Free Republic

ExclusiveLegislator Pushed for Incentives Despite Apparent ConflictWas economic stimulus bill N.C.’s version of insider trading? From November, 2002 Carolina JournalOctober 28, 2002 By DON CARRINGTONRALEIGH — Conceived as North Carolina’s answer to recession and unemployment, a new state business incentives program instead bears the birthmarks of questionable ethical conduct.Helping to deliver the N.C. Economic Stimulus and Job Creation Act was Rep. Pryor Gibson — who is employed by Time Warner. Time Warner is expected to be one of the first beneficiaries of the act when it becomes effective in January.Even though the Montgomery County Democrat recused himself from voting on the...

<p>While Democrat Erskine Bowles believes he is gaining ground in the U.S. Senate race, Elizabeth Dole is calling on President George Bush to help rally her troops.</p> <p>Bush returned to North Carolina Thursday to support Republicans. Dole is tying her Senate bid to the president, who has backed her campaign from the beginning.</p>

Dole campaigns at courthouseBy Ned B. Hunter, Rocky Mount Telegram NASHVILLE, NC - Republican U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Dole rolled into Nashville on Tuesday to begin her final campaign tour across North Carolina. Traveling in the blue and silver "Eliza-bus," Dole stumped on the steps of Nash County Courthouse, swearing not to steal from Social Security. "I will never vote to take one penny from Social Security," Dole said. "I will never vote to increase the payroll tax for Social Security." Dole said she was against privatizing Social Security but would support a plan allowing Americans to invest as much...

Arnold: 'General Assembly out of control'By Tom Murphy, Rocky Mount Telegram N.C. Rep. Gene Arnold, R-Nash, says the General Assembly is totally out of control. "During the last four years, the General Assembly has been reactionary rather than having a long-range plan and has reacted to the event of the day," Arnold told Rocky Mount Kiwanis Club members Thursday at the Carleton House. "There is no fiscal policy. The state has no fiscal policy and simply reacts to the moment. It determines projects and then goes out to find the money." Arnold said the General Assembly's last session lasted 129...

Defector from NC sees abductee wife off at North Korea airport By AUDREY McAVOY, Associated Press Writer October 15, 2002   9:24 am TOKYO -- An American soldier listed as a defector to North Korea saw his Japanese wife off at the airport in Pyongyang on Tuesday as she joined four others returning to Japan for the first time since they were abducted by North Korean spies nearly 25 years ago.But Charles Robert Jenkins of Rich Square, N.C., listed as a deserter from the U.S. Army since the 1960s, told a Japanese official traveling with the abductees that he...

New motion filed in fight about Quran reading CHAPEL HILL, N.C.(AP) - Attorneys for the organization that sued the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill over a summer reading program that included a book about the Quran have filed a new motion. The American Family Association's Center for Law and Policy said in an amended federal court complaint that UNC is attempting to push Islam upon its students. The university is hosting a number of events related to the religion this fall, the complaint said. The group, which counts three unnamed UNC students among its five plaintiffs, earlier this...

EMPAC worked under unusual circumstances this election year when it came to endorsing candidates in races for North Carolina House and Senate seats, due to numerous delays created by the controversial legislative redistricting process. The State EMPAC Committee was unable to assign new House and Senate districts to local EMPAC Areas until they were finalized as redrawn in late August. Furthermore, the primaries were not held until Sept. 10, leaving only eight weeks for local EMPAC Areas to conduct their work before the general election Nov. 5. To further complicate matters, local EMPAC Areas that sought to have endorsements published...

<p>RALEIGH, N.C. -- Four months after she was fined, North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps has worked out a schedule to pay off her penalty.</p> <p>In June, the State Board of Elections ordered Phipps to pay 130,000 for campaign finance violations. Phipps' attorneys submitted a proposal Tuesday to pay $30,123 by the end of November.</p>

Ok, all of the NC FReepers, Lurkers, NC FReeper wanna be's listen up. We have set a meeting place and time for regular monthly meetings. Our next meeting is next Tuesday October 1st. I hope we can get a large group of us together so we can accomplish some great things in our state. God knows there is a LOT to be accomplished.I spoke to the owner of Tir na nÓg and he is a staunch conservative and is happy to let us use his meeting room for free. The room will be on your right as you come through...

Senator contracts to buy $3.8 million mansion By The Associated Press September 27, 2002   1:47 am The self-described "people's senator" from North Carolina is trading in his Washington mansion for an even bigger one in a better neighborhood.Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and his wife have signed a contract on a $3.8 million home in Georgetown, Washington's historic neighborhood, according to The Charlotte Observer.Elizabeth Edwards said they decided to move because their old house had no yard where their two young children could play freely. They also have a contract to sell their present home near Embassy Row. It...

