newsobserver.com projects - sheriffs - Comments

Re: No ways, no means, no how?

cornbread — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:48:12 -0400

Often we hear on Dome and elsewhere about how bad it is that NC has a long ballot (for everything from executive brach officials to judges) that the poor public knows nothing about what they're voting on.

Interestingly, it's then implied that somehow the public needs to be able to vote on all kinds of propositions to add to the constitution, perhaps even the burning question of the matter of striped bass.

So which is it? Do we want a referendum on every last thing or a representative democracy that prioritizes the functions of government?

Right now, the people vote relatively often (every two years) on the legisaltors. Legislative leadership of the majority and minority is vilified heartily in each campaign, but the voters seem to be able to come to a consenus every two years knowing full well what has recently happened in the past two.

And the state is still growing because of out-of-staters moving here.

We already have some referendum provisions (bonds, etc.) How about a post on that for comparison?

Re: No ways, no means, no how?

libertypoint — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:23:11 -0400

This just proves that we do live in a democracy, where one vote counts. You just have to have the one vote.

Brian Irving
LibertyPoint.org

Re: No ways, no means, no how?

Prototype — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:43:28 -0400

S.B. 108: Management of the Striped Bass Fishery: Authorize the Marine Fisheries Commission to create a tradeable quota on striped bass.

It's good that we will not be trying to manage striped bass. Let's catch them all and kill them off. We would not want to inconvenience the commercial fisherman whose heritage is at stake.

Re: No ways, no means, no how?

GrayJ — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:56:38 -0400

Why is Basnight opposed to the no felons as sheriffs bill. Seems to be quite reasonable to me.

Re: Bill: No felons as sheriff

GrayJ — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:13:30 -0500

There are rumors that former Davidson County Sheriff and convicted felon Gerald Hege is considering running for sheriff again. For those of you don't know Hege garnered national fame for painting the county jail cells pink, driving a car known as "The Spider Car", hosting a CourtTV show and sending out Christmas Cards showing himself holding the severed head of Osama Bin Laden with the greeting "Happy Ramadan"

Re: Bill: No felons as sheriff

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:33:55 -0500

Fixed. Thanks!

— RTB

Re: Bill: No felons as sheriff

lpetrou — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:24:22 -0500

Since when did Stan Bingham become a democrat?

YeomeNC2008 — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:57:36 -0400

A different former senator

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:40:22 -0400

That's not Jesse Helms, that's former state Sen. John Garwood.

— RTB

Re: Sheriffs like Dalton

carolinabluebird — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:51:09 -0400

I got a piece of mail today from Walter Dalton's campaign with a picture of Jesse Helms standing beside him. scary.

Re: Sheriffs support Wayne Goodwin for Insurance Commissioner

Wayne_Goodwin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:09:02 -0400

Wayne Goodwin's campaign for the Democratic nomination for NC Insurance Commissioner continues to gain momentum as Sheriffs, state legislators, and local officials have also strongly endorsed Goodwin in droves. Goodwin received a significant number of endorsements from Sheriffs while they were in Buncombe County for their statewide association meeting yesterday.

Those who may wonder why Sheriffs are endorsing Wayne Goodwin need to know this fact: The office of Insurance Commissioner and the Department of Insurance are LAW ENFORCEMENT. At least 20 of our Dept of Insurance employees are sworn law enforcement officers, who carry badges and weapons. Why? Because when we crack down on insurance fraud or insurance law violators - whether by a claimant or an agent or a company - there can be millions of dollars involved, and when there's that kind of money involved then scofflaws are willing to get violent and brandish weapons of their own. The Insurance Commissioner also has the power to arrest. We are law enforcement, and er work every day with Sheriffs, police chiefs, the SBI, the FBI, etc. How do I know this? Because I am the ASSISTANT Commissioner of Insurance already. It makes sense that we have an Insurance Commissioner who understands the job and is already doing that job. That's what my candidacy offers.

For more information and an updated partial list of endorsements, go to www.waynegoodwin.org or email the campaign via gwaynegoodwin@gmail.com ...