Guarino

He's Come to Save the Day...

Hat tip to Bubba:

Local Flashback: Councilwoman Interfaces with Police

At this blog, we occasionally like to indulge in a bit of Greensboro nostalgia.

I saw a report online about a Connecticut city councilwoman who was stopped by police.  The account of what happened is found here.  Apparently, the councilwoman felt a need to remind the officers, repeatedly, who approves their salaries.

I have been searching my memory to think of an incident in Greensboro that might bear some similarities to what happened in Connecticut.  Surely, nothing comparable to this could have ever happened in Greensboro. 

Still, I have a lingering feeling that there may have been some kind of incident in the past...

In any case, readers will be glad to learn that there was a happy ending in Connecticut.  The councilwoman apologized. 

We have happy endings in Greensboro as well.  Don't we?

Barack Obama and Jewish Americans

There was some speculation during the campaign last year that Jewish Americans, in spite of their overwhelming historic fealty to the Democratic Party, might not support Barack Obama as overwhelmingly as might otherwise have been expected.  The concern was over the extent to which he would stand up for Israel. 

Obama made various overtures, however; and the financial crisis occurred.  It turned out at election time that the Jewish vote shook out the way it normally does.

With increasing awareness of Barack Obama's foreign policy in the Middle East and his public statements, however, it appears some Jewish Americans are beginning to question what he is doing.

One Reform Jewish Rabbi, Morton H Pomerantz, wrote an essay published on Newsmax suggesting that the President is creating a climate of hate against Jews.

In addition, Malcolm Hoenlein, an officer with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, has indicated there is major concern regarding Obama.  I think this concern is probably justified.

And today, Fox News is reporting that Israeli's tend to feel that Obama is pro-Palestinian.

In any event, the question naturally arises as to whether some Jewish Americans regret their vote in favor of Barack Obama last year.

NC Senate Responds With Its Own Tax Increase Proposal

It appears that the NC Senate is acting in response to the massive tax increases passed by the House.  The counter-proposal?  Applying the sales tax to a broader range of services, but otherwise cutting the sales tax and the income tax.  The result however, is still a large net tax increase.

NC Spin:

Governor Perdue is advocating a $1.5 billion increase and Senate Finance Chair David Hoyle, who has publicly stated he will "never, ever" vote in favor of a tax increase on upper income wage earners, told TV news reporters last night the tax increase won't likely be that much but that the Senate had been looking at a tax hike of around $900 million.

In a somewhat surprising move today Senate Finance leaders made public their alternative proposal for $950 million in new revenues, saying they will not support higher sales or income taxes in a down economy. Their plan, which they hope will be agreed upon by the House conferees, would increase sales taxes to 55 services which previously have not been taxed, including vehicle repairs, yard services, remodeling, manicures and other services. By implementing these taxes on services, the Senate plan would avoid having to raise the overall state sales tax, as the House had proposed. The state portion of the sales tax would drop from 4.75 to 4 percent. In addition, the personal income tax rates would be lowered. Those currently paying 6 percent would pay 5.25 percent. Those currently paying 7 percent would be lowered to 6.5 percent and those in the 7.75 percent maximum bracket would see their rates lowered to 7.5 percent. Corporate taxes would also be lowered in the Senate plan.

Senate leaders say this would generate $950 million in new revenue and would avoid the painful increases proposed by the House. Conferees have already been meeting, both in Appropriations and Finance. 

As we said it is somewhat surprising for the Senate to have gone public with this proposal. They are obviously hoping that many will see this as a better way to raise revenues than the House proposal and garner support for their plan. 

The danger of all of this is that when budgets go to conference committees they always increase over what either of the two houses approved. The $18.6 billion budget passed by the House will be a starting point. Don't be surprised if the final approved budget is in the $19.5 - 20 billion range. Instead of the 784 or even 950 million dollars in new revenues, don't be surprised if taxes are not increased in the 1.1 billion neighborhood. There are still some advocating taxes on cigarettes, beer, and wine.

Not only are teachers raising sand but so is every other special interest group. They will begin converging on the legislature like locusts, pleading for their programs to be spared. Everyone wants government to be cut, just not their program. 

