Meanwhile, I'd like to thank all the sponsors that helped to put this on this weekend. You can see the links in the upper left corner there of all the people and organizations I've met while here -- I'll be leaving those up for a few days at least. Ed and Melanie Broyhill sponsored the Friday Dinner, and Captive-Aire Systems Sponsored Lunch.

My personal thanks also to the Civitas organization who sponsored my live blogging this event. Without their invitation, I likely would not have been able to attend this event.

The overall experience here has been wonderful. There's almost no one here that's angry -- everyone is excited and energized. There's literally hundreds of people here in North Carolina that want to work hard and spend their time and money to advance the conservative agenda that the people of North Carolina actually want.

If you get a chance to work with these organizations, take the opportunity -- every single person I've met is genuinely concerned with making progress with conservative ideas. It has been a very, very busy two days -- I can't imagine how many words I've written -- but it has been a very enjoyable two days as well.

If you didn't get to make it to the conference this year, be sure and plan on coming next year -- you can learn a lot, get really energized and excited, and you might get to meet the Ogre!

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Ryan Francis, a retired Marine, describes that until government actually shrinks, we need to work with the politicians that we elect. You have to evaluate the politicians for their character.

Ask them what they do for a living. If they cannot live without being in the elected office, they will often do whatever they can to get elected.

We need to find people who don't need to be a politician. We need to find people who do not view it as a career.

I am a father, I am a homeschooler, a private business owner, a member of the "religious right," and will remain private and just withdraw from everyone else. Then he realized that he would have to send his children out into the world that is left for everyone else.

10 Steps that you can take:
1. Pursue what is in your heart. You must work with whatever you are passionate about.
2. Then you must decide your role. Are you a leadership person or a ground troops person?
3. Be a laser, not a shotgun.
4. Identify and link up with like-minded people.
5. Determine your strategy.
6. Don't ruin your witness. "A zealot without wisdom is simply a madman."
7. Be as gentle as doves but wise as serpent.
8. Don't give up - be relentless.
9. When it's over, send a word of thanks to those who you have tried to influence.
10. Take the time to be a normal person from time to time. But be an activist at home first.

Next up is Ryan Irisik, from the NRA. He points out that power is in the numbers. He works throughout 13 states in the southeast and really pushes voter registration. He's amazed that the number of people who are still around that have never registered to vote.

Talk to people and convince people that their votes really do matter. Every single vote really, really does matter.

Write letters to the editor -- and keep writing them, even if you don't get published, quite often it takes more than a couple times to get noticed.

Bumper stickers really work -- each one is worth about $300 in free advertising. Reach out to like-minded people in places that you go.

Dan Page, a former NC Legislator described his ideas on grassroots politics and being a conservative.

Just wanted to fix some of the problems. Never wanted to be involved, but when starting a business, found that there are an enormous number of government problems that stop businessess.

Found that if something needed to get done, someone had to step up to lead it, so he did. Still believes that the best vehicle to be used to advance the conservative position is still the Republican party. It was just a matter of helping the candidates, putting up signs, and doing what needs to be done.

He won with a simple grassroots campaign by making phone calls and getting the message out. He won by only 7 votes. He did it by turning out the voters. "Everyone" said that the Democrats could turn out the votes, but he never would. They called every registered voter in the district to determine where the potential voter base was. Many people want to help, they just need to be contacted and told what to do to help.

Last up is Frank Rouse, former NCGOP Chairman. He starts out that there's no such thing as a "good" or a "bad" conservative. When they cease to be a conservative, they become other things...like grave robbers, Democrats, or Richard Morgans. A conservative believes that government should never do anything for us that we can better do for ourselves.

Less government, less taxes equals better government, more freedom, and more prosperity.

I'm opposed to the lottery because it gives the liberal democrats in Raleigh more money to spend. The ONLY way to combat them is to starve the beast -- if you don't give them money, they simply cannot spend it.

The biggest thing wrong with our schools is not money, it's the administration -- they cannot administrate. The administrators are simply not trained on how to actually administrate.

A social conservative rejects the secular direction our society is going -- the secular Democrats who are trying to take God out of everything in our country.

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Up first is Thomas Stith, Vice-President of the Civitas Institute. John Adams "Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist." The 5th amendment addresses this clear and basic right.

Kelo v. New London changed the law. The "public use" clause in the 5th amendment really meant "public purpose." Public purpose includes taking property for no other reason than increasing a tax base.

"Any property may be taken for the benefit of another private party." -- so says Justice Sandra Day O'Conner. This is what effectively deletes the words, "for public use" from the takings clause of the fifth amendment.

Supporters of taking claim that NC is protected via NC Law chapter 40A. However, that law says that property can be taken for "public benefit" -- which is up to local governments to determine and define. Charlotte added that ability in 2000.

Over 80% of voters in NC support the Constitution and oppose government taking private property for public use. 66% do not care what reason the government might give, even for schools and roads. Their information campaign is "Keep My Private Property Private."

