archived: 6 - 12 Feb, 2005 Back Next
UPDATED: February 8, 2005
THE RACE FOR CHAIRMAN
The race between Turlington and Meek continues to generate excitement among Democrats. TPJ has endorsed Turlington:
Turlington has just mailed a letter to every NCDP Executive Committee member. EVERY Democrat should read his prescription for the Democratic Party:
Dear State Democratic Executive Committee Members:
As you know, two things happened Friday that were not good for North Carolina Democrats.
First, after a spirited battle, Britt Cobb ended the Commissioner of Agriculture race. He did a great job bringing professionalism back to that Department and all of us should thank him for it. We all share the disappointment about the outcome in this race.
Second, the State Supreme Court ruled 5-0 that over 11,000 provisional ballots should not be counted in the Superintendent of Public Instruction race and this decision could impact the outcome of that race and potentially, other important races like those for County Commissioner in Mecklenburg County. As I understand it, these ballots were legally cast by North Carolinians who used a procedure in State law to vote in their county of residence.
Frankly, the decision is very troubling and disenfranchises these voters. I know that our friend June Atkinson continues to pursue all remedies available in this race and I fully support her effort to assume the office that she won in the November election.
Here are some important lessons that we should learn from the two events on Friday:
1) Our State law must be clarified to count every vote cast by a North Carolinian in their county of residence and prevent the problems highlighted in Friday's Supreme Court decision.
Those North Carolinians that cast provisional ballots thought they were complying with State law and it's a bad thing that they may have been disenfranchised on Friday.
2) Our Party must have a 100-county campaign strategy that recognizes that one size doesn't fit all.
I worry that in recent election cycles, we have fallen into the pattern of the State Party really only making an effort in about 30 to 40 counties. In order to win more statewide elections and to maximize our chances to win local elections for county commissioner, sheriff, register of deeds and clerk of court, the State Party must work with ALL county parties. I've done this twice successfully as State Party Executive Director in the 1980's and as Governor Hunt's Campaign Manager in 1996. As State Chair, I'll lead development and implementation of a strategy that tries to win EVERYWHERE.
Our Party must have a Council of State campaign strategy for 2008 that begins in 2005.
All of us must immediately begin to talk to a diverse group of women and men across our State to encourage them to seek the Council of State offices that will be held by Republicans in 2008--we know there will be at least three--Agriculture, Labor and Auditor--and then the State Party should help these candidates as they prepare to run. This means candidate training beginning in 2005, working with County parties so that these potential candidates can attend events all over the State and get to know Party activists and introducing them to Democrats that can help them raise money in both large and small amounts. I have discussed this idea with people such as Elaine Marshall and Ralph Campbell--both of whom I am proud to count as my supporters--and they are willing to help. As State Chair, I'll lead this effort and look forward to working with you on it. To hold the Council of State seats that our Party currently holds and to take back those that we've lost, we must do things differently.
4) Voting machinery used in every county must count every vote and those votes must be verifiable.
As hard as so many Americans have fought for the right to vote, it is tragic that votes are being lost or not counted. I fully support the efforts in our General Assembly led by Senator Ellie Kinnaird and Representative Verla Insko--both Democrats from Orange County--to change State law on this matter. As a former County Party Chair, Verla has great insight in this matter and I am confident that these two legislators and other Democrats will make important changes during the 2005 session to address this problem.
5) We must have a more effective strategy to win judicial elections.
Although statewide judicial elections are now nonpartisan, there's no doubt that voters in both parties know who is running on our Party's principles. As shown in the disappointing 2004 losses by Jim Wynn and Alan Thornburg, our Party needs to do things better in these races. As State Chair, I'll think it's time we seriously consider the Party endorsing a candidate in each statewide judicial race and I'll present this idea to the Party's Executive Council and the State Executive Committee for discussion in 2005. I'm convinced that one reason that the Republican candidate won the Supreme Court race against Judge Wynn is because that Party endorsed one candidate.
Thanks again to the hundreds of you that are supporting our campaign as we head toward February 19. I'm excited about the great energy that I see from Democrats statewide and I'd appreciate your support at the State Committee meeting.
Sincerely,
Ed
Turlington’s leadership and unmatched experience in the Democratic Party stands out in this letter. Turlington is the choice for State Party Chairman.
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MARCH
The second anniversary of the war in Iraq is in March. A coalition of North Carolina citizens is sponsoring a March at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville on March 19, 2005. The full slate of events:
FRIDAY, MARCH 18, evening: Hip Hop Against the Racist War will host a concert featuring nationally recognized artists, geared especially for the local young people.