But how will this play with voters? Public Policy Polling asked voters if they would vote for incumbents or challengers if there was an election today. 44 percent indicated they would vote for a challenger and only 13 percent were inclined to vote for incumbents. 

Legislators and the Governor are obviously hoping voters have a short memory and that they will have forgotten the pain of tax increases come re-election time in November 2010. 

The problem legislators have is that the public is far from convinced that our leaders have even scratched the surface on seriously eliminating duplication, waste and low priority programs. They will have a tough time getting voters' blessings until they have done so.

And Brian Balfour of Civitas corroborates the point made by Tom Campbell at NC Spin.  Balfour presents an exhaustive list of cuts the House refrained from making to programs that are not even remotely critical.  Rest assured there are probably many other potential cuts.

The elephant in the room no one is talking about is Medicaid.  Medicaid is enormously expensive to state government.  Eligibility has been liberalized significantly in recent years.  That needs to be fixed.

Governor Perdue's Declining Favorability Ratings (and her flip-flop on Taxes)

It has previously been reported that citizens' approval of Governor Perdue has been dropping in the polls dramatically.  This has been attributed to the state's budget shortfalls and ongoing discussions of budget cuts.  But Red Clay says it is also because she is now advocating broad tax increases.  Remember earlier this year she only advocated certain limited taxes to be increased like "sin taxes".  That has now changed.

Dome has pointed out that the governors in some other states are also having issues with favorability ratings.  These states include New York, California, New Jersey and Massachusetts.  Are these the types of states with which North Carolinians would want to identify?  Really?

But Dome adds that Connecticut governor M. Jodi Reli has remained popular with voters, and has opposed tax increases.  I can think of at least one other governor who has high favorability ratings in spite of the recession-- Mitch Daniels of Indiana, who is a fiscal conservative.

Perdue is kowtowing to her sponsors in the education unions; and even participated yesterday in a shameless rally here in Greensboro toward that end.  But she is taking a very perilous course that could set back our state, and foredoom us to further decline.

The president of the regional branch of the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond, Jeff Lacker, recently issued a warning in Raleigh:

Senator Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) asked President Lacker how raising taxes to fill the state's budget hole would effect the unemployment rate. Lacker responded by saying that increased taxes would slow the rate at which unemployed workers were reemployed, overall causing an increase in unemployment. Currently, the North Carolina unemployment rate is at 10.8 percent, the highest since records starting being kept in 1976.

The Kinston Free Press editorialized further on the situation:

The folks in Raleigh either don't understand the negative economics of their actions or they don't care. Rather than making responsible cuts in the budget to mirror the recession-related decline in revenue, they make draconian, headline-grabbing cuts in popular programs...

The House tax increases are a punch in the gut to a struggling economy.

We now must hope that the North Carolina Senate somehow improves upon what Governor Perdue and the North Carolina House are advocating.  In the meantime, Perdue is behaving just as we had feared she would during the election season last year.  And her flip-flop is dangling there for all to see.

But remain mindful-- the nation does have some popular governors, in other states, in spite of the recession.

Local Reaction to the City Council TRC Vote

Some of the reaction from the left side of the political fence is now materializing with respect to the ill-conceived City Council vote Tuesday night on the Human Rights Commission recommendation.

Ed Cone said the following:

I don't think the resolution is about satisfying everyone, as much as finding a safe space where people can agree on some core issues, which is the basis of reconciliation.

A News and Record editorial today asserts:

To be sure, the current council’s 5-4 vote expressing its “regrets” was hardly a mandate. But it was a helpful step forward.

Now, maybe we can move closer to that elusive place where we can learn from the past without obsessing over it.

Yes, we do need to move ahead. There is a lot that needs doing here, and the city has only scratched the surface of its vast potential.

Understanding the past helps us better cope with future challenges. It should empower us and enlighten us.

But it doesn’t have to paralyze us. 

Meanwhile, a puff piece that, for the most part, cheered the outcome appeared in the news section.  But it also foreshadowed that we are going to see a lot more public discussion of this issue:

Even after all the discussion that has occurred since five people were killed in November 1979, expect more conversations in Greensboro on race and people getting along... 