Second to address the group is Scott Bullock, an attorney that argued the Kelo v. New London case in front of the Supreme Court. Many people in the country suddenly started paying attention with the Kelo case. He considers it an "ugly and unAmerican practice.:

Kelo left few, if any, protections for citizens under the 5th amendment. It's happening all over the country where cities and counties are taking homes and small businesses to build larger companies and businesses to increase the tax base: it is a very real problem that can only get worse unless state governments are reined in.

The Supreme Court claimed that since the city had a "plan," and therefore that was a valid "check" on eminent domain abuse. Of course, the Supreme Court is quite out of step with reality because anyone who's ever been to one of those city council meetings knows that they are dog and pony shows.

It does not matter what condition is of the land -- as long as the new users of the property can make "more productive use" of the land, then it is valid to take the land. That is a version of eminent domain without limits -- and that is incredibly dangerous to freedom: ANY home would produce less than a business.

Even Maxine Waters thought that the Kelo decision was absolutely wrong. About the only people who defend the Kelo decision are those who will benefit from it: city officials, planners, and developers. Citizens are almost universally opposed to that decision.

Eminent domain was NOT designed to be used to raise tax income or create jobs.

Next to speak is Daren Bakst, Legal and Regulatory Policy Analyst for the John Locke Foundation. North Carolina has no protection for private property rights. The NC Constitution simply says that whatever the federal government determines are the laws, North Carolina will follow. Since the Supreme Court has shown there are no protections, we have none.

Those who support taking, such as the League of Municipalities, claim that the state is covered because we have a law. Of course, there's nothing stopping the government from changing the law -- as they do quite often. We need to redefine, in this state, what public use means.

Usually this means use by the public, for utilities, and other such items. North Carolina should expressly prohibit taking for ANY private use. We need to redefine "just compensation." Fair market value does not reflect relocation costs for property owners, the loss of business goodwill, and attorney fees.

North Carolina NEEDS a Constitutional Amendment to protect it's citizens from the government. The fact that it is difficult to change the Constitution is WHY we need an amendment. Those committees discussion the issue are first consider to "do no harm" -- to the government's ability to use eminent domain, NOT to do no harm to the citizens.

Last up is Chris Sinclair, President of the Triangle Community Coalition. His perspective is protecting property rights from the very local level. Property rights are being lost in the name of "public purpose." Local governments are chipping away at these rights at an alarming rate.

When the League of Municipalities says that there's nothing to worry about, that's the fox guarding the henhouse. He sees comprehensive planning, "buffer zones," and "smart growth" being used to destroy property rights a little bit at a time.

Cary: "Public Purpose" given to take property from citizens was "to protect our natural habitats" -- without paying fair market value or even having any science to back up their claims.

Johnson/Wake county: dwarf wedge mussel case: Fish and Wildlife found some "endangered" mussels. Federal government demanded "protection" of thousands of acres for this mussel. Is this a "public purpose?" Chris suggested to the council that the county pay the citizens for this land -- he was laughed out of the room.

Raleigh is proposing to change "greenway buffer zones." Public Purpose: "to protect critical habitat in the city of Raleigh" -- again without any science to even suggest that this expansion would help any of the animals or plants in the area. And the city will pay a few cents on the dollar, not close to fair market value.

When cities and counties go through approvals of changes, parks, and zoning, you never hear the words "property rights" mentioned once. Owning property is one of the most fundamental rights the Americans have that the rest of the world does not. We cannot let this right be eroded.

THE NORTH CAROLINA LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES IS THE BIGGEST ENEMY OF PROPERTY RIGHTS IN THE STATE.

This league is the strongest lobby in North Carolina, and their lobbyists are paid for with tax money -- half a million dollars of tax money each year is used to lobby for removing your property rights.

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David Keene says that the people of North Carolina truly are conservative -- without North Carolina, Ronald Reagan may never have been elected. He pointed out that the battle today is between the people who simply want to be left alone and mind their own business (freedom) and those who think they know better than anyone else and need to tell everyone else what to do.

This is not a new battle, this is a battle that has been going on ever since there have been people. And the people who want to tell people what to do are always working harder because they have a specific interest in telling people what to do -- because they often will get money and power for doing it.

Today, those who ignore their base are in danger of being sent home. We are in a similar place today as we were in early 1994. That's the year that the Democrats lost control of the House for the first time in 40 years. Can it be fixed? Yes, if the president and Congress "get it." Today's residents of Washington do NOT "get it."

The current leadership in Washington think that there are only a few people who are complaining and that if they would just shut up, everything would be okay. Some of the leadership have said almost exactly that to Congressmen who question them.

The reason for this problem is that most of the people who end up in Washington get seduced by the city and no longer represent the people who sent them there.

Other give up -- they say that since you can't cut government, get with the program. It's not how much you spend, but how you spend it.

Reagan said quite often to his staff, "When we starting thinking of the government as 'us' rather than 'them,' it's time to leave." There are few who have that view today in Washington.

The position of the conservative is that the world is a dangerous place. Because of that reality, America must be prepared to defend itself and its friends when needed -- not to remake the world in it's image. We are to be that shining light on a hill -- a model for everyone else to see -- but not to force our view on others.

Right now, voters simply cannot see any difference between Republicans and Democrats, so to them, it doesn't matter who's in office. Republicans simply cannot win by claiming they're a little bit better than the other guy.

