Triad Conservative

Alfie Evans Is Our Future

Americans are gradually processing and internalizing the implications of the death of young Alfie Evans in Britain last weekend. This is the small child who was denied medical care by the British government despite numerous attempts at outside intervention.

Because medicine is socialized in that country, the government is placed in the position of making life-and-death decisions about its own citizens. In this particular case, the government usurped the control that Alfie's parents ought to have had over his medical care.

This is the ugly face of socialized medicine. The care Alfie's parents were seeking might have been entirely futile. But it needed to be their decision-- not the government's. And they needed to bear responsibility for the financial implications of their decision-- not the government. They needed to be free to purchase the type of insurance that suited them best instead of being forced to rely on a one-size-fits-all remedy.

This is the consequence of taking the free market and the private sector out of health care decisions.

The ubiquitous nature of third-party/first-dollar insurance years ago drove up the demand for health care and its costs.  When patients and families are insulated from the cost of care, the sky literally becomes the limit. And the cost escalates to the point that many can no longer afford health care. The government then steps in, making the problem infinitely worse. 

And thus we now have Accountable Care Organizations, Alternative Practice Models, and other risk-bearing private entities in the United States (and in North Carolina) that will be making all the decisions as to which Alfie's get care; and which Alfie's do not receive care. These private organizations act as proxies for the government; and often develop their own algorithms as to what types of care will be offered, and under what circumstances. The government uses such euphemistic catchwords as Value-Based Care and Quality Payment to give an appealing facade to an otherwise ugly reality.

And they enforce their protocols by requiring that electronic medical records float around cyberspace, to which many parties will have access-- including the government.

I suspect that we are about 15-20 years away from Alfie-type situations becoming commonplace in the United States. The Republican/Democratic duopoly has determined that the above vision for socialized care will be our nation's future. The Republicans and the democratic socialists, after all, have both passed legislation in this direction-- both in Washington and in Raleigh. And they refuse to repeal the messes they previously passed.

Right now, there is no prevailing voice for free markets and the private sector in health care to be found in either of the two major parties. They are both steeped in authoritarianism, progressivism and incremental socialism. Neither is particularly concerned that the spiral of massive debt is a major issue.

Alfie, in the meantime, is the face of our children or grandchildren being yanked from our protection by an overbearing government-- both in Raleigh and in Washington.

Constitution Party Ballot Access Update, 4/29/18: We Are Almost There!

A couple of weeks ago, I provided some information about the ballot access drive being conducted by the Constitution Party of North Carolina.

In order to be fully recognized as a political party in North Carolina, and to have a place on the ballot to run candidates, we need to accumulate approximately 12,000 validated signatures.

As of this evening, we have obtained roughly 13,700 signatures. We probably need another 2,000 - 3,000 to be reasonably sure that we will have a sufficient number of signatures fully validated by the county boards of elections as registered voters within their respective counties.

Barring the unforeseen, it appears that we will likely secure ballot access in North Carolina. The question now is precisely when.  Our attaining ballot access depends, of course, upon county election boards processing the signatures in an honest, conscientious, unbiased fashion. 

If this happens, we will likely have a truly conservative party on the ballot in North Carolina for the very first time.

For the first time, we will have a party fully united and committed toward all of the following:

• Limited government and constitutional conservatism;
• Delivering pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, and pro-family outcomes;
• Religious liberty, the Second Amendment and other civil liberties contained in the Bill of Rights; and 
• Maintaining secure borders, controlling immigration and rebuilding our national sovereignty. 

Like every new initiative, the party will experience challenges and growing pains. But I am hopeful at this point that we have an opportunity to build something that is truly good.

We still have a critical need for donations to complete the funding of this ballot access drive and the party's subsequent activities. Please go here if you feel led to donate.

The national party's website is found here; and the state party's site is here.

Governor Cooper Cites School Segregation As Key to Recruiting Amazon

An interesting story was reported earlier this week by WRAL. It appears that Governor Cooper is attempting a "Hail Mary" play to get Amazon to locate its big new headquarters in North Carolina.

What is the asset he is using? The state's preponderance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's)! He says this is an indication of the state's "diversity"; and Amazon, given the fact that the tech industry is ultraliberal, presumably ought to find that extremely appealing:

Gov. Roy Cooper brought the issue up unbidden earlier this month, saying HBCUs "have been key to our recruiting process."