Goldie Wells, a current councilwoman who was present on the day of the shootings in 1979, said healing can begin now.

“The things that keep us so bound are secrets and the lack of communication,” she said, “and we need to go on and talk about it and find out about why people feel the way they feel.”

And she wants to get past the issue. “It’s about forgiving and moving on,” Wells said. “And that’s kept us bound for a long time.”

Now let's think about all that they said.  We want to forgive and move on, but we need to go on and talk about it, and obsess on it for a more prolonged period of time.  We need to expect more conversations.  We need to be empowered and enlightened, but not paralyzed.  We need to move ahead, but there is a lot to do here first.  We need to find a safe place, and agree on some core issues.  And if we sign on to this wonderful endeavor, we will be better able to cope with future challenges.

Got it?

Think about all they said.  Forget the fact that all of this often seems self-contradictory; and that it appears to be fairly vacuous, with little intrinsic meaning or substance.

I think several items are clear from this overall discussion.

First, the City Council action did not bring closure.  The promise was that closure would be achieved. But instead, what happened Tuesday night was an invitation for the purveyors of racial victimization to continue peddling their wares.

Second, life in the city of Greensboro is no different today than it was Monday afternoon.  The vote has had, and will have, no measurable impact on the daily lives of Greensboro residents-- white or black-- notwithstanding the efforts of some parties to exaggerate the usefulness of what the City Council did.

Third, the city made a de facto admission of guilt on Tuesday night.  In spite of the efforts of many individuals to make it appear otherwise, there was no other cogent reason to engage in this exercise.  If the intention was to merely placate people like Nelson Johnson and Goldie Wells, that would be inherently patronizing.

Fourth, the action solidifies further the image of the city of Greensboro as a place where racial politics prevails.  It encourages and incentivizes the practice of identity politics. 

Fifth, it further enshrines the status of Sandra Groat as the most powerful member of the City Council on some of the most contentious issues it faces,  for better or worse.  (In this particular case, it was for worse.)

Sixth, the action taken ignores the fact that we have a current situation that cries out for Truth and Reconciliation.  It is a situation that demands correction.  A number of Greensboro police officers, past and present, have been treated unjustly, and the situation has not yet been remedied.  And this happened to them because of our noxious political status quo.  It seems no one is speaking out for them, lifting a finger to help them, or even-- I daresay-- offering their verbal regrets.

   

The Impact of Raising State Income Taxes

From the Civitas Institute, this graph dramatizes how our state would compete with other southeastern states on the basis of top income tax rates if the Democratic House plan, or anything like it, were to be approved. 

Job creators employing any semblance of common sense would scurry to other places rather than North Carolina, all other things being equal:

An Open Letter to Skip Alston: Oak Ridge Elementary School, the White Street Landfill, and the Airport

Dear Skip:

I read with interest this morning about the news conference you had yesterday with the medical director of the Guilford County Health Department.  The topic of the news conference was Oak Ridge Elementary School, as you surely recall.

I was impressed with how this news conference was handled.  Dr. Ward Robinson made the case that the school is not dangerous to students and teachers.  He explained that the problem may be due to inadequate ventilation. 

And I thought that you adopted precisely the right stance:

County commissioners Chairman Melvin “Skip” Alston said the commissioners are prepared to pay for whatever repairs are necessary.

“Any assistance or funding they need we will be there for them,” he said. He also said the community must trust the experts involved.

That was excellent on your part.  Offer assistance; appeal to the saner elements among the parents and teachers to trust the process put in place; and get objective, expert help from outside the county.

It turns out, Skip, that I have some level of familiarity with this type of situation.  My medical specialty deals commonly with what is referred to as "sick building syndrome" complaints.  My own expertise and experience with this type of situation is limited.  I remember having been peripherally involved with a similar situation at a public institution in South Carolina twenty years ago.

This has been an evolving science.  I have attended various medical meetings during the course of my career during which it has been represented that fungi can sometimes be the source of the difficulties in this type of situation.  And as Dr. Robinson suggested, measures as simple as improvements in ventilation can sometimes be the solution.

