Legislators urged to end N.C.’s ‘spoils system’

The August Daily Planet included a letter, “Fisher blasted for ignoring Dems’ redistricting legacy.” The writer calls Rep. Susan Fisher “stupid” in capital letters for criticizing this year’s Republican redistricting plan.

First, Democrats did indeed do redistricting every 10 years for a long time, and they did draw maps favorable to their cause.  But their work over the decades was child’s play compared to the new redistricting map proposed by Republicans.

The (Asheville) Citizen-Times noted that the new map has TWICE as many instances of two incumbents’ being put in the same legislative district, to oppose each other, as the Democratic maps of 1990 and 2000.  Republicans freely admit that they hired Tom Hofeller, a redistricting specialist at the Republican National Committee for almost 20 years to draw the lines (at state expense).  This was the work of sophisticated, computerized, voter-by-voter demographic shuffling.

The result: Republicans hope for is a change in the North Carolina delegation in Congress from seven Democrats, six Republicans to 10 Republicans, three Democrats.  The writer insults Republicans by saying they’re merely on a par with Democrats.  If Democrats had used 2011 methods in 2000, wouldn’t they have come up with a better ratio than 7-6 in the 2008 election that went Democratic?  The North Carolina voter ratio is 45 percent Democratic, 32 percent Republican.  Democrats were generous.

Rep. Susan Fisher

Second,  the writer’s main point is that Republicans EARNED (caps his) the right to redistrict any way they please because they won the 2010 election.  I say no, they didn’t.  They earned the right to redistrict, but nobody earns the right to create a dishonest product.

Republicans reveal their dishonesty in the cover letter to their redistricting map: “From the beginning, our goal has remained the same:  the development of fair and legal congressional and legislative districts …. We also believe that a majority of North Carolinians will agree that our proposed plan will establish Congressional districts that are fair to North Carolina voters.”

People who make a show of righteousness are usually hiding mischief.  They say, “Look at us how legal we are, look how many hearings we held.”  Then they proceed to create Congressional districts where 10 of the 13 districts voted over 55 percent for John McCain in 2008.  For years Republicans pleaded for better electoral competition.  Then they get power and immediately stifle that competition.  Who do they think they’re fooling?  Voters know … and remember.

When Democrats retake the General Assembly next year, I personally hope they redress the wrongs of Republican redistricting.  In 2003 the Texas legislature did a mid-decade redistricting, and it was upheld by the Supreme Court.  I hope NC Democrats do the same thing in Raleigh.  I’m confident they will do their work according to bipartisan HB 824, which takes redistricting out of the hands of politicians.  (Right now HB 824 is stalled in the Republican state Senate.)

A historical note.  The “spoils system” of the 19th century was a lot like today’s NC redistricting system that the writer seems to support. The winner got to dole out jobs.  In 1881, when James Garfield was assassinated by a frustrated job-seeker, there was a massive public outcry for reform.  The Pendleton Civil Service Act was passed with bipartisan support in months.  HB824 would similarly depoliticize redistricting for us.  California and other states have done it.
Like the spoils system, partisan redistricting will end only when we tell Raleigh to cut the nonsense and do what’s right.  And, of course, vote in Democrats.

LEE BALLARD
Weaverville

Ideas offered for delay in 2 schools’ construction

Why the construction delay at the two new intermediate schools?

Lack of New Strategic Plan (not been updated since 2006) Inadequate budget process — stakeholders and board input not considered. No public hearings. Lack of monthly or quarterly financial reports. R144 millio in debt. No regular monthly board work sessions. No District Policy Review.

Ralph Eubanks
Asheville

Why are Rep. Ron Paul, his backers, marginalized?

Rep. Ron Paul

I find it interesting that (Rep.) Ron Paul (R-Texas), and his supporters like me, always seem to be considered outside of “Republican Partyism” and “Conservatism.”
At the same time, anyone else joining the elephant party or conservative movement is welcomed with open arms, “RINOs included, but not the Paulites.  Of course, the irony is, Ron Paul more than anyone else, has identified the spirit of the founding fathers and has defined a way back to their vision of an American Liberty.  For Ron Paul, the Constitution is the answer to everything. (For our Congress, it appears to be a door mat.)  Yet, Ron Paul, unlike most other presidential candidates in this race has to fight his party by challenging its soul. (This was also true of Goldwater and Reagan.)

It is interesting that one of the founders of the modern social conservative movement, Paul Weyrich, recently wrote a book (Along with William S. Lind) that touches on many of these issues. Weyrich’s book is called “The Next Conservatism” and subtitled, “Paul Weyrich’s Last Testament.” Weyrich’s book is not as well thought out as “Ron Paul’s Great Compromise of 2012” below, but I would think that if Weyrich were alive today, he might embrace Craig White’s appeal.  