WASHINGTON -- In an apparent bid to bolster his standing back home, U.S. Sen. John Edwards plans to launch a series of paid television commercials today in which he encourages North Carolinians to vote in the 2002 elections. The ad campaign, which aides say could exceed $1 million, comes during an election year in which the North Carolina Democrat is not on the ballot himself but is gearing up for a probable 2004 presidential bid. Edwards' political action committee, the New American Optimists, is paying for the commercials, the first of which features Edwards looking directly at the camera...

Woman who staged hate crime weeps as she is sentenced to prison By PAUL NOWELL, Associated Press Writer September 25, 2002   1:54 am CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jaelyn Sealey, a former North Carolina woman who admitted she staged a hate crime at her home more than two years ago to collect insurance money, wept as she was sentenced to six months in prison.Sealey, 35, formerly of Huntersville, declined to address the court before she was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Lacy Thornburg, who also ordered that Sealey be on supervised release for two years after she is released.Sealey...

A church has filed suit against a North Carolina school board and principal after a middle school refused to approve a church-sponsored sign for its athletic field that included a Bible verse. Oxford Baptist Church of Oxford, N.C., had hoped to participate in a school fund-raiser. The school district had encouraged local supporters of the school – businesses, nonprofits and other organizations – to purchase signs for display at the school's athletic field for a cost of $300. According to the Alliance Defense Fund, which has filed the suit on the church's behalf, the church chose a sign with a...

<p>The original lens for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, long thought lost to war or thieves, has been found in a climate-controlled storage building on Roanoke Island.</p> <p>The 6,000-pound Fresnel lens is made up of 1,000 pieces of precision glass prisms. Lighthouse lantern rooms using Fresnel lenses captured and concentrated light from the prisms and bounced it through a panel, making the beam blink.</p>

Old North State FReepers,GOP-Pat is organizing people to volunteer at the NC GOP booth at the State Fair, which runs October 18th - October 27th.I am planning to be there with ncweaver for the morning slot (9 am- 12 noon) on October 18th.However, GOP-Pat says she is looking for volunteers for ALL of the following time slots: 9 am-12pm - Every day 12 pm-3 pm - Oct. 18, 20, 24, 25, 26 and 27 3 pm-6 pm - Oct. 20, 21, 22, 25, 26 and 27 6 pm-9 pm - Oct. 18, 19, 20, 26 and 27 GOP-Pat also said:"None...

<p>CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- U.S. Senator John Edwards of North Carolina plans to spend at least $1 million in the next nine weeks on nonpartisan television ads - even though he's not running for office.</p> <p>The Democrat must spend the "soft money" held by his political action committee before midnight November 5, when strict campaign finance laws take effect that ban raising or spending such money.</p>

RALEIGH, N.C. -- On Wednesday morning, 23 people will gather in the grand jury room of the federal courthouse on New Bern Avenue. They are ordinary citizens, unremarkable except that their identities are confidential and their work is sealed by law. Behind closed doors, they will begin digging into one of the biggest political scandals to erupt in North Carolina recently: the election campaign of Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps. The grand jury is likely to probe much deeper than the State Board of Elections, which in June fined the Phipps campaign $130,000 for "grossly negligent" violations of campaign law,...

<p>CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- A review of the town's rules on political signs sparked by a patriotic banner hung last year after Sept. 11 has ended with a Town Council vote to loosen restrictions.</p> <p>The 8-1 decision last week eliminates the size limit that tripped up Franklin Street restaurant owner Scott Maitland, who hung a banner proclaiming "God Bless America, Woe to Our Enemies."</p>

Primaries prove to be internal struggle for parties By DOUG JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer August 30, 2002   12:05 pm RALEIGH, N.C. -- For most of the past 100 years -- through the birth of aviation, the Depression and two world wars -- Democrats have controlled North Carolina's Legislature.Since 1900, the GOP has managed to claim a majority only in one chamber -- the House -- and only for four years in the 1990s.This year, analysts say, newly redrawn House and Senate districts threaten to end the Democratic reign. And after a century of playing the underdogs, Republicans may...

 POST-MEETING REPORT:The first meeting of the newly re-organized NC chapter took place at Howlin's house on Saturday, 08/24/2002.This chapter, called the "Old North State Freepers", has over 35 members.The following Freepers attended:Constitution DaymykdsmomHowlinOvertaxedncweaverRightOnlineRightOnlinesWifeFuture Snake EaterlafrosteAlso attending were:lafroste's wife Howlin's husband & mother Future Snake Eater's girlfriendOn the evening of Saturday, August 24, 2002, we all met at Howlin's house in Raleigh.I primarily intended this to be a meeting where we could all get acquainted with one another. Everyone brought an appetizer to eat, and everything was delicious! Some of us brought beer or wine, some did not, but we all...