Governor Easley

One mnemonic they teach at the Naval Academy - red right returning - is designed to help newbies remember which side of a channel red buoys are on. (The are on the right when you're returning to port.) The saying came to mind today when I spent a few hours studying the issues around Easley's veto of the Boating in the Fast Lane bill.

I've written all my representatives asking them to uphold the Governor's veto. From all I can see, the bill is just another suck-up to business interests, exactly what you'd expect from a North Carolina Senate who jumps at every chance to put profits ahead of people.

But maybe, just maybe, representatives in the House will hold the line on this egregious legislation. Why? Because it will kill people. Just ask the State Highway Patrol.

The N&O and the Dome are all a twitter today with the story of L.F. Eason, a career state employee who decided he didn't want to lower the flag to honor Jesse Helms at his lab in Raleigh, as directed by the Governor. Here's the story as it ran in the newspaper, and as written by Ryan Beckwith.

L.F. Eason III gave up the only job he'd ever had rather than lower a flag to honor former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. Eason, a 29-year veteran of the state Department of Agriculture, instructed his staff at a small Raleigh lab not to fly the U.S. or North Carolina flags at half-staff Monday, as called for in a directive to all state agencies by Gov. Mike Easley.

North Carolina's Community Colleges have just announced that they are closing their doors to undocumented students.

The Adelante Education Coalition and 83 community organizations are calling for the state of North Carolina to continue allowing the undocumented immigrants to attend our state's public universities and community colleges. A press release from the Adelante Education Coalition about this issue is below.

We're looking for allies to help us with our advocacy efforts. You can learn more about the roles you can play at the Adelante website. My organization, Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate, is part of the Adelante Education Coalition. I will be going to the state capitol on May 27 to talk with legislators. Let me know if you'd like to join in.

What say you: Should we close out comments on the pansy thread, or let 'em roll?

Much has been written about the abstinence-only debacle, including many calls to our elected leaders to turn down federally dollars for this destructive approach to education. Today, Paige Johnson, of Planned Parenthood of North Carolina, has a good wrap-up of the issue, with a clear call to Governor Easley to take both a principled and a pragmatic stand. Her column is at NC Policy Watch.

To help young adults gain access to lifesaving information that will prepare them for a healthy tomorrow, Governor Easley should reject the Federal Government’s highly restrictive Title V Abstinence Only Sex Education money and establish state support for comprehensive sex education.

If you listen closely, you can now hear Do-Nothing Dole whining all the way from the Watergate where she lives. In what feels like a bad script from the Twilight Zone, the Very Senior Senator has this to say to Governor Mike:

"Fooey on you, mean old Governor. It's all your fault that North Carolina has become a ping-pong ball in my sweet little game with John Warner and the US Navy. Nanny-nanny boo-boo. I'm rubber and you're glue. Bounces of me and sticks on you."

That, of course, is my translation, which is amazingly close to what Dole actually had to say, as reported in the N&O today.

UPDATED WITH TAGS

Gov. Mike Easley announced today he will ask the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for a federal disaster declaration for farmers whose crops and livestock are suffering from the ongoing drought. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the U.S. Farm Service Agency have nearly completed a statewide survey of crop loss data from farmers to determine which counties to include in a federal disaster request.

“Early indications are that more than 90 counties may meet the criteria for federal disaster assistance,” Easley said. “Our farmers need our help, and since we cannot make it rain, we will do everything we can to provide them some financial assistance.”

Once the crop loss information is certified by Farm Service Agency, the governor will send a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture asking for federal disaster aid for those farmers in counties that have at least one covered crop with 30 percent or greater reduction in normal yield. If it is approved, a federal declaration will make low interest Emergency Disaster Loans available to farmers who cannot get credit elsewhere.

Following up on my overview blog post about results from 11 Statewide Regional Town meetings of the NC Democratic Party, here is the package of resolutions to be considered at Saturday's (Aug 25, 2007) State Executive Committee meeting in Greensboro. Please see my prior BlueNC post for more information about what is on the minds of Democrats statewide.

Dear Governor Easley,

In less than 18 months, you’ll leave the Governor’s mansion behind. Whether you return to private life or move on to higher elected office, your tenure as Governor will be over. Which means you don’t have a lot of time to do the single most important thing that North Carolina needs from you: take the lead on health care for all.

Hooray for the AC-T for reading the situation correctly:

AC-T: "The chaos and mismanagement of mental health reform under N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Carmen Hooker Odom justifies last week’s call by the Western Highlands Network for her resignation."
[...]
"A consultant hired to evaluate the state’s mental health delivery system said in January that the state provides inadequate, ineffective and inconsistent treatment; lacks sufficient crisis intervention and community detoxification services; and has a poorly functioning system for screening people with mental illness and providing community-based support.