The Raleigh scene since the gubernatorial election could
be slated as “GOP Gone Wild.” With a Republican governor and a Republican
dominated state legislature, they have wasted no time tearing apart the fabric
of our society from Women’s health to education, all are on the chopping block –
unless you are one of the knuckle dragging, flag waving illiterates who have no
clue what is going on here. Or one of the lucky associates who share the stratified air with their fellow Repungentans.
The governor has spouted off about bringing our state
prosperity and improving our lives. To date this is what he and his minions
have accomplished:
The Governor signed into a law an anti-abortion bill
limiting abortion access to most women and allowing health care providers to
opt out of performing abortions if they object (what’s next, opting out of
caring for persons they object to because of color, ethnicity or sexual orientation?
Forget the pesky Bill of Rights) It also eliminates abortion coverage for city
and county employees and bars state residents from paying for the coverage
through state health exchange plans.
It’s a great time to be a woman in North Carolina I tell
ya!
Next up, unemployment benefits – remember all those lazy
suckers that don’t have a job? Let’s make sure they all end up starving on the
streets. North Carolina has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation
so the state legislature’s current claim to fame is to make North Carolina the
ONLY state to reject federal funds meant to help states fund unemployment
benefits for those who have been out of work long enough to have their current
benefits expire. And for those that are still eligible? Why the good Governor
and his toadies slashed benefits from a maximum of $535 a week to just $350 a
week. Anyone want to try to feed, clothe and house a family of four on that?
The Governor also signed a voter suppression law that he
admits HE HAS NOT READ! Thank you SCOTUS for paving the way for this bit of
tragic tomfoolery.
Next up education – we are now in the bottom three states
in education spending. The state budget slashes education funds to public
schools while the Governor continues to push for private school vouchers. He
will tell you he plans on adding 1800 new teacher positions but the way
education budgeting is structured it will not happen.
And finally the Governor and his minions also pushed
through legislation to lift the state fracking moratorium in a crazy late night
session that saw dirty deals and mistaken votes to make fracking a reality in
our state. Yay…
But the Grand Governer is optimistic that he can create
jobs and bring in companies to do business in North Carolina. If you owned a
business, would YOU come here?
Now that I'm a republican I'll tell you what I would do Rocky. I would come to North Carolina. Not to establish a retail business as my fellow republicans have successfully driven the spending power of the poor and lower rungs of the middle class to virtually nothing. But to exploit your land with fracking. If I opened a manufacturing business it would be to exploit workers desperate for any job they could get. What a boon for me. Screw any benefits of any kind. State would probably even kick me back half the minimum wage I'd pay just so these idiots could go on Fox and say "Look at the economic miracle we've created! Welcome to Vietnam in America." All the while the good paying jobs, of which I provide damn few, will go to pricks like me whom I've brought in from out of state to run my operation.
ReplyDeleteTell your governor I will bring shit he can sell as chocolate cake Rocky.
Joe even in the depths of my despair you make me laugh! The scary thing about what is happening here is that it has to potential to happen in other states and in fact already is. The GOP has spent 6 years obstructing the President's efforts and after all their talk THIS is their great plan to save America! Really???
DeleteI just might have to relocate... to Greece.
ReplyDeleteI thought of leaving the country but then it becomes a matter of where to go. Greece and other countries in Europe are as bad off as we are. We may have to pool our funds, buy an island and form our own country.
DeleteBut McCrory is considerate to the protesters in front of his mansion, however. I read that he sent plates of homemade cookies out to them during the day and some cake last night!
ReplyDeleteI also read recently (but can't find the article) that for the first time in a long, long time, NC doesn't rank in the top ten for attracting new businesses. Here's another article about how the draconian changes in NC are hurting the business climate.
I have friends who have faithfully shown up at Moral Monday since it began. My heart goes out to them and everyone else in NC, even the ones who don't understand how disastrous all this is. Shame, indeed.
Leslie I am not surprised we are losing ground business wise. McCrory and his bunch will loot the state gor their own benefit and the rest of us be damned. Sad state of affairs as just a short time ago we were seen as one of the most progressive states in the South.
DeleteA quick reminder from your cephalopod about the importance of mid-term elections. In past years, liberals, independents, and moderates all too often stayed away from the polls allowing an inordinate number of extremist and lunatic elements to dominate election results. This is what happened in 2010 when tea party candidates won governorships and state legislatures and forced their destructive agenda upon us. Election year 2014 represents an opportunity to turn these yokels out of office, and if we fail, then shame on us!
ReplyDeleteExtremists on my hit list:. Governors Scott in Florida, Walker in Wisconsin, Snyder in Michigan, Corbett in Pennsylvania, And Governor Low-Life in Maine.
At all costs, make sure you go the polls in 2014 and help get out the vote!
I'll be reminding everyone I meet to get to the polls before we completely lose what little we have left.
DeleteSadly, Rocky, NC is not leading the nation in this direction; in fact, NC is following the same playbook of states like Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Louisana, and Texas.
ReplyDeleteAbortion, taxes, unemployment benefits, welfare, education, unions, and natural resources....
The same issues just in a different order in every state where a Republican governor was elected and the statehouse swings republican.
If someone were to do the research I am sure you would find a connection to these states, their republican elected officials and money from the Koch Brothers.
In Wisconsin, where the governor promised 250,000 new jobs he is barely at achieving 25% of his goal after all of his draconian programs...and Wisconsin would be a good example for the people of NC to look at.
You're right TAO NC is not the leader as there are other states with GOP leader as bad if not worse but I needed a catchy title for my post and since I live here I decided to be ego-centric and speak from where I live. :)
DeleteTAO,
DeleteHere is the connection you are looking for, an organization called "ALEC," which is an acronym for the American Legislative Exchange Council. It is a highly secretive collaboration between BIg Business and Conservative politicians whose purpose is to ghostwrite "model" bills that are introduced in Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country. Their agenda - underwritten by global enterprises - includes major tax loopholes for big business and the super rich, proposals to offshore American jobs, gut minimum wages, weaken public health and safety regulations, and eliminate environmental protection. ALEC is EVIL.
Here is a website devoted to exposing these nefarious activities: ALEC Exposed.
Octopus,
DeleteALEC is EVIL....but ALEC kicks in once a state legislature and governorship are under Republican control.
If you look at Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and every other state where the Republicans are dominating and implementing their draconian policies you will see that the Koch Brothers and their allies are big campaign donors.
Just Google any of the states listed and the Koch Brothers and you will find articles like this:
http://www.charlottemagazine.com/Blogs/Poking-the-Hornets-Nest/May-2013/North-Carolina-a-Petri-Dish-for-Art-Pope-and-the-Koch-Brothers/
Here is a good summary of the Koch Brothers and their efforts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_activities_of_the_Koch_brothers
Just look at it this way, the Koch Brothers and their business interests are the bulldozers that clear the way for the ALEC Steamroller......and their purpose is to destroy what the Founding Fathers created....
Alec for dummies. Schoolhouse Rock style.
DeleteApparently ALEC had their own whistle blower. He was able to provide a portfolio of boilerplate laws that could be introduced in any state legislature.
ReplyDeleteYou have to give Florida credit, however. They were the first state to come up with "Stand Your Ground." ALEC only copied it!