Guarino

Transgender Voices

I have a confession to make.

I have not been sleeping well lately.  Something has been bothering me, nagging me to my core.

I have been thinking about the plight of transgender people, and about how they are in a terrible fix because their voices do not match their surgically altered bodies.  I have thought about how awkward it must be, how self-conscious they must feel, when their voice sounds like a woman, and their body is that of a man, or vice versa.

But now my world has brightened.  I learned via the front page of the Life section of the News and Record this morning that a program at UNCG is dealing specifically with this issue.  An AP writer filled us in on the details.  We can all take pride in the fact that our tax dollars are being used at one of the branches of our state university system to deal courageously with this problem, which had heretofore been neglected.

Now the transgendered can feel more... integrated.  And we all can sleep better at night.

Now They Acknowledge the Lawsuits Against Obamacare Might Succeed

A very interesting thing happened over the Thanksgiving weekend.  All of a sudden, certain non-conservative media outlets-- and the Obama administration itself-- began to acknowledge the possibility that one of the various lawsuits against Obamacare might succeed.

Part of the basis for making this acknowledgement is the skeptical attitude adopted by a couple of district court judges when they were preliminarily looking at the issues raised by the legal challenges.

Let's see what happens.  But already the debate is focusing on severability-- an issue I had raised here eight months ago.  If the federal judiciary invalidates one part of Obamacare-- like the individual mandate to purchase health insurance-- is the whole enterprise overturned?

How Will Republicans in Raleigh Close the $3-4 Billion Budget Gap?

There has been a bit of moaning and groaning recently.  Why?  Because of the degree of pain that would have to be inflicted if the new Republican majority in Raleigh were to close the impending budget gap without raising taxes.

But Civitas has already identified ten ways that economies can be made.  And they have just scratched the surface.

When is a City of Greensboro Pay Raise Not a Pay Raise?

We learn over at Piedmont Publius that salaries are being increased, or "adjusted"; but we are supposed to believe it is not really a pay raise.  Councilman Thompson appropriately asks why there had been threats to cut basic services during the budget process if money can now be found for these increases.  And WFMY actually reports the story in an objective fashion.

Wonders never cease.

George Allen Comeback?

I had heard a couple of months ago through the grapevine that George Allen might be considering a run against Senator Jim Webb, who defeated him four years ago.  Now it is being reported. 

Allen is a good guy, who did not even remotely deserve the way he was treated by the various media and by the electorate.  I hope he comes back and is able to serve once again our neighboring state of Virginia. 

California Prop 8 in Further Jeopardy

Recall the activist San Francisco ruling in the case of California Prop 8 over the summer.  Bench Memos reports today that the Ninth Circuit has appointed the three judges who will review the case.  In this liberal circuit, it appears two of the three might also turn out to be judicial activists.  One of them is described as follows:

(Stephen) Reinhardt (appointed by President Carter in 1980) may well be the most aggressive liberal judicial activist in the nation—and the most reversed judge in history.

It appears this case is headed to the US Supreme Court.  I hope that North Carolina passes a state constitutional amendment defining marriage now that the Republicans control the legislature.  Of course, if the Supreme Court blows it (and it might), then any efforts by Carolinians to govern themselves on this question would be moot.

 

Jim Hunt Hagiography

There was some discussion in the editorial section of the News and Record yesterday about former Governor Jim Hunt.  Sam Hieb commented on the speculation that Hunt could have been a viable presidential candidate; and I offered my own comments in response:

I found the emerging hagiography regarding Hunt pretty interesting. When you look at the record of increasing spending and taxes in North Carolina over the last few decades– sometimes dramatically– it is inescapable that is part of Hunt’s legacy. But somehow he has been so well-liked that this is overlooked. Of course, he was a “business progressive” in the North Carolina mold, so the MSM loves him.

 

Christmas Cross

Dr. Mary posts about the Christmas Cross.  Some had apparently designated the cross as being politically incorrect in these parts during recent years.

New Republican Majority in Raleigh Must Tackle Pro-life Issues

An interesting article published last month explores all the ways that the state of North Carolina can improve upon its current legal environment with respect to pro-life issues.  Let us remember that constitutional conservatives believe that pro-life legislation should take place at the state level wherever possible, not necessarily the federal level.

The article is found here, and begins on page 15.  It is written by Mary Summa, an attorney with an interest in pro-life issues.  The title is "An Aversion to Life: How North Carolina has Neglected the Unborn".

Republican leaders in Raleigh have an obligation to try to pass all the elements of its 10-point plan it had advertised before the election.  And it has a massive budget shortfall to fix that was inherited from the current regime.

