John Locke Foundation

Talk, talk and more talk on health care

bkrueger — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:55:40 -0400

There will be plenty of talk in the Triangle about health care in the coming days.

The N.C. Chamber is hosting a conference on health care on Wednesday, Sept. 30, featuring Ron Brownstein, political director for Atlantic Media Co. and a former political columnist for The Los Angeles Times.

Among those taking part in panel discussions at the Sheraton Imperial in Durham will be Bob Greczyn, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Grace Terrell, president and CEO of Cornerstone Healthcare, and and Paul Wiles, president of Novant Health.

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, N.C. Policy Watch is bringing in Wendell Potter, a former health care insurance industry executive who is critical of industry efforts to block health care reform. He will speak at the Marbles Kids Museum at lunch time.

While he won't just be talking about only health care, journalist Michael Barone is expected to dissect the agenda of President Barack Obama for the John Locke Foundation at a lunch on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the North Raleigh Hilton.

Barone is a contributor for Fox News and a senior political writer for the Washington Examiner.

McCrory to headline town hall

bniolet — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:44:08 -0400

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory will host a "Hands off my Health Care" town hall meeting planned to coincide with President Barack Obama's speech to Congress about his health care agenda.

Attendees at the event, scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Kerr Scott Building at the N.C. State Fairgrounds, will be able to watch Obama's speech and then hear a rebuttal. They might even be able to cheer, clap, boo or hiss at the president's speech.

The event is hosted by Americans for Prosperity will be joined by leaders from the conservative leaning John Locke Foundation, the John William Pope Civitas Institute, doctors and patients.

Citizens will be urged to call their senators, visit their district offices, and sign the Patients First petition. The petition asks all members of Congress to oppose any legislation that imposes greater government control over health care and results in fewer choices for patients and their families.

The event is free of charge, and concessions will be available for purchase.

Update: The start time for the event has been moved back and hour. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m.

Health care call-in show turns lively

bniolet — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:06:26 -0400

* It was Republican Sen. Richard Burr versus the Democratic congressman Tuesday night as they fielded questions on North Carolina television in a lively discussion about national health care.

Burr, though agreeing that the current health-care system is "unsustainable," said the proposals by President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats would cost too much, raise too many taxes and impose too many regulations.

"I don't want the government handling any more," Burr said in agreeing with one caller who said the federal government had mismanaged too many programs in the past.

But Burr of Winston-Salem was a lonely voice on the one-hour program broadcast on UNC-TV, as Democratic congressmen David Price of Chapel Hill, Brad Miller of Raleigh, Bob Etheridge of Lillington and Mel Watt of Charlotte voiced strong support for bills in Congress to make health insurance more affordable to more people.

After one caller said health changes were being pushed down the throats of an unwilling public, Watt remarked: "If he thinks the majority of the public doesn't support some kind of health reform, I don't know what nation he is living in."

The UNC-TV broadcast was the last of a busy day of health-care events in North Carolina on Tuesday. At lunchtime in Cary, the John Locke Foundation, a Raleigh-based conservative think tank, held a health-care discussion -- one in a series across the state.

Conservatives at the session suggested that the nation explore alternatives to fixing the health-care system, such as expanding health savings accounts.

Later Tuesday, about 200 people gathered in Raleigh for a rally against Obama's health-reform efforts, billed as a "Constitutional Town Hall" meeting. The event featured impersonators of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine and cardboard cutouts of leading North Carolina elected officials who were invited but did not attend. (N&O)

* Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, the last surviving brother in a political dynasty and one of the most influential senators in history, died Tuesday night at his home on Cape Cod after a year-long struggle with brain cancer. He was 77. (AP)

Perdue lets some light in

bniolet — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:38:51 -0400

One her first day as governor, Beverly Perdue pledged to increase government transparency.

"Government must be more accountable to the people," Perdue said in her Jan. 10 inaugural address. "The state's business must be conducted in the sunshine, to inspire confidence, not cynicism."

Perdue appears to largely be living up to that promise. She makes her weekly schedule available and frequently takes questions from reporters, and her administration released travel and other records that disclosed former Gov. Mike Easley's use of private planes and other activities.

And Wednesday, Perdue issued executive orders requiring more transparency in government. She is also expected to soon sign a bill that she backed that would force state mental hospitals to release information about those who die in the facility or within two weeks of being discharged.

But Perdue's administration continues to withhold some key records, such as reports on probationers who committed serious crimes and state employees who had sex with inmates.

"Compared to what it was, [Perdue] has been great," said Don Carrington, vice president of the conservative John Locke Foundation, who said the Easley administration routinely rebuffed his calls and requests for documents. "They return calls and acknowledge requests." (N&O)

On the other hand, employees at the state's psychiatric hospital in Goldsboro could face discipline if they say negative things about its staff or operations.

Cherry Hospital has landed in trouble in the past few years for patient abuse and neglect, with some of problems coming to light because workers spoke publicly. (N&O)

State agencies fail transparency test

bkrueger — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:37:35 -0400

Most state agencies fall far short in providing taxpayers with access to information about their work, according to a new survey of transparency in government.

The John Locke Foundation this week unveiled nctranparency.com, an ongoing look at how state and local agencies in terms of making information available to the public.

