If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

The American Progress Action Fund has important information on Bush's Social Security "Reform" project. Short form - 2 Trillion dollars of extra borrowing, cut in retirement benefits and increased risk. Lovely. Here's more, but go read the whole thing:

NO PROBLEMS WITH SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THE NEXT 48 YEARS: There is a dirty little secret in Washington that the Bush administration doesn't want you to know about: Social Security is in pretty good shape. In fact, "Social Security is more financially sound today than it has been throughout most of its 69-year history." According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, without any changes at all, the Social Security program can pay all benefits through at least 2052.

TAX CUTS FOR TOP 1 PERCENT EXCEEDS COST OF FIXING SOCIAL SECURITY FOR 75 YEARS: During the next 75 years, the total shortfall for Social Security amounts to just 0.4 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Meanwhile, during that same period, President Bush's tax cuts just for the top one percent of earners (a group of people whose average income exceeds $1 million) will cost 0.6 percent of GDP. All of Bush's tax cuts will cost 2 percent of GDP during the next 75 years – or five times the projected 75-year Social Security shortfall. The current system could be made solvent for the indefinite future with adjustments in the tax code far more modest than those approved by Ronald Reagan in 1983 to protect Social Security.

PRIVATIZATION MEANS MORE MONEY WASTED ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS: Another little-known fact: Social Security is run very efficiently. In the current system, because the funds are managed together, less that 0.6 cents of every dollar paid out in Social Security benefits goes to pay administration costs. In England, which has adopted privatized accounts for its retirement system, 15 cents of every dollar paid out in benefits goes to administrative fees. Even by the Bush administration's own estimates, in a system of privatized accounts, 5 cents of every dollar would go to administrative costs, more than 8 times the amount spent on administrative costs today.

Odds

You know, I really don't want to even think about this. I've never even been to the Democratic Underground site before, and I'm not an alarmist, but things like this are getting harder and harder for me to ignore.

Books

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." —Groucho Marx

Crooked Timber, where I have been previously entertained by various book lists, posts a link to the OCLC survey of the top 1000 books owned by member libraries. Interesting, as was the list of banned books which also made the top 1000.

Nutjobs

Okay, so I wasn't there, and I don't pretend to know the whole story behind the shooting by a US Marine of an unarmed wounded insurgent in a mosque in Iraq, but putting a photo of the killing on a T-Shirt? Here's a closer look, and if anyone can make out the small print immediately beneath the image, I'd love to know what it says.

The Daou Report

One of my first stops when I scan the blogs these days is Peter Daou's all-inclusive survey, The Daou Report. Left on the left, Right on the right, Peter links to all the important voices on both sides of the debate, excerpting representative quotes with excellent editorial instincts. Whether you're interested in Atrios, Kos, or Powerline and the nutjobs in Freeperville, this site is your one-stop source. The Daou Report, now on the blogroll.

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

Pathetic

George W., acting consistently with his character, violates established protocol and tries to push past Bill Clinton at the dedication of the Clinton Presidential Library. What a sad little man he is.



Read more here.
(via onegoodmove)

I Seriously Doubt It

That's my answer to the following question: Would Indianapolis police have used a stun gun on hometown center Scot Pollard in the same situation?

Evidently He Didn't

"Fall from Grace with God," that is. Alive and (sort of) well after being given six weeks to live 25 years ago, Shane MacGowan rejoins the original lineup of The Pogues for some live shows in December, the reissue of all seven studio recordings and who knows what else. If you'd asked me in the 80's, I would have predicted that all we'd have at this point would be MacGowan's songs. Thankfully, I would have been wrong, and he's still here. Kirsty MacColl, and Joe Strummer, among others, aren't.
If I had time to dig through 600+ CD's currently scattered in two counties, I'd link to a MacGowan song. Maybe later.
AFTERTHOUGHT: Well, actually, there's a stellar version of "Dirty Old Town" hiding (as in not-on-the-liner-notes) far, far, at the end of this Bap Kennedy cut, if you're so inclined. (It's 9:57 into the cut to be exact. Move the slider on your media player forward to avoid the 7 or so minutes of dead air. If somebody can tell me how to get rid of the dead space before the hidden cut, I'd appreciate it. Rob?) And, if you can't tell who's singing with Bap, well, you probably shouldn't admit it.

Football Fatties

In an article no doubt timed to coincide with Turkey Day and John Madden's always delectable turducken, ESPN is weighing in on NFL waistlines. It seems the NFL gets fatter and fatter. And ESPN's Page 2 has some interesting statistics on the subject of weight. It turns out that generally speaking, lighter is better.

"Apparently, it's better to be light. Of the 10 heaviest teams in the NFL (using starting lineups), only the Patriots and the Ravens are among the top 10 teams in this week's ESPN Power Rankings. Each of those teams has been built around strong defenses.

On the other hand, the three lightest teams -- the Broncos, Falcons, and Colts -- are ranked 7, 4, and 5, while two other 10 lightest teams -- the Eagles and the Packers -- are also among the top 10 in the Power Rankings."

And yet I think my Cowboys need more than a diet. . .

Happy Thanksgiving from the Stinging Nettle

Image from the Norman Rockwell Museum of Vermont.

Economic `Armageddon' predicted

. . . predicted by none other than the chief economist of Morgan Stanley at meeting of fund managers according to the Boston Herald.

"His prediction: America has no better than a 10 percent chance of avoiding economic 'armageddon'.''

"In a nutshell, Roach's argument is that America's record trade deficit means the dollar will keep falling. To keep foreigners buying T-bills and prevent a resulting rise in inflation, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan will be forced to raise interest rates further and faster than he wants. The result: U.S. consumers, who are in debt up to their eyeballs, will get pounded."

Amazing statistic that you might not be aware of: the US borrows 80% of the world's savings EACH DAY. That's right, we import $2.6B daily to finance our trade deficit.

Scary stuff indeed. Somehow it's even more frightening that the ship is being steered by a "CEO President." A bit more good info on the subject here.

Here they come

I knew the whole "protection of marriage" thing was just a precursor to a more invasive morality-state. Here's a prominent Conservative academic, quoted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer (a prominent conservative paper in a Bright Blue city).