But they cannot forget that legal abortion on demand is the single greatest injustice within the state of North Carolina, likely responsible for the loss of hundreds of thousands of human lives here over the last several decades.  Republican leaders have an obligation to do whatever they can to remedy that injustice.

Ms. Summa has some good ideas.  The first, and the most important, is legislation to require informed consent for abortions performed in the state of North Carolina.  Virtually all other significant surgical procedures require informed consent. But pro-abortion forces have historically opposed this type of requirement for legal abortions on demand.

A bill has been bottled up in committee for years by the Democratic leadership that would require informed consent in the state of North Carolina. 

We already have a parental consent law in North Carolina for minors seeking to have an abortion.  But several years ago, an activist judge in our state undermined the parental consent law by ruling that minors seeking an abortion could bring to the abortionist a consent note.  The concern is that these consent notes could easily be forged; and that minors could thereby subvert the parental consent requirement.  A bill to remedy this problem created by the activist judge has also been stuck in committee for years.

Dale Folwell, a key member of the leadership of the new Republican majority, offered some seemingly reassuring comments earlier this week:

Q. What kind of priorities will you guys have beyond the budget? Will immigration reform come up? Will we see a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage? Will we see new abortion legislation?

A. I think there will be enough time and talent to hit singles and doubles on all of those issues. But, more specifically, voter ID and voter fraud and voter integrity (will be addressed). ... I think there will be enough time and talent to deal with how people who murder pregnant women in this state are going to be charged. I think there’s enough time and talent and will of the people to deal with the marriage amendment issue. I think there will be enough time and talent to do that, including figuring out what’s going on with illegal immigration.

Note that Folwell is a co-sponsor of both pieces of pro-life legislation.  And note that Guilford County House members John Blust and Laura Wiley are also co-sponsors of both pieces of legislation.

  

Kenya

Could this YouTube possibly be legitimate? (HT: Tony Racina)

Check this out: (HT: Polifrog)

Nancy Vaughan's Announcement

Nancy Vaughan confirmed earlier this week the scuttlebutt that had been circulating that she will not be seeking reelection.

We were treated to a series of complaints that the council is too divisive, that it does not get enough done, that there are too many decisions deferred to later meetings after prolonged debate.  One problem with her public statement is that we did not hear about any issues in her own personal life that might have contributed to her decision.

But I think we need to examine closely her complaints.

Until four years ago, the city council acted on most issues with near unanimity.  There was very little debate.  But beneath a surface appearance of gentility, we had a filthy form of machine politics that enforced conformity and that consistently produced liberal policy outcomes.  Do we really want to return to those days?

One cannot achieve that kind of unanimous outcome without requiring an ugly, stringent form of discipline among council members.  I don't think we should want once again a city council that presents a facade of consensus after everything has been worked out in a back room.  It is great to have debate.  It is OK if everyone is not united.  That is democracy in action.

Sometimes it can be good if the council does not get much done.  It is better to do nothing than to do the wrong thing.  And an activist city council generally means bigger, more activist local government.  Notwithstanding Vaughan's comments, it is not inherently a problem if the council does not take many actions. 

I agree with Ms. Vaughan that productive work sessions involving all council members can make the council meetings more efficient-- as long as they are open.  I also agree with her that the council should make decisions after debate has taken place instead of postponing matters.  They ought not be afraid of a simple vote.

I also think it is not impermissible for city council members to offer motions-- even if the issue is difficult.  Part of the problem with this particular council is that Zack Matheny has behaved poorly, has spoken far too much, and unfortunately has been given free rein by the mayor.  That has been a major source of the difficulty with meetings I have viewed.  Perhaps debate overall at council meetings can be better managed. 

With Vaughan's announcement, there will be at least two open at-large seats on the city council.  The rumor mill suggests that Matheny might try for one of those seats, although a better outcome would be for him to be removed from the council completely.

While I have disagreed with many of Vaughan's votes, she ran on a platform that suggested we should deal objectively with the police department.  To the extent that we have seen better management of the department's internal issues, it happened because the city manager perceived a majority of council members wanted that kind of approach.  If Vaughan has been part of that majority, we should be grateful to her on that issue.  And we ought not forget that was the biggest issue during the 2009 election season.

The Problem with the Greensboro Downtown Curfew

The imposition of a curfew in downtown Greensboro should have been regarded as unnecessary.

The fact that minors were targeted by the curfew is an implied statement by the City Council that we have an epidemic of inadequate parenting locally.  Perhaps that is true.