"A lot of these companies are looking for diversity," Cooper said. "Not only can we provide them talent in North Carolina, we can provide them with the diversity that they seek, along with a lower cost of living, the great quality of life and all of the attractions that this state presents."

Of course, having black colleges and universities is a form of segregation.  We are saying somehow that it is good for black students to have their own institutions to attend.

Never mind the fact that we are increasingly hearing various media/left voices expressing concerns that public elementary, middle and high schools are becoming resegregated. It is apparently very important to avoid segregation at these levels; but then it becomes paradoxically quite desirable at the post-secondary level.

Allen Johnson at the News and Record is a great example. He had a recent blog post bemoaning the apparent resegregation of public schools. But ironically, Johnson used to teach part-time at NC A&T-- an institution premised upon the importance of segregating black students into their own institutions.

Of course, all these folks will have elegant rationalizations for this obvious contradiction. But the fact remains that Governor Cooper was talking up institutions that are intentionally segregated.

Cooper is not the only politician straining to talk about HBCU's. We have also seen Republican elected officials do this also over the last year or two-- for instance, President Trump and Congressman Mark Walker.

Of course, Cooper's trial balloon depends upon whether Amazon thinks it would likely hire lots of graduates from North Carolina's HBCU's. The smart money seems to be that the company may be going to the D.C. area instead.

GOP-e Down East

HT: Daily Haymaker

Roy Carroll Stabbed in the Back By City Council His Rhino Times Endorsed; Other Project Advanced at Great Cost

The question is why.

Readers might recall that the Rhino Times endorsed seven democratic socialists for city council seats last fall. Roy Carroll, the local developer, owns the newspaper.

Today we learned that Carroll's huge parking deck/hotel project across from the downtown ballpark has run into a brick wall with the city. The mayor and city manager have apparently advised him that funding from the city for the project will not proceed. Carroll was to have obtained approximately $30 million in taxpayer dollars for the project. The Triad Business News provides the details.

After we had been led to believe that the project was going to happen, all of a sudden it was dropped. The city is now claiming it was not happy with the way things were progressing.

Meanwhile, we also learned the city had agreed to pay $920,000 in legal settlement money to deal with lawsuit(s) associated with its other major parking deck project near Elm St. This is the Westin project advanced by Randall Kaplan, the husband of democratic socialist congressional candidate Kathy Manning. This project also will be financed with tens of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Manning was a major figure who helped advance the downtown performing arts center proposal with fundraising assistance. This couple also has previously hosted heavyweight political fundraisers at their Greensboro home; and Bill Clinton was a featured guest during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Consider the parking deck and the performing arts center together. This couple is costing city taxpayers tens of millions of dollars (if not perhaps upwards of $100 million). Manning wants to run against Congressman Ted Budd.

Both Roy Carroll and Kaplan's household had been donors to political candidates locally.

During recent times, even the News and Record had become skeptical of the parking deck projects-- and particularly the Elm St. project. The city was dealing with somewhat of a backlash.

A couple of interesting contrasts should be noted, however:

1. Carroll's project is on the northwestern edge of downtown where there is less commercial activity. The Kaplan's Elm St. project is in very close proximity to the civil rights museum. It is also adjacent to greater amounts of commercial activity.
2. Carroll tends to fund establishment Republican campaigns at the state and/or national levels, but he is dealing with a city council comprised almost exclusively of democratic socialists. Kaplan is on the same side of the political fence as the city council.
3. Carroll is a somewhat-conservative Christian who, I seem to recall, used to attend Westover Church. Kaplan, of course, is Jewish. Jewish Americans during recent times have provided upwards of half of the funding for the democratic socialist party and its candidates, according to the Jerusalem Post.
4. Kaplan's Elm St. project that had been mired in litigation was ultimately allowed to proceed. The city bent over backwards to pay settlement money to make the Elm St. project happen. But Carroll's project was abandoned. 

Roy Carroll does not merit any particular sympathy with regard to this project. Some would even argue that this outcome he is facing is well deserved.

That does not make the city's actions particularly praiseworthy, however. We have, in fact, an awful city council. I wonder if Mr. Carroll regrets his endorsements.

Addendum 4/26: Sam Hieb has more relevant observations.

Will America's Youth Ultimately Stand Up to Anti-Christian Subjugation?