Evidently, being against gay marriage is just not enough, but:

"If those initiatives are part of a broader effort to reaffirm lifetime fidelity in marriage, they're worthwhile," he said. "If they're isolated - if we don't address cohabitation and casual divorce and deliberate childlessness - then I think they're futile and will be brushed aside."

Deliberate childlessness? What are they going to do, look for twenty-something women who have not yet reproduced and artificially inseminate them against their will? Surely Doctor Coburn, the new Senator from Oklahoma, would object to that, since he made a practice of sterilizing young women against their will.

I've decided to throw my lot in with our new overlords. There should definitely be closed-circuit cameras in everyone's bedroom, to make sure that only missionary-position heterosexual married procreative sex is taking place. I get to monitor Eva Longoria.

More "Values" Hypocrisy

This article from yesterday's New York Times on entertainment and television preferences in Red v. Blue states provides some empirical verification for the "values" hypocrisy that many bloggers have been venting about since the election.
Digby adds appropriate commentary.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Digby, a great writer who thankfully now posts fairly regularly, has recently written some insightful essays regarding the tribal divisions that polarize our electorate. One of his more recent entries points out to those "limousine liberals" among us that what now passes for "country" music doesn't seem to embody the values that allegedly sent its conservative fans to the polls to elect Mr. Bush. No offense, Digby, but no shit. It's no secret that the right doesn't really give a damn about whether or not heterosexuals value marriage; no, the "values" voters are only concerned with keepin' them faggots in line.

Likewise, it's no secret that the right really doesn't give a damn about heterosexual mores or pornography. Witness Fox News' Bill O'Reilly's obsession with porn, sex and particularly oral sex. Observe, as does Digby, that plenty of red state denizens get divorced, commit serial matrimony, watch "Desperate Housewives" and download pornography.

In fact, not only does the right accept an increasingly sexually explicit media and entertainment industry, they use sex to get their political message across. And it's not just the fact that O'Reilly's more-than-occasional sexual storylines keep viewers hooked long enough to hear it's politics. No, Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch now has political statements coming directly from. . . Page 3 Girls.

Yep, in what conservatives must feel is the literal interpretation of Psalm 8:2, the world famous topless models from page 3 of The Sun, a Murdoch publication, now spout rightwing political blather in "interviews" acompanying their photos. Frankly, I'm not surprised. Just like I wasn't surprised when George W. Bush snubbed the respectable British newspapers in order to give an interview to the Sun in 2003. Yeah, the same George W. Bush that gave us "Protection From Pornography Week", decided to give an exclusive interview to a tabloid that prominently features pictures of topless models.

Values, my ass. Or maybe some Page 3 girl's ass.
(Yeah, there are links, but you'll have to find those yourself.)

November 22

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

* * *

I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, in human liberty as the source of national action, in the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas. It is, I believe, the faith in our fellow citizens as individuals and as people that lies at the heart of the liberal faith. For liberalism is not so much a party creed or set of fixed platform promises as it is an attitude of mind and heart, a faith in man's ability through the experiences of his reason and judgment to increase for himself and his fellow men the amount of justice and freedom and brotherhood which all human life deserves.

* * *

Our responsibility is not discharged by announcement of virtuous ends. Our responsibility is to achieve these objectives with social invention, with political skill, and executive vigor. I believe for these reasons that liberalism is our best and only hope in the world today. For the liberal society is a free society, and it is at the same time and for that reason a strong society. Its strength is drawn from the will of free people committed to great ends and peacefully striving to meet them. Only liberalism, in short, can repair our national power, restore our national purpose, and liberate our national energies.


John F. Kennedy, Acceptance of the NY Liberal Party Nomination - September 14, 1960

Brand Democrat

Allow me to be the umpteenth blogger to jump on the bandwagon and point out that Oliver Willis may be on to something with his Brand Democrat idea. Check out the rest of his ideas. Then ask him why his brainstorm had to occur after the election.

Hit it, Howard...

YYYEEEEEAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!


Davidson Wildcats 84 - Missouri Tigers 81


AP Photo.


Facing Jason Conley, Missouri's guard who transferred from VMI, and who used to light up the Wildcats with regularity, the Cats decided to bomb away from three point land. And here were the results:

Davidson shot 70 percent from the field in the second half, 60 percent for the game. The Wildcats didn't miss but one two-point attempt in the final 20 minutes. Davidson nailed 10-of-18 (.556) from long range.

But it was no fluke:

The Wildcats, who held a +5.1 rebounding margin in the Southern Conference last year, once again showed their rebounding prowess, holding a 36-26 advantage on the boards. Senior forward Logan Kosmalski led all players with eight rebounds.

Davidson held an eight-point advantage at the half, 35-27, led by McKillop's 14 points. The 'Cats held Mizzou to only two field goals over the final nine minutes of the first half.

Bring on Duke.

Welcome . . .

Rob Schumacher to the Blogroll. He's created a unique site, and adding him is the least I can do after I shamelessly stole some of his source code for another blog I play around on.
Check him out.

It Ain't That Simple

Yeah, the country's polarized, and everybody's got their own favorite dichotomy: Red v. Blue, conservative v. liberal, faith-based v. reality-based, north v. south, urban v. rural, it goes on and on, ad nauseum. But, things are just a little more complicated than that, and regardless of your preferred characterization, they all pretty much fall apart under a little scrutiny. Take Georgia, which is a very red state, the capital of which, Atlanta, is decidedly blue. California is azure on the political map, but only as a result of a small geographical area; large portions of the state are as red as Kansas.

And as for the South, . . well, since I've lived my life in the south, and since I've got the Drive-By Truckers cranked up on the headphones, and since just about every blog of either political persuasion has mentioned or linked to www.fuckthesouth.com, allow me to point out that the regional and cultural generalizations presented there are greatly oversimplified. I could preach that sermon for days, but Patterson Hood beat me to it. So shut up and listen.

Hmmmm.....

Fourteenth Amendment:

Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one eighteen years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one eighteen years of age in such state.

