August 25, 2008

RE: Race-baiting

Posted by Geoff Lawrence at 4:09 PM

I'm confused. Is he saying that Barack Obama would be a great hitter if he were given the opportunity? Are there no batting cages or little leagues in Chicago? This is entirely possible...it would, after all, explain the Cubs' stellar postseason performance of the last century.

What really bothers me, though, is he seems to be saying that Jackie couldn't hit - that all he could do was run bases. It is true that Jack transformed the game by adding the speed dimension, but he hit .311 lifetime with 137 HRs in 10 seasons. He hit .297 in his first campaign and prompted the MLB to create a new award for him - the Rookie of the Year Award which still bears his name. Jackson makes him sound like a glorified pinch-runner.

I wonder who Jackson sees as Obama's Branch Rickey. Should we expect the Democratic Party to pioneer a westward expansion? In the future, Rep. Jackson, please don't compare Dodger Blue to democrat blue.

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A Refrigerator Orange

Posted by Daren Bakst at 4:04 PM

As I discuss in my recent report, North Carolinians are going to be taxed (in their electricity bills) to fund incentive programs.  These programs not only are designed to change what appliances we buy but also to change our behavior so we automatically know to buy more expensive energy efficiency goods and services even if it isn't in our best interests.

Last year, the "refrigerator tax" was supported in a bipartisan fashion---both parties equally disrespected freedom and thought North Carolinians weren't capable of buying a light bulb.

What happens if we don't change our behavior to meet the expectations of the central planners?  Below is a glimpse:

Here we see a North Carolinian who purchased a very efficient air conditioner, but unfortunately decided against an even more expensive, more efficient unit.  He explained that he needed the additional money to feed his family, but that was the same old tired excuse used by other feeble-minded offenders.

The man is watching many disturbing images--here is just one (viewer discretion is advised):

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Re: Race-baiting, Robinson, etc.

Posted by Jon Sanders at 2:51 PM

Why Daren, you sound like a "Doubting Thomas."

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Re: Race-baiting

Posted by George Leef at 2:32 PM

Good point, Daren. Jackie Robinson got a contract with the Dodgers because he had proven himself to be a damned good ball player. Exactly what as Barack Obama proven himself to be damned good at? Other than promoting himself in the great con game of politics, that is.

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Race-Baiting and an Insult to Jackie Robinson

Posted by Daren Bakst at 2:22 PM

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) is comparing Obama to Jackie Robinson.

As quoted in this article, Jackson said:

“Barack Obama has the capacity to hit,” Jackson said a breakfast panel just before the opening of the Democratic National Convention. “But he is in the situation where he can’t hit back, which Jackie Robinson could not do. … He had to be able to run the bases, even though the crowd was jeering the first African-American on the field.”

Robinson was jeered at for being an African-American.  Exactly who is jeering Obama for being an African-American?  Who is bringing up race besides Obama and Jackson?

This Jackson-type race-baiting argument also of course sets up the defense that when people criticize Obama, they are being racist.  This isn't exactly a way to bring the country together.

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I wonder if any of them will be hauling wide boat trailers to Raleigh

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 2:17 PM

Gov. Mike Easley has called the General Assembly back to Raleigh for a special session 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Lawmakers would address Easley's veto of the wide boat-trailer bill. 

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That's some delay

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 2:07 PM

We read today that the Bonner Bridge replacement, planning for which started 18 years ago, could face another delay. Even without a delay, the earliest it could be finished is 2014.

Click here to read more about Locke Foundation research linked to bridge replacement and N.C. transportation priorities.  

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Does one e-mail explain the other?

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 1:54 PM

My e-mail inbox recently picked up a note from Charles Gregory about this American Thinker column, in which Bruce Walker highlights the fact that 60 percent of Americans consider themselves conservative. Walker dissects the meaning of that poll result, but he does not address the key question of why this figure — remarkably consistent over time — fails to translate into clear victory for the political party that tries to define itself as "conservative" and the opposing party as "liberal."

