Discrimination vs. destruction

Gene Nichol's letter to the editor today (N&O) is an important read. Some excerpts follow.

First, the array of possible claims in the name of religious freedom is, literally, boundless. The Supreme Court has entertained cases asserting faith-based commands to engage in polygamy, discriminate on the basis of race, smoke peyote and conduct live animal slaughter or to refuse to enter the draft, pay taxes, contribute to Social Security, obtain a photo ID, go to school past the eighth grade and wear the prescribed military uniform while on duty.

Constitutional deformation coming soon!

Senator Ralph Hise, ( District 47 -Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Yancey) has introduced Joint Resolution 507:

... under the authority of Article V of the Constitution of the United States,
the North Carolina General Assembly has applied to the United States Congress to call a
convention of the states to amend the United States Constitution and adopt a countermand
amendment to authorize the states, upon a vote of three-fifths of the state legislatures, to nullify
and repeal a federal statute, executive order, judicial decision, regulatory decision by a federal
government agency, or government mandate imposed on the states by law that adversely affects
the interests of the states, in order to properly exercise the states' constitutional authority to
check federal power, preserve state sovereignty, and protect the rights of the states and the
people….

Religious Freedom or Religious Dictatorship?

Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho and Indiana.

What do these states have in common? The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, legalizing discrimination.

The American religious theocracy is on the march. When will those who value freedom of religion stand up together and say, No!

Welcome the highest bidder!

Have we got a deal for you! The Dorthea Dix property back at NCGA!
Some people simply can't let the city of Raleigh have nice things.

A bill filed late Thursday by three Republican N.C. senators would put the 308-acre Dorothea Dix property up for bid – likely revoking a deal reached between Raleigh leaders and Gov. Pat McCrory to create a park.

Common Core & Ft Bragg

When I had the opportunity to speak at NCGA's Education hearing on the Common Core (CC), one of the points I made was that having the same expectations nation-wide was not a Communist plot but merely common sense. My family moved a lot during my childhood. Although we were not a military family, in 12 years of public education I attended 10 schools in 4 states.

About that comeback

Triangle Business Journal is reporting that personal income in North Carolina is rapidly falling behind the national average. In fact, year after year, our personal income has seen less growth than the national average.

North Carolina per capita personal income, percent change from year to year (U.S. average)
2013-14: 2.5% (3.0%)
2012-13: 0.4% (1.3%)
2011-12: 5.6% (4.4%)
2010-11: 3.0% (5.5%)
2009-10: 1.4% (1.9%)
2008-09: -2.2% (-3.7%)
2007-08: 1.9% (2.7%)
2006-07: 3.8% (4.4%)
2005-06: 4.7% (6.2%)

Partisan School Board Elections

Representatives from Onslow and Forsyth want to make the elections to every local school board in the state into partisan elections. HB 324, filed by

Phil Shepard and George Cleveland, Onslow Repubs, and Donny Lambeth and Debra Conrad, Forsyth Repubs, will have all school board candidates, statewide, run with a party affiliation. If there are more party candidates than available seats on the board, there will be primary election to determine who will run.

A PEP for NCGA

It wasn't too long ago that we were hearing teachers cannot be trusted to assess the progress of their students and we needed all kinds of tests run by outside businesses (at big expense) to see how our kids were doing in school. It is so nice to see Sen. Jerry Tillman has a newfound trust in our teachers:

“The good teachers are doing informal assessments all the time, and they already know what they’re doing…"

McClumsy Strikes Again

McCrory was on hand to witness the school's retiring of Sam Jones' jersey. The ten-time NBA champion played his college ball at North Carolina College.

Though there are transcendent moments, politics and sports are not always inseparable. Thursday night was clearly one of those moments, as North Carolina Governer Pat McCrory was booed at a North Carolina Central basketball game Thursday night.

Wake redistricting comments

More Redistricting,

Senate Bill 181 sponsor, Sen Barefoot: most Wake residents live outside Raleigh…bill introduces more representation on the board… changes at large process to assure geographic representation… uses Wake school districts which have been upheld by the courts… districts set when county had 300,000 people, now have 1million. Nothing local about representing 1 million people… time to increase representation for all citizens of Wake.

BlueNC

Vicki Boyer's blog