Anyone try to enforce this one yet?

Read this book

MyDD is having a weekly book club on its comments. I'm not willing to go that far, but I do recommend that you read Stealing Jesus, a book by Bruce Bawer, which explores the roots, causes and continued effects of Christian fundamentalism. Shoveldog got me to read this book a few years ago, and it is still on the list of books I go back to. It is superb - not as thoroughly footnoted and documented as one of Bishop Spong's books, but it has the benefit of not having all the baggage that Spong carries with him. It is hard to read Spong's first few brilliant books, such as Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism , without realizing that Spong fearlessly pursued his ideas where they took him, even if they occasionally took him over the edge; to the point that many people on the other side of the debate will now just dismiss Spong out of hand. In doing so they ignore his irrefutable critiques of the contradictions at the heart of much fundamentalist religion.

Bawer makes many of the same points, but they come from a different place. Bawer is not the iconoclast within the Church heierarchy whose ideas threaten to bring the whole Church down. Instead, Bawer treats this subject as a journalist would, but from the perspective of a devout Christian who is struggling with the meaning of his church and his religion - complicated enormously by the fact that he happens to be gay.

Bawer wrote his book in 1997, and presaged "What's the Matter With Kansas?" in his portrait of storefront Christian churches and the Praise-music trend among Evangelicals. He does not delve into the political ramifications of the theological struggle between what he terms the Church of Law and the Church of Love. But the relevance of his thoughts to our current political climate is obvious. Here's Bawer in a 1997 interview, linked above:

"Whether it's Protestant, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu, fundamentalism is a modern phenomen[on], a reaction to modern change, science, liberalism and complexities. People are scared, threatened, angry and frustrated. They want certainty, they want faith handed to them at the door, all packaged and tidy. They want it to be black and white, they are disturbed by the greys. They don't want to have to use their minds to look at the world and figure out for themselves exactly how they feel about things. Fundamentalism puts together a specific set of doctrines and says 'this is the truth, anything that deviates by the slightest iota is wrong and leads you to perdition.'"

It should be noted that Bawer's recent writings on the growth and influence of Islamic fundamentalism in Holland take the point of view that an open and tolerant Western society cannot be open and tolerant with a fascistic ideology that threatens the very bases of Western culture. His poignant writing about the struggles of the Dutch to preserve their culture and their openness yet protect themselves is extremely affecting.

How do you excise those who wish to destroy your culture without destroying it yourself? This is not a question that pertains only to Muslim fundamentalists, but to any ideology that would use our culture and our government in order to overthrow it. In considering these questions, there must be a distinction drawn between Islamofascists and Muslims - a distinction those in Holland who are currently burning Mosques to retaliate for the murder of Theo Van Gogh fail to make. Bawer carefully draws the distinction in Stealing Jesus between the teachings of Christ, the followers of Christ, and Christian Fundamentalism. He appears to view fundamentalism as an enemy within. I'll let you judge whether he has a point.

In any event, read the book.

Howard Coble is embarrassed

Question to office of Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC6): "Did Howard Coble vote in the Republican Caucus meeting to allow persons under felony indictment to continue to serve in leadership positions?"

Response: "The Caucus voted by voice vote."

Follow up question: "Does the Congressman remember how he voted?"

Response: "You have your response."

Question: "Is he embarrassed of his vote?"

Response: "The Caucus voted by voice vote. That is the response."

We need to hit them with this. It has legs.

Suckers...

Y'all ever seen a movie where the hero is led through a tough spot by a guy he trusts to be his guide, and then, just when you think the hero gets out of the tough spot, the guide turns around, pulls a gun and points it at the hero?

Yeah, well, this is kind of like that. And some of us were in the back of the theater yelling our butts off not to trust the bastard, but you just didn't listen. So, you know, have fun. Hope you've got a little deus ex machina to help you out, cause you're screwed. From The Washington Post today:

Bush Plans Tax Code Overhaul
Changes Would Favor Investment, Growth

But before the tax panel is even named, administration officials have begun dialing back expectations that they will move to scrap the current graduated income tax for another system.

Instead the administration plans to push major amendments that would shield interest, dividends and capitals gains from taxation, expand tax breaks for business investment and take other steps intended to simplify the system and encourage economic growth, according to several people who are advising the White House or are familiar with the deliberations.

The changes are meant to be revenue-neutral. To pay for them, the administration is considering eliminating the deduction of state and local taxes on federal income tax returns and scrapping the business tax deduction for employer-provided health insurance, the advisers said.

Did you catch that? Interest, dividends, and capital gains. Untaxed. Your health benefits and property taxes? Oh yeah, you're paying it all yourself. No more freeloading for you, buddy boy.

Make no mistake, this is reverse redistribution of wealth. They're cutting the benefits that help primarily the middle class and poor and they are taking investment wealth right off the table. Wealth vs. work. Just like Senator Edwards said they would do.

And you can bet your sweet patoot that the next cut will be paid for by your mortgage deduction. Just how many people do you think our friends at Wal-Mart will throw off their already over-expensive health care benefits if the company doesn't get its tax break anymore? How many small businesses will be willing to just eat the premiums so their employees can have health insurance?

If this passes, there will be 90-100 million uninsured, easy, within 2 years.

[Enter Winston & Jamz, stage right, clutching Adam Smith's invisible hand]

Jamz: Fear not, oh Doctor. Forsooth. My Lord shall deliver Accounts of Health Care Saving.
Winston: Though wealth is required, wealth shall be rewarded with health. Good Day.

[EXEUNT Winston & Jamz]

Me, i've decided to adopt the conservative ethos. I don't care. I can afford health care savings accounts, so long as my health needs are limited to an occasional cold, I'll be fine. I can spare 15% of my income for an account like that. If you make under $35,000 a year - too bad. Don't be so lazy.

Plus, I have enough socked away to pay my mortgage without a tax deduction for a few years, until enough of you people who voted for this because, well, "he seems like such a Christian fellow," wake up and smell what the Boss is cooking -- 'cause it's YOU.

It's the Cities, Stupid.

This is long. Read it anyway.

Great writing, provocative ideas.

