So much news lately I've had a tough time choosing what to assign! Hopefully you paid attention to the momentous Supreme Court decisions last week--we'll come back to those later. And keep a watch on what's happening with immigration reform. But for now, we'll focus on something closer to home.
What is going on in North Carolina politics?
Lots. Read this article that sums up the situation. Answer the questions here, and leave a comment below.
Hope your summer has been going well!!
The direction that the state of North Carolina is going in will probably help our state. Even though it might be unpopular right now(since it will involve giving people less unemployment benefits and Medicaid), the cuts will help the state legislature to improve our economy. Besides, the government has to do what’s right, which might not be as popular with the people. Also, the people themselves voted for the state government to be a majority of Republicans. While places like the Research Triangle do have more people than a lot of places in North Carolina(and there are more Democrats in these areas), there are more Republican majorities in cities in North Carolina. The Research Triangle is not the norm in North Carolina.
ReplyDelete-Kayley Bryson
Your response to the article assumes that these legislators are doing what the people who voted for them want, that they are a vessel for public opinion without their own additional biases and views that are entirely separate. I agree that cuts are necessary; if our economy is ever going to improve, we have to do more than just spend. But at the same time, I believe that where we cut is just as important than the fact that we do. For example, cutting funding for the public school systems is a DRASTIC mistake. It completely ignores the principle fact that "The children are our future". It may temporarily help the debt crisis, but in the end uneducated children will become uneducated adults who will add to the unemployment crisis. As for cutting spending to unemployment programs, it will only add to the joblessness. I know that some people live off those checks without seeking a job, but some simply cannot find one. It's also literally impossible to live off the current federal minimum wage, especially if one has a family. We need to restrict those programs to people who are actually looking for jobs, not leaving everyone unemployed to starve. We need to start looking towards the future- and not just the immediate future.
Delete~Cat S.
I agree with Caitlin, the assumption that the government does what the people want is a false one. In many cases, the actions of political persons does not at all reflect the opinions of those who voted for them. Your response also assumes that the North Carolina government is doing "what's right" which, again, is not a fair assumption to make.
DeleteThe state seems to be taking the direction of becoming less reliant on the federal government, at the cost of its own citizens. I agree with Kayley's statement, that the Research Triangle does not represent the majority in North Carolina. Just look at what happened to Amendment One - despite the show of opposition in the Triangle, the measure passed by 61%, a sizable proportion. In that sense, the conservative direction that North Carolina is taking is reflective of the population, to an extent.
ReplyDeleteThis brings us to the question of whether it is harmful or not. The answer is not so simple - partisanship plays a large role in how one might respond to the question. Personally, I think removing/reducing the "safety net" of long-term unemployment benefits will be harmful, especially in this day and age. Less money will be flowing in the state economy, which will lead to problems for everyone.
Based on current events, I believe the direction being taken is harmful. After all, the state economy has been weakened, and federal benefits have been lost.
North Carolina seems to be going in a direction chosen by its politicians, most likely with the support of those who put the politicians in office. I have not seen many people talking in favor of their actions in the legislature, but I have not heard the opinions of many of those people in other regions of our state. I think that the legislature is making the right move in trying to pay down its debt to the federal government, which should enable options on what to do with the money in the future. I am not sure about the scale of all of their cuts though, because I think that many cuts to assistance may be to severe right now, considering the state economy's condition. A good plan is needed to help get North Carolina back on track, which would make it easier to accomplish more goals of the legislature and its people. I think some of the cuts are definitely harmful in the short term, but I am not sure about in the long term. I think their ideas may not be harmful, but some of the legislature's actions may be.
ReplyDelete-Henry Kistler
I disagree with a number of points Kayley made. First of all, I don't think that cutting insurance for 500,000 people is "doing what's right", and neither is allowing judicial races to be bought by wealthy businessmen. Also, the unemployment cuts wouldn't help the economy, they would take 475 million dollars out of it. Furthermore, while RTP isn't representative of the rest of NC, it IS representative of other big cities in NC (Charlotte, Wilmington, Greensboro) that also typically vote democrat. While a Republican majority was voted in, it isn't conclusive that that means everyone wanted (or necessarily voted for) a Republican majority. Take the 2012 House race for example: because of gerrymandering and other shady measures, 9 of the 13 seats went to Republicans, even though half a million more people voted for the Democratic candidate (http://www.bloomberg.com/infographics/2013-03-19/redistricting-delivers-north-carolina-to-republicans.html).
ReplyDeleteI simply don't think that our state legislature is doing a good job at all. From trying to overturn judicial review itself to denying welfare to the poor, North Carolina is falling behind, and it's sad to see.
-Keegan B.