Bozell on the Worthless Republicans

Brent Bozell:

At this point (the Republicans) will certainly lose the House and quite possibly the Senate too. Worse, they’ve so botched their opportunity that only they can save themselves now. The $1.3 trillion Omnibus Bill — their omnibus  bill — was not just the most reckless spending bill in history, it was an abject surrender on every single political and policy pledge made to those who put them in office, save helping the military...

They surrendered without a fight. Any real advance, be it Gorsuch, regulatory relief, minimal border security, minimal tax cuts, or minimal changes in Obamacare — it’s all being driven by the White House. Congress has done nothing.

Here’s the difference between the two parties. For the past eight years, the GOP has been the party that begins each conversation with, “This is why we can’t do it.” The Democrats begin theirs with, “This is how we’ll get it done.” The crisis for Republicans is so grave that not even a rhetorical shift will save them. Only action, concrete action, might — might. They must come up with victories...

Here’s what they need to do, in six easy steps.

1. Like it or not, wrap themselves around the president to save him from impeachment. This means publicly embracing him as their leader. More to the point, it means supporting everything he puts on the table from here through November, and doing it with brio.
2. Reverse that disastrous $1.3 trillion omnibus. This talk about a revision, or worse, a balanced budget amendment is the height of hypocrisy and the public’s not going to stand for it. It’s like committing rape and then joining the #metoo movement. Only tangible results, legislation that reduces the deficit and puts the government on the road to fiscal sanity, will work.
3. Kill Obamacare. Nothing less will do. The public that voted these Republicans in has had it with excuses and half-measures.
4. End funding of Planned Parenthood. The pro-life movement is leaving the GOP, and for good reason. When Republicans award the operation that proudly massacres over 300,000 babies annually with $450,000,000 dollars taken from American taxpayers, there’s no difference between the parties.
5. Fund border security. The base will not stomach any more of the GOP’s public displays of affection for Chuck Schumer while denying funds for Trump’s border wall. Promises made, promises broken.
6. Deliver real personal tax cuts. What they came up with last year rewarded Big Business nicely while excusing nearly 50% of Americans from the responsibility of paying taxes altogether. Everyone else was given bread crumbs — or screwed. Those were your voters, GOP.

Here is the bottom line. On September 30, five weeks before the election, there will be the need for a new spending bill to keep the government running. Everything listed above can be accomplished in that one piece of legislation. No more excuses. No more punts. No more stalling.

It’s so obvious, really. At this point the GOP faithful are set to make a devastating declaration in seven months: “We gave you complete control, and you not only accomplished nothing, you broke your word on virtually everything. Good-bye.”

And you know what, Republicans? They’re right.

Your call.

Why Was There So Much Excessive Capacity in the Guilford Schools System?

First things first. An excellent group to which to donate to support disaster relief for the recent tornado event is North Carolina Baptists on Mission. They have been doing this kind of good work for many years in a cost-effective manner.

In any event, the tornado incident that struck Greensboro and other areas in North Carolina last week brought to light an interesting situation. A few schools in Greensboro had to be shut down and their students reassigned to other schools. These included Hampton, Erwin Montessori and Peeler Open elementary schools.

A few other schools in the system, at least, have student populations that are far below their capacity, according to a recent article in the News and Record. Reedy Fork Elementary apparently has room for 870 students, but only teaches 424. Bluford has a capacity for 567, but only serves 276 students. And Alamance Elementary has room for 854, but only serves a student population of 526. So the plan was for these three schools to absorb the students from the other three schools that were shut down.

Here is the issue. Approximately a decade ago, various institutional forces in Guilford County conspired to put a huge, bloated bond package on the ballot for public schools. It sent the county deep into debt; and the county commissioners over the last 6-8 years have been working to fix the situation. But at the time the bond package was being sold to the public, we were told that there was a crisis undercapacity in the county school system; and that we needed to build very expensive new buildings to add lots of additional capacity.

Of course, the local economy was cratering at the time, so growth projections probably have not materialized. The marked increase in charter school options likely has also pulled away significant numbers from the county's traditional public schools. 

In fact, there is a good charter school in east Greensboro that gets very little public recognition-- Gate City Charter Academy-- and in fact, it might have previously drawn some students away from the schools shut down by the tornado event last week.

