We need to put people back to work.  To work, you need a job.  To have a job, you need a business.  A small business, in particular.  Small businesses need money to start up or stay in business.  We all know this, of course.  But what to do about it? 

 

Would-be small business owners face heavy start up costs, if not going into personal savings accounts, taking on debt that is harder to get from tight-fisted banks, to get the capital they need to start the venture

 

I like the idea of setting up tax-preferred Small Business Start Up accounts, which I read about in the economic section in the blog Third Way.

 

With economic conditions making it tougher to save or access credit, would-be entrepreneurs could aside start-up funding in a tax-preferred account that would let them “more effectively save and reduce their need to go into debt or deplete their retirement funds,” according to Third Way.

 

Another idea is to create a new Bonus Manufacturing Tax Credit to create jobs by “boosting support for domestic research and development and rewarding companies that manufacture in the United States,” Third Way reports.

American and North Carolina manufacturing has lost many jobs over the past decade because of business closings, and the recent recession has only accelerated the negative progression.  R&D is a key driver of manufacturing activities, and America and North Carolina need to find ways to support its domestic industries.  Our support pales next to other nations, such as China, Brazil, and India.

The idea here is to propose “a new Bonus Manufacturing Tax Credit to provide additional tax incentives to companies that both research and manufacture their products in America, stimulating job growth and helping to keep R&D in the U.S,” according to Third Way.

While government should aid the private sector to make growing jobs less burdensome, it can also be the initiator, at least while in extreme economic times as we are in now, by setting up large scale job creation programs similar to what the United States did as part of the New Deal during the Great Depression.  At that time departments like the Civil Works Administration, Public Works Administration, Civilian Conservation Corp, and the Works Progress Administration, created thousand of jobs for the unemployed. 

But we need to help small business survive with improved credit, tax relief, and R&D funding assistance, for by these measures the governments from Washington and Raleigh will be setting up a more permanent foundation for jobs and economic growth that is sustainable, instead of only working on temporary stimulation to relieve unemployment. 

We just need to hit this problem from all angles.  Purists may say that government intervention is wrong because of its ill long-term affects.  But people eat everyday, it has been written, not in the long run. 

**This blog post was authored by Charles Malone, candidate for North Carolina Senate Disctrict 15.  Mr. Malone is a contributing writer for The Jacksonian.  His column appears weekly on this blogsite.** 

        

This week's calendar is filled with a number of opportunities to meet and greet candidates and public office holders throughout the Triangle. Check out the events and mark your calendars to attend!<< MORE >>

RALEIGH – A federal grand jury has indicted former Gov. Mike Easley aide Ruffin Poole with 51 counts of corruption.

The indictment accuses Poole of fraud, bribery and money laundering, along with other charges.

Poole, who was responsible for gathering campaign donations for Easley, refused to testify about possible campaign violations in October, claiming attorney-client privilege. He was eventually forced to testify in December, but invoked his Fifth Amendment rights.

Source: News 14 Carolina

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE INDICTMENT http://content.news14.com/Poole_indictment.pdf

I guess for former Governor Mike Easley, the only good thing about this indictment being handed down today is that it may have been overshadowed by the acknolwedgement of John Edwards that he fathered the child of his mistress.  Add it all together and this was a very bad day for North Carolina Democrats in what is increasingly becoming a difficult climate for Democrats at all levels of government.

After the Jim Black, Tony Rand, Ty Harrell, and Mike Easley scandals (scandals of recent memory) voters must be asking themselves is a change is needed in Raleigh?  I would hate to see the civic minded public servants of the Democratic Party lose out because of rotten eggs that spoil the whole bunch.  But maybe, this is what the party needs because it has been slow to discipline party members who brought disgrace to an organization that clearly has the interest of all people in mind.

        

Barack Obama has occupied the White House for exactly one year today and who could have imagined in that short time that the President would be greeted with such anniversary gifts as a Republican win in Massachusetts and an approval rating below 50 percent.  The Obama Administration and Democrats on The Hill have lost control of the political agenda and have junkies across the country wondering, "What is Going On?"