Conservatives are positioned to take back the government -- because the people agree in large numbers with the conservative position. Conservatives need to act now.

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George Leef was commenting specifically on higher education:

Was in the education field until he got tired of grade inflation and pressure to pass students, no matter their ability. His focus is on answering the question, "Are students and parents getting their money's worth out of the education system?"

National Assessment of Adult literacy (came out last fall) shows 31% of COLLEGE GRADUATES can be regarded as proficient in "prose literacy." 14% of GRADUATES have only "basic literacy" -- about a 6th grade level. 3% of GRADUATES were below literacy -- below grade school for reading and writing ability.

There can be no question whatsoever that there is a significant "dumbing down" in the education system, especially in the higher education system.

Many schools have the "faculty-student non-agression pact." Faculty gives students low expections, little demand, and high grades. In return, students expect very little time and effort from the faculty.

A lot of college graduates today, because of their lack of skills and abilities, are taking traditional high school jobs. Fed government surveys of jobs show 17% of office clerks have college degrees. 19% of theatre ushers. 37% of flight attendants.

We are wasting a phenomenal amount of money on higher education. We do not so much have "higher education," as longer education.

We need empirical test that will show who is actually learning skills from different departments and schools.

Terry Stoops is a Policy Analyst with the John Locke Foundation. His personal issue, where he has a lot of experience and research information about is growth in school construction:

School construction is politicized. Current systems show how the government has a monopoly and shows the shortcomings currently in place. Added 155,000 new students in the last 10 years. Projections show another 155,000 students in the next 10 years. $5.7 billion on bonds (DEBT) for 384 new schools, just part of $9 billion spent.

Schools use various tactics to take money from people. "For the Children" STILL Works, even when it's simply not true. The districts convince the voters to just give money because children will suffer. Schools will try and get voters consent, ask for bonds, and if they don't get bonds, they raise taxes.

Schools build the exact same way now, when there is growth, as compared to the way they build schools when there's not growth. Schools need to consider a different way to build schools. Schools absolutely fail to adjust or change any costs or consider any way to innovate or cut costs. They COULD build schools for less than half what they are spending now -- private schools manage to do it right now.

Various other scare tactics are used to convince people to spend more money: the "rusty nail" argument (that if we don't spend enough, the school will be inferior); "decline of civilization" -- if we don't spend enough, we'll have no art in civilization; "childhood obesity" argument says that if we don't buy a pool and 12 gyms, all children will get fat; "Pay now or pay more later" argument says if you don't pay enough now, it will cost a lot more later; "academic performance" argument -- completely debunked by research: air quality, noise, and lighting are nearly the only environmental factors; "teacher recruitment" says you have to have beautiful facilities to have the best teachers -- most teachers are hired somewhere other than at the schools.

Next up is Jason Bennett, Policy Analyst at the Civitas Institute. He was introduced as having a "real provocative presentation." The states show much more success than the federal government's rules. Is this reality, or is it the states trying to make themselves look better?

There's no way to compare tests across states. 43% increase in private school attendance. Homeschooling is growing by thousands of percents. The state perceives they must prove to citizens that the state is doing well.

Comparing the NC standard tests to a national standardized test, you can see that the student's passing rate decreases from 78% passing to just 46% passing. Is this really better testing?

No Child Left Behind -- increases accountability on the state level. But the state, despite the federal standards, gets to determine what is basically a passing grade. According to the state, 88% of 8th graders are proficient or better in reading, while the federal test shows just 27% proficient.

The message is: we're not really doing as well as the state is reporting: we must hold our state accountable for what they are doing.

Next forum speaker is Lindalyn Kakadelis, Director of the North Carolina Education Alliance. Her passion is K-12 education. She has been to counties in North Carolina where 70% of the adults cannot read about the 5th grade level. That is not going to be fixed by a policy or public paper -- it's going to be fixed by relationships.

As an education reformer, you have to have the attitude that you will NEVER give up.

The mission of the education alliance is simple: empowering people involved in the K-12 education system. They publish reports on K-12 education, they manage a website, they go to meetings across the state to inform people about K-12 education policy.

Primary focus is student achievement to ensure the focus of the school is to actually EDUCATE students. Their #2 issue is teacher quality -- the most important factor in education. #3 is funding and #4 is education freedom -- choice -- it is the largest monopoly in the country and people simply do not have a choice.

Education reform is NOT going to happen from within -- only with external pressure -- which REQUIRES school choice. "We have to get to the place where the money follows the student."

Attempt to gather people together -- Republicans, Libertarians, Democrats, blacks, whites, hispanics -- PEOPLE who care about school choice. The idea is to gather people together who agree about school choice -- and perhaps nothing else.

I am not going to retire until we have school choice in North Carolina

Charlotte-Mecklenburg should be ashamed that they only graduate 37% of their African-American students.

They have school choice in Florida, and it works. The people who support choice found out how to get people interested by building a strong, diverse coalition across all boundaries that can oppose and beat teacher's unions.

Parents for Education Freedom in North Carolina went public last night. Their ONLY issue is school choice. What can you do to support school choice?

