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Press Release
May 13, 2008
 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole today announced that her measure providing economic development grants to distressed communities in North Carolina and across the Southeast has been included in the final version of the Farm Bill. Dole introduced legislation to establish the program, the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, earlier in the 110th Congress.
The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission will provide funding to spur economic development, establish priorities in development planning, support local development districts and encourage private investment in the region. The Farm Bill authorizes $150 million over five years for the program.
“Some areas in the rural South fall behind the national average in education, economic growth, health care access and infrastructure – this is unacceptable and must be remedied,” said Dole. “I am proud that my bill to establish the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission was in included in the Farm Bill to give an economic boost to areas that need it most. This valuable program is not just about trying to provide opportunity – it is about not missing out on the tremendous opportunity that is just within this region’s grasp.”
Dole worked closely with the University of North Carolina on this measure, as well as Rep. Mike McIntyre, who had companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
Background
Once the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission is formed, it will define the specific criteria that determine what qualifies a county or area as distressed. States will work with local development districts to determine what projects should be submitted to the Commission for support. Broadly, this could include infrastructure projects, education and job training, and entrepreneurship and leadership development.
The region impacted by the commission encompasses millions of people in 429 counties across seven states: North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
North Carolina counties that would be eligible to benefit from the Commission include: Alamance, Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Chowan, Cleveland, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Davidson, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gaston, Gates, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Martin, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Tyrrell, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Wilson.
North Carolina counties not included in the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission are already served by the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Click here for the full press release…
Hayes recognized for support of official English legislation
Press Release
May 9, 2008
 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robin Hayes (NC-08) was recognized yesterday at the U.S. Capitol by U.S. English, Inc. for his dedication to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Hayes was one of a select number of House members honored with an “A in English” award based on his votes and co-sponsorships of official English legislation in the 110th Congress.
“I am honored to receive the ‘A in English Award’,” said Hayes. “It is important that we hold onto the ideals and traditions in which our nation was founded on, and as your Congressman, I seek to protect those traditions including the preservation of the unifying role of the English language in North Carolina and the United States.”
“I am pleased to present this award to Rep. Hayes for his efforts to unite our diverse nation under the common language of English,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of the Board of U.S. English, Inc. “Rep. Hayes has been a strong supporter of official English policies during his time in Congress. At a time when there is renewed interest toward preserving what unites us as a nation, we are grateful to Rep. Hayes for his dedicated and enthusiastic support of this issue.”
“A in English” honors were awarded to members who received “A” grades on the U.S. English, Inc. legislative scorecard for the 110th Congress. Legislation that factored into the decision included co-sponsorship of H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act, as well as a series of Congressional votes on reducing multilingualism in government and allowing employers the flexibility to enact English-in-the-Workplace policies. A full listing of the votes and grades can be found at http://www.usenglish.org.
According to several recent nationwide polls, an overwhelming majority of Americans support making English the official language of the United States. Polls conducted by Zogby International, the Winston Group and Rasmussen Reports have all found more than 80 percent of Americans in support of official English policies, with strong majorities among Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
RALEIGH—Democrats in North Carolina are now openly admitting to taking more of our money in taxes than they can spend. However, we should not worry. Democrat leaders in Raleigh are always up to the task of finding more ways to spend our money.
“The state received $90 million more than projected through the April tax return filings, state officials said Wednesday, and North Carolina should record a revenue surplus for the fifth year in a row when the fiscal year ends June 30.
But the surplus won't go far. …
‘We're not going to have much money. Very little,’ Senate leader Marc Basnight, D-Dare, said in an interview…”
(“April tax collections in NC higher than expected” Rocky Mount Telegram, May 8, 2008 http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/content/gen/ap/NC_Tax_Collections.html)
Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:
“I know that starry-eyed Democrats in Raleigh are already dreaming of ways they can spend more of our money, but wait just a minute. When I see a budget surplus, it means one thing to me: Democrats are taking too much of our money. This fall, our candidates will be standing up to say, ‘That’s enough.’ In tough economic times, North Carolina families want more of their money back in their pockets and not in the public coffers to satisfy every whim of an out-of-control, Democrat-led state legislature.”
RALEIGH—Governor Mike Easley proposed a new state budget on Monday that would increase state spending by $1 billion or close to five percent. Easley plans to pay for the new spending with several tax increases.