During the past year, Democrats have repeatedly tried to blame the problems facing the country as carryover inherited from President George W. Bush.  Fair or not, the American people elected Democrats to fix these problems, not to continue the blame game.  President Obama campaigned on the issue of hope and was quick to criticize past generations of politicians for finger pointing and gridlock only to see his administration engage in the same tactics as the mystique of the innaugural festivities wore off.

Some would say the administration has dealt with the problems.  I can not disagree with this statement, but will argue that the administration missed the mark which worked to infuriate many voters who placed their trust in Democrats while mobilizing an angry group of white middle-class voters who feel the "new boss is same as the old boss!"

By bailingout banks, the auto industry, insurance companies, and cozying up to big pharmaceuticals and big health insurers during the health care debate the administration signaled to the angry independents that were responsible for Democratic return to power that business has not changed in Washington.  These Americans feel that their money has been used to line the pockets of those who are directly responsible for the current economic crisis and rightfully so are mad as hell about this.  Take a look at financial service stocks and you will find many companies that received TARP monies are seeing a rise in their stock values while Americans are facing an unemployment rate of above 10 percent across the country.

Add to this total reckless spending pattern the decision to bring known terrorists to the United States for trial for the September 11 attacks.  Again, fair or nor, it is the perception that these enemy soldiers are being treated more fairly than our fighting men and women engaged in the War on Terror.  Put all this together and you have the prescription for a major backlash.  The proof is in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and to a lesser extent Virginia.

The political landscape can shift in the blink of an eye and there is still time for Democrats to regain control of the agenda.  However, the sand is flowing through the hour glass faster each day and once thought safe Democrats must be scared to think that if a Republican can win in the most Blue state in America than by golly a Republican can defeat me in my district/state. 

 

        

In Eastern North Carolina, pig manure is serious business. Hogs outnumber people 3-to-1, and long-standing controversies about the environmental impact continue.

Now, a UNC-Chapel Hill associate professor has come up with a way to eliminate the noxious odor and recycle the waste into fuel alcohol and gases that can be used to make electricity.

The technology still is not cost-effective, but as the U.S. focuses on alternative sources of energy and utilities face requirements to tap renewable resources, the manure produced by 9 million pigs annually is looking, well, more attractive.

Source: The Raleigh News & Observer

Interesting! 

        

GREENSBORO — Teachers could see major changes in how they are paid if North Carolina wins its bid for nearly $470 million from Washington.

Gov. Bev Perdue submitted the state’s application for a Race to the Top grant. Race to the Top is a program included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will provide states with a four-year grant to fund major education reform efforts.

Perdue’s plan focuses on improvement in two areas: developing qualified teachers and leadership, and improving low-performing schools and districts.

Source: The Greensboro News & Record

I am encouraged that Governor Perdue is seeking to reform public education and is looking at ways to improve poor performing schools through the use of incentives for results.  I feel this shift in education philosophy is long overdue and needs to be tested in our state hopefully sooner rather than later.

My concern is that the performance issue and pay incentives will be focused on the critical needs areas of education while other hard working educators will be left to fend for whatever is left over after funding elementary education, math, science, and special needs classrooms.  If our state does not implement a fair performance based plan, a "caste system" will develop within our schools which will define subject areas and grade levels as more important than others.

Furthermore, the archaic and unexplainable system of recording student and school growth currently used by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is a whole new can of worms that must be reformed before any performance based system can be implemented.  As an educator, it is difficult to comprehend being evaluated for my curriculum area based on how a student performed in a previous class of a different subject matter.

I have been in meetings with county and state education bureaucrats and have never been given a solid explination to how the current evaluation model for growth accurately reflects school, teacher, and student performance.  The standard answer is, "statistics show the model is accurate," but when pressed further these bureaucrats can not produce evidence to support their statements.

North Carolina needs to develop an accurate model for growth before if performance based pay is to be implemented within the teacher salary scale.

        

A Greenville senator is proposing legislation that would require the South Carolina Employment Security Commission to test workers for drugs before they receive unemployment benefits.

Senator David Thomas says most companies require drug testing. According to his proposal, if a worker tests positive for illegal drugs their benefits would be cut off, and would not be restored until the applicant completed a treatment program. The applicant would then receive random testing, and testing positive would result in benefits being stopped until more treatment is completed. Failing another random test following that would stop benefits for a year.

