Red Clay Citizen

Budget Scare Tactics

The Daily Tar Heel (UNC-Chapel Hill’s paper) ran this article recently about budget cuts. The article focuses on cuts to building projects and possible cuts to academic programs.

 

Cutting bureaucracy wasn't mentioned as an option. I sent the DTH a letter pointing out this omission, but they didn't think it was worth printing.

It looks like UNC learned a thing or two from Bev Purdue. They seem to be taking the “pretend to cut something people like, so they will agree to pay more” approach to budgeting.

 

Unfortunately for UNC bureaucrats, the secret is out. The Bain report on University efficiency officially tells us what we already knew:  UNC is spending far too much money sustaining bureaucracy when it should be focusing on educating citizens.

 

I doubt UNC fundraisers will change their strategy, but the Bain report certainly makes things more difficult.  If officials sacrifice bureaucrats, they should have no problem funding academic programs.

 

Donors don’t be fooled. You will get phone calls begging for money to save academic programs. Before you send that check off to UNC make sure it is going to go to something you believe in rather than some bureaucrat’s salary.

Detroit: Car Companies aren't only ones on life support

Excess capacity, high labor and pension costs, fleeing customers, ineffective management, outside competition and a reputation for low quality.   You're right if you identified these as conditions that led to the demise of the American auto industry? You'd also be right if you said they are the same factors which helped to bring the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) to the brink of bankruptcy. After a steady exodus of students and massive budget cuts, DPS began the fiscal year, with a $259 million deficit. This morning’s Wall Street Journal chronicles the story and why bankruptcy may not be the worst step for the school system. 

Curiously, last week the Detroit Public Schools received $148 million federal “stimulus” money.  Aren't you glad you can save jobs by merely propping up a monopolistic, corrupt, costly and failing system that graduates about 58 percent of its students?

N.C. Constitution Muddles Rand's Plan for Education

Shortly after Judge Hobgood ruled that June Atkinson had the constitutional authority to run the Department of Public Instruction, Sen Tony Rand (D-Fayetteville)stated that the leftist legislature would have the political will to make changes to the current system.  These "changes" would clear up, what Sen. Rand referred to as a "convoluted system."

The convolution in the system comes from, in part, the fact that the Governor appoints their own official to run DPI in order to maintain control over the political boondoggle that is public education.  How would Sen. Rand fix this issue?

Red Clay has been doing this for awhile, and as such we are actually fluent in liberal.  We humbly offer a translation of Sen. Rand's comments for your perusal.

    "We took a beating today in court.  Our horse didn't win, and so we are now prepared to propose
     a constitutional amendment that would chuck Article 3 Section 7 of the state constitution, and          replace that elected office with a political appointee that will do what the legislature wants."

In summation, Sen. Rand wants to prevent voters from electing someone that they can't control.  Democracy and the North Carolina Constitution has simply become too cumbersome for the 22+ year veteran of the Senate.

Atkinson v. State: Upholding the NC constitution and limited gov't.

It's a victory for the people and limited government. That's how I'd describe today's order by Wake County Superior Count Judge Robert Hobgood who said Gov. Perdue cannot appoint a separate executive to run the state's schools apart from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, a consitutional officer of the state and duly elected by the people (See:coverage). The order, which will likely be appealed by the State, raises the question whether Bill Harrison will stay on in his job or whether Harrison's duties will now focus primarily on the State Board of Education. Those answers may take months to figure out and may also be preempted by further actions by the courts. 

I applaud our friends at the North Carolina Institute on Constitutional Law (NCICL), who represented Superintendent Atkinson, on all their good work! The NCICL web site has links to Judge Hobgood's order as well as news releases on the story.  

Atkinson v. State: Round I

If you're June Atkinson, the organization chart (Download Orgchart) for the State Department of Public Instruction seems to say it all.  

According to the chart, the superintendent is an officer with a staff of one and essentially no authority over the day-to-day operations of the department that administers public education.  Last I checked however, the state superintendent derived its authority and responsibility from the state constitution and statute.  In addition, the superintendent was also responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the state's schools. 

Earlier this year, the Governor gave those duties to Dr. Bill Harrison. Harrison was hired as the Chairman of the State Board of Education and Chief Operating Officer of the state's schools. The appointment essentially stripped Atkinson of her authority and responsibility, and banished her to the hinterlands. Gov. Perdue tries to put a good face on Atkinson's situation by calling her an "ambassador" for public education. If she is, Akinson is an ambassador without a country.   

None of this has sat well with Atkinson and those who believe in limited government. Yesterday Atkinson got her day in court.  Former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr of the Institute on Constitutional Law represented Atkinson.  (For additional information on motions and briefs click:here.)  Orr argued persuasively why Governor Beverly Perdue violated the North Carolina State Constitution when she appointed Dr. Bill Harrison chairman of the state board of education and chief operating officer of the state's schools. Orr, said the law clearly provides the State Superintendent with authority and responsibillity for for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the state's schools. The only way the State Superintendent's duties can be changed or transferred is through constitutional amendment, and legislature has stopped short -- several times -- of moving forward with that option.

This is an important case. If Atkinson loses it may likely embolden other officials and bureacracies to try to minimize the authority and responsibilities of constitutional officers or duly-elected officials. Wake County Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood, heard the case yesterday. He said he would rule on Friday. The losing side will mostly likely appeal and the case could go all the way to the state supreme court.  

