CCTA Watchdog Report- 27 February 2013

New Bern Board of Aldermen Meeting - 26 February 2013

At the last minute, we decided that CCTA needed to be represented at this meeting for one principal reason. Rick Hopkins, Chairman, had discovered that the Board of Aldermen had held a "Retreat" at which the Board had decided to give the City Manager a $30,000 bonus over a period of three years to retain his services. This is highly unusual as "retreats" are commonly believed to be goal setting sessions, study periods and such things. It is not expected to be a meeting at which motions are made for specific Board actions such as this one involving personnel, and then acted on.

Anyway, the meeting served to be a reminder of why I personally have disliked attending most of the Board of Aldermen's meetings that I have attended. Other CCTA members there were Lynn Childs, Ann Tipple and Connie Hannah. Our friends Stevie Bennett (henceforth known as PIA) and Tony Bonnici were also there, and sat with our group.

Here are some agenda items that I'm sure will be of interest to CCTA members:

1) Hometown Connections (a nation-wide electric utility industry consulting group) gave an "Organizational Check-up" for New Bern's electric utility. It was one of those love fests that paid staff and consultants usually give. He did have a few gems in his nearly hour-long dissertation. One was we might have to learn to "do less with less" in the coming economic conditions. He said government had a right to expect profits from an "enterprise" endeavor. Mayor Bettis made it clear that he believes the burden of debt that New Bern's utility operation carries has made it very hard to keep electricity rates as low as customers would like. We have to agree on that. However, the consultant said that the utility was positioned to do well in the future since he thought the nuclear side of electricity generation will fare better in the future than coal generated electricity. He also said the General Fund Transfer policy had been good. That surprised me as I have felt critical of that since I don't live in New Bern and the General Fund Transfers have meant that I have paid into New Bern's coffers from their profits in providing electricity to customers. I guess I would have to contribute to someone's profits, so if it is managed as well as the consultant thinks, I guess it is ok. He said the utility did well in pursuing thieves and cheats. On the weak side, he said that transparency to customers and customer education in general was poor (surprise, surprise). He said bad debt was a problem, and that he understood the region has been hit hard. I wish the folks spending our taxpayer money understood that! Enough on this subject.

2) There was a "public hearing" on the Community Development Block Grant for 2009. As at Craven County's public hearings, there was almost no citizen participation in the process. I believe that is about to change.

3) There was a presentation of "Preliminary Findings" on a resolution to finance capital improvements with Revenue Bonds instead of mortgages on properties. Seems New Bern does not have enough tax revenue and plans to borrow to make purchases of real estate.

4) Budget meetings will be conducted on 16 April, 21 March and 23 March 2013. On 14 May 2013, there will be a "Department Head Overview" and workshop.

5) Next came the subject of the bonus for the City Manager. Mayor Bettis absolutely refused to allow any discussion on the subject. Alderman Outlaw wanted to object to the venue of a "retreat" being used to conduct this business. The Mayor gaveled him down. Alderman Outlaw tried numerous times to be heard on the subject. He tried introducing a motion and again was declared out of order by the Mayor. Alderman Outlaw got out of his seat at the Alderman's table and went to the other end of that area.

I don't know what rules of order the New Bern Board of Aldermen use, but it in no way resembles Roberts Rules of Order. The Mayor insisted that the agenda as presented had to be rigorously followed with no deviations. The agenda item concerning the bonus for the City Manager was number 10, "Inform Public of Approval of Amendment to Employment Agreement with the City Manager." That was all he would allow to happen. He was constantly banging his gavel to stop any discussion and to restore order. He informed the Aldermen that they could "have their say" under agenda item 15, Announcements.

The Mayor ran into trouble again with Agenda Item 11, Approve Minutes. Alderman Outlaw again vainly sought the floor. He was immediately called out of order by the Mayor, but continued to talk anyway. He wanted to know who had written those minutes (taken at the "retreat" since the City Clerk was not present nor was a legal representative). Seemed a fair question to me, when approval of the minutes was being considered. Alderman Outlaw stated that the meeting was not legally constituted and that no one had actually taken minutes. At that point, Alderman Bengel stated that she had been keeping some notes and that they had been used to construct the minutes (she neglected to say by whom). The Mayor then decided to skip trying to get the minutes approved (so much for the strict following of the agenda).

All "you know what" broke loose under agenda item 15, Announcements. Aldermen Bengel, Outlaw, White, Taylor, and Kinsey all said they were under the impression that the matter would be voted on at this meeting. Aldermen Bengel and Bucher both said they would stand by the decision to give the City Manager the bonus. All stated emphatically that there was no attempt to hide the action from the public. Tony Bonnici shouted out that that was a lie. He had to get a guard to admit him to the meeting at the "retreat" which was held at the history center after hours.

All of the hullabaloo seems to have come to naught as Mayor Bettis ruled all attempts (there were several) to put forward motions to alter the course of action. I have never before seen one man bully so and be allowed to get his way over the objections of so many involved in conducting the business of an organization!

Let me say that Mayor Bettis has always extended every courtesy to me and CCTA, even offering us extended time on an agenda to express our views. Every single Alderman has also been courteous and friendly. My complaint is against no one personally, but in the apparent lack of parliamentary procedure practiced in this meeting.

I was not even sure the motion for adjournment was passed by a majority, but the meeting did break up.


Footnote:  Stevie Bennett provided me with the information that the compensation (before the bonus) to the City Manager is as follows:

Salary $143,072
Reimbursement for heath and dental insurance $3,048
Car allowance $6,000
Annual evaluation bonus $3,766
COLA $3,560
Total $159,446

Plus:
City paid moving expense $6,500
Family health insurance contribution up to $3,000
Housing allowance up to $3,600
At $900 per month

On Channel 12's 11:00 o'clock news last night (26 Feb 13), it was stated that the salary paid to New Bern's City Manager exceeds the salary of the Governor of North Carolina and that of the City Managers of several major cities. Greenville, Kinston, and Morehead City were among them. They did a story about dissatisfaction among citizens on the matter of a bonus for the City Manager. They interviewed Stevie Bennett for this piece.

BREAKING NEWS - THE CITY MANAGER DECLINED THE BONUS TODAY!!

Respectfully Submitted,
Hal James, CCTA Watchdog Committee Chairman

TheBlaze Fact-Checks Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Anti-Gun Claims Made During Senate Committee Hearing

With photos of Sandy Hook Elementary School victims in the background, Senate Judiciary Committee member, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. speaks on on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. during the committee’s hearing on the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) made her case in favor of gun control during a packed hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. The hearing was called to debate Feinstein’s proposed a ban on so-called “assault weapons.”