I completely agree with Keegan on this matter. It seems as though our state legislature is determined to push our state farther and farther back in time with the ancient policies and actions being taken by our State's politicians. Many of these policies such as our "new" gun policy regarding the ability to carry a concealed weapon in bars and on university grounds have what seems to be an overwhelming majority of people in our state dumbfounded that we could use such dangerous and archaic policies regarding the safety of our states citizens. I believe that we are enduring one of the most radical and extreme changes in state policy in our nation's history, and it's a shame that our legislature is not acting in the interest of our state's citizens as a whole.
DeleteAs of right now all the issues that the North Carolina government is trying to solve are too big of a jump from what we have now to what they want. Kayley B. made a good point stating that although this may be unpopular with the people it may help us in the long run. But I believe that taking on these big changes in many of the issues will be too big of a burden to the citizens in this state. For example, the unemployment benefits being cut to $350 a week along with decreasing their time to find a job will benefit the debt situation because less money is being spent but at the cost of people who are trying to provide for their families but need the foundation and push in order to do it. I believe that our government should take a closer look at how their solution to these issues will affect their people before they try to take big steps by creating new laws.
ReplyDelete-Anna L.
Recently, with the new Republican control headed by Pat McCrory, North Carolina is experiencing some big changes. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how many of these changes are good for our state. There are a few specific measures that I don’t think are a good idea for the future of our state; cutting long-term unemployment benefits, and not implementing crucial parts of an expansion of Medicaid. I agree with Henry K. that it is nice and all that NC is trying to repay its debt to the federal government, but given the current state of our economy it is just not the best option for our state right now. Many North Carolinians are depending on those benefits to help them get back on their feet. Also, these changes that are being done in our state are not a true representation of the people in our state. The “Moral Monday” protests completely illustrate that point – strong liberals wouldn’t need to be protesting so hard if the Republican controlled government was doing a good job of representing all the many different views of government in our state. With all of these changes in NC, as stated in the article, our state has become a fierce battlefield for liberals and conservatives and it will be interesting to see if the government continues on this path of destroying the political calm that held our state in the past or takes a step back and decides what is truly best for North Carolina at this time. -Samantha D.
ReplyDeleteNorth Carolina took out a loan for 2.5 billion dollars to cover its in ability to cover all its unemployment claims after the recession hit. The short term effects of cutting unemployment benefits will not be fun for anyone. But by cutting these benefits and using it to directly pay back the loan in less time will cut the interest tremendously. What most people will look at will be the 475 million dollars being taken out of the economy right now and not the main point; getting people jobs. For now businesses have to pay a little more in taxes that they could have spent on hiring more people because we are responsible for paying off that loan. When we finish paying off the loan in 2015 it will save businesses an estimated $21 per person per year. Freeing up money that is simply used to pay off a loan that is being used to pay people who don't have jobs, thus this money can be spent by directly paying the once unemployed but now employed workers that company has hired. In turn lowering the unemployment rate. Economically North Carolina is headed in the right direction as long as we maintain leaders with the same thoughts. Otherwise long term plans are unable to work.
ReplyDelete-Mackenzie Pidgeon
I must say unfortunately I don't believe the direction our state is headed in is a good one at all. Cutting long term unemployment benefits on top of cutting state benefits will save the state money, but will it really help the state's people? I agree with Keegan B. completely. I also do have to agree with eh point Kayley B. made that the RTP area doesn't represent the whole state. It does represent major cities like Keegan stated, but that's not the whole state. Unfortunately we are moving in the direction the majority of people voted for, not the majority we all personally want. In this case I see this as a losing battle for the Democrats in the short term, but a possible win in the long run. If things don't go right the Democrats may earn some votes in the future due to the fact the Republicans might have just messed up.
ReplyDelete-Jordan B.
I think that the majority of the measures being pushed in North Carolina are harmful. I can see how the Republicans may think they're helping the economy with the measures involving taxes and and unemployment, but many of these make me embarrassed to be a citizen of North Carolina. Repealing the Racial Justice Act, pushing for bias and unnecessary changes to voting laws, and trying to establish an official religion are sending North Carolina backwards. How can we improve and thrive if we keep moving backwards? I think that these pieces of legislation are nothing more than the state trying to create an ideal situation for republicans and completely ignore other opinions. I agree with Keegan completely.
ReplyDelete-River Price
I think that North Carolina is making wise economic choices, but they are disregarding what is best for the people here. I understand the importance of repaying our state's debt to Washington, but I don't believe that cutting federal unemployment benefits is what's best for North Carolinians. I also disagree with rejecting the Medicaid expansion. Why would our legislature choose to reject this expansion when it could have provided insurance for and helped 500,000 people? I disagree with the relaxed gun laws as well due to the recent tragedies and shootings in our nation. While the constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, guns and weapons should be registered and require a permit. Of all of these measures, I find the attempt to establish a state religion the most ridiculous. I believe the direction we're headed in will be economically beneficial, but may be harmful to the people.