The judicial races are critical to ensuring that the North Carolina Constitution is upheld -- and school choice is constitutional. There are 4 seats on the NC Supreme Court this year. The NC Court of Appeals has 2 seats up for election this year as well.

Check your legislators' votes on the charter school law. Check to see if they are working to raise the cap on charter schools -- no matter what they say. School choice laws HAVE to go through the general assembly.

She will come to any organizational meeting where you might be discussing education. Invite her and she will come give the facts to the people -- but she can't do it alone.

The last speaker is Bob Luddy, the Founder of Franklin Academy & St. Thomas More Academy Charter Schools. The primary problem with schools is that they are a monopoly and a bureaucracy. We NEED innovation in the school systems. Parents want choice -- but cannot get that in schools.

Charter schools simply work, and they cost less money. The schools, take average kids and get them to do superior work. 1,164 applicants for 118 slots -- people WANT charter schools -- while the school board voted 9-3 to oppose opening any new charter schools in that county.

They want a safe environment. Every government school has police, but the charter schools do not -- because they simply do not need them. They built 4 buildings for 50% of the cost that the government builds them.

Kids can have a school (not an elitist school, since they admit by lottery) that's safe and cheaper to build and that parents want -- but the education establishment and government does not want to allow that to happen.

One teacher was asked why she liked teaching at the charter school:

98% of my time is spend teaching, 2% disciplining.

$9 million from government (from the lottery) will only build "1/2 a school," while the charter school could build enough schools for 1200 students. For Wake county, it costs literally twice as much for the county to educate each student than charter schools in the county -- but the county still will not allow more charter schools.

Restaurants, churches, groceries stores have NO problem adjusting to the "massive growth" that the schools claim. Charter schools are capped at 100 in the state and there is massive opposition to raising or removing that cap, despite all evidence that charter schools are better. That cap NEEDS to be removed.

Good schools are not repeatable -- each one is unique and can be developed separately. Those who do not participate in the public school system should get $2,500 unearned educational tax credit -- which would not actually cost the state money because the counties are already spending as much as $8,000 per year on each student.

Every child and every parent in North Carolina who wants a choice should have that choice.

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Before the speaker began, we had a nice, lively discussion with Lindalyn Kakadelis regarding education. She explained that the way to win the battle was to develop relationships and encourage unity based on ideas, not party loyalty. I'm pretty sure this is the same idea that Jason Lewis promotes on his radio show each afternoon when he talks about being a Conservative first and a Republican second.

Virginia Foxx was mildly disappointed to be speaking after Congressman hayworth -- and indeed he was a tough act to follow. But she repeatedly said that she agreed with him and his position on immigration. He very strongly agrees that the primary purpose of government is to protect it's citizens and everything else comes second.

She believes that the vast majority of voters simply have conservative values. That just doesn't translate into votes because of party unity and party loyalty. One of the big challenges of this decade will be converting those values into votes for conservative candidates.

Congresswoman Foxx was one of only 11 people in Congress to vote against massive piles of cash for alleged "Katrina aid." She explained that she was rather proud of that vote because she said that there was no accountability. A very precious quote of hers:

If I have to compromise my principles to be in an elected office, then I don't need to be here.

If only there were many, many more that had that philosophy.

The story that brought the most laughter from the crowd was when she told a story about her mother. Her mother had told her that sometimes people don't have a spine. When that happens, you often need to get a broomstick, stick it up their BACK, and provide them with a spine.

Do you know any legislators that are in need of a broomstick?

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Congressman Hayworth put a very strong emphasis on Article 4, Section 4 of the Constitution that says that the federal government exists to "protect each of them [states] from invasion."

And make no mistake, America is being invaded.

There are 6,000-6,500 illegals that attempt to cross the border daily, just into Arizona. Between 4,000 and 4,500 are successful in their attempt. It used to be that ranchers could allow their children to play in their own yards. No longer is that the case -- children can only play in the yards under the watchful eye of the rancher, usually while armed.

We cannot allow political correctness to immobilize America

Congressman Hayworth drew loud applause when he said

If you are in the US illegally, you have broken the laws of the United States, PERIOD.

Over and over he emphasized, and got applause for saying

The First and most basic purpose of government is to protect our citizens

In 2004, 650 people were apprehended crossing the Mexican border who were from "countries of interest" to the department of Homeland security.

Congressman Hayworth outlined where the president was right. He strongly supports the president on economics and tax cuts. He says the president is right on dealing with terrorism and bringing the fight to Iraq, rather than battling here. But he feels just as strongly that the president is wrong on illegal immigration.

If you are an America, Islamofacists want to kill you -- and there is no way to reduce or mitigate that threat

Most of the politicians in Washington want to "manage" the problem with the southern border, but it is actually an INVASION that MUST BE STOPPED.

It is a time for choosing

At an early time in the cold war, many Republicans and Americans were for appeasement. They believed that the US policy towards the Soviet totalitarian regime was to appease them and avoid them. One man, Ronald Reagan, came forward and gave a different vision: "We Win, They Lose."

Will we allow the administration to ram amnesty down our throats, or will we instead demand what is logical and possible, a policy of enforcement.