Thomas says a report from the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce points out that up to 20 percent of unemployed workers may use illegal drugs. 

Source: South Carolina Radio Network

        

As S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster readily acknowledged, he and three other Republican candidates for governor generally agree on the issues.

"We're all conservative and sing roughly the same song," he said Monday at an Aiken Republican Club meeting, where he was joined by the other candidates, U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and S.C. Rep. Nikki Haley. Each outlined what separates them as gubernatorial hopefuls who want to succeed Gov. Mark Sanford.

Source: The Aiken Standard

        

COLUMBIA -- The NAACP will make a stronger push to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina State House, the president of the civil rights organization said Monday.

Benjamin Jealous wouldn't go into details but said by the summer the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People would bring more publicity to its economic boycott of South Carolina. The campaign calls for blacks to not vacation in the state and spend as little money as they can within its borders.

        

        

According to a report published in “Education Week” magazine, South Carolina is tops in the nation in its efforts to improve teaching. The report by Quality Counts 2010 released Thursday indicates that the state earned “A’s” in the categories of academic standards, school accountability and teacher support in the national report card. Overall the state scored a B-minus grade with a score of 80, which is higher than the national average score of 76, a “C.” Critics of the the state’s public school system’s effectiveness point out that the report also shows that the state received a “D” for student achievement. State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex says the state has made tremendous strides in education, but he understands that their is still a lot of work to be done in various areas.

“When it comes to rigor and supporting teachers will do very well. The areas we don’t do as well in has to do with the way we fund schools. Some of the inequities that we have, the ‘Corridor of Shame’ and some of the other things most South Carolinians know about, also our high poverty rates and our high unemployment rate. All those things in the study that categorize as ‘chance for success’ score relatively low,” Rex says.     

The state ranked 11th in school policy and performance and seventh in school policy and performance.

Source: South Carolina Radio Network

These are steps in the right direction for Palmetto schools but much work remains to be done.  South Carolina's unique funding of schools needs to be changed so that all districts receive money in a more equal manner.

The next Governor of South Carolina will most definately be judged on how he manages the legislative agenda on school funding and reform.

        

The filing period has not yet been set for Charleston County Council candidates, but with two council members having announced they will not seek re-election this year, three people already have declared that they will run.

Five of the nine County Council seats will be on the ballot in November; Dist. 1 (Joe McKeown), Dist. 2 (Dickie Schweers), Dist. 5 (Teddie Pryor), Dist. 8 (Curtis Inabinett), and Dist. 9 (Paul Thurmond). Inabinett and Thurmond have announced they will not seek re-election.

Source: The Charleston Post & Courier

        

Without two eyes, writes Huston Smith, author of “The World’s Religions,” there is “no awareness of space’s third dimension.”  Until sight converges from more than one angle, the world looks as flat as a postcard.  The rewards of having two eyes are practical, Smith continues: “They keep us from bumping into chairs and enable us to judge the speed of approaching cars.”  But the final reward is the “deepened view of the world itself—“the panoramas that unroll before us, the vistas that extend from our feet.

 

It is the same with how we view the social order and how we must govern.  “What do they know of England, who only England know?”  And the same can be said of America, if we know only America. 

 

As the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. draws near, and we are obliged to consider his contributions to the freedom we know.  King drew much of his brilliant, non-violent approach to the unjust laws of segregation and discrimination from studying the ways and means of Mahatma Gandhi of India, who led the freedom movement of his country from England.  King saw the might of the open hand over the fist, the power of love over hate, and the strength of forgiveness to his oppressors.  His eyes were open, both of them, to see the peace movement prevail in India.  His mind and soul followed suit and knew that Gandhi’s way could be the way for America.

 

“Race had taught King hard lessons about the greater witness of sacrifice than truth,” according to Taylor Branch, from his epic history of the civil rights movement in America, “Parting the Waters.”  “Nonviolence had come over King for a purpose that far transcended segregation.  It touched evils beyond color and addressed needs more human than status or possessions.  Having lifted him up among rulers, it would drive him back down to die among garbage workers in Memphis.  King had crossed over as a patriarch like Moses into a land less bounded by race.”