(Thanks to Apostropher, who must scour the entire internet every day to constantly come up with great stuff like this, day in and day out.)

North Carolina needs a Senator

Dear Editor:

While our Senator has been out pursuing national political goals, North Carolina has been desperate for representation in Washington. Jesse Helmsm cared about North Carolina. This Senator doesn't. We need a Senator who will care for the home folks.

Signed,

Wingnut.

Moral values

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the hysterical overreaction to this clip on Monday Night Football (Nicolette Sheridan dropping the towel and jumping on TO) would be less hysterical if it were, oh I don't know, David Akers who gave her the lecherous up and down look that TO does?

RFK - April 4, 1968

When you think that things can't get more bleak, put yourself in the shoes of Robert F. Kennedy, who faced a predominately black audience in a park in Indianapolis on the night of MLK's death. The audience had not been told, and Kennedy was told on his way to the back of the truck from which he was scheduled to give a campaign speech. His extemporaneous words should give hope to us now in another dark time.

April 4, 1968, Indianapolis, Indiana

I have bad news for you, for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world, and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and killed tonight.

[gasps and screams from the audience]

Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice for his fellow human beings, and he died because of that effort.

In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it is perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in. For those of you who are black -- considering the evidence their evidently is that there were white people who were responsible -- you can be filled with bitterness, with hatred, and a desire for revenge. We can move in that direction as a country, in great polarization -- black people amongst black, white people amongst white, filled with hatred toward one another.

Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand and to comprehend, and to replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand with compassion and love.

For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and distrust at the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I can only say that I feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man. But we have to make an effort in the United States, we have to make an effort to understand, to go beyond these rather difficult times.

My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He wrote: "In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God."

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black.

So I shall ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King, that's true, but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love -- a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke.

We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times; we've had difficult times in the past; we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; it is not the end of disorder.

But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings who abide in our land.

Let us dedicate to ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.

Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.

Don't Hate Us, We Tried.

Last election-related post for a while. If you haven't checked out the sorryeverybody.com site, you should. There are 425+ galleries of ordinary people who are truly sorry to inflict four more years of Bush on the rest of the globe. Here's a direct link to Gallery 3, but click randomly, they're all good.

Atlantis

Fascinating, if it's true. No "tangible proof," but "irrefutable" circumstantial evidence. We'll see.

Questions Republicans don't ask...

Keith Olbermann, who is rapidly becoming my favorite journalist:

Oh and by the way: how come the “Kerry’s winning” part of the election night exit polling is presumed to have been wrong, or tampered with, but the “Moral Values” part of the same polling is graded flawless, and marks the dawn of a new American century?

Paging Reverend Falwell

Okay, Jerry, if you think Boobah and the Teletubbies are bad, watch this clip from "Rainbow." Apparently, this innuendo-laden episode actually aired and was seen by millions of children. Funniest thing I've seen in awhile, actually. It takes a minute or two to load, but it's well worth the wait.

(Thanks to Tristero, who provided the link as his swansong. We'll miss you, dude.)

Moving Right vs. . . What, Exactly?

I admit that I'm fascinated by the debate over whether the Democrats should soften their stance on some social issues in an effort to win over culturally conservative voters who might otherwise lean Democratic. I've previously linked to Apostropher's thoughts on the subject, as well as his vigorous debate with The Poor Man. At The American Prospect, Michael Tomasky does a good job of identifying the various schools of thought, and Digby devotes several thoughtful posts to the subject here, here, and here. All are well worth reading, and I think Digby's on to something when he analyzes the current cultural divide as a type of "tribal" phenomenon.

What's missing from the commenters who insist a move to the right won't work, are persuasive arguments as to what will work.

While we're at it...

let's not forget about REAL college basketball. Not the semi-pros playing at the Big Four Universities (as fun as they are to root for), but these guys,

And these guys.

And don't forget, these guys.

As for the Davidson Wildcats - they're picked 12th in the country among mid-majors by collegeinsider.com, and Junior forward Brendan Winters is picked to the mid-major pre-season All-America team and the All SoCon team. Hoo-ah. They're picked to win the South Division of the Southern Conference, again. And check out this schedule. Not exactly easy:

Nov. 6 St. Francis/Xavier (exh.)
Nov. 19 at Missouri
Nov. 22 Duke (ESPN2) in Charlotte
Nov. 24 Univ. of Maine-Farmington
Nov. 27 at St. Joseph's
Nov. 30 Georgetown
Dec. 4 at Georgia Southern
Dec. 8 Charlotte
Dec. 11 Brandeis
Dec. 17 Univ. of the South
Dec. 19 at Massachusetts
Dec. 29 Seton Hall
Jan. 2 at Princeton
Jan. 5 Furman*
Jan. 8 at Elon*
Jan. 11 Appalachian State*
Jan. 15 College of Charleston*
Jan. 19 at Western Carolina*
Jan. 22 at Furman*
Jan. 26 East Tennessee State*
Jan. 29 The Citadel*
Jan. 31 Chattanooga*
Feb. 5 at UNC Greensboro*
Feb. 7 at Wofford*
Feb. 12 Georgia Southern*
Feb. 14 at College of Charleston*
Feb. 22 at The Citadel*
Feb. 26 Wofford*

Long live real college basketball. And notice UNC is once again scared to put their rep on the line and play us. Matt Doherty gave us a shot. I guess Roy's a big ole wimp.

Like Mama said...

I have nothing to say.

Veterans Day, 2004

To those who have served our country in uniform, and to the families of those who have fallen, thank you. You are not appreciated enough, and you deserve more than you have gotten from this society and this government.

This means you, Pop.

Jerry Falwell contacts his minions...

MEMORANDUM

To: Faith and Values Coalition
From: Rev. Jerry Falwell
Date: November 11, 2004
Re: New threats

Praise be to God for his divine grace in reelecting our great President George W. Bush. Truly the Lord is at work in this man. How else can you explain his re-election? We can all be grateful that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has provided us with the moral example of George W. Bush to guide our Nation through challenging times, and to preserve the tax exempt status of my business empire.