“Let me now describe the key features of our new legislation, the ‘Assault Weapons Ban of 2013,’” Feinstein said Wednesday. “The bill bans the sale, transfer, importation, and manufacturing of 157 specifically named semi-automatic assault weapons.”

She continued: “It also bans any other assault weapon, which is defined as a semi-automatic weapon that can accept a detachable magazine and has one military characteristic, such as a pistol grip, barrel shroud, or folding stock…These features were developed for military weapons to make them more effective and efficient at killing people in close-combat situations.”…….

But do the facts support Feinstein’s argument?

Let’s start with the claim that mass killings are on the rise in the United States. According to the Associated Press, those who study mass shootings say they are not becoming more common.

“There is no pattern, there is no increase,” says criminologist James Allen Fox of Boston’s Northeastern University, who has been studying the subject since the 1980s, spurred by a rash of mass shootings in post offices.

READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE: 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/27/fact-check-sen-feinstein-claims-u-s-has-witnessed-an-increased-number-of-mass-shootings-during-gun-control-hearing/

WNBU Brings Mike Huckabee to New Bern, April 5th

Jihad has been declared on America!

WAKE UP!! OUR MISSION IS TO SAVE AMERIA

WHEN CONGRESS LACKS THE COURAGE.

While many refuse to accept the truth, and do nothing, Muslims infiltrate and Obama destroys every aspect of culture sacred and dear to Americans.

ISLAM DOES NOT ASSIMILATE. IT CONQUERS!

LEARN ABOUT ISLAM, THE KORAN, STEALTH-CREEPING SHARIA,

RECOGNIZW CULTURAL JIHAD, SHARIA LAW, ABORGATION, TEQUIA.

WHY HAS ISLAM MADE MORE INROADS IN AMERICA THE PAST FOUR YEARS THAN EVER BEFORE IN OUR HISTORY?

CHRIS PARR, SPEAKER, WRITER, PRODUCER

WAYNE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY HEADQUARTERS

147 S. CENTER ST. GOLDSBORO

MARCH 19TH, 7:00 PM

If you love America, come learn about those who are destroying it and join us.  Public is invited.

Info:  Linda Harper 919-751-1090

Note:  CCTA is a non partisan organization.  We do not endorse any particular candidate or political party.  News items are presented for you the reader to help you become informed and reach your own conclusions.

Gov’t Office Warns Sequester Will Hurt Agency…That Doesn’t Exist Anymore

Of all the “horrors” the March 1 sequester will inflict on our nation, perhaps the most terrifying are the cuts it will force on non-existent government programs, or so says the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).


Yeah, let us explain.

Acting in compliance with The Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012, as Reason’s Mike Riggs notes, the OMB in September 2012 delivered a report detailing the effects of the automatic spending cuts to Congress.

“But there’s a small problem with the report: One of the cuts it warns against would affect an agency that no longer exists–and didn’t exist when the OMB sent its report to congress,” Riggs notes.

“The first line item on page 121 of the OMB’s September 2012 report says that under sequestration the National Drug Intelligence Center would lose $2 million of its $20 million budget,” he adds.

Yes, according to the OMB, that’s roughly 8.2 percent of the overall budget cuts. But wait. There’s more!

CONTINUED:  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/26/govt-office-warns-sequester-will-hurt-agencythat-doesnt-exist-anymore/

Watch As Obama Press Sec. Tries To Explain Why Group Is Auctioning Access to Obama for $500K

Organizing for Action (OFA), a group “closely affiliated” with liberal heavyweights such as billionaire philanthropist George Soros, is offering donors access to President Obama in exchange for $500,000, according to a recent New York Times report.


Not too surprisingly, once word got out that this supposedly “independent” political group — which is headed by President Obama’s former campaign manager Jim Messina — has been auctioning off face time with the president, the reaction has been, well, less than pleased.

Even White House Press Secretary Jay Carney struggled Monday defending Messina’s group’s actions:

VIDEO:  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/25/watch-as-obama-press-sec-tries-to-explain-why-group-is-auctioning-access-to-obama-for-500k/

Times Square Billboards Blast Media Bias

A conservative watchdog group that documents liberal bias in the media has rented five huge billboards in Manhattan’s Times Square as part of its “Stop Censoring the News” campaign.

The billboards seek to “educate the public about how certain media outlets apparently are spinning their coverage or simply censoring news critical of the Obama administration to protect and promote a liberal agenda,” CNS News reported.

The billboards, totaling 3,800 square feet, were rented by the Media Research Center (MRC), parent organization of CNS News.

Two of the billboards read, “It’s Time the Liberal Media Stop Censoring the News,” and two others read, “Start Telling the Truth” above an image of three monkeys, labeled ABC, CBS, and NBC, in a “see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” pose.

CONTINUED:  http://news.newsmax.com/?Z6I6XNphFC2DjiIP1MvvGDuHU3bfbLI1Z

Unwed Couples to Get Military Benefits — Only If They’re Gay

Outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has issued a directive stating that certain military benefits formerly reserved for married couples will now be extended to unmarried partners — but only if they’re same-sex partners.

Heterosexual unmarried partners do not qualify for the benefits.

Panetta issued his directive in a memorandum to the secretaries of the military departments and the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

Citing the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, Panetta states: “Discrimination based on sexual orientation no longer has a place in the military.”

The memorandum continues: “At the direction of the President, the Department has conducted a careful and deliberative review of the benefits currently provided to the families of Service members. We have now identified additional family member and dependent benefits that we can lawfully provide to same-sex domestic partners of Military Service members and their children through changes in Department of Defense policies and regulations.

CONTINUED:  http://news.newsmax.com/?Z6I6XNphFC2DjiIP1MvvGDuHU3bfbLI1Z

Keystone Pipeline is Key to Future

Everything we will ever need to know about the Obama Administration may come down to a single decision. And that is whether Obama, along with newly sworn in Secretary of State John Kerry, approve the Keystone XL pipeline from the Alberta tar sands to the U.S. For, contained in that decision is not just the future energy independence of North America — the U.S. currently depends on foreign sources for 45 percent of our fuel— but perhaps the future prosperity of the American economy. If completed, the expanded pipeline — there actually is another Keystone pipeline from Alberta operated by TransCanada that already delivers about 590,000 barrels of oil a day — will add another 500,000 barrels a day to the mix.


The fact the Chinese are waiting in the wings to claim this energy for themselves would be reason enough to approve it. Beijing has offered to pay for building an alternative pipeline to the Pacific coast to have the oil shipped there. For now, global production keeps up with global demand, but developing economies like China and India — oil importers both — invariably are leading to higher demand. Which means every drop we fail to develop here, whether in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, or fail to gain access to, as in Canada, is driving up prices at the pump.

