Bev vetoes bill 'punishing' NC teacher group (The 'group' is a ham-handed trade union in disguise.)

Verne Strickland Blogmaster  June 18, 2011 'Non-partisan' Associated Press ignores NCAE's role as shill of leftist parent outfit NEA. But group looks like a union, waddles like a union, and quacks like a union. By EMERY P. DALESIO  Associated Press Gov. Bev Perdue By NBC-17 and Associated Press Published: June 18, 2011 RALEIGH, N.C.    Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed a bill Saturday that strips the revenue stream from the North Carolina Association of Educators. Republican legislators singled out the Democrat-friendly NCAE to stop it from deducting membership dues from paychecks. “This bill is nothing but a petty and vindictive attempt to seek retribution against a group that opposed the Republican budget,” said Perdue in a written statement. “The bill unfairly singles out this one group for special treatment. The state Constitution requires organizations with similar missions to be treated equally. This bill clearly does not follow that requirement, therefore I veto it.” Republican leaders say the cutoff of dues was not an attack on teachers. They say it was a move against the political activity of the group's leadership against GOP causes. Minority Leader Joe Hackney issued a statement shortly after the governor's veto. "Gov. Perdue made another strong stand for teachers today by refusing to allow this frivolous legislation go into law," Hackney said in a written statement. "Teachers have the right to share their opinions about a budget that hurts our children and should not have to fear political retribution in return. House Democrats will support them and our governor again if we are called upon." ***********  NCAE LOOKING OUT FOR CHILDREN, MEMBERS -- OR ITSELF? Posted May 3, 2011 by Bob Luebke CIVITAS The North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) portrays itself as concerned with the interests of students and public education.  Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric. NCAE represents the interests of approximately 50,000 teachers and public school employees who pay them. NCAE tax documents state the real purpose of its mission: “[Tax] Exempt purpose is to advance the interests of educators and the promotion and protection of welfare of the association’s members”1 “To advance the interests of the teaching profession”2   While Schools Suffer, NCAE is Immune from Current Economic Hardship Over the past several years, NCAE has bemoaned declining average teacher salaries, the loss of ABC Bonuses and rising insurance premiums. However, NCAE seems immune from these troubling trends. In 2009, NCAE took in more than $11 million in total revenue,3 including $8.8 million in membership dues Total NCAE revenue has increased from $10.1 million (2006) to $11 million (2009) According to the NCAE web site, average dues for teachers for 2009-10 were about $370/year 4 Since 2006, the number of NCAE employees has increased from 86 to 135, an expansion of 56 percent NCAE spent $7.9 million on salary and compensation in 2009. Divided among 135 employees, this generates an average salary and compensation: $58,719 5 Compensation as a percentage of total NCAE expenses has increased from 66 percent (2006) to 72 percent (2009) http://www.nccivitas.org/

Voter ID advances 67-50 as NC House gives tentative approval to GOP bill.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster: 
 

HACKNEY SAYS GOP WANTS TO SUPRESS MINORITY VOTING. WE RECALL THAT HE BLOCKED USING JESUS' NAME IN NC HOUSE PRAYERS. SIMMER DOWN, JOSEPH!

newsobserver.com blogs

Submitted by cjarvis on 2011-06-08 23:57

The House gave tentative approval tonight to the bill requiring voters show a photo identification. The abrupt vote – at 11:50 p.m. with no debate allowed – passed on a vote of 67-50. Speaker Thom Tillis said a full debate would be permitted on final reading.

“You all know, as I do, there is a Republican effort from across the country to enact voter ID laws for the purpose of suppressing voting,” said Minority Leader Rep. Joe Hackney, a Chapel Hill Democrat.

“The purpose of this bill is to restore confidence of the people of this state that the people who present themselves to vote actually qualify and are actually only voting once,” said Majority Leader Paul “Skip” Stam, an Apex Republican.

http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/voter_id_advances

North Carolina considering bill to ban Sharia. GOP lawmakers backing measure.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster    

JIHAD WATCH     Sunday, May 1, 2011

It is good to see that there are a growing number of such bills all over the country. They will always be challenged by claims that they infringe upon Muslims' religious liberties. But they wouldn't exist at all, of course, were it not for the political and authoritarian aspects of Sharia. Backers of such bills need to familiarize themselves with those aspects and be ready to answer those challenges. 

"Bill would ban courts from using 'foreign law,'" by Michael Biesecker for the News & Observer, April 29:

RALEIGH -- A group of Republican legislators is backing a measure that would make it illegal for judges to consider "foreign law" when making rulings in North Carolina's courts. 

Though the federal and state constitutions already guarantee the supremacy of U.S. law in domestic cases, primary sponsor Rep. George Cleveland said he is concerned that Shariah law could gain a foothold in American communities with sizable Muslim populations.

House Bill 640 makes no mention of the Islamic legal code. But Cleveland said Shariah would be defined as a "foreign law" under his bill, and therefore banned from North Carolina's courtrooms if the legislation he proposes is approved.

"It's to ensure that any individual in this state does not have to worry about being taken advantage of by foreign laws," said Cleveland, a retired Marine who lives in Jacksonville. "It's barring any international law. If Shariah law tries to be enforced in the state, yeah, it would do it."

Uncertain of effect

Critics of the bill said that the broadly worded legislation could have unintended consequences, such as impeding international businesses or invalidating overseas marriages or adoptions.

Rooted in the teachings of the Quran, Shariah governs the conduct of an observant Muslim's life, from when to pray to how animals should be slaughtered for meat. It is also the basis for the legal codes in some Middle Eastern and south Asian countries.

Asked to provide real-world examples of the scenario his bill seeks to remedy -- cases where foreign laws infringed on the constitutional rights of American citizens in U.S. courts -- Cleveland said he did not know of any.

Rep. Joe Hackney, the House Democratic leader, said Republicans are wasting time attacking an issue that doesn't exist.

"I think it's a solution in search of a problem," said Hackney, a lawyer from Chapel Hill.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/04/north-carolina-considering-bill-to-ban-sharia.html#comments