NO MID-CURRITUCK BRIDGE

John Hood’s Daily Journal
Flashback: Raw Deal on Transportation
By John Hood

November 09, 2010

Following up on yesterday’s flashback of a November 2007 column on transportation policy, here’s the next in the series — taking a closer look at why North Carolina is not a net beneficiary of the federal transportation program.

RALEIGH – Fuel prices are among the most visible economic indicators to the public. Not surprisingly, people tend to get agitated when these prices are persistently high, and often translate their frustration into a broader pessimism about the economy and strong disapproval of incumbent politicians.

North Carolinians have a better reason than most to be angry. About 48 cents on every gallon of gas they buy goes to federal and state government in motor-fuels taxes. That’s higher than in most other states and all of our neighbors. And North Carolinians get one of the worst returns on their gas-tax money in the nation.

Now, I’m not saying that gasoline taxes are the most egregious taxes North Carolinians pay. As a matter of fact, they ought to remember that one reason the state gas tax is higher than average here is that our property taxes are lower than average. In most states, local governments play a larger role in road finance. And when taxes on highway users (fuel plus vehicle taxes) are truly dedicated to highway needs and spent wisely, the public can derive significant benefits in time, money, and safety.

Unfortunately, North Carolinians get an extremely raw deal for the gas taxes they pay. Let me count the ways. continue reading…

Basnight won’t seek leader post
By Reggie Ponder And William F. West
The Daily Advance
Thursday, November 4, 2010

Longtime Democratic Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight said this week that he will not seek a top Senate leadership post when the Republican-dominated Legislature reconvenes next year.

Basnight’s office also insisted Wednesday that it’s not true that the 13-term legislator plans to retire from the Senate before the new term he won on Tuesday expires in 2012.

Although Basnight, D-Dare, withstood a challenge from Beaufort Republican Hood Richardson to win a 14th term, Republicans statewide picked up 11 seats in the Senate Tuesday, flipping what had been a 30-20 Democratic majority prior to the election into a 31-19 majority for the GOP.

Because of the change in power, Basnight, who first took the gavel as president pro-tempore of the Senate in 1993, is expected to lose that post to a Republican when both the House and Senate reconvene in Raleigh in January.

Basnight spokesman Schorr Johnson said Wednesday that Basnight was pleased to be re-elected and plans to continue representing the people of the 1st District for the next two years.

“That is all he plans on doing for the next two years,” Johnson said. “He has no interest in being in any leadership position.”

Not only will Basnight not be a candidate for president pro-tem, he also will not seek the minority leader post or any other leadership position in the chamber, Johnson said. continue reading…

BY ROB CHRISTENSEN – staff writer News & Observer
Tags: news | politics | state

Phil Berger is a pickup-truck Republican, and not just because he drives a 2001 Ford.

Berger, 59, of Eden, worked his way up from a blue-collar background to become an attorney and Senate Republican leader. With the Republican takeover of the legislature on Tuesday – a 31-19 majority in the Senate – in January he will replace Democrat Marc Basnight as president pro tem of the state Senate.

His background helped shape his politics, making him one of the more conservative voices in the legislature. If he can pull himself up by his bootstraps through hard work and discipline, why can’t others, he asks.

That small-government view is also likely to influence him as he leads the Senate Republicans next year in trying to patch a gaping $3.5 billion budget shortfall through painful cuts, while looking for ways to reduce taxes to stimulate North Carolina’s lagging economy.

“It would be my hope that we would be in a position to reduce the tax burden on the people and the businesses of North Carolina because that is the way we are going to unleash the creative and growth potential of the private sector,” Berger said in an interview Wednesday, one day after Republicans captured control of the legislature. continue reading…

News & Observer
Tags: news | opinion – editorial | staff editorial

North Carolina’s Legislative Building was still standing yesterday, with the cafeteria still serving the day’s traditional fare of fried squash, the plants still flourishing, sort of, the halls still walked by staffers. The foundation seemed sturdy.

But in the new year, other kinds of changes are coming. Republicans on Tuesday scored an historic victory in winning majorities in the state House and Senate for the first time since 1898.

The once-minority party held power in the House briefly in the 1990s, but for nearly 100 of those last 102 years, Democrats have ruled, and often, so far as the GOP was concerned, ruled harshly and without regard to even the views of Republicans.

Now Republicans will occupy the House speakership, the Senate president pro tem spot and all key committee chairmanships. In addition, they’ll be in charge of redistricting, following the 2010 census, which means they will redraw lines for electoral districts and conjure in the process districts that will be advantageous to their party’s legislative and congressional candidates. Yes, just as the Democrats have done in the past.

Sen. Phil Berger of Eden, leader of that chamber’s Republicans, is likely to be the president pro tem, with great powers over what happens to legislation once it’s introduced or before. In the House, the same can be said of the speakership, likely to go to either to Rep. Paul Stam of Apex, the minority leader, or Rep. Thom Tillis of Cornelius, in Mecklenburg County. Sen. Marc Basnight of Manteo, after long service as the pro tem, and Speaker Joe Hackney of Chapel Hill will relinquish those positions early next year.

North Carolinians must hope the Republicans conduct business openly, avoiding backroom deal-making and exclusionary tactics, and not allowing the voices of special interests (that now will pour big contributions into the GOP) to diminish those of ordinary citizens. Indeed, Republicans have complained for years that Democrats kept them out of the loop and acted without regard for fairness and openness.

