Guarino

Greensboro Guardian Reports on ACLU's Chastisement of Skip Alston

Find the report here.

And the full text of the letter from the ACLU is also posted at the Guardian website.

Mitt Romney, Circa 2002

Mitt Romney ran for governor of Massachusetts during 2002-- less than ten years ago:

Guess What? Ben Holder is Back!

And he has his eyes on Chief Ken Miller and Captain James Hinson.  Check out the e-mail exchange.

I think some people were a bit surprised that Hinson was promoted to Captain last year by Miller.  Some in the community doubtless have felt that Hinson should not even be working at the Greensboro Police Department any longer.

What is the Remedy for the Guilford County Commissioners' Election?

Joe Killian has an article on the front page of the News and Record this morning beating the drum that a lawsuit will be necessary to resolve the issue over the elections for the Guilford Board of County Commissioners.  An abbreviated version is found here.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Who will feel sufficiently embittered or violated by the situation to bring a lawsuit?

2. If a lawsuit is filed, will they seek a limited remedy to fix the problem that exists; or will they seek to delay the election, somehow void the redistricting passed by the legislature, and/or otherwise throw a monkey wrench in the process?

Let's remember all the Democratic judges we have in these parts.  There is no doubt in my mind that some of them would do whatever is best for the party, or whatever the machine directs.

Santorum vs. Romney on Health Care

Mitt Romney outperformed Newt Gingrich during both Florida debates.  He apparently has a new debate coach.  Romney is now polling ahead of Gingrich in Florida; and if he wins there, Dick Morris feels he can "run the table" during the month of February.  A Romney win Tuesday could be very hurtful to the task of identifying a non-Romney nominee.

One of the best moments during the debate tonight occurred when Rick Santorum challenged him on Romneycare:

Bev Perdue, Brad Miller Out

Interesting, somewhat surprising news.

I have my doubts that the North Carolina Democratic Party will produce anyone better than Perdue to replace her on the ballot.  They might, however, run a candidate more likely to win.

I wonder who got to Perdue to convince her to drop out, and what their primary motivation might have been.

With respect to Brad Miller-- no matter how you slice it, his stepping down raises the hope that there will be one less socialist serving in the United States House of Representatives and representing our region.  That must be regarded as good news.

Greensboro Looks to Chicago as a Model

Hammer:

At the end of the meeting Councilmembers Nancy Hoffmann and Marikay Abuzuaiter got to present their plan for spending more money, which was to give each district councilmember some money to hand out. It is, of course, more complicated than that.

The idea is out of Chicago city government, one of the most corrupt and partisan governments in the country. It's like getting legal advice from someone in prison. But the basic idea as explained to the council is that each district councilmember holds a town hall meeting in their district and the people who attend that meeting get to decide how to spend a certain amount of money in the district. Who gets credit for this give-away? The district councilmembers would clearly get credit for the projects.

And thus, district council members become the political equivalent of Santa Claus in the eyes of their constituents.  They are granted tax monies in order to create an incumbency protection racket.  And of course, favored constituents who are considered to be part of the machine get the money.

My kind of town, Chicago is...

Bias Based Policing Initiative Gains Media Attention

Fox 8 has a report tonight about the GPD's Biased Based Policing initiative led by Captain James Hinson:

 

Let's take this apart, piece by piece.

"This is something that is not going to be tolerated in way shape, or form in the Greensboro Police Department," said Capt. James Hinson.

Captain Hinson has apparently come full circle-- and then some.  He was the police officer made notorious by the Cops in Black and White series in the Rhino Times.  He had thrown the police department, and in fact the entire city, into chaos by making false public accusations against command staff.  Mitchell Johnson forced out the department's top leadership; and the department was severely wounded.

Now, he is making broad pronouncements in the media. He is telling us what will not be tolerated in the department.  He is apparently being rewarded for what he did six years ago.

A couple of young women allege in the Fox 8 report that they had been profiled.  They, however, did not have the whole story; and were making an accusation they could not substantiate.

What is the record?

Greensboro Police said they received a total of 25 racial profiling complaints from 2006-2010. The cases were investigated, and police said there was no evidence of racial profiling.