 
Charles Malone and Congressman John Lewis (D) Georgia

John Lewis, now a Congressman from Georgia, King’s ally in the civil rights movement in the early 1960s, who was beaten and jailed often while participating in the march from Selma to Montgomery and on the Freedom Ridges—said those days were like being “involved in something like a Holy Crusade.”  Lewis has written: “In the final analysis, we are one people, one family, one house—the American house, the American family.”

 

We must keep those fires so nobly lit by leaders like King and Lewis burning today for continued social justice, and there is no better way to do that than passing comprehensive health care reform for all citizens.

 

 “It’s always the right time, to do the right thing,” King wrote.  And it is in keeping with his memory and in keeping with doing the “right thing” to see the work of Democrats and their allies to bring this epic issue thus far, be completed.  And to see this work reach its fruition close to Martin Luther King’s birthday would be most fitting, most fitting, indeed.    

**This blog post was authored by Charles Malone, candidate for North Carolina Senate Disctrict 15.  Mr. Malone is a contributing writer for The Jacksonian.  His column appears weekly on this blogsite.** 

        

Since leaving Congress in 1996, former Rep. Glen Browder, D-Ala., has struggled to make sense of his nearly eight years on Capitol Hill. He failed to fit easily with party leaders and their machinations, had no memorable legislative achievements, and eventually lost, 62-38 percent, to a little-known trial lawyer in the Democratic primary for an open Senate seat.

As he returned to teach political science at a home-state university, Browder concluded that what most defined his public service -- including six prior years in state government -- was his work to promote racial integration following the civil rights protests of the 1960s. With other white politicians, mostly Democrats, he now takes pride that he "helped reconstruct and 'normalize' a perverted, contorted regional system of historically institutionalized white supremacy and racial segregation." And, he wrote, they achieved those goals quietly, in ways designed not to capture public attention or to alienate members of either race.

What Browder describes as "Stealth Reconstruction" is the subject -- and title -- of his new book, published by New South Books of Montgomery, Ala., and which he will discuss this evening in an appearance at the National Archives.

In the book, which was co-authored by his former congressional aide Artemesia Stanberry, Browder contends that he and other like-minded Democrats significantly moderated Southern politics "through the relatively progressive but quiet, somewhat secretive, sometimes uncomfortable, oftentimes less than noble, biracial service of practical politicians and activists."

Source: National Journal Online

        

The State Senate’s District 10 seat is open for the first time in more than 15 years, and the first candidate in what could be a crowded field this year announced his intention to run Friday.

Lenoir County Commissioner Chris Humphrey had planned to make a formal announcement a week or two from now, but said he was compelled to announce Friday when long-serving Sen. Charlie Albertson, D-Duplin, announced he would not seek re-election.

“On the heels of his announcement I felt that the citizens of this district (should know they) did have a viable option,” he said.

Humphrey, a Republican, made his announcement before the candidate filing period for this year’s elections begins Feb. 8

Source: Kinston Free Press

This announcement did not come as a total shock to the political establishment of North Carolina.  Senator Albertson has made noise about retirement during past legislative sessions and considering the current political environment, we are not surprised that the 78 year-old Democrat is calling it quits.

Albertson's district is rural and conservative.  The retirement of Albertson must have Republicans salivating.  This district is likely to be a pick-up for the GOP in November.

The retirement of Alberston combined with Senator David Hoyle shows that long-serving Democrats in conservative leaning districts are deciding to vacate their offices rather than fight for re-election in the fall.  As filing deadline approaches, eyes will be on other Democrats in conservative districts to see if they decide to seek another term.

One thing is for sure, the wind is at the backs of NC Republicans.  We will wait to see if that translates into a new majority party in the NC Senate and House of Representatives.  We feel Republicans have a greater chance of taking control of the Senate in 2010.

        

COLUMBIA, SC – The Barrett for Governor Campaign today announced via twitter [@greshambarrett] that it has raised more than $2 Million in the race for Governor of South Carolina. According to a state financial report the campaign will file Sunday, Barrett raised more than $379,000 in the final quarter of 2009, marking the fourth consecutive quarter that the campaign has exceeded the record-breaking fundraising pace set by Governor Sanford in the 2002 Republican Primary.