The recent run-up in gasoline prices provides yet another warning to the Obama Administration of the types of price pressures the American people will be faced with in the future should we fail to become energy independent. Since Jan. alone, the price for a gallon of regular gasoline has jumped by $.44 to $3.69 on Feb. 18,reports the Energy Information Agency.

MUCH MORE:  http://netrightdaily.com/2013/02/keystone-pipeline-is-the-key-to-the-future/#ixzz2Le9JwmSR

Homeschool education credit and “2R” bills filed

Homeschool education credit and “2R” bills filed

House Bill 144: Homeschool Education Income Tax Credit would allow home school families to claim an income tax credit of $1,250 per semester ($2,500 per year) for each dependent, home schooled child. A quartet of first and second term Republican legislators – Larry Pittman, Carl Ford, Chris Malone, and Jacqueline Schaffer – are the primary sponsors of the bill.


An education bill sure to raise some eyebrows is House Bill 146: Back to Basics. It would add two new curriculum requirements: Cursive Writing. – The standard course of study shall include the requirement that the public schools provide instruction in cursive writing so that students create readable documents through legible cursive handwriting by the end of fifth grade. Multiplication Tables. – The standard course of study shall include the requirement that students enrolled in public schools memorize multiplication tables to demonstrate competency in efficiently multiplying numbers.

CONTINUED:  http://lockerroom.johnlocke.org/2013/02/21/homeschool-education-credit-and-2r-bills-filed/

Liberal groups lay out blueprint for attack on NC state leaders

RALEIGH, N.C. — A strategy memo circulated recently among liberal-leaning groups prescribes "crippling" legislative leaders and Gov. Pat McCrory with bad press and pressure tactics.

The memo, which was first reported by The Charlotte Observer, details communications strategy, political tactics and polling data that progressive groups can use to push the policy agenda in Raleigh, where Republicans control both the governor's mansion and the legislature.

According to documents included with the memo and interviews, the strategy outline was produced by Myers Research and Strategic Services for Project New America. It was originally provided to Progress North Carolina, a liberal nonprofit that has aggressively attacked McCrory during the 2012 campaign and his early term in office. Progress North Carolina shared the memo with Blueprint NC, a nonprofit that coordinates the activities of liberal-leaning nonprofits. In turn, Blueprint NC distributed it to its member organizations.

CONTINUED:  http://www.wral.com/liberal-group-lays-out-blueprint-for-attack-on-state-leaders/12136669/

Disarming America

A Message from our Chairman, Rick Hopkins:

This infuriates me! Every God fearing American should contact their legislators today and demand action be taken to stop this. The very heroes that have risked life and limb and sacrificed beyond belief for the country they loved and believed in are being stripped of the rights they fought for. These are not the rights afforded them by bureaucrats and legislators, these are the God given rights that all men have been graced with which were affirmed by our founding fathers and the authors of our founding documents such as the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence. Read them people, study them, understand them, teach them and defend them. When is Enough going to be Enough?

The following is from Red Flag News, the link is at the end. Please take action and let our voices be heard. Rather than supporting our heroes and providing care and assistance, our government has chosen to label them as defective to satisfy a political agenda and deny them their God given rights without due process and no method of recourse. Where is the America they fought for, when will it fight for them?

Rick Hopkins
Chairman, Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association


DISARMING AMERICA'S HEROES: Veterans Receiving Letters Prohibiting The Purchase, Possession, Receipt, Or Transport Of A Firearm Or Ammunition...

February 20, 2013
Written By Constitutional Attorney Michael Connelly, J.D.

How would you feel if you received a letter from the U.S. Government informing you that because of a physical or mental condition that the government says you have it is proposing to rule that you are incompetent to handle your own financial affairs? Suppose that letter also stated that the government is going to appoint a stranger to handle your affairs for you at your expense? That would certainly be scary enough but it gets worse.

What if that letter also stated: “A determination of incompetency will prohibit you from purchasing, possessing, receiving, or transporting a firearm or ammunition. If you knowingly violate any of these prohibitions, you may be fined, imprisoned, or both pursuant to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, Pub.L.No. 103-159, as implemented at 18, United States Code 924(a)(2).”?

That makes is sound like something right from a documentary on a tyrannical dictatorship somewhere in the world. Yet, as I write this I have a copy of such a letter right in front of me. It is being sent by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of America’s heroes. In my capacity as Executive Director of the United States Justice Foundation (USJF) I have been contacted by some of these veterans and the stories I am getting are appalling.

The letter provides no specifics on the reasons for the proposed finding of incompetency; just that is based on a determination by someone in the VA. In every state in the United States no one can be declared incompetent to administer their own affairs without due process of law and that usually requires a judicial hearing with evidence being offered to prove to a judge that the person is indeed incompetent. This is a requirement of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that states that no person shall “… be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law…”.

Obviously, the Department of Veterans Affairs can’t be bothered by such impediments as the Constitution, particularly since they are clearly pushing to fulfill one of Obama’s main goals, the disarming of the American people. Janet Napolitano has already warned law enforcement that some of the most dangerous among us are America’s heroes, our veterans, and now according to this letter from the VA they can be prohibited from buying or even possessing a firearm because of a physical or mental disability.

CONTINUE READING:  http://redflagnews.com/headlines/disarming-americas-heros-veterans-receiving-official-letters-prohibiting-them-from-purchasing-possessing-receiving-or-transporting-a-firearm-or-ammunition

Sun Journal New Bern: Sheriff assures crowd he supports Second Amendment

CCTA MEETING FEBRUARY 19, 2013--2nd Amendment Rights

By Sue Book, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 19:32 PM.

Gun control issues and Second Amendment rights have taken center stage in recent months with mass shootings calling into question the kinds of guns and ammunition the amendment allows and the kinds of people who should be allowed to carry firearms.

Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association hosted a lively meeting on the topic “Second” Tuesday night that brought more than 125 (about 145 people) group members and guests to BridgePointe Hotel. Area law enforcement leaders were also invited to share their position on gun law enforcement.

Association chairman Rick Hopkins said, “Our main objective is to bring the issues to a public forum so there is good discussion, education.”

He read the Second Amendment: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

“I don’t know how much clearer the founders could have made it,” he said. “The Second Amendment was not to provide us with the right to go hunting. It was to allow us to protect ourselves from a tyrannical government.”

Craven County Sheriff Jerry Monette was the only sworn law enforcement official who accepted the invitation to speak, although New Bern Police Chief Toussaint E. Summers, Jr. came by but did not speak and Jones County Sheriff Danny Heath and Trent Woods Police Chief Tony Woods sent a statements.

“I am sworn to uphold the Constitution,” Monette said, and he supports a person’s right to bear arms and participates in area gun shows to facilitate permitting.