But my concern is that the curfew is an admission of failure.  It is an admission of defeat.  Why?  Because we have not yet tried adequate, effective policing in the city of Greensboro.

Let's consider the evolution of the Greensboro Police Department.  I think most parties will agree that the GPD has historically been pretty good with respect to reactive policing.  It tends to capture a good percentage of the most egregious criminals.  In recent years, some citizens have complained about response times.  But overall, our crime rates have been higher than they should be.  In fact, we have recently had higher crime levels than even some of the  big cities that have previously been associated with major crime problems including New York.

The problem is that the GPD has not done proactive policing well.  In fact, it has hardly even attempted it.  The department has failed to participate in the major advances that have taken place with respect to urban policing over the last two decades.

The local police union rebelled against David Wray when he wanted to restructure work shifts so there would be more coverage during the busiest night-time hours.  There is understandably an acute interest in work shifts within the GPD; but the needs of the public must be met.  Some parties have alleged that the department does not have sufficient numbers of officers.  The Buracker Report , which was delivered to the city council a couple of years ago, made certain recommendations about staffing and work shifts.  It is entirely unclear, however, to what extent these recommendations have been followed.  Again, within the department, there has been resistance to staffing adequately at night, because many officers understandably have not wanted to work those shifts.

But there is more.  Certain nefarious forces had been allowed to politicize the department, and to use it as a locus of identity group politics.  A group of black officers had been publicly nursing their sense of aggrievement in order to cover up certain types of misbehavior.  For the first time this past summer, the GPD command staff and the city's administration openly challenged this group, and a couple of black officers were fired.  We now have a new chief who, at least by appearances, seems to be committed to setting the department on the right course in this regard. 

The inadequacy of the Greensboro Police Department was the reason Bill Knight was elected mayor.  To the extent that we are seeing a restoration of that department, it is a change of which he can be proud.

But there is another set of challenges.  While we seem to have been dealing with the department's internal problems, at least to some extent, we have not yet necessarily dealt with the issue of staffing and work shifts.  We have not yet implemented fully a proactive approach to policing-- which should include but not be limited to a "broken windows" approach.

Chief Miller has made some noises about planning to implement proactive policing.  But he has barely had time to assess his department and the community.  I hope that he will follow through, and that he will be successful.  The charge of the police department must be to better manage its internal problems, but also to do its work more effectively so crime levels and public disorder will decrease.

If the Greensboro Police Department had been doing its job well, the downtown curfew would never have been perceived to be necessary. 

We must recognize that, if the GPD is to do its job well, more citizens will have unwanted interactions with police.  Given our locally exalted tradition of identity politics, it will be critically necessary for leaders to communicate with citizens about what will be needed to contain crime.  It might also be necessary to have an open, frank conversation about crime and race.

But in the meantime, the downtown curfew is an acknowledgement by the city council and the Melderec crowd that the GPD is incapable of policing downtown effectively; or alternatively that the citizenry in the city of Greensboro is incapable of accepting good policing.

I have previously linked to an outstanding article that outlines all the advances we have seen with respect to proactive policing in other parts of the country.  Again, Greensboro for the most part has not participated in those advances.  The article is found here.

Easley Felony Criminal

North Carolina Democrats kept their streak going today.

Tom Campbell:

The public has been poorly served in this instance. Both federal and state investigators should explain to the public why this conclusion was reached. We deserve to know if there was insufficient evidence to convict the former governor, in which case he is owed an apology, or whether the state (and feds) opted for a very light reprimand of more serious misdeeds. 

Either way it was a most unsatisfactory conclusion to this year-long investigation.

 

Judicial Activism in Guilford County Court

The issue was the rapid emergence of internet gambling parlors.  The North Carolina state legislature moved to make it illegal.

But we learn today that a Guilford County judge has ruled the law passed by the legislature violates the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution because it would restrict "freedom of expression".

As I have explained previously, judicial activism occurs when a court ruling departs from the text, structure, logic and history of the Constitution.  Regardless of however one might feel about whether internet gambling parlors should be legal, Judge John Craig of Guilford County has committed judicial activism.

Will the Greensboro Public Library Truly Implement the New Filter Policy?

Approximately a month ago, I had posted here on the topic of why the new filter/shaping policy adopted by the Greensboro City Council is a real loser.  The new policy was the result of a compromise fashioned by council member Zack Matheny.

I am now hearing some rumblings about the new policy and to what extent the library staff might be able to implement it.