I come to you today with exciting news! We are forming a team of believers, the Faith and Values Coalition, to fight Godless heathens and the forces of darkness in our society. Controlling as we do only the Congress, the White House and the Courts, Christian conservatives are at greater risk today from the impact of the liberal agenda than they have ever been! We can change that!

All is possible in the Lord! Remember that Reverend Robinson and I saved the PTL Club from self immolation. Remember that we turned the hurricanes away from Virginia and into that nest of demons in North Carolina.

Most importantly, we exposed Tinky-Winky as the vanguard of the Gay agenda. Now, my friends, we face an even graver threat. Yes, my friends, I speak of BooBah.



The evil, godless, British homosexuals who created the Teletubbies in order to push our children closer to a world where homosexuality is an approved lifestyle choice, and where witches and lesbians encourage muslims to fly planes into buildings, have now gone a step further, and have represented, in a form beloved by three year olds, but easily recognizable to any Godly person who has studied the issue, the most evil force in the universe.

Satan himself. Also known as Clinton's penis. I mean look at these things!

God requires that we be circumcised - these "characters" are clearly wearing their satanic foreskin around their bulbous little heads. Could anything be more revolting?

I call on you, my friends, to contact PBS and tell them you oppose the airing of these uncircumcised dancing scrotal creatures. The future of our agenda, and our society, requires that we remove this last vestige of Clintonism from our children's eyes.

God Bless America.

-Rev. Falwell

Felber

Adam Felber hosts the "Predict Headlines from Bush's Second Term Game." Two of Felber's own contributions:

HIGH COURT RULES LIFE BEGINS ON "THIRD DATE"
Prodded by the Bush's administration's repeated citing of the dictionary definition of conception as "The act of forming a general idea or notion," the Supreme Court today...

BUSH TO RUN FOR 3RD TERM, SLAMS DEMOCRAT JESUS
His Second Coming seemed promising at first, but today the Bush campaign lashed out at Mr. Christ, branding him as "out of touch with mainstream Christian values." Polls show an increasing number of voters feel that Christ is soft on defense, and it seems that the ads from "Last Supper Diners for Truth" have done some real damage...

Heh, heh.

Dear Miami and Virginia Tech

You were supposed to come into the ACC and show us all about big time college football, right? Yeah, well, that didn't exactly happen, since there is better football being played in Winston-Salem than in Blacksburg these days, and the mighty Hurricanes are nursing a two game losing streak in the middle of conference play. (See, those annual games against ECU and Tulane really DID help you win national championships, didn't they?)

Well, the time to put aside those childish things has come. The real sport has arrived. Welcome to the ACC.

Sit back and take notes, and don't expect a winning season any time soon:

AP PRESEASON COLLEGE BASKETBALL POLL

2. Wake Forest (22)
3. Georgia Tech (10)
4. North Carolina (10)
11. Duke
15. Maryland
19. N.C. State

And oh yeah, by the way,

GO DEACS!!!!
[heh, heh, heh - SZ] [back at ya - DFL]

Hey, ho, way to go, Ohio...

Call me crazy, but is it too much to ask for an explanation of these numbers from Cuyahoga County, Ohio?


REGISTERED VOTERS - OAKWOOD VIL 2746
BALLOTS CAST OAKWOOD VIL 7099

REGISTERED VOTERS - MORELAND HILLS VIL 2990
BALLOTS CAST MORELAND HILLS VIL 4616

REGISTERED VOTERS - MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS 12713
BALLOTS CAST - MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS 14854

These numbers are available at the official website of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

Update Probable explanation can be found in the comments here.

Take a look a little further down, and notice that the numbers on the initiatives
which were on the ballot in Moreland Heights Village are in line with reality:

ISSUE #55 - MORELAND HILLS VIL PRO'D RESOLUTION Vote for 1 (With 6 of 6 precincts counted) YES 1011 50.32% NO 998 49.68%

ISSUE #56 - MORELAND HILLS VIL PRO'D RESOLUTION Vote for 1 (With 6 of 6 precincts counted) YES 1230 63.01% NO 722 36.99%

ISSUE #57 - MORELAND HILLS VIL PRO'D CHARTER AMENDMENT Vote for 1 (With 6 of 6 precincts counted) YES 1114 56.29% NO 865 43.71%

Isn't that interesting? The numbers on these separately tabulated community specific questions show a fairly believable 2009, 1952 and 1979 votes, while the "total votes cast" shows 4616 votes in a 2990 voter community. Hmmmm. The same holds true for Oakwood, where 1667 votes were cast on Issue #62 (it failed) but 7099 total votes were cast in the precinct. Double hmmmmm.

More interesting results are tabulated at this site, which does the math, and determines that there are 30 areas in Cuyahoga County where tabulated votes cast exceed 100% of registered voters. 97,489 votes were cast over 100% in those areas. Now, perhaps there is something completely explainable about this. Maybe it's an anomaly which can be explained by the definition of precinct or ward or whatever. Maybe the numbers are not meant to be compared.

I don't know.

I don't even care who these alleged extra votes were cast for. Chances are, in Cuyahoga County, home of Congressman Kucinich, if these were actual votes cast, they probably went for Kerry. If so, I still want to get to the bottom of it.

But if they took Bush from an 80-20 blowout in Cleveland to an only marginally more respectable, but perhaps election-saving 66-33, then I will be REALLY curious as to what happened in other Ohio counties. Like Mercer, a Republican stronghold, where the election officials declared an emergency under Homeland Security regulations and kept all media and observers away from the count.

The only person covering this in the SCLM is Keith Olbermann on Countdown, and on his Bloggerman page on MSNBC.com. Olbermann is covering it hard, spending 17 minutes tonight on this subject, and promising to keep doing it, noting "Senator Kerry, kindly don't leave the country."

Meanwhile, I know that in past hard times, Elizabeth Edwards has gone to the Internet seeking community and solace. She has even posted here in a comment thread during the primaries (for which I was flattered beyond belief.) But if this is really Elizabeth Edwards posting on DU, then I can't wait to hear more about it:

"And as for voter fraud, we are still piecing together the same stuff you
are piecing together."

