Oh TEA Party, Where Have You Gone?!

In 2010, a landslide of new candidates and new ideas flooded the political landscape. The TEA party came to town and they shook the miry ground on which the establishment in D.C. stood on. But since then it seems that the TEA party influence at least on a national scale is diminishing. We see the disasters of Todd Akin and Mourdock like candidates who say things that leave us looking like kooks. We have the fact that party establishment get's their way a majority of the time. Case in point, Mitt Romney.
This could be due to the negative campaigning and propaganda that has been spewed by the leftists in the media. Every ill and every evil seems to originate from the TEA party and their "obsession" with the Constitution. According to the media, the people who make up the TEA party are old, white supremacists who only rise up because a black man is in the White House.
Now of course none of this is true. The TEA party is a diverse organization that spans the spectrum of American society. It is made up of the religious and the non-religious. It includes all races and ages. It is not like the Democratic and Republican Party who's designs stamp out local innovation and promote top down backroom candidates who's loyalties lie not with the people but with the elites. The TEA party is an idea. It is a concept. You can call it many things. The Evangelical Right, The Conservative movement, Libertarians, or TEA party. Labels aside, they all share one universal goal. The scaling back of government to a Constitutional level. The protection of moral values and religious liberty. The preservation of freedom. The protection of our homeland and sovereignty. These tenets should unite us all on the side of freedom.
Sadly there is infighting among all these groups. The battle is not over ideas or over doctrinal issues. It boils down to the basest of all human desire, power. Everyone wants to be number one. Instead of uniting and fighting as one, we on the right are fractured. Libertarians are running as third party spoilers and handing races to the democrats like in the Virginia Gubernatorial race this past year. The evangelical right is fighting the TEA party as too obsessed with the economy and taxes. While the TEA party for the most part shuns moral issues like abortion and gay marriage. All the while the establishment continues to have their way. They continue to beat back our candidates and they continue to implement their leftist policies.
In NC we have the perfect example. Thom Tillis was the establishment's choice. Karl Rove spent millions to get him elected. The Washington elite endorsed him. He was the fair haired boy. The Conservative movement needed just one candidate. Based on the numbers of votes split between the other candidates in the race, a majority of voters voted for someone other than Thom Tillis. If we had unified that effort behind one candidate instead of five, than who knows. We might actually have a conservative choice for US Senate against Kay Hagan. Instead, we have a "hold our nose" candidate.
I'm not going to get into Brannon or Harris debate. That time and place has passed. I will say that instead of fielding two candidates that basically agree on everything let's unite behind one person and get on with it.
We see TEA party candidates being beaten back by people like Boehner, McConnell, and Rove. Frank Roche was the conservative choice yet he loses to the well financed and well coached charlatan Renee Ellmers. We have already discussed Thom Tillis. We see it all across the political landscape. We cannot agree on budget issues. You have great ideas like the Penny plan or even the Ryan budget but those plans are not only attacked by the left and their lapdogs in the press. They are even attacked by our own side. We cannot agree on tactics when it comes to defeating Obamacare. Instead of fighting Barack Obama we have too many on our side who thinks that Ted Cruz is the enemy.
We cannot win a two front war. We are facing an uphill battle against Washington D.C. and it's elites. We cannot win against a better funded and better organized foe while fighting each other. If the TEA party, or better yet the Constitutional movement in this country wants to succeed we must unite. Libertarians, Evangelicals, Neo-Cons, and whoever else resides on the right needs to stop shooting our own and start firing back at the leftist agenda in this country.
If we do not unite we will fail. We may win a few races but not enough to turn the tide. We will be powerless and our nation will continue down the path to destruction. The Conservative movement needs to stop fighting each other and start fighting the true enemy. We'll see what happens.