SATURDAY, MARCH 19: A permitted, safe and empowering march and rally to Rowan St. Park, from 11:00 - 4:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, MARCH 20: First national conference of Iraq Veterans Against the War, in conjunction with the "Southern Organizers' Gathering: Building Our Communities, Sharpening Our Skills” --
North Carolina Peace and JusticeLast year over 1,200 participated. Democrats from across North Carolina should attend to ensure that this year’s march is even bigger. Organizers are reporting:
already 40 local and national organizations sponsoring the March and Rally to Bring the Troops Home Now in Fayetteville, NC, on March 19, the 2nd anniversary of the war on Iraq. The March 19 Planning Committee has raised nearly $10,000, but needs 4 times that amount to cover the costs of this historic event. United for Peace and Justice, among others, are calling for Fayetteville to be THE national demonstration against the war. Already, dozens of towns across the south are sending busloads to the event, including buses from New York; Norfolk, VA; South Carolina; Greensboro, Durham, Wilmington, and more! We need your help: Sponsor the march. Volunteer. Download flyers from the website. Come to our regional planning meeting on Jan 23. Spread the word. Renew your commitment to ending the war in Iraq!
Readers can find all of the details here:
Junkie and family will be there. So should Democrats from across North Carolina.
DO YOU KNOW?
Republicans talk about run away state spending. The facts:
North Carolina's general fund appropriations excluding Medicaid is $80 less per capita in the current 2002-03 fiscal year than it was in 1990-91, after adjusting for inflation.
General fund appropriations have declined $184 per capita since 1999-00, even when including Medicaid in the calculation.
Total state general fund appropriations, including Medicaid, have dropped as a percentage of total personal income from 7.05% to 6.17% since 1990-91.
Per capita general fund appropriations has grown since 1990-91, but that growth can be completely accounted for in state Medicaid appropriations and is not indicative of a state government “spending spree” in recent years.
While state lawmakers have deliberately acted to cover more health services for low-income residents through Medicaid than required by the federal government, including Medicaid spending in calculations on state government growth can present an inaccurate picture of a so called“spending spree” throughout the state budget.
Currently, approximately 25% of the state's general fund budget is devoted to spending on health services - 15% to Medicaid and another 10% to things like mental health, employee & retiree health insurance, Health Choice, etc. If one adjusts for the fact that 25% of the state budget is linked to health care inflation, which consistently outpaces general inflation, the real growth in the state budget would appear even smaller. –
North Carolina Budget and Tax CenterRAMPANT REPUBLICAN LIBERALS
North Carolina Republicans are apoplectic over the Democrat gains in the North Carolina General Assembly.
Alan Teitleman is a conservative Republican. He is a political consultant and Chairman of the Appalachian State University College Republicans. He writes (emphasis added):
It is a sad state of affairs for Conservatives in North Carolina. What used to be a conservative state is now rampant with liberals posing as Republicans. . . . I even saw the North Carolina Republican party turn its back on Republicans (and conservatives) when they needed them the most.
Conservativism is not something that you throw out as a talking point or something you wear on your sleeve. It is a set of firm principles and beliefs that you practice as well as preach.
Whenever you deal with politics, you are bound to have disagreements and arguments even if you are on the same side of the political spectrum. However, in North Carolina the Republican Party is supposed to be the voice of Conservatives. Instead, the NCGOP prefers to keep a close inner circle of power and suppress the voice of any dissenters. There have been rumblings in the NC Republican party for a long time that a “good Conservative” needs to step up and run for GOP chair but there has been little action to go along with a lot of hyped up talk. Now is the time to do something. In a state that is solidly Republican, we end up losing control of the North Carolina House the same year that President Bush is re-elected with over a 10 percentage point spread over John Kerry! Our Republican Gubernatorial candidate loses to Mike Easley, who even had the State Employees desert him due to his blatant disregard for them, by the nearly the same margin that President Bush kicked John Kerry back to . . . There is something seriously wrong with our party leadership.
In a post-election Herald Sun article, it sums up the situation very simply. There are two factions of NC Republicans – Co-PAM (Bill Cobey, Art Pope, etc) and the Richard Morgan faction. They have both waged war against each other at the pricey cost of losing a considerable amount of races for Republicans and Conservatives. Neither one is entirely to blame or entirely innocent either. However, CO-PAM is in my opinion more responsible for our failures at the ballot box this November, since they are the faction that is in control of the North Carolina GOP.
If Conservatives ever hope to have a voice in North Carolina politics the options are clear: 1) create a new party, similar to the constitution party which is active in Pennsylvania or 2) take over the Republican party and make it stand for the principles that it purportedly represents. Option 1 is unrealistic due to the vast amount of money it would take to create a viable third party, even on a statewide level. Option 2 although obvious hasn’t occurred yet. In my humble opinion, it’s about time that it does! – MichNews
Teitleman’s column demonstrates the depth and breadth of the divisions within the Republican Party. As for TPJ, we are still looking to find some of those rampant liberal Republicans running about the State.
Last Update: 03/23/2006