Rob Schofield

Rob Schofield today has some welcome words of wisdom for Governor Perdue.

One of the main reasons that progressives have always felt a little leery of Beverly Perdue is their concern that she represents the politics of the past — the conservative, good ol’ boy wing of the Democratic Party that was/is more concerned about winning elections and holding onto power than advancing the causes of social, economic and political justice.

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So, today’s message to Governor Perdue: Run, don’t walk, to the good government progressives and demonstrate once and for all (and repeatedly) that you want to be of them and among them in the months to come and during the second term you hope to have.

Similar advice from the past.

As we look back on that incredibly difficult debate and begin to see some of the new consumer protections take effect, it's increasingly clear that national leaders did the right thing.

With a handy cheat sheet

In this extreme, "markets uber alles" worldview, schools are little more than education factories competing for "consumers" who seek to compete and get ahead. Meanwhile, public structures like county-wide school systems that knit together a community are seen as worthless antiques that deserve to be smashed on the sidewalk.

Like the over-reaching tea baggers, Art Pope's zealots in Wake County are triggering a backlash that will turn out Democratic voters in droves this November. Soon, Tedesco and Margiotta will have their pictures in the dictionary next to the words "incompetent hacks."

Rob Schofield often writes things I've been thinking, much more effectively than I ever would. Take a look.

It's one thing for a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank to attack or "report" on politicians with whom they disagree, to rev up their friends and supporters to mobilize to become engaged in the political process, or even for its employees to be active in political campaigns in their private lives. It's another, however, for the think tank to manufacture faux news about a partisan group's endorsement of a politician and then package and distribute that partisan group's ratings as "exclusive" news. Moreover, when that "news" is then immediately repackaged and distributed by the candidate herself, the whole thing just smells bad.

Rob Schofield over at NC Policywatch has some interesting observations about the word "freedom":

There have been a lot of attempts by conservative groups in recent years to hijack the "freedom" label. Now is the time for thoughtful North Carolinians to reject these clumsy and simplistic arguments. The truth of the matter is that poverty, environmental degradation and the excesses of corporations pose just as much of a threat to freedom as taxes and government bureaucracy.

Unfortunately, through sheer repetition and some manipulative marketing (usually involving the American flag and/or other patriotic images), the ideological right has made a lot of headway with this tactic. Despite the occasional flap caused by an overmatched dimwit like (Rand) Paul, many people who should know better have come to accept this demonstrably false label for the far right's positions.

Incompetence rains

When people in glass houses throw stones, the ricochets can be interesting. Such is the case with Tom Fetzer and his new-found passion for integrity in government. Could it be that he was in on the ground floor of modern political greed?

Rob Schofield at NC Policy Watch seems to have taken over as watchdog in combating Art Pope's influence, and thank goodness for that. Someone with a stronger stomach than I needs to be on the job, and it's a big job indeed.

Those unfamiliar with the breadth of Mr. Pope's empire are often astounded by the reach of its power. From the Wake County school board and the floor of the NC House to every news editor's desk, Pope money pervades public policy in North Carolina. Some of his influence is subtle, for example, the long hard work of shaping the economics department at NC State. He knows that reporters turn to professors there for commentary on economic issues. Could there be a better way to manipulate the masses? Cultivate experts that feed a resource-poor fourth estate. They call it subsidized news.

If you do nothing else this week, set aside five minutes to read this excellent column on wealth redistribution by NC Policy Watch's Rob Schofield.

Right now, the man on the hot seat is House Speaker Joe Hackney. For better or worse and through no fault of his own, the timing of the budget process has placed the buck squarely on the desk of the veteran Orange County lawmaker at the most critical moment. Today, one month before the end of the state fiscal year, at a point at which all the bad revenue numbers are in and the Governor and Senate have already taken their shots, circumstances have conspired to give this one man more power than any other official in the state over an issue of historic importance.