Katy's Conservative Corner

Reader Mail: The Obama-Congressional Dem Agenda

Hello Katy:

Something needs to be done to discredit and turn the American people against the Obama-Congressional Democratic agenda.

 

I believe an aggressive campaign that defines the Obama-Democratic agenda as “Not the American Way” would be an effective and succinct way to defeat their un-American plans. It would be a simple way to contrast their socialist agenda with the conservative American agenda that favors individual Americans as opposed to a bigger, more powerful government. It could help change public opinion against their agenda, their party and their candidates in 2010 and 2012. And it would provide a unified rallying cry that all conservatives could get behind and support.

 

EXAMPLES:

 

1. Bailouts For Corporations Is Not The American Way.

 

2. Earmarks (Pork Barrel Spending) For Politicians’ Special Projects Is Not The American Way.

 

3. Imposing Socialist Healthcare On The American People Through The Budget, Not By The Legislative Process, Is Not The American Way.

 

4. Imposing Excessively High Taxes On The American People Is Not The American Way.

 

5. Not Protecting American Citizens Against Terrorism Is Not The American Way.

 

6. Making The Federal Budget A Higher Priority Than The Individual Budgets of American Citizens Is Not The American Way.

 

7. Obama’s firing of General Motors Chief Executive Rick Wagoner Is Not The American Way.

 

If you agree this campaign has merit, I hope you will use the “Not The American Way” slogan at every opportunity.

 

I have no proprietary claims on this slogan. My only desire is for the Obama-Democratic agenda to be defeated and to be replaced by proven conservative principles.

 

Thank You,

Dennis Parker

Raleigh, NC 

 

Guest Column: A Modest Proposal (on the Budget) by Rep. John Blust

Dear General Assembly Colleague:

This week an already tough budget situation got considerably worse.  Prudence would seem to dictate a new approach to preparing the next state budget, given the exigencies of the moment.  What follows is the approach that I recommend.

If you have seen the movie Apollo 13 you know that due to an exploding oxygen tank. the spacecraft had to be totally shut down and the three astronauts had to shut the craft down completely and survive for four days in the attached lunar module.  As they approached the earth, the spacecraft had to powered back up and several procedures followed to prepare for re-entry using only the miniscule amount of electricity left.  Astronaut Ken Mattingly (Gary Senise) worked in the simulator back at NASA to try to come up with the procedures that would save the lives of the astronauts on board Apollo 13.  Working backwards from the last essential step of warming up the frozen parachutes, a sequence was finally found that allowed all absolutely necessary procedures to be performed and Apollo 13 and the lives of three astronauts.

This is essentially the approach used in Chapter 11's and non-bankruptcy restructurings.  Essential core functions are preserved, costs are brought under control, and the non-essential is eliminated so that a viable entity that can survive in the economy can emerge.

We now need to take a similar approach in preparing the next budget.  We need to start working back from the most essential state government functions in the order of reverse priority.   For example, we need to fund a certain amount of K-12 teachers and budget that. Then fund the necessary number of university and community college professors and put that in the budget being constructed.  Go one-by-one through the essential functions and positions like judges, DAs, clerks of court, etc.  and build the budget ground up funding only the absolutely necessary.  When that is completed, determine how much availability is left and stat funding things that are great for the state to do, but less than absolutely critical until the available funds are used up.

As for personnel, it does not make sense to treat every employee the same in some furlough approach.  A thorough examination of each position and employee should be made and the highest producers and those most critical must be retained, while the lower-performing and less essential are let go.  

If the Carolina Panthers had to slash payroll, they wouldn't furlough all-pro players along with those from the taxi squad.  A one-time peer review could be used to help determine those who are not as essential or who are not performing up to par.  We all have heard stories about some employees who do not pull their weight due to political connections or other reasons.

We need to go through the budget line-by-line, position-by-position and eliminate the unnecessary and less necessary and start this process right away.  Given the gravity of this situation the old approach of a budget prepared out-of-view by a few and put to the membership is not going to work this session.  We need to give every member a seat at the table and a voice in the process.   Then we can all take the credit and the heat for what we have to do to repair this dire budget situation.  

Editor's Note: Rep. John Blust is a Republican from Guilford County and one of your blogger's favorite state legislators.  

Guest Column: Morals Belong in Public Schools by Kevin Connor

Do you know that one-third of North Carolina’s elementary and middle school students perform below grade level expectations in such basic subjects as math and reading, while more than half perform below national standards?

Did you know that fewer than half of North Carolina schools are meeting Adequate Yearly Progress standards for No Child Left Behind, compared to 74 percent of schools nationally?

Are you aware that nearly one-third of North Carolina high school students each year do not graduate and among economically disadvantaged students, two of every five students will not graduate?

With this miserable record of failure, North Carolina legislators (i.e. Democrats) are on the threshold of adding yet another program of study to an already disastrous lesson plan, contraceptives.  

That’s right folks, with kids performing below grade level and 1/3 of high school students not graduating, we’re now left to entrust moral values to the public school system by way of the so-called Healthy Youth Act.

Sex education must be a lesson in parenting, not a job for teachers.  Obviously, it can and is often a subject of embarrassment, but nevertheless there are responsibilities that parents shouldn’t avoid.  The ramifications of sexual activity are life altering and that’s why it is portant for parents to take an active part in the proper moral education of their kids and not leave that task to an already challenged public school system.

Forbid government from seizing your parental rights!  If government can’t prudently manage our tax dollars, then they certainly can’t be trusted to properly nurture the moral underpinnings of our children.

If you want kids to prosper in America today then stop social engineering in our schools and start teaching the importance of moral principles as well as Godliness!

Editor's Note: The author, Kevin Connor,  is chairman of the Dare County Republican Party.  He asks that you please keep his father in your prayers in  last Friday's death of his step-mother, Miriam.  She was only 53. 

NC Republicans Elect Congressional District Chairmen

The past two weekends have kept GOP activists busy.  Republicans, statewide, attended  their district conventions and voted on their new district officers.  District coincide with a voter's congressional district and are in importance between a county convention and the NCGOP State Convention.

Your blogger attended two, the 4th District Convention on April 18th and the 13th District Convention last weekend.  

Congratulations to all of the new District Chairmen:

First District – Brad Fields

Second District – Al Lytton

Third District – Bob Pruett

Fourth District – Zan Bunn

Fifth District – Dan Barrett

Sixth District – David Ruden

Seventh District – Frank Iler

Eighth District – David Black

Ninth District – John Annarella

Tenth District – Wayne King

Eleventh District – Steve Duncan

Twelfth District – Marlynn Burns

Thirteenth District – David Robinson

All of those who were elected to the State Executive Committee (including yours truly) are expected to send in your $120 dues to the NC Republican Party, via your District Chairman as soon as possible.  Please make your check out to the North Carolina Republican party and put in the memo line "executive committee dues".  Mail it or hand it to your District chairman so he or she can give it to the State GOP Financial people.

Again, congratulations to the winners.  It's going to be a new day in Republican politics.  

On a personal note, your blogger would also like to thank her neighbor, David Williams, for such a well-run, and fair race, against  David Robinson in the 13th.  Williams conducted himself like the gentleman that he is, and your blogger would like to see him run again for the Raleigh City Council or for any other public office.  

The NCGOP State Convention will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center from June 12 - 14, 2009.