#ncga: Republican ‘pork’? (Oink!)
The budget made it through the House basically on a party line vote. (We exhibited our complete disgust and nausea about the agreement earlier.) The debate featured some of the biggest identity-swapping and role-reversal we’d seen since the HB2 kerfuffle:
The N.C. House voted 77-40 Wednesday to approve the final compromise budget, despite objections from Democrats that the spending plan includes millions in “pork” projects for mostly Republican districts.[…]
Remember the ‘good ol’ days’ when Democrats rammed that stuff through the chamber while Republicans howled in protest? MORE:
[…] But House Democratic Leader Darren Jackson said the budget had an unprecedented amount of “pork” projects, sometimes known as earmarks, funding nonprofit organizations, downtown revitalization and other initiatives – but only in specific communities, many of them represented by Republican legislators.
“You’re the Golden State Warriors of pork, almost undefeated,” Jackson said, referring to the NBA champions. “What would a real conservative like the late Sen. Jesse Helms think?” […]
MORE:
[…] A document released by Cooper’s office listed more than 100 specific earmarks in the budget, totaling more than $70 million. House Republican leaders defended the projects as essential for improving rural North Carolina.
“Some people don’t seem to like small projects that help struggling communities,” said Rep. Nelson Dollar, a Cary Republican and lead budget writer.
Rep. John Blust, a Greensboro Republican, noted that Democrats included many pork projects in their budgets when they controlled the legislature. “My head’s almost spinning at the hypocrisy … that they’re shocked that there’s pork barrel spending,” he said.[…]
It’s really quite simple. There aren’t many conservatives in the House GOP caucus but this is their moment and there are enough of them to stop this crap if Cooper vetoes it. Time to see if they stand with Timmy and the Porkers or with the GOP base and the taxpayers.
I didn’t say it was right. I said it didn’t reach the level of having to vote against the entire budget. There are many other things I would change in the budget too. I would eliminate the film grants, for example – that is pork that the Democrats who claim they don’t like pork support.
I am afraid that what we are seeing is our GOP legislators setting themselves up for some significant losses in 2018. The next election is one of those with very low turnouts due to no statewide races other than judicial being on the ballot and happen every 12 years. They are a cycle where the key to winning is motivating your base to vote.
This session instead of motivating thet GOP base to come out for them, they are upsetting thet GOP base and encouraging them to stay home. That could lead to disaster. The biggest blunder was the repeal of HB2 which has seriously turned off the values voters and Christian conservatives. Now we have abandoned tax cuts for a tax and spend budget that turns off economic conservatives, and we may have an embrace of the environmentalist left with this solar energy bill that will turn off more swaths of conservatives. Our legislators are shooting themselves in the foot with the gun on full auto. They are giving their own base no reason to turn out but lots of reasons not to do so.
An example is a local preacher I ran into in the post office and the frustrations he expressed. I have never known him to attend a GOP meeting but I have long been aware of how he actively works among Christians to get votes for our candidates. He told me that after the repeal of HB2, he is through with politics. He is very disillusioned and says they destroyed his credibility with that vote. He has had people he pushed to vote Republican throw the repeal vote in his face. When I pointed out that our local legislators voted to keep HB2, he responded that he knew that but the average voter did not look at that detail. They viewed ”the Republicans” as having abandoned protection of bathroom privacy. Voters are painting with much too broad a brush but that tis the reality on the ground.
I fear a looming disaster for our GOP legislature and it is one of their own making. I do not know how they get themselves back on track at this point. Maybe a full and unequivocal repeal of Common Core might be one way to get themselves back into the good graces of values voters who are likely to stay home in droves if nothing changes. And, of course, stopping that solar foolishness is also a key, and I hope the Senate is smart enough to do it.
Thank you for calling BS on the GOP Caucus for this departure from the conservative principles on which the majority was elected.
It’s worth noting that most of those elected ignore the platform of the Republican party, the Constitution of NC and the Constitution of the United States. They also ignore everything they said and promised when they were running.
Once elected, these people start believing they are more important than those who voted for them, and they begin looking for opportunities to increase their wealth and power.
It’s interesting to watch them justify them their treachery.
We need term limits in Raleigh too.
This budget is actually a spending increase. Democrats in the legislature are stuck in between a rock and a hard place when it comes to budget-speakin’ rhetoric. Darren Jackson even resorted to using his speaking time for Golden State Warriors and Cam Newton talk. Democrats don’t *hate* this budget; they are just in messaging peril. As a conservative, I definitely don’t like seeing a spending increase but it will be interesting to see how Governor Cooper responds. So far, it’s just been talk.
I think we are being unfair. Tabor if law would demand a 3.6 ceiling of budget growth, and they are 3.1. Seeing that as the holy grail of tax amendments they are doing well.
I don’t blame our legislature. I blame us (As in we the people). We let them pull this crap decade after decade. Somehow – We believe that if we elect a “D” or an “R” all will be well.
And their excuse: “Well they did it when they were in charge”.
Makes me sick – Speaking strictly as a gadfly. 🙂
It stinks. But vote buying is to be expected when they’re likely to have to override a veto. What was worse was when we still had a Republican governor and the did the same stuff.
WOW look at this info below… It seems totally OBSCENE that the “Honorables” in Raleigh would put pork ahead of burying veterans who have sacrificed for this country in the armed services. Even more obscene is the fact that this Cemetery is the MAJORITY LEADERS DISTRICT! Check the Military and Veterans Affairs Section of Budget!
________________________________________________
NC Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
NC State Veterans Cemetery Program
Options for 2018 Funding
Impact of Lack of Funding on Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery
Close the Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery (Goldsboro) to new burials due to lack of funding.
a. RIF all current staff at the Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery.
b. $150K in Annual Recurring Appropriations to maintain current grounds and minimal maintenance. The facility must be maintained for families to visit their loved one. Recurring operational funding to maintain the facility and contracts for ground maintenance is required. The grounds would be maintained only around the gravesite markers.
c. $5M in Non-Recurring funds to reimburse the Federal Government for the Grant. Per the following CFR – all Federal Funding awarded and reimbursed for the construction of the Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery would have to be reimbursed ($4,923,344.55 – original award $5,336,149.00) to the State Home Cemetery Grant Program. The State would be responsible for maintaining the facilities and grounds for the veterans buried in the facility.
“RE: 38 CFR 39.10 (c) If a State or Tribal Organization which has received a grant under this part ceases to own the cemetery for which the grant was made, ceases to operate such cemetery as a veterans cemetery in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section, violates the prohibition in paragraph (b) of this section, or uses any part of the funds provided through such grant for a purpose other than that for which the grant was made, the United States shall be entitled to recover from the State or Tribal Organization the total of all grants made to the State or Tribal Organization under this part in connection with such cemetery.”
None of the top leadership in the NC House or Senate GOP caucuses have ever worn the uniform, small wonder that their priorities are so misplaced.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article157920829.html
Washington as well NC government people will take all they can including enough rope that they can hang themselves.