ReplyDeleteI went a Moral Monday to see what it was like, and what seemed to concern the people there the most was the loss of unemployment benefits and the rejection of the Medicaid expansion. At the protest, people who were unemployed and people who were suffering from illnesses spoke about the hardships they were going through because of the decisions of the State Legislature. I believe that they were right to be most concerned about these issues because they are the ones that are going to affect use the most and the soonest. Already there are unemployed people that are not receiving benefits, or that are trying to think of something they will do when they stop receiving them. Also, all those people who could be receiving Medicaid now have to try to find the money to pay for medication. Hearing these peoples stories helps you realize how essential these programs are. The State Legislature seems like it is trying to pass as many conservative laws as it can without looking at what the people want and need.
ReplyDelete-Elise F.
As many people have already stated, North Carolinians will not benefit from all of the measures that our state has begun to take. By cutting unemployment benefits, along with state benefits, people will not know where to turn when they are in need of financial support. With all of the budget cuts, the state will save a very large amount of money, but what will that do to the working class? The proposed laws are controversial for the most part, and it will be hard to please everyone. The state is taking us in a direction which everyone will not agree with. However, in terms of economics, the state is doing what's best for itself. Depending on your personal governmental views, you may not agree with the laws being proposed, but that is what the majority has voted for. These laws may not be very helpful to begin with, but in the long run they will be extremely beneficial.
ReplyDelete-Nathan M.
I think Mack P. makes a good point when he says explains that giving out unemployment benefits was the reason NC had to borrow so much money from Washington in the first place. It was necessary then, during the recession, but the recession is over, and it is plain that the government can not afford to continue giving out the same kind of benefits now as they did then. I'm all for caring for our state's people, and so are many in the legislator. Since the law only reduces the long term benefits, I believe that the NC government is doing its best to both reduce spending and care for the people in this matter.
ReplyDeleteIn the matter of the Medicaid expansion however, I believe the General Assembly has made the wrong decision, especially if they plan to reduce unemployment benefits. This part of Obama's Affordable Care Act was, in my opinion, one of the best because of its lack of need for state money. This program is funded entirely for the next six years, and funded in a large majority after that. The government is being insensitive by refusing this option that would help out a lot of North Carolinians.
~Erin s.
I would like to come out and say that I agree with Keegan B. in that I am disappointed in the recent decisions our state has made. How can one deny basic insurance to people who cannot afford it? I am totally in support of a state that tries to cut back and save, but I think that now is not the time. We as a state need to do a better job of investing in the economy to try and spark any kind of growth and we need to help people who have been knocked off their feet. Cutting unemployment benefits is not the way to do this, especially if it is also going to hurt our economy by taking 475 million dollars out of it.
ReplyDeleteOn another topic, I believe fracking is very harmful to our state's wildlife and water supply. I think if you weigh the cost and benefits, the cost heavily outweigh the benefits. In the northeastern part of the U.S., fracking is common and is very beneficial to the economy by bringing in huge amounts of money. The trade-off is you see huge health issues and problems with drinking water. There are videos of people turning on their taps and being able to light the water on fire because of the methane deposits caused by hydraulic fracturing. This is a huge environmental problem, and cannot be allowed in our state because of the environmental dangers that it imposes.
Simply put, I am disappointed in the recent decisions North Carolina has made, and I hope new steps will be taken to benefit the state, and not just to please the people "paying the bills." I am not talking about your average taxpayer either, I speak of big business buying off politicians.
I agree with Mack P and Erin S with their explanation of why cutting a lot of unemployment benefits is necessary. The longer the government waits to cut those benefits, the longer it will take to pay off the massive debt. If benefits are cut now then a very large amount of interest can be avoided. While short term it may be hard, the long term effect should be positive. The government is making a smart decision by reducing the unemployment benefits.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I agree with Erin S about the Medicaid expansion. It makes no sense to not accept it. For 6 years it will be paid in full and even after that 90 percent will be paid. The state doesn't have to sacrifice much to save a lot for its citizens. The government isn't thinking about its citizens and it doesn't cost an excessive amount for them either so I completely disagree with the choice of striking down the Medicaid expansion.
-Katie F
Cutting unemployment benefits saves our state a lot of money, and it is definitely something that must be done eventually, but now is not the time. North Carolina's unemployment rate currently sits at a dismal 8.8%, higher than the national rate of 7.6%. The argument for cutting unemployment benefits is that it will increase the unemployed's incentive to find work while also decreasing government spending, but in our current economic climate there are simply not enough jobs to be found. If we cut unemployment benefits now, it will only worsen our situation. Before we even think about slashing the small amount of income that people without jobs depend on just to stay afloat, we must make it easier for those people to actually find a new job.