The GOP and Crony Capitalism

We always hear the term "special interests". Typically the average American thinks of men with three piece suits and $100 dollar bills used as matches for their Cuban cigars. In some cases this is true. Anytime you have government involvement in any facet there arises the need for advocacy. Many times this advocacy is specialized, and needs the services of lawyers and lobbyists. There is nothing wrong with lobbying. There is, however, something wrong when lobbyists and corporations placing their interests over the interests of the people.
This raises two points. First, is that if you want to decrease the need for lobbyists than we need to reduce the role of government in every facet of our lives. If government wasn't so intrusive in areas like energy, agriculture, and business than we wouldn't need as many special interests groups. Government should only adhere to the roles granted to it by "we the people" in our Constitution.
The second point is that on our side of the aisle we need to reject crony capitalism. Crony capitalism is the special treatment and unfair practice of favoring certain industries and economic endeavors with the power, and financial resources of government.
In a recent article in Politico, the headline reads, "Chamber of Commerce gives ultimatum to GOP." This is not a joke. The business community who normally would be on the side of free enterprise and liberty is now pushing our reps and senators into the trap of amnesty.
Folks, this article is not about immigration reform, but allow me to make a point. We already had immigration reform. Simpson-Rizzoli in 1986 was supposed to secure the border and grant amnesty to the 2 million illegal aliens in our country. Well the only part that worked in the bill was the amnesty part. The border was never secure and today we are about to do the same thing again. I thought the definition of insanity was to do the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Oh, I forgot we are talking about Washington politics, the very definition of insanity.
The GOP needs to stand up and tell the Chamber of Commerce that they can take their threats and put it some place. Those representatives were elected by you and I. We the people do not want to bullied by the corporations and businesses who don't give a rat's posterior about immigration. These entities only see cheap labor. We need to stand up and say that no more will we play the game of crony capitalism.
We need to embrace a tax reform system that levels the playing field for all businesses not just the privileged few. We need to do away with economic "incentives" and "subsidies" which many times are political pay offs and unfair advantages to big corporations over local businesses.
If the GOP wants to win and wants to appeal to the middle class, it's time we stop ladling the gravy on the pork and actually say we are a free market economy and that we will be held hostage by corporations who throw billions in campaign contributions. If you want to give money fine, but it will not buy our votes.
The only way this system will collapse is if you and I show our reps that they do not need the millions in legal bribes from the corporations and lobbyists. If we show them that the only thing that helps them is if we vote for them. The only way we should vote for them is if they believe in our constitution and not the gravy train of crony capitalism.

Links:
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/chamber-of-commerce-2016-election-immigration-106577.html?hp=l9

Slow Down on Fracking

 The North Carolina General Assembly approved fracking last year. Currently the process is at the point where the panel who is writing the recommendations as far as the rules and regulations is awaiting approval of a bill to extend the deadline for those regulations. The bill will probably pass.
The bill should pass provided a controversial part of it is changed, because it will give the panel more time to make recommendations and to get more counsel. More time and patience should be the theme for this panel. Fracking is divisive issue in the state and we need to listen to both sides before a decision is made.
A controversial provision in the bill is that the chemicals which are used in the Fracking process would be classified as "trade secrets" of the companies doing the process. The only time that the list of chemicals would be made available would be to first responders in the event of an emergency.
This provision is very bad in my view. First, we the people, should know all the facts before this process gets the full green light. I think withholding this information is wrong. Let's put all the options on the table and lets see what happens. It sounds like to me that the oil and gas industry is afraid of the failure of the legislation if the chemicals are known. Why? Are the chemicals so toxic and so terrible that the very mention of their names will ensure panic and opposition? What are they afraid of, or better yet what are they hiding?
The next concern I would have about fracking is the zoning rights. I think the zoning should be two fold. First the County in which the property resides must have zoning regulations that allow it. Second, that the local municipality should have zoning privileges as well. If they get both the county and local municipal zoning privileges than and only then can the fracking take place.
Another concern I would have would be contingency planning. The companies involved should have ESCROW account set up for clean-up, disaster relief, and victim compensation. On the state level, we need to have disaster and relief plans drawn up in the rare but possible event of an accident.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions that need to be answered on fracking. I am all for energy exploration and for energy independence, but these questions and valid points need to be addressed.
I would encourage all Moore County citizens to write, call, or e-mail Jamie Boles and Jerry Tillman and tell them that we in Moore County want to know what is being put into the ground.