The media has reported that molds have been found at Oak Ridge Elementary, but I do not know how to interpret that information.  Molds are fungi; but fungi are fairly ubiquitous.  And there can be some common misunderstandings with respect to the credibility of allegations of environmental illness.

In order to determine that some type of environmental toxin or pathogen is likely causing disease in humans, two facts must be established.  First, we need to know whether an exposure is truly taking place.  Are the people, for instance, measurably inhaling the substance, or getting it on their skin?

And second, we need to know whether the amount of exposure is sufficient to cause illness taking into account known relationships in the medical literature.  These two standards are very difficult from a technical standpoint to meet, but sometimes it can happen.

In the meantime, however, while these issues are being sorted out, there is another phenomenon that typically occurs with "sick building syndrome" complaints.  Hysteria oft ensues among the population involved, and the media might begin to cover the matter.  This makes the situation much more difficult.  And the emotional demands verbalized by those involved can sometimes be far disproportionate to the severity of medical problems objectively caused by any exposures taking place.

The important thing, however, is to handle the matter in an objective manner.  There is no need to close a school temporarily-- or even worse, to render it unable to be used by the school system-- if there is no objective evidence that very serious medical problems are likely being cause by actual exposures that are occurring at the school.

Again, I congratulate you on the manner in which this has been handled thus far.

As I read the news article this morning, however, I thought about the debate that took place last night at the Greensboro City Council meeting regarding the White Street Landfill.  Recall the landfill had been closed to residential trash a few years ago partially in response to allegations of health problems among area residents.  I do not recall it ever having been objectively demonstrated that actual exposures taking place were likely causing any health problems.  And yet, a decision was made to close the landfill to residential trash, at great cost to city taxpayers.

Yes, I know that there also were allegations of nuisance by area residents.  But if we must discuss nuisance, let's talk about the airport.  West Greensboro residents have been concerned for years about the nuisance associated with noise from the airport.  It was particularly severe when Continental Airlines had its hub here during the mid-1990's; and residents are concerned it will be a problem once again if FedEx ever reaches it full potential.

I know, Skip, that you are a supporter of the airport.

Now, does the presence of this nuisance mean that the airport should be shut down?  Of course not.  There are larger questions involved for the entire city and for the region. 

Should the airport be shut down because the complainants might be predominantly white, and if they somehow made an appeal based on identity group politics?  Of course not.  That would be irresponsible.

Should Oak Ridge Elementary be closed because the complainants are predominantly white, and if they somehow made an appeal based on identity politics?  Again, that would be highly irresponsible.

But that is what happened in the case of the White Street Landfill.  And unfortunately, it happened because of the activities of your colleagues on the Simkins PAC.  Even last night, we witnessed a mini-tirade displayed by Goldie Wells at the council meeting when the topic of reopening the landfill to residential trash was raised.

Again, it would be silly and inappropriate to close Oak Ridge Elementary, or to close the airport, because of melodramatic complaints made by area residents that are disproportionate to any real threat; or because the folks affected are primarily white.

It was equally silly and inappropriate to close the White Street Landfill to residential trash on the basis of complaints disproportionate to the reality that existed; or based on the fact that area residents were primarily black.

And so, Skip, I once again applaud you for your approach to Oak Ridge Elementary yesterday.  I hope that situation will come to a resolution soon, and that the school can remain open.

I would  now ask you to consider employing the same approach to the White Street Landfill issue.  Show leadership.  Get together with your Simkins friends on the City Council, and tell them they are handling it the wrong way.  Appeal to their sense of responsibility to the entire city. Be a statesman, and call upon them to be one also. 

And do it in a highly public way.

Maybe then we can begin to make progress in our region, work together for the betterment of our city and county, and become more competitive for economic development and job creation.  I know that much time has been lost, and many potential jobs killed, because of the way that politics has been done here. 

Maybe it is time to do it differently.  And maybe your actions on Oak Ridge Elementary contain hints as to the direction we should be taking.