Most of the 22 state agencies that were graded on the site were given a "D" or an "F". The state Department of Public Instruction earned the highest grade - a "C."

The foundation graded agencies on information that they make readily available online. Joseph Coletti, a fiscal analyst for the foundation, said in a release that grades were weighted to "reflect access to the most important information." Budget information, for example, was given greater weight.

DPI earned the highest grade among state agencies by making available its budget, contracts, the salaries of employees by job code, the salaries of top employees, and other information.

The Office of State Auditor, the state community college system, the Office of the State Controller and others received an "F" because they do not make much of that and other information available online, according to the site.

Tea party protests to be held today

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:54:03 -0400

Protesters will gather around North Carolina today.

The Tax Day Tea Party events will protest government bailouts and record federal spending, among other issues, in 30 locations around the state.

An event in Charlotte is expected to draw 1,000, including Republican Rep. Sue Myrick. Another event in Edenton will draw on a 1774 protest in that city. Protests are also planned for Raleigh, Greensboro and Asheville.

The events are being coordinated in North Carolina in part by Americans for Prosperity, a small-government advocacy group. Grassroots volunteers have also set up Facebook pages and used Twitter to promote the events.

Staffers from the John Locke Foundation and the Civitas Institute will also speak at several events.

The State of the Twitter?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:29:55 -0400

It's fair to say that was the first State of the State to be tweeted.

Gov. Beverly Perdue's first speech to the legislature was touted as historic because she is the state's first female governor, but it may be recalled as well as the first to be micro-blogged on the popular site Twitter.

A sample of the live reactions to the speech:

* "who cares? It would only be interesting had Munger won." — Sam Spencer

* "Anyone else think it's ironic that the hashtag for the state of the state address is #ncsos? Guv'nah Bev's sending out an S-O-S!" — Ben McNeely

* "Perdue: "We don't have time for talk-show political posturing or petty partisan games." Not Political Connections I hope? lol" — Tim Boyum, News 14 North Carolina host

* ""Vocational, CC, or college" .... Glad to see McCrory at least influenced debate on the issue." Ryan Radford

* "Governor just called me out for twittering while she talks. Well me and people actually there" — Will Cubbison, Young Democrats labor chair

* "Great example with the flight attendant from the Miracle on the Hudson flight, but "Sheroes"? Really?" — Joe Colletti, John Locke Foundation

* "Brace yourself for a Gov. O. Max Gardner reference. Gardner was governor during the great depression, spent money rather than cut." — Mark Binker, Greensboro News-Record reporter

To read the full discussion, go to search.twitter.com and type #ncsos

Adams running for GOP head

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:21:01 -0500

Chad Adams is running for chairman of the N.C. Republican Party.

"I absolutely am," he said. "Mentally, I decided a few weeks ago, but we had to work through some of the logistics."

He said he would work to restore the trust of grassroots activists who have moved away from the party, in part by working as a full-time chairman.

A former Lee County commissioner, Adams works as development vice president for the John Locke Foundation. He said he will take leave over the next week and would step down entirely if he wins at the Republican convention in June.

"We've got to make it exciting to be a Republican again," he said. "The issues still win, even when our candidates are languishing."

He's also launched a Web site for the campaign.

Guilford County business owner Marcus Kindley, former state Sen. Woody White and Wake County GOP chairman David Robinson are also running for the post.

Jindal, Booker to speak tonight

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:12:14 -0500

Two rising political stars are speaking in the Triangle tonight.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will be the featured speaker at the John Locke Foundation's annual dinner in Raleigh tonight.

And Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker will speak at Duke University this evening.

Jindal, 37, became the youngest governor in the nation when he was sworn in last January. He made ethics reform and reducing business taxes his top priorities. He'll speak after a 6:30 p.m. dinner at the Marriott Crabtree Valley hotel. Tickets are $60.

A Rhodes Scholar who studied at Stanford and Yale, Booker moved to Newark's most notorious housing project to work as a community organizer before being elected mayor. He'll speak at 5:30 p.m. in Fleishman Commons at the Sanford Institute of Public Policy. The talk is free.

More information on the speeches is available here.

Adams may run for GOP chair

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:20:27 -0500

A former Lee County commissioner is pondering a run for GOP chair.

Chad Adams, who served on the Lee board of commissioners from 1998 to 2006, said he's been approached about replacing outgoing state party chairwoman Linda Daves.

"The first couple calls, you think they're just being nice," he said. "But then a number of other calls came from people that I think a lot of, so I went home and talked to my wife."

Adams, 41, served as chairman of the Lee County Republican Party from 2000 to 2002 and as treasurer in the 1990s.

A fifth-generation resident of Lee County, he now works as development vice president for the John Locke Foundation, raising money for the conservative think tank. He also serves as director of the related Center for Local Innovation, which focuses on local government.

If he ran, Adams said he would focus on recruiting candidates for local office, boosting fundraising for the party and getting back "the conservative mantle on fiscal policy."

"We need to make it a much more nimble, forward-thinking kind of party," he said.

Former state Sens. Woody White and Fred Smith are considering a run for chair, and Guilford County stockbroker Marcus Kindley is already running.