He gave an example -- if you got home today and found someone had thrown a rock through your window to break in and was sitting on your couch; then they said, "I like it here, I think I'll stay. I'll do a couple chores around the house, but you'll help me out." Would you tolerate that at your house? Then why should we tolerate it from the place we call home: America.

The protests you will see next week are not exercise of the first amendment, they are calculated efforts at intimidation.

We have a choice. Will we retreat into social decay and anarchy, or will we reaffirm that we are a nation of laws?

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Ron Woodard had a number of specific thoughts about illegal immigrants:

No "undocumented immigrants" -- they have more documents than most people. $480 million per year for education on illegals in NC. $445 million on health care. 1/3 of all uninsured in NC are illegals. Only 15% of illegals in NC are doing argicultural jobs. Immigrants have a HIGHER rate of unemployment than citizens.

States can do what? Require passports to get driver's licenses. Deny benefits to illegals. No in-state tuition. Require government contractors to validate their worker's citizenship. Make English the official language of the satte.

Encourage legal immigration and remove services from the illegals for everything but emergency medical care. Get the illegals to deport themselves, even if it takes a few years -- it took many years for them all to come here, it will take time to get them out.

Steve Bizzell gave a description of his view of illegal immigrants:

Call a "DUI" a drunk, call a Mexican a Mexican. He has 50 Mexicans in jail right now. Illegal is illegal and no one wants to talk about how many actual illegals he has to deal with each day. Most have no operator's license, no insurance, doing drugs -- 80-85% of the drug trade in Johnson County is done by Mexicans. They've collected $2 million in drug money, mostly from Mexicans.

Use Homeland Security money to close the border.

Mexican illegal immigrants are a major problem that law enforcement has to deal with today. They're going to have to spend $8-9 million to expand the jails to accomidate all the illegals that have to be placed in jail.

Jack Martin, Director of Special Projects says:

Immigration is not a universal or world perspective. However, liberals and even some in the pulpit are approaching this issue from a different perspective that encourages lawbreaking.

He was overjoyed to hear that the U.S. Senate today did not come to an agreement that would have granted amnesty and created guest worker programs (no matter what the Senators called them). It now appears that there may be no vote on anything this year regarding illegal immigrants.

The strength his group has in Congress is that the vast majority of Americans are just absolutely fed up with the real situation with illegal immigrants and the costs associated with them. His organization and others are trying to communicate the actual feelings of the people of this country.

The rule of law is clearly an important issue. These people's FIRST act upon entering the United States is to break the law. Then they head to the streets with foreign flags demanding things from the government. What indication does that give that these people with contribute to respect the rule of law in our society.

The first focus of our Congress should be on the needs and rights of the American people. Should we accept the invitation that the country becomes dependent on a foreign workforce and on workers who are only working for low wages in this country? To Mr. Martin, this is reprehensable.

In CA, educating illegals, incarceration, and medical services, $10 BILLION per year.

Fern Schubert

As a Christian, I have no problem with anyone on the basis of race, color, or country of origin. I understand that this is a country that was created by immigrants. The issue is ILLEGAL immigration. The newspaper claims that since most illegals are Mexican, if you oppose illegal immigration, you're racist.

The major casualty of supporting those who break the law is the truth. The numbers produced by the press completely ignore specific numbers -- such as local costs, daily costs, and other costs. The press typically ignores costs to the jails, sheriffs, insurance costs, health care costs, etc.

She works with legal immigrants and had a member on her campaign staff who was a LEGAL immigrant -- and he really was annoyed by the people who were messing up immigration for everyone else.

Why shouldn't we just completely get rid of the entire southern border and invite everyone in? The lifeboat only holds so many people. We [the US] are the lifeboat for the world. This state is awash in drugs because we [North Carolina] help people who BREAK THE LAW. Why is our state so stupid? I blame the state leadership that keeps us in the dark.

You live in the pre-civil war south and the great slave-masters want cheap labor. The problem is the crooked boss who wants to hire someone below minimum wage; that wants to hire someone who won't complain.

Rick Martinez, the opinion editor for the News and Observer, weighed in with quite a different opinion:

"I am the only person in the room who supports a guest worker program." He strongly supports Bush' ideas and plans. He says it's a good plan and a necessary plan.

At this, the entire room went silent. No one could really believe this fellow. As he started talking, it elicited various comments at different times throughout the room. None were impressed with his position.

He claims the rage over the amnesty bill is because "you people" are upset. "If you want to build a fence, fine, build a fence. But you can do the same thing with a guest worker program."

When he claimed that illegal immigrants are doing jobs Americans won't, the room erupted in various angry comments. "A guest worker program is the most efficient way to fix the problem. If you want to send 11 million people back, that's fine with me." This brought applause from the audience.

Jack Martin responded that amnesty was already tried back in 1986, when it was completely understood that that would be the LAST time that amnesty was granted. That is the premise upon which the House of Representatives is responding and passing the laws.

Rick Martinez then complained that since the Sheriff wasn't arresting people for violating the cohabitation law, why should they enforce immigration law just because it's the law?