And yet, the committee Hinson heads, consisting of likely liberal community members, will be laying down an approach to policing that potentially ties up officers in knots, thereby fixing a problem that does not exist for the most part.

Homeless to Be Housed in Sports Facilities Elsewhere?

Last August, I had a couple of posts here that ruffled a few feathers.  I proposed that the Greensboro Aquatic Center open its doors to the homeless to allow them to shower there and attend to their personal hygiene.

Of course, the proposal did not get adopted by city staff or the Melderec con SImkins majority on the Greensboro City Council. 

Recently, there was a service here in remembrance of homeless individuals who had died.  Robbie and Marikay attended; but neither have advocated allowing the homeless who are still alive to use the facilities at the aquatic center.

It turns out (ht: Jeff) that another major jurisdiction is considering a similar action.   State legislators in Florida are proposing that professional sports franchises there be required to house the homeless in their taxpayer-subsidized facilities-- for instance, in stadiums and arenas used by professional sports teams.  Of course, this proposal is much more bold than that which I offered.  They are proposing housing the homeless; whereas I only requested that the showers be made available to them one hour per day. 

But they probably have a good idea in Florida.  Perhaps we can use the aquatic center to house the homeless.

"Monumental" Documentary

HT: WorldMagBlog

Everyone Loves Romney

National Journal on Mitt Romney's unfavorable ratings:

Just 31 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of Romney, the poll shows. Almost half, 49 percent, have an unfavorable opinion, and 21 percent said they have no opinion. Romney now holds virtually the same favorable and unfavorable ratings as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, whose numbers have also dropped over the past month -- suggesting that the ugly, protracted fight for the Republican presidential nomination is dragging down its two most prominent participants.

UPDATE

Currently airing in Florida (HT: Polifrog):

We're #44

The Tax Foundation says that NC ranks #44 among the 50 states with respect to its tax climate.  (HT: Binker)

Let's celebrate.

How the Performing Arts Center Issue Will Play Out

The big news is that the 8-1 liberal majority on the Greensboro City Council has decided to proceed with placing a bond issue on the ballot for a performing arts center. The News and Record was so excited that it refrained from putting the story behind its paywall.

What can we expect over the next several months? It turns out we have some strong predictors based on the sordid history associated with the aquatic center, the amphitheater and the education bonds. (Readers should note that city staff is estimating that it would cost $29 million more to build it downtown than at the coliseum complex).

In any event, based in part on past history, here is what we can expect:

1. Deceptive means will be employed to make the proposal appear more appealing and modest on the ballot than it truly is.

2. The actual cost and scale of the capital project will be much greater than what is initially represented to the public.

3. Various elements will-- intentionally or carelessly-- be left out of the original planning; and will need to be added after the facility is built and operating.

4. Special interest groups will primarily hold sway with the public and private discussions that take place regarding the proposal. The taxpayer will enjoy the lowest level of priority.

5. Economic impact estimates will yield impressive numbers; but the basis for the estimates and the methodologies used will not be revealed to the public.

6. Regardless of whether the coliseum or the downtown location is selected, city leaders will much later discover an alarming lack of parking for patrons. This will necessitate the later purchase of additional land for parking and/or a costly parking garage, thereby generating additional costs for taxpayers.

7. Operational costs will only be mentioned as an afterthought; and will be grossly underestimated.

8. The Greensboro Partnership and Action Greensboro will secretly fund a covert election campaign to get the performing arts center bonds passed at the polls. They will bribe the Simkins PAC with a large illegal donation to secure their endorsement.

9. After having perpetrated #1-8, the Melderec con Simkins crowd will repeatedly engage in self-congratulatory rhetoric in the media and at council meetings, trying to convince the public they had made a wonderful decision.

Oh, I know it is doubtful that all nine of these elements will take place. But it will be interesting to see to what extent we will see utilized the highly unethical techniques that have been employed in the past. We have seen what Robbie and his crowd have done previously.

I think a campaign needs to be organized to oppose the performing arts center at the polls. Some powerful arguments can be summoned to convince the average voter to oppose this bond issue.

Governor Perdue's Tax Increase

Lots of people have known for a long time that Beverly Perdue has politically been a tool of the state's education establishment.