 

Council Passes TRC Motion

I caught the tail end of the Greensboro City Council debate on the HRC report.  The City Council passed a motion, 5-4, adopting the "regret" statement proposed by the HRC.  Sandra Anderson Groat was the swing vote in favor.  She (and Robbie Perkins) are responsible for its passing.

Mike Barber then proposed a motion adding a statement that the city was not accepting or acknowledging any liability in this matter.  That passed 7-2.  Wells and Bellamy-Small incredibly  opposed that motion, thus exposing-- for all to see-- one of the true motives at work.

The council is now trying to tweak the language further with input from the city attorney.

I hope no one believes these measures are going to satisfy the forces that have been agitating on this issue for many years.  They would be sadly mistaken.

Update: When a politician changes from a more conservative policy position to a liberal policy position, liberals have oft liked to say that the politician has "grown".  We have seen that phenomenon in Washington for decades.  Well, Roch said late last night that Robbie Perkins has grown.

ObamaThug II Video

Glenn Beck has a great interview with Byron York and Gerald Walpin.  York did much of the original reporting on the Obama administration's firing of the Inspector General who had been investigating a politically connected recipient of AmeriCorps funding.  Gerald Walpin was the victim of the firing. 

York is a great writer and reporter; and Walpin comes across as solid and sincere.  Check out the interview:

TRC Report at Greensboro City Council Meeting Tomorrow

Inside Scoop:

On the agenda: The Human Relations Commission will give the council its review of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s work.

And now, Greensboro citizens, we must genuflect in anticipation of receiving the wisdom to be conveyed to us.

Also scheduled to be discussed?  Plans to spend even more bond-related monies in the midst of a deep recession.  Spend it in good times, spend it in bad.  Never mind that taxpayers are ultimately going to pay many of the bills.

Update I: Doug Clark says the city should concentrate on public safety instead.

Update II: Sam Hieb points out that the city cannot "ensure" the 1979 events will not happen again.

Former Comptroller General: US Debt $1 Million Per Family

New York Post:

A former official in the George H.W. Bush White House estimates that the bloated public and private debt in the US works out to $250,000 for every man, woman and child in the country.

David Walker, the former US Comptroller General, says that the federal debt level is approaching $55 trillion and if you add in the what is owed on the state and local levels -- plus personal household debt -- it adds up to $75 trillion in obligations.

Walker, who now heads the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, named for the co-founder of the Blackstone Group, warned that without fiscal restraint, Uncle Sam may be guaranteeing that our future is not as prosperous as our past.

At the $75 trillion deficit level a family of four owes $1 million, he said.

Earlier this year Walker wrote on Politico.com: "Social Security and Medicare alone are already underfunded by about $44 trillion, or $146,000 per American, in today's dollars, and this number is growing on auto pilot every year by about $2 trillion, or $6,600 per American."

North Carolina Banker Gains Further National Recognition

Several months ago I discussed here how a North Carolina banker, John Allison of BB&T, was gaining a national audience-- and in fact, was also gathering some words of admiration throughout the country on the basis of some of the public statements he had made.

But there is more.  He recently spoke before the Competitive Enterprise Institute:

This year's dinner featured a dynamic address from John Allison, chairman of the BB&T Corporation, who said that it will be difficult for America to come back from the assault on the free enterprise system being engineered by the Obama Administration and which began under President Bush, "but the fight is not over."

In his remarks, Allison said the U.S. does not have a free market economy, but a mixed economy in which the government exercises too much influence already in too many sectors. He specifically warned that the Federal Reserve, which has spent trillions of dollars in the financial crisis with no accountability, has to be controlled.

With this speech before one of the leading free-market think tanks in the U.S., Allison established himself as a major advocate for economic freedom in the age of Obama...

At the CEI dinner, Allison made the case for economic freedom as someone who runs a successful banking business and avoided all of the risky lending and investment schemes that got other banks into trouble.

Nevertheless, his firm was forced to take bank bailout money from the federal government but has paid it back...

Allison told the crowd of several hundred conservatives and libertarians at the CEI dinner that America will eventually go broke unless out-of-control spending and excessive borrowing is seriously addressed. He said this would happen in 25 years or less.