The budget crisis will hover over everything the legislature does this year, with a shortfall of $3 billion to $4 billion. It’s clear state government will have to make drastic cuts. But Republicans must try to protect those things that have been of historic and substantial value, notably, for example, the public university system and the community colleges. Cutting waste and doing a little belt-tightening is one thing; gutting human services programs that help people in need or risking the reputation of the university system are something else entirely.

The Republicans earned their victory and the power that comes with it. The outsiders are now insiders. Now comes the hard part, dealing with a crushing budget gap and working with a Democratic governor, Beverly Perdue, who will have budget priorities of her own. Neither the governor, a Democratic power in the legislature before her election in 2008, nor GOP leaders can afford stalemate. Most importantly, the people cannot.

Marc Basnight and Bill Owens may have retained their seats but Basnight looses Senate Pro Tem position, which means his power in N.C. politics is greatly reduced. The N.C. Senate and House have gone Republican for the first time in more than 100 years. I believe this to be a huge blow for the NCTA’s ability to fund Marc Basnight’s pet pork project, the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge, in the future. People are tired of the good ole boy politics and voted them out resoundingly. It’s time N.C. stop being the butt of political corruption jokes. It’s time N.C. put our tax dollars into transportation projects that are needed and not simply ones that would be “nice to have”. N.C. faces a 3+ billion dollar deficit, which means – fix what needs fixing FIRST before spending a billion dollars+ for a new bridge that is NOT necessary!!

By Cindy Beamon
The Daily Advance
Wednesday, November 3, 2010

CURRITUCK — With the exception of the sheriff’s race, a tsunami of anti-incumbent voting swept across Currituck County on Tuesday.

Voters swept all three Democrats on the Board of Commissioners from office, giving Republicans their first ever monopoly on the seven-member board.

Three incumbent school board members also failed to win re-election on Tuesday, as did the Clerk of Superior Court who had held the office since 1986.

The only incumbent left standing when the votes were counted was Democratic Sheriff Susan Johnson, who won a third term by garnering 4,651 votes, or 59 percent, to Republican challenger Donnie Norrell’s 3,280 votes, or 41 percent.

In the commissioner races, Republican challenger Paul Martin ousted incumbent Democrat Gene Gregory for his at-large seat; Marion Gilbert defeated Democrat Janet Taylor in the 5th District; and Republican H.M. “Butch” Petrey defeated unaffiliated candidate David Palmer in District 3.

Martin garnered 4,858 votes, or 63 percent, to Gregory’s 2,862 votes, or 37 percent. Gilbert garnered 4,451 votes, or 58 percent to Taylor’s 3,176 votes, or 42 percent. Petrey collected 4,885 votes, or 64 percent, to Palmer’s 2,659 votes, or 35 percent. continue reading…

John Hood’s Daily Journal
Piering into the Murky Depths of the Legislative Deal
By Becki Gray

October 29, 2010

This week’s “Daily Journal” guest columnist is Becki Gray, John Locke Foundation vice president for outreach.

RALEIGH — Aside from jobs, the economy, and government spending, transparency and open government have concerned voters during this election cycle. Everyone from the governor to school board candidates has promised more sunshine, more disclosure, and more restraint. But will we see it? Sometimes real disclosure hides behind half-truths and shadows. Many of us could support a government that was open, honest, and trustworthy. Unfortunately, we haven’t had it in North Carolina. The story of Jennette’s Pier is an example of legislation that is not as open as it should be. continue reading…

Senator Basnight recently sent out a mass mailing defending his support of Jeannett’s Pier and his integrity. Here is Hood’s response:

The Senator defends spending $25 million on Jennette’s Pier by saying the Aquariums have had longtime plans to build three piers. And that’s fine except for two things: Now was not the time to spend 25 million dollars anywhere for projects that could have been delayed until more people have jobs and $25 million is too much to spend on such projects in the first place. Too much spending at the wrong time. continue reading…

Advocacy
Bridge Treatment Needs a Second Look

A preliminary study of runoff coursing off the four-lane bridge between Manteo and Manns Harbor has found that improvements may be needed for treating stormwater from the state’s bridges.

At the request of the state Division of Transportation (DOT), Erin Fleckenstein, the federation’s regional coastal scientist, collected stormwater samples from the Virginia Dare Bridge from April 15 to July
15. Because of uncooperative weather — rain on nights and weekends when the local lab was closed — Fleckenstein was able to submit only a few samples for analysis. Nonetheless, the results showed that wetlands installed by the state to treat the stormwater from the bridge were unable to remove bacteria from runoff. Stormwater samples were collected directly from the bridge, as well as from an outflow from freshwater wetlands planted specifically to treat runoff. They were analyzed for fecal coliform, E. coli and Enterococcus bacteria, which are present in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. Control samples were also taken in dry weather. The results found that even the stormwater that had been channeled through the treatment wetlands exceeded state standards for water quality.
Although the sample size was small, the study points to a need for DOT to further evaluate its current methods for handling stormwater from bridges. In a report to DOT, Fleckenstein offered several treatment alternatives. “The one thing we know for sure,” she says, “is that we need to look at the problem more closely.” continue reading…