He said, “I’ve seen a deluge of permit requests, accelerated demand especially from women” just like the last time gun control issues came to the forefront in Congress and the media. “I signed 106 permits in the last week.”


CONTINUED:  http://www.newbernsj.com/news/local/sheriff-assures-crowd-he-supports-second-amendment-1.99172

Civitas Institute: Elections Bureaucrats Ran Amok

In a blatantly partisan move, the staff of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) successfully subverted state law to facilitate online voter registration in North Carolina by the 2012 Barak Obama campaign.

In doing so they coordinated with partisans behind closed doors, lied about the NC Attorney General’s Office concurring with the SBE staff on the issue, and dodged oversight by their own board and the legislature. The end result was to add thousands of people to the North Carolina voter rolls illegally.

The SBE staff’s audacity is so breath-taking that it’s hard to believe, so let us emphasize: The Civitas Institute has documented how SBE bureaucrats conspired with a private company, working for the Obama campaign, to facilitate a form of online voter registration for the 2012 General Election – in violation of state law. It’s a classic example of how bureaucrats ignore the democratic process and hijack an agency for partisan purposes.


YOU MUST READ THIS ENTIRE ARTICLE!!!!  http://www.nccivitas.org/2013/elections-bureaucrats-ran-amok/

CCTA Meeting Tonight--Channell 12 Coverage

Law enforcement leaders give their takes on gun control


Meeting held in New Bern Tuesday night

By Christy Andrews, Reporter

11:59 PM Feb 19 2013


NEW BERN - The Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association held a meeting about proposed gun control laws Tuesday evening, and local law enforcement leaders were asked about their thoughts on the issue.

Close to 100 (It was about 135-140) people showed up for the meeting, held at the Bridgeton Hotel in New Bern. Residents asked Craven County Sheriff Jerry Monette about his stance on gun control.

Resident Mark Jones was one of two people who asked the sheriff why he hasn't signed a pledge to protect Craven County citizens from constitutional infringements, specifically against the Second Amendment.

"I take my oath of office seriously," Sheriff Monette said. "I feel like I have done that and will continue to do that."


But Jones said he did not like what he heard.

VIDEO AND MORE:  http://www.wcti12.com/news/Law-enforcement-leaders-give-their-takes-on-gun-control/-/13530444/18992988/-/1q5nraz/-/index.html


--

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan confronts hurdle on immigration reform - Winston-Salem Journal: State / Region:

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan confronts hurdle on immigration reform - Winston-Salem Journal: State / Region:

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan confronts hurdle on immigration reform-- Two years ago, Sen. Kay Hagan was among five Democrats who joined Republicans to defeat an immigration reform effort.


Now, some of those same Democrats from conservative states could be pivotal to the success of a broader overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, political analysts say.

Supporters for immigration feel they can get enough Democrats to pass the bill that would grant a path to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants.

But Israel Ortega, editor of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation’s Spanish language website, Libertad.org, said it could take only a few reluctant Democrats such as Hagan to wreck the bill.

As an example, he noted the Democrats who joined Senate Republicans two years ago to doom an effort that would have given hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants a path to legal status. They would have needed to enroll in college or joined the military.

CONTINUED:  http://www.journalnow.com/news/state_region/article_6701d8e0-7a93-11e2-ac57-001a4bcf6878.html

Prayer at the New Bern Mall

Last Saturday, our Chairman, Rick Hopkins, helped to inspire a 'flash mob' for prayer at the New Bern Mall.  Here is a posting by Rick:

Prayer at the mall.

Published February 16, 2013.
By Rick.

This morning our pastor and several other pastors and christians from around the area gathered at the New Bern mall to pray for the upcoming City Wide Crusade coming March 14th-16th.

Please join us as christians and churches unite to seek a revival and a return to God and His commandments in this great land.

Here is a copy of the prayer we prayed.

Almighty God creator of the heavens and the universe and all things within, you have promised that where two or more are gathered together in Thy name You will be in the midst of them and Bless them. Today Father we gather in Your name beseeching Your blessings upon the upcoming citywide crusade to be held here next month. We ask Lord that you would bind Satan from all attempts to impede and prevent the success of this crusade to win the lost to you. We further ask Father that you would loose your Holy Spirit upon this community and draw your people into service in preparation for this event.

Father God we ask that you would bring a deep conviction of sin, spiritual brokenness, a holy fear of God and genuine repentance among His people.

Father we Pray for deep cleansing, genuine repentance, and spiritual power to engulf pastors and Christian leaders.

We ask you Father to bestow spiritual hunger in His people and draw them to ferventintercession.

We ask Lord that you will bring loving unity in our churches and a deep harmony between our churches.

We ask you Father to fill Your people with a passion to see people saved.

We pray God for You to give Your people a passion for missions and starting churches.

We pray that You Father God will call thousands into ministry, missions and Christian service.

We pray that You will pour out Your Holy Spirit like a mighty purifying flood.

We pray for a mighty move of conviction and salvation upon communities of cultural influence.

God pour out Your Spirit like never before that souls will be saved and drawn to thy service and that our land might be saved and returned to Thy graces to once more be that shining example to the world.

In the Holy and Precious name of Jesus we pray.

Amen
We then sang Amazing Grace. Praise God!

Originally posted at:  http://www.saintmarysfwb.com/

Well done Rick!

Tea Party Patriots to Govt: Stop Squirming. Sequester!

It’s time for government to honor its promise to cut over-spending.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Tea Party Patriots, the nation’s largest tea party organization, called on the government to stop trying to squirm out of sequestration, and to honor its promise to cut over-spending.

“President Obama signed into law a promise to cut over-spending,” said Lynn Childs, Tea Party Chairman for Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association.  “Now the government is trying to squirm out of the deal and keep over-spending. The Tea Party Patriots and CCTA are calling on the government to stop trying to squirm out of sequestration, stop over-spending, and to honor its promises – for a change.”

The so-called “sequestration” deal, signed into law by President Obama in 2011, was to have government over-spend a little more slowly this year than it did last year. A July 2011 White House fact sheet praised the deal that gave us the sequester as “a win for the economy and budget discipline.” At the time, President Obama said it didn’t impact the middle class or working families. Now, the President calls his sequester idea “a really bad idea” that would hurt middle class and working families.

“The President and his party are trying to scare American families into letting government over-spend even more. 73% of Americans want the government to cut over-spending, while only 15% want the government to spend more,” said Childs, quoting a poll by Anderson Robbins Research and Shaw & Company Research.

“It’s time for government to stop squirming, honor the sequestration deal they created and signed, and cut government over-spending now.”

Tea Party Patriots is a national grassroots coalition with more than 3,400 locally organized chapters and more than 15 million supporters nationwide. Tea Party Patriots is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free markets. Visit Tea Party Patriots online at www.TeaPartyPatriots.org.