1. It should be noted that the same criteria are used by the Cymphonix systemn to determine whether a given website is filtered, or whether it is shaped.  Therefore, adult customers will be inconvenienced for those sites "shaped" that otherwise would have been blocked by the filter.  The filter does not intervene on additional sites-- it merely blocks instead of delaying severely the browsing of certain sites.

2. Those attempting to view porn via wi-fi at the library will be presented with a screen asking for a password that would enable the user to bypass the filter.  This was not approved by the city council.

3. When the city council voted to enact its new policy, members were not told by Sandy Neerman that an additional $8,000 - $10,000 would be required.  If they had just enacted filtering across the board, there would have been no additional cost.

4. There is apparently some question as to whether the $8,000 - $10,000 needed is truly available in the budget.  We do not know whether the library will actually implement the new policy, especially if the money is not available.

5. Even if the use of filters is actually implemented, it will not be until February.

6.  The new system is going to require more effort on the part of library staff.  But I am told that the staff already complains that they are too busy, that they barely have enough time to service customers, and that they are not even acclimated to the bandwidth shaping which was implemented a year ago.

7.  The library staff was not even aware that the wi-fi signal was not being shaped until they were advised of this fact by Kathy Hartsell.

8.  All the controversial reports that demonstrated the number of "hits" on porn sites a couple of months ago-- and ardently discussed in the blogosphere-- did not include those sites accessed via wi-fi at the libraries.  The statistics therefore understated what was happening from that standpoint.

The Matheny compromise was downright silly-- a foolish gesture designed to maintain favor with the reigning liberal political/media culture in the city of Greensboro.  But as of this date, there are some serious questions as to how well it will work; and to what extent the library staff will be able and willing to implement the new policy.

Robbie Perkins Watch: Voting Against the Water Rate Decrease

Lost amid all the discussion over the downtown crime proposals at last week's city council meeting was another vote taken to decrease our water rates.

Let's recall that at the time the budget passed several months ago, city staff recommended that we increase water rates by 9%, but the city council only allowed for a 6% increase. 

Since then, the city won a major legal settlement amounting to $16 million directly related to the water department.

From the Rhino:

Perkins and Bellamy-Small cast the only votes against the rate reduction.

When the budget discussions started this year, the city staff claimed that a 9 percent rate hike was necessary to keep the debt ratios where they should be. The City Council got them to reduce that to 6 percent, and now the staff admits that 3 percent is enough.

There has been much bluster locally about the need to defer to city staff.  But last week, Robbie Perkins voted against the water rate decrease even though staff said it was OK.

Why would he vote this way?  Because we want the water department to be able to accommodate more local development projects.  Don't give away that revenue source when you don't have to.

Thanks, Robbie. 

Local Education Interest Group Abusing the Election Process?

When bond proposals appear on the ballot, they do not materialize out  of thin air.  They reflect a certain amount of planning by governmental staff; and also might represent the culmination of pressure exerted by various interest groups.

In Guilford County, we had hundreds of millions of dollars in school bonds placed on the ballot a couple of years ago.  Again, this did not happen as if by magic.  It happened because of the concerted, intentional effort exerted by some people who wanted very much to see the bond proposals put on the ballot.  Some of the obvious parties must have been the Guilford County Schools administration as well as certain school board members and county commissioners.

But there is also an education interest group in Guilford County.  It is called the Guilford Education Alliance.  The name of its executive director is Margaret Arbuckle.

Let's remember that a proposal for a sales tax increase was on the ballot several weeks ago.  It failed narrowly.  What was the stated need for the sales tax?  To reduce the impact on property owners because of tax increases necessitated by the 2008 bond proposals that passed.  And let's recall that the largest of the bond proposals, by far, was for the school bonds.

It turns out that Ms. Arbuckle was active in the campaign for the sales tax increase.  But we learn from Tony Wilkins that some students from Ragsdale High School also participated in this campaign.  Signs were placed illegally, and were not removed in a timely manner.  Tony asked Ms. Arbuckle about this; and it appears from Tony's post that she responded in a dismissive, erroneous manner.

Why would the executive director of the Guilford Education Alliance have had an interest in passing the sales tax increase?  Increasing the flow of tax revenues might protect the future expenditure of bond monies; and might protect the schools from having to achieve cost economies.

In our county, there are so many forces that militate against the taxpayer that it is difficult to keep up with all of them and their activities.

"Random Act of Culture"

(HT: Fred)

Jim Melvin's Award and the Curfew

Does anyone else see the utter irony in connection with the fact that Jim Melvin was granted a special Citation Award by the National Conference for Community and Justice during the very same week that the Greensboro City Council felt the need to impose a curfew downtown?