That key question reminded me of an earlier e-mail message from the North Carolina Republican Party, which highlighted the following quote from prominent Democratic strategist Gary Pearce:

But liberals (or progressives or whatever you prefer) have to understand that your candidates don’t have the luxury of the right-wingers: They can’t always say exactly what they believe – and still get elected.

In politics, as Winston Churchill once said about war, victory sometimes requires a bodyguard of lies.

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Life imitates "The Simpsons" spoofing Super Bowl ads

Posted by Jon Sanders at 12:53 AM

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A lone blue automobile drives down a deserted road. When it reaches a tiny two-pump gas station, a man steps out. Seeing no one else around, he beeps his horn.

The door to the station pops open; three minimally-clothed young women step out as ZZ Top's "Legs" plays, sans vocals. After a bit of posing and wiggling, they go to work cleaning and gassing up his car, until the man notices a cross hanging around the neck of the blonde. A voice-over says, "The Catholic Church. We've made a few ... changes."

Marge, Lisa, and Maggie sit on the couch, watching all of this on TV. "These Super Bowl commercials are weird," Lisa concludes.

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Life:

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An Italian priest and theologian said Sunday he is organizing an online beauty pageant for nuns to give them more visibility within the Catholic Church and to fight the stereotype that they are all old and dour.

The "Miss Sister 2008" contest will start in September on a blog run by the Rev. Antonio Rungi and will give nuns from around the world a chance to showcase their work and their image.

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Colleges: Cafeteria trays wreck the planet, make students fat

Posted by Hal Young at 12:42 AM

WaPo highlights a move by some colleges to eliminate the cafeteria tray as a way to reduce dishwasher use and food waste. North Carolina schools are implicated but not named.

Well, it may save dishwashing soap, but I don't think plus-or-minus a tray ever had any effect on student appetites, not when I was in college.

From what I saw on campus tours last year, it wasn't enough to convert traditional (boring, but efficient) linear cafeterias into faux-mall food courts; the resulting congestion at lunch didn't seem to slow down student consumption, just made it more troublesome. Now we'll add juggling plates, utensils, and beverages with the inevitable mound of bookbags, calculators, and other student impedimenta, and see how the students like that when they try to grab lunch in twenty minutes between classes.

D-u-m-b idea.

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Couldn't we just leave the White House empty?

Posted by George Leef at 10:49 AM

That's pretty much the sentiment of National Review's John Derbyshire when he contemplates an Obama versus McCain election. Read his thoughts here.

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Re: Drinking age

Posted by Joseph Coletti at 09:15 AM

If my original post and Terry's proposal to call it "Think and Drink" were too subtle, the point was more Swiftian than Lockean. I wouldn't want the Locke Foundation to be cited as endorsing Gov. Easley's parting shot. [ba dum bum]

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Happy first day of school (for traditional calendar kids)

Posted by Dr. Terry Stoops at 08:10 AM

Well, it is not a happy day for every kid.

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Latest dispatches from the political trail

Posted by John Hood at 07:39 AM

• Speaking at GOP office openings in Burlington and Hickory, Pat McCrory emphasizes outreach to conservative Democrats and independents while advocating criminal-justice reforms and school choice. He and Beverly Perdue speak to the NC Agribusiness Council, where she claims membership in the “agricultural community" and he does not.

• Kay Hagan and Perdue are not in Denver this week, opting to stay and campaign in NC. Some say they are distancing themselves from Obama, but both have enthusiastically endorsed the Democratic presidential nominee. Elizabeth Dole and McCrory are staying home next week, too.

• Hagan leads a discussion in Durham on anti-gang legislation. She reflects on the political lessons learned from her uncle, former Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles. The High Point Enterprise reports that Hagan and Dole have both devoted political attention to the city in the past. Dole says she's ready to compete against Hagan without the promised support of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee.

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Democrats take on teachers' unions

Posted by Dr. Terry Stoops at 07:32 AM

Slate.com has a fascinating piece on the Dem's Ed Challenge for Change event in Denver. Apparently, Democrats are not too happy about the strong-arm tactics used by the NEA and AFT to further an agenda that has done little to improve public schools.