For further information, please contact Lynn Childs, 252-528-0500, email lynn.ccta@gmail.com./

###

The Republican Party of Beaufort County Presents

Our Annual Reagan Day Dinner

Join Us as We Honor, President Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States.

Our Keynote Speaker will be the

Honorable Dan Forest, North Carolina Lt. Governor.

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Registration and “Meet and Greet” at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 7:00 pm

Washington Yacht and Country Club, 7155 River Road, Washington, NC 27889

Phone, email or Mailed Reservations Required. Dinner is $35.00 per person. Sponsorships are available for $100.00.

Contact: Jackie Van Essendelft, Chair, Reagan Day Dinner Committee (975-1312)

CCTA Watchdog Report: Trent Wood Commissioners Meeting, February 7, 2013

The Board of Commissioners of Trent Woods met on February 7, 2013.

The mayor, Chuck Tyson presiding, there was an invocation and a pledge of allegiance.

Citizen Josh Taylor, brought his concern before the Board. He Stated very firmly that he did not approve of the procedures used in tax collecting. Later in the meeting, the need for a new tax collector for the finance department was discussed. The Town has received 15 applications for this position and they will be considered carefully.

There was an update on the status of sidewalk repairs in Trent Woods. We want to comment that side walk's are certainly a legitimate function of government from which all citizens benefit.

Likewise, there was discussion of a water main breakage in New Bern. Again, this is a legitimate function of government concern.

A concern in Trent Woods is the request from the State for the Town of Trent Woods to place $4,400 in escrow to be done $2,200 per year for 2 years. This has to do with the North Carolina Legislature's effort to repay the federal government for loans connected to the workman's and unemployment compensation programs. Heretofore, communities were permitted to pay workman's compensation claims as they occurred. now each community will to have to establish an escrow account with the State to ensure ability to pay. Apparently some communities have not lived up to their obligations (Trent Woods has) and all will have to suffer. Doesn't seem like a fair arrangement, but I don't know exactly what the State Legislature was dealing with.

Also of interest was the discussion about the North Carolina League of Municipalities concern about the merger of Duke Power and Progress Electric Company. The fear is that there will be increased fees for many communities and this again will be tied in some way with population. There will be more discussion of this at future meetings.

Respectfully submitted,
Eddella Johnson
CCTA Trent Woods Watchdog

President Unleashes a Nationwide 'Community Organizing' Campaign

Articles: President Unleashes a Nationwide 'Community Organizing' Campaign

American Thinker
February 158, 2013
By Janice Shaw Crouse

President Unleashes a Nationwide 'Community Organizing' Campaign--The president's State of the Union address (SOTU) was merely a prelude to a massive undertaking to go nationwide with his community organizing methods and objectives. This is a president who operates in campaign mode 24/7. One can make a strong case for his failure as a president, but it would be hard to claim that he lacks campaign skills. He learned at the feet of Chicago maestros. As soon as the obligatory SOTU speech was over, Mr. Obama set about revving his campaign engine -- this time for his agenda of nakedly expanding the role and reach of the federal government now that his re-election is history.

First off, he held a conference call with supporters across the nation. Thousands of activists were gathered at SOTU parties and are part of the new highly controversial activist organization, "Organizing for Action," that is designed as part PR, part campaign effort to enact and promote the president's agenda. The president's conference call was designed to mobilize the troops in the same way that he mobilized friends and neighbors in community organizing efforts in Chicago. In other words, he unleashed a nationwide community organizing effort to sell his policies for his second term: a scheme of radically transforming the governance of the nation, which will persist long after his second term ends. In addition to the conference call mobilizing troops, the president is leaving for a whirlwind tour of two states -- North Carolina and Georgia -- that will be crucial in the upcoming mid-term elections.

CONTINUED:  http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/02/president_unleashes_a_nationwide_community_organizing_campaign.html

Lenoir County 2nd Amendment Resolution

Lenoir County 2nd Amendment Resolution

February 18, 4:00 pm

Lenoir County Courthouse

Please come show support by attending.

Eric Rouse, Lenoir County Commissioner will be introducing a 2nd Amendment Resolution during the Commissioners meeting on Thursday, February 18. 2013 . Please make plans to attend as it is important for WE THE PEOPLE to show our Commissioners we expect them to uphold our God given, Constitutional rights in Lenoir County, NC. We are asking all attendees to wear RED in support of the Resolution and for the protection of our 2nd Amendment right. "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Please feel free to share the invitation to attend and be sure to RSVP so we have an idea on the number of attendees.

RSVP to Michele Nix micnix29@gmail.com, John Nix john@matrixeast.net or Commissioner Eric Rouse eric@ericrouse.com.

The Board of Commissioners of Havelock meeting, January 28, 2013.

The Board of Commissioners of Havelock Meeting on January 28, 2013.

As usual, the mayor observed a moment of silence rather than a prayer of any kind. CCTA may want to visit this area again sometime this year.

Several citizens spoke before the meeting, most in regard to the recreation area on Lewis Farm Rd. As a representative of CCTA I spoke on the purpose of government, asking that commissioners spend our money wisely and only on those things not provided by the private sector, in line with what the city could afford. I doubt that my presentation got much attention, other than courtesy.

The agenda item regarding applying for a PARTF grant for the Lewis Farm area was discussed. Apparently the city was gifted (or purchased for a low amount) a tract of land outside the city called Lewis Farm. This land came from the Coastal Land Trust which is a conservationist group who purchases land using donations and government money. They own over 20,000 acres of land in NC. In this case the land appears to have been purchased to protect air rights of Cherry Point and probably should not be developed for that reason. The City of Havelock wants to use this land to provide another recreation area for Havelock, particularly the west end. This is a rather small parcel of land and doesn't really meet the need as seen by the commissioners, however the price does fit into their budget. As a CCTA member I am concerned as the city will apply for a $500,000 grant from the state to build and maintain this area. According the the commissioners Havelock receives no money from the county for recreation even though about 40% of the use is by county residents. (They do pay a slightly higher fee for usage.) This is another indication of how government has overreached its authority by expecting state residents to provide funds for what is clearly a local need. This money should come from the city and county.

The other important item on the agenda was the presentation concerning the WWTP (Waste Water Treatment Plant) Expansion and Neuse Outfall Project and awarding the contracts for said project. There were two contracts awarded; one to upgrade the treatment plant and the other for the line to the Neuse River. The total expenditure is over $9M. Of course, some of this money was received from grants and loans from the Federal government, even though that was not discussed at this meeting. Water and sewer are legitimate projects for local government, but the funding is a problem for CCTA as it is not fully financed by city citizens. However, this improvement was needed to allow for development and expansion of Havelock. Hopefully some of the money will be recouped from developers and buyers of homes and businesses.