Jamie Boles
House District 52
email-Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net

Jerry Tillman
Senate District 29
email-Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net



Links:
http://www.wncn.com/story/25470966/nc-lawmakers-still-looking-at-fracking-options

TEA Partiers in Sheep's Clothing

Every political organization has a great idealogical origin. They begin with the best of intentions. They say they will fight the good fight and always stand up for their values. As time goes on those values and platitudes are replaced by ruthless pragmatism and sheer avarice. Just look at the GOP and the liberal Democratic Party. Is the TEA party in danger of doing the same? 

In 2010 the political world was rocked by the TEA party movement. With their banners of "Don't Tread on Me" and their flood of little constitutions, they turned the political establishment of both parties upside down. They fought hard for candidates who believed in balanced budgets, less taxes, less government. These insurgents came to Washington with a clear mandate; Don't just talk about change, Do it! 

The old guard on both sides of the aisle descended like vultures on a fresh piece of road kill. Many  of the newcomers were sucked into the stinking slough of corporatism and Tammany Hall style politics. Our own Congresswoman Renee Ellmers was a victim. Once shunned by the establishment, she quickly embraced it and began to spout with vigor the watered down talking points from the speaker's office. She is no different than the man she replaced. Now she votes the right way enough of the time, but the train is still heading towards the abyss. Renee Ellmers is throwing chaff at the wheels and then looking at us with those dough eyes and saying "Well, I Tried." She needs to be replaced. 

This example should be a warning to the TEA party. There are wolves out there who will brandish as many constitutions as they can carry to win a seat. They will don a powdered wig and pantaloons and play the part of Thomas Paine or Patrick Henry. They will say they believe in what we believe. Yet when they win they will act like the good ole boys and girls they are. They will vote the right way enough to win re-election but when the chips are down they will turn tail and run. 

It happened to the GOP and it can happen to the TEA party. The local chapters need to research candidates dispassionately and judicially. They need to look into their backgrounds and their past actions. Thy need to choose people who aren't going to talk about "legal rape" or Obama's birth certificate. They need to choose candidates who are moral and who are conservative. 

Sadly many times the candidate they choose is based on emotion and whim. As soon as someone says a line from the Declaration of Independence or pulls a US Constitution from their inner jacket pocket, the TEA party swoons. 

If the TEA party wants to stay legitimate and actually make a difference than they need to do a better job of picking candidates. If they don't than two things will happen. They will elect fools to office or worse, charlatans who will sell their principles to the highest bidder. Both things will weaken and destroy the TEA party. This movement may be our nation's last resistance to the madness of liberalism. We can't afford to screw it up. 

Anybody But Tillis.

The primary battle for the GOP nomination for US Senate has entered the back straightaway. The choices could not be more clear. On the liberal side you have Thom Tillis. Tillis is a state Rep, and speaker of the NC House. Thom Tillis is taking credit for a lot of conservative legislation that has been passed over the last couple of years. Even though many conservatives in the NC House and Senate would argue that he was more of a hindrance than a help. There have been charges that he was a Richard Morgan plant when he beat Rep.Jim Rhodes in 2006. He has denied this but the fact remains that he runs with a crowd that is too liberal for many of us on the right. He has also  been embroiled in several scandals and innuendos. Some of his staff had to resign because of improper relationships and corruption. Tillis also has come under scrutiny for some of his "picks" for the board of governors. It seems like Tillis is all for you getting the position if you contribute to his campaign. These things may all be circumstantial. However they will be repeated with vigor by our liberal friends in the press and by the  Kay Hagan campaign. We can do better. If you vote for Tillis, You will be voting for amnesty, more government, and more of the same from establishment GOP leaders. 

