Pinehurst. pork-barrel. Politicians. (Oh, and NICOLE REVELS !!!!)
Nicole Revels took a break from her starring role in Jeff Tarte’s nightmares to come to Moore County Thursday night and drop some knowledge on us about HOW BAD this ConnectNC bond issue really is. Here’s the video. ( It’s two hours long. If you don’t have the time or patience to sit down and watch, we’re glad to give you the meat-and-potatoes. We watch so YOU don’t have to.)
Now, for some takeaways:
A Republican loyalty test. Pro-bond forces sent along the chairman of the state Young Republicans to present their case. He kept repeating the assertion that Pat McCrory, Dan Forest, and all of our Republican legislators support ConnectNC. So, we — as good Republicans — should fall in line. (Moore County is one of the reddest counties in the state. All of the applause following each of Nicole’s anti-bond statements sure must have rattled ‘Mr. Republican Loyalty.’ )
It’s kind of funny, though. Some of the most diehard supporters of the bond are people who are most likely to vote FOR Roy Cooper for governor.
Necessities? The ConnectNC guy kept saying how important it was to get these very necessary projects done while interest rates are low. Nicole countered with this argument: If they’re so important, why weren’t things prioritized and put into the state budget that was voted on by the General Assembly? County board of commissioners chairman Nick Picerno was part of the forum panel. He raised an interesting point. Picerno said he and local community college officials met not long ago to discuss funding for
projects on the campus. He said the projects, now listed as their part of ConnectNC, weren’t even mentioned in that meeting.
“It’s interesting how, when new money comes on the scene, people find new things to quickly spend it on,” Picerno quipped.
Oh, we learned what Sandhills Community College’s projects in the bond issue are: renovations to Owens auditorium and to the nursing classrooms.
And, for the record, enrollment is down at Sandhills and just about every other campus around the state. Current facilities are being woefully under-used. Why build more?
Transparent as a mud puddle. Nicole pointed out that pro-bond sources are only presenting names of institutions and lump-sum dollar amounts in connection with the bond. She said the governor’s office is telling people they need to contact each and every community college campus in the state to find out what projects will be funded.
The ConnectNC guy confirmed this — saying every effort was made to keep things as local as possible. Nicole cited an op-ed by state Rep. Mark Brody (R-Anson) raising further questions about ConnectNC. The legislator wrote that the UNC system was required by law to submit a list, by Feb. 1, clarifying what they specifically plan to do with the bond money. Those lists have not been submitted as of today. Pressed by Brody and other legislators, UNC officials said they would actually have the list “sometime in April.” (The bond will be voted on in March.)
Using our money to con us into giving them MORE MONEY. The ConnectNC guy told the audience, with a straight face, that NO STATE MONEY is being used to promote the bond issue. (An audience member quipped “So, are these fliers printed for FREE?) Nicole countered by pointing out that just about every state agency web site has been redesigned to sing the praises of ConnectNC. She also pointed out that the state community college board asked each college to donate to the pro-bond marketing effort $1000 for every ONE MILLION they hoped to get. (Surely there is some taxpayer money among all that.)
The ConnectNC guy repeated the dubious claim that “no new tax increases will be required.” Nicole produced an analysis by the John Locke Foundation showing that the sam
e claim was made during the last statewide bond issue in 2000. The General Assembly raised taxes in 2001.
Nicole also took pro-bond forces to task for bringing the National Guard into all of this. “The National Guard part is the smallest part of the bond,” she said. “If giving the National Guard the tools they need to get their job done is being held hostage, used as leverage, to get voter approval of a bunch of pork, I find that outrageous.”
ME, TOO.
Folks, don’t just say no to ConnectNC on March 15th. Say HELL, NO. Kill this thing. Show Raleigh and the rest of the political class we are NOT the suckers they perceive us to be.
This young lady is standing alone. She is getting no funding. She was the star of the night. Talk about bravery and someone who is able to see thru the rhetoric and think for herself!
Heard her speak last month. Certainly agree with her and have been informed that IF this pork package passes there will be another allegedly next year for another Billion for roads and infrastructure…
I made Palm Cards (as usual) for handouts at the polls for CONSERVTIVE CANDIDATES and put Vote AGAINST the Bond in bold red letters on the bottom. We all need to get the word out ASAP!
Thank you!!!
Quite a list of supporters for this blank check.
https://www.voteyestoinvest.com/supporters/
George Little has encourage everyone to vote yes for the Connect NC bonds Surely all the Rino’s will take his lead and vote yes.
If George Little likes it, I don’t!
People are waking up. That Beaufort County GOP straw poll had the bonds going down by a 10 to 1 margin.
This is yet another issue where we see the big government / big spending ideology fo today’s NC Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber today is as bad as the AFL-CIO. In decades past, the Chamber used to belief if free enterprise and limited government. Now they believe in crony capitalism, corporate welfare, illegal immigration, and government boondoggles.