All other items on the agenda were of little or no consequence. The next city board meeting is February 25, 7 pm, and is open to the public.

Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Murdoch
CCTA Havelock Watchdog

Commissioner Scott Dacey, Listening Session February 20th

Dear Friends: I will be holding another of my monthly town-hall style listening sessions on Wednesday, February 20 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM. I hope you can make it.


Trent Woods Town Hall
912 Country Club Drive
Trent Woods, NC

Bypassing the Politicians on Gun Control

American Thinker:  Bypassing the Politicians on Gun Control
February 14, 2013

As we watch the lawmakers scramble to make new laws to restrict our ability to defend ourselves and our families, it becomes clear that there are few politicians representing the people or the Constitution in this manner. Despite abundantly clear Second Amendment's restrictions, the politicians seem to not care. The politicians have learned from recent history that any controversy over their current actions will blow over and be replaced by the latest pop scandal in the press by election time. Furthermore, they know that litigation against their illegal laws will take years and perhaps even decades. To bolster their point they sponsor polls and tinker with the numbers counting on people to not understand what the famed historian Alexis de Tocqueville called the "Tyranny of the Majority." The sad fact is that the politicians know they will always have their armed security and so depriving the American people of theirs is a small matter to them.

What is also becoming increasingly apparent is that the new gun control laws on the books will make criminals, even felons, out of many legal and peaceful gun owners in America. Already gun owners in New York are refusing to register their suddenly illegal weapons and thus are becoming criminals overnight. If the situation leads to gun confiscation, such as "The Great Gun Grab" after Hurricane Katrina, the possibility for violence and potentially even civil war is high.

Fortunately the Founders gave us a way to tie the hands of the government through the constitutions of both our country and our states. While amending the U.S. Constitution is a difficult process and full of political barriers, the Founders also gave us a method to bypass that procedure through the power of the 10th amendment. It is a much easier job to amend a state constitution, and that should be the avenue by which we can stop the government in its tracks in a way that they cannot easily circumvent. All we need is an amendment that clarifies the government's restrictions when it comes to our rights:

No Governmental body of the State, County or Municipality may enact laws or regulations to restrict the possession of any semiautomatic or single shot firearm, ammunition for such a firearm or accessories for such a firearm by any person who is over the age of 18 and has not been convicted of or under arraignment for a violent felony or legally adjudicated mentally defective by a court of law.

No governmental body of the State, County or Municipality may enact laws or regulations to require registration of, or permits for, of the ownership of any legally possessed firearm.

No governmental body of the State, County or Municipality may enact laws or regulations to restrict the concealed carry of any legally possessed firearm by any individual who has completed a commercial course of not less than 20 hours and not more than 40 hours on concealed carry of a firearm that covers firearm safety, safe firearm storage, ballistics in an urban environment, firearm retention in a combat situation, effective concealment, safety in public self defense situations, and marksmanship at the range and under stress. Current holders of concealed carry permits will require such certification on the renewal of their permits.

Pursuant to the Second and Tenth amendments to the United States Constitution No governmental body of the State, County or Municipality will enforce, or assist any other agency in enforcement of any Federal law unless such law is in compliance with both the state constitution and the constitution of the United States of America.

This amendment would tie the hands of the state government and block them from depriving law-abiding Americans of the capability of defending their lives and their families from an increasingly violent criminal class. Because the final clause demands that the state not participate in assisting in enforcement of federal laws, rather than barring such enforcement by the feds alone, it would be difficult for the federal government to argue that it violates the supremacy of the federal government. Since this is a potential legal sticking point, laws which prevent federal agents from enforcing noncompliant federal laws,should be normal legislation that stands on its own

Read more:  ttp://www.americanthinker.com/2013/02/bypassing_the_politicians_on_gun_control.html?utm_source=02-14-13&utm_campaign=AT+Newsletter+02-14-13&utm_medium=email#ixzz2KzdWkIvs



:

Why Raleigh Told Washington No

Why Raleigh Told Washington No  An Excellent Clarification!

John Hood Daily Journal
February 15, 2013

RALEIGH — Now that the General Assembly has made it clear North Carolina will not set up state insurance exchanges or expand Medicaid under the terms of the Affordable Care Act, I’m going to remind Carolina Journal readers what they know about the complicated issues involved that readers and viewers of other media outlets likely don’t know because of the embarrassingly poor news coverage the latter group has been provided.


To start with, the reason Gov. Pat McCrory and North Carolina lawmakers were faced with two difficult decisions about Obamacare is that it was a poorly conceived, sloppily written piece of legislation. Cobbled together from ill-fitting pieces in an attempt to please both the Center and Left of the Democratic Party, and to bribe certain members of Congress to vote for a measure their constituents did not favor, the bill contains contradictions, ambiguities, legal problems, and a huge transfer of policymaking authority from elected representatives (be they in Congress or state legislatures) to federal regulators.

Regarding health exchanges, there is a key legal distinction between a state-run exchange and a federal exchange. According to the text of the Affordable Care Act, federal tax credits for the purchase of insurance plans are only available if individuals purchase those plans through state-run exchanges. The idea was to give states an incentive to set up their own exchanges, rather than default to a federal exchange.

Furthermore, all of the employer mandates to provide health insurance, and some of the individual mandates to purchase health insurance, are predicated on eligibility for those federal tax credits. As the U.S. Supreme Court later affirmed, Congress actually lacked the constitutional authority to compel Americans to purchase private health insurance. The reason Obamacare was upheld anyway is that Justice John Roberts deemed the taxes levied for noncompliance to be too low to constitute a real mandate. They are simply taxes – and in many cases they apply only when employees are eligible for federal tax credits.

If tax credits are disallowed under federal exchanges, such taxes are no longer applicable. Oklahoma and other states are currently suing the federal government to enforce these terms of the Affordable Care Act. The Obama administration has responded that regardless of what the law actually says, the intent was for everyone to be eligible for the credits and subject to the taxes.

CONTINUED:  http://www.carolinajournal.com/daily_journal/display.html?id=9908

HOW WILL OBAMACARE AFFECT YOU????

HOW WILL OBAMACARE AFFECT YOU????

Additional Costs?

Will you be covered?

Will your mother be covered?

How will your doctor be affected?

Hear Constitutional Attorney Jeannette Doran explain Obamacare.

FIND ANSWERS……

MEET WITH NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS.

TUESDAY, FEB. 19, 2013, 6:45 PM

1475 Center Street, Goldsboro, NC

For further information call………… 919-751-1090

Craven County Republican Women Meeting and Luncheon

February 27, 2013, 10:45 am: 

Craven County Republican Women Meeting and Luncheon, New Bern Golf and Country Club, 4301 Country Club Rd, Trent Woods, NC. 