Fortunately we have two great choices. You have Dr. Greg Brannon. Dr. Brannon is a libertarian/ TEA party candidate. He labels himself as a constitutional conservative. He is against Obamacare and is endorsed by Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee. 

Brannon is however involved in a legal issue that is of some concern. He has been sued, with other co-defendants, for fraud. He has denied these charges vehemently. He was found guilty however by a jury and was ordered to compensate the plaintiffs. Since that decision, several sites, including the Daily Haymaker.com have reported that the judge in the case is a democrat with ties to Kay Hagan. This is troubling but the fact that it was a jury who handed down the judgement and not the judge is a valid point that Brannon supporters will have trouble refuting. There are rumors that a complaint will be filed against the judge. Brannon is a smart man who would make a good senator but his legal issues will be exploited by the press and the Hagan campaign as well. 

Another good choice is Mark Harris. Mark Harris is a pastor of a large congregation in the Charlotte area. He has also been involved in the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is a classic conservative who stresses moral values, lower taxes, and strong national defense views. 

The negatives on Harris are that he isn't well known. He will be lambasted by our liberal press and the Hagan campaign as a bible thumping, homophobic, woman hating Baptist. 

He is endorsed by Former Governor Mike Huckabee and other conservative Christian groups, such as Return America. 

We cannot choose a candidate based on what Hagan and her lap dog press will say or do. We should pick a candidate that represents the conservative values of our state. 

No one is perfect. The point here is that in my opinion, the conservatives in this state have two good choices in Mark Harris and Greg Brannon. Thom Tillis is no conservative and does need any power let alone the position of US senator. Research Harris and Brannon for yourselves and decide whom is the better choice. We need a conservative in Washington for NC. Not another John Boehner, Mitch McConnell wannabe like Tillis and certainly not Kay Hagan. 

It's Just A Website

Recently, Pat Corso of Partners on Progress floated the idea to our County Commissioners of a website. This website would be used to attract industry to our county. 

It sounds great. Of course the next step was money. Corso wanted close to $100,000 to get the website up and running. According to a report from 990 WEEB, two of the commissioners, Larry Caddell and Randy Saunders, voiced financial support for the project. 

Let's start on the obvious. Government is not very good at running websites. The next concern is practicality. We have a Chamber of Commerce and a Partners in Progress. They have their own budgets and websites. Why spend more taxpayer dollars on something that is unnecessary? Lastly, I doubt that a website is going to be our economic Field of Dreams. I don't think that the folks at IBM are going to move here because of a web page. 

The request was pulled before the meeting this past Tuesday night. Thankfully some of our commissioners used their common sense and good judgement. Government can attract industries with low taxes, good infrastructure, good schools, and public safety. We don't need gravy train subsidies or websites. Like I said the last thing we need is a government built website. 

Can't Fix Stupid.

Conservatives' predictions of disaster about Obamacare have come true. I would love nothing better than to gloat, but that is not what America needs. America needs salvation from this travesty of a law. 

The law is so unpopular that it's chief architect, President Obama, is trying to take his name off of the law. The Democrats are panicking and with good reason. 

The GOP needs to make 2014 about Obamacare. They need to hang this albatross around the necks of Congressional Democrats. I believe that as more Americans see their insurance plans canceled they will turn to the GOP in 2014. 

If the GOP will stop fighting each other and start focusing on the real enemy, Obama and his liberal agenda, then they can win in 2014. However the GOP needs one clear message. Repeal Obamacare and institute real reform. 

There are some that say we can fix it. To those I say, you can't fix stupid. This law is fundamentally flawed. The rollout is just another example of big government incompetence. This is one pig that you can't put lipstick on. 

GOP candidates need to run on a clear common sense agenda of repealing Obamacare, reducing spending, reforming entitlements, and restoring our greatness at home and abroad. The GOP needs to stop thinking like Washington and start thinking like common sense Americans. If they do they will win in 2014. If not,blike I said you can't fix stupid.