When she proposes a "temporary" tax increase to save public education, some observers rightfully focus on the disingenuous use of the word "temporary".  Temporary taxes in North Carolina tend to become veritable permanent fixtures.

From Rep. Bert Jones' newsletter:

Despite all the false rhetoric, here are the numbers straight from DPI (Dept. of Public Instruction).  The state actually INCREASED teaching positions by 2,166 jobs...

So after months of reports that the education "sky was falling" in NC, the state increased 2,166 jobs (1.2%), but the net loss from federal and local government funding streams was about 800 (under 0.5%)...

Meanwhile, for all the hoopla, the National Conference of State Legislatures reports that NC state education spending is 27th in the nation (right in the middle) in a state that has been absolutely slammed economically and in fiscal ruin...

While some cry loudly that more money is the answer to improve education, it bears note that U.S. public education spending per student, in real dollars adjusted for inflation, is up 700% in two short generations. 

Water and Sewer to Eastern Guilford: The Plot Thickens

Remember all the plaudits Robbie Perkins earned over his cutting a deal to extend water and sewer to eastern Guilford County, thereby opening up 9000 acres to new development.  Millions that belong to Greensboro taxpayers are being dedicated toward that project.

We now learn who who will be one of the key beneficiaries:

Roy Carroll.

It's all very cozy.

Performing Arts Center Modus Operandi

There are a couple of important posts over at Triad Watch that directly relate to the performing arts center proposal germinating in the back rooms.

One astute post points out that Robbie and his allies are portraying the debate as a choice between the coliseum location and an unspecified downtown location.  This deliberately leaves out the most prudent choice--- not proceeding with the project in the first place.

And another post speaks about the annual operating costs to be associated with the facility.  It is quite curious that nobody else is talking about the operating costs.

(Recall that costs have turned out to be much higher than projected, for instance, at the aquatic center and the amphitheater.)

Meanwhile, we were treated to a column in the News and Record that describes Robbie's weekly pow-wows with the Melderec crowd at Anton's restaurant.  The get-togethers were described as warm and supportive.  It must be a great opportunity to feed and sustain the cronyism and the corrupt machine politics we have in Greensboro.  There is little doubt that ideas such the performing arts center can be talked up in such an environment.

Yet another News and Record column looked lovingly on Robbie's leadership style.  It was, of course, written by David Noer-- an academician.

Meaning of Santorum

The political left has perpetrated something very ugly. There has been an online attempt to associate Rick Santorum's name with an extreme vulgarity. I will not link to that attempt; but it is referred to as "Santorum's Google problem"

In any event, it should be noted that Santorum is an Italian name. His family roots are in the far northern part of Italy, not too far from the Austrian border. I have known a couple of folks with very similar surnames-- Santori, Santoro.

In any case, what does the surname truly mean?

SANTORI, SANTORIO, SANTORELLI, SANTORIELLI, SANTORINI, SANTORUM: From the medieval first name Santoro, derived from the Latin word Sanctus = Saint, the genitive plural form is "Sanctorum", used also to indicate the All Saints feast. Possibly connected to someone acting as a saint, or who has connection with religious things (a sacristan).

October Baby

Coming soon to a theater near you:

Newt's Position on Health Care

The last couple of days brought some good news. Several days ago, Mitt Romney was regarded as the inevitable, presumptive Republican nominee with back-to-back victories in Iowa and New Hampshire. Now, it is clear that Rick Santorum won Iowa narrowly; and Newt Gingrich steamrolled Romney in South Carolina. We thus have three distinct winners in the first three states.

If Mitt Romney does not get the nomination, Newt Gingrich's remarkable exchange with Juan Williams Monday night will turn out to be one of the great historic turning points in the history of presidential primaries.

But let's not presume that Newt Gingrich is a classical constitutional conservative. Consider, for example, his position on health care. I have posted about this previously.

Recall the grand constitutional design. Limited, enumerated powers are granted to the federal government; and all other powers are reserved for the states or the people.

But over the last several years, before entering the presidential race, Newt Gingrich helped establish and run a Center for Health Transformation. What are some of its listed strategies?

