Archive for the “Link-of-the-Day” Category

Imagine speed dating adapted to the world of political fundraising and policymaking. It’s happening here in North Carolina routinely, thanks to the courtship of lobbying firms with wealthy clients and politicians eager for their cash. In identical front-page stories, the Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News & Observer described one such event on May 10, 2012: [...]

The consumer lending industry in North Carolina finally achieved its goal of raising interest rates and fees on small loans, despite opposition from the NC Banking Commissioner, NC Attorney General, and numerous consumer groups. The Associated Press says the industry paid about $1.5 million for an army of 20 lobbyists to sell its message to General [...]

Wow! Yesterday, Art Pope personally intervened to stop an amendment that would have saved the judicial public financing program from certain death. He came to the House Speaker’s office, pretending to act on behalf of the Governor in his role as McCrory’s Budget Director. But the amendment had NO impact on the state budget. Pope [...]

After the biggest crowds yet attended Moral Monday, Gov. Pat McCrory told Republicans at their convention in Charlotte that the protestors are mostly outsiders trying “to change the subject, and I’m not going to let them.” Apparently, he doesn’t want to be held accountable for his actions – or face the truth. WRAL just released [...]

State legislators and the governor had very little to say about the Moral Monday rallies and arrests during April and May. At most, they told reporters they acknowledged people’s First Amendment right to speech and assembly, but firmly said the crowds would not sway their positions or deter them from their agenda. As the crowds [...]

The American Prospect magazine features a collection of articles about the South’s changing political dynamics. Bob Moser, once with the NC Indy and now AP’s editor, writes the lead essay about the “End of the Solid South.” Chris Kromm and Sue Sturgis of the Institute for Southern Studies have a timely article about North Carolina’s [...]

In a bold move, 14 current NC Court of Appeals judges – Republicans and Democrats – have sent a joint letter to General Assembly leaders and Gov. Pat McCrory declaring their firm support for the judicial public financing program. In the letter, the judges note that the public financing system “helps restore public confidence in [...]

Click here for a video and a narrative overview of the arguments today in the lawsuit challenging the redistricting plans drawn for the state legislature and Congress. The witnesses and attorneys are arguing this week on key aspects of the case related to whether or not the Republicans were justified by law in packing more [...]

A new survey by a Republican polling firm finds that rascal legislators – especially Republican men – should think twice before destroying North Carolina’s embattled judicial public financing program. The poll, conducted by a firm that has worked for Sen. Jesse Helms and many leading conservatives, shows that 67 percent of Republican women especially like [...]

Maybe you’ve heard of the growing demonstrations occurring at the General Assembly in Raleigh on Monday evenings. Under the leadership of the Rev. William J. Barber II of the NC NAACP, thousands of people have rallied against regressive legislation and FOR economic justice, quality education and health care, and voting rights. In addition to the [...]