ReplyDeleteOur state's current outlook isn't great, and if we continue on the direction we're taking now, it might get even worse. But this doesn't mean there isn't hope for our economic situation to improve. If we make the smart economic decisions at the right times, things could very well start to get better.
Overall, I have mixed feelings regarding the direction North Carolina politics are going. Economically, I believe that a reduction in government spending is necessary in order to pay off the millions of dollars of debt that we owe the Federal government. I also believe however, that we cannot pay off debt without a raise in taxes on those who can afford it. If government spending is going to be cut from unemployment, Medicare, and other public services for the lower and middle class, I believe it would not only be effective, but fair to raise taxes on the wealthy to combine increased revenue with decreased spending. Hopefully, once we pay off our debt and reach an at least comfortable financial position, we can ease back the cuts and tax increases. On the other side of these issues, I disagree with a number of the proposed voting and electoral reforms. For example: Early voting is a necessity for many people who do not have flexible schedules due to work, child care, and more. Reducing the time span of early voting could save the government some money but by losing several of the voters who are essential to our democratic system.
ReplyDelete- Spencer W.
Ever since the Republicans have obtained control of both chambers and the governorship they have been aggressively shoving legislation based solely on their ideology through the state legislature. Sure it sounds good to cut government spending and reduce the debt but their actions are harming North Carolinians. Imagine that you had only 350$ as your sole income a week to pay for transportation, food, rent, and other basic living necessities or that you had no support and were trying to finance the above expenses like the 700,000 NC citizens without any government aid. Like the article said around 475 million dollars are being taken out of the state economy with this action which doesn't really coincide with the "pro-business" message that the Republicans like to brag about. The truth is that the GOP's actions do quite the opposite. North Carolina has dropped from 4th most competitive state for business to 12th based on a survey done by CNBC, which doesn't really back up McCrory and Co.'s claims. Along with derailing any economic progress in NC with regressive tax policies and cuts to support it's own citizens the Republicans have also made NC the laughingstock of the country with their rabid persistence to strip away a women's right to choose by attaching it to a bill that bans the consideration of Sharia law in court decisions (which is already ridiculous by itself) and a motorcycle safety bill. In addition to that they are willing to sell out our natural resources and environment for fracking or destroy any incentive to attend public schools as a student or teacher to promote charter schools. In short I believe that the new leadership in the state government is doing a huge amount of damage to the future and reputation of North Carolina.
ReplyDelete-Zach M.
I believe that the new legislature does not have the future of North Carolina in mind with these new bills. Some of them seem decently thought out but come on, a state religion and no early voting on Sundays? Our legislators really need to think about how they are focusing their time. Paying back the debt to the national government is a step in the right direction, but not at the expense of violating the minimum amount it must provide to receive federal benefits. People getting these benefits can't afford to lose almost $200 a week! I also disagree with the new gun laws. I think that people should not be able to have a concealed weapon in a bar. There's too many variables, you never know what a drunk person will do. Overall, I believe that the legislature should do what's best for all North Carolinians, Democrats and Republicans, because we all have to live by the laws and measures that they pass.
ReplyDelete-Natasha P.
I feel that the moves being taken by the General Assembly are moving in a harmful direction. From a financial perspective, I agree with what Nathaniel said about a weakened economy due to less cash flowing through due to tax cuts and decreased benefits. It’s a good idea to collect money to repay loans taken from the federal government, but I don’t agree with shifting the tax burden to the lower classes. They should be the ones paying less, while the upper class people pay more due to higher incomes. I don’t like where the state’s going with unemployment benefits. Yes we need to pay off debt, but we also need to provide for those who are trying to sustain their lives and at the same time find a good source of income! I agree with Jeffery C. on the state of the NC job market. Sure there will be a larger motive to work, but there is not enough out there. How can you find a job if there is none? I like the question Jordan B. proposed, and I will ask that same question. True we’re saving money, but we are hurting citizens in the process!
ReplyDelete- Keenan T.
In agreement with many of the opinions of my classmates, I believe that the North Carolina legislature is trying to push through many measures which are completely absurd. A state religion would clearly violate all that the United States of America stands for. Did we not come here to gain freedom? Is freedom of religion not clearly stated in our Bill of Rights? And no early voting on Sundays is also alluding to recognizing certain religions which consider Sunday their sacred day. Religion is not something any government, including North Carolina's, should be focusing on. Financially speaking, I agree with Natasha P that repaying our debt to Washington is a step in the right direction. I also agree with her that cutting employment benefits substantially is not how the North Carolina government should go about paying these debts. I agree with Zach Meredith that the legislature is pushing reforms which are solely based on ideology, and I believe that these government officials should take a step back and look at what is important for North Carolinians in the long run. Pushing those unemployed farther into poverty with cuts in unemployment benefits will just lower education levels in our population. Impoverished families will not be able to pay for schooling for their children, thus resulting in a less educated state. Making the lives of our citizens harder to repay debts which could be repaid in other ways is a large mistake on the part of the government. I believe that the North Carolina legislature should take the pleas of their citizens, through the Moral Mondays and other forms of protest, into account and alter their policies in accordance.
