ncgop

We're working to build a list of all the things the Pope team has targeted to make illegal. For example, today we've learned that they want to make it illegal for cities in North Carolina to track their carbon footprints. (No, this is not a Blue Onion satire. This is real.) With that in mind, we'd greatly appreciate any input your can provide. Either post a comment or send us an email. Thanks.

From our Young Democrats of North Carolina Facebook Page:

Conservatives, especially the true believers that now populate the NC General Assembly, are fond of quoting Adam Smith, the 18th century Scottish moral philosopher and political economist. They love the quotes, but the content escapes them.

Smith wrote in "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations",
"People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices." Smith went on to observe, "But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies, much less render them necessary."

Every time one of our Republican legislators goes to an ALEC seminar or meets behind closed doors with ALEC representatives to write laws, they are conspiring against the public ... and corporations are always the direct beneficiaries.

It's a small concession, but one worth noting. Faced with an expected outpouring of concern from activists (and big-time sticker shock), GOP zealots have backed off the pink stripe of discrimination in favor of modest scarlet letters on drivers' licenses.

Could this be a sign of fiscal restraint on the part of the Pope administration, or perhaps some sign of humanity? Sorry to say, it's neither. This is simply a first small step in the GOP rebranding strategy, an attempt to make themselves less toxic to the growing base of Latino voters. One need only look at the issue of Voter ID to validate this conclusion. When it comes to suppressing Democratic voters, the GOP has no budgetary concern whatsoever over the hundred million dollar price tag.

Reasons for optimism.

"Corporate greed, old, middle-aged white men, rich, religious, conservative, hypocritical, military retirees, narrow-minded, rigid, not progressive, polarizing, stuck in their ways, farmers."

And with regard to NC ass clowns like Pat McCrory, they could have added, "chickenhawks, corporate whores, misogynists, and bigots." Gotta love that GOP brand.

It has been said that the arc of the moral universe is long, but that it bends toward justice. I'm not convinced that's true, but for the sake of optimism, let's pretend it is ... and examine North Carolina's unique position on that never-ending arc.

By any honest measure, the moral foundation of our state is slipping south faster than shit through a goose. King Arthur III has extended his sovereign reign to control a puppet legislature, a hapless governor, and a corrupt court system ... with stunning effectiveness and discipline. Operating at light speed, their medieval agenda has made North Carolina a laughingstock throughout the nation and the world, undermining our economy, our public infrastructure, our schools, our environment, and the heart and soul of our middle class. These are the facts on the ground, made all the more daunting by illegal gerrymandering.

In the face of this perfect storm, BlueNC readers have had several occasions to offer ideas for action. One specific poll asked what Democratic members of the General Assembly should be doing. Only 38% said those members should work hard and do their best under difficult circumstances. Sixty-two percent, on the other hand, called for blowing shit up, walking out or doing something else. One of the "something else" comments was especially intriguing.