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The national spotlight if finding its focus on North Carolina again: we are the new front line in the fight for freedom and fairness. All of us should be proud of those who have put themselves on the line in Raleigh.

Meanwhile, our illegitimate government continues to be a joke.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul:

Companies such as Exxon Mobil and Sempra Energy are seeking federal permits for more than 20 export projects that could handle as much as 29 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day. If approved, the resulting export boom could lead to further increases in hydraulic fracturing, a drilling technique also known as fracking. It has allowed companies to gain access to huge stores of natural gas underneath states from Colorado to New York, but raised widespread concerns about alleged groundwater contamination and even earthquakes.

Looking beyond the perils of radically increasing fracking, this issue could have a huge impact in several other areas, not the least of which is our struggling manufacturing sector. The impetus is (of course) the fossil fuel industry being frustrated that domestic prices have plummeted thanks to their zest for poking holes in the ground. And from what I can see, they're likely the only ones to (net) profit from these desired exports. But they've got drill-baby-drill Republicans and revenue-hungry Democrats both lining up to give a thumb's-up, so this thing is probably happening. Get ready.

The case is going to trial, as we all knew it would. Republican apologists so far have only one thing to say:

Nanny nanny boo boo. Mean old Democrats cheated for decades and now that we're in charge, we're going to cheat too.

How can it be that we live in a state where so many people have such little respect for law and morality? Gerrymandering was wrong when Democrats did it, and it's wrong now. Any elected official who doesn't understand that should be driven from the legislature like Jesus drove money lenders from the temple.

General Assembly Police limited media access to #ncga protest, putting most photographers far from the protest arrests tonight. #ncpol

— John Frank (@ByJohnFrank) May 13, 2013

From the NC Budget and Tax Center

Last week was a busy one for tax policy. Here’s a review of what happened:

The Institute for Emerging Issues hosted a compelling debate on tax issues featuring Elizabeth Malm from the Tax Foundation and Jared Bernstein from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Click here to watch.

Meanwhile, Senator Berger announced the Senate leadership’s plan to cut taxes. Berger, along with Senators Rucho and Rabon, presented a vague tax plan that cuts tax rates but expands the sales tax to more products and services, which would mean higher taxes for many North Carolinians. It reduces tax revenue by $1 billion which will force cuts to investments that people and businesses depend on. BTC’s analyses of similar tax plans show such tax cuts would result in low- and middle-income tax payers paying more taxes, while wealthy individuals and corporations pay less.

Other legislative developments last week similarly favor the wealthy over average North Carolinians while risking important state investments:

This is why DOMA must die. This is why same-sex married couples must be a part of any truly comprehensive immigration reform.

One thing I'm planning to do with my gubernatorial campaign is share the experience of running on a day-by-day basis. Much of that will take place at the campaign website, but I'll be posting some of it here at BlueNC too. Here's an example of the kind of thing I'm talking about.

HAPPY UPDATE: Just learned that I don't need to pay the actual filing fee until 2016! Woohoo! That is very great news!

In her own words.

Please listen to this and then ask yourself: Is this really the best North Carolina can do? A puppet spouting platitudes about living in a democracy?

I wish we did live in a democracy, but we don't. We live in a state where the government in power has rigged elections to get majorities that don't reflect the principle of one-person-one-vote. If American observers were to witness this situation in a third-world country, they'd declare the process corrupt and insist on new elections.

It really is that bad, and no amount of happy talk from Aldona Wos changes things one damn bit.

Joe Donovan knows a thing or two about hard living. A few years ago the Raleigh-based veteran was diagnosed with a rare adrenal disorder, Addison’s Disease, which can cause fainting spells that require an emergency injection. Since his diagnosis in 2004, Donovan has been required to carry emergency medication and a syringe on him at all times, as well as to wear a bracelet explaining the disorder and how to administer the injections.

Not long after his diagnosis and the discovery of a tumor on his pituitary gland, Donovan lost his job. Soon after, with pending surgery and medical bills piling up, he became homeless. Over the next five years he was homeless twice, for as long as two years at a time. Living in homeless shelters with nothing but a backpack and some clothes, Donovan had many things to worry about, but among his concerns were the syringes he kept in his backpack along with the emergency medication. As a veteran, he obtained the syringes from the VA for his disorder and had every right to carry them, but because he was and subject to the same stereotypes about drug use that plague many homeless people, he often worried about run-ins with the police. Would they believe his story that the syringes were for a medical condition?

It was bad enough that Secretary Wos tried to place the blame for the GOP's Medicaid meltdown on Commissioner Goodwin. But now she says her comments were taken out of context? Seriously?

“In reference to your roundabout way of commenting about Medicaid expansion … in North Carolina, based on our constitution, the issue of Medicaid expansion or not, actually, was the commissioner of insurance’s,” Wos said. “Just so that you all know that and are aware of that.”

Secretary Wos lied and got caught. Instead of apologizing, she's offered nothing but a bunch of double-talk. She should resign.