ReplyDeleteOlivia W.
Looking through my classmates comments, I think that the divide between republican and democratic views on these issues is clear. The republicans tend to believe that the dismissal of long-term unemployment benefits from our federal government will later save our budget and help to pay back our debt. The democrats think that these cuts will have too severe an impact on unemployed North Carolinians be justifiable. But we must focus on more than debt. Why would a state with the nation's fifth worst jobless rate cut funding that would benefit...the jobless? Why would we change the taxation system to benefit the wealthy when they, in this time of need, should be willing to pay a little more to help their fellow citizens? Why would the state reject the opportunity to provide those who cannot afford it (probably because they have a disproportional tax burden and no job) with free health insurance? Apart from that, the bills on gun control, state religion, and fracking are hugely disappointing. It is my opinion that the North Carolina legislature, regardless of being republican or democratic, has taken a turn for the worst, and that these recent unscrupulous and poorly thought out changes are evidence.
ReplyDeleteVivian C.
In regards to the various bills that have recently been passed, I think it is hard to say what the outcome will be. Many people are upset with what they view as being radical changes occurring, while others are in full support. While we would like to cut spending and reduce our debt, I think that pulling money out of Education is going to be one thing we look back on negatively. I think it’s important to cut our spending, but it is essential we take it from the right areas. I also feel that the gun control laws are not as tight as they should be. With crime rates rising nationally and an increase in gun violence I feel that it is completely inappropriate to tolerate guns in more areas than times past. These are just a few examples of decisions that have been made, that I personally believe are not beneficial to our state. Some of the basic ideas behind our legislative movements are good ones, but I cannot help but feel that they are being enforced and carried out in the wrong manner. We need to find alternatives to cutting from our education, or from unemployment benefits, and the answer to this is not one either party seems to have yet pinpointed.
ReplyDeleteJulia D.
I'm not trying to be biased towards a specific party, but these measures are just ridiculous and unfair. I know that this state's legislature thinks that they're doing good work with all their money plans and economic layouts, but they're not thinking enough about how their decisions affect certain people. Not everyone can afford health insurance anyway and they're rejecting the expansion of programs like Medicaid. There's no shame in wealthy people having to pay higher taxes since they can actually afford it more easily. Why would the idea of having an official state religion even be suggested? As Olivia W. mentioned, freedom of religion is something that's clearly stated in the Bill of Rights. The whole fracking plan isn't acceptable either. The environment has already been damaged enough, why add to those problems? It's truly disappointing how our state seems to be doing more harming than helping.
ReplyDelete-Shannon H.
In my opinion some of the legislation introduced in the article seems completely biased and possibly unfair. For example an establishment of religion. As Olivia W. said the Bill of Rights definitely gives us freedom of religion. I also would have to agree with the statement made by Zach M. above. It seems as though the Republican party is pushing their views onto the state. Of course it would be amazing if North Carolina could get out of debt and cut down on spending, but cutting money out of medical aid and education seems quite unfair. Its like our government is looking for a quick fix of problems and not thinking long term. I believe there are solutions to all of these problems but the government needs to make sure they're thinking about the now and our future.
ReplyDelete-Taylor B
Consequently, the debt North Carolina has built up over the years will have a bad impact on citizens of the state in some way anyway. My opinion of the bills in the article is mixed. Certainly, there is no shortage of disagreement within the GOP, which shows that you can have a general opinion of the way the country should be run, but not necessarily agree with every idea. Unemployment benefits helped the state get into the jam it is in now, so I feel that taking away unemployment benefits would bring in more money for the state; however, on the other hand that decision would take any money unemployed had. Then to raise taxes and stop the expansion of Medicaid even though the Federal Government would pay for it through 2019 and a short period afterward makes no sense. Though I disagree with these topics I do support the education and Voter Id bills. My only question for the education bill is how will the pick the low-income children that will attend private schools? The Voter ID bill would help prevent voter fraud a lot.
