Link-of-the-Day – Page 37 – Democracy North Carolina

LOD: Wall Street’s Protection Money

For the first half of 2011, the single largest political donor to the presidential campaigns of Barak Obama and Mitt Romney is the same: the executives of Goldman Sachs! While the two campaigns split $360,000 given by the execs, Goldman Sachs was investing seven time that much, $2.4 million, to lobby Congress for its agenda: [...]

By Bob Hall| 2017-01-03T12:05:35-05:00 July 21st, 2011|Link-of-the-Day, Money in Politics, Pay to Play|1 Comment

LOD: General Assembly Maps

Catawba College professor of politics and history Dr. Michael Blitzer has sorted through the data for the General Assembly districts proposed by the Republican majority. His conclusion: 90% of the seats are drawn with a decidedly partisan tilt, heavily toward the Republicans, nearly guaranteeing that party majority control of both legislative chambers for the next [...]

By Bob Hall| 2017-01-03T12:05:35-05:00 July 19th, 2011|Link-of-the-Day, Redistricting, Voting Rights|0 Comments

LOD: Photo Treats, Phony Threats

The Respect Our Vote Coalition held another demonstration outside the General Assembly this week, in blazing heat and high spirits. Browse these photos of the event and also this story from WRAL-TV, with a link to a video clip of Democracy NC organizer Shaunee Morgan, the super MC for the day. People from all over [...]

By Bob Hall| 2017-01-03T12:05:35-05:00 July 15th, 2011|Civic Engagement, Link-of-the-Day, Voting Rights|6 Comments

LOD: Koch Bros., Coca-Cola & ALEC

The American Legislative Exchange Council brings together corporations (from Koch Industries to Coca-Cola), conservative state legislators, and rightwing think tanks to fabricate model bills that advance their common interests: reduce government regulation and taxes; increase the transfer of wealth from average Americans to the super rich. ALEC working groups, research memos and draft bills push [...]

By Bob Hall| 2011-07-14T13:31:47-04:00 July 14th, 2011|Ethics, Link-of-the-Day, Lobbying, Money in Politics|0 Comments

LOD: The Fight to Vote

Join Democracy North Carolina and others on Wednesday, July 13, in Raleigh at the Respect Our Vote Rally. Good speakers, good friends, good cause, and a good time to say No to partisan attacks on your voting rights. In addition to scheming to override Gov. Perdue’s veto of the photo ID bill, conservative lawmakers will [...]

By Bob Hall| 2011-07-11T20:39:24-04:00 July 11th, 2011|Civic Engagement, Link-of-the-Day, Voting Rights, Youth Vote|0 Comments

LOD: Green Light for Super Donors

In contrast to incentives for small donors (per Wednesday’s Link of the Day), the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision encourages limitless donations by corporations (and unions) for so-called independent expenditures. Texas Gov. Rick Perry is the latest candidate to benefit from this subterfuge, with the creation of a super PAC called “Americans for Rick Perry” that [...]

By Bob Hall| 2017-01-03T12:05:36-05:00 July 8th, 2011|Citizens United Case, Disclosure, Link-of-the-Day, Money in Politics|0 Comments

LOD: Sizing Up Small Gifts

The recent Supreme Court decision knocking down rescue funds is pushing advocates of public campaign financing to look at alternative models that meet many of the goals of the Voter-Owned or Clean Elections approach. In a new report, the Campaign Finance Institute has applied its favorite model to state legislative elections in six Midwestern states. [...]

By Bob Hall| 2011-07-06T16:47:16-04:00 July 6th, 2011|Citizens United Case, FENA, Link-of-the-Day, Money in Politics, Voter-Owned Elections|0 Comments

LOD: More on Congressional Map

The NC FreeEnterprise Foundation, a conservative business association, provides another view of the new Congressional districts proposed by Republicans. It says “the maps heavily favor the election of a solid majority Republican contingent to the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina in 2012, if the maps are approved and implemented ‘as is.’” And it [...]

By Bob Hall| 2017-01-03T12:05:36-05:00 July 5th, 2011|Link-of-the-Day, Redistricting|0 Comments

LOD: NC’s New Congressional Map

Republican leaders today released their proposed map of North Carolina’s 13 Congressional districts for the 2012-2020 elections. As expected, they erased nearly all the advantages Democrats drew for themselves when they had control of the crayons. Political observer John Davis produced a detailed analysis of the Republicans “smart mapping,” concluding that the GOP will have [...]

By Bob Hall| 2017-01-03T12:05:36-05:00 July 1st, 2011|Link-of-the-Day, Redistricting|0 Comments

LOD: The Supreme Five

When the US Supreme Court liberated purchased political speech from nearly all regulation in the Citizens United decision, it opened a Pandora’s Box loaded with all sorts of strange creatures: partisan c-4s, super PACs, corporate slush funds. The Federal Election Commission is struggling to apply its rules to new creatures served up by operatives across [...]

By Bob Hall| 2017-01-03T12:05:36-05:00 June 30th, 2011|Citizens United Case, Disclosure, Link-of-the-Day, Money in Politics, Voter-Owned Elections|0 Comments