"Love this "rejoin your unit at the
front" post because it says it all:
there is a front in this war, and you
can absolutely count on the fact that John
and I will be there."

Just some interesting issues. No tin foil hat. No hopes up. I just want to know who the phantom voters of Moreland Hills are. Don't you?

Fear Factor

I've been waiting for this clip to show up on Lisa Rein's site. It's a 9mb Quicktime clip from the 11/03 episode of the Daily Show (right-click and download and left-click to open). It's funny as hell, and cleverly makes an interesting point that I haven't heard made elsewhere. The Stewart/Colbert portion is about 1:40 in, but by all means watch the interview with Ed Helms too. . .

Bush voters cited moral values (code for homosexuality) and terrorism as the most important issues informing their decision. And yet voters in the places that are the most likely to encounter terrorism and homosexuality overwhelmingly voted for John Kerry. On behalf of the Blue States, Stephen Colbert kindly thanked the Red States for "saving us from ourselves."

In addition, it seems citizens of Blue States are also more likely to pay more in federal taxes than they receive in federal spending and more likely to have a higher IQ.

Alas, our nation is a republic. . . and I live in a Red State.

Phelps County

"Every 10 years the US Census Bureau has a bit of harmless fun and calculates the demographic centre of America's shifting population. It is an imaginary spot on the map where America would balance perfectly if placed on a pivot. The spot is moving south and west by several miles a year: straight into the Republican heartland.

With the re-election of President George W. Bush the political map of America has now finally caught up with its population map. The last census in 2000 put America's centre in Phelps County, Missouri. Last week Phelps County voted for Bush by a margin of 63 per cent to 36 per cent for Kerry." - via The Guardian, 11/07/04

Mobilization, organization and framing were all issues for the Democrats in 2004, but the political reality was, and is, Phelps County. As this Guardian article points out, the battle within the Democratic party is just beginning. And while the Guardian thinks Karl Rove is a "genius" for understanding the value of motivating the religious right, that strategy should have been readily apparent to anyone paying even minimal attention to demographics in this country. I respect those Democrats who feel passionately that any compromise on social issues is inherently wrong, but they should understand clearly the strong probablility that such a stance all but guarantees them minority party status.

So your urban county county went for Kerry? Great. So did the county in which I work, by a slim margin. But the rural county in which I live went for Bush 3 to 1. Take a principled stance. I respect that. But look at the map. A national map. By 2008, the country's imaginary center will likely be smack in the middle of Kansas. How much do you think "framing" is going to help in a state that tried to legislatively endorse creationism?

No Surrender

Paul Krugman makes the case against moving to the right, arguing that attempting to "close the cultural gap" is simply "catering to intolerance," while Apostropher points out that, with this administration, it's sometimes difficult to tell the "bait" from the "switch."

I suppose that, to some extent, my feelings about what this election means in terms of an ideological shift, and what, if anything, the Democrats should do differently, will depend on how Mr. Bush interprets and acts on the "political capital" he claims to have earned. I have often argued that significant portions of Bush's domestic and foreign policies stem from his fundamentalist Christian ideology, yet I also see evidence of his exploitation of the religious right for the benefit of big business and other special interests. As Apostropher notes, evangelicals may be "sick of waiting" for the payoff for their support, but it's not as if they will vote Democratic in protest if Roe v. Wade isn't promptly overturned.

And, while I agree with Tom Schaller's notion that, in a sane world, Democrats should benefit by framing 2004 as a triumph for the religious right, there is still the danger that he and others are wrong when they claim that the role of religious conservatives in this election has been exaggerated. How will such a strategy play out if, as Eric Alterman seems to believe, there are simply more of "them" than "us"?

Frankly, while I never expected Kerry to win, I need some time to digest the results of this election. And while there are any number of suggestions as to the proper course for the party at this point, I'm gratified that the Democrats seem to be every bit as energized as they were before the election. No surrender.

Moving Right

On November 3, 2004, almost exactly one-half of the liberal blogosphere woke up with the same thought: the Democratic Party must move to the right. That same morning, the other one-half of liberal bloggers woke up and decided that such a notion was treasonous, and that each and every one of its proponents should go directly to Hell. Hence, we have posts like this, responses like this, and the ensuing comment chains. In fact, DrFrankLives and I engaged in an abbrieviated, much less entertaining version of this argument/discussion by e-mail within hours of the election, even before Kerry's concession.

Although I argued in favor of such a move, my approach was somewhat different from The Poor Man, who advocates a rightward shift to "peel off" a few votes from an otherwise unreachable demographic. I feel the Democratic Party, like any party, needs to periodically re-evaluate its platform, not necessarily from the perspective of reaching out to new voters, but from the perspective of determining whether the current platform accurately reflects the views of those already in the Party. Any political party comprises all its members, not just the party leaders, policy makers and candidates, and I would speculate that a survey of voters who style themselves as Democrats would prove that this country's recent shift to the right has not been limited to the Republican Party.

That having been said, there is certainly room for debate as to whether compromise on particular social issues is appropriate, advisable, or even ethical. As DrFrankLives pointed out to me, the Democrats could hardly have considered wavering in their support of the Civil Rights Act during the 1968 election, despite the fact that supporting the Act cost the party the South for the forseeable future. Still, as Bill Clinton proved, there is certainly a time and place for political compromise tailored to achieve a particular goal. If it takes relaxing a specific social plank of the current platform to elect an administration that will preserve the environment, responsibly address healthcare issues, and restore our respect in the international community, and the change reflected the views of the majority of the party, I don't believe we should dismiss the idea out of hand simply because it would be perceived as "moving right."

Moral Values and Political Capital

Jonathan Chait correctly points out that those rural "Christians," motivated to vote by the specter of gay marriage might not see God's Chosen Leader spending his "political capital" as they would have hoped. For all Bush's talk of a "mandate," he's already back to the traditional GOP "bait and switch."