Bullying Bill Passes Final Vote

The Bullying Bill passed its final vote in the NC House on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to be signed into law by Governor Perdue.  This marks the first time that sexual orientation has been written into North Carolina Statute.  Supporters of the bill claim a intent clause located at the end of the bill will prevent any part of the bill to be used as a legal basis for additional gay rights such as same sex marriage.

The bill was hotly debated in the House session with some comments by members considered rude and unbecoming to the chamber.  The bill passed by a vote of 58 to 57 when two members that had voted for the bill the previous day changed their votes to no (Rep. Dewey Hill D-Columbus and Rep. Jamie Boles R-Moore) and two members that had previously voted against the bill took a walk (Rep. Ronnie Sutton D-Robeson and Rep. William Brisson D-Bladen)and did not vote.

Look for a more detailed anaylisis of the bill and its impact coming tomorrow at www.nccivitas.org

A decline in ADM? Let's ignore the numbers.

New start date legislation and slowing birth rates have led to a drop in North Carolina public school average daily membership (ADM) enrollment . Earlier this year DPI estimated a decline of about 12,000 students (See page 2).

That said, why does the House education Budget include $27.2 million that “restores mandatory increases for certain line items associated with growing student headcount? See page F-1 in the House Budget document.

And you wonder why public education costs so much.

Bullying Bill on NC House Floor Tonight

The misleadingly named "School Violence Prevention Act"  SB 526 sponsored by Senator Julia Boseman (D-New Hanover) is on the NC House calendar for a vote during tonight's House session.

This bill would introduce into North Carolina law for the first time descriptions of sexual orientation.  A similar bill was used in Iowa to destroy the concept of traditional marriage.

Were this bill truly about protecting children from bullies at school then it would have some sort of penalty for the bully, right?  Sadly, it has none. Shouldn't a bill named "The School Violence Prevention Act" prevent school violence? 

A bipartisan group filed a clean bullying bill, HB 776 without the sexual orientation categories.  That bill had 62 sponsors from both parties and yet was never heard by any House committee. 

Do the math.  The NC House has 120 members; 62 would be a MAJORITY.  The game played by the legislative leadership is one using a stacked deck where the votes really only matter when they win.

Bullying in schools is wrong. So is deception in lawmaking.

Civics Lesson Needed for College Board

I hardly know where to begin with this.  Last Friday's Charlotte/Raleigh News & Observer/Observer ran a very predictable story on the illegal-aliens-in-community-colleges-saga.    The shocker here is some of the comments from members of the NC Board of Community Colleges.

Dr. Stuart Fountain, a retired Asheboro dentist who heads the board's policy committee, said the colleges should not stand in the way of any person who wants an education. "Without this option, we are creating a second-class citizenry," Fountain said, "a group of people who have no option but to go ahead and join a gang."

So, here in an interview with a reporter of the state's largest two newspapers, a man that has been appointed to help govern the Community College System of North Carolina by the Governor (Easley, BTW) has decided to jump past the amnesty discussion all together and go ahead and make the leap to citizenship.

Dr. Fountain needs a good lesson in the basics of American citizenship. 

Illegal aliens have broken the law to come here in the first place.  Some have even compounded this by dragging their children here too.

Fountain is also wrong on the second portion of his statement.  There is another choice, go back to the country of your birth where you are a citizen and seek your fortune there.

The other head scratching comment came from Jimmie Ford (another Easley appointee), a board member from Goldsboro:

"I just pray that they can afford to pay [out-of-state tuition]."

How about praying that there will be enough seats available at your college for all of the lawfully present North Carolinians that would like to attend community college before the board gives them away to illegals?

Another Cost of IllegaI Immigration Discussed

While open border advocates continue to push blanket amnesty for illegals aliens in hopes that these newly minted citizens will impact the electorate, more talk is zeroing in on an effect of our unenforced border laws:  the impact on blue collar employment.

Blogger Clayton Cramer really gets at the heart of the native worker issue with this article. 

"However, unskilled illegal immigrants who have flooded across our Southern border the last few years aren’t driving down the wages of well-paid professionals. They are lowering the wages for unskilled U.S. citizens and legal residents. It might not be much, but even a dollar per hour matters for people who earn hardly above minimum wage. For some, it’s the difference between self-sufficiency and needing government assistance."

Rather than taking the jobs that Americans don't want, turning a blind eye to illegal immigration for the sake of good business has resulted in giving illegals jobs that Americans won't want to do for the low pay given to their competitors from south of the border.

This grand coalition that the liberals hope to put together by giving citizenship (and the resulting voting rights that come with citizenship) is really an attempt to force two groups together that have competing economic issues. Low skilled, blue collar workers already have a tough enough time competing for the dwindling good paying manufacturing jobs that their parents and grandparents raised their families on. 

And if you are a felon looking to get hired by a company? Forget about it.  Why hire someone with a criminal record when you can hire an illegal for less pay despite the fact that they have an undeterminable criminal background as well as a questionable identity.  That's right employers, don't ask the questions that you don't want the answers to.

Thank goodness our education establishment has tried to shoehorn every kid in high school into college and an unreasonable career path.  That policy seems to have dovetailed nicely with the arrival of masses of unskilled workers that don't complain much.  American exceptionalism and our sovereignty are at risk, but don't let it get in the way of making a buck.