Ron Woodard came back in with some actual facts about supply and demand and how they set the wages. He pointed out that the more people that are looking for the job, the lower the wages will be set. More people push down the wages for everyone.

He also pointed out that we know that a fence along the border is a good idea because Mexico doesn't.

The Ogre also agrees with him -- he thinks it's better that the U.S. Senate pass nothing than pass the amnesty agreements that have been coming out of the Senate and from the President.

Ruth Samuelson, a County Commissioner from Mecklenburg County (which includes the kingdom of Charlotte), asked about the economic impact that Rick complains about. She noted that when slavery was abolished, there was an economic impact, but we still did it. She also wanted to know the economic impact of increasing wages because of the lack of illegals.

Ron Woodard said that studies have been done and show that if, for example, the wages for those who pick tomatoes were doubled, the total cost increase to the consumer is around 1-2 cents per pound.

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Becki Gray, Chief Policy Analyst at the Civitas Institute addressed the legislative budget. She brought part of the state budget with her -- it's about a 6" tall stack of paper (you can see it in the picture there). She explained that there is so much in there that no one knows about.

In North Carolina, the Democrats start the year with this enormous budget -- They START there. And then the Democrats go behind closed doors and add and make any changes they want. When they're done, they present these literally thousands of pages to the Republicans and force them to vote on it in less than 18 hours.

She also pointed out the Civitas Institute's pork report where they expose some of the hundreds of millions of waste in state government.

Joe Coletti, Fiscal Policy Analyst at the John Locke Foundation described more on the budgeting process and how the budget gets through. North Carolina's budget is $17.2 BILLION. Of that, they spend $9.5 billion to run the school system (not including buildings and local salary extras). $2.5 billion is to run Medicare, one of the largest growing and fastest growing area of the budget.

You see, spending for the state on Medicare is reimbursed by the federal government at the rate of 63 cents on every dollar. So when the state gives away $1 to someone, the feds give them 63 cents. In addition, from 2004-2007, the state budget has increased by over 13%.

Next up is Dr. Barry Poulson, an Americans for Prosperity Foundation Distinguished Scholar. He sees the current government situation as a "Battle of the rent-seekers." Those who are working and paying taxes are on one side of the battle, while the people who seek "things" from the government are on the other side -- and it is a war.

29 states now have some sort of tax and spending laws. However, he describes and points out the enormous differences between taxpayer-initiative limits and government, or statutory limits, primarily instigated by legislatures. Everywhere that it's a taxpayer-supported limit, it's been very successful. However, when the legislatures enact statutory limits, the legislatures are setting up the laws so they will not be limited.

This will ensure that when there is a good economy, government cannot grow out of control, then demand new taxes when the economy slows or recedes. He is from the University of Colorado, and he really couldn't believe how much extra debt the state of North Carolina had issued in the past few years -- just paying back the debt is now the largest growing portion of state spending.

We are in a battle. We are engaged in a battle with the rent-seekers.

Rent-seekers will lie about the facts because they want the money.

Former mayor Tom Fetzer added some concluding comments, including that the state government in North Carolina is corrupt. It has been one-party control of the entire state legislature for an entire century with the exception of one four-year term.

In the question and answer period at the end, Victoria Peterson, a conservative Republican from Durham (really?) asked, "How do we get conservatives to show up at council meetings and other places like the democrat liberals do?" Tom Fetzer tried to answer the question suggesting that conservatives attempt to reach out to others on a conservative basis, not on a party basis. People need to find common ground based on those beliefs, not on the straight party line.

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However, this is not suprising to us at all. The ACLU have a long history of being selective in defending free speech, especially when it comes to pro-lifers. Besides, defending the first amendment is only third on the ACLU's list of priorities, abortion is their number one priority.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat, introduced March 30 the Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women’s Services Act (SDAWS), which calls on the Federal Trade Commission to bar organizations from advertising that they provide abortion services when they do not. Just 12 House of Representatives members have cosponsored Maloney’s bill, but leading abortion rights organizations, including NARAL Pro-choice America and the National Abortion Federation, are behind it.

The ACLU also endorsed it, and that stunned some who have defended the organization’s work in the past.

“[W]hat about the First Amendment?” asked Nat Hentoff, a syndicated columnist and a former ACLU board member, according to The New York Sun. “When you have the state, with its power, deciding what is deceptive on something as thoroughly controversial as this, it goes against the very core, it seems to me, of the First Amendment.”

Hentoff called the ACLU endorsement “a really extraordinary mistake.” The ACLU advocacy for abortion rights has eclipsed its support for free speech, he told The Sun. “It’s the problem the ACLU has had for years,” Hentoff said.

And its not likely to change anytime soon. After all, some of the ACLU's most lucrative donations are from pro-abortion groups. Its a much more profitable business than milking taxpayers over prayer and such. It is a $90 billion dollar industry. No wonder the ACLU thinks teaching abstinence is harmful. Its harmful to their pocketbook.

The proposal is unneeded, representatives of crisis pregnancy centers said.

“This legislation is unnecessary, as it aims to cure an ill that doesn’t exist,” Care Net President Kurt Entsminger said in a written release. Care Net is a nationwide network of about 900 evangelical Christian, pregnancy help centers. “This is nothing more than a routine attack on pregnancy centers by organizations seeking to limit their competition. We find it particularly curious that in her announcement Rep. Maloney did not cite one example of a pregnancy center that is engaging in deceptive advertising.”