To those of you who believe there is not a snowball’s chance in Hell that Ron Paul can get elected to be the president of the United States of America, who then is going to make a real difference in business as usual in D.C.? Perry,  Romney, Bachmann, Huntsman, Cain or Pawlenty?

The U.S. government is quickly facing a day of reckoning for too much spending, too much borrowing and too much interference in what should be matters of personal liberty. Our federal government is going to crumble as a consequence.

Average Americans must take their collectivist head out of the sand and say “NO!” to Washington. Republicans do have a real choice in 2012. They must choose wisely. Failing to do so will likely be the end of the Republican Party and more important than that, we will lose our American way of life as we know it.

Gary Shoemaker
Weaverville

Support urged for Cain, businessman, conservative

Herman Cain

Who has had the HIGHEST positive intensity score for 10 straight weeks? Who has the HIGHEST strongly favorable rating among the candidates? Who has the LOWEST strongly unfavorable rating?

Herman Cain, a businessman from Georgia! He accomplishes all of this while being known by less than half the electorate. Why is this? Herman Cain’s ideas are rooted in common sense solutions. He knows that you have to work on the right problem, ask the right questions, and surround yourself with the right people. He has a specific plan to bring jobs back to America quickly and clean up the mess left by the Obama administration. His positions on immigration and energy independence are also essential to taking back this country!

What would you choose: a tested leader or a reader? Do you want the same old typical politician, or a successful businessman that knows how to balance a budget, create jobs, and manage people? If you are sick and tired of being lied to, worrying about job security, and believe, as I do, that this country needs real change, visit

http://www.hermancain.com, http://arealleader.hermancain.com or http://electcain.com and GET INVOLVED! Consider making a donation to Friends of Herman Cain through http://www.hermancain.com or http://arealleader.hermancain.com. Want to volunteer? Visit http://electcain.com.

In the words of Herman Cain’s father, “Them that’s going, get on the wagon ... Them that ain’t, get out the way!”

Bethany White
Canton, Ga.

EDITOR’S NOTE: White is a grassroots volunteer for the Elect Cain Georgia organization.

School board meeting likened to ‘Twilight Zone’

It has been nearly 15 years since I attended a school board meeting. Talk about “The Twilight Zone” —  Aug. 4th’s Buncombe County School Board meeting talked to the same issue — a new end all curriculums — and the teachers’ training required in its implementation.

My purpose in attending the school board meeting was to see how the board’s initial people-talk-first meeting worked out. The school board is the first in Buncombe County to allow public comment before the vote on action items. Hopefully, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will also see the light and implement the same procedure.
Fifteen years ago, parents attended school board meetings. Last Thursday night, there were either no parents there or at least very few. Attitudes must be very different today — or perhaps parents have got a message that it is pointless to attend. Pointless perhaps, but still necessary if students are to be the focus in education. Parents are the only reliable student advocates.

There was a learning experience in the meeting that parents needed to take part in.

A vote was made on the acceptance of the school calendar. The vote followed a recommendation from the thirty plus member calendar committee.

Thirty-plus members who are all paid school employees except for one token volunteer parent. The parent filed an oral minority report with Lisa Baldwin, a member of the school board. The parent, evidently wasn’t able to get the minority report out through the committee leadership.

The minority report meant to give an alternative to one of the days for teacher training, which appeared to be the only topic in the committee’s report.

It seemed to me to that the volunteer parent could have been bullied in that the minority report was excluded from the committee report.

Ms. Baldwin took up the parent’s advocacy, speaking both to the details of the minority report and commenting unfavorably on the procedure that made it necessary for a minority report not to have come out in the committee report in the first place.

Surprise! The attitude of the other school board members, as strongly spoken by the chairman, was that the thirty paid committee members were clearly the victims and the parent and advocate were the oppressors.

The reverse of logic seemed to be around the blanket notion that obviously all school administrators and teachers are  totally committed to the students, know better than parents and are all unsung heroes to be protected at all costs.

No one on the school board admitted to knowing by name and experience the 30-plus members of the calendar committee but stated with surety that the committee members were to be admired.

This nonsense does no credit to the hard-working  members of the calendar committee, turns off parents, is insulting to all who practice student advocacy, and embarrasses those that attend school board meetings.

The school calendar, as recommended by the 10-plus calendar committee, was passed with no remarks as to the reason for not accepting the minority report and with one member opposed.

Charles Durand
Asheville