It's just disturbing because it seems the bill was proposed in response to republicans getting WAXED in both of these counties in 2014.

The districts being floated for wake county are the same school board districts currently being appealed for being too lopsided in population (rural/suburban votes count like 10% more or something).

Certainly none of the current commissioners in wake were in on the proposal, according to the link above they had met with the wake delegation early in the week, where it was never mentioned, and then learned of it the night before the committee meeting - that's pretty shady, but it's really what I've come to expect from the NC GOP.

3/7/2015 9:26:45 AM

I'm a Republican, full disclosure, and I'm not defending the merits of the bill, but it's politics and both sides do it. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and have actually met and interacted with so many of our elected officials in person now and no longer blindly adhere to the party line, but can ^ we at least agree both sides act in their own best interests?

3/7/2015 9:41:36 AM

Yea, I mean, of course they act in their own interest. There is one small difference in this instance, Democrats don't go around beating their chest about federalism and local control quite like republicans do.


I could be wrong, but I've been unable to find an instance of democrats wading into local issues quite how the NCGA has since 2010.

[Edited on March 7, 2015 at 9:57 AM. Reason : Their ideology requires so much purity, but is discarded when inconvenient.]

3/7/2015 9:51:42 AM

Believe me, grassroots Republicans are not happy with the current agenda in Raleigh - whether it's an increase in the gas tax, corporate welfare (aka "incentives"), or the push to reverse course on tax credits like the state historic preservation tax, plenty of party members are already questioning the conservative credentials of GOP leadership.

To be fair, Democrats were in control for 100 years prior to 2010, so I'm sure we could find instances where they "waded into local issues." NC is a Dillon Rule state so all local issues are potentially concerns of state government.

3/7/2015 1:10:47 PM

Looks like it isn't just Raleigh in which Republicans aren't happy that they are not in direct control.....

Missing ingredient in Trudy Wade’s 'business bill' is business
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/blog/morning-edition/2015/03/missing-ingredient-in-trudy-wade-s-business-bill.html?ana

3/10/2015 10:18:03 PM

^^ I stand corrected, NC is no longer considered a "Dillon Rule" state, although my point remains that all local issues are potentially concerns of state government since the state creates and grants powers to local governments.

http://canons.sog.unc.edu/?p=6894

UNC School of Government site and its various blogs are a great resource, fyi, for anyone who wasn't already familiar with their work.

3/11/2015 9:20:34 AM

I guess I just wish they were more honest with their motivations. "We got our asses handed to us in these two counties, welp, time to change the rules in our favor........."

3/11/2015 9:34:02 AM

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article16417289.html

fuck

them

3/26/2015 10:54:49 PM

[Edited on March 26, 2015 at 10:55 PM. Reason : .]

3/26/2015 10:54:49 PM

I bet money they have a back room deal with a developer in this. They'll find a new boat parked at their lake house or something.

3/27/2015 12:05:38 AM

^ could be. FYI Tommy Tucker is this guy:



But I wouldn't put it past this just being a part of the NC GOP vindictive politics. Most of them hate NC cities, we have ample evidence of that. They felt locked out of the legislative process for a long time, both as republicans and as rural residents, and now they feel like they gotta abuse everyone not on their team. Most of them hate McCrory too it seems, and would like nothing more than to slap his deal down.

This may pass the senate (but I think its a bit of a long shot), but I kinda doubt it will pass the house, which is much more friendly to McCrory and seems more pragmatic in general.

3/27/2015 10:57:04 AM

I grew up in rural NC, and as much as I hate to say this, it's time to admit that rural NC is way, way over-represented in the NC legislature and have too much influence. Those counties have been bleeding population for years, and increasingly becoming irrelevant as their contributions the state coffers are concerned. Frankly, I'd be in favor of getting rid of half the senators from those counties east of 95 and west of 85.

Most of the batshit crazy bills coming forth are coming from those rural senators, making a laughingstock out of NC. It's time to reign them in some.

3/27/2015 1:17:44 PM

*sigh* again

The Dorothea Dix property would make a great park. Oh well. There goes my hope of a park named Pullen-Dix

3/27/2015 1:33:00 PM

Quote :

"Bill would limit political activity by teachers A bill filed in the N.C. Senate Thursday would limit political activity by school employees, including teachers and administrators."

http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/bill-would-limit-political-activity-by-teachers/article_38f82af0-d421-11e4-9b79-3f9d2a217bf4.html

On one hand, "eh."