He said America needs a change in philosophical direction, from the mentality that says the people have a "right" to such things as a house and health care. People didn't come to America because they thought it was the "land of security," he said; they came because it was a land of opportunity.

The concept of a right to a house led to the housing meltdown because of government policies encouraging home ownership by people who couldn't afford homes, he said. He specifically blamed Rep. Barney Frank for having a major hand in the crisis.  

He warned that the Obama Administration is repeating the mistake by pursuing the concept of a right to health care...

Allison said there were indications of "some recovery" in the economy but he warned that the excessive federal borrowing and spending would result in a lower standard of living for the American people over the long run and create "stagflation," defined as lower growth and inflation. 

One of the best things about America, he said, is that Americans have a "unique sense of life" and will not succumb quickly to the massive expansion of government power that is well underway.

I heard Allison on the Bill Bennett radio program once again a couple of weeks ago.  He made the jaw-dropping statement that the Federal Reserve should be completely privatized.  I could scarcely believe it.

This guy is developing into a national-calibre speaker; and also into a staunch defender of the capitalist system and the American idea.  It is ironic that his ideas attract considerably more attention at the national level than they do in his own home state of North Carolina.  The regional media culture apparently must not be terribly enamored with his message.

More Revelations about Sotomayor

Until the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings occur, we will continue to learn more about Sonia Sotomayor.  Here are a few new items of interest:

1. She served in a policy-making position on the board of a Puerto Rican legal defense fund.  This particular organization filed legal briefs in six prominent court cases in favor of "abortion rights".  She was reported to be an "involved and ardent supporter" of these efforts.

2. She gave a political speech a couple of months ago that is described below:

Just about two months ago, this sitting federal judge, who is supposed to be above politics, told the Black, Latino, Asian Pacific American Law Alumni Association that "The power of working together was, this past November, resoundingly proven."

"On November 4, we saw past our ethnic, religious and gender differences," she said, hailing Obama's election.

She added, "What is our challenge today: Our challenge as lawyers and court related professionals and staff, as citizens of the world is to keep the spirit of the common joy we shared on November 4 alive in our everyday existence. We have to continue to work together for our common goal of bringing the promise of America's greatness and fairness to all members of our society."

Notice how she referred to herself as a "citizen of the world," not as a citizen of the United States. This takes on significance in her case because she wrote a foreword to a book called The International Judge. Does she believe in American sovereignty?

Calling for more "change," she said, "It is the message of service that President Obama is trying to trumpet and it is a clarion call we are obligated to heed. We must devote ourselves to bettering the lives of all the needy of our society and we must do it together."

She is openly advocating using the courts to push Obama's political agenda.

Based on these comments, which violate the Code of Conduct for United States Judges,Sotomayor should not only be forced to withdraw her nomination for the Supreme Court, she should be impeached.  

Canon 7 says a judge should refrain from political activity. It explains that she should NOT "make speeches for a political organization or candidate or publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for public office..."

The fact that her speech occurred after the election should not affect the severity of the offense. It sent the message that she is a liberal judge who will legislate for Obama from the bench. No wonder she got the nomination. She seemed to be auditioning for it. 

3. The New York Times reports that she was highlighted in a video indicating that she would never have been admitted to the Ivy League institutions she attended were it not for affirmative action.

ObamaThug II

We first witnessed a flagrant display of the Obama Administration's thug-like tendencies when representatives of Chrysler's bondholders were pressured to acquiesce with a questionable arrangement, and relinquish their prerogatives under the law, to benefit the United Auto Workers union.

We now have a second egregious episode.

An Inspector General with oversight over the AmeriCorps program went after one of Obama's political supporters.  He unfortunately found himself out of a job. 

Bubba has the details.  In addition, an AP story found on Newsmax documents the matter further.  And Brenda has much more.

The ousted Inspector General, Gerald Walpin, has spoken out in defense of his actions.  The name of the Obama supporter in question is Kevin Johnson, a former NBA star who is now mayor of Sacramento.  The controversy is with respect to misuse of some grant funds when Johnson ran a non-profit. 

Below is some video footage of Johnson giving a speech at an Obama rally: (ht:Fred)