If you listened to yesterday's press conference, as I did, you probably noticed that the agenda for which Mr. Bush claims a mandate is not exactly the "moral" agenda that apparently secured his election. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think that "evangelicals" are all that concerned about privatizing Social Security and working toward a flat tax. In fact, allegations by the Kerry campaign regarding the privatization issue were called "false and baseless" by a Bush spokesman just weeks prior to the election. How long will conservative "Christians" allow this man to play them for a fool?

U.S. poised to deploy weapons system despite few real tests

It was just a matter of time - say hello to faith-based national defense:

"Test launches of the system's interceptor missiles occasionally blast off from a man-made hilltop several hundred yards from the Safeguard radar. There have not been any, however, since a failed attempt in December 2002. The next test is not scheduled until late November at the earliest.

In fact, the United States is poised to activate one of the most complex weapons systems ever built after only eight attempts to intercept a missile, three of which were failures. In comparison, the mothballed Safeguard defense was declared operational after 70 intercept attempts, which included 58 successes."

Elizabeth Edwards / Canada 2.0 / Orcinus

Odds and sods. . .

(1) Not A Dollar Short suggests some new borders (Canada 2.0):



(2) David Neiwert has been phenomenal in his post-election commentary. Read him today.

And finally, Elizabeth Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer yesterday. The Stinging Nettle extends our most heartfelt wishes to her for a speedy recovery. How to help.

Ouch

I was going to write something eloquent. I don't have it in me.

I'm going camping with my son.

See you guys next week.

What to do next.

Some good ideas from Ru via a comment at Apostropher.

The Morning After

I find myself surprised – frankly, shocked - and extraordinarily disappointed in what transpired yesterday. I remain deeply concerned about the future of this great nation and fear that we are continuing on a path from which there will be no easy return.

And yet, even as the liberal-minded among us grudgingly concede defeat in this battle, we must recognize that the war for the future of America has not yet been lost.

We must put aside our disappointment and regain the motivation and enthusiasm that drove so many of us over the past four years. Much of America, whether due to fear, ignorance or a combination of the two, is not yet ready for change. I understand that a substantial portion of this country likes George Bush and believes his message. But I emphatically do not believe that most of those Americans understand the truth about the President’s policies and the likely impact of those policies on their lives.

Liberals must learn to more effectively communicate our message to Americans – especially those in the South and the Heartland of our country. We must hold the mass media accountable for holding our government accountable. We must fight through the fog of deception and spin and find new ways to help people understand the truth. We must be better organized. We must adapt to this new faith-based reality.

Though I hope and pray that America is a better place four years from now, I have no confidence that it will be. I expect more of the same and far worse. The divisions in this country most certainly will not be healed by George Bush, now backed by a more strongly Republican Congress and (soon) Supreme Court. And yet how can our nation evolve in this interdependent world without some unity?

Consider the issues at stake and play out George Bush’s policies to their inevitable conclusion. Do Americans want to live in a perpetual state of fear and war? Do Americans want to be isolated in the world? Do Americans want corporations to have more and more power over their lives? Do Americans want to compromise our hard-won social safety nets and break the bank in the name of tax cuts for the wealthy? Do Americans want to sacrifice our health and environment in the name of corporate profit? Do Americans want fewer civil rights?

And so we who can see a different path despair. But to borrow a phrase from George Eliot, “what we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.” Hope. It’s always on the horizon.

Now go read Eric Alterman for a far more adept attempt to make sense of Black Tuesday.

Finally, I wish to offer my congratulations to our Republican friends (and sometimes, enemies). You’re confidence was well-placed and you should enjoy your victory. We at the Stinging Nettle look forward to continuing to disagree with most everything you think and say. Just remember who owns the consequences of four more years of George W. Bush. . . we will.

Ballentine Concedes

Dana Cope... call your office.


In other news, not looking to good for Alan. Crap.

Young voters come out

NBC News just announced that 1 in 7 North Carolina voters polled was under 25, and they are breaking 60% for Kerry.

Tight race, folks.

Promising data from Kos

"Ohio - African American precincts are performing at 106% what we expected, based on historical numbers. Hispanic precincts are at 144% what we expected. Precincts that went for Gore are turning out 8% higher then those that went Bush in 2000. Democratic base precincts are performing 15% higher than GOP base precincts.

Florida - Dem base precincts are performing 14% better than Bush base precincts. In precincts that went for Gore, they are doing 6% better than those that went for Bush. African American precincts at 109%, Hispanic precincts at 106%.

Pennsylvania - African American precincts at 102% of expectations, Hispanics at 136% of expectations. The Gore precincts are doing 4 percent better than bush precincts.

Michigan - Democratic base precincts are 8% better than GOP base states. Gore precincts are 5% better than Bush."

Yes, it's still very early. . .

07-07 Report

The ScotchZombies have voted. Good-sized crowds in the early AM (Mrs. Zombie was gone about an hour), while Scotch was in and out in 20 minutes at 10AM. No sign of voter fraud - just regular Americans exercising their rights.

Voter Intimidation comes to Raleigh

From our own dear friend Winston:

B296 K242. Unless your fraud works better, which is the only explanation of the DNC's outsourcing of GOTV. I'll be watching for it in my precinct - all day long.

Great Winston. You do that. And what, pray tell will you be looking for? Disney names? Dark skinned people voting? Hispanics? Lord knows they shouldn't be voting, and if they do - VOTER FRAUD!?

Students? Yes, they shouldn't vote.

Do you sense the panic boys and girls? The only way they can win is by keeping people from voting and gumming up the works. ON EDIT - Because Winston's brother Martin assures me Winston's comment was made in jest, I have removed the more incedniary portion of this post. And I apologize for going overboard.

But so help me, if stories I have already heard from majority black precincts in Raleigh are true, the Republican Party will deserve any insult that can be thrown its way.

Kerry 311 - Bush 227

Huge knock on wood.

My prediction, based upon nothing more than the fact that I can't concentrate on anything other than polls right now, is that Kerry will sweep the big three plus New Hampshire, and hold the Gore states. Yes, I am predicting my best hopes. That is fitting, since I voted based on my best hopes, not my worst fears.

I think the People will do the same. Who wants to be scared for another four years by people intent on manipulating us? It's time for competence. It's time for hope.