Tom Glessner, president of the National Institute of Family Life Advocates (NIFLA), said in a written statement that crisis pregnancy centers “are providing accurate, truthful and complete information to empower women to choose life. The only fraudulent activity in this area comes from those in the abortion industry who want to withhold truthful information from abortion-vulnerable women.”

Amen to that! I've always thought abortion advocates were the ones that were deceptively named. Planned Parenthood? How deceptive is that? It has absolutely nothing to do with parenthood, or planning. Here is the straight talk on the deceptive business of abortion.

So-called "counseling" in Planned Parenthood clinics is really marketing, providing few facts and is heavily biased in favor of abortion.25

• Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) was started by a racist, Margaret Sanger, who drew upon writings from socialists and eugenicists. She even published articles from Adolf Hitler's director of eugenic sterilization, Ernst Rudin, and spawned "The Negro Project," her strategy for eliminating the black population. In the last week of July 2002, a lawyer in Missouri filed a federal lawsuit against PFFA for their failure to fully inform women about abortion. The lawyer also agreed that PP is a racist organization that targets minority women.

• "If a girl decides to carry her baby to term, ... clinics don't make any money. They make money only if she has an abortion. So, inevitably, clinics put pressure on women to abort." -- Carol Everett, who once owned and operated four lucrative abortion clinics.

• "Nita Whitten, who once worked in an abortion clinic, says she was trained by a professional marketing firm in how to sell abortion over the phone. The main tactic abortion clinics use is fear. The phone operator asks the girl how late her period is and then tells her, 'You're pregnant.' Not 'You might be pregnant,' but 'You are pregnant.' When a girl calls, Nita says, the object is not to help her; it's to 'hook the sale.'"

• After the abortion, the girl is given free birth-control pills since, on the pill, she's more likely to be sexually active. But since young people often do not remember to take pills consistently, there's a good chance the girl will return to the clinic pregnant again. As Carol Everett puts it, "birth control sells abortions. Abortion is a business. A big business that uses slick marketing tools." read more

In announcing the introduction of her bill, Maloney said in a written release that some crisis pregnancy centers “should be called ‘Counterfeit Pregnancy Centers.’ They have the right to exist, but they shouldn’t have the right to deceive in order to advance their particular beliefs.”

Maloney’s bill is H.R. 5052. There is not a companion bill in the Senate.

Counterfeit Pregnancy Centers? This bill is garbage! Can you imagine the reaction if we were to create legislation forcing abortion providers to label their places "Baby Killing shops?" I'm sure we all could come up with some creative ones.

This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. If you would like to join us, please email Jay or Gribbit. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll. Over 180 blogs already on-board

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What is one of the most explosive issues within this raging debate? Personally, and I am sure most of you share the concern with what, and to what extent do "illegal immigrants" or "undocumented workers" enjoy in entitlements and governmental resources? Whether you believe that this is a problem or not is somewhat moot, for it is an argument that is infused within the debate.

Insert the Fair tax into the equation, and this argument is nearly gutted in its entirety. With the Fair Tax, and as Mr. Boortz and Congressman Linder state in a better manner than I:

The underground economy, which currently escapes taxes on about $1.5 trillion, would no longer enjoy its tax-free status. The illegal activities in which they engage would not be legalized, but every retail purchase the criminals made - whether a mochachino or a Mercedes - would be taxed the same as yours and mine.

Herein, Mr. Boortz and Congressman Linder are specifically addressing such activities as tax evasion, drug dealing, et al; however, it is not outside the realm of imagination to see just how this would correlate to the problem of "illegal immigrants" not paying their "fair share" of taxes. It is undisputed that they pay little or no taxes based on the arrangement they have with their employers. It is argued frequently that many of them do pay portions of their taxes via fake and counterfeit social security numbers, but this is just a portion and it pales in comparison to what many hard-working Americans pay year in and year out under our current tax system. The Fair Tax would be a definitive solution, for it ensures that every new purchase or service would generate income. Furthermore, it would arguably create an incentive for these immigrants to seek the legal recourse for they would more than likely be precluded from the "prebate" we have discussed before.

Thus, with the advent of the Fair Tax, much of the political rhetoric and strife may be gutted since a tremendous concern of many Americans would be alleviated in the short term.

The FairTax Blogburst is jointly produced by Jonathan of Publius Rendezvous and Terry of The Right Track Blog. If you would like to join us, please e-mail Jonathan or Terry. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll.