ReplyDelete-Arrik W
From the recent elections and appointments favoring the Conservative party, you would expect issues to be pushed a little to the conservative side of the spectrum. But seeing that the most popular part of North Carolina, (Rdu,rtp, the triangle) is democratic, most of the decisions don't fit the people. From the point brought up before, don't cut unemployment until the jobs issue is solved, that's a move for the future, and it seems like their moving too fast, which could send us into a downfall. I know that cutting most of our grants from Washington would be a good money saver, but it only benefits the state, not the people. All of those people out of the jobs will end up on the street, which would lead to way worst economic times. Lets just worry about the problems we have right now, not what happens in the future. - Alan c.
ReplyDeleteThe change in the composition of the North Carolina legislature has brought with it a wide variety of bills that have both positive and negative consequences. The legislature as described by my classmates has introduced bills that obviously reflect strong republican ideologies and although some are rational others in my opinion are completely irrational and not well thought out. In regards to the gun bills I disagree with the approach that is being taken because in my opinion they are making it that much easier for their to be another "Sandy Hook" or "Colorado" shooting, but in my opinion these gun bills will not pass because the majority of the public will recall the past shootings that have occurred due to the ease of which the killers were able to acquire a gun. In addition I also disagree with the bill that would prevent early voting on Sundays because it has proven to benefit young and minority workers who cannot make it to the polls on voting day due to other obligations but would still like to express their opinion on issues and candidates through voting. Also the official state religion goes against everything the founders believed in when they created the first amendment and the establishment clause. Many people fled Europe in order to gurantee that they would be able to freely exercise their beliefs and it is this idea of tolerance that has kept our nation flourishing and thriving until today. In my opinion these three bills have little to no chance of being passed because it is evident through the comments of my classmates and the comments beneath the article that their is strong opposition to these three bills.
ReplyDeleteYosef S.
The direction the legislature is heading in does not seem to hold short-term or long-term success. I fail to see the gain from forcing 70,000 North Carolinians from long-term unemployment benefits, while they still have no means to support themselves. Not to mention this will cut about $475 million dollars from circulation in the state economy. That will undoubtedly not change our position as the nations “fifth-worst jobless rate.” It seems as though our legislature has been less and less focused on the people’s economic situations over the years, and more focused on staying in office by keeping their party happy. Demonstrated by the push for less strict gun laws (like republicans want) and more voting laws (to keep democrats from voting). With these decisions I doubt the legislature will stay the way it currently is for long.
ReplyDelete-Michael S
I agree with most of my classmates that the current state legislation is doing a poor job and taking us in the wrong direction. Cutting unemployment benefits in a state that is already in the bottom five in the country in employment rates just seems idiotic. That simply worsens an already huge problem our state has and there are other ways to repay our debt to Washington. It would be solving one problem by worsening another, and that doesn't get us anywhere. Making it harder for the youth and minorities to vote simply is an unfair way for Republicans to get an advantage since those groups typically vote Democratic. Everyone deserves the chance to vote and making more restrcitions on this is just wrong. Also, if a large group of the people in our state are unable to vote then it means that our vote isn't representing the people as a whole, but rather one specific group. The idea of a state religion is preposterous. The First Amendment clearly states "freedom of religion", making the idea of a state religion unconstitutional and hypocrtical. These are just a couple of the ways that my classmates and I believe that the current state legislation is not only preventing forward progess as a state, but even regressing as a whole.
ReplyDelete-Sean J.
I do disagree with some of the things Republicans are trying to do, like creating a state religion and their growing fracking industry. But, overall what they’re doing is creating more money for our state. Right now we are so in debt to the government it’s outrageous. Accepting more unemployment benefits makes that debt get bigger and bigger. Our government is trying to spend less money and actually do something about this spending problem we have. I know unemployed people have a tough time finding a job and they need a little bit of help, but it definitely needs to be cut down because we’re basically giving them money so they can sit at home for a while before they try and find a job. The more unemployment benefits that are collected, the less incentive these people have to find a job.
ReplyDelete-Richard E.
In agreement with Vivian C., this issue has mainly split students based on their perceived ideology. It is very challenging to look at this without any bias, taking into consideration how dominant political ideologies are in looking at a case such as this one. With this said, I see multiple policies here that do nothing to solve our most important problems; instead their purpose seems to be to instill a conservative face for North Carolina on national issues. First, the gun laws allow for easier to access to guns, most of which are not used for personal security. With so many pressing issues needed to be answered, a law for gun rights should not be a priority for our state legislature. Alongside the gun laws, the new voting laws seem to have a clear purpose to control who gets into the voting booths,like Yosef S. argued, as they would make it especially difficult for low-wage workers who serve long hours (and this is a strongly liberal demographic). Yet, I do wonder whether a policy making it easier for these people simply may be a way for Democrats to control voting. The state religion bill seems to be an attempt by certain conservatives to impose their religious beliefs onto their state. Lastly, the racial justice act repeal means putting effort and time into stopping an act that was made to protect a group of people. While it is debatable if the protection is legitimate or not, I do not think it should be one of our main focuses to shut it down. Nevertheless, we must consider if a full Democratic takeover occurred in North Carolina, the situation would be similiar, only it would be Republicans declaring their anger at the highly liberal policies. Thus, I believe the time when the spotlight was not on North Carolina, when we were the smart, moderate state, was the best time and something we should try to get back to.