On the other hand, what sort of an asshole concerns themselves with this? And what sort of an asshole seeks to apply this only to teachers and not all state employees?

People send personal emails during their workdays. Teachers will be fired for doing so if these chuckleheads have their way.

Side note: Andrew Brock is ultra salty due to a couple recent losses in local educational issues.

3/27/2015 8:04:27 PM

It seems like a petty way to get back at teachers for complaining about their working conditions

3/27/2015 9:19:20 PM

It's pretty clearly aimed at the teacher's union .

3/27/2015 9:47:09 PM

It's pretty clearly aimed at the teacher's union, which is shitty, but do are they.

3/27/2015 9:47:44 PM

What teacher's union?

3/27/2015 9:53:06 PM

NCAE

I student taught with a teacher at a Wake Co high school, I won't say which one, who clearly pushed his anti-Bush agenda on his students, so I could see where this bill is coming from, and "political activity" is a far cry from including indoctrination in your lesson plans, but I guess in their eyes it is a start.

3/27/2015 9:56:33 PM

The NCAE is a work association. If it were a union, NC teachers wouldn't be the 47ish lowest paid in the nation. Is the NC dental society a union? A legitimate question after their lobbying of the NC dental board was just truck down by the Supreme Court. What about professional engineers of NC? The american medical association?

There is a difference between a professional organization and a union.

[Edited on March 27, 2015 at 10:27 PM. Reason : *struck down....not truck down]

3/27/2015 10:05:42 PM

Quote :

"“Equipment” would include information such as mailing addresses, email addresses and phone numbers gathered or maintained by the school. Such information could no longer be used to rally parents for ballot issues, school funding or other political causes. "

This seems to be the obvious target. Schools can't email parents to ask the to vote in favor of more funding or tell them which politicians (usually republicans) want to pay teachers less.

3/28/2015 2:22:18 AM

Quote :

"The NCAE is a work association."

Not even a very influential one at that.

Quote :

"Schools can't email parents to ask the to vote in favor of more funding"

Presumably superintendents wouldn't be able to campaign in favor of bond referendums, either. That's the issue that has Brock's jimmies rustled.

3/28/2015 4:37:47 PM

As an educator who by contact is tasked to teach a curriculum which includes things like "the big bang theory" and "anthropogenic climate change" I feel especially vulnerable to vague legislation like this. There are those who consider these scientific theories less science and more politics, which by what I read in the article, would put my job in a conflicting situation

tl;dr... do not support

3/28/2015 11:57:33 PM

Some additional ink on SB 480, the bill being discussed above re limiting political activity by teachers during working hours:

http://www.hickoryrecord.com/news/teachers-legislator-spar/article_8ca6a2e6-d4d3-11e4-80eb-73a13dbb544e.html

3/30/2015 9:36:25 AM

http://wral.com/14582068

glad to see that they're dealing with big, local issues

4/14/2015 6:13:31 PM

New taxes and fees coming left and right. Sales tax on car insurance, dentists, barbers, 50% increase in vehicle registration, an extra percent on car sales tax, and a few others stuck in random bills.

4/27/2015 8:15:59 AM

these fucking people

http://www.wral.com/gun-bill-on-hold-amid-growing-opposition/14625423/#KR2fMi35Ux4kpxsi.99

5/6/2015 10:27:19 AM

Since the projected shortfall was such a concern for so many of you on page 14, just thought I'd provide an update:

Quote :

"Gov. Pat McCrory says North Carolina will have a revenue surplus of $400 million this fiscal year."

http://www.wect.com/story/28991858/mccrory-nc-expects-400-million-surplus

5/6/2015 11:34:00 AM

let's see how it looks in a couple years, Wisconsin was also predicting revenue surplus of similar size a couple years ago

5/6/2015 11:57:13 AM

They've also paid back the 3 billion they borrowed for unemployment 3 or 4 years early.

5/6/2015 3:12:02 PM

Hopefully they use the extra cash to help out poor, maybe fix the Medicare donut, or bolster the education budgets.

I give equal chance to tax cuts for the rich.

Also, I wonder how this compares to our peers. The economy is getting better in general which always helps.

5/6/2015 4:22:01 PM

The paying off of unemployment borrowing is commendable.