Dr. Bernadette McNulty will be out of town, so the focus group will be an open discussion. 

Our guest speaker will be Mr. Gary Lindsey (CCTA Treasurer).  He will be speaking on the Federal Reserve. 

The luncheon choices are:



1. New Bern Golf & Country Club Cobb - Crisp iceberg, hard boiled eggs, diced tomatoes, grilled chicken, scallions, avocado, Swiss and cheddar cheese topped with apple-wood smoked bacon, with dressings on the table.


2. Chicken Caesar Wrap - Herb marinated grilled breast of chicken, crisp romaine lettuce & Romano cheese tossed with Caesar dressing rolled in a sundried tomato tortilla served with fresh fruit.  
The cost is $15 inclusive.  RSVP to sbradbury@suddenlink.net) or call at (252) 637-2827 or (252) 675-8041 by Saturday, Feb. 23, with your reservation and choice of entree.     

Founders Understood Connection Between Gun Rights and Liberty

Founders Understood Connection Between Gun Rights and Liberty
Carolina Journal Online
February 14. 2013
Dr. Troy Kickler, NC History Project

Founders Understood Connection Between Gun Rights and Liberty--


The meaning of the Second Amendment is being debated once again. Other than in general terms, few discuss the amendment’s origins, the reasons for its inclusion in the Bill of Rights, or how the constitutional framers and ratifiers and early jurists interpreted the amendment.

But such a discussion gets to the heart of the matter. The Second Amendment reads: “A well- regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

“Gun controllers” interpret “militia” to be a professional unit such as the National Guard. The National Guard Association was not formed until 1878, however, and the wholesale nationalization and professionalization of the militia, the modern-day National Guard, did not occur until the Dick Militia Act of 1903.

Many “gun rights” Americans claim a broad, individualist interpretation: Each American has a right to own a firearm for sport, hunting, or personal protection. (This is not absolute; for instance, felons cannot own firearms legally, and respective states, wisely or unwisely, can regulate gun ownership without violating the Second Amendment.)

CONTINUED:  http://www.carolinajournal.com/daily_journal/display.html?id=9900

NC FIRE CALL TO ACTION!!!! NO to licenses for illegals!

The ACLU of North Carolina delivered a petition with more than 22,000 signatures to Gov. Pat McCrory yesterday that urges him to support issuing licenses to illegal aliens.

Just because we can give illegal aliens a NC drivers' license, doesn't mean we should. It is not illegal to deny them one and many states do not.

A NC drivers' license is a privilege reserved for law abiding NC residents, not a right guaranteed to law breaking illegal aliens.

A NC drivers' license confers a "quasi" legal status to illegal aliens and is the most critical document needed to register to vote. The rest are easily forged or stolen (ie: birth certificates, social security cards, etc)

We urge you contact the following people and say "NO to licenses for illegals"!

Anthony Tata- (Sec. of Transportation) 919-707-2800
Sarah Mitchell- (Executive Secretary) smitchell@ncdot.gov 919-707-2820
Gov. McCrory- (Contact page) - http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/email-pat
James Forte- (Head of DMV) - jlforte@ncdot.gov 919-861-3015
Your NC Representative- http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/memberList.pl?sChamber=House (click on members' name for email address)
Your Senator- http://ncleg.net/gascripts/members/memberList.pl?sChamber=senate (click on members' name for email address)

James Johnson
President-NCFIRE
North Carolinians For Immigration Reform and Enforcement
NCFIRE@ncfire.info
www.NCFIRE.info
www.Facebook.com/NCFIRE

Fact checking the 2013 State of the Union speech

A State of the Union address is often difficult to fact-check, no matter who is president. The speech is a product of many hands and is carefully vetted, so major errors of fact are relatively rare. But State of the Union addresses often are very political speeches, an argument for the president’s policies, so context is sometimes missing.


Here is a guide through some of President Obama’s more fact-challenged claims, in the order in which he made them. As is our practice with live events, we do not award Pinocchio rankings, which are reserved for complete columns.

“After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over 6 million new jobs.”

The president is cherry-picking a number that puts the improvement in the economy in the best possible light. The low point in jobs was reached in February 2010, and there has indeed been a gain of about 6 million jobs since then, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. But the data also show that since the start of his presidency, about 1.2 million jobs have been created — and the number of jobs in the economy is about 3.2 million lower than when the recession began in December 2007.

READ MORE:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/fact-checking-the-2013-state-of-the-union-speech/2013/02/12/ce69a4e0-7589-11e2-95e4-6148e45d7adb_blog.html

Pentagon Can Spend On Gay Benefits; But Can’t Afford To Refuel Air Craft Carrier?

Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has been talking about a 22% reduction in the Pentagon budget. Yet, as I reported yesterday, Panetta is also poised to extend a number of costly benefits to the unmarried partners of gay military personnel. At a time when the rest of the military has to cut their budgets, Panetta wants to spend more money to reward the sinful lifestyles of homosexual members of the military. But mind you, the same benefits are NOT being extended to the unmarried partners of heterosexual military personnel.

So how bad are the military budget cuts that will help to pay for those discriminatory benefits? Part of that budget reduction involves the decrease in the number of military personnel serving our country.


Part of that budget reduction involves the decrease in the number of military personnel serving our country. Every branch of the armed forces is cutting back on their active duty rosters. The Marine Corp stands to lose 15,200 from its active and reserve ranks. The Army and Army National Guard will be losing 67,100 soldiers while the Navy reduces its staff by 8,600 and the Air Force by 1,700 for a grand total of 82,600. The plan is supposed to help reduce the Pentagon budget by $487 billion dollars over the next ten years.


READ MORE:  http://godfatherpolitics.com/9421/pentagon-can-spend-on-gay-benefits-but-cant-afford-to-refuel-air-craft-carrier/#ixzz2KhYLhSWg

Tonights State of the Union--Message from Walter Jones

As you probably already know, President Obama’s State of the Union address will be broadcast live tonight to millions across the country. I expect the president to lay out a laundry list of failed liberal policies that are either unconstitutional, unneeded, unaffordable, or some combination thereof.

If you plan to watch the speech, I’d like to bring your attention to the website http://www.gop.gov/sotu. The website, which will be run by the House Republican Conference, will provide a live stream of the State of the Union, along with a second screen providing live, fact-checked rebuttals from Congressional Republicans. Senator Marco Rubio’s Republican response will be featured on the site as well. Since the media has been unwilling to hold this president accountable, this website will be a useful resource to help ensure that Americans have the facts necessary to hold President Obama accountable.