In any event, the huge amount of overcapacity at Reedy Fork, Bluford and Alamance leads me to wonder how much overcapacity is present throughout the system. We often hear sob stories about classrooms in modular buildings; but in fact, it would be interesting to know the real numbers countywide, school by school.

Before the county commissioners succumb to any demands to add capacity, they need to look at this issue intently. It might be more cost effective to shift students around if there is a maldistribution of available classroom space compared with students needing a place.

Even better-- get rid of the traditional public schools, and convert them all to charters. And let parents apply to get their kids into the school of their choice.

Reefer Madness in the Good Old USA

The stars are all aligning.

John Boehner-- establishment GOP figure par excellence-- announced a week ago that he will be joining the board of a marijuana company, and that he essentially supports the legalization of marijuana. He wants the drug to be "descheduled". Hey, there is money to be made. To heck with the country.

Then, the Jewish democratic socialist Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, announced he was filing a bill to advance decriminalization. Almost in an instant after Boehner's announcement.

A significant number of blue states have already legalized marijuana in defiance of federal law. This has essentially been open nullification of federal law. Let's remember that the corrupt media and even GOP elected officials have spoken out vehemently against the possibility of nullification to advance conservative issues. But when the left does it, they get a complete, unequivocal pass. 

The limited number of states that legalized marijuana has created a market for corporations to sell marijuana. And thus, a new industry is born. 

Over the last year or so, the financial media have been openly discussing and advocating investments in marijuana companies. This explains why politicos like Schumer and Boehner have gotten involved. There is a trail of lobbying money and campaign contributions to be pursued.

Of course, there are myriad issues with marijuana abuse. It has been recognized for decades as a gateway drug that emboldens individuals to experiment with more dangerous illegal drugs. Performing hazardous activities such as driving under the influence can undermine public safety. Users can be sapped of motivation and become psychologically addicted. Their personal lives, including the development and advancement of careers for self-support, can be brutally sidetracked. 

And it is critical to note that legalization will make use of the drug more widespread. It is yet another step furthering the decadence of the culture of which we are part; and the effective "disabling" of our population.

The libertarian point of view is that this drug should be legalized; but it happens to be dead wrong.

When you see politicians and Wall Street pushing for this to happen, it might be a signal of inevitability. But that doesn't make it right.

And by the way, don't be surprised if, somehow or another, the corrupt judiciary ultimately forces it upon us.

Why Are the Prison Officials in South Carolina Making a Fuss Over Inmates' Use of Cell Phones?

I happened to see an article about the South Carolina prison riot earlier this week. It occurred at the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville; and seven inmates were killed. Bishopville is located approximately 45 minutes east of Columbia.

In the news, prison officials were blaming the riots on inmates' use of cell phones. In addition, they were complaining that the federal government hindered them from doing anything about it. And the questions naturally arose-- why would the inmates have cell phones in the first place; and why would the federal government force the states to allow prisoners to use them?

The answers are found in a USA Today piece:

"What is happening these days is people are going to the fences and they are throwing cellphones over the fence," said (SC Governor Henry) McMaster, who signed an executive order earlier this year directing the South Carolina State Guard to patrol the perimeters of prison facilities.

McMaster said an inmate who obtains a cellphone can “run his business on the outside just as well as he could if he was sitting right here.”

 

...For years prisons officials throughout the nation have tried unsuccessfully to persuade the Federal Communications Commission to let them jam cellphone signals. Critics say this approach prevents nearby cellphone users from making emergency calls. Federal law currently prohibits the sale, importation or use of jamming equipment.

 

Of course, any federal law tying the hands of South Carolina on such matters is a clear breach of the Constitution's limits on the powers of the federal government. The federal government and Congress have absolutely no authority to legislate or regulate in this area. And yet they have been, with impunity, for many years, with hardly any questions asked. Seven inmates died in part because of this situation.

 

South Carolina could have done a better job of preventing inmates' access to cell phones, of course. It is ludicrous that these should have been in the hands of prisoners in the first place.

 

There are seemingly a million instances of the federal government overstepping its constitutional bounds in nearly every sphere of American life. This has been permitted-- and, in fact, encouraged-- for many years by both Democrats and Republicans. There is almost no principled opposition to this state of affairs, in spite of all the Tea Parties conscientiously attempted to do within the last decade.

 

In fact, it is almost as if the Tea Parties never even arose in the first place.