1. "Health justice"

2. "Secure electronic health records with expert systems to maximize accuracy, minimize errors, reduce inefficiencies and improve care"

3. "Create a buyers’ market for pharmaceuticals by building a transparent system for individuals, doctors, and pharmacists of price and efficacy information about prescription drugs and medically appropriate over-the-counter drugs. The system would have an open formulary with an “after-pay” rather than a co-pay (a 'Travelocity' for drug purchasing)."

4. "Establish an intellectually credible, accurate system for capturing the cost and benefits of better solutions, better technologies and better outcomes in order to create a technically correct model of return on investment for solutions resulting in better outcomes at lower cost."

5. "Develop a real-time continuous research database and discover-develop-deliver ability..."

6. "Knit together these electronic systems into a virtual public health network for health protection against natural outbreaks and a bioshield against deliberate biological attack"

7. (T)urn health and healthcare from a problem into an opportunity, making it the leading creator of high-value jobs and foreign exchange earning in American society (including as a first step the creation of an undersecretary of commerce for health).

We need to be a bit concerned when, like Obama, Republicans talk about using federal powers to achieve "health transformation" or "health justice".

Let's look at Newt's campaign website for his stated position on health care. It turns out that his campaign positions parallel some of the above ideas quite closely. But there are others:

1. Reward quality care by changing the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement models to take into account the quality of the care delivered and incentivizing beneficiaries to seek out facilities that deliver the best care at the lowest costs.

2. Reward health and wellness by giving health plans, employers, Medicare, and Medicaid more latitude to design benefits to encourage, incentivize, and reward healthy behaviors.

3. Stop health care fraud by moving from a paper-based system to an electronic one. Health care fraud accounts for as much as much as 10 percent of all health care spending, according to the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association. That's more than $200 billion a year. Compare this to the 0.1% fraud rate in the credit card industry thanks to its high-tech information analysis systems.

4. Inform patients and consumers of price and quality so they can make informed choices about how to spend their money on care. Patients have the right to know this information, but finding it is virtually impossible.

Some of the above positions might sound, on the surface, like pretty good ideas. However, many of them seem to require an even greater power grab on the part of the federal government. The power grab would be less than that seen with Obamacare; but it would far exceed constitutional conservatism nonetheless.

Newt Gingrich's stated positions on the judiciary and the social issues are stronger and more consistent than those offered by Mitt Romney (notwithstanding his personal life.)

With his strong rhetoric during debate, he gives the appearance of being more solid than Romney on various domestic issues. However, close examination of his health care positions suggests that might not entirely be the case. He clearly has statist tendencies with respect to health policy. We should not forget that presidential candidates who communicate big ideas on domestic policy might be at risk of exceeding genuine constitutional limits.

Captain James Hinson Leads City's "Biased Based Policing" Initiative

Long term readers will remember Captain James Hinson of the Greensboro Police Department. He was one of the key characters in the long-running Bledsoe series in the Rhino Times. Recall that he and other officers made accusations of "racial profiling" when the department was monitoring them justifiably; and recall how the matter erupted and snowballed into a controversy that nagged the city for years. We are still paying the price.

In any event, we now learn (HT: Ed Cone) that Hinson heads a committee within the Greensboro Police Department making recommendations that will result in the department systematically eliminating the practice of "racial profiling" in the community.

Never mind that Heather McDonald debunked the entire issue one decade ago with her seminal work, "The Myth of Racial Profiling". Other work has been done since that time. But Greensboro is caught in a time warp.

In any case, we learn that this "Biased Based Policing" initiative is putting into place all the infrastructure to assure that the odious practice of "racial profiling" does not occur in Greensboro. Of course, this will have the effect of making police officers on the beat reticent with regard to their primary mission to prevent crime. It will make it easier and less risky for them to simply allow crime to happen. It makes proactive policing more difficult.

Apparently the committee includes Goldie Wells, an A&T professor, a Pulpit Forum minister and a "Justice and Policy Studies" professor from Guilford College. I expect we are supposed to be reassured by the presence of these community members on the committee.

Greensboro is already a high crime city; and the indicators are trending poorly. Perhaps it would be best for citizens to invest in additional deadbolt locks and security systems. The city is not doing all it can to fight crime.