However, I'm gonna withhold comment on the budget surplus until after the Comptroller releases their detailed report. As the projection memo states, tax refunds declined by an estimated 57%. Now that on the surface is not necessarily a bad thing, no one wants to give the state an interest free loan. A reduction in tax refunds also does not mean that people necessarily paid more in taxes throughout the year (only that they weren't able to claim deductions), But I think that when we start to closely look at the numbers we are going to see that the tax burden was shifted onto the middle class and working poor. The EITC and medical deduction eliminations have accounted for $150 million together in NC, over a 1/3rd of this surplus. I'll be most interested to see how the elimination of some small business deductions affected the bottom line.



[Edited on May 6, 2015 at 7:41 PM. Reason : I'm happy that we are in the green, I just think this deserves more scrutiny than a PAT! memo]

5/6/2015 7:38:36 PM

Soooo cut higher education by $300 million and then crow about a $400 million surplus? Legit...

5/6/2015 8:02:51 PM

And the first few comments were so positive...

5/6/2015 8:10:18 PM

Quote :

"I give equal chance to tax cuts for the rich"

it's not equal chance, if we hit various milestones we automatically have the next round of tax cuts. that's how it was written.

5/7/2015 8:01:42 AM

http://www.indyweek.com/news/archives/2015/05/07/nc-gop-hasnt-bankrupted-the-state-yet-very-proud-of-self

5/7/2015 2:04:12 PM

Still tackling the important issues I see. 72 hour waiting period for abortions (surely so God has enough time to reach them) and overriding the veto so good God-fearing folk don't need to fag marry.

Hopefully today will bring some segregation!

[Edited on June 2, 2015 at 8:16 AM. Reason : 1930 up in here]

6/2/2015 8:15:41 AM

shit's embarrassing, man

6/2/2015 10:25:02 AM

how much money will the state have to spend on private attorneys because of this?

6/2/2015 10:46:28 AM

Stop voting these assclowns in!

6/2/2015 11:31:57 AM

At least we're not Kansas!




(yet)

6/2/2015 11:47:17 AM

Quote :

" overriding the veto so good God-fearing folk don't need to fag marry."

Still has to go through the house though. Hopefully they won't be able to override.

I really appreciate HockeyRoman's comment in the other thread about how he thinks McCrory is in league with the Senate and House, and had this pre-planned. That's some "birther" conspiracy level shit right there.

6/2/2015 2:27:54 PM

while I don't agree with his point, that absolutely isn't in the same universe as birtherism

6/2/2015 2:46:49 PM

Of course you wouldn't. But a state governor conspiring with state senate and house members to get a bill passed? That's pretty big. Especially given the content of the bill.

6/2/2015 4:11:36 PM

that's called politics, and things of that nature happen on a regular basis

again, I don't believe that's why he vetoed it, but to act like it's a conspiracy, especially on the level of one that involves hundreds of people over the course of nearly 50 years, is absurd

and of course I wouldn't what? agree with someone's opinion on a message board? or did you get confused and think I was talking about the governor?

[Edited on June 2, 2015 at 4:18 PM. Reason : .]

6/2/2015 4:15:55 PM

Quote :

"that's called politics, and things of that nature happen on a regular basis"

If what I described is your idea of politics, then that is what's wrong with politics.

6/2/2015 6:08:33 PM

dude, that's been politics since the dawn of politics

that's on you if you're just now realizing this

6/2/2015 6:36:55 PM

So thinking that the Republican governor meeting with the Republican representatives and senators and saying I need to veto this so I can win the next election but you guys can override it right?.

That is on par with believing that there are fake newspaper birth announcements and fake birth certificates from doctors and whatever else the birthers need to believe to make Obama not American.

6/2/2015 8:47:00 PM

So a tepidly popular Republican governor who will likely be running against a very popular Democratic Attorney General in a statewide vote doesn't need to appear more moderate while it being more permissible for wildly radical Republicans to run again in their legally shaky gerrymandered districts? Please, please rjrumfel explain to the class how that constitutes conspiratorial contrivance....

6/2/2015 9:07:35 PM

I didn't vote for him, but I'd be more inclined to believe this was a conspiracy if this had been his only veto thus far. He vetoed the religious freedom bill and the ag-gag bill already.

6/3/2015 8:51:24 AM