ReplyDelete- Isaac N.
I heard about Moral Monday from a friend who went to one and actually lost her voice "yelling at Republicans", as she put it. It made me think of how interesting the fact that these issues, individually, don't seem to be enough to illicit such huge, public outcries is. But when you but them all together, people in general seem to go over a tipping point. Perhaps it's because people don't like conflict, and they figure that if it's just one injustice it doesn't warrant that kind of a response- they can avoid it and not ruin the lives of a lot of people. There's also the group aspect, where individuals very rarely want to speak out against something by themselves. They become afraid that they'll be invalidated or embarrassed, while in a group, there's less of a chance that they will be individually shamed. Perhaps this response is more psychology than current events, but the attention currently being given to NC politics would not have occurred without this tipping point. And perhaps, because of this, legislators should only instigate slow, moderate changes until they eventually become more extreme- at least, if they want the measures to persist.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I am truly saddened by and fearful of the direction our state has taken. The war between conservatives and liberals doesn't matter as much as our politicians clearly think it does. What matters is the effect of our legislature's actions on North Carolinians and our state. First of all, cutting unemployment benefits helps no one. Not only does it take money from those who desperately need it to get back up on their feet (how do you expect a person to get a job when he hasn't eaten in two days or showered in a week?), it also keeps money from being put back into N.C.'s economy. Second, fracking will only hurt us, not help us. The money it will bring in won't be enough to repair the damage its toxic chemical will cause to our fragile ecosystems or clean our limited water resources after it heavily pollutes them. Lastly, denying federal funding for the health care expansion will cause our state to go even deeper into debt. Every state still has to follow the requirements set by the new policies whether it accepts the money or not. The legislature thinks it’s taking a stand against the new policies and will keep change from coming to our state. In reality, our politicians are only making themselves look like fools and hurting their people because now we have to pay for the health care out of our own wallets. I really hope that the citizens of North Carolina realize that our state has taken a turn for the worse and decide to do something about it in the 2014 election.
ReplyDeleteI am disappointed with our state legislature and the direction they are taking North Carolina. The state legislature is attempting to boost the economy by cutting benefits to employees, allow fracking and denying medicaid expansions. I believe that these are short-sighted and our legislature is failing to see the big picture. For example cutting employee benefits actually takes an estimated four hundred eighty five millions dollars away from our economy and fracking will bring in money but has a terrible impact on our environment. I agree with Isaac N in the sense that the republicans are putting up a conservative front and in a way showing their "dominance" of the state instead of focusing on important issues. The state legislature is not looking out for the best interest of the people but just attempting to pass bills because they have the power to do so.
ReplyDelete- Connor L.
Since Republicans took over, I feel like they have been desperately passing bills to make up for the lost time. This is not always a bad thing. I think that some of the laws that are being created have good intentions. For example, the new tax and education. The new tax is supposed to cut people's income taxes and ultimately give them more money. And since people have more money then they will spend it, thus healing the economy. Also, another law with good intentions is the new education, which gives low-income families a chance to send their children to a good school.
ReplyDelete-Patrick A
Few of the conservative stances on the contested issues in North Carolina politics surprise me greatly. It only stands to reason that Republicans will try to pass lower, flatter tax codes, reduce welfare spending, make education budget cuts, and refuse to support an optional part of ObamaCare. The proposal that really astounds me is the loosening of gun restrictions. With all the elements in the proposed bill, it seems ludicrous to suggest that this has a chance of passing. Even in the eyes of a gun activist, how could this bill be considered wise? I hope that people are able to see that this is not a good change to make, no matter how conservative they are. The information given in the article about this bill paints it simply to be a loosening on all restrictions on guns across the board. Under this bill, one would no longer need to go through a sheriff to get a permit for a handgun, and the laws restricting where they can be carried will also be relaxed. While the republican agenda is certain to be advanced while its party has such dominant control of the state legislature, I want to be able to say that I trust our lawmakers in being at least somewhat moderate. I hope that our governmental structure ensures a certain level of balance, and that nothing too crippling to our state's progress will occur with such a homogeneous domination of our government in place.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Patrick A. The state of North Carolina has had mostly Democratic Governors since 1879 and I think the Republican Party has been trying to get in as many conservative bills passed into laws as possible because who knows when they might get they governorship again. They do want to Help the state get out of of the 2 Billion Dollar Debt it has gotten itself into but I think they are going the wrong way of doing this. Education cuts are no way to help the economy and it a short sighted irresponsible decision on the part of the government. and in no way does it help out the future of any part of the state except maybe labor jobs where you just need a high school diploma.