The pitcher's arm is gone, and no matter how well the People think he pitched in the second inning, he's getting shelled right now. Bring in The Closer.

Let's hope the President enjoys retirement.

Stinging Nettle Voter Guide Cheat Sheet

We had meant to get to the other races in more detail, but we haven't had time. So here, in all its glory, is the Stinging Nettle Voting Guide Cheat Sheet.

Yes, you might as well pull straight ticket Democratic. In most races, the Democrat offers clear advantages over the Republican. The few exceptions, where good Republicans are running, include District 34, where our choice Grier Martin is trying to unseat competent Republican Don Munford, and District Court 10, where our choice Doug Brown faces Jennifer Knox, who might be good if she weren't explicitly running as Jesse Helms's grandaughter.

In the Council of State, the Republican Party, with the sole exception of Troxler for Agriculture, has once again put up a slate devoid of real political or governmental talent. As long as the Republicans keep running bad candidates, the Dems will maintain their hold on the Council of State. One good thing, the Democrats have a hell of a candidate for Labor Commissioner in State Representative Wayne Goodwin. It's time for a new name in North Carolina's elevators.

Why, you may ask, do we only endorse Democrats? Well, in addition to the vast differences in competence between the party candidates, because a vote for a Republican in this election is a vote for Tom Delay, George Bush, and the reactionaries in the State House. The less support those forces receive this time, the better. When their poison is driven out of the system by the shock of the defeat that is coming their way, then we can talk about splitting our ticket.

Until then. Vote for President, then your judges, then your amendments and referenda, and then go back to the top and vote Straight D. Now lets go win.

-DFL , SZ & SD


FEDERAL RACES

For President and Vice President: John F. Kerry/John Edwards DEM

For United States Senate: Erskine Bowles DEM

For Member of Congress 2nd Congressional District: Bob Etheridge DEM

For Member of Congress 4th Congressional District: David Price DEM

For Member of Congress 13th Congressional District: Brad Miller DEM

STATE EXECUTIVE RACES

For Governor: Mike Easley DEM

For Lieutenant Governor: Beverly Eaves Perdue DEM

For Attorney General: Roy Cooper DEM

For Auditor: Ralph Campbell DEM

For Commissioner of Agriculture: Britt Cobb DEM

For Commissioner of Insurance: Jim Long DEM

For Commissioner of Labor: Wayne Goodwin DEM

For Secretary of State: Elaine F. Marshall DEM

For Superintendent of Public Instruction: Dr. June Atkinson DEM

For Treasurer: Richard H. Moore DEM

STATE LEGISLATIVE RACES (Wake County)

For NC Senate District 14: Vernon Malone DEM

For NC Senate District 15: Lee Griffin LIB (DFL voted for Neal Hunt - R) No Democrat is on the ballot.

For NC Senate District 16: Janet Cowell DEM

For NC Senate District 17: Norwood Clark DEM

For NC House District 33: Bernard Allen DEM

For NC House District 34: Grier Martin DEM (DG's son, war hero, attorney, historic preservation expert, Davidson grad. What else do you need?)

For NC House District 35: Jennifer Weiss DEM

For NC House District 36: none; surely not Nelson Dollar REP

For NC House District 37: none; surely not Paul Stam REP

For NC House District 38: Deborah K. Ross DEM

For NC House District 39: Linda Coleman DEM

For NC House District 40: Joe O’Shaughnessy DEM

For NC House District 41: Russell Capps (Troglodytic reactionary) is the only name on the ballot. Write in the cartoon character of your choice.

WAKE COUNTY RACES

For County Commissioner District 4: Yevonne Brannon DEM

For County Commissioner District 5: Harold Webb DEM

For County Commissioner District 6: Betty Lou Ward DEM

For Register of Deeds: Laura M. Riddick REP

JUDICIAL RACES
(note: uncontested races not listed)

For Associate Justice, Supreme Court: Sarah Parker

For Associate Justice, Supreme Court: James A. Wynn, Jr.

For Judge Court of Appeals: Alan Thornburg

For Judge Court of Appeals: Wanda Bryant

For Judge Court of Appeals: Linda McGee


For District Court Judge District 10: Debra Sasser

For District Court Judge District 10: Monica M. Bousman

For District Court Judge District 10: Doug Brown (running against Jennifer Knox)

For District Court Judge District 10: Don Overby

For Wake County Soil & Water Conservation Board: No idea - Marcia Lieber is the incumbent.

STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

I. Constitutional amendment to promote local economic and community development projects by (i) permitting the General Assembly to enact general laws giving counties, cities, and towns the power to finance public improvements associated with qualified private economic and community improvements within development districts, as long as the financing is secured by the additional tax revenues resulting from the enhanced property value within the development district and is not secured by a pledge of the local government's faith and credit or general taxing authority, which financing is not subject to a referendum; and (ii) permitting the owners of property in the development district to agree to a minimum tax value for their property, which is binding on future owners as long as the development district is in existence.

AGAINST

II. Constitutional amendment to provide that the General Assembly may place the clear proceeds of civil penalties, civil forfeitures, and civil fines collected by a State agency in a State fund to be used exclusively for maintaining free public schools.

FOR

III. Constitutional amendment to provide for the first term of office for magistrates of the General Court of Justice to be two years and for subsequent terms to be four years.

FOR

WAKE COUNTY BOND REFERENDUMS

1. Shall the order authorizing up to $26,000,000 of GENERAL OBLIGATION OPEN SPACE BONDS of Wake County for financing, in part, the acquisition of real property by the County and the improvement of such real property or any other County-owned real property for the conservation of open space, the protection of water quality, wildlife habitats, scenic areas and natural areas suitable for recreational or other public uses in Wake County be approved?

YES

2. Shall the order authorizing up to $40,000,000 of GENERAL OBLIGATION WAKE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE BONDS of Wake County for financing, in part, the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of modifications, renovations, additions, improvements and extensions to existing facilities and/or one or more new buildings or other educational facilities for Wake Technical Community College including, without limitation, laboratories, offices and parking lots, and the acquisition of land, easements and rights-of-way therefor in Wake County be approved?

YES