official information is at the links below.

Governor's veto

Text of vetoed bill

History (drafts and votes) of vetoed bill

Note in this last link, this bill passed both chambers of the legislature without a dissenting vote.

Only three senators (absent) and Speaker Hackney (by tradition, the presiding House officer rarely votes) never voted on this bill.

5 years after Marriage Equality, Massachusetts has lowest divorce rate in nation

Here's the evidence, folks.

Gays have not destroyed marriage. In fact, they've brought the Massachusetts divorce rate down to where it was in 1940.

Facts and figures from the National Center for Vital Statistics among others.

No more can the NC media claim to just "be fair" when quoting the American Taliban and other theocrat lobbyists.

I've got the research right here. There's even a Daily Show clip to make things fun.

So how does North Carolina stack up against MA, or even Vermont - where civil unions have been in place for just as long? Take look at the chart.

Civil unions and gay marriage do not increase the divorce rate and do not threaten any straight couple's marriage.

2009 Legislative Session Wrap Up Thread

The NC General Assembly has adjourned its 2009 Regular Session. This thread is for providing links to wrap-up reports from different groups might be an interesting use of this blog. It may be more interesting to link to (or summarize) wrap-ups from less than progressive groups too.

NC GOP Leader Lies Again and Trashes Lesbian Mother In Front of Her Son

Anyone watching the debate in the General Assembly knows that House Minority Leader Paul "Skip" Stam (R-Wake) just can't stop lying about the School Violence Prevention Act, but this morning he outdid his usual unhinged ravings.

It's hard to fathom that any sane member of the bar (Skippy's a lawyer dontcha know) chosen to serve as leader of his party, can stand up with a straight face and say that same-sex parents are more dangerous than second-hand smoke.

This mind-numbingly idiotic and hateful remark was not made as part of a private joke in some dark hallway in the Legislative Building on Jones Street, but spoken aloud in the House Judiciary I Committee as Senator Julia Boseman stood there explaining the bullying bill - not a marriage or foster care or adoption bill - just a bullying bill.

What can one person do?

Remember.

Now, act.

"...It makes me give some thought to how fortunate I am."

Martha Mason of Lattimore, NC died today.

A quick story from ABC News on her a few years ago is here.

Postings from The Shelby Star are here.

Fellow bloggers, she greatly enjoyed following (ahem, Democratic) politics on her voice-activated computer. Reading her memoir mentioned in some of the articles would be as good a lesson in certain parts of NC history as anything else.

Martha, your Demon Deacons have been so good of late. Why leave now with football coming in a few months? My Tar Heel tears haven't quit falling since I heard this morning.

RIP

If the health plan is passed separately, why should the state care about bond ratings anymore?

While the state employee health plan is sucking up the oxygen of attention, it does not occur in a vacuum.

Also in the news of late is newly-minted State Treasurer Janet Cowell's warnings here and here about the state's bond rating should we not fully fund the state employee pension plan (in some part of the biennium - the two-year budget cycle).

While the Governor, apparently unstoppably, raids the rainy day fund to cover the state employee health plan debacle, the state employees are also coming to scream for more money for the pension fund.

Why can't health insurance have this option in North Carolina?

As you all probably know, North Carolina is very restrictive about creating pools of health insurance, but why?

No reason that a statute change by the General Assembly can't fix. So, which legislator will step up to file the bill to get this done this year?

If the Maine Chamber of Commerce can do this, why can't North Carolina?

The better question is why aren't chambers of commerce (and other associations) in North Carolina advocating for this change?

Rowan County Democrats vs. Wyoming Republicans

Quick, which is more cowardly and bigoted? Democratic Rowan County Commissioners or Republicans in the Wyoming House of Representatives?

If you thought blue state North Carolina Democrats had one up on Dick Cheney's home state Wyoming red-red-red Republicans, you'd be wrong.

Last night, the Rowan County Commission voted for a meaningless resolution concerning writing discrimination into the state constitution via a so-called marriage amendment.

Reading the link, you'll note that the cowardly Democrats on the county commission voted for this toothless nonsense. You might ask where was the resolution about divorce, or funding for marriage counseling, or myriad other questions.

I'm asking why North Carolina Democratic County Commissioners don't have the same level of sense as Wyoming Republicans.

BlueNC

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