FairTax Blogroll

• Ogre's Politics & Views


• Blue State Conservatives


• Oblogatory Anecdotes


• Euphoric Reality


• Slobokan's Site O' Schtuff


• Right Truth


• Liberally Conservative


• United Conservatives of Virginia


• Third World County


• Ms. Underestimated


• The Buzz Blog


• Area 417


• Stuck On Stupid


• Publius Rendezvous


• The Right Track


• Cao's Blog


• Right Wing Nation


• Kim Priestap


• Don Surber

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Many people would disagree with that. They think we're on the brink of a civil war, or even a race war, pitting, as some MSM outlets put it, "Latino against Anglo." I'll agree that the situation looks grim. Just look at the last few days. Out-of-control students hoisted a foreign flag over our own (upside-down) Stars and Stripes. A principal ran the Mexican flag up his school's flagpole. A school tried to ban the wearing of any flag, including the American flag. An ROTC cadet who stepped forward to stop the desecration of our beloved flag (and burned the Mexican colors) is now facing felony charges, while Mexican students and protestors burn U.S. flags with manic glee--and under the "protection" of the First Amendment. (I don't believe flag burning should be legal, thus the quotes.)

All these events combine and almost give you a feeling that you're coming up on the crest of a waterfall, right? You're about to pitch over the side, and you're grabbing for anything that will keep you from falling over into a tide of something you never thought you'd see in your own country. Maybe you saw the waterfall a long time ago and you've been trying to tell others. Maybe you were just floating along, enjoying the ride, and suddenly you heard the roar of it; faint, but insistent. Not here yet, but coming. Now, here it is.

I admit it--I am afraid. Afraid that the way of life I once helped protect, the precious, sweet freedoms that all of us enjoy, will be taken from us in the interests of "not offending anyone." I'm afraid that the beautiful countrysides and breathtaking scenery that my country boasts will be lost in a sprawling urban jungle, necessary to support the severe overpopulation that is coming from beyond our borders. I have seen that my family is not safe from the threat of Muslim hatred or the illegal immigrant's ideas of entitlement, and that frightens me.

Aside from the fear, however, is a deep, abiding sense of anger. And it's not just me. I see it in the comments readers leave here, I hear it in the voices of those who are dear to me. There are joking comments about the price of ammo at Cabela's, there are amusing photos of toilet paper stamped with the Mexican flag, but beneath it all, there is anger, and rightfully so. Courage is not being fearless. It is acting in spite of your fear; it is doing what needs to be done, regardless of the personal cost.

We are in the midst of a revolution--one to keep our own land safe and free. We stand as our fathers and grandfathers once stood against the fury of the Japanese. We stand as their fathers did, and their great-grandfathers. We stand against an entire religion that actively seeks our death. We stand against a force that surges from our borders, seeking to overrun, to conquer.

As an American, I stand to say, "You will not conquer me."

Every generation must pay its dues, and as Jefferson said, the tree of liberty must be watered from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots."

He never said that the watering will occur on foreign soil. Indeed, the Revolutionary War was fought on lawns, in towns, in our very homes.

He never promised that only the military will be forced to provide the patriot's blood. Everyone who believed in freedom had a part to play, and in our history, civilians have given their lives for the sake of our country.

He only said it was necessary to ensure liberty. Sooner or later, lives must be given in service to freedom.

That time is coming, when all of us will be asked to count the cost, and give what we believe we must, for the sake of our children. If we do our part, it does not exempt our children. Their own time will come to give. But if we do nothing, our children will not even have the sacred honor of knowing what it is to serve a higher purpose, for there will be nothing to live for.

I believe that the situation is critical, yes. But I also choose to believe that Americans can rise up and do what needs to be done. I don't mean the politicians. I don't mean the pro-immigrant, pro-terrorism, leftist forces that seek the destruction of our country and the erosion of our moral fiber. I'm talking about you and me. I'm talking about Americans who understand the incredible gift that was given to us by those who came before. I'm talking about those who, like the Minutemen of our history, decided to do more than talk, more than complain.

We could lay down and give up. We could easily look at the state of affairs and say, "Why bother? It'll never work." In doing so, we'd be like just about every other country facing similar problems with out-of-control immigration, riots, and Muslim violence.

But we're not every other country. And I don't give a damn if that's arrogant. I am a citizen of the greatest, most amazing country this world has to offer, and I'm proud of it.

The fight is here, in our neighborhoods and streets. It is not about rights, it's not about racism. It's about theft and laziness. It's about entitlement, and those who despise our country wanting only to suck it dry for themselves. It's about misguided history. It's about a complete ignorance of what makes this country what it has been for over two hundred years.

A student in the protests the other day said that he thought the rest of his family should be able to come over from Mexico and "get some freedom." That statement embodies so much of what is wrong here. Freedom is not a commodity. It is not something you can pick up in the Accessories department at JC Penney. It's not something you just "come over and get." For those of us who have grown up in the shadow of the great men of our history, those of us who understand the meaning of the phrase "live free or die," that student's words were a disgrace; they were perhaps as offensive as seeing the flag as it never should be, under the flag of another nation, used as a target of ridicule and scorn.

I refuse to lie down and let the waterfall carry me. I refuse to be silent as my country is overrun by those who care not a whit about what it truly costs to live here. "American" is not a geographical designation. It is not simply the country of my birth. It is how I grew up, who I am, and who I will choose to be for the rest of my life. I am free, and I don't care who you are--I will never let you disgrace the honor that it is to be a part of this nation.

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This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It was started by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we’re going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration facing our country, join our blogburst! Just send an email with your blog name and url to euphoricrealitynet at gmail dot com.

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