ReplyDeleteSince the election that allowed Republicans to control congress our state has become much more conservative. It was a huge win for the Republicans to control all of the genera assembly, because that was the first time they have done it in a century. The triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) is like an isolated bubble in the state. The triangle is more moderate/democratic than the rest of the state. This is where the most protest go on (Moral Monday). I have not participated in Moral Monday, but my sister is goes frequently. She tells me about the number of people that stand outside our state legislature protesting the bills and willing to get arrested for what they believe is right. I am interested to see where North Carolina goes in the next couple of years, if it continues to stay conservative or the democrats fight back to regain what was taken from them.
ReplyDeleteEli R.
I believe the direction North Carolina is going is a bad one. cutting 500,000 North Carolinian's health coverage to me shows that the state legislature does not care about the people they represent. Along the same lines having a flatter tax plan, which puts more of a tax burden on middle and lower-class people and gives a break to the rich seems like the legislature trying to please their big campaign contributors, not do what's best for the citizens of NC. Also, relaxing gun laws, given all the recent gun violence, is the worst possible thing to do right now. If anything gun laws should become more strict, certainly not less so.
ReplyDeleteNorth Carolina has made a dramatic shift from a more moderate state to a primarily conservative one. Though there are a large number of republican and conservative-party citizens in North Carolina, I don't feel that this accurately represents the opinions of North Carolina as a whole. Of course there is the Triangle Area - Durham-Raleigh, Chapel Hill-Carrboro, cary, and other surrounding towns and subarbs - this is not the only liberal area in North Carolina. There are high densities of liberals in Winton-Salem, Greensboro, Asheville, and some parts of Charlotte. I feel that the conservative party has managed to take control of the state's legislature, despite the liberal-parties's attempts to keep them from succeeding. Gerrymandering has helped the conservative efforts, and if the voting laws are put into place which require voter ID's are put into place, the conservative control over the state with continue easily, as the voter ID's will basically act as poll-taxes, keeping poor and inner-city citizens in North Carolina demotivated to vote. I feel that North Carolina as a state is going in the wrong direction completely, and that our area's, as well as other area's, liberal-party citizen's anger at the situation reflects this accurately.
ReplyDeletei feel that North Carolina is doing bad, we as a country revoke on spending and make good actions in our own hands. i do feel that Republicans are passing on bills and cutting cost by cost so that are economy can grow. i feel that its a great way but there are some tension that i feel some are bad. They do provide some good things we need to look on. But the problem is that cuts might hurt others in the long term. I do feel that the triangle from Durham, Raleigh and Chapel hill do not make up the majority of North Carolina. They are liberal and have not been taken over by republicans. although i do have to agree Bailey that Republican are taking most of North Carolina and having power to make laws worst and strict. If this keeps up than will have trouble progressing.
ReplyDeleteNorth Carolina is moving towards a much more conservative direction. The parties are becoming so opposed to compromising that we are spending more time in stalemates then doing productive work. A major piece of the population is being cut out of beneficial taxes. The tax reforms are increasing regressive taxes that burden the lower income, primarily minority population in North Carolina. At the same times progressive taxes are being lowered, which eases the burden of the higher income population. I feel that something needs to break the current path that we are on, pride on behalf of the elected officials is getting in the way of finding the best solution for the most amount of people.
ReplyDelete-Anna H.
I agree with Patrick A with the fact that the republicans are passing bills to make up for time and the poor policies of prior democratic leaders have caused 47% of american people to take and use the governments money. these benefits must be cut because North Carolina doesn't have the money to give to the unemployed. As americans we have the right to pursue happiness and with 47% of america on unemployment checks we can't fulfil our right of happiness. On the education side of things, Democrats have been in charge of the education system for 40 years and its been failing ever since. Democrats would rather save a poor public school than educate poor children. Peter S.
ReplyDeleteI hate the direction the state is taking. Because governor Purdue did such a bad job in her governorship people are afraid to vote for the democrat. The republicans have the best chance they can get to take back the state. All they have to do is not be as bad as governor Purdue was and they should be able to when the next election even if there isn't as strong of a majority. While I don't think that the state will stay as strong red I think that we will be red for quite some time in state elections. The general assembly isn't reflective of the state as a whole. However it doesn't have to be harmful as it potentially could be. While most government officials don't always listen to the public enough public pressure might change that. I don't think these rally's will make a large difference but public pressure does make officials think about twice about what they're doing.
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