General Assembly members also expect a surplus of close to $150 million and plan to spend that money in the short session this year.
However, several numbers illuminate the waste and excess that has characterized the Democrat majority in Raleigh for some time.
The FY2007-2009 state budget included $205.4 million in new pork barrel projects mostly being funneled into the districts of the most powerful Democrats in the General Assembly. (“205 million Wasted by the State on Pork Barrel Projects,” Civitas Institute Report, August 20, 2007 NC Civitas Report )
An audit of the N.C. Department of Transportation showed that 62% of the 390 highway projects audited were delayed by more than a year. Delays resulted in $152.4 million in waste on state highway construction projects. (“Performance Audit Report: Department of Transportation Highway Project Schedules and Costs,” Office of the State Auditor, February 7, 2008 http://www.ncauditor.net/EPSWeb/Reports/Performance/PER-2007-7229.pdf)
The Raleigh News & Observer ran a series in March detailing the abuses going on in the state’s mental health system resulting in the horrible treatment of mental health patients and waste of taxpayer dollars. The N&O estimated that waste in that program amounted to at least $400 million. (“Fixing ‘reform,’” The News & Observer, March 6, 2008 http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/editorials/story/984805.html)
Democrats will undoubtedly make the argument that state spending must be increased because addressing the issues of mental health and teacher pay are high priorities. If these are priorities, why are they the last things to be funded in the state budget?
Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:
“The proposed Democrat budget again displays a failure of priorities and a failure of leadership. Unfortunately, it is more of the same from Democrats in Raleigh. As if the spending excesses and waste going on in state government are not bad enough, now Democrats are coming back like spoiled children who have blown their allowance and asking for more taxpayer money. In difficult economic times, North Carolina families don’t want more tax increases. They want Democrats to curb their spending addiction and address priorities first. Start by cutting wasteful spending and excess to address critical issues. Reigning in state spending is the solution for a budget busting at its seams, not the endless litany of tax increases proposed every year by Democrats to feed an insatiable appetite for more taxpayer dollars.”
By John Hood
Carolina Journal Online
May 14, 2008
 RALEIGH – I’m in favor of competitive, frequent, high-profile elections. They are essential elements of constitutional self-government in a free society.
I know some readers are already snickering. “Uh, way to go out on a limb there, Hood,” they are muttering derisively. “Why do you end the suspense and come out for sunshine and apple pie, too?”
But the reality is that my position is not the norm among North Carolina’s political class. Judging by both word and deed, politicians favor uncompetitive, infrequent, and obscure elections that preserve their own power and keep public opinion from unduly inhibiting their grandiose schemes for expanding government and reshaping society.
The leaders of the North Carolina General Assembly, for example, have sought for years to reduce the threat of competitive electoral politics to their own positions. Unashamed of their handiwork in gerrymandering House and Senate districts, which have repeatedly yielded Democratic majorities despite Republican candidates receiving the most votes, they have pushed for additional measures to starve voters of information and candidates of the wherewithal to give them that information.
Several years ago, fearful of GOP gains among the judiciary, they stripped the party labels off of judicial elections and instigated a public-financing system that quickly devolved into coercing the state’s lawyers and taxpayers into financing the campaigns of judges with whom they disagree. By restricting the flow of private dollars, this “reform” guaranteed that judicial campaigns would be so inadequately funded as to be virtually irrelevant. Having neither party labels nor advertising to assist them, voters are picking North Carolina’s appellate judges – the men and women who protect our constitutional rights and hear the appeals of death-row inmates, among other things – almost entirely on the basis of vague impressions and guesswork. This is a scandal.
Now, lawmakers and their cheering sections in the media and activist community are gradually expanding this grotesque mutation of republican government into the Council of State. Most would like to import it into the General Assembly, too. Its advocates sound idealistic. But the policy is wholly cynical, as political professionals now scramble to recruit candidates whose names sound like famous people or female or both.
As part of the package, some “reformers” also argue that state lawmakers should serve four-year rather than two-year terms. It will save money on campaigns and promote statesmanship in office, they assert. But reducing the expenditure of campaign funds simply means taking away information and power from voters. The two statements are interchangeable. …
But in general, I say the more competitive electoral politics, the better. Reform redistricting. Abolish restrictions on campaign giving and spending, and junk taxpayer-funded elections. Put party labels on all elective offices. Restrict the use of non-voter-approved bonds. …
Click here for the full article…
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