Thanks,

Walter Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3)

Tea Party Issues Scathing Rebuttal to State of Union Twelve Hours Before Speech

February 12, 2013
POSTED BY ANDY BOROWITZ

In a break with tradition, Tea Party Republicans issued their official rebuttal to tonight’s State of the Union address a full twelve hours before President Obama was scheduled to deliver it.


Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) appeared on Fox News Channel at 9 A.M. (E.T.) to read the rebuttal, which some historians called the most brutal response ever to a Presidential speech that had not yet been made.

Calling Mr. Obama’s speech “full of the same empty promises and bald-faced lies we’ve come to expect,” Sen. Paul added that “tonight Barack Obama made his case: for his own impeachment.”

Laced with sarcasm and invective, Sen. Paul’s rebuttal eviscerated Mr. Obama’s not-yet-given speech, ending with a call for the President to be tried for treason and banished from the U.S.

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/02/tea-party-issues-scathing-rebuttal-to-state-of-union-twelve-hours-before-speech.html#ixzz2KhzPD3At

CCTA MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

Public Service Announcement

February 10, 2013

Are your Second Amendment rights important to you? If so, join the Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association (CCTA) for a timely panel discussion followed by a Q & A with Craven County Sheriff Jerry Monet at CCTA's regular meeting at the Bridgepointe Hotel (just across the Trent from New Bern) at 7 PM on Tuesday, February 19. Sheriff Monet will be joined on the panel by Earl Dail with Sportsman's Toy Store, Bill and Mike Wishon who teach concealed carry and other courses, and Mike Lane with BME Enterprises. The sheriffs of Jones and Pamlico Counties and the police chiefs of New Bern and Trent Woods have also been invited to participate. This will provide a good opportunity to discuss the unique roll county sheriffs play in law enforcement within the county in which they have been elected to serve.

In addition to law enforcement, gun shop owners, instructors of concealed carry classes, CCTA's Chairman, Rick Hopkins, says, "We invite all military personnel and law enforcement officers to attend, join in the debate, and publicly reaffirm their oaths to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic'." Anyone concerned about the Second Amendment is welcome.

America's founders were outspoken on the topic. George Washington observed, "A free people ought to be armed." Thomas Jefferson said, "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." And George Mason opined, "To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them."

Info provided by:
Raynor James, PR Chair, Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association (CCTA)
252-288-6228 (home) (Answering machine message says "fsboamerica," but that's correct number)
252-626-2804 (cell)
New Bern, North Carolina

CRAVEN-PAMLICO CHRISTIAN COALITION MEETING

CRAVEN-PAMLICO CHRISTIAN COALITION MEETING INFO...

COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRANT DISCUSSION!


FEBRUARY MEETING:  Monday, February 18, 2013, Golden Corral in New Bern

Meeting begins promptly at 7:00pm

Meal: We encourage informal discussion and fellowship prior to the meeting during supper. If you would like to eat, please arrive between 6:00 and 6:15pm.

GUESTS FROM CRAVEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE:

We are very pleased to report that two representatives of Craven Community College will be joining us at this meeting! Dr. Catherine Chew, President and Carol Mattocks, Board of Trustees Chair will offer comments and take questions.

They will provide a brief college update and specifically talk about grants, such as the recent grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities about Islam.


BY-LAWS COMMITTEE:

Our By-laws Committee will also make a report on their proposed set of by-laws. We will vote on the proposal at our March meeting.

cravenpamlico@centurylink.net

Judicial Abuse of the 14th Amendment: Abortion, Sexual Orientation & Homosexual "Marriage" : Freedom Outpost

Judicial Abuse of the 14th Amendment: Abortion, Sexual Orientation & Homosexual "Marriage" : Freedom Outpost

In the January 2011 edition of the California Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia correctly says the 14^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not apply to sex discrimination or sexual orientation cases. ¹

Activist federal judges, on the other hand, see the 14^th Amendment as a blank check to legalize whatever conduct they happen to approve of, such as abortion, homosexuality, & gay marriage.

But these activist judges are destroying federalism by bringing about a massive transfer of power from The People and the States to their own black-robed selves.

What Are the Enumerated Powers of the Federal Courts?

Read more: http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/02/judicial-abuse-of-the-14th-amendment-abortion-sexual-orientation-homosexual-marriage/#ixzz2KSEjVIr1

Joe Biden: Government Can Determine What Types Of Weapons Americans Can Own : Freedom Outpost

Joe Biden: Government Can Determine What Types Of Weapons Americans Can Own : Freedom Outpost

In a speech on Wednesday evening, Vice President Joe Biden declared, 

“It is clearly within the power of the government to determine what type of weapons can be owned by the public.”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! 

CONTINUED AND VIDEO:  http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/02/joe-biden-government-can-determine-what-types-of-weapons-americans-can-own/#ixzz2KSDVGtI6

Is Obama Mentally Fit To Serve As President? : The Last Resistance

Is Obama Mentally Fit To Serve As President? : The Last Resistance

American history proves that, in the past, many of our leaders have suffered from mental illness. For me, I tend to believe that quite a few of our Presidents had mental health issues of one kind or another. After all what person desiring any peace in their lives would want the job of U.S. President under the best of conditions. However, it appears that there are an abnormal number of eccentricities residing in President Obama and I genuinely wonder if he is mentally fit to run our Republic.

In layman’s terms: Obama is egocentric, always late to work, never gets his work done one time, takes a lot of time off to recreate and party, loves to be the center of attention, hates to be questioned, holds a grudge, associates with reckless ideologues, deludes himself into believing his own lies, avoids responsibility, never admits he made a mistake, thinks stealing is perfectly reasonable, has empathy issues, spends recklessly, has a messiah complex, takes credit for things he never did, can’t argue honestly, is thin skinned, can’t be trusted to keep his word, is uncomfortable in public (unless at a distance), exhibits signs of paranoia and doesn’t have a problem with risky sexual behavior. Just to name a few of the things causing me to wonder about his mental fitness.

CONTINUED:  http://lastresistance.com/1297/is-obama-mentally-fit-to-serve-as-president/

Local Officials are Duty Bound to Resist “Pretended Legislation”

Local Officials are Duty Bound to Resist “Pretended Legislation”

If you think that law is something that a judge can make just by deciding a case that comes before him; or if you think that law is something that a legislature can make just by passing a bill and sending it to a governor or a president for his approval; or if you think that a governor or a president can make law just by means of an executive order, then I would respectfully suggest that you are mistaken about the true source and nature of law.

What is law? Where does it come from and how can I know what it is and what it isn’t?

American law is based on the view that the moral law of the God of the Bible is controlling in all cases. In the Declaration of Independence this moral law is referred to as “The Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.”

CONTINUED:  http://www.conservativeactionalerts.com/2013/02/local-officials-are-duty-bound-to-resist-pretended-legislation/