“Gresham’s finance totals are simply amazing given current economic conditions and the traditionally slow pace of fourth quarter fundraising,” said Barry Wynn, Barrett for Governor Finance Chairman and former Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party. “His consistent continued fundraising success underscores the fact that Gresham’s proven leadership and unique ability to unite people behind his conservative vision for job creation has captured the support of South Carolinians from all walks of life.”

Barrett raised nearly $328,000 in new money and transferred more than $51,000 from his congressional account to the gubernatorial campaign, a process the campaign will continue throughout the election.

Including the newly raised money and transfers, the Barrett for Governor Campaign now has over $1.5 million cash on hand.

To View the Entire Release: Gresham Barrett Press Release

        

Here it is. Hot off the press! This week's calendar of events happening in the Triangle. If you have an event you wish to showcase on this blog, please email us at andrewjacksondem@gmail.com. Have a great week.<< MORE >>

Edgecombe County had the highest unemployment rate of the state’s 100 counties in November, the latest figures show.

The county’s figures surpassed Scotland County, which had maintained the highest unemployment rate in the state for nearly a year.

According to recent media reports, the swine flu epidemic may have caused Scotland County’s jobless rate to drop. Qual-Pak, which makes Purell hand sanitizer and wipes, was poised to close last year until the H1N1 epidemic took hold.

Just before it was set to close, the plant received 300 million orders and had to hire more people.

Larry Parker, a spokesman for the N.C. Employment Security Commission, said the job market is extremely tight in Edgecombe County.

“Much like Scotland County, the Rocky Mount area certainly has had its fair share of struggles when it comes to the unemployment rate, not only during this recession, but even a little bit prior to that,” he said.

Source: The Rocky Mount Telegram

Monday, The Jacksonian featured an article from The Fayetteville Observer regarding the unemployment rate in Scotland County which was the highest in the state as of the month of December.  As of Friday, Edgecombe County now has the highest rate of unemployment in North Carolina.

Both counties are rural and in dire need of a plan for economic development.  I will restate that I believe the underdevelopment in the state's rural economies is the most dire issue facing North Carolina.  This issue needs more than lipservice and talk from lawmakers. 

        

Long-time state Rep. Robert Grady announced Thursday that he plans to run for Onslow County Clerk of Court instead of seeking re-election to the General Assembly.

“Serving the people of Onslow County in the State House has been a part of my life for the past 24 years,” he said in a prepared statement. “I am grateful for the experience. And I will miss it.”

He served three terms on the Jacksonville City Council in the early 1980s and was elected to the N.C. House in 1986 as a Republican. He served 12 terms as a state representative.

While in the House, Grady served on the appropriations committee for education and Crime Control and Public Safety. Grady is also credited with helping to establish a veterans cemetery in Jacksonville and programs at Coastal Carolina Community College that allow students to receive a four-year degree without leaving Onslow County.

Source: Jacksonville Daily News

Robert Grady, a 12 term Republican representative, is vacating the general assembly to seek the office of Onslow County Clerk of Court.  As a ranking member of the minority party in Raleigh, had the GOP become the majority in the NC House Grady would have been in line for a big committee chairmanship.

Perhaps this signals that NC GOP Chair Tom Fetzer's claim that the Republicans will sweep all major offices and become the majority party in both houses of the general assembly is not the conventional wisdom of members in the GOP caucus and is another example of  his (Fetzer's) hot air!

        

Boeing Co. released some information Friday about the tax breaks it expects to receive from Charleston County in an effort to ease concerns that details of the deal will remain secret at least until after next week's vote.

No dollar figures were disclosed, but the aerospace giant said it would pay the same tax rate as the owner of an owner-occupied home -- 4 percent -- on its real and personal property for 30 years, if the terms are approved Tuesday.

The payment will be based on the total capital investment by Boeing, which picked North Charleston in the fall for a 3,800-worker aircraft assembly plant that is projected to cost $750 million. The amount will be fixed under a so-called fee-in-lieu of tax arrangement, which is a fairly common inducement for large businesses expanding to South Carolina. The dollar figure could change if Boeing adds to or reduces its local investment.

Source: The Charleston Post & Courier

Another example of incentives given to chosen corporations.   Not going to beat a dead horse by re-blogging my thoughts on this subject!