Conservatives should avoid any candidate or issue endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce like the plague
Evidently, the Establishment Chamber of Commerce Republican types are about to flip out in their efforts to get hold of other people’s money. That self-proclaimed moderate mouthpiece of the east, Henry Hinton, has gone into overdrive this week on his TALK OF THE TOWN radio show. He’s even attacking anti-bond callers from LAST week who called his guest host on his day off! Dudes like the Big Hen are just as bad as the Democrats in their attempts to influence the low information voters (as in dumb asses). I’m getting mighty uneasy being in the same party as these scam artists.
I watched the video (okay fine, a portion of it) and watched Nicole Revels in action. I have never met the woman before but I can tell you Nicole Revels is one tough lady with a solid backbone. She says what a lot of us are afraid to say and stand for. More should be like her.
As far as the bond is concerned, it will probably pass (unfortunately) because it was designed for the Democrats to vote for and a small portion of Republicans. Ugh! It’s almost embarrassing to watch.
This is a prime example of why people are leaving the Republican Party, registering Independent, and voting for candidates like Trump
WAKE UP Republican Party or one day you will cease to exist!
I quit the party, after it became clear that the platform meant nothing, and the leadership specifically presented rule changes at the state and national conventions to gag debate further. Followed by the insider tactics against Walter Jones and Chris McDaniel.
I feel completely at ease saying “I am not a Republican anymore”.
yea but how does this really help. As long as we have a two party majority system you need to stay in the one you agree with the most and then go fight. If all the good people leave the party then it will not have a chance at being good anymore.
I understand the give up part. Believe me I understand but if so many others had not given up maybe it could have been saved. I agree it seems like it is too late to save things at this point but I will keep trying till it is over or they kick me out
Nichole Revels did an excellent job. She was very professional and very effective with each opportunity she had to speak.
Representative James L. Boles, Jr. (Deputy Majority Whip. 2015-2016 Session. Republican – District 52. Moore) made several extremely misleading statements about NC’s training of Correctional Officers. He strongly suggested training would be improved with the passage and available funding of the ConnectNC Bond.
One of the recipients of ConnectNC Bond money is Samarkan, Moore County’s new law enforcement training center. Boles suggested that NC had no training facilities for Correctional Officers. Boles also claims that Samarkan needs Connect NC money so NC will not be forced to hold Correctional Officer Training in vacant strip malls. He then suggested only improved training at ConnectNC Bond funded Samarkan will keep our prisoners from having multiple cell phones with chargers.
I feel an obligation to correct the record from these outrageous claims by Rep. Boles. NC’s Correction Officials are all trained at the PAID FOR FACILITIES of the East or West Campus of the NC Justice Ctr. and/or on our underutilized community college campuses. All of these EXISTING law enforcement training facilities must be maintained by the state budget whether they are used to capacity or not.
For a little history, Samarkan was an empty unused state property that Mr. Boles and other’s have attempted to turn into a new Hwy Patrol training center. The NCSHP rejected their offer. Now these Samarkan “pushers” are having to make up reasons for its usefulness all the while begging for money to improve a facility NC does not need.
This, I believe, is the main reason for the bond, to HIDE the Samarkan boondoogle because no one can defend the specifics of the project. NC does not need it. State approved and maintained facilities currently exist to train Correctional officers.
NC citizens and future generations will be left with the bill for upkeep and maintenance on the Justice Ctr campuses, and now, Samarkan’s four 8 miillion $ classrooms. Future generations will be saddled with facility maintenance on Samarkan’s almost 500 acres, a property that should have been sold or privatized.
Please Vote NO on ConnectNC Bond.
NCSHP Feasability Study and Refusal here (http://www.ncleg.net/…/DPS_Training_Report_Feasibility… )
We ordered 50 signs for our county. Revels and her org have them ready to go and you can order directly from the sign company. I got 50 for $270 and will be shipped Thursday. We will distribute them all around the polling places. Also we are working the polls for our candidates and telling people to vote AGAINST the bond. We need to defeat this crony bond. Let’s sent a strong message to the GOPe.
Supporting this ConnectNC garbage is like joining with Chuckie Schumer on an Immigration / Amnesty mega-bill, then wondering why no one believes you’re a conservative. If all the NC Dems like ConnectNC, and only some of the Repubs like it, YOU’RE BEING SNOOKERED BY REPUBS.
Hanging on to the NCGOP is like pretending that we still have “public schools” to attempt reforming. A grassroots conservative movement, not another political party, should be organized to identify conservative candidates, help them attain ballot status and provide the necessary foot soldiers. When something Roy’s from within, you bury it and move on.
Until there is such an alternative vehicle that is in being and functional, then it is irresponsible to take your marbles and go home as an Unaffiliated. That only helps the liberals. If such an alternative conservative vehicle is created and viable, then, and only then, do you have a potentially valid argument.