The NEA and AFT response will sound something like this.

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N.C. Listen's response to 'Americans in waiting'

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 07:03 AM

The latest Carolina Journal Online Friday interview with UNC law professor Hiroshi Motomura, which covered the concept of treating immigrants as "Americans in waiting," generated the following response from director Ron Woodard of N.C. Listen:

Thanks for taking time to talk with me about the author and the book, Americans in Waiting.  The assimilation of legal immigrants is one aspect of immigration.  But the two most important aspects of immigration, which have the most serious consequences to our national interest, are the number of immigrants we allow into America and the fact that would-be immigrants must obey the law in the process.  The number of immigrants really does matter.

Currently we accept approximately one million legal immigrants each year in America.  In addition, approximately 600,000 illegal immigrants arrive [net increase over those who leave] each year.  Seventy-five percent of legal immigrants have a high school education or less, with most having less.  Illegal immigrants are overwhelmingly poorly educated and low-skilled.  In essence we are importing poverty to America on a large scale.  Also there is no good way to attempt to assimilate this many people.  The last time we allowed this many immigrants to America as we have since the 1970's, was from the 1880's to the early 1920's.  This was referred to as the great wave and the era of the robber barons.  Americans then demanded of their politicians that the number of immigrants be reduced, and it was.  Mass immigration today is driving down the wages of low-skilled Americans, who in most cases are already the working poor.   Most recent immigrants are doing jobs that have nothing to do with the global economy, and one can't spread pinestraw or clean a room or build a house over the internet.  Without mass immigration, low-skilled Americans would be paid a higher wage and be better able to cover their cost of living.  Why should mass immigration be used to "game" our private enterprise system to the benefit of cheap labor advocates who want subsidized labor.  They get cheap labor and the citizens pickup the social services costs and actually receive no real benefits to this scheme.  Less than ten percent of all immigrants are involved in agricultural work.  The published unemployment rate does not reflect the actual situation, as Mark Zandi of Moody's Investors has said we can add four percent to the published unemployment rate, if one counts the real number of those who want a job and those working part-time but want and cannot find a full-time job.  It is believed that eighty percent of illegal immigrants had a job in their native country before coming illegally to America. 
 
We need less immigration and insist on a higher educational level and skill level for would-be legal immigrants.  This would lower the stress of immigration on our schools, health care system, level of real unemployment, and crime.  Enforcing our immigration laws is paramount, but simply increasing legal immigration as we lower illegal immigration will change nothing.  Less immigration is also the best way to improve assimilation and provide a better experience for immigrants.
 
We accept approximately one million legal immigrants each year from a number of countries, providing for diversity, with Mexico being allowed twice the number of any other country.  Because our immigration system is so diverse and weighted [legal immigrants] toward Hispanics, there is no excuse for our Country to tolerate law breakers.  Illegal immigration is really breaking in the line of those waiting to come to America legally.  It is patently unfair when privileges are bestowed upon illegal immigrants who jump in front of would-be legal immigrants, and thereby ignore the rule of law. 
 
Coming to America is not a right, it is a privilege.  We have an overly generous legal immigration system.  In short, we need not offer apologies to anyone for asking them to obey our immigration laws.  Even the United Nations concurs that countries have a right to control their borders and protect their national security.  Immigration to American should remain an opportunity.  But immigration policies need to be changed to serve our national interest, not the interest of immigrants or special interests. 

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Today's Carolina Journal Online features

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 06:34 AM

The first Carolina Journal Online exclusive of the week features Don Carrington's report of the questionable links between a taxpayer-funded economic developer and a company he recruited to North Carolina. The economic developer, Rick Watson, faces a lawsuit connected to his role in the Randy Parton Theatre debacle.

John Hood's Daily Journal critiques the "10 for 10" idea unveiled last week as a shorthand description for $10 billion in new transportation